Melissa Clark's impeccable credentials as a food writer are apparent from the very first page of In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite (Hyperion, $27.95), the latest of her 29 published cookbooks. A natural storyteller with a well-cultivated taste for her subject matter, Brooklyn-based Clark provides readers with a flavor of life with her family, friends, husband and young daughter. As a youth, she spent many a summer holiday traveling with family in France. Cuisine and vacation were always linked as they sought out the culinary delights of Michelin-starred restaurants.
In her books and popular weekly New York Times column ("A Good Appetite"), Clark writes with a breezy style as she shares her experiences -- everything from anecdotes about family dining traditions to local farmers' market discoveries to surviving kitchen mishaps.
Clark's fondness for dessert and early willingness to try a wide range of foods, including garlicky steamed mussels and raw Tuscan kale salad with chilies and pecorino, is apparent.
In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite includes a collection of some 150 sophisticated but workable recipes -- most of them making their first appearance in print. Alas, there are no full-color food photos to drool over. But tantalizing recipes for breakfast fare, fish, cheese, fried dishes and pies, among others, offer plenty to put one's salivary glands into high gear. A case in point is Clark's delicious recipe under Holiday Food for Triple Chocolate Trifle with Raspberries.
Other topics include ways to bolster confidence by improvising in the kitchen, easy weeknight dinner suggestions, how to involve children in family meal preparation and tips for updating year-round recipes by using seasonal produce.
Clark also puts an intriguing spin on barley soup, a perfect winter favorite that's often mundane. She does it with a disarming addition of spices, chicken, sweet potato and spinach. It's a winning combination that results in a nicely textured broth brimming with bold flavors.
Who would have thought barley soup could be so good?
SPICY CHICKEN BARLEY SOUP WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH
(Serves 6 to 8)
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
1 T tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 C low-sodium or good homemade chicken broth
1 C pearled barley, rinsed well
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
5 oz. (1 bag) fresh baby spinach
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro or mint
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedges, for serving
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add the onion and salt and saute until limp, about 3 minutes. Add all the spices and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and saute for another minute, until darkened but not burned. (If the tomato paste gets dark too quickly, lower the heat.)
Add the garlic and continue to saute for 1 minute longer.
Return the heat to high if you lowered it, then add the broth, 2 cups water and the barley to the pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes. add the sweet potato and continue to cook until the barley and sweet potato are soft, about 30 minutes to an hour more, adding more water to the pot if necessary (it should not get too thick; this is soup, not stew). Add the chicken, partially cover the pot, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the spinach and cilantro or mint to the pot and continue simmering until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the lemon juice and more salt if desired. Serve garnished with cilantro or mint and lemon wedges. Note: If your chicken broth is on the salty side, reduce the salt to one-half teaspoon to start. You can always add more salt later.