Authors Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo are avid skiers as well as enthusiastic cooks. They know that returning from a day whizzing down snowy slopes guarantees an appetite bordering on the ravenous, and that food must be easily prepared since lengthy cooking doesn't stave off hunger pangs. "Having done a lot of ski house cooking, we have a few tricks to share," state the authors. "We like to eat as if we've spent the day in the kitchen without actually having done so."
Guided by experience, the authors keep the demands on the kitchen simple: there are no exotic ingredients that would be impossible to find, and no fancy machines or kitchen tools. These recipes work in what the authors describe as an "often understocked" ski house kitchen.
The recipes are not new and experimental, but familiar ones that provide comforting eating as well as easy preparation. They are concise to keep fuss to a minimum, but careful in their instructions. The text is peppered with occasional ski terms, the authors' zeal for both slopes and kitchens enlivening the work. Some recipes are for a hearty start to the day, others for a quick or a portable mid-day perk, others more substantial to satisfy the big appetite. There are sweets recipes that can be made ahead and waiting, and there are recipes for beverages. These are the foods we find the most comforting in cold weather, and the most practical for the ski house.
Start the day with a recipe such as Oatmeal Pancakes with Sautéed Cinnamon Apples to "keep you going all day," or try Maple-Glazed Bacon, cooked in the oven for less spatter and a quick exit for the slopes. Move into a vigorous day with a Roast Beef-Blue Cheese Roll, a sandwich designed to be taken to the ski lodge as it won't get soggy, or Black Bean Quesadillas which "You can whip up in less time than the high-speed quad can get you to the summit." Warm up with a Super G Split Pea Soup that "you can start when the lifts shut down and eat for supper."
When the appetite is ravenous, the authors go for what they call "Fast Food Entrées." Here you'll find such recipes as Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Herbed Turkey Burgers (with instructions for defrosting in a microwave), perhaps a Roasted Pork Loin with Cherry Balsamic Pan Sauce. The authors value the slow cooker as well, and all of the slow-cooker dishes can be prepared a day or two in advance and refrigerated, or even frozen for up to a month. Here you'll find such recipes as Chunky Beef Stew, Brisket with Sweet Mustard Sauce, Spicy Polled Pork or Coq au Vin. Accompany any of these recipes with 'Snowplow' Salad, possibly Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, or Sauteed Broccoli Rabe. For rapid pasta dishes, try Penne with Asparagus in Lemon Butter Sauce or Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce. For a sweet dessert, try some unfussy treats such as Apple Crisp, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Fondue or 'Snowy Peaks' - chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons.
The authors provide notes and tips for high-altitude cooking, hints for stocking the pantry, refrigerator and freezer, as well as a list of equipment which includes, not the mandoline, but the types of storage containers you'll need, basic kitchen equipment, and, of course, a thermos. Each recipe is coded with a difficulty rating that corresponds to the familiar green dots, blue squares, and black diamonds of the slopes.
There are color photos throughout by a variety of photographers: Tina Anderson herself, Rick Lew, Victoria Yee and Alexa Miller.
This is an exuberant book, as sparkling as new-fallen snow.
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