Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I got a little discouraged reading through this book because it seems like half the time I would see a recipe that sounded good, it required an ingredient that would require hunting around online for. Not that this is always a deal breaker, but I'm not very likely to plan far enough in advance to order the ingredient and then actually remember to make the recipe once it's delivered. I know this is part of keeping things authentic, but it still kinda bums me out.

I'm planning on making the black bean soup with the pickled onions this week, though. I can't remember if that recipe calls for epazote or not, but if it does, I'll just leave it out. I live right on the Mexican border and can't find that shiitake in regular grocery stores here that have large Latin American sections. There's a large Mexican grocery store nearby I could try, so maybe I'll find it there. I hate going there because it's always crazy busy, though, and their meat section is huge and scary.

My copy arrived today! It's really, really pretty! I'd encourage those who were put off by having more than one recipe on a page to take a look at the layout once it's available on Amazon or wherever, because I really think it doesn't matter that much. The print size is large enough to make everything easy to read.

I finally got mine yesterday and spent the evening reading the entire thing (and watching election coverage). It is a lovely book, I really like the layout and the print. I would like more pictures of the food but that is just my preference. The pictures that are included are just mouth watering. The problem is I have no idea what to start with first. Everything looks so good and there is so much I want to make - I just can't figure out what to start with.

This week I made the red wine braised leeks and mushrooms and the roasted beet salad. The beet salad was delicious and very easy (basically peel and roast the beets and mix the dressing). The leeks and mushrooms were good, but I think I would cut the leeks smaller next time to make them easier to clean and easier to eat. Leaving them almost whole was a nice presentation, but they turned out chewier than I would have liked. (My husband really liked them, which isn't a surprise because he generally likes anything with a savory sauce).

I'm not much of a baker so can anyone who has this book advise me? For the walnut sticky spice cake it says use a 9x13x2 inch metal baking pan or a 9 inch springform pan. Does that mean a round 9 inch pan or would it be square? I don't have a huge baking pan collection and I don't really want to buy, but I will if I have to.

I'm not much of a baker so can anyone who has this book advise me? For the walnut sticky spice cake it says use a 9x13x2 inch metal baking pan or a 9 inch springform pan. Does that mean a round 9 inch pan or would it be square? I don't have a huge baking pan collection and I don't really want to buy, but I will if I have to.

I'm making the Greek meal menu from the book tomorrow for an omni visitor, so I'll report back.

The 9 inch springform should be round (since a round shape with a diameter of 9" has a larger surface than a square 9" pan). A springless round 9 inch pan will probably also work.