Couples who cook together, stick together; or so you will think after perusing Abigail Kirsch’s sprightly new book, “The Bride & Groom’s Menu Cookbook” (Broadway Books, $25).
Confident as the dance teacher who convinces students they can master the intricacies of the tango, Kirsch’s kitchen choreography is remarkably free of hesitation or doubt.
Be you bride or groom, she assumes you have taken her book in hand because you want to cook for each other and entertain with food. This frees her from the need to apologize for the time it takes to cook from scratch, which, in turn, frees her from the need to suggest alternative ways, using prepared foods, so the bride and groom can pretend to cook. No need, either, for her to invent chores and subsidiary duties for the young husband lest he grab a beer and disappear.
Instead, Kirsch builds on the foundation laid in her successful “The Bride & Groom’s First Cookbook,” written in collaboration with Susan M. Greenberg (as is this volume). A veteran New York area caterer, Kirsch has no trouble kindling an appetite with dishes from 20 multi-course meals, five for each season of the year.
Each of the menus offers a different theme. The featured dish is either meat, fish, poultry, pasta or vegetarian. Kirsch also provides with each recipe a list of necessary kitchenware, estimates of preparation and cooking times, do-ahead advice, serving suggestions and one or more cook’s tips.
Still, it’s a guide, not an encyclopedia, and Kirsch has neither the time nor the interest, it seems, to play arm-chair marriage counselor.
Instead, the real gift in this book is the food, a collection of intriguing contemporary recipes that she calls “global.” Her asparagus slaw is as fresh as spring and while another recipe we tried, roasted red bell pepper-bloody Mary sauce, was not an inspired taste combination, recipes such as Asian-spiced scallop sate, buckwheat groats with butternut squash and yams, and Cheddar cheese crusted apple pie are original and appealing to read.
Will some of these dishes be a reach for cooks, married or not, with limited kitchen experience? Yes, there is very little here for the no-cook cook. The recipes are not overly complicated, but most start from scratch and do take time. I’m sure Kirsch would suggest having a copy of “The Bride & Groom’s First Cookbook” nearby to provide information and advice that will keep novices from throwing in the towel.
Asparagus slaw
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
From “The Bride & Groom’s Menu Cookbook.”
The slaw:
1 bunch (about 1 pound) medium asparagus spears, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces.
4 large radishes, trimmed and finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
2 large celery ribs, trimmed and cut crosswise into thin slices
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into medium dice
3 scallions, washed, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
The dressing:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Make the slaw: Toss the asparagus, radishes, carrots, celery, bell pepper and scallions together in a salad bowl.
2. Make the dressing: Blend the lemon juice, vinegar, honey and mustard together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the oil into the vinegar mixture, blending well. Season the dressing with the parsley, tarragon, mustard seed, salt and pepper.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the asparagus slaw 30 minutes before serving. Season it again with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving:
165 calories, 65% of calories from fat, 12 g fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 2.8 g protein, 240 mg sodium, 3.3 g fiber
Roasted red bell pepper-bloody Mary sauce
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 17 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
This recipe, from “The Bride & Groom’s Menu Cookbook,” can be used with grilled vegetables, broiled fish, chicken and enchiladas.
2 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon drained bottled horseradish
1/4 cup vodka
Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat the broiler. Place the bell peppers on the baking sheet and set on the rack closest to the broiler unit. Broil the peppers for 6 to 8 minutes, turning them as necessary, until the skins are puffed and blackened on all sides.
2. Remove the bell peppers from the broiler, place them in a bag and seal the bag immediately. Allow the peppers to steam for 10 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Rinse the bell peppers, pat dry and set aside on paper toweling.
3. While the bell peppers cool, heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion until it is translucent, 3-4 minutes. Raise the temperature to high, add the tomato juice and simmer until the juice has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the bell peppers, tomato juice and onion to the bowl of the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the sauce is smooth. Add the horseradish, vodka, lemon zest and juice and pulse three times to incorporate the ingredients. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with grilled vegetables, broiled fish, chicken and enchiladas. Substitute yellow bell peppers for the red, or make two separate recipes using 2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers. Serve both sauces for a stunning presentation.
Nutrition information per serving per 1/4 cup:
101 calories, 51% of calories from fat, 4.6 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8.6 g carbohydrates, 1.3 g protein, 219 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
