Vanilla Table

If you’re like me, vanilla is an ingredient to be added to baked goods and fruit- or dairy-based desserts, but little more.  Vanilla Table will open up a world of other possibilities!

Vanilla Table is a beautiful hardcover cookbook with a textured cover surface (like linen).  It’s fully of beautiful photos of the food and of various forms of vanilla.  And full of a variety of recipes.

You might think that this would be a dessert cookbook, but it’s not.  There are plenty of desserts in it!  But one of the unique contributions this cookbook makes is the treatment of vanilla as an ingredient in savory foods as well as in sweets.  Would you have thought to season fish, pork chops, or steak with vanilla?  Me, neither, but all these recipes are included, along with many others.  In most cases, the vanilla is not the primary flavor, but a supplemental one to round out the flavor profile and add dimension to the dish.

Vanilla is used in a variety of forms.  Of course, the familiar vanilla extract is used, but there are other ways vanilla is used, as well.  Whole vanilla pods, the scraped seeds, and vanilla paste are some of the most frequently-used options besides extract.

Sections of this cookbook include Starter Plates, Main Plates, Blue Plates & Brunch Plates, Sharing Plates, Dessert Plates, Cake Plates, Cookie Plates, Bevvies & Bar Snacks, and Vanilla Pantry (an assortment of what I refer to as “building blocks” — seasonings, syrups, etc. that are components of other recipes).  Notes are scattered throughout, with tips, plating ideas, additional information, etc. from both the book’s author and the contributing chefs.  Each of these is signed off on with the initials of the individual contributing it, so it’s clear who is “speaking.”

A vast amount of effort was put into making this cookbook internationally-friendly.  You’ll see measurements provided in several different ways, multiple names provided for ingredients which are called different things in different countries, and occasionally notes about ingredients and their availability.

Do be aware, though, that this is a gourmet type of book.  These recipes, for the most part, are not going to be your run-of-the-mill “family” recipes.  (For one thing, they are not especially budget-conscious.)  So this is for the foodie among you who enjoys experimenting with foods and delights in the perfection of a “just right” flavor combination.  It isn’t full of a lot of weird ingredients, though, so it should be easy enough to have fun with these recipes; just don’t expect them to be your weeknight meals with the toddlers.