Step-by-Step Delicious: Learn to Cook Your Favorite Dishes in 7 Steps or Less

By Catrine Kelty and Adam Detour

Everyone these days loves the fast-paced, overhead-view cooking videos that appear online and are shared millions of times each day on social media. Food writer Catrine Kelty and photographer Adam DeTour sure do, and together they have created this picture-filled cookbook for their fellow fans—to enjoy, to cook from, or to give as a gift. It’s the perfect book for a visually savvy teen or young adult who’s learning how to cook, and it’s a fantastic resource and companion for cooks of any age who want to up their kitchen game. Each of the book’s 100 recipes has at least 4 step-by-step photographs, making this a new kind of cookbook for the online generation. The book has loads of ideas for recipes that help kitchen newbies learn how to cook and ones that give more-experienced cooks new things to try. It includes easy-to-make grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches, along with nutritious-but-delicious snacks that give you extra energy for after school or after work. There are quick-to-fix dinners for the weekday whirl, plus fancy dinners, as well as awesome party foods, for casual weekends with friends. Not least, there are lots of recipes for sweet things—luxurious cookies, cakes, brownies, blondies, pies, tarts, and more—for readers who want to learn how to bake delicious treats and desserts with ease.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jun 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781558329454

Book preview

Step-by-Step Delicious: Learn to Cook Your Favorite Dishes in 7 Steps or LessStep-by-Step Delicious: Learn to Cook Your Favorite Dishes in 7 Steps or Less

CONTENTS

A COOKBOOK FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES TASTY

Good Morning Breakfasts

Easy Snacks and Appetizers

Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches

Pastas, Grains, and Beans

All Kinds of Vegetable Dishes

Meat, Poultry, and Fish for Dinner

Sweets for Dessert—or Anytime

Cool (and Hot) Things to Drink

INDEX

WE REALLY LOVE RECIPE VIDEOS …

… and we are guessing you do, too, if you picked up this book. A couple of years ago, we discovered the amazing food videos that were taking over social media and the Internet, from brands like Tasty, Well Done, Delish, and Food Network.

They changed the way we cook. The fast-paced, not-too-long videos that show exactly what you need to buy, what cooking steps you need to perform, and best of all, a yummy picture of what you get to eat when you’re done, all made cooking seem easier, quicker, and more exciting than we thought possible. Kids we know who didn’t think they could cook now realize they can. Grownups we know, even ones who are expert cooks, prop up their phones or tablets on the kitchen counter and cook in a new and fun way.

… AND WE REALLY LOVE COOKBOOKS …

.… for many reasons. We like to give cookbooks as gifts. Many of our favorite recipes are ones we found in cookbooks. In a food video, you have to scroll backward and forward to find the step you need, but in a cookbook, it’s all conveniently there on a page. We like to write in the margins of our cookbooks—things like I doubled the sugar or I used an orange instead of a lemon remind us of how we changed a recipe to make it our very own. And those chocolate stains shown here? They remind us of the gooey, messy brownies we made with our friends one weekend, and that makes us smile and laugh.

… and so we decided to combine our two loves in this book.

One day, we noticed a friend who had taped screenshots from a food video to the kitchen counter. They looked kind of like pages from a book. Hmmm … that made us think. Could we create a cookbook, with lots and lots of step-by-step photos, that would capture the vibe and spirit of online food videos? We set out to do so, and here is the result. It’s our way to pay homage to this new way of cooking and to do so in a medium—cookbooks—that has given us loads of good times in the kitchen. It’s our gift to our fellow fans. We hope you like it.

Love and dishes,

XOXO

GOOD MORNING BREAKFASTS

◁ JAM-FILLED CRÊPES

Crêpes are really very easy to make, yet they are so impressive to serve. Be sure to use a 7- or 8-inch (18 or 20 cm) skillet or else your crêpes will end up too thin and they will tear when you try to fill them. Also, treat them gently when flipping them—they are more delicate than pancakes. You might tear one or two until you get the hang of it, but they’ll still be scrumptious.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour

1¹/3 cups (315 ml) milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar

¹/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

Your favorite jam, for serving

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET

6 TO 8 BRUNCH-WORTHY CRÊPES

A TASTY TIP Think of crêpes like a blank canvas: For a heartier breakfast crêpe, layer in thinly sliced fruit of your choice. Or turn these into dessert crêpes by spreading on Nutella or caramel sauce instead of jam!

