Aside from warm summer days, another thing to look forward to was this month’s cookbook club. We chose Jennifer McLagan’s cookbook Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes, a drastic contrast from last month’s selection of Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking. McLagan’s book just recently won two James Beard awards for “Cookbook of the Year” and “Best Book: Single Subject.” The author says our society has become increasingly opposed to fat, but her cookbook helps educate us in appreciating fat when cooking with it as well as eating it. Different fats are used in each recipe from butter to pork, duck, poultry, and beef fat.

_________________________________________

There was a range of international cuisines represented at lunch from Indian butter chicken, and French cassoulet, to Mexican pork carnitas. All three of these recipes followed common preparation with ample amounts of marinating/soaking, browning, and simmering. Everyone agreed upon the wonderful flavors and tenderness these slow cooked meat dishes developed.

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) served with Spinach Chapati
Similar to Indian butter chicken and made with spices, tomatoes, whipping cream and butter. Served with Indian flat bread made with spinach, whole wheat flour, and ghee (or lamb fat if preferred).

Carnitas served with Fresh Tomato Salsa
Pork shoulder simmered with ground cumin, oranges, chipotle chile in adobo sauce, brandy, garlic, and pork fat. Served with tomato salsa made of Roma tomaotes, serrano chiles, poblano chile, garlic, salt, and cilantro (no fat included!)

Cassoulet
Traditional slow-cooked white bean casserole from southern France with pork, pork sausages, lamb, and duck.

_________________________________________

Vegetarians need not be alarmed, because dishes using butter and not animal fat, were equally as impressive and enjoyable. Most salad dressings use oil, but the Double Butter Salad cleverly uses browned butter with some chives, salt, and pepper mixed in. With duck fat not as easy to find, the Fat Fat-Cooked Fries can be made using butter and still a winning side dish at the table. This also goes for the Spinach Chapati which can be made with lamb fat or butter. The vegetable cake would be a great addition to any meat or vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

Double Butter Salad
Salad using butter lettuce and browned butter.

Fat Fat-Cooked Fries
Large, soft potato wedges cooked in duck fat and garlic.

Vegetable Cake
Thinly sliced layers of potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and apple baked with duck fat or butter.

_________________________________________

The desserts at the end of our meal were truly sinful and rich. The salted butter tart and butter cake sweetened our meal, and the spicy buttered popcorn grew addicting from the heat of the chipotle peppers. These recipes showcase how butter and sugar can alone unite so well in desserts.

Kouign Amann (Breton Butter Cake)
Flaky butter cake with caramelized bottom and top.

Salted Butter Tart
Pastry tart with salted butter filling similar to butterscotch or caramel.

Spicy Buttered Popcorn
Snack made sweet from butter, corn syrup and brown sugar, plus made savory with a kick from pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

_________________________________________

Surprisingly, our spread of dishes didn’t leave us too heavy after lunch. We learned a little bit of fat in moderation can go a long way! For the month of July, we will be cooking like Egyptians with the cookbook Dining on the Nile: Exploring Egyptian Cooking by Sally Elias Hanna. Stay tuned for tales of our culinary adventure!

Contributed by guest blogger Sandra Vu