Paper Palate

I picked up a new cookbook. Actually, Amazon delivered it to my front door and I picked it up off the front stoop. A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs by Jonathan Waxman is a cookbook my fellow personal chef friends and I chose to “cook through.” We are making as many of the recipes we can and comparing notes, tips, variations, and photos of our finished products.

I purchased the book after seeing Waxman on the Martha Stewart Show and reading a review of his new cookbook. I do have to admit that when I first looked through the book, I was a tad bit disappointed. Squab and Corn Crepes, Grilled Rabbit with Roasted Tomato Salsa, and Sardines with Green Salsa. “There is no way I’m going to get my kids to eat any of that,” I said aloud to myself. But after further review and actually making a couple recipes, I highly recommend this book. For those of cooks like myself who are stuck in the Barefoot Contessa and America’s Test Kitchen cookbook rut, Waxman’s book is a nice change of pace. I still make at least two of Ina’s recipes every week, but Waxman’s cookbook is a delicious way to break out of my cooking cocoon.

Waxman’s introduction details his journey into the culinary world followed by seven pages of what he calls his edicts on techniques and ingredients. The recipes in the book range from simple to elaborate. It includes over 100 recipes covering all culinary categories. Waxman offers eight to twelve recipes in areas including starters, soups, poultry, meat and game, vegetables, and desserts. Each section of the book begins with the author explaining his reasons for including the recipes chosen for the book. Waxman includes many anecdotes allowing the reader to feel as if they are getting to know the author personally. About one-third of the recipes include large, full page photographs.

I tested his Wilted Greens and Goat Cheese Sandwich as my first recipe. I was not expecting much based on the limited list of ingredients. The resulting sandwich had amazing flavor. The creamy goat cheese, caramelized onions, bitter greens, and crunchy baguette paired with a glass of Chardonnay made for a satisfying dinner. The author’s note to the recipe states, “Fresh goat cheese, minced onions, and cooked greens make for a quick and sophisticated sandwich.” It was a quick sandwich to make. I felt very sophisticated eating my sandwich as my kids wrestled on the kitchen floor, and the dog licked the dishes in the dishwasher.

In A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs Jonathan Waxman provides a glimpse into some of his finest dishes and the way he makes them at home. Many recipes have a short ingredient list of foods that are readily available. The author’s philosophy that less is more is highlighted throughout the book.

Wilted Greens with Goat Cheese Sandwich
adapted from A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs

My additions included mushrooms, excluding red pepper flakes, and substituting a baguette for the sourdough bread that was called for in the recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
2 large mushrooms, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup mixed greens finely chopped (I used the organic mixed greens from Costco)
1/4 pound goat cheese
butter
4 slices from a baguette

Heat a saute pan to medium high. Add the olive oil, onions, and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 - 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook and additional minute. Add the greens and quickly wilt.

In a small bowl, combine onion mixture and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a small saute pan and add a pat of butter. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on 2 slices of the bread. Top each with another slice of bread. Cook sandwich until browned on each side.