Gourmet Cooking for Two by Christi Silbaugh
I previously hosted her for Front Table Books on the Gluten-Free Made Easy blog tour!
Published By: Front Table Books (@FrontTableBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #GourmetCookingForTwo & #ChristiSilbaugh
Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Gourmet Cooking for Two” direct from the publisher Front Table Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
Ever since I was properly introduced to the budget friendly, wicked delish and beyond brilliant recipes within Silbaugh’s Gluten-Free Made Easy I have become a dedicated appreciator of her cookbooks! Everyone has a budget but what I appreciate with Silbaugh’s approach is that she matches my own family’s belief that wicked quality food doesn’t have to break your wallet! You can eat healthy yet keep mindful of using less ingredients or supplementing what you need with what you have on hand already and create a dish to savour! I love this the most about her cookbooks because I think at some point everyone is going to be touched by an economic crisis of one shape or another due to the changing environment of the economy (not just limited to those of us stateside!). Why not become a champion of the cookbook writers who are giving us tips, tricks, and wicked sweet insights on how to create smashingly delish recipes without the worriment over never having ‘enough ingredients’ to pull off a delightful meal?
Gourmet Cooking for Two
by Christi Silbaugh
Source: Direct from Publisher
Making gourmet meals for two is the perfect way to grow closer to your sweetheart, whether you are a new couple, empty nesters, or somewhere in between. With romantic tips to help you spice up your love life, and over 100 delicious, high quality recipes such as Brazilian Red Snapper and Tuscan Potato Soup, you’ll never want to go out to dinner again.
Places to find the book:
Also by this author: Gluten-Free Made Easy, NOURISH: The Beginner's Guide to eating healthy and staying fit
Published by Front Table Books
on 31st August, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
About Christi Silbaugh
Christi Silbaugh started cooking gluten-free in 2009 when her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. Since then, she has created and posted over one thousand gluten-free recipes. Her cooking obsession and love for her family has turned a hobby into a full-time career of blogging and writing. She is the self-educated chef and author of three cooking blogs, including Mom, What’s For Dinner; Gourmet Cooking For Two; and Zero Calorie Life. She writes for foodie media giants Glam Media and Federated Media and works for Fast Forward Events, covering food and wine events in San Diego.
Be sure to check the author out on YouTube!
A cookbook for every singleton who is a romantic at heart:
An insightful clue how I’m a Romantic at my core is the fact one of my favourite genres to devour are within the “Romance” section of any bookshoppe or literary realm of delightful joy! If you have dropped by on Twitter during one of my #ChocLitSaturdays chats OR have seen how many ChocLit books I’ve read in 2014, you might have gained a bit of a clue too! However, what truly perked my ears to read this particular cookbook is the fact it specifically encourages you to create wicked awesome gourmet meals for two foodies who want to dine well but keep within their food budgets! Ms. Silbaugh was inspired to create this one as an empty-nester but I found inspiration as a singleton who is optimistic about her future (read my thoughts on my review of The Language of Hoofbeats). I love discovering new recipes with full-on flavour profiles intermixed with ingredients which are easy to locate locally and do not require living in a specific geographic location! Sometimes what irks me about professional cooks (i.e. I am referring to celebrity chefs on the telly!) is they have the tendency to forget half of us who are home cooks do not live in an urban metropolis where every unique ingredient known to man is obtainable. Therefore, even though I love to cook Indian dishes alongside Italian, or intermix the two completely (hey! sometimes you have to work with what you have in your cupboards, fridge, and pantry!), I have a passionate preference for finding ways to cook gourmet with everyday resources which can inspire a savoury meal experience!
Interlocked with every recipe inside this tome of knowledge for herbivores, omnivores, and the dedicated carnivore (I should mention Pescetarians would be happy too!) you will find notes on how to spice up your Romance by giving key examples of how you can ignite a bit of passion and love into your dining. If that is not inspiring enough, you have a feast for the eyes with the larger than life photographs which showcase (and whet your palette!) the dishes themselves! Whomever does the photography for the Front Table Books line of cooking and baking books is rock solid on delivery! I am never disappointed as they have clarity of focus with the joy of feeling as though you could lift the food off the page itself! Yum, yum, yum!
