The Commonsense Kitchen by Tom Hudgens is part cookbook, part memoir, with plenty of kitchen advice sprinkled throughout.
It tells the story of the authors' time Deep Springs, a remote, all boys two year college in the Sierra Nevada, first as a student, then as chef, and finally as teacher. Deep Springs is an organic farm, school and working cattle farm, taking the farm to table concept to a whole new level, as the students attend classes while also learning life skills tending to the day to day aspects of running the ranch.
I have only tried a handful of the recipes but am eager to try more, and there is nothing better than a cookbook that also tells a story. As a conversation piece this has remained on my coffee table longer than many books that pass through my house.
I was a little disappointed not to see any pictures, (I for one like to see what the finished product is supposed to look like) and some of the recipes are surprising in their simplicity- the grilled cheese sandwich is two slices of buttered bread with cheese slow grilled in a pan. But with the holidays coming up I can't wait to try making piecrust with orange juice instead of water. Just one of the many tips contained throughout the book that may just change the way you cook!
Available on amazon This would make a wonderful holiday gift this season for a seasoned or even for a novice cook. Every recipe comes with a story, making this book just as much fun to read as it is to use!