So Tom gave me the most amazing present this Christmas, and no ladies, it wasn’t chocolate! He knows I’ve been trying to hone my kitchen skills lately, and he also knows that I’ve gotten really into fresh herbs. SO, he bought me Jerry Traunfeld’s most recent cookbook The Herbal Kitchen.
If you don’t know Traunfeld (well, let’s be honest, I didn’t either until I got on this herb kick!), he got his start as an executive chef at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle and then proceeded to work at some of the best restaurants in the Northwest, including San Francisco’s Stars and Washington’s The Herbfarm. Since then, he’s won a James Beard Award, published two cookbooks, and opened a new restaurant called Poppy (after his mom—isn’t that the sweetest?)
Anyway, I’ve been wanting Traunfeld’s The Herbal Kitchen cookbook for quite a while, but I had no idea that Tom was actually paying attention when I was talking about it last summer. It’s so sweet that he remembered. And even sweeter are the recipes—Dilled Celery, Asian Pear, and Hazelnut Salad, Lemon Rosemary Chicken with dried currants and green olives, Mashed Winter Squash with Bay Butter. I’ve got to stop writing and get cooking!
