Episode 142: Quesadillas, The Silver Palate Cookbook, Camille Storch

Camille Storch, our guest and author of the blog Wayward Spark
Camille Storch, our guest and author of the blog Wayward Spark

Our news item of the day? The sugar shortage.

In our “What’s for Dinner?” segment we talk about an unrated old reliable: Quesadillas.

We discuss our latest Cookbook Club pick, The Silver Palate Cookbook.

Marisa interviews one of our favorite people, bloggers, and honey purveyors, Camille Storch author of the blog Wayward Spark.

And final we talk about the charms and challenges of a seasonal darling–the fava bean.

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5 thoughts on “Episode 142: Quesadillas, The Silver Palate Cookbook, Camille Storch”

  1. Wow, I was so relieved to hear your thoughts on the Silver Palate Cookbook! I have gone through this multiple times now and was struggling to find anything I wanted to make. As you said, some of the desserts/quick breads looked like they would be good, but I really struggled in the entree area. I’m so glad it wasn’t just me!

    Very interesting interview on the bee keeping/honey producing. I learned a lot – thank you for sharing!

    My favorite quesadilla combination is roasted butternut squash with black beans, pickled jalapenos, and cheddar cheese. I like to top with mashed avocado.

  2. I feel obligated to defend Silver Palate! I rec’d it, as well as SP Good Times, when I was married in 1987. Admittedly I do not make alot from the books now, but I do have a few tried and true favorites that I go back to and I think are worth a look- Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil (p.79), Bishops Cake (p.295), Basic Quiche Custard (p.5). In Good Times, try The Butterflied Leg of Lamb (p.187) and Three Onion Casserole (p.342). This is fabulous with ham- I for one am always flummoxed by side dishes with ham. This elevates ham to a very decadent level! As a new bride in NYC in the 1980s, it made me feel smart and elegant to cook for my husband and entertain family and friends from the SP cookbook in our 4th floor walk up! The recipes were just complicated enough with just a few too many ingredients to make me feel like I accomplished something! haha! My life is very different now (though happy to report the husband is the same!) and though I still cook alot, the recipes I lean toward are much simpler and my cooking is more intuitive. With age and experience came confidence! I love the podcast, and I have become a “mad jammer” (my 13 year old daughter’s moniker for me!) thanks to Marisa’s books and I hope to get my hands on a copy of Edible Philly before too long. I live in suburban Philly and recently found a copy of Spoonful, that I first learned about on your podcast and love it! So thanks for widening my culinary world! P.S. If you are ever in Cape May, try Gecko’s Three Sister Quesadilla. Sounds like all the things you would like in a quesadilla. And it’s in Cape May- an added bonus!

  3. I have been enjoying your podcasts for some time now but I’m terribly disappointed in the Silver Palate episode. I agree with you that this particular cookbook is no longer current and attractive but I wish you had determined that before suggesting it as the April cookbook selection!
    I love the idea of trying new cookbooks and recipes, so when it was suggested, I searched it out and purchased it, (online, so I didn’t actually see the outdated recipes before hand.)envisioning an opportunity to follow along with the podcast and try new recipes. I’m a retired widow, living on a fixed income and this was not a wise purchase, unfortunately. Perhaps in the future, you could review the book before suggesting it?

    1. Dorothy, we’re so sorry we’ve disappointed you. We will keep your concerns in mind going forward.

  4. Dorothy, don’t give up! Maybe there are some recipes that will appeal to you. It is a bit ’80’s now, but some of the recipes are still delicious. It was of a time and place and it was the intro of “california cuisine” to the upper west side and then beyond. I am just a little younger than the heyday of the book and found some things I like. I will put in a plug for Chicken Marbella, which was completely cliche at one point at every potluck in the ’80s and ’90s, but I find that everyone loves it when I bring it back. Joy, the skin doesn’t get crisp, but it doesn’t stay flabby at all. The level of the liquid is lower than the skin so it cooks up nicely, especially with the bit of brown sugar on it. I never marinate ahead because who has room in the refrigerator. If I make a full recipe for a potluck, I use parts equal in weight to that specified and use two roasting pans or one giant one. I sprinkle everything over top and then roast. And you can totally use boneless skinless thighs or breasts. But guys, it’s pronounced Mar-bay-ya!

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