Get Cooking.

However simple this title is, the message is universal. This cookbook is great for home cooks, anyone who enjoys cooking and baking and wants to eat well, anyone in need of a bit of encouragement in the kitchen, and fabulous for experienced and not so experienced cooks... essential anyone and everyone! Get Cooking is written by Mollie Katzen, the author of the Moosewood Cookbooks, which I have. This cookbook will inspire and may make a cook out of anyone. With a little elbow grease and determination one can sharpen their kitchen... culinary skills while making simple delicious food. Delicious food made at home equals less time eating fast food. Of course it is okay to indulge... in moderation, however, I can not stress this enough - nothing beats food you prepare yourself. The accomplishment and satisfaction are worth every self glorification jubilation. 

The recipes are made simple and most if not all of the ingredients one would have on hand. Which makes this book's recipes accessibility very favourable. As always with most cookbooks I have it seems more often than not that the vegetarian recipes are the ones I take note of. One such recipe was the White Cheddar Mashed Potato Soup and another was the Black Bean Burgers. Most of the recipes use cumin. Which I am happy about. And the photographs in this book are more modest and matter of fact than glossy and overtly stylized.

Since the potato soup caught my eye. I will be making it tomorrow with just a few slight modifications. That being said I will share the recipe from the cookbook in hopes that it will inspire you.

White Cheddar Mashed Potato Soup

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2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups water

4 medium-large russet potatoes (about 3 pounds), cut into small chunks

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup (packed) grated white Cheddar cheese

red pepper flakes 

freshly ground black pepper

1. Place a soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cumin, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.

2. Sir in the garlic and the salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.

3. Add the water and the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat all the way down to lowest possible setting. Partially cover, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes become completely soft. (It's okay to err on the side of their becoming falling-apart tender.) Turn off the heat, stir in the milk, and let the soup sit, uncovered, to allow it to cool down a bit.

4. Use a blender or immersion blender to purée the soup until it lis smooth. (if it seems to thick, add a little extra water.) 

5. Reheat the soup very slowly and over medium-low heat, being careful not to let it boil. When it is hot, stir in the cheese and season to taste with the red pepper flakes (a pinch or two) and black pepper (6 to 10 grinds) Serve hot, passing around the pepper mill and extra red pepper flakes. 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JW