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From time to time, a new cookbook hits stores that’s perfect for the beginner cook. "Cooking for Your Man," by Yolanda Banks and Melissa Clark ($17.95, Broadway Books, paperback with color photographs), perfectly fills that culinary bill.
Banks, 32, is wed to NFL quarterback Tony Banks. But she learned to cook long before marrying her football hero. Although Banks grew up in the Midwest, her grandmother was a world traveler and introduced her to "coq au vin," as well as cooking from scratch.
This book is perfect because it’s filled with familiar multi-ethnic dishes. Banks writes about how she picked up a taste for different cuisines while living in many cities. Miami focused on Cuban and Latin American fare, Baltimore on seafood; she fell for potato latkes in a Jewish deli and mastered Greek cuisine while living in that glorious Mediterranean country helping a professional cook. There are Cajun and Creole dishes, Italian, French, Jewish, Chinese, Thai and Mexican flavors, as well as good old American cooking.
It’s a soup-to-nuts book, featuring family recipes and dishes for special dinners. From appetizers to desserts, everything is clearly written, easy to follow and features few exotic ingredients. There are a number of helpful tips, as well.
Aunt Laura’s Teriyaki Wings
Ingredients:
1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup of chopped scallions
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds of chicken wings, tips removed
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl and mix well.
Place the wings in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Pour in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Transfer the chicken wings with a slotted spoon to a large baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes, or until tender.
Serves six.
Split Pea Soup with Crispy Proscuitto
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces of sliced proscuitto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups of low-sodium chicken stock, plus additional to thin the soup
2 cups of green split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium.
Separate the proscuitto and fry, tossing frequently, for about five to six minutes, or until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the carrots, onion and celery to the pot and cook, stirring, for about six minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 more seconds.
Add the stock, split peas and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for one hour, or until the peas are completely tender. Season with the salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
Serve in bowls garnished with the proscuitto.
Serves six.
Chicken with Olives, Capers and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup of sliced green bell pepper
4 garli cloves, sliced
6 bone-in chicken breast halves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
22 green olives, such as picholine, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup of dry sherry
Leaves from 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon of onion powder, optional
1/4 cup of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced lengthwise
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the oil over medium-high in a medium skillet. Add the peppers and saut� for about three minutes, or until slightly soft. Add the garlic and saut� for one minute. Transfer the peppers to a medium bowl.
Add the olives, sherry, thyme, capers and optional onion powder and mix well.
Arrange the chicken in a 13-by-9-inch roasting pan and season with the salt and pepper on both sides. Cover with the pepper mixture and cook for 20 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Serves six.
Saut�ed Swiss Chard with Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
4 small, or 2 large, bunches of Swiss chard, preferably red, stems removed and leaves torn
2 tablespoons of low-sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 20 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the Swiss chard, chicken stock, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Toss the leaves gently and cook for about five minutes, or until slightly wilted.
Serve immediately.
Serves four.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 pounds of sweet potatoes, pierced with a fork
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, optional
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the potatoes in a single layer on a piece of foil directly on the oven rack. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until soft.
Let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the skin with a knife and place in a bowl. Add the optional butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Use a potato masher or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Serve hot.
Serves four.
