A Thousand Lives Lived: Batch by Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison // Magnificent Recipes!

Batch, by Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison
Publication: May 3, 2016, by Appetite by Random House
Genre: Cookbook
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating:

Joel and Dana’s journey into preserving began with an innocent lesson in making jam. Almost a decade later, WellPreserved.ca is an extraordinary resource for both beginners and experts alike. Their much-anticipated first cookbook showcases seven different preserving techniques—waterbath canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, fermenting, cellaring, salting & smoking, and infusing—and takes readers on a trip to the market in twenty-five ingredients. Within each ingredient chapter, you’ll find multiple preserving recipes using the different methods. From apples, pears, peaches and rhubarb, to asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and covering a variety of meat and fish, Batch teaches you everything you need to know to get the most out of your kitchen.
With their signature approachable and fun style, Joel and Dana showcase techniques for a variety of skill levels, explain how to batch your recipes to make two preserves at once, give you multiple options for preserving in ten minutes or less, and serve up mouthwatering center-of-the-plate meals that take your preserves from the pantry to the table. With personal anecdotes, creative and incredible recipes, and beautiful photography and illustrations, Batch will show you how to incorporate preserving into your life and your community.

My Thoughts:

I discovered Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison's Batch after receiving it for review from Appetite by Random House, and WHOA, I must say that I am so impressed with the outcome of the recipes, the authors' organization throughout the recipe book, the unique recipes found, and how much effort was put into this cookbook, making it unique from others and certainly one that I will use over and over again. EVERYONE NEEDS THIS. Just as the synopsis says, "Batch teaches you everything you need to know to get the most out of your kitchen," I certainly believe that this statement is true towards the whole cookbook, and I will recommend it to any beginner cooks who are looking for healthier alternatives than your regular dishes fried on a pan with loads of oil and nasty stuff. In this case, the authors provide readers/cooks with their expertise, sharing tips on how to make different vegetables and yummy ingredients have this chef flair that will make you want to eat the whole pot/pan/dish that you created the meal with.

The first dish I tried was the tomato sauce mixed with lemon juice and peppers. WOW. My mom and I usually created tomato sauce using just a bushel of tomatoes, but the authors were fabulous with giving this good ol' Italian dish their own flair with lemon juice. I really preferred eating my spaghetti with that sauce, compared to the regular tomato one, since I'm not a big fan of tomato sauce as a whole. Here is a photo of my creation:

My creation!

You see, this is a splendid summer cookbook. You could definitely create some of the dishes included here during any time of the year, but I have sticky noted many that seem perfect for the barbecue this summer. I love how there is a big focus on flavour and preservation and sauces, because many cookbook authors/chefs seem to just focus on the food itself, but the sauces/dips certainly play a humungous role in how you taste the dish.

Batch is a lovely cookbook that I would certainly recommend to all beginners, amateurs and food lovers or chefs. We need to promote it, because it has a gorgeous cover and amazing content that is difficult to find online, or in any other cookbook that is out there. I would adore to sit in Joel and Dana's kitchen and just taste and sniff the gorgeous smells of spices, sauces and meals found in this book and beyond.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*