There are days when the complexity of a multi-component dish is a zen experience for me in the kitchen. Spending hours with ingredients and the author's words is as rewarding as sitting down to enjoy the meal. The resultant countertop splattered with the day's work, the pile of dishes and soiled utensils further serve as evidence of my dedication to the dish and satisfies the cook in me.

Then there are days, when I just need a tasty meal on the table without much hands-on time. Tossing a protein and vegetables in a roasting pan and letting the oven do the work is a godsend. While we never grow tired of the basic roasted chicken or pot roast, I still need to feed the creative side in myself and look for "something different". 

How many of us grew up with the five-meal menu rotation? This need to create new dishes for my family comes from having Meatloaf Mondays, Spaghetti Saturdays and frozen pot pies for dinner. Accordingly, when those nights come along that are short on time I look to cookbooks and recipes that can be made without a great deal of fuss.

Roast: The New Classics by Louise Franc is a collection of classic and innovative roasting recipes, seventy in total, that range from a simple roast turkey to roasted peaches. Chapters cover meat, poultry, vegetables, fish & seafood, sides, and desserts. Dishes range from Roasted lamb shanks with cannellini beans, Mustard-glazed roast leg of ham, Sticky roast pork ribs, and Slow-roasted peaches with lime mascarpone. I particularly love the unexpected recipes such as Chicken in coconut milk, Jalapeño three-cheese cauliflower and Roasted red cabbage with dried fig glaze.

With step-by-step carving instructions for beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck, and pork, as well as popular game meats and inspiring photographs throughout, Roast is the perfect way to update your roasting skills and expand your cooking repertoire.



Now that we have all these beautiful roasting recipes, we need something gorgeous to cook and serve them in. Everyone knows my love of quality cookware from prior posts and Ruffoni products holds a special place in my heart and in my kitchen. The Ruffoni Historia Copper Covered Rectangular Roaster with Artichoke Finial is a beautiful vessel that goes from oven to table with elegance. The picture above shows the Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and lemon garlic gravy from Roast that almost looked too pretty to eat. The covered roaster is perfect for any baked pasta, roast, casserole and the cover will keep your meal warm as you gather friends and family around the table. 

Another piece of their cookware that would work wonderfully with our cookbook featured today is the Ruffoni Copper Artichoke Handle Braiser which I use to braise, stew and so many other applications. Serving dinner in these gorgeous pieces have made me the recipient of as many compliments. I'm not sure if my guests love my cookware or my cooking more, it could be a toss-up.

Ruffoni cookware is handcrafted by master coppersmiths at a family-owned workshop in the Italian Alps - they are true works of art and workhorses in the kitchen. Look for a post on the braiser coming soon. 

The Copper Stock Pot with Pear Finial and Copper Covered Saucepan with Turkey Finial were gifted to me from a friend who knows me well. The stockpots are hand hammered and crafted from a single sheet of copper, then lined with durable nonreactive tin. The elegant rounded shape traps heat inside, simmering soups, stews and braises to smooth, even perfection and then the various finials - I want all the finials and my next piece on my list is the Oval Casserole.

 

To prep ingredients and ultimately carve your roasts, nothing quite does the job like a Boos® Prep Master Cutting Board. I have coveted Boos® boards for years and was fortunate enough to receive the Prep Master Cutting Board above to review and share with our members. This board is massive, beautiful and I didn't want to take a knife to it - but I have and it's a dream to work on. Roomy enough to prepare your mise en place with the handy little drawer to scoop up and transfer same. I also love that the board is sturdy and heavy so it stays in place on the countertop. I treated it with the Boos® Mystery Oil and Board Cream that Boos provided and will also follow the company's instructions for use and care. I will never have to buy another board unless of course I cave in and buy a gorgeous round board from Boos® with the metal wrapping and my heart is set on this showpiece for my new kitchen when we move. 

With Roast by Louise Franc, a Ruffoni Historia Copper Covered Rectangular Roaster with Artichoke Finial and a Boos® Prep Master Cutting Board, you will feel like a top chef in your kitchen. There is something magical about creating delicious food in my kitchen for those I love. For me, using quality products that can be passed on to future generations makes it even more special. 

Special thanks to Smith Street Books for sharing a recipe with our members and for providing three copies of Roast to our members in our contest below. Much appreciation to Ruffoni for providing me with the covered roaster and braiser for review and providing one covered roaster in our contest. The same appreciation and thanks goes to Boos® for providing me with the king of all cutting boards and for providing one of our members a chance to win the same board in our contest. 

Roasted eggplant with tahini sauce and pomegranate
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Serves 4

  • 4 medium-sized eggplants
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Tahini sauce

  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 250 g (9oz/1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon pomegranate molasses
  • zest and juice of ½ lemon

Using a sharp knife, cut each eggplant in half lengthways, then score the cut side of each half in a diamond pattern. Season generously with salt, and leave to sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grind the cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle, mix with the olive oil and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF (fan-forced).

Rinse the salted eggplant thoroughly with water, then pat dry with paper towel. Brush each cut side with the cumin and oil mixture, then place on a baking tray, cut side up.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.

While the eggplant is roasting, combine all the tahini sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.

To remove the seeds from the pomegranate, cut the pomegranate in half. Hold one half, cut side down, in the palm of your hand with your fingers spread, over a wide bowl. Use the back of a ladle or rolling pin to firmly tap the skin of the pomegranate - the seeds should fall out into the bowl. Once it looks like all the seeds have been released, pick through the bowl to remove any white bits of the pith that have fallen in.

Place the roasted eggplant on a platter and drizzle evenly with the tahini sauce. Scatter over the parsley and pomegranate seeds and serve.

 

 

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in US, New Zealand and Australia. One grand prize winner in the US will receive a Boos® Prep Master Cutting Board and a Ruffoni Historia Copper Covered Rectangular Roaster with Artichoke Finial. Three of the entry options are to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Which product at Boos would you most like to try?

Which piece of cookware from Ruffoni would you love to own?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on April 9th, 2018.

*Note we have included extra entries in the promotions to support our publishers and sponsors of these great giveaways. Your support is appreciated.