With over twenty books in her portfolio, Judith Choate is a distinguished food writer. And a great chef. Some of those books are hers alone and others are collaborations with prominent chefs who secured her culinary power in putting recipes into print.
That spread of experience displays her manifest skills. She does things on her own. She does things with others. She can be a solo artist or a wonderful partner. In any role, Judith produces wonderful food.
In 1992 she published Meat & Potatoes. That is a basic title and this is a basic book, a paean to classic Middle American cuisine. The recipes here have simple titles, simple lists of ingredients, and easy instructions. The results are anything but simple. And in fact she does rightly boast a bit. The first recipe in the book is called The Perfect Roast Turkey. Followed by The Perfect Roast Chicken.
Simple, but sophisticated. Judith has a knack for being direct. If you’ve ever met her, had those eyes stare right into you, you know she is a no-nonsense lady. So, the recipe titles may be simple, like Macaroni and Cheese. The results are not simply simple, they are perfected. For the Mac and Cheese, she explains that her journey there began with a kitchen disaster. Yes, the chef made a mess. And she vowed not to do that again. She was determined to perfect the recipe so you get just the comfort food you craved. That ideal recipe is here.
Judith is one of those rare food writers that you can totally trust. Every recipe has been tested and tuned. You want great food? Just follow the recipe.
Because the book is now just shy of a quarter century old, there are some old-timers here. Have you ever had Chicken a la King? Pepper Steak? You’ll find them here and you’ll be most happy if you try them. Here’s a photo of that Chicken a la King. I’ll post the recipe for it tomorrow. Planning ahead, you need to buy a roast chicken, some bread, mushrooms and celery. Get ready.
Other recipes in Meat & Potatoes include:
Roast Loin of Veal
London Broil
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
Tamale Pie
Chicken Fricassee with Dumplings
Oyster Stew
Chicken Croquettes
Creamed Chip Beef on Toast
Liver and Onions
Succotash
Fried Green Tomatoes
Potato Pancakes
Chocolate Cream Pie
Oatmeal Cookies
Fresh Coconut Cake
I know. Very basic sounding recipes. Except, if the recipes are perfected, then these dishes are more than merely iconic. They are feasts. Meat & Potatoes is a feast-filled tribute to American classics.