Michael Smith (4)

I guess I'm not up on my chefs because I don't know too much about Michael Smith, arguably Canada's most famous chef. I received a copy of his newest cookbook, simply titled Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen - 100 of My Favourite Recipes. (The spelling of favourite is a clue that he is from Canada.)

The book, like the title, is simple but gorgeous. It is divided into the typical chapters- Breakfast, Soups, Salads, Main Course, Dessert. In between chapters there are pages, like Salt & Pepper and show more Knives & Pots, where Smith describes simply what you need to know about using salt and pepper to season and the six (Martha Stewart would faint!) kitchen tools you need. They are:

One large pot, big enough to boil pasta in
One small pot, big enough to make a small batch of pasta sauce
One frying pan, large enough to make a batch of pancakes
One large chef's knife, for slicing and dicing
One serrated knife, for slicing bread
One small paring knife, for opening envelopes and cutting limes for your gin and tonics
Even a small apartment kitchen like mine can handle that.

The book is beautifully done, and each recipe is divided into four sections, with different colors and fonts: the recipe name and introduction, the ingredients, the directions and kitchen tips. Each recipe has an accompanying photo (well done by James Ingram), either of the finished product or of ingredients.

The recipes are simple too, using ingredients that can be found in most grocery stores, another plus for me. I don't have room for ingredients I will use only once.

I have bookmarked at least a dozen recipes to try that I know my adult sons would enjoy, including:
Bacon Breakfast Taco with Cheddar Scrambled Eggs
Chicken Cheddar Quesadillas with Jalapeno Cilantro Pesto
Buffalo "Wing" Salad with Spicy Chicken Chunks and Spicy Blue Cheese Dressing
Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili with Cinnamon Sour Cream
Pan Roasted Zucchini with Cherry Tomatoes and Oregano

What I like best about this book is that it is filled with recipes that aren't intimidating, they are simple, made with fresh ingredients, and I think pretty much anyone can make them. I'll keep you posted on which recipes I try. show less

OK, I am not exaggerating to say that every single recipe in this book is a) delicious and flavourful as per the title and also b) quick and easy, also per the title. I haven't tried any of Chef Michael Smith's recipes before, but seriously, every other page has a to-die-for delicious recipe on it to the point that I now need to buy a copy b/c I've run out of renewals of the library copy.

Every recipe I've tried has tasted SO DELICIOUS but the standout is deffo the mac and cheese (with show more paprika, hot sauce, mustard, garlic, and broccoli). show less

Currently making our way through this cook book. So far we have tried a handful of recipes and every one of them is delicious. I like the twist on classic recipes. The instructions are easy to follow, ingredients are listed for easy reference and the photographs are mouthwatering to look at.

Cannot wait to try the other recipes this summer!