What will an unlikely vegetarian, a student of culinary arts, an extreme couponer and a pair of off-the-industrial-food-grid-eaters do for a good meal?
First, they start a blog to document their respective journeys to eating well. They share details about themselves, their families, their kitchens and, yes, the food, until suddenly, somehow — despite the ever-growing number of food bloggers in the blogosphere — they acquire fans who demand more.
That is when these chroniclers of food preparation take their stories offline and into books, cookbooks to be exact, which serve as instructional guides for fans puttering around their own kitchens in search of inspiration.
If the food-blogger-turned-book-author trend began in 2005 with Julie Powell — whose blog, the “Julie/Julia Project,” became a book that then became a movie — the genre has boomed in the past four years. Among the newest crop of blogger cookbooks are several written by moms hoping to bring ease, affordability and good-tasting healthy meals to family dinners.
“The $5 Dinner Mom: One-Dish Dinners Cookbook,” by Erin Chase (St. Martin’s Griffin, $18).
This is the third cookbook from Chase, an Ohio-based mom who started two blogs after her couponing habit resulted in inexpensive, yet healthy dinners. She keeps meals under $5, and they are one-dish quick to save time on food preparation and dishwashing. Chase defines one-dish as “cooked in the same dish” — be it a skillet, slow cooker, dutch oven or grill — and served with an occasional side dish to make a complete meal. The 150 recipes are organized by food type and many come with a “Frugal Fact,” such as advising readers never to pay more than 99 cents for a box of corn taco shells (that’s the couponer in her). Chase also labels recipes as “freezer friendly,” “slow cooker adaptable” or “make ahead” to help with planning.
“The Cleaner Plate Club,” by Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin (Storey, $17)
Bader and Benjamin met while blogging. Despite their distinct food histories (Bader grew up on a farm in Missouri, while Benjamin battled the boxed foods her toddler loved), they shared a passion for healthy, sustainable family meals. Taking the name of Benjamin’s blog, they composed a cookbook with more than 100 recipes — many of which use fresh produce as a starting point. In the “Meet your vegetables” section, they don’t just tell you how to prepare vegetables such as kale (hint: saute it with cannellini beans), they also tell you when the vegetables are in season, why that vegetable is good for you, and how to store it. The rest of the book is organized by mealtime and type of food, with the last section dedicated to snacks and sweets. This is the rare cookbook that can be read cover to cover, not just for the recipes, but to learn about the nature of food and our food system.
“Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love,” by Sarah Matheny (Harlequin, $22)
This former meat eater ventured into the world of blogging after becoming a mom and deciding that her family’s diet needed an overhaul. As “mama pea,” Matheny began fashioning plant-based versions of family favorites that can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Starting with a list of pantry basics such as quinoa, liquid smoke and pre-cooked tofu, Matheny takes her followers through recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides and desserts. She introduces recipes for blueberry scones, baked penne with (meat-free) sausage and peppers, vegetarian pad Thai and other dishes with anecdotes detailing the inspiration behind each.
“Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh and Easy Recipes,” by Catherine McCord (Morrow,$28)
Despite having studied the culinary arts, when McCord’s son was born in 2007 she felt paralyzed in the kitchen. She went back to basics and documented the struggles and successes of feeding baby on her Weelicious blog. With a focus on healthy cooking, McCord provides tips on shopping for groceries and engaging the youngest eaters in the family. She suggests employing several secrets for success — offer choices, make food fun and eat together. Though the meals are kid-friendly, McCord’s recipes will also appeal to more mature family members. Beginning with a chapter on purees for baby, McCord then moves on to breakfast; soups; dips, sauces and salsas; snacks; dinner; sides; desserts and drinks. Recipes for goodies such as cottage cheese pancakes, chicken tortilla soup, and red beet and white bean hummus come with endorsements from some of the Weelicious blog readers who helped McCord test recipes for the book.
