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    Home / Recipes / Giveaway

    5 Mar 6, 2015 Giveaway  |  

    Cookbook Giveaway: Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell

    Twelve Recipes Cookbook

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    When his oldest son was leaving for college, Cal Peternell, the chef of San Franciscoโ€™s legendary Chez Panisse, realized that, although he regularly made dinners for his family, heโ€™d never taught them the basics of cooking. Based on the life-altering course of instruction he prepared and honed through many phone calls with his son, Twelve Recipes is the ultimate introduction to the kitchen. Peternell focuses on the core foods and dishes that comprise a successful home cookโ€™s arsenal, each building skill upon skillโ€”from toast, eggs, and beans, to vinaigrettes, pasta with tomato, and rice, to vegetables, soup, meats, and cake.

    I purchased Twelve Recipesย earlier this year after reading several rave reviews, and I’ve really enjoyed cooking from it ever since. ย This book is about mastering the basics through the witty instruction of a seasoned chef. ย As a food blogger, I find myself looking at and testing out a constant stream of new recipes for inspiration. ย With so many recipes coming outย daily, it can be easy to lose sight of the basics. ย Perhaps that’s why I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages of Twelve Recipes. ย Some recipes were reminders of the techniques I’ve already mastered (vinaigrette, eggs in general, breadcrumbs, roast chicken) while other recipes provided new insight. ย Let’s take rice as an example. ย I’ve been cooking rice frequently for over 10 years, and after testing out Peternell’s technique, I’m a changed man. ย More details on that coming up this week. ย Keep reading for the cookbook giveaway below.

    Cal Peternell

    I would highly recommend this book for novice and expert cooks alike. ย If you are a beginner, you’ll find all of the resources and techniques throughout the book incrediblyย valuable. ย If you are a more experienced cook, you may just find a surprise or two in the pages of Twelve Recipes. ย Either way, you will enjoy the essays and recipes. ย They read as if Peternell is an old friend, and you are just chatting with him over coffee. ย So many passages made me smile.

    There use to be an ad campaign from the American Egg Board, a group you don’t hear much from anymore-they were fragile, one images, and easily beaten. ย It featured a little jingle: the incredible edible egg. Catchy, and though “edible” sets a low bar by touting what I’d call a minimum requirement, “incredible”ย perhapsย actually understates how reallyย amazing, culinarily, eggs are. ย Rising and falling everywhere from mayonnaise to meringue, eggs are indispensable in the kitchen at all levels and fully deserve the praise they so abundantlyย receive.

    Enter to win a copy of Twelve recipes below. ย I should also mention thatย there aren’t just twelve recipes in this book. ย It’s more like 12 collections of recipes broken down in themes (eggs, salad, pasta, chicken, cake to name a few).

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Photos and quotes from Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell.

    5
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    Iโ€™m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Justin Franklin says

      March 6, 2015 at 7:21 am

      There’s nothing so comforting to me as a simple frittata, – throwing leftovers of potatoes, chicken, whatever herbs I have lying around. Alone, it’s breakfast; with a simple salad it’s lunch; paired with a nice roast it’s a side for dinner.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        March 6, 2015 at 7:27 am

        I totally agree with you! I also enjoy frittata on a slice of toasted, garlic-rubbed bread topped with leftover tomato sauce.

        Reply
    2. Sippitysup says

      March 6, 2015 at 10:57 am

      12 or 20 I’d love to get my hands on this book. GREG

      Reply
    3. Heather says

      March 6, 2015 at 11:40 am

      Much to my surprise (being nearly 100% German), handmade corn tortillas. So simple, so great.

      Reply
    4. Lily Lau says

      March 6, 2015 at 3:24 pm

      Thank you for the giveaway, Brandon! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    5. Heather says

      March 6, 2015 at 7:04 pm

      Guacamole is my go-to. I know some wouldn’t call it a a full blown recipe (maybe because it’s “just” a dip. But it’s what I’m known for and I could eat it all day, every day.

