I am so excited about today’s featured Cookbook Author, Marie Simmons.  Very rarely do you find that an author that makes you want to run out and get every single thing she’s ever written. 

I know for me this is the first time it’s happened outside of the fiction genre.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Marie Simmons, she took the food world by storm with her James Beard Award winning book “The Good Egg”, but she was creating great recipes long before then.  Marie holds a degree in food and nutrition from the Pratt Institute in New York and has written/co-written over 20 cookbooks.  She wrote a monthly column for Bon Appetit magazine for over 18 years (“Cooking for Health”) and was writing about “Fresh & Fast” meals for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate long before the age of the 30 minute meal. 

Not only is Marie a prolific food writer, but she is also a Cooking Instructor, and she has taught hundreds of classes all across the country including the Sur La Table Cooking Schools.  Her latest book “Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes” is the first cookbook ever written for the popular retailer.   She has also made several television appearances as well on programs such as Good Morning America, CNN Cooking 101, and CBS This Morning.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Marie about her career and her love of food.  Marie was kind enough to share some of her favorite recipes with me too.  Keep reading to find out more about this sensational food personality.

Heather:  Marie, it sounds like you were a real foodie before being a foodie became the “in” thing so tell me about your culinary journey?

Marie Simmons: For as long as I can remember back into my childhood, I loved being in the kitchen. I was especially fond of my grandmother and would spend hours on Saturdays baking and hanging out with her. We drank weak tea (two cups one tea bag) and chatted up a storm. Today I think I am a lot like her. But I digress. I grew up in an Italian family of great cooks. Everyone cooked. Everyone got along. We all loved family gatherings. It was always about the food, love of family and lots of laughter. We were 17 grandchildren on my Mom’s side. Only 4 girls and I was the only one who liked to hang out in the kitchen. My mentor in high school was my Aunt who was the Home Ec teacher. She greatly influenced my college major, foods and nutrition, and my goal to work in a magazine test kitchen. I met my husband in college and he was a foods (restaurant management) major also. We’ve been married forever. Our lives, our friends, everything we do is always about the food.

Heather: You’ve written quite a few single subject cookbooks, Fig Heaven, The award-winning The Good Egg (my personal favorite), 365 Ways to Cook Pasta, The Amazing World of Rice.  What food would you like to focus on for a future cookbook, pomegranate perhaps?
 
Marie Simmons: I love pomegranates, but I think I’m off the single subject theme for awhile. I really wanted to do a book on whole grains, but that field is covered for the moment. I think my next book (or maybe books) will take a broader look at my style and love of food and cooking.

Heather: Speaking of The Good Egg, how has your career changed since winning that James Beard award?

Marie Simmons: The truth is that awards offer benefits in more subtle ways than one would think. I’m proud of that award, simply because it recognized the sincere effort and caring that went into those pages. The real benefit of winning a cookbook award is the peer recognition. The recognition isn’t always in the form of personal recognition, but in recognizing the work (or the book). For me, that’s really what it all about. Cooks and chefs who have never met me and perhaps don’t know my name have The Good Egg on the shelf in their kitchen. I’m proud of the award, but I mostly proud of the book.

Heather: You recently penned Sur La Table’s first cookbook “Things Cooks Love” and you guest blogged on Project Foodie about some of your own favorite tools, but I’m curious if you could only have just one kitchen gadget/appliance what would it be?

Marie Simmons: I guess if I could only have one (gosh, this is hard) it would be a sharp knife. Not necessarily a chef’s knife, but a good sharp, well balanced long blade utility knife that I could use to cut cheese, spread butter, cut up a peach or an onion.

Heather: In 1996 you published a gem of a book called “Fresh and Fast”, some would say you were well ahead of the mainstream as now we are inundated with books on seasonal cooking and getting dinner on the table under 30 minutes, what was your inspiration for this book?

Marie Simmons: Thank you for calling F & F a gem. That’s so nice to hear. The inspiration for Fresh & Fast was/is my life. That book is 101% me and the way I like to cook. People are still buying it and I’m still looking through it myself searching for recipes for classes or something to cook. The longevity of F & F is amazing.

Heather: I have a couple of quick fire questions for you.  Sweets or Savory? What is your favorite Sweet or Savory Dish?

Marie Simmons: I favor savory over sweet so I’ll answer savory first:  Anything with melted cheese or anything with cheese. I love, love, love cheese. My fave: a grilled Comte cheese and bacon or ham sandwich.

Sweet: I’m not a big dessert or cake fan. I love oatmeal cookies, but for a treat I’m a huge dried fruit fan: Dried cherries, figs, prunes, cranberries, even golden raisins. If it's fruit and it’s dried I crave it.

Heather: Local or Organic?  Given what we know about food production in this country what is more important to you, buying organic or buying locally produced ingredients?

Marie Simmons:  Both are very important to me. I buy organic when it’s available, but local is also important. If I had to choose between an organic product that has been shipped from afar and a local non-organic product I think I would first consider the quality and then select the local. On the other hand if both products were local, I’d select the organic.

