Ali Slagle works in the Marketing and Publicity departments at Ten Speed Press and is a regular Recipe Club contributor. She is currently studying in Berkeley, with more cookbooks than textbooks in tow.

I spent a lot of time staring at a blank screen before writing this—not because I had nothing to say, but I simply had too much. I wanted to write as eloquently about The Sprouted Kitchen as the author Sara Forte does in the book itself, and get across just how meaningful and moving this book is. It is so much more than a cookbook: it’s a splendid homage to whole foods, an inspiration to share and eat with the people we love, and a memento of a gracious couple who make gorgeous art—one in the form of food, the other photography.

Their book trailer is infectiously precious, and I have watched it more times than I should admit. So, it seems most fitting simply to say thank you. Thank you Sara and Hugh for creating a beautiful book that I and surely countless others will cherish.

The best sort of overwhelming is when you can’t flip through a cookbook fast enough because each page holds something spectacularly irresistible for the eyes, soul, and taste buds. Overcome by such excitement, I cannot be especially graceful in discussing The Sprouted Kitchen, for, as Sara says in the introduction to her book, it is at times challenging to put words to instructions or sentiments. Sometimes, it’s best to start cooking, which I just had to do.

Two dishes — the Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad and Peanut Butter Pretzel Tartlets–were part of a welcome home dinner for dear friends. The genius of these recipes is they are more creative, inspired versions of dishes I eat on a normal basis.  I greedily made much more of the crunchy, wholesome Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad than necessary and gladly snacked on it throughout the night. And the Peanut Butter Pretzel Tartlets seemed to be suited for home cooking conundrums, as I froze the tartlet shells until my broken oven was up and running again. When I finally did get to make them, though, they were gobbled down by friends and greeted with exclamations of, “these are SO good!”

So, Sara, thanks for making some of my past and many future meals soo good. You have inspired me to cook with creativity, color, and conviviality, and I can’t wait for others to get a taste of your book too.

In the book trailer above, Sara splendidly makes the Asian Tacos with Hoisin Slaw from The Sprouted Kitchen. This more wholesome version of a food truck taco Sara tasted is spicy, tangy, and sweet with crisp Asian pears, pungent Chinese five-spice powder, and loads of fresh produce. For more recipes (I can’t wait to try the Almond Meal Coconut Cookies!), see the excerpt below.

asian tofu tacos with hoisin slaw

from The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte and Hugh Forte

(Ten Speed Press, August 2012)

Serves 4

1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu

³/₄ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 Asian pear

¹/₂ cup hoisin sauce

¹/₃ cup low-fat plain yogurt

5 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped

2¹/₂ cups finely shredded green or napa cabbage

8 small whole grain or brown rice tortillas

Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and set on a plate lined with a few paper towels. Set aside to drain for at least 15 minutes, up to a few hours in the fridge.

In a bowl, stir together the five-spice powder, 2 tablespoons of the rice vinegar, the garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Pat the tofu dry. In a shallow dish, gently toss the tofu in the spice mixture. Let it marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes to 1 hour.

While the tofu marinates, core the pear and thinly slice. In a large bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, yogurt, and the remaining 
1 tablespoon of vinegar. Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add ³/₄ of the green onions (setting the rest aside for garnish) and the tofu mixture and all its marinade into the pan. Sauté until the edges of the tofu are browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss the cabbage in the hoisin mixture to coat. Heat the tortillas over the stove flame. To assemble the tacos, fill each of the tortillas with some of the dressed cabbage, a few slices of pear, and some of the tofu mixture. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve.

Recipes and Excerpt from The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte and Hugh Forte

The words “sweet cream” and “sugar cones” can only bring a smile to faces and a hankering for ice cream in the belly. The book, Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones (Ten Speed Press, April 2012) will have just the same effect. Authors  Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough of Bi-Rite Creamery, one of San Francico’s most popular ice cream spots, share secrets to their small-batch, handcrafted, show-stopping treats, including the recipe for their legendary Salted Caramel ice cream!

