The Cookbook Club

by Beth Harbison

  1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

  2 or 3 onions, chopped and sautéed in butter then cooled

  ¼ cup mayonnaise

  Cheese (I think it’s important to just quote her on the cheese amount and selection: “I almost always add two or more cups of chopped Swiss cheese, less if I’ve got Gruyère too. Some Parm, some sharp cheddar, blue cheese crumbles if I have them, some heavy cream if I have it.”)

  Salt and pepper, to taste

  Optional: pinch or two of red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder

  Heat oven to 350°F.

  Squeeze the water out of the spinach. All of the water—use a potato ricer if you need to.

  Mix everything together and dump it into an oven-to-table dish. This is what you’ll serve it in, so pick a pretty one.

  Bake for 20 minutes, then serve with pita chips or crudités.

  Black Pepper Gruyère Cheese Puffs

  Gruyère is my favorite cheese, I think. It’s close, between that, Morbier, and thin slices of real Parmigiano Reggiano. Fortunately, this recipe has two out of three.

  1½ cups whole milk

  1 stick butter

  2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt (3 if using a very coarse kosher salt, like Morton’s)

  1 teaspoon freshly ground or cracked black pepper

  1½ cups all-purpose flour

  5 large eggs, lightly beaten

  1 cup shredded Gruyère, divided (keep 3 tablespoons aside)

  ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  Heat oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  Put milk, butter, salt, and pepper into a saucepan and cook over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the flour, stirring constantly to thicken the mixture and eliminate lumps. It will thicken quickly and you’ll need to trade the whisk for a wooden spoon.

  Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over low heat, making sure not to burn—the dough will keep thickening and become a ball that isn’t sticking to the bottom anymore.

  Remove from heat and transfer to a stand mixer, or get your muscles ready with a bowl and wooden spoon. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then add the shredded Gruyère (minus the 3 tablespoons of Gruyère that you set aside) and the Parmesan.

  Drop about one tablespoon at a time onto the parchment paper, as if you were making drop biscuits. Sprinkle all with the remaining Gruyère and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

  Serve warm or at room temperature—they’re not as flavorful cold.

  Periyali’s Almond Skordalia (Potato, Almond, and Garlic) Dip

  I first had this at the Greek restaurant Periyali, in New York City. What a lovely, intimate, friendly little place. I’ve been back many times since then. But that first time, I was at a business lunch and my boss wanted me to try this. She was a major foodie in a major food town, so even though this didn’t sound like “my kind of thing,” I trusted her and tried it. It was love at first bite.

  1 small all-purpose potato, peeled

  5 slices dense home-style white bread, crusts removed

  ½ cup whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

  2 or 3 large garlic cloves, pressed or smashed with the side of a knife

  3 tablespoons lemon juice

  3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar (not distilled white)

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  ¾ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon sugar

  1 16-ounce can large butter beans

  Boil the peeled potato for 20 to 25 minutes, until it yields when pierced by a fork.

  Toast the bread in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes, then put it into a bowl of clean water to soak. Squeeze out the excess water with your hands and set aside.

  Put the almonds, garlic, and potato into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, then add the bread (you wait until the end so the bread doesn’t get too gummy).

  Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and sugar in a bowl and add that mixture a bit at a time to the processor bowl, pulsing between additions. It should be quite smooth; if it’s not, add a little more olive oil.

  Spoon mixture into a serving bowl, cover, and let rest for an hour or more so the flavors can meld.

  Serve on a plate with large butter beans—drag the beans through the skordalia with your fork to eat. No bread or crackers necessary!

  Layered Fiesta Dip

  There isn’t much to say about this that you can’t guess from the name and the ingredients. But don’t let that fool you—this is the best recipe you’ll find for this layered dip, and though I list the avocados as optional, around these parts they are necessary.

  1 cup sour cream (not light)

  4 ounces cream cheese

  1 16-ounce can refried beans

  ¾ cup salsa

  1 tablespoon taco seasoning

  4 Campari tomatoes, sliced

  2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

  Sliced avocado, optional (dip slices in lime juice to prevent browning)

  Heat oven to 350°F.

  Mix everything but the tomato slices and grated Monterey Jack (and avocado, if using) in a bowl, or in your mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix to incorporate, not to whip.

  Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and spread half the bean mix across the bottom. Sprinkle with 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese, top with tomato slices, then add another layer of the bean mix. Top with remainder of grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

  Add avocado slices, if using, just prior to serving with tortilla chips.