      Reply
    6. Teslaca says

      March 7, 2015 at 2:40 am

      When I’m tired and don’t feel like cooking much, eggs are my go-to food. I make them several ways: omelets, scrambled with vegetables, soft-boiled or fried on toast. They’re a quick and easy meal that can also use up other small bits of leftovers. No recipe required!

      Reply
    7. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

      March 7, 2015 at 6:20 am

      My go-to recipe is my homemade granola. It’s the only thing we eat for breakfast. My daughters (now grown) make it too.

      Reply
    8. Lily says

      March 7, 2015 at 7:23 am

      An avocado with salt, pepper, and a splash of lime juice is my go to “recipe”.

      Reply
    9. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

      March 7, 2015 at 7:57 am

      I am intrigued by this cookbook (can never have enough!) My staple is definitely a roasted vegetable spaghetti sauce (completely vegan now that I think of it, but meat can easily be added to the dish.)

      Reply
    10. Lisa says

      March 7, 2015 at 12:07 pm

      I love eggs and now you’ve got me singing the incredible edible egg jingle. The cookbook sounds wonderful. I’m going to check it out.

      Reply
    11. Holly E says

      March 7, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      My favorite is Spinach Quiche.

      Reply
    12. kristy @ the wicked noodle says

      March 7, 2015 at 3:12 pm

      It’s rare that I truly want a cookbook bu you have sold me on this one!!

      Reply
    13. Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says

      March 7, 2015 at 3:42 pm

      I want this book, so if I don’t win, totally am buying it! My without recipe, go-to, meal is pasta and red sauce. My Grandma’s red sauce flows through my veins. I can make it simple or use it as a base to make any number of other sauce recipes. This sauce is what comforts me when ill, sad, or stressed.

      Reply
    14. Sylvia Masuda says

      March 7, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      My one go-to dish is one from my mom — fried SPAM and sticky rice. It’s filling, it’s savory, and it reminds me of home. Bonus points if you caramelize some onions as a garnish!

      Reply
    15. Susan | LunaCafe says

      March 7, 2015 at 7:24 pm

      Love your description of this book. It’s an interesting approach. Will check it out, thanks!

      Reply
    16. Shrutika Sachdev says

      March 9, 2015 at 6:54 am

      I need a new way to make rice!

      Reply
    17. Beth Dunlop says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:10 am

      This book sounds great — for cooks who follow recipes and cooks who don’t. I tend to read recipes avariciously and then close the book(s) and just cook.

      Reply
    18. JamieK says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:16 am

      I’m a firm believer in the basics and techniques. This would be the perfect book for my niece who will be graduating from university next year and will be on her own!

      Reply
    19. jan says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:18 am

      tomato basil soup.

      Reply
    20. Tina W. says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:18 am

      Brownies! Do they count as a “dish”?

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        March 10, 2015 at 7:19 am

        Of course they do :)!

        Reply
    21. Dana says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:36 am

      I have been making my own pizza dough for so long now, I think I could do it in my sleep.

      Reply
    22. Lisa says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:43 am

      My go-to is what my roommates and I call “lazy pasta” – lots of olive oil and grana and lemon juice and whatever green thing is in our house sauteed with shallots or onions. I never tire of it!

      Reply
    23. Patty says

      March 10, 2015 at 7:57 am

      I love when authors write like they’re conversing with a friend. What a great giveaway!

      Reply
    24. Sue @ It's Okay to Eat the Cupcake says

      March 10, 2015 at 8:11 am

      Just got this for my son in college for Christmas, great book!

      Reply
    25. Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen) says

      March 10, 2015 at 8:15 am

      I am always looking for new cookbooks (much to my husband’s dismay), and this is one I need to add to the list. Looking forward to reading and trying out the recipes in here!

      Reply
    26. Lisa Stover says

      March 10, 2015 at 8:30 am

      Porcupine meatballs with mashed potatoes. It’s a hit with everyone in my house and so easy to make.

      Reply
    27. Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen) says

      March 10, 2015 at 9:05 am

      Ack! I hit comment too quickly (above)! Forgot to get my recipe response here! My “can make it with my eyes closed” recipe is definitely my baked french toast. So easy, so creamy, so crunchy, and so delicious!

