2 Month Summary Magnolia 2

84 recipes down, 66 to go

I had a question on my Facebook page asking which book I preferred. That’s a really tough question.

• Each book has some really good recipes I would not want to give up. Magnolia 1 has Jalapeño Drip Jam, Baked Bruschetta, and Lemon Pie. Magnolia 2 has Blueberry Sweet Rolls, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Pesto & Buratta with Roasted Tomatoes, and Double-crusted Key Lime Pie. At this point, Magnolia 2 has more 5 star recipes than Magnolia 1 and I am only halfway through, so we will have to see at the end what the final comparison looks like.
• Each has a well organized layout. Magnolia 1 has the section name printed on the top right of the right hand page for easy reference as you thumb through. Magnolia 2 has it on the bottom right corner, less prominent but still useful. Both indexes give you access to recipes by name as well as major ingredients. Got leftover Asparagus? No problem, there are 3 recipes in Magnolia 2 and 2 more in Magnolia 1 you can make to use it up without wasting it.
• Directions are good in both but I would love more in-process pictures. The Puff Pastry in Magnolia 2 would have definitely saved me some time and angst if there were pictures of the Brie being enveloped by the pastry in stages to get it to look like the picture. “Bring the pastry up around the brie and pleat the edges” needs visuals. And don’t get me started on the Monte Cristo Sandwiches in Magnolia 2.
• The pictures in Magnolia 1 are a little better IMHO. Several in Magnolia 2 are quite unappealing to look at: Strawberry Pie, Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots, Chicken Pecan Asparagus Casserole, and the Whole Roasted Chicken. Some of my pictures were better, but frankly a few of these are just not pretty to look at because they are what they are.
• Magnolia 1 has a really good section in the front that gives tips on what to have in your kitchen: basic utensils, bowls, and pans, with advice on the best features to look for. That makes it a really good book for a young person just starting out.
• Magnolia 2 has a fantastic section in the front on herbs: a page on basic herbs and their most common usage, a page on pairings (what herbs go well together), and 2 pages on making your own seasoning blends! That makes it really good for cooks who have an interest in understanding ingredients and not just following directions.
• Magnolia 2 has 2 great sections that I am very glad she created. The Scratch Made section makes finding Pie Crust, Tart Shell, and Graham Cracker Crusts a breeze. I have tons of recipes that call for these so when baking another recipe but I want to use her version I can easily find it and substitute. The Breads section is a really good catch-all for rolls, breads, and bagels. Everyone needs recipes for those go-to baked goods that are the foundation of any baker’s repertoire, and this has a broad range of easy as well as challenging recipes that fill the bill. Try doing an 8 plait braid with her bread recipe if you really want a challenge, just double it so you have enough dough.

I love doing these challenges! But one of the less pleasant things I have discovered is that using fresh herbs is almost prohibitively expensive if you are buying them at the local grocery. As an avid gardener who is now limited by the local deer population, I have planted my container herb garden on my deck this summer and that helps. The amount of fresh basil needed to make the Pesto is a bank-breaker, so it’s garden or go without and I don’t plan on doing without it. I need to add chives to my container plantings in the future since so much is used in both books and it truly does make a difference in the flavor of your dish to use fresh instead of freeze-dried.

And finally, I will just say that having a “friend” to cook with is both a blessing and a curse. I save on cleanup time because anything that hits the floor disappears, but the tripping hazard is a real thing.