  The Very Best Sweet Hot Sauce

  This is my exact recipe, the one that I like best. But it’s totally flexible—you can use 2 pounds of whatever chilis you like, and if you prefer a very mild sauce, include a sweet bell pepper in that weight. If you hate garlic, leave it out entirely. If you’re just meh about it, at least put in one or two cloves to round the flavors here.

  1 lemon or lime, cleaned and dried

  3 tablespoons raw sugar

  1 pound fresno peppers (½ roasted)

  2 poblano peppers, roasted

  2 Italian sweet hot peppers, roasted

  6 cherry chili peppers

  1 jalapeño pepper, roasted

  ½ to ¾ pound pineapple, diced (I prefer more)

  2 sweet Maui onions, peeled and rough chopped

  8 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped

  2 Compari tomatoes

  4 cups distilled white vinegar

  1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced

  ½ cup cider vinegar

  ¼ to ½ cup honey or maple syrup, to taste

  Salt and pepper, to taste

  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  2 teaspoons curry powder

  ½ teaspoon allspice

  Peel the zest off the lemon or lime, avoiding the white pith as much as possible. Put the zest into a small Ziploc with 1 tablespoon of sugar and seal. Leave for 8 to 24 hours. The sugar draws the oils out of the zest.

  Meanwhile prepare your peppers, pineapple, onion, garlic, and tomato by chopping them all roughly and putting them into a bowl. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the mixture. Add 4 cups distilled white vinegar, cover, and leave to sit those same 8 to 24 hours.

  Juice the lemon/lime you zested and put the juice and zest into a pan with 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook gently over medium heat, never boiling, until the sugar and juice become clear, just about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let cool.

  Combine the mango and the pepper mix in a pot and heat for 15 minutes on medium heat. Cool to room temperature and puree in a blender, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. I like to strain it into a large work bowl, clean the pot, and return the mixture to it.

  Add cider vinegar and honey (or maple syrup) to the mango and pepper mixture, then cook down to a slightly thicker consistency. Remove from heat and add citrus zest and the sugar syrup with them. Stir well and let sit for 1 day (or longer, depending on how citrus-forward you want
it).

  At the end of that time, heat gently for the last time, add Worcestershire and seasonings, to taste. Then cool, strain, and bottle. Keep in the fridge.

  Drinks

  Autumn

  Apple Oat Vodka Creams

  This is based on a recipe for Honey Oat vodka from Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, a restaurant I have not yet been to, but I have friends who went and raved about everything from the food to the air. So when a variation of this recipe (originally made by mixologist Philippe Gouze) appeared in the Washington Post, I was all about trying it. I have adapted it to accommodate more ordinary vodka than they use, and added apples for an extra sweet, autumnal flair.

  1 liter of good corn vodka, like Tito’s (about 4 cups)

  2 cups rolled oats (preferably organic, always, and not quick-cooking ones)

  1 cup honey

  1 apple (I prefer a sweet red), sliced (no seeds or stem)

  Combine everything in a large jar with a lid and shake well. Refrigerate and shake every day for a week.

  After a week, filter three times through cheesecloth and pour into a new, clean vessel. Keep in fridge until gone.

  Serve as shots or combine 1:1 with half-and-half and serve over ice. Garnish with a slice of apple.

  Winter

  Italian Chocolate

  Amaro Averna is an Italian digestif, made from a secret infusion of Mediterranean herbs, spices, and fruits. It has been a traditional drink in Sicily, where it is made, since Salvatore Averna invented it in 1868.

  So while this recipe is deceptively simple, the ingredients are doing the heavy lifting, bringing depth and complexity to this warming winter treat, over ice or in a cup of coffee.

  2 ounces Amaro Averna

  4 ounces Godiva white chocolate liqueur

  8 dashes chocolate bitters

  Cocoa powder, for garnish

  For each drink, shake ½ ounce Amaro Averna, 1 ounce Godiva liqueur, and 2 dashes of chocolate bitters together, then pour over ice and sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder.

  Spring

  Flower Girl

  For a long time, Crème de Violette was impossible to get in the United States, but since 2007 it has been back, and you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it. And what better way to celebrate the new buds of spring than with a sip of violet?

  If you or your guests have seasonal allergies, skip the baby’s breath garnish, though it is spectacularly beautiful posing in a drink.

