La Cucina Anna Maria

As owner and innkeeper of Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn Bed & Breakfast, Anna Maria de Freitas has daily opportunities to share recipes she's collected over the years. Her recipes have come from previous generations, travels, varying cultures, family traditions. Inn guests often request the recipes and rather than safeguard her collection, she feels cooking is to be shared. Now we can enjoy these recipes even if we can't be on San Juan Island.

La Cucina Anna Maria starts out with a helpful hints section stressing that it really does matter that ingredients are local, fresh and organic. She also includes a key that lets you know a little about the recipe before you start—whether it's international, heart healthy, vegetarian, for pets only, etc. Substitutions and equivalents, weights and measures can certainly be found elsewhere, but how handy is it to have them right in with the recipes?

This book is meant to be used. It's a three-ring book that you can open fully and lay flat or prop up as you cook. Take pages out to use elsewhere or add your own pages. Chapters include appetizers; soups, salads and sides; savory breakfast dishes; dinner entrees; scones, muffins and breads; cookies and cookie bars; and desserts.

Throughout the book there are tidbits of information about the recipes, why they've added truffle oil or how the drink is a holiday tradition for their family. It gives the book a homey feel. In addition, she throws in the occasional tip on how to unclog drains, freeze pie crust dough and remove candle wax from candle holders. Hey, paying attention to detail makes every meal better.

The scone section includes a list of common problems, say uneven browning of your biscuits, and what probably caused them. In this case, cooking in a dark surface pan, too high a temperature and rolling the dough too thin. If you haven't baked a lot, this is really helpful information to read before you try your hand, which is most likely why it's at the start of the chapter.

At the end of the book you'll find a section on healthy eating—decreasing fat in your diet, a table for cooking vegetables, a summary of herbs and seeds, a calorie counter for all kinds of foods and even how to read the nutrition facts labels on packaged foods. This makes the book feel a little less homey, but it's still great information.

Even if you haven't experienced the meals at Harrison House Suites or Tucker House Inn, you'll enjoy experimenting with the recipes. Some will take you back in time, like Brandy Alexanders or crab balls, while some are much more current, like the lavender-scented scallops with mango salsa. Whatever your mood, you'll find something fun to make and eat in your cucina.

September 2007