Krasner treats olive oil like wine, and her classification by flavour and aroma characteristics is unique. In THE FLAVOURS OF OLIVE OIL she shows consumers how to evaluate an oil and how to use it to enhance, not overwhelm, their food. In The Flavors of Olive Oil, Deborah Krasner guides readers step by step through the special taste and aroma characteristics of 75-100 different olive oils, classifying them into four distinct groups: delicate and buttery, fruity and fragrant, mild and peppery, and green and grassy, and providing sources for each. Each type of oil is best suited to a particular type of dish, and Krasner includes almost 100 recipes, ranging from appetizers to desserts. Delicate and buttery oils are subtle, and combine well with tender lettuces, fresh peas, mild cheeses. Krasner uses this kind of oil in her Fava Bean Soup and Buttermilk Lemon-Almond Cake with Strawberry Coulis. Fruity and fragrant oils have personality, and stand out drizzled over pasta, mixed salads and mildly flavored meats like chicken breast. It enhances Olive Oil Caramelized Cauliflower and Flash Roasted Salmon with Saba. Mild and peppery oils can surprise you with a warm burn at the back of your throat. Use them for dipping bread and vegetables, or in dishes like Olive Oil Bathed Spring Vegetables or Seared Sirloin Steak on a Bed of Watercress with Parmesan Shavings. Green and grassy oils are the strongest of all, to be used in brushcetta or poured over a bean soup just before serving.
My newest book GOOD MEAT comes directly out of the life I lead in rural Vermont. I live in a converted barn on a dirt road with my husband, two cats and a dog. Until very recently we also cared for a dozen laying hens, a couple of Icelandic sheep, and a mixed flock of meat birds including ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl and chickens. All of them are pictured in the book, which was photographed in and around my home.
GOOD MEAT is about finding and cooking grass-fed and pastured meat. Such meat is the opposite of industrial meat -- it is sustainable because it nourishes the earth, is in balance with the land's ability to absorb nutrients and support grazing animals, and supports diverse ecosystems. Grass-fed and pastured meat is increasingly shown to be better for human health, both in terms of nutrients and in terms of fat content. While it's lower in fat than industrial meat, what fat there is turns out to be "good" fat. However, leaner meat can be tricky to cook well, so GOOD MEAT is devoted to showing cooks how to cook it to advantage, using every part of the animal from nose to tail.
In addition, GOOD MEAT is designed to support those who may want to buy their meat directly from farmers in whole, half or quarter animal quantities. Such frozen meat is substantially less expensive than buying grass-fed and pastured meat by the piece fresh at retail, but requires that a consumer fill out a cut sheet detailing how they want their meat cut and packaged. With the help of butcher Adam Tiberio, GOOD MEAT offers a "decision tree" for each animal, showing how to choose the best cuts for you and your cooking style. The book is organized by animal, by primal and sub-primal, and by retail cuts, so that anyone can find a recipe for any part, including offal, fat and odd bits.
Each of my books have been an investigation, detailing the process of my own understanding. From a feminist re-vision of kitchen design to olive oil, I love figuring out what about accepted wisdom makes sense, and what can be replaced with a more logical or sensible perspective. While GOOD MEAT is the most personal book I've written, it is also very much in line with my six previous books on design and food. I loved every minute I worked on it!
