Dining in Highly cookable recipes

Roman, former senior editor at Bon Appétit and BuzzFeed, brings restaurant experience and her joy of cooking at home to this debut cookbook. The 125 recipes are down-to-earth but far from ordinary, incorporating trending ingredients and flavors inspired by a pantry stocked with salty, spicy, crunchy, fatty and tangy "stuff" and key make-at-home condiments such as seed mixtures, brines, spicy oils, salsas, and romesco; lemony relish, dressing, and pickles; and bread crumbs. Incorporating these "sidekicks," Roman builds a stable of dishes packed with pizzazz. There are large, colorful nests of "knife and fork salads," such as red cabbage and beet-brined pickled turnips drizzled with lemon-tahini dressing and a tangy fennel grapefruit salad with lime juice, honey, and mint. Savory breakfasts of chickpeas, tomatoes, and chorizo baked eggs along with family secrets for perfect matzo brei are featured. Grain bowls and pasta options are plentiful as are quick, flexible seafood recipes. Meat dishes include cumin lamb chops with charred red onions and peanuts and short ribs with kimchi. Roman's pastry-chef prowess (she's worked in the kitchens of Momofuko Milk Bar and Quince) is showcased in shortbread, biscuit, pie, and cake recipes. There are also "make ahead options" along with technical advice. Throughout this gallery of good eats is Roman's amusing narrative of food memories that invite cooks to hang loose in their own kitchens. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

While reading the introduction to freelance food writer Roman's joyous first book, you'll want to cheer. "I would never ask you to toast nine different hard-to-locate spices on a Monday after work," she reassures, right before unveiling an abundance of craveable cuisine. Even gourmets and frequent restaurant-goers will want to stay home for recipes such as butter-tossed radishes with fresh za'atar, clam pasta with chorizo and walnuts, fennel-rubbed pork chops for two, and sorbet in grapefruit cups. These varied recipes are relaxed, doable, and anything but pedestrian. Striking color photographs and punchy writing further heighten the book's appeal. VERDICT Filled with page after page of delights, this work is as much fun to read as it is to cook from. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CARAMELIZED WINTER SQUASH WITH TOASTED COCONUT GREMOLATA  Serves Four   I ate a lot of squash with brown sugar and butter while growing up. This recipe is my more practical "I can't have ice cream for every meal" compromise, using honey instead of brown sugar and coconut oil instead of butter. I would probably eat this as dinner on its own, but I happen to know it's also great as a side with things like roasted chicken or pork chops.    While tender, caramelized, salty-sweet squash is magnificent all on its own, it should be mentioned that the real reason for making this dish is for the toasted coconut gremolata: chips of nutty, unsweetened coconut tossed with herbs, lots of lemon zest, and a bit of Aleppo pepper. It's wildly addictive, and there is no reason it couldn't appear over roasted carrots, sprinkled onto a curry or stew, or even over salads as a stand-in for croutons.    DO AHEAD: Everything but the coconut can be made 1 day ahead; when ready to serve, toast the coconut and add it to the chive mixture (toasted coconut will start to soften once mixed with the herbs and refrigerated).      SQUASH  2 medium winter squash, such as delicata or acorn (1½ to 2 pounds)  3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, or olive oil  1 tablespoon honey  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  TOASTED COCONUT GREMOLATA  ¾ cup unsweetened coconut chips  ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives  ½ cup fresh cilantro, tender leaves and stems, finely chopped  1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest  2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes  Kosher salt      ROAST THE SQUASH: Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Leaving the skin on, slice the squash into ½-inch-thick rings. (I roast my squash with the seeds still inside, because they get all crispy and I love the texture they bring to the table, but you can remove them if you like. Best way to do that is cut the squash in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then slice into rings.)  Toss the squash with the coconut oil and honey on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, flipping the squash once, until it is completely tender, browned, and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.  MAKE THE GREMOLATA: While the squash is roasting, heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the coconut. Shake the skillet occasionally until the coconut is starting to brown at the edges and smells all toasty and amazing, 3 to 4 minutes. Place it in a medium bowl to cool completely.  Once the coconut has cooled, add the chives, cilantro, lemon zest, and Aleppo pepper, and season with salt. Using your fingers, mix this together until the oils in the lemon zest have released and everything is evenly distributed (especially the lemon zest, which can stubbornly clump up).  Sprinkle the coconut gremolata over the roasted squash and serve.  Excerpted from Dining In by Alison Roman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.