75 accessible recipes that give us a new look at snacking and composing meals in a thoughtful and mindful way from the author of Graze.
In recent years we've all seen the way we eat and the way we think about food completely change. We've embraced the world of snacking for meals and found that eating is more fun when we have a few choices and are free to eat how we like, not how we were conditioned. But don't fret, thoughtful snacking is not complicated nor does it require long days spent at the stove. And while it does require a modicum of planning, the benefits exponentially outweigh the effort. For example, once you've made a jar of pickles or a pot of pâte they are there in the fridge for days for your snacking pleasure. A batch of gougères gets frozen unbaked so anytime a friend swings by you can pop them in the oven for a fresh treat - same goes for tater tots. Marinate baby artichokes or mixed beans and not only do you have something to nibble, but they can be easily tossed in salads or pasta, smeared on toasts, or scattered on pizzas.
Mindful snacking is the philosophy that food stylist and prolific author Suzanne Lenzer lives by. Who doesn't love standing in front of a full fridge wondering what to pull out for a covert snack? Thoughtful snacking is also about moving beyond boards and platters when we entertain by adding dimension to the table, both in what we serve and how we serve it. Peckish is divided into charming chapters sorted by vessel such as On Toast, In Jars, Skewers & Sticks, In Bowls, and even the helpful Napkins Only so that the home cook can plan their snacking night with ease whether they're eating for one or entertaining a group of friends.