      Reply
    28. Stephanie Galbraith says

      March 10, 2015 at 11:06 am

      Our family makes chili mac.

      Reply
    29. Van says

      March 10, 2015 at 11:08 am

      Way exciting!

      Reply
    30. Sarah says

      March 10, 2015 at 11:23 am

      my favorite go-to dish is roasted veggies with quinoa – and some cheese sprinkled on top. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    31. Dorothy Teel says

      March 10, 2015 at 12:51 pm

      The one dish that my entire family loves when I make it is chicken and yellow rice, it is easy quick and it can go a long way by adding more rice and raising 4 boys, these kind of recipes was essential to our budget

      Reply
    32. Abby Wei says

      March 10, 2015 at 2:35 pm

      My favorite dish right now is sweet potato fries ๐Ÿ™‚ they’re increasingly easy to make (with practice) and is something my 18 year-old self can do for my family when my parents are busy with work!

      Reply
    33. Rachel says

      March 10, 2015 at 3:11 pm

      A wrap made of tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in a tortilla, fried in olive oil or, preferably, bacon fat

      Reply
    34. Mirlandra @ Mirlandra's Kitchen says

      March 10, 2015 at 4:14 pm

      This looks really wonderful. I know some people I would love to give it to!

      Reply
    35. Jenni says

      March 10, 2015 at 8:45 pm

      I’m much more of a baker, though I can make a basic tomato sauce from scratch, as well as latkes and a braised leg of lamb. I could certainly do with learning more cooking basics!

      Reply
    36. Penny Snyder says

      March 11, 2015 at 4:23 am

      My go to dish would be cowboy baked beans!!

      Reply
    37. Liz S. says

      March 11, 2015 at 10:40 am

      My kids love love love an old Cooking Light recipe for Pasta e Fagioli. No recipe is needed any more, and I’m sure it’s something they will cook for themselves as well. Very interested in this cookbook, just read your post about cooking rice. It’s how our Indian friend cooked his basmati!

      Reply
    38. J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats says

      March 11, 2015 at 11:22 am

      Anything with an egg and cheese. Conversely, also really good fruit salads – especially the Mexican ones.

      Reply
    39. Terry says

      March 11, 2015 at 12:29 pm

      My all time favorite would have to be eggs (with whatever else speaks to me from the kitchen), but roast chicken is a close second, and pasta (so many different ways) is the really close third.

      I’d love to win this book. I took it out of the library and was so impressed that I bought it for a gift already. It really is a great book for new and experienced cooks.

      Reply
    40. Shirley Y says

      March 11, 2015 at 1:10 pm

      My favorite go to recipe is macaroni & cheese

      Reply
    41. Joshua Mitchell says

      March 11, 2015 at 1:56 pm

      Magic Bacon

      Reply
    42. Bridget Brisk says

      March 11, 2015 at 3:25 pm

      Moving into our first house in June – definitely want to try out lots of fun new recipes in my first real kitchen ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    43. Barbara says

      March 12, 2015 at 6:18 am

      My go-to recipe is pasta al pomodoro!

      Reply
    44. Debby says

      March 13, 2015 at 7:53 am

      I recently just started loving cooking again, so it is hard to choose… but I think I would go with shepherd’s pie.

      Reply
    45. Angela P says

      March 13, 2015 at 8:10 am

      This book sounds great!

      Reply
    46. Sj Dc says

      March 13, 2015 at 11:38 am

      To spruce up and use any leftovers, use eggs – scramble, poach, fry and just top it over the leftovers! delish, simple, easy, quick and a cleaned refrigerator!

      Reply
    47. Valerie says

      March 13, 2015 at 6:40 pm

      Basic cooking….excellent! Looks like my kind of book! Thanks for the opportunity! Cheers, Valerie ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    48. Carolsue says

      March 13, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      I have several, but I will say lasagna or baked lemon chicken

      Reply

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    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read Moreโ€ฆ


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