A Bitter Review

In a previous blog post I mentioned the cookbook, Bitter, and an upcoming review. Well, it's finally happened. The reason for the delay is a month or more of sickness and no cooking or baking, but the Campari Granita is in the freezer and the kitchen is starting to rather emphatically call my name, so I must be getting better, right? On to the review.

My childhood was bitter, that is to say, contrary to many childhood palates of the 1950s, mine was influenced by the bounty of my father’s gardens and his love for foods both fresh and somewhat assertive in taste. There was rutabaga and Brussels sprouts, dandelion greens and mustard, grapefruit for breakfast and homemade horseradish (we all helped in making it). There was a black walnut tree in our front yard and the only olives I knew were green. Apricots were a treat. And for candy I ate black licorice.

I jumped at the chance to review Jennifer McLagan’s Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor. With Recipes.” It’s a fabulous book.

The presentation alone is fantastic. I love the cover and the flyleaf is dramatic. Photos accompanying the recipes are full page, tempting, and professional. I have several recipes tagged to try, but for purpose of review I was able to test the following: Pork Chops in Coffee Black Currant Sauce, Beer-Glazed Carrots, and Campari Granita. All three were winners. David said the pork chops were some of the best he’d ever eaten. I have yet to try the Bitter Greens Ravioli, Arugula Pizza, Rony’s Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas, and Iced Chocolate Caramel Drink, to name a few.

Bitter is divided into six sections of recipes depending on bitterness level: Born to Be Bitter, Liquid Bitter, Pungently Bitter, Subtly Bitter, Surprisingly Bitter, and Dark, Forbidden, and Very Bitter.  The explanations are enlightening and the recipes are innovative and easy to follow. This is an exciting and I think, revolutionary book and I highly recommend it to those with a desire to introduce more unique and flavorful meals to their tables.

Pork Chops in Coffee Black Currant Sauce and Beer-Glazed Carrots

Campari Granita

For more information on the book, see the link in the blog post below.

I received a copy of this book for review courtesy of Blogging for Books.