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

1. Combine the flour, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and the 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of melted butter in a blender and blend for a minute or two until thoroughly combined and bubbly.

2. Transfer the batter to a bowl and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Heat a 7- or 8-inch (18 or 20 cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brush lightly with melted butter.

4. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 55 g) of the batter into the pan and swirl to cover the bottom of the whole pan with the batter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges of the crêpe brown and recede.

5. With a thin spatula, lift the crêpe and flip over to cook for another minute or so until it’s golden.

6. Transfer the crêpe to a plate, spread it with a thin layer of jam, roll it up, and serve.

◁ FRESH BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Whether you call them flapjacks, griddlecakes, hotcakes, or pancakes, the sizzle of hot batter in the pan will make you glad you dragged yourself out of bed. Blueberries are a classic and delicious sweet-tart addition.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¹/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons (45 g) light brown sugar

³/4 cup (175 ml) milk

1 large egg, separated

³/4 cup (190 g) fresh blueberries

4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter, melted, mixed with ¹/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

Maple syrup, for serving

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET

8 FLUFFY PANCAKES

Variations

For banana pancakes, substitute 1 overripe mashed banana (1 cup [225 g]) for the blueberries and add ¹/4 teaspoon ground ginger to the dry ingredients.

For chocolate chip pancakes, substitute ¹/3 cup (58 g) of chocolate chips for the blueberries.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.

2. In a larger bowl, mix the 3 tablespoons (45 ml) melted butter, sugar, milk, and the egg yolk. Mix well to combine.

3. In a third bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing well to combine them. Fold in the egg white and then the blueberries. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. It is ready when a drop of water beads up on its surface. When ready, drop a tablespoon (15 ml) of the butter-oil mixture into the pan.

6. Without crowding the pan, pour in scoops of about ¹/4 cup (55 g) batter for each pancake. Cook on medium-high heat until they start to bubble and then turn over and cook for another minute or two until golden.

7. Serve the pancakes immediately, as you make them, with butter and maple syrup.

◁ FRUITS WITH

TRIPLE GINGER SAUCE

This creamy sauce packs a gingery wallop. The yogurt keeps it healthy, and the bit of sour cream adds tangy richness. Experiment with different fruit combinations: bananas and pineapple; or apples, pears, and grapes; or mixed berries and melon.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

2¹/2 cups (575 g) whole-milk vanilla Greek-style yogurt

¹/2 cup (115 g) sour cream

¹/3 cup (75 g) packed dark brown sugar

¹/2 cup (48 g) finely chopped crystallized ginger

2 tablespoons (12 g) minced or (16 g) grated fresh ginger

1¹/2 tablespoons (8 g) ground ginger

Your favorite fruits, cut into bite-size pieces, for serving

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET

8 TO 10 SPICY-SWEET SERVINGS OF SAUCE

A TASTY TIPIf you want a slightly less spicy ginger sauce, cut back a little on either the fresh ginger or the ground ginger. Don’t skimp on the crystallized ginger, though.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt and sour cream to blend.

2. In a food processor, process the brown sugar, crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, and ground ginger until they are well combined, about 40 seconds.

3. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula and add the yogurt–sour cream mixture.

4. Process to blend well, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use the sauce. Serve with your favorite fruits.

◁ RICH FRENCH TOAST

You can make French toast with practically any bread, but thick slices of a fluffy, eggy bread with a bit of sugar in it, like brioche or challah, will soak up the egg-milk dip beautifully and develop a delicately crispy crust in the skillet, making for a luxurious morning treat.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

4 large eggs

1 cup (235 ml) milk

¹/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter, melted, mixed with ¹/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

6 thick slices of egg-based bread, such as brioche or challah (day-old is best)

Maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, and/or fresh berries, for serving

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET

4 TO 6 DECADENT SERVINGS

A TASTY TIPServe this with the Mixed Berry Coulis.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

1. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cream.

2. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to the liquid ingredients and stir to combine.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of the butter-oil mixture in a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture on both sides, making sure the slices are completely covered with the mixture.

4. Transfer the bread slices to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden.

5. Serve the French toast right away, with maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, and/or berries.

◁ CREAMY SCRAMBLED EGGS ON ENGLISH MUFFINS

Both milk and sour cream enrich these eggs. If you have time to sit down for a few minutes on a weekday morning, serve these breakfast sandwiches open-face, with a knife and fork. But if you’ve hit the snooze button one too many times, close up the English