Jorie is not always the best time planner : therefore this is a list of must cook specialties!
If you hadn’t noticed, I truly have the best of intentions, but my delivery is not always on par with my plans, as I simply had time whittle away from me! I wasn’t able to grab the ingredients I did not have on hand in time to prepare any of the lovelies which inspired me to write a list of ‘must cook specalities’ found inside Gourmet Cooking for Two! Alas, this simply means a lot of future blog posts sprinkled throughout 2015! If you hadn’t previously clicked over to my Story Vault, scrolling until you see the category “Cookery: Savoury & Baking (with a healthy bent of focus)” you’ll be plumb excited about the possibilities once you do! Per each review, I give a list of what I am planning on cooking and featuring on Jorie Loves A Story! If you start to follow me on Twitter (be sure to comment in the threads below or tweet me when you do!) you’ll start to notice the cookery & foodie tweets flying around like mad crazy! Laughs.
The Recipes which made my Foodie Heart Swoon | Top 18!
{ although perhaps not all for the same examples
of ‘why’ to cook these in the book! }
ADULT TATER TOTS: small confession, one of my unhealthy addictions at school lunch were tator tots – I carried this over into my civilian life outside of school to finding clever ways to find delish tots too! Clearly my addiction to the forementioned bread has a connection to starches? These puppies are over the moon large, look scrumptious enough to pluck off the page, and you know I’d devour the whole pot of them if I were to make them without hosting a gathering OR for how they’re intended a meal for two!
CHINESE DUMPLINGS: another small confession, one of my favourite ways to add dimension to homemade borscht is to create my own filling for wonton wrappers! Now by the time I am able to make the borscht (you really have to stay ontop of the beet growing season!), either the wrappers are still outside their shelf life or duly expired! Never knew if I could ever make dumplings or wontons by hand, but this recipe makes me feel it is less taxing than the previous method! What joy!?
CRANBERRY MISTLETOE BITES: if I can I want to try to make these for New Year’s Eve! My family has celebrated New Year’s as a family affair for as long as I can remember; half inspired by the issues with drivers ending up in ER’s due to the holiday bringing out the worst in road conditions; but also because it is a celebration of what you’ve done and the hope of tomorrow. Brie is a foodie’s cheese, as the sensory sparks on your tongue are beyond words — it is an elevated experience and ooh so warm, gooey, and sophisticated at the same time! I have to mod this a bit as we have sugar issues in my fam at the moment and with all the upside down information about agave, I will most likely use wild honey! Evenso, imagine counting down the hours for the ball to drop in Times Square with this delish bite? Yes, please!
MUSHROOM PURSES: known about these for awhile now, as the gene for researching cookery inspirations finally kicked in (even though I believe my dear Mum and grandmother thought it might not!) yet I had the thought they might be ‘too complicated’! Clearly I needed to seek out Ms. Silbaugh’s style as she took a page out of my tookbox! Those wonton wrappers are the easiest route to making unique little parcels of food! I simply never did the uptwist before with them!
REFRESHING SHRIMP BITES: sort of took a surprise turn here saying this as I used to eat shrimp even before I was old enough to attend school, but in the years since we’ve been quite distant from one another! Then I decided I should at least ‘try shrimp’ a few different ways so whilst they have those nice demos at local grocery stores I’ve entertained the possibility again to re-affirm a lost love. Silbaugh hooked me with this recipe by including ‘gauc’! She turnt my love of gauc and my new flirtation with shrimp into a winning combo!
ANGRY CABBAGE SALAD: cabbage and I became fast friends, but when I learnt how you can turn an old family recipe for Kaldolmar into a vegetarian alternative choice, I was instantly hooked on creating it in the crock pot! This perked my interest because of the name (if to be honest!) and because it is a new spin on an old favourite! The spices alone are the warm ones that kick up my love of India!
