My Favorite Cookbook

Anguilla

My favorite cookbook so far has to be At Blanchard's Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook.  Let me tell you the story of how this came to be.

In 2006 my parents moved to the Caribbean island of Anguilla, the most beautiful place I've seen so far.  My mom was a bit hesitant about leaving her family and friends and moving thousands of miles away, so I wanted to get her a little going-away present to cheer her up.  I searched online for something Anguilla-related and came across this cookbook.  I knew she could appreciate a cookbook that came from the tiny island where she was about to live. I sent it with her not expecting to hear much of it again, except that every time I would talk to her on the phone she would say "Michelle, I made another recipe from Blanchard's cookbook.  It's awesome! I can't wait to make it for you when you come visit!" I ended up trying a bunch of the recipes each time I was there, and it quickly became my mom's -- and my -- favorite cookbook.

Anguilla

Why? The recipes are so simple, yet so delicious.  The photographs feature bright and colorful food that leave your mouth watering, as well as the people and landscapes from the island that transport you to this amazing place.   The recipes are intertwined with stories about Anguilla and the folks that run the restaurant (from which the recipes are based), and that makes it feel very personal.  Moreover, the recipes are just plain delicious.  I haven't made a bad recipe from it yet.

A sampling of what's inside:

Blanchard's Corn Chowder

Quick Seafood Stew with Tomatoes and Herbs

Chocolate "Cracked Coconut" with Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

More recipes include...
Baguette Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Mascarpone, and Basil
Spicy Coconut and Sweet Potato Soup
Chicken and Green Bean Salad with Kalamata Olive Dressing
Potato Salad with Lime and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Orzo Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, Feta, and Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
Sweet-and-Sour Swordfish with Onions, Raisins, and Tomatoes
Calypso Chicken with Lime
Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Rosemary
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Capers, and Olives
Island Rice with Cumin and Coconut
Light-as-a-Cloud Lemon Mousse
Coconut Cheesecake

Bob & Melinda Blanchard decided to open Blanchard's Restaurant in Anguilla after wanting to try something new.  They sold almost everything in their hometown of Vermont and uprooted to Anguilla to live out their dream.  Read more about their inspiring story here, or read about it more in-depth in their inspirational book Live What You Love: Notes from a Passionate Life.

Bob & Melinda Blanchard
Source: www.blanchardsrestaurant.com

Anguilla Photos: A Musing Mamma
Food Photos: Ben Fink via www.blanchardsrestaurant.com

Caribbean Corn Bread (The BEST Cornbread)

Anguilla, home of the best cornbread recipe

Pineapple in cornbread?  Yes, pineapple.  And cheddar cheese.  Wait, what?  I know what you're thinking.  That's exactly what I was thinking before I had my first bite of this luscious goodness. But just wait.  Just wait until you try it.  You too will be a believer.  This cornbread is...I'm grasping for the words here... moist, and sweet-without-being-too-sweet, and cake-y and corny and everything that cornbread should be.  You can't directly taste the pineapple and cheese, but together it gives a certain ...something. The pineapple gives makes it moist and a bit sweet and the cheese lends a bit of a salty bite and it's just....mmmmmmm.  Everyone I serve this to can't believe how delicious and addicting it is, and they demand the recipe ASAP because it's that good.  And I am more than happy to divulge it because I believe that something this good needs to be shared.  It begs to be shared.  Recipes like this are born to spread the love and make mouths happy, and challenge people to try recipes with unusual ingredients.  Anyway, enough with the cornbread praise and on to the recipe.

This is adapted from my favorite cookbook "At Blanchard's Table:  A Trip To The Beach Cookbook".

Caribbean Corn Bread
Serves 8

1 C all purpose flour
1 C cornmeal
2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 C sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 C canned cream-style corn
1/2 C canned crushed pineapple, drained
1 C shredded Monterey Jack or mild white Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9-inch square glass cake pan (or metal if you have it, but glass works best).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  While the mixer is running, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the corn, pineapple, and cheese, and mix to blend.  Stop and deliberate over the fact that you just put corn, pineapple, and cheese into the same recipe. On a low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until blended well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake about one hour to and hour and fifteen minutes.  It should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick stuck in the center will come out clean when it's done.

Now, go make some Caribbean cornbread and spread the love :)

Photo: A Musing Mamma

Light-As-A-Cloud Lemon Mousse

I am a big fan of using lemon in my cooking and baking. This dessert gets an A+ from me.  Very light, very lemony, and very delicious! Adapted from Blanchard's cookbook (one of my faves...more on that later).

Light-As-A-Cloud Lemon Mousse
Serves 4-6

1 C. sugar

3/4 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

1 Tbs. freshly grated lemon peel

1 1/2 C. heavy cream

assorted berries and whipped cream, for serving (optional)

On top of a double broiler over simmering water, combine the sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, eggs, and lemon peel. Cook, whisking constantly so as not to get lumps, until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until chilled. When the lemon mixture is cold, whip the cream until you get soft to medium peaks. Gently fold a quarter of the whipped cream into the lemon mixture to blend, and then fold in the remaining cream. Spoon into individual glasses or bowls. Garnish with berries and sweetened whipped cream.

Photo: Ben Fink via: At Blanchard's Table: ATrip To The Beach Cookbook