Rosie Daykin’s Newest Book Guides You Through Easy and Tasty Dishes

My home is overflowing with cookbooks and I’m fully addicting to reading, and cooking through them. There’s so many books I can choose from, but Let Me Feed You, the latest cookbook from Rosie Daykin (she previously published Butter Baked Goods and Butter Celebrates) has me returning to it again and again. I’ve even made several of the recipes twice already, and have many recipes marked to whip up!

Daykin was a designer who turned her passion for baking into a second career with Butter Baked Goods, a bakery that is absolutely delightful. She’s also a marshmallow master, and her marshmallows are now available in over 300 stores. Everything about this book is extremely delicious, and you’ll find these recipes ones that you’ll add to your repertoire.

We live a rustic life and, as such, leave our patio door open to let the air in. Unfortunately other creatures have taken the open door as an invitation to enter our humble abode, and recently we battled mice, followed shortly thereafter by ants. We set out several mice traps, but the darn beasts were too crafty, until the moment when I baked Daykin’s Cheddar Cheese Crackers. Almost at the exact time I removed the crackers from the oven, there was a loud snapping sound coming from behind the couch, followed instantly by a terrible squeal. Upon investigation the mouse trap was filled with, you guessed it, a tiny mouse with a terribly terrified look in its eyes. Don’t fear, this poor creature did not meet its demise in our hands, I have a bleeding heart, and I couldn’t murder the mouse, so I actually took it downstairs, had a little talk to it about not returning, and suggested he told his friends the same, and then released it. I’ve never seen a mouse move so fast, and he darted off to live another day. Hopefully that’s the last we’ll see of this little monster and his friends, and so far, there hasn’t been a sign of any unwelcome visitors.

Now back to the crackers. They were not only so aromatic that they drew in the mouse, they were also extremely tasty, and were just perfect with a charcuterie board we prepared the next day. If you’ve got hungry creatures of any sort in your house, these will capture them!

I also made the Rhubarb Upside Down Cake, twice so far, once with rhubarb and another time with pears. The pears were a little more watery, so I had to increase the cooking time, but the cake was incredible each time.

There’s many recipes in here you’ll want to make, it’s a charming and useful cookbook, and a very good read and cooking guide. Next up we’re making the One Pot Chicken Parm, so follow us on Instagram and we’ll post a picture once we do! Here’s a few recipes for you to try, but really, you should just go buy the book.

Parsnip, Pear, and Blue Cheese Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons thyme leaves, plus additional for serving
2 tablespoons butter
1⁄2 cup peeled and fi ely chopped shallots
1⁄2 cup fi ely chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
6 cups chicken stock
(page 99 or store-bought) 1⁄2 cup crème fraîche
1⁄2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the parsnips across the prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons thyme leaves. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, using a spatula to turn the parsnips over at the midway point to ensure even roasting, until the parsnips are starting to brown and are cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, leeks, and pears and continue to cook until the leeks and shallots are soft and translucent and the pears are breaking down.
Add the roasted parsnips, chicken stock, and crème fraîche. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and transfer the soup in two or three batches to your blender to puree. (You’ll need a secondary mixing bowl or bucket to hold the pureed soup while you finish the other batches. If using an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot, but you won’t get as smooth a finish.)
Return the soup to the pot over medium heat. Have a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Sprinkle each serving of soup with just over a tablespoon of the crum- bled blue cheese and a few thyme leaves.
Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Should you want to freeze it, I suggest you don’t add the crème fraîche until after you have thawed the soup. Creams don’t do well in the freezer and sometimes get a little grainy once thawed and reheated.

Iron Skillet Halibut

Makes 4 servings

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
4 (6-ounce) halibut fi ets (about 11⁄2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Gently dredge each piece of halibut in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil until just beginning to smoke. Place each fillet skin side down and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the skin no longer sticks to the pan.
Using large tongs, turn each fillet over and cook for another minute, then turn over again so the fillets are sitting skin side down in the pan.
Use an oven mitt to transfer the hot pan to the center rack of the pre- heated oven. Bake the halibut for 7 to 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork.
Remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately. I think fresh halibut in season is simply delicious and doesn’t need any additional marinades or sauces, but I’d never say no to a little scoop of homemade tartar sauce (page 223). Risotto Cakes (page 214) and asparagus (page 194) are great choices to accompany this dish. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipes Excerpted from Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home by Rosie Daykin. Copyright © 2019 Rosie Daykin. Photography by Rosie Daykin and Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.