Take a bite out of Bi-Rite with this adorable video made by the White on Rice Couple, and try out recipes for  Chocolate Ice Cream, Blood Orange Ice Pops, and White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream in this excerpt. Enjoy!

Silken, Medium-Soft, Firm, Super Firm: what does it all mean? Andrea Nguyen–author of Asian Tofu (Ten Speed Press, February 2012), Asian Dumplings (Ten Speed Press, 2009) and Into the Vietnamese Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2006)–demystifies the umpteen kinds of tofu found in everyone’s grocery store.

We’re excited to share with you this video, one of the video tutorials and slideshows in the enhanced eBook edition of Asian Tofu. Plus, take a stab at some of the recipes from the book! Here’s an excerpt:

Recipes From Asian Tofu by Andrea Nguyen

The rain pours down in San Francisco as if the sky is slowly creeping towards the ground. It makes the bay look musty –lacking any recollection of colors that aren’t a shade of grey. There was a beacon of spirited joy, however, just feet from the water’s edge on this rainy Friday in January: through the infinitely tall glass windows of San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza, any soaked and unhappy passerby could see the jovial bustle of The Slanted Door.

Charles Phan’s renowned Vietnamese restaurant was packed with what I thought was a lunchtime rush, but Charles said it was a slow day. The calm choreography of the servers’ movements circling around the tables—not one of which was empty– coupled with the precise pitter-patter of the bartenders, busboys, and cooks made the milieu an amazing one to watch.

My colleague Jenny and I were here on this particular day because Diane and Todd of The White on Rice Couple were shooting a promotional video for Charles’s upcoming book, Vietnamese Home Cooking.

The book, which will hit stores September 2012, includes wholesome Vietnamese dishes Charles makes at home, so shots of him and his family in his home kitchen—and in Chinatown–will be added to the footage taken at The Slanted Door, where Charles fired up his famous Shaking Beef at the wok.

Observing Charles in the hot trenches of the kitchen and admiring the finished dishes savored by restaurant-goers, we couldn’t resist getting a bite of this authentic yet modern Vietnamese cooking as well. Our lunch from Out the Door, which is—quite literally—a to-go spot outside of The Slanted Door, was a delicious treat. Casual and quick, but every bit as satisfying.

We can’t wait to see the video the White on Rice Couple will create, and will be sure to post it when it’s ready. In the meantime, take a look at some more behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot. Click here to see Diane & Todd’s photos and musings about working with Chef Charles Phan–in addition to their video shoot with the owners of Bi-Rite Creamery for their upcoming Sweet Cream & Sugar Cones!

A Word on Joe Beef

There’s been fervent anticipation for The Art of Living According to Joe Beef from the media and the Twitterverse. What  some of Joe Beef’s biggest fans–Momofuku’s David Chang, chef-author-TV personality Anthony Bourdain, and comedian Aziz Ansari–have to tweet about Joe Beef:

A Word on Joe Beef of Montreal

Video

Joe Beef–what’ s in a name and how’d it start? Hear it from the owners themselves in this YouTube video:

Book Excerpt

There’s the drunken revelry, the history, and finally–the food. This excerpt includes David Chang’s foreword to The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, where Chang calls Joe Beef “his favorite restaurant in the world.” Plus, recipes for Spaghetti Homard-Lobster, Hot Oysters on the Radio, and Good Fries.

Excerpt and Recipes from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef

Bit by the DIY bug? Check out our other Recipe Club posts and excerpts featuring Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It:

How to Make Soft Pretzels

Making British-Style Ginger Beer

Cooking with Karen at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza

Scribd excerpt with recipes for: Soft Pretzels, British-Style Ginger Beer, Salted Margarita Cream Pops, & Berry Cabernet Pops

Can’t get enough canning, bottling, and smokin’? On Monday, we’ll have a video showing how to make the lip-smacking good Salted Margarita Cream Pops. Also, check out our other Recipe Club posts and excerpts featuring Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It:

Making British-Style Ginger Beer

Cooking with Karen at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza

Scribd excerpt with recipes for: Soft Pretzels, British-Style Ginger Beer, Salted Margarita Cream Pops, & Berry Cabernet Pops