Heather: Who is your favorite cookbook & cookbook author
 
Marie Simmons:  For pure enjoyment I love the old Elizabeth David and Jane Grigson books. I don’t necessarily cook from them, but I love to read them. For recipes and reference, I tend to go to books by trusted friends and colleagues. For chocolate I’ll look in Alice Medrich’s wonderful books. For Italian I’ll look in Marcella Hazan or a good friend from NYC, Michele Scicolone’s books. For cheese, Janet Fletcher. For meat, Bruce Aidells’ books. You get the picture. I have a library of hundreds of books, but I must say there are only about 20 books I keep within arms distance for easy reference.

Heather:  What’s next for you? Will you be joining the ranks of TV chef celebrities soon?

Marie Simmons:  That’s funny. Unless I get a call from the AARP station (Is there one? I doubt it!) I have a feeling I’ll just keep doing what I do and loving it. I have no desire to be a celebrity. Never have. I just like to cook and to feed people. I’m deeply grateful that I’ve been able to build a career and earn a living doing what I love. 

Heather:  Thank you so much Marie for taking the time to speak with us. I know I'm not only speaking for myself when I say that you and your work are truly culinary inspiration.

We also asked Marie to share with us some of her favorite recipes, here are a few of her choices...

Italian Stuffed Eggs with Parsley and Olive Oil

From The Good Egg by Marie Simmons, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2000

Tim Biancalana, a talented cook and friend, suggested this recipe. The most important ingredient is the olive oil. It makes the yolks light and creamy, and the olive flavor comes through loud and clear.

• 4 large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Paprika (optional)
  

1. Carefully remove the yolks from the whites. Place the whites cut side up on a plate. With the back of a spoon, press the yolks through a sieve into a small bowl, or mash them in the bowl with a fork. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the garlic, salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Mash with a fork until blended. Using a wooden spoon, gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until the yolk mixture is smooth and fluffy. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if desired.

2. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff the whites with the yolk mixture, mounding the tops. Sprinkle the tops of the stuffed eggs with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and paprika, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 4 servings

Oven-Roasted Halibut with Herb Citrus Vinaigrette

From Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2004

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes
Serves: 4

This recipe demonstrates the quick, foolproof method of roasting thick cuts of fish in a very hot over (450-degree) for 10 minutes per inch. Then the fish is "dressed" with a piquant mixture of lemon juice, fresh herbs, grated lemon and orange zest and bits of sun-dried tomato. For a change, add a few capers and vary the fresh herbs to taste. This preparation can also be used for salmon, cod or swordfish.

• 4 pieces halibut steak or thick portion of fillet, 3/4 inch thick (about 6 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  

Herb Citrus Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed through a press
• 1 tablespoon minced sun-dried tomato (packed in oil or dry and reconstituted in boiling water for 5 minutes)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 very thin slices of lemon, for garnish (optional)
• Herb sprigs, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange the fish in a large baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake just until the center turns from translucent to opaque, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the Herb Citrus Vinaigrette: Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, water, lemon and orange zests and garlic. Stir in the sun-dried tomato, parsley, dill and thyme; add salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the fish to a platter or individual serving plates and spoon the vinaigrette on top. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, garnish with lemon slices and herb sprigs if using.

Peach and Blueberry Crisp with Toasted Almonds

From Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2004

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

I make this crisp all the time in July and August, when peaches and blueberries are in season. To save time, substitute nectarines for the peaches, since the skins don't need to be peeled. In midwinter, this crisp topping of oats, brown sugar, flour and butter perfectly complements apples and pears. Just slice hard fruits thin so that they will cook in the same time it takes to brown the crisp topping. Serve warm, topped with heavy cream, ice cream or frozen yogurt.

• 1/2 cup whole natural (with skins) almonds, coarsely chopped
• 8 large peaches
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pint (2 cups) blueberries, rinsed, sorted, drained on a paper towel
• 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oats
• Pinch salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Heavy cream, vanilla ice cream, or frozen vanilla yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds in a shallow pan and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool; leave the oven on.

2. Half fill a large saucepan with water and heat to boiling. Have ready a large bowl half filled with cold tap water and a few ice cubes. Place the peaches in the boiling water and let sit for 3 minutes in the simmering water to loosen their skins. Transfer the peaches to the cold water. Let sit for 2 minutes. Lift the peaches out of the water and slip off the skins. Cut the peaches into large wedges and discard the pits.

3. In a large bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and cinnamon; stir to blend. Add the peaches and stir to coat. Spread the peaches and blueberries in a shallow (13-x-9-inch) rectangular baking dish.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the toasted almonds, oats, remaining 1/3 cup flour, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and salt; stir to blend. Add the butter and work it into the oat mixture, using a fork or fingertips, until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the peaches.

5. Bake until the top is browned and crisp and the peaches are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Serve warm, topped with cream, ice cream or frozen yogurt.
 

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