Universal Ramblings

I looked forward to this book with eager anticipation. I was not disappointed. I have followed Alice Waters’ life and career for more than 20 years and have always looked to her for inspiration. I have all of her other books, and while “Pat’s Biscotti” from her first book, The Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook, has been a staple from my kitchen, this new collection far outshines the rest.

I have been cooking exclusively from this book for the past two weeks. Everything, absolutely everything I have made has been stellar! First, there was the minestrone, which included homemade chicken stock and beans cooked from scratch. I have made both for years, but was never really satisfied, and more recently have relied on boxed broths and canned beans. No longer. The chicken stock was not over-powered by too many vegetables as recommended in other recipes, the beans were tender and held together, and they were seasoned to perfection with Alice’s direction to taste and salt along the way. This resulted in a minstrone that was as near to perfection as I have ever tasted. I added kale to mine, which added great color.

As I write this review, I am eating my lunch, which is the Polenta Torta, which I made two days ago. It is still as fabulous as it was then. First, Alice directs us to cook the polenta for one hour – yes, one hour. I thought to myself, oh, I don’t need to do that; 30 minutes will suffice. I had the time, so I let the polenta cook quietly on the back burner for the entire hour. What a difference! Unbelievable taste and consistency! I layered this goodness with the Simple Tomato Sauce and added a layer of sauteed mushrooms and a separate layer of sauteed zucchini. This is comfort food at its best!

In addition, I’ve made the scones – light, sweet, but not cloying; the Bean Gratin, which I served alongside plain ploenta – great taste and texture combination; and the peach crisp – a juxtaposition of texture, with the soft peaches and raspberries contrasted with the crunchy topping (I used slivered almonds, which I chopped and toasted in a dry skillet. I also added the zest of an orange – an Ina Garten trick.)

Tonight, I can’t wait to get home to cook the Braised Chicken Legs with Tomato and Garlic. I’ve been cooking avidly and passionately for a long time, and I haven’t been this inspired by a single cookbook for a while. It’s great to get the spark back. Thank you, Alice.

I’ve eaten in the Chez Panisse Cafe and Cafe Fanny (the breakfast bar) every time I get to Berkely. Someday, I will get to eat Downstairs. Until then, I’ll just have to be content with this most treasured tome.