Prune

Prune
by Gabrielle Hamilton

There is something very endearing about a seeing a highly-acclaimed, celebrity chef's handwritten notes in a cookbook.  Suddenly, the recipes all seem approachable.  Friendly.  Fun.  Which is exactly what I need during the holiday season where there are so many potluck parties.  Not your grandmother's potluck party where you could bring any dish and your grandmother would still pinch your cheeks!  No, a foodie potluck party!  A dish foodies can or will love!

My brother is taking a leisurely drive cross country to make his way to California, so I have no idea what day he will land on my front door.   I do know that I want to cook something special for my brother, but not spend so much time cooking and shopping that we end up with no quality time together.   Also, several folks have made it known they want to meet my brother, a motorcycle racing champ and former bodybuilder.  Could I really pull together a last minute gourmet dinner and still get all my work done?

That's the other problem us foodies/home chefs have.  No one wants to come to your house and eat takeout.  Talk about mutiny.

For the record, I have eaten at Prune a few times.  I've read Hamilton's articles in The New Yorker, seen her on TV.  And it is for that reason, I bought her cookbook.   I look forward to recreating warm memories and creating new sensory experiences.  There are plenty of photos, though I wish there were more.  Most, not all, of the recipes embody simplicity and elegance.  Grilled head on shrimp with anchovy butter.  Whole grilled fish with toasted fennel oil.  Grilled rib-eye steak with parsley shallot butter.  These recipes enable a hostess spend more time enjoying her guests.

There are some recipes for whole rabbit, suckling pigs -- ingredients not so readily available to the home chef.  I'll have to go back to Prune to sample those dishes.

I received this Book from Blogging for Books for this review.