Cookbook Review: Cook with Confidence

Chef and social media star Dennis Prescott invited me (fine, everyone who reads his new book!) to cook with confidence. And, well, with stunning photography and appealing recipes that really pull you in, I was certainly feeling inspired when Cook with Confidence came across my desk. If you’re a parent reading this — and hello, I’m sure you are— let me preface that the recipes in this book are not necessarily geared to parents with fussy eaters. If this applies to you, I still urge you to pick up a copy for yourself, for your partner and for your friends. 

In addition to wonderful meat-centric meals, the book includes a significant section dedicated to plant-powered dishes with mains such as “Butter” Chickpeas (think butter chicken sans chicken), Black Bean Edamame Burgers and Mushroom Ragu with Cheesy Grits. 

Normally when I get a new cookbook, I flag the recipes I want to test. After about the 30th flag, I realized that in this case, I should perhaps only flat the ones I didn’t want to try. Everything in this book appeals to me, but here are a few reviews for you to enjoy and hopefully to inspire to to get cooking with your family. 

Loaded Grilled Chicken Nachos page 21

Oh. My. Goodness.  This is everything I love in one dish — zesty smoky chicken, fresh salsa with lots of cilantro and silky-spicy guacamole, gooey melted cheese all on top of crunchy tortilla chips. This is worlds better than anything you could order at your local watering hole. It’s such a fun and delicious indulgence! In fact, I think I’ll make it again. 

Spicy Pasta alla Norma page 83

Normally this is a vegetarian dish, but Prescott adds spicy Italian sausage for a meat-loving twist. While I can appreciate the flavour boost that sausage brings to the party, for me, leaving it out is the way to go. If you still want your Norma spicy, just add a few extra hot pepper flakes and call it a day. 

Rustic Ratatouille with Goat Cheese and Garlicky Baguette page 129

Ratatouille is still the best way to use the abundance of summer produce that I know of. It’s a classic vegetarian main with smoky and silky eggplant combined with tomatoes, peppers and summer squash. Serve it with some toasted garlic bread as per Prescott’s suggestion and you’ve got a wonderful, healthful meal in no time. Get the recipe: Rustic Ratatouille with Goat Cheese and Garlicky Baguette

Classic Maritime Fish Chowder page150

Hailing from New Brunswick, one would assume the author knows a thing or two about chowder. And you’d be right in that assumption. The only slightly tricky part of this recipe is to not allow the soup to come to a boil after adding the milk and heavy cream as that might cause it to separate. Keep the cook low and slow and season to taste (I found I needed a bit more salt at this point).

Chicken Fricot page 199

I had never heard of a ‘fricot’ before this book, so I absolutely had to make this dish. And I am so very glad that I did. This dish is of Acadian origin and on-hand at all times in case you’re feeling under the weather yourself or the weather itself is howling. What it is is essentially a dish of chicken and dumplings. I would call it a soul-satisfying meal on a cold winter’s night. I loved the advice of making the dish (minus the dumplings) and freezing it to have on hand for a cozy last-minute supper. You don’t have to tell me twice. Get the recipe: Chicken Fricot