{Cookbook review} Today I have the great pleasure of presenting another cookbook that is freshly available in stores.
The book “Green. Warm. Good.” by Sandra Muehlbergwhich was published by Callwey Verlag.
I love good cookbooks and am always happy when I hold a new one in my hands that promises exciting recipes. I was particularly looking forward to the book that I’m presenting in more detail today because I’m very fond of vegetarian cuisine that’s far removed from the usual monotony. The interested reader will already notice: I’m not particularly good at building up tension :-). I think the book is great.
But I took a closer look at it to form a real opinion. That’s why my book review will only take place once I have cooked at least three recipes and have had the time and opportunity to study the book.
The author Sandra Mühlberg can of course also be found on Instagram and she already has lots of recipe inspiration there. But today it’s about her first cookbook, in which she makes good food the main thing again. And in the best possible way! Good food and delicious recipes should (again) have a place in everyday life. Recookable comfort food that not only fills you up, but nourishes you and is really delicious. “Green. Warm. Good” has good preparation tips, suggestions for combinations in everyday life, information about the seasonality of food and of course lots of recipes. up your sleeve.
So much for getting started.
Optics and presentation:
The book is large format and can (proven) be easily placed directly in the kitchen so that you can start cooking straight away. I always find it very pleasant when a cookbook like this one is actually designed to be used, that is, it doesn’t have to close all the time, is very clearly laid out with a list of ingredients and preparation steps on one page and always an attractive photo of each dish. You know straight away what is needed and what is needed. On top of that, there is an additional tip for almost every dish.
The design and layout of the book is very classic and looks elegant. No loud colors or “neon green”, but natural tones dominate. There is also a recipe index at the end of the book as well as sensibly organized chapters so that you can quickly find your way around. The cookbook seems valuable and elegant through and through. Something that can stay with you for many years.
Recipes and how to cook them:
Let’s come to the most important part (for me): the content, why I’m still allowed to have cookbooks, the recipes!
Before this cookbook, I didn’t know the author and so I haven’t tried anything from her yet. When I first looked through it, I was even more excited to see what immediately “smiles” at me and what I would like to cook straight away. I’m very old school and always have little mini sticky notes that I use to mark interesting recipes. Because the selection in this book is really big.
From more well-known dishes like classic hummus or Italian ribollita There is also really exciting fusion cuisine like Gochujan mac’n’cheese, focaccia with kimchi or broccoli and blueberry salad with poppy seed dressing.
I also think it’s great that there is room in the book for really easy-to-prepare dishes as well as more complex recipes.
I find “little things” like a separate page for toppings to make your mashed potatoes shine, with lots of great ideas, just sensational. I also particularly like the little homage to Sandra’s grandmother, who created a few delicious Polish recipes such as Bigos.
I have now deliberately picked out three very different recipes that I have cooked: Crispy Rice Cucumber Salad with Herbs, Oven Egg Salad with Feta and Miso Brussels Sprouts with Orange Glaze.
First of all: all three are great. What I was particularly pleased about is that it didn’t require any crazy ingredients or magic or a crazy amount of time, just good, well thought-out cooking. The three recipes couldn’t have been simpler. But they were really great!
First of all Crispy Rice Cucumber Salad: I still had a not-so-small amount of rice left over from the day before and actually wanted to use it to make classic fried rice with vegetables. But then luckily I decided on this recipe. Lots of crunch from the fresh cucumbers, lots of freshness from the herbs and spice from the dressing. This salad plays with flavors in a really great way. It has sweetness, acidity, saltiness and a bit of bitterness from the herbs. By the way, the rice base also filled you up. And by the way, this will be my favorite way to use leftover rice in the future – even if the salad is so delicious that you should even cook rice just for it ;-).
Afterwards we decided to have a second, late breakfast on the weekend Oven egg salad with feta decided. Since the whole family here are big egg fans, this was a given. And of course because I thought the idea of egg salad from the oven was so cool. I mean: How interesting does that sound?!
Well, there was really only one catch with this recipe: I would have had to double the recipe quantity because the oven egg salad was inhaled here. And here, too, the taste was simply due to the great interaction of the four flavors that made the food so delicious. Even though it’s not exactly egg salad season, I have to share the recipe here because it was soooo great and can be varied in so many ways.
And the third recipe I chose is this Miso Brussels Sprouts with Orange Glaze decided. Since it’s almost the start of the season for the small, tender cabbages, I thought this was very appropriate. I also found the mixture of miso, Brussels sprouts and orange so appealing. I’ll say it bluntly: Easy to prepare and I ate the entire portion alone for lunch. Definitely a cooking recommendation too.
In the next few days I will try to cook what I mentioned above Bigos, lasagna roll ups and French toast with cinnamon apples and walnuts make.
Conclusion:
Surprise, surprise! I think the book is great.
No, seriously. I would say that I am a fairly experienced cook who doesn’t shy away from difficult types of preparation and has already experienced a lot in pots and pans. This book was great for me as an advanced cook with really nice ideas and well-thought-out recipes with interesting inspiration, but a less experienced cook can also enjoy this book. The preparation is really clearly explained and feasible.
A fine cookbook that provides great ideas for vegetarian enjoyment (without missing the meat).
And now for the recipe for the delicious oven egg salad.
Oven egg salad with feta
(based on the template by Sandra Mühlberg)
Ingredients for two people:
1 tbsp olive oil
150g feta
4 eggs (size M)
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (I replaced them with Pul Biber)
1 small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt
1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Carefully coat a small baking dish with the olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan.
Then drain the feta and place it in the baking dish. Crack the eggs into the mold.
Now bake the casserole dish in the oven for about 15 minutes. The eggs should be set and the feta soft.
Then remove and season with salt and pepper and mix everything with a fork. Add honey, chili and dill and serve immediately.
Bon appetit!
Note: Many thanks to Callwey Verlag for providing a review copy. My opinion about the content remains unaffected.