Book Report - "Big Little Recipes" by Emma Laperruque
For the first time in the history of Words on Wednesday book reports, I’m covering a cookbook.
I like to cook and I like to read. You would logically think that would mean I have a ton of cookbooks, but I really don’t. Usually, I either just get individual recipes directly from the internet or I go rogue and come up with my own stuff. We have a few cookbooks, but I use them more for inspiration than actual sources of recipes that I’ll cook directly “by the book” (pun intended).
With “Big Little Recipes,” I actually first encountered the book through a social media post about a particular recipe in the book. In particular, the author highlighted the 2-ingredient sour cream dressing that is simultaneously easy and delicious. Easy and delicious are great individually, but they’re even better together. I was intrigued.
I didn’t particularly want to buy a cookbook from a single recipe. Although I didn’t anticipate this book being available at my local library, I had to check it out. SURE ENOUGH, they had it in circulation. Don’t you love when that happens?
I put in a request for the book and checked it out. As I skimmed through, a few different recipes caught my attention. Again, I’ll sometimes make a recipe exactly as it’s presented, but more often I use it as a sort of theme that I can take my own approach to and sub in ingredients that I have available. Being able to follow instructions is useful, but I find it a much more valuable skill to be able to see trends and techniques and tweak them to fit a given situation. The book was really good for finding some easy recipes and getting ideas that I could try out for those rushed weeknight meals.
The sour cream recipe that initially drew me to the book did come through for me. We frequently have pickles, banana peppers, and jalapenos in the fridge. Giving me something to do with the leftover brine or throw together a quick dressing was a great way to minimize waste and maximize options available to me. I didn’t try it with cold pizza as the author suggested, but I could see how that would be particularly tasty. And there are a ton of slight variations that are tailored toward different dishes and individual preferences. It’s not the specific recipe, it’s the IDEA. Get a feel for it and you can throw together any two ingredients to great effect.
I won’t say this is absolutely the BEST cookbook I’ve ever read, but it does strike a nice balance between complexity and presumably good food. Some books are filled with recipes that just don’t sound very appetizing. Others sound great, but they have dozens of ingredients, as well as tools and skills that I just don’t possess. This one is a sweet spot of a few ingredients that I usually have on hand and skills that you don’t need to be a classically trained chef to pull off.
If you’re looking for some new dish ideas to try out, this is a good source of inspiration. You won’t break the bank to pick up a few extra ingredients during your regular grocery run, and you can take those skills and apply them to other cuisines as you broaden your palate. It’s low risk, but not necessarily low reward.
Resources:
Laperruque, E. (2021, November 29). This 2-ingredient dressing could make a cardboard box taste good. Bon Appétit. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sour-cream-dressing
Laperruque, E., Lee, H., & Ransom, J. (2021). Big little recipes: Good food with minimal ingredients and maximal flavor. Ten Speed Press.
I like to cook and I like to read. You would logically think that would mean I have a ton of cookbooks, but I really don’t. Usually, I either just get individual recipes directly from the internet or I go rogue and come up with my own stuff. We have a few cookbooks, but I use them more for inspiration than actual sources of recipes that I’ll cook directly “by the book” (pun intended).
With “Big Little Recipes,” I actually first encountered the book through a social media post about a particular recipe in the book. In particular, the author highlighted the 2-ingredient sour cream dressing that is simultaneously easy and delicious. Easy and delicious are great individually, but they’re even better together. I was intrigued.
I didn’t particularly want to buy a cookbook from a single recipe. Although I didn’t anticipate this book being available at my local library, I had to check it out. SURE ENOUGH, they had it in circulation. Don’t you love when that happens?
I put in a request for the book and checked it out. As I skimmed through, a few different recipes caught my attention. Again, I’ll sometimes make a recipe exactly as it’s presented, but more often I use it as a sort of theme that I can take my own approach to and sub in ingredients that I have available. Being able to follow instructions is useful, but I find it a much more valuable skill to be able to see trends and techniques and tweak them to fit a given situation. The book was really good for finding some easy recipes and getting ideas that I could try out for those rushed weeknight meals.
For your new go-to dressing, start with a jar of pepperoncini and a container of sour cream. Measuring is highly optional: Add a big plop (about ¼ cup) of sour cream to a bowl, plus a splash (about 2 Tbsp.) of pepperoncini brine, and a spoonful (about 1 Tbsp.) of minced pepperoncini. Stir, taste, adjust if needed (you can add a smidge of salt if you want), and ta-da.
The sour cream recipe that initially drew me to the book did come through for me. We frequently have pickles, banana peppers, and jalapenos in the fridge. Giving me something to do with the leftover brine or throw together a quick dressing was a great way to minimize waste and maximize options available to me. I didn’t try it with cold pizza as the author suggested, but I could see how that would be particularly tasty. And there are a ton of slight variations that are tailored toward different dishes and individual preferences. It’s not the specific recipe, it’s the IDEA. Get a feel for it and you can throw together any two ingredients to great effect.
I won’t say this is absolutely the BEST cookbook I’ve ever read, but it does strike a nice balance between complexity and presumably good food. Some books are filled with recipes that just don’t sound very appetizing. Others sound great, but they have dozens of ingredients, as well as tools and skills that I just don’t possess. This one is a sweet spot of a few ingredients that I usually have on hand and skills that you don’t need to be a classically trained chef to pull off.
If you’re looking for some new dish ideas to try out, this is a good source of inspiration. You won’t break the bank to pick up a few extra ingredients during your regular grocery run, and you can take those skills and apply them to other cuisines as you broaden your palate. It’s low risk, but not necessarily low reward.
Resources:
Laperruque, E. (2021, November 29). This 2-ingredient dressing could make a cardboard box taste good. Bon Appétit. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sour-cream-dressing
Laperruque, E., Lee, H., & Ransom, J. (2021). Big little recipes: Good food with minimal ingredients and maximal flavor. Ten Speed Press.
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