CONFETTI KALE SALAD WITH DIJON DRESSING: never meant a variety of kale I did not heartily consume! elephant kale is my top favourite variety but all of them are quite lovely! (making a big pot of boiled down southern greens is a past-time of mine!) I like how kale takes the central focus rather than getting buried in the mixture, it is a light tossed salad and that appeals to me because I’m not a regular iceberg kind of gal or that bitter green leaf thing everyone loves either.
CORN CHOWDER: chowder can either wow me or leave me wondering where I left my smile – corn is a tricky ingredient because when used right it rocks but it can be harder to process too. This particular recipe gives me a Wintry aspect of flavour to it because it pulls in the potato with the complementary carrot and celery! A soothing warm soup to tuck inside when the weather dances outside with a measure of cold! Yummy!
HOT AND SOUR SOUP: only because I never had the guts to try this at a Chinese restaurant as I wasn’t as sure if their deft hand would make or break my stomach! I’d have to temper the pepper in this recipe but the idea of finally consuming a cuppa of this soup warmed my spirits! The ending result looks incredible by the way!
RAMEN BOWL: as I have a serious attraction to nori, seaweed and Asian foods in general! (think Miso soup!) Shiitake mushrooms are my shroom of choice (and wicked healthy for you too!) and this merriment of Asia in a bowl capitalises on everything I love about the food culture! I know the reference at the bottom was to go fancy but why not cosy up with a screening of an Asian film, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon whilst enjoying the dish? Or listening to an audiobook translated novel? Ooh better yet! Eat this before going to the theatre for a showing of Miss Saigon! The one performance I miss due to a miscommunication of dates!
ASIAN FISH SLIDERS: personally I’d opt for fresh haddock or cod, the irony being I’m declaring I’d opt for haddock or cod as I was never a fishy-fish girl! Partially as generally speaking shellfish loves me more, but there are good write-ups about how haddock (especially over cod) has a way of being agreeably to all. Cabbage slaw slides underneath the battered fish and I’d love to sort out how to make those homemade buns from either Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast or The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking or at least I believe there is a recipe for them in each? Hmm. I’ve read so many awesome cookbooks lately they are starting to blur in my memories! I would make sure the haddock was caught wild as I do have a few bones to pick about farmed fish and how far fish is imported!
CHIMICHANGAS: never had the right place to order these locally and I have watched (whilst inwardly salivating!) enough chefs cook them on Food Network to know they are something I’d love to eat! I might switch the protein choice from beef (not a red meat girl!) to turkey (leaner, healthier, and just to be frank, tastier!) but ooh! Yes, I want to cook this! In fact, that might be a good holiday recipe to pair with the brie app!
SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC OVER ORZO: already know going in I’d either have to find the Gluten-Free Orzo (of which I sourced on Twitter: Viviana Foods (@vivianafoods) (reminds me I forget to tell you dear hearts, I have Lists on Twitter for foodies!) or pair it with another option as orzo has become problematic over the years for digestion. The first time I had scallops was about five years ago when we splurged as a family to buy them from the farmer’s market as they had a deal with the fishermen up in Cape Cod? Those scallops were so big and succulent I cannot even put into words the proper way to describe the experience! I was so excited and yet so surprised for how wicked they tasted! We did a red wine reduction and seared them; this recipe turns them into a luxurious main dish! Due to market prices on fish of all types, my seafood days are still on hiatus but a girl can dream!
CHICKEN FRIED QUINOA: quinoa is a staple in my home, as it is such a versatile little grain of love! Whilst I blogged about Bob’s Red Mill previously (on The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking review) I had started to experiment with other brands of this lovely little grain inasmuch as using Bob’s! Quinoa has diverse array of foods you can cook or bake with it, and that is precisely why my heart leapt seeing this one!
*NOTE: Not that I usually disclose when I make a dyslexic mistake whilst I blog, but this one felt endearing to share with you: I originally wrote this as “chicken FRIEND quinoa” which speaks to how I feel on the grain!
GARLIC MASHED POTATO CUPCAKES: okay, okay which girl out there hasn’t had a hankering for potato ANY which way to Sunday on any day out of the week!? You should see these little cups of mashed potatoes! They look like proper little cupcakes all lined by threes with scallions to dress up their tops! How adorable and clever is that!? It would be a nice surprise birthday party if you walked in carrying these for the birthday gent or lass!
KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER: will simply eat any form of cauliflower grown! I even had the pleasure of trying a head of purple cauliflower once and it was beyond delish on my fork! I typically stray away from “Kung Pao” any item on a Chinese Buffet but this one had me re-read the recipe because the plate isn’t nearly high enough in portion to satisfy my urge to devour this!! I’d sub the chili peppers but this is due to a personal issue with peppers but I might shake on a bit of cayenne (a bit here is smaller than a pinch!) to liven it up!
OVEN ROASTED GARLIC MUSHROOMS: inherited my love for garlic from my Dad — this one speaks to my garlicky heart! I’d gather a smörgåsbord of mushrooms and mince up a LOT more cloves of garlic (your talking to a girl whose fam loves to purchase farmer market garlic oil (when in season) as much as using multiple cloves of garlic per meal!) than the requisite two! Two cloves? I’d never even taste it! Ooh, my dear stars — this is bowl of heaven!
CINNAMON APPLE QUINOA PARFAIT: you know I truly cannot eat enough quinoa! Cinnamon and Cardamom are two of my favourite desert spices (this doesn’t call for the latter) and if you combine them in any fashion with apples (apple season is short-term but ooh the delicacy and vibrancy to those organic apples!) I cannot see how you’d go wrong? I could make these by the dozens! And, I am sure they would walk off just as soon as they were done too!
On why my heart is full of gratitude for Gourmet Cooking for Two:
I found a lot of duality of purpose for these recipes — for potluck surprises at your local community meals or for the church potluck you scratch your head over what to bring that is more original than your beloved potato salad; to gatherings of friends coming over for conversation, board games, or to converse about how your heart bleeds every season for the dramatic revelations of Downton Abbey only to be drawn back in again for the next (which surprises you more than them!); for putting inside a reusable bag and having a picnic with your fam at the local park where the clean air and the joy of walking afterwards is far more appealing than staying in; to whichever inventive way you can think these recipes could be used! I was even thinking for office parties, surprise baskets for a dear friend who could use a pick me up, or even a gift to yourself and loved one when the two of you need a bit of ‘me’ time and a step outside your regular routine! This last idea is actually the author’s come to think of it, but I tend to blog as my thoughts stream through my head! Laughs.
All the Front Table Books releases I am reviewing come with snazzy layouts, easy to sort out ingredient lists (they are purposely cosy and hugged close to the top headers!), photographs to swoon over the foods, and bang-on brilliant ease of following the directions! For me, as a novice cook now that I’m sprouting wings out of being a vagabond sous chef to my Mum, I appreciate the dedication to producing the quality and keeping everything super organised! I do not oft remember to mention the Appendixes or the cross-referencing happening inside these books, but they always delight my heart, senses and savoury (or sweet) inclinations!
I hope through what I’ve shared on behalf of this cookbook has given you something to chew on and something to look forward to exploring if you opt to take a chance on this or any of the cookbooks I am featuring on my blog! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment threads below and don’t forget: if your budget is not fit for adding a cookbook, go to your local library and submit a purchase request! I kid you not — local libraries are always confused on which cookbooks to add to their collections (and I should have mentioned this sooner!)!! They will all but kiss you for the ideas! Return if you cook something I wanted to cook myself OR if you were tempted to try a different recipe! Happy cookery delights, dear hearts!
This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc.:
One thing I have wanted to seek out is a way to talk about what befits a book blogger’s soul – part of what makes our soul happy is the food we consume, which is why time to time I will be showcasing a healthy-minded cookbook or baking book to augment this side of my life into my book blog. For this reason, I am still quite grateful Front Table Books and Cedar Fort gave me my initial chance to feature a cookbook — as it marked a transition moment for me, as throughout December and extending into 2015 directly, I will be regularly featuring non-fiction titles as much as dipping into the Foodie Fiction section of literature which compels my heart to discover.
