• Hi there, my name is Heidi Swanson. 101 Cookbooks is my recipe journal. It's where I write about the recipes that intersect my life, travels, and everyday interests. Often the recipes are from my cookbook collection, sometimes not - they might come from a friend, or I might write about a recipe I created myself.
  
  I focus primarily on natural, whole foods and ingredients - vegetarian recipes that are good for you and for the planet. Welcome!

I packed a number of things for last weekend's getaway to Mendocino. One pair of flip-flops, one book, a stack of magazines, a bottle of bubbles, ten rolls of film, three cameras, a tripod, and a bag of limoncello macaroons. I bookmarked these Pinched Orange Macaroons a while back, and when my sister gave me a bottle of limoncello (made from lemons in her yard), I decided to do a twist on Patrick Lemble's cookies using the homemade citrus liqueur and zest. I thought they'd be a nice little treat for the cabin. The cookies are made primarily from almond paste and they bake into golden-crusted, powder-coated, almond-citrus gems. A tad messy to make, but well worth it.

Before we dive into the minutiae of macaroon cookie making, I thought I'd share a few photos. For those of you who...

Continue reading Limoncello Macaroons and recipe...

I spent the weekend at a cabin in Mendocino County, California with a few friends. Some of you will remember Lori and Lisa's cabin, I've written about it in the past. Hopefully I'll have a few new pictures to share later in the week. I'm sure it's no surprise, at the cabin we never go hungry (or thirsty, for that matter). Lori feeds us well, and the rest of us do our best to supplement her cooking by bringing a little something for lunch or snacks. This time around I made a late summer version of this buttermilk farro salad to share as part of lunch one day. I used corn, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, and zucchini in place of the shaved fennel and radishes, but everything else was the same. And I baked a batch of bite-sized limoncello cookies to snack on during card games. I need a...

Continue reading Favorites List (Summer 2010) ...

I have to tell you, I've been hesitant to post this. It's the sort of thing that is tricky to get just right. At a glance we are talking about an infusion of of herbs, spices and aromatics coming together into a broth. Easy enough. But what we're really after is a beautiful, thin green curry broth, fragrant with garlic, lemongrass, and ginger. We want heat from serrano chiles, and zings of tanginess on account of the fresh lime juice. Cumin and coriander seeds should keep things grounded, and a flurry of freshly chopped herbs are there to make the sky open up. It's like a chorus of singers, with each ingredient singing a single note. In short, there's a lot going on here, and striking the right balance of flavors is key.

So, while I'm going to outline the exact quantities...

Continue reading Green Curry Broth and recipe...