Allysa Torey - At Home with Magnolia: Classic American Recipes from the Owner of Magnolia Bakery

Copyright 2006 by Allysa Torey. All rights reserved.

Photographs 2006 by John Kernick.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

Designed by Cassandra J. Pappas

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Torey, Allysa.

At home with magnolia : classic american recipes from the owner of Magnolia Bakery / Allysa Torey.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-471-75137-3 (cloth)

ISBN-13: 978-1-118-10905-2 (ebook)

ISBN-13: 978-1-118-10904-5 (ebook)

ISBN-10: 0-471-75137-5 (cloth)

1. Cookery, American. 2. Desserts. I. Title.

TX715.T687 2006

641.5973--dc22

2005029357

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For my mother and father, who showed me that I could do anything I wanted to do

acknowledgments

Many, many thanks...

To my agent, Carla Glasser,

for believing in this book from the beginning,

and for putting up with all of my craziness

To my editor, Justin Schwartz,

and Wiley Publishing,

for thinking this book was a great idea,

and making it a reality

To Margaret Hathaway,

who worked with me on everything from testing recipes to cultivating the gardens

and taking care of the dogs during the photo shoots,

and who makes it all really fun

To Tadhg,

for his endless amounts of support and love

And to my wonderful and extremely hardworking staff at Magnolia,

who make it possible for me to spend most of my time in the country,

doing what I love to do.

introduction

This book is a long time in the making. After writing two bakery cookbooks, Im thrilled to finally put together a collection that includes not only desserts but all of my favorite recipes that Ive been making at home for friends and dinner guests for years.

Most of my life is spent cooking, baking, gardening, talking about food, and writing about food. Im very lucky to live with someone who is as enthusiastic about eating as I am. When we have houseguests visiting for the weekend, they think its a bit crazy when over our first cup of coffee weve already planned out our menu for the entire day. I love food. I love creating new recipes. I love when I open up the fridge to see a wide array of beautiful fresh ingredients and can spend a lazy afternoon puttering around the kitchen, preparing a meal just for the two of us, or a simple dinner on the back porch for neighbors on a summer evening.

I like to cook simple foods made with seasonal ingredients. Im just about as passionate about gardening as I am about food. I have a cottage garden filled with roses and old-fashioned flowers and a large organic kitchen garden where I grow most of the vegetables we eat. The greatest thing about having your own garden is being able to run out barefoot and pick a few ears of corn or a handful of green beans. You cant get any fresher than food grown in your own backyard, and it really is amazing what a difference such fresh ingredients have in the outcome of your dishes.

What I dont grow myself, I get at the farmers market, which is a wonderful option for high quality, locally grown and raised foods. Its very important for me to know where my food comes from. Living in the country gives me the opportunity to get to know and support the farmers who are raising the animals and growing the fruits and vegetables that end up on our kitchen table. My local farmers market is also a great place for fresh dairy and eggs, artisanal cheeses, and a wide variety of organic meats.

I know that many people go to the grocery store and are able to buy any foods they want all year round, but I choose to cook primarily with seasonal produce. I find it satisfying to eat foods only when theyre at their peak, and when theyre out of season, rather than feeling deprived because Im not eating them, for me theres the sweet anticipation of enjoying them the next year. I appreciate that there are only a few weeks in the summertime when I can bring home the perfect juicy nectarines or gorgeous ripe strawberries to make a pie, and that there are bushels of tomatoes for summer salads and pasta sauces for only a couple of months. In the winter, when there are piles of snow outside, theres nothing more comforting than staying inside the house in a cozy warm kitchen with a big pot of soup on the stove and a simple chocolate cake in the oven.

Although I love to spend time in the kitchen, I always try to keep things simple, and I avoid recipes that are fancy with unnecessary steps. A lot of people think they dont have the time, or they dont realize how quickly they can prepare a fresh, home-cooked meal. I like to spend some time early in the day preparing so that I can cook quickly, but in a relaxed manner in the evening. Especially when Im entertaining, I find that if I prepare things in advance, I can really enjoy the time I have with my guests, whether its a few friends from town, or the whole family up for a barbecue. Its less stressful for me, and so its more fun for everyone.