Virtual Road Map of “Gourmet Cooking for Two” Blog Tour can be found here:
Find out which Front Table Books I am hosting in 2014 + 2015!
Visit with me again soon!
In conjunction with launching a *NEW* Feature on Jorie Loves A Story:
This post marks my fourth tie-in on my bookish blog where I am going to be highlighting both fiction and non-fiction Foodie delights! I have always appreciated “Foodie Fiction”, but I am also an amateur sous chef who likes to experiment in the kitchen with her Mum! I grew up with a keen interest in savory and sweet decadence from a Mum whose culinary wanderings spanned the world. We were always a family who were considered to eat ‘bland’ food due to the fact we limited our salt intact, and we never used black pepper! Ironically, it was through the herbs and spices my Mum always fused into our cooking adventures that first sparked my own interest in getting a bit more involved than merely developing a ‘taste’ for what I appreciated. I developed my own yearnings for Indian spices (i.e. Curry Powder, Garam Marsala, Turmeric, etc) and foods, as much as I always had a hankering for extra garlic cloves due to a high concentration of Italian foods I consumed growing up. I wanted to merge my bookish joy of reading ‘Foodie Fiction’ with my quest to uncover a healthier and more vibrant way to eat, live, and thrive. Therefore, I decided to begin featuring what I consider fit under this new Feature of Jorie Loves A Story: The Bookish Foodie! As I am *exactly!* what the title eludes — I’m a bookish girl who has a Foodie soul! Drop back and spend time with me to see where this Feature takes me!
SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis and Book Cover of “Gourmet Cooking for Two”, Blog Tour Badge and Cedar Fort badge were provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media and used with permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. The Bookish Foodie badge created by Jorie in Canva. Cross Posting Riffle badge created by Jorie in Canva.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.
Tweets on Twitter in regards to “Gourmet Cooking for Two”:
#amwriting my #bookreview for a wicked new #cookbook by the super inventive Christi Silbaugh! Focused on: #CookingForTwo :) @MomWhatsForDinn
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) December 15, 2014
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Go Indie
I have been reviewing more cookbooks on my blog too and I love them! This looks like a great book, Jorie!
Hi Magistra!
Hours keep dissolving away from me this December, and it was in October where I was starting to set-up my landing page with a new route of links inside my Bloglovin’ to regularly start to visit all the lovelies I’ve met recently! I even added a link to your blog in my sidebar as a happy shout-out to those who regularly read and visit to find you! One of my goals is to re-instate my blogroll in the sidebar before the end of January, but I decided to keep all the lovely book bloggers in that scroll box? The link to my landing page is inside there too!
I keep looking for your archives, but found the clickable genres at the bottom of your page, but I was looking for the master list of your reviews and/or a monthly post by post to see if I could walk through the ones I’ve posted last as well. You are focusing on Paleo, and I am keen on reading more about the Vegetarian/Vegan side of Paleo as I have heard a lot of positive things about the discipline of the foods and the balance of health therein. I will be continuing to host cookbooks moving forward into 2015, as I already have a few slated as much as my next one will be on Christmas Eve!
I do agree with you about lifestyle vs dieting; when I blog about the cookbooks I am highlighting, I do try to stress I am making lifestyle choices and that it is my own personal journey I am disclosing therein. As like you, (as I was glancing at your Paleo reviews!) I have heard both sides of the debates and the only thing that matters is what we individually choose is right for us. We all know how foods react with our digestions and we know what works best for us as far as optimum health. I will be looking forward to reading your cookbook reviews to see what your sharing about your own path!
Yes, I think you would enjoy this one — I cannot compliment the author enough on how she makes her meals budget friendly, delishly gourmet, and inspiring to new homecooks as much as veterans! Let me know if you take a chance on this one OR if you make a recipe from it! :) Thanks for letting me know your enjoying my cookbook reviews! Warmed my heart to read that! :) And, due know as 2015 comes into focus I’ll be over on your blog more regularly! Miss chatting with you!
Thanks so much for your comments, Jorie. It has been such a pleasure to connect with you this year. It’s bloggers like yourself that have made it a really great experience when I began my blog!