In My Mother’s Kitchen should be in your kitchen

I have a giant cookbook collection.  So big, in fact, that I’m being forced to weed it out as it’s now bursting off the bookshelf.  I couldn’t decide what to get rid of so I consulted an expert (Google) and found out that if a cookbook has just one good recipe, it’s worth keeping.  If that’s the case, I’m never getting rid of Trish Magwood’s new book, In My Mother’s Kitchen.  

I was excited to have the opportunity to review In My Mother’s Kitchen as I am a big fan of both Trish’s first book, the award-winning Dish Entertains, and her TV show, Party Dish. I am in awe of how she managed to accomplish all that AND run Dish, her cooking studio in Toronto, AND raise 3 little children.  

Whenever I receive a new cookbook, I flip through it and bookmark the recipes that I might choose to make for my review.  I am quite sure that by the time I finished looking through this book, I had more pages bookmarked than not.  I couldn’t help it; they all looked so good!  Finally, I made my husband choose for me.  He settled on Curried Corn Chowder and Weekend Tuscan Pasta.

On the night I made the recipes, I was running really short on time.  I had been out and about all day and got home less than an hour before my guests were set to arrive. Thankfully, I had chosen recipes that used ingredients found in most kitchens; a characteristic that is common throughout the book.

One hour later, my guests arrived and immediately commented on how amazing my house smelled and how good everything looked.  And it did!  But would it taste as good as it looked and smelled? It would!

The soup was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, chunky and smooth.  And even though the final steps of the pasta needed to be completed just before serving, they were so fast and easy that it wasn’t an issue at all.  The sauce was creamy and rich, balanced by the peppery and clean taste of the arugula.  What I loved about both of these recipes was that even though I was making them in the dead of winter, they still tasted fresh and bright. 

My guests loved it all just as much as I did.  How do I know this? Because the leftovers I was counting on for lunch the next day disappeared as second (and third) helpings.  

But those test recipes were not enough.  The next day I was feeling a bit under the weather so I made her Magic Soup.  Another winner!  And then for Friday night dinner, I made the Miami-style beef short ribs…and yet another winner!  Believe me that with a collection like mine, it is rare for me to cook out of the same book three times in the same week.

In my Mother’s Kitchen is a great balance between recipes that are both familiar and unique, casual and elegant, healthy and decadent.  Not only that, I love how each recipe is accompanied by a short anecdote and history, making me feel like I am part of Trish’s family, a characteristic shared by all of my favorite cookbooks.  There is just something about hearing the story behind the soup that makes it taste that much more delicious.

In a large heavy soup pot, melt butter with oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder and sauté another minute. Stir in potatoes, salt and pepper; sauté another minute. Stir in corn kernels and cook until corn is lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in red pepper and jalapeño; sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir in wine and let evaporate. Add creamed corn and chicken stock, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove two-thirds of the mixture and set aside. Using a hand blender, purée remaining soup in the pot. Return reserved soup to the pot. Return to medium-high heat and add tomatoes and cream. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve garnished with chives.