Just Jennifer

Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day by Tara O’Brady

Tara O’Brady , an Ontario blogger chef with Indian roots brings her own special flavors and sensibilities to good, basic foods that are simple enough to prepare for your family for a busy weeknight meal, but special enough for an elegant dinner party and everything in between.  Tara writes her recipes in a chatty, friendly style, in her Simple Sandwich Brad recipe she says “If everything’s looking swell, give the mixture a good stir…” (though she doesn’t indicate what “swell” might look like) but she also gives careful instructions for new bread kneaders.  A Savory Steel-Cut Oats recipe offers a new take the typically sweet breakfast staple.  Lunch offerings include wraps with lettuce of collards in place of a typically bready outside.  Soups, Starters and Snacks would all be equally at home as a light lunch or supper, or the start of something more substantial. Using seasonal produce she offers recipes for Pickled Strawberry Preserves, tomato gazpacho or ricotta with peas.  Though the recipes have a vegetarian leaning, there are a few judiciously chosen recipes that include beef, chicken or fish.  More vegetables and sides and a “Sweets, Treats and Sips” chapter with whole wheat peanut butter cookies and a Rhubarb Raspberry Rye crumble, offering an unusual twist on tried and true standards.  Master recipes for things such as nut milks, ghee and a pie crust round out this cookbook which is elegant in appearance but oh so approachable in tone and recipes.