dear cooks,

Farmers have the Almanac, naturalists have Sibley’s, and the home chef now has Kitchen Sense: a fat volume of recipes for the way Americans really cook today, presented with wit and wisdom by renowned food authority Mitchell Davis. Davis is vice president and director of communications at the James Beard Foundation and a prolific food writer. In Kitchen Sense, he provides more than 600 of his inviting, foolproof recipes along with the guidance you need to become a terrific home cook.

We checked in with Mitchell with a few questions:

Potter Recipe Club: There aren’t many cookbooks that are as broad-reaching as Kitchen Sense. How have you come to be so knowledgeable about so many different cuisines?

Mitchell Davis: I’m an equal-opportunity eater. And I love to experiment in the kitchen with different ingredients and different cuisines. Sometimes it takes a little while before I’m satisfied by my cooking in a different idiom. For years I would try to make Chinese food at home, and even though it was often good, it never really satisfied my craving for Chinese food in a restaurant. I just couldn’t find that “wok chi” Chinese chefs are always talking about, whatever that means. Then one day something just clicked and suddenly my Chinese food just all came together. The techniques and ingredients just became second nature and I began really cooking Chinese. A similar transformation happened with my Italian, Thai, Mexican, and Middle Eastern cooking. I’m an obsessive kind of person and I work on getting something right. And my readers get the benefit of me having figured all of this stuff out before they attempt a dish in a new or unfamiliar cuisine.

PRC: What are the major challenges that face the home cook?

MD: These days I think the home cook is done a bit of disservice by the rise in popularity of chef cookbooks. I love chefs and I love their food. But when it comes to translating their food for home preparation, I think most chefs fall short of the mark.

Click here to read the entire interview...

southwestern baked beans with chorizo, poblanos, and orange

These unusually flavored baked beans have a rich, creamy texture and delicate orange flavor that blends surprisingly well with the chorizo and spices. I just love them. Be sure to use a fresh (raw) Mexican chorizo, not a cured, smoked Spanish chorizo—the flavor will be good either way, but the Spanish chorizo ends up very dry.

Makes about 8 cups, enough for 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups small white beans (1 pound), such as navy, soldier, Great Northern, cannellini, or baby lima beans
• 1 pound fresh (raw) Mexican chorizo or other spicy sausage, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 dark green poblano chiles, seeded and diced
• 1 or 2 jalapeno or serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

To prepare:
In a large, deep ovenproof pot with a lid or in a slow-cooker, combine the beans, chorizo, onion, garlic, poblanos, jalapeños, orange juice concentrate, salt, and black pepper. Stir in 4-1⁄2 cups water. Cover the pot, set in the oven, and turn the temperature to 250°F, or switch the slow-cooker on to low. Cook for 8 hours or until the beans are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the oven or turn off the slow-cooker. Let the beans cool at room temperature. As they sit they will absorb any excess liquid. Stir in the cilantro before serving.

Total time: 8 hours

Advance Prep I find the beans are actually best if they are made the day before and reheated (on the stove or in the oven) before serving.

Leftovers The beans will keep for two weeks in the fridge or can be frozen for several months. Reheat leftovers on the stove, in the oven, or in a microwave.

happy cooking!

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