by Stephanie Pierson
When we first received our copies of the cookbook, and saw the cover, we were enthralled. We loved the picture of the cow with that gorgeous eye and lashes gazing at us – it was irresistible! When we mentioned this to the author, Stephanie Pierson, she replied, "So do I, but it is actually a steer." OOPS, what do we know? What we do know is that this book is an entertaining and informative read, and is one of the only cookbooks dedicated entirely to brisket facts and recipes.
Stephanie Pierson is an author and journalist who writes about food and happens to be a brisket lover. One would assume that she was raised on brisket but we soon learned that is not the case. "I am from a non-brisket making family – but along the way, I discovered and developed a love affair with brisket. It is the unsung hero. Some foods will improve your meal, your mood, your day, your buttered noodles. Brisket will improve your life."
We wondered how anyone could write an entire book based on brisket, and after reading The Brisket Book, we know that it is possible − but only by a true brisket lover. Stephanie shares everything you will need to know in order to prepare the "perfect" brisket. And of course, every family seems to have the "perfect" brisket recipe. Families pass brisket recipes down like heirlooms and it wouldn't be a holiday without brisket.
The book is both humorous and serious: from a section called Found in Translation—how to order brisket in sixteen languages—to The Last Brisket, a joke by David Minkoff. Pierson shares cooking tips, chef interviews, information on beef cuts, different cooking techniques and more than 30 brisket recipes. It took Stephanie a year to select and test the recipes that are included in the book. They come from notable chefs, cookbook authors, cowboys, pit masters and home cooks. We guarantee there is a recipe (or two or three) that will you will love and claim as your own.
The Brisket Book is a must for brisket lovers– everything you need, and more, in one book. This is a KosherEye "gift yourself, gift others" selection. Enjoy the following delicious brisket recipes: Nach Waxman's Brisket of Beef, Beef Brisket with Tangy Peaches, and Temple Emanu-el Brisket.
One caveat: For the very modest, beware of page 188: To state it directly and delicately, this page features a rear view of a male, wearing an apron and cooking brisket displaying a nude tush. When we asked the author for her comment on this picture, as it was the only item in the book we couldn't recommend, her response was, "The tush (on page 188) has a lovely voluptuous nature, similar to brisket. It too is overlooked, just like brisket."
Please watch Stephanie Pierson's You Tube video on The Brisket Book – listen to the author's own words describing her brisket cookbook. Read more of our conversation with Stephanie Pierson.
Let's end with the Brisket For Dinner song
The Brisket Book: A Love Story with Recipes, Andrews McMeel Publishing, is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Click here
