The (Not Doctor) Atkins Family Cookbook

By J.T. Atkins, Hilary, Leigh and Valerie

This book represents years and years of individual and collaborative efforts by its authors to both develop techniques that bring life to dining as well as to share the authors' and their respective family members' love of food. It reflects a great deal of experimentation and refinement. Most importantly, the recipes in the book are only a starting point and users are encouraged to add their own twists (and turns) to its contents. Bon appetit!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jan 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483441801

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Atkins

Copyright © 2016 J.T. Atkins.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4179-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4180-1 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 2/2/2016

To Ina Atkins and Don von Liebermann, siblings and cooks

And their immortal – and true – toast:

To us, none better!

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Contents

A Brief Introduction

Wines and Cocktails

Fun Beginnings

Hors d’hoeuvres, Passed and Plated

Soups and Appetizers

Salads and Dressings

Mains

Hearty Beef, Chicken and Seafood meals

Pastas and Rices

One Pot and Slow-cooked dishes

On the Grill – and grilled sides

Vegetables and Sides

Cold Weather Cheer

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s

Desserts and Goodies

Appendix: A Wine Primer

Glossary

About the Authors

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A Brief Introduction

When a portion of the Atkins clan, Hilary, Leigh, Valerie and J.T., set out to put all of our favorite recipes in a single place – this book – we figured it would be something mostly for our own future use and enjoyment. After all, we have been cooking Thanksgivings together for many years and when Valerie joined our lives four years ago, it was a seamless addition in the kitchen. We also believed that a compilation of all those delicious formulas would be work, but not overly difficult.

Well, we were incorrect on two fronts. First, pulling the recipes together was no easy task. They were in computers, on notecards, in the back of our brains and even with other friends and family members. And once we had pooled our ideas, we realized that we had so many things that could conceivably be included that we had to draw the line somewhere. So we did and picked our true favorites.

Second, we began to examine what we were setting out to do and whether it made sense to go a bit beyond the goal of organizing things mainly for ourselves. So we cast the net a little bit more widely and reached back in time, to the generation that precedes us, so that we can pass a small token of our history as well as our love, to the generation that follows.

To that end, we thank our late mother, Ina Atkins, and our late uncle and mom’s brother, Don von Liebermann. We also thank my wonderful aunt, Mary von Liebermann, Valerie’s mother Mary Nuccio, Valerie’s cooking siblings, the McBride/Ertel families, cousin Eve Stocker, the late Yves Donald, John Humphreys and Vinnie DePierro, and friends including Lisa Jett, Claire Krawitz and Julie Perry. Their recipes are and will remain fantastic. Also, thanks to J.T.’s colleague, Amal Haque, formatter extraordinaire.

The book is structured very much like how we love to dine. Drinks first, appetizers second and hearty meals after that. Goodies come at the end for all children (and adults) who have a taste for sweet things. Somewhat differently than other cookbooks, we include a section devoted to the cold weather holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. No time of year has been, and is, more important to us than the time we spend with our families – especially our living parents and relatives and our rapidly growing up kids. Food is always central to these get togethers, from the moment family and friends begin arriving at the host’s home to the packing of delectable desserts and leftovers upon their departure.

The recipes themselves are reasonably eclectic, reflecting the fact that there are four primary contributors and many other ones from those recognized above. Some recipes are healthy; many are not. This book is probably not an everyday meal planning guide, but more for special occasions, holidays, parties and times when one would like to indulge a bit.

There is also a range of levels of effort in the preparation of the dishes. Some are straightforward and quick; some are more involved. However, most are down the middle, not hard, but usually requiring more than 10 minutes of prep. We deliberately stayed away from overly simple meals like breadcrumb-crusted chicken sautéed in olive oil or simple grilled steak because such recipes are so readily available (without a lot of variation) on the internet. We also avoided the Julia Child / Thomas Keller / Daniel Boulud-style recipes, with 20+ hard-to-find ingredients and two hours of prep time. We trust you can forgive us.

We hope you enjoy preparing and feasting upon these dishes as much as we do.

Leigh, Hilary, Valerie and J.T. Atkins

December 2015

Wines and Cocktails

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A Quick Wine Overview

Although in our family cocktails have often preceded wine at the dinner table, we start with it in our book because we see an increasing trend toward wine at all stages of our get togethers. It is consumed during the serving of hors d’hoeuvres through and including dessert. And rightly so. There is little that can complement food better than wine.

So what’s the best wine to drink? The answer is a bit paradoxical. One should, in our view, both find wines that can be one’s go to vino while at the same time be prepared to experiment, explore and indulge. An inexpensive sauvignon blanc can be just as tasty and food-appropriate as a big French red.

A long time ago, we decided that the question white or red? was not the correct one. Instead, we now focus upon light versus full-bodied. Yes, whites tend to be lighter than reds, but a Napa chardonnay can often be a lot richer than a Sonoma pinot noir, which may only be 30 miles away.

And what about vintage, that is, the year in which the grapes were harvested? We don’t get too much caught up in those (though we do have some thoughts generally about good years, in particular in France and Italy).

We have put in an appendix in the back of this cookbook that provides more information and details about the wines we like. Enjoy exploring this wonderful food accompaniment!

French 75

This is the quintessential New Orleans aperitif and can also be made with gin.

Makes 1 drink

♦ Ice

♦ 2 oz. Bourbon

♦ ½ oz. simple syrup

♦ 1 oz. lemon juice

♦ Champagne

Simple Syrup Recipe

Make in any amount, but it is one part sugar to one part water, boiled until well blended and sugar is dissolved.

Combine bourbon, simple syrup and lemon juice in a shaker with lots of ice. Shake. Strain into a glass and top with champagne.

Hilly’s To-Die-For-Good Bloody Mary

In the tradition of Ina and J.P. Atkins, we substitute gin for the current widely-used vodka. We think gin stands up better to the Bloody Mary mix and adds a taste of its own in this already delicious and spicy concoction, but we recognize others will prefer vodka.

Makes many, many cocktails

♦ Lots of Gin (at least one part gin to two parts mix)

♦ Bloody Mary Mix

Bloody Mary Mix:

♦ Two 46-oz. bottles V-8 (one Original and one Spicy Hot