  4 ounces Crème de Violette

  1 ounce lemon juice

  Brut champagne, cava, or prosecco

  4 sprigs baby’s breath (rinsed!), for garnish

  Pour 1 ounce of Crème de Violette into each of four champagne flutes. Then add a quarter ounce of lemon juice and top with bubbly.

  Add your garnish and serve!

  Summer

  The Babe

  Passion tea lemonade—half lemonade, half brewed Tazo Passion tea—is one of my favorite summer staples, so it’s nice to have these teabags on hand all summer, if not all year. If you need to, however, you could substitute with any strong, fruity herbal tea.

  The lemon oleo is worth making because the saved rinds add a citrusy zest to any food or drink, and they’re one of the ingredients in my Very Best Sweet Hot Sauce.

  ½ cup lemon oleo saccharum (recipe below)

  10 lemons, washed and dried

  1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

  1 cup brewed Tazo Passion tea

  6 ounces vodka

  4 sprigs of mint, washed (even if it’s from your garden)

  Club soda or tonic

  Start by making the oleo: Carefully peel the zest off all the lemons. Put your favorite playlist on, as it’s going to take a little while. Try to avoid the pith as much as you can—it’s bitter. Drop the zest into a Ziploc and toss with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and allow to sit overnight—the sugar draws the delicious lemon oil out of the zest.

  Save those lemons—you need to juice them all the next day and strain the juice into a nonreactive pan. Add 1½ cups of sugar to the lemon juice and the zests and cook over medium heat until the liquid is thick and clear. Cover and turn off the heat. After 10 minutes, strain the liquid and set aside for drinks. Put the zest back into the bag for drinks or hot sauce purposes.

  To make the drinks: Put ¼ cup of tea into each of 4 glasses. Stir 1½ ounces vodka into each, along with 2 tablespoons of oleo. Spank the mint—yes, literally—to bring out the natural oils and flavor. Don’t beat it senseless—that is actually counterproductive; you’re just trying to express the oils, not shred it all. Compare the spanked and unspanked sprigs and you’ll notice how much fuller the mint scent is on the spanked ones. Drop one mint sprig into each glass, stir gently, then top with club soda or tonic. Serve.

  Praise for the Work of Beth Harbison

  “Harbison dazzles in her latest. . . . Absolutely first-rate.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on When in Doubt, Add Butter

  “Sure to appeal to fans of Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, and Emily Giffin. It’s a tasty dish of light, escapist reading.”

  —Examiner.com on When in Doubt, Add Butter

  “As slick and enjoyable as a brand-new tube of lip gloss.”

  —People on Hope in a Jar

  “Enough heart . . . for beach readers and foot fetishists alike!”

  —Entertainment Weekly on Shoe Addicts Anonymous

  “I would happily recommend Shoe Addicts Anonymous to anyone who loves shoes . . . or smart, funny, realistic women enjoying each other’s friendship and the happiest of happy endings.”

  —Jennifer Weiner on Shoe Addicts Anonymous

  Also by Beth Harbison

  SHOE ADDICTS SERIES

  Shoe Addicts Anonymous

  Secrets of a Shoe Addict

  A Shoe Addict’s Christmas

  STAND-ALONE NOVELS

  Hope in a Jar

  Thin, Rich, Pretty

  Always Something There to Remind Me

  When in Doubt, Add Butter

  Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger

  Driving with the Top Down

  Head Over Heels

  A Girl Like Her

  If I Could Turn Back Time

  One Less Problem Without You

  Every Time You Go Away

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.

  THE COOKBOOK CLUB. Copyright © 2020 by Beth Harbison. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Cover design and photograph by Laura Klynstra

  Title page spread © BrAt82 / Shutterstock, Inc.

  FIRST EDITION

  Digital Edition OCTOBER 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-295863-1

  Version 08182020

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-295862-4

  About the Publisher

  Australia

  HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.

  Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

  Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

  www.harpercollins.com.au

  Canada

  HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

  Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower

  22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor

  Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4E3

&
nbsp; www.harpercollins.ca

  India

  HarperCollins India

  A 75, Sector 57

  Noida

  Uttar Pradesh 201 301

  www.harpercollins.co.in

  New Zealand

  HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand

  Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive

  Rosedale 0632

  Auckland, New Zealand

  www.harpercollins.co.nz

  United Kingdom

  HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

  1 London Bridge Street

  London SE1 9GF, UK

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

  United States

  HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

  195 Broadway

  New York, NY 10007

  www.harpercollins.com