Aly, Sara and.... Stephanie

So for my birthday (yes, it was in August) my Mom and I went to Girl & The Goat, and honestly, I cannot think of enough great things to say about that restaurant. Stephanie Izard's philosophy of making your mouth happy basically became my mantra (see very first post!). One trip and we were hooked.

When her cookbook came out, both of us were through the roof with excitement, but neither of us bought it. Obviously, at that point, I knew what I was getting my mom for Christmas. Ironically, she had the same thought, so unbeknownst to each other, we both bought the cookbook.

Since it is so hard to get a good reservation at Girl & the Goat, we decided to go for the next best thing: cooking our way through Stephanie Izard's cookbook! Kind of like a modern, more trendy, eccentric version of Julie & Julia... +1.

Our first adventure was the Scallops and Heirloom Tomatoes with a Truffle-Poblano Vinaigrette. I am also of the mantra that adding the WORD truffle to a dish makes it better. So when you actually add a good amount of well made Italian truffle oil, it is heaven.

The best thing about this cookbook is that it is so much more than a cookbook. Yeah, of course it has great recipes, but you can find that [almost] anywhere. Do I think these recipes are better than most? Yes. But that is not why I love this cookbook. I love this cookbook because it tells a story. It tells you why she first tried this, and why she is pairing a simple side of heirloom tomatoes with the spicy vinaigrette and the juicy scallops. And it tells you what drink you should pair with the meal - which is equally as important as the food you make. Nothing like a bad wine pairing to ruin a perfectly good meal.

But I also love this cookbook, because unlike other cookbooks that tell you to stock your pantry with generic foods, Stephanie expands to the foods that will make any dish pop. For example, I recently picked up some thai red bug eye chilies - because you can pop one in a curry, or a pasta, or a meat dish and it will accentuate the flavors. THAT is the kind of stuff I want to know. I know that I need various oils and seasonings and vegetables and grains. I want to know the stuff that is versatile yet evident in any dish.

Anyways, the scallops were fantastic. I kept the leftover poblano/truffle vinaigrette and have used it on just about anything - as a dip for veggies, as a marinade for chicken. So versatile and so delicious. Definitely a great Sunday meal with the family.

So Kudos, Stephanie Izard, if it wasn't evident before, I (and my mother) are officially hooked.

Stay tuned for more to come on this adventure.

Ciao for now,
Aly