One cold, fall evening a white bean and kale soup was simmering on the stove, and I began to crave a good bread to go along with it. I decided to bake my first gluten-free loaf, using my favorite cornbread recipe as a template. Twenty minutes later, the aroma of homemade bread baking in the oven filled the kitchen, and in 10 minutes more we cut into the warm creation. It was so tender and satisfying; I have been making it ever since.

This whole grain, ever-so-slightly sweet loaf has become an essential item at my table. We enjoy it for breakfast with eggs, or with almond butter, peanut butter, or pure butter. It rounds out dinners featuring soups, stews, chili, and salads. It also makes a great snack, with or without almond butter or peanut butter, accompanied by crisp apple wedges.

The cold, windy weekend weather drove me into the kitchen to bake something comforting. In less than 15 minutes I had mixed together a cornbread batter, and in 10 more minutes enticing aromas accompanied the welcome heat radiating from the oven. It was only minutes longer and a golden, crusty loaf was ready to serve with the maple-molasses butter I had whipped together. 

Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home is a big, beautiful cookbook, filled with timeless recipes for classic dishes seasoned with modern flavors, food that is perfect for weeknight cooking and entertaining. The book is packed with helpful tips, hints, and charts too. Many of the recipes in the book were developed by excellent writers I worked with during my long tenure as food editor for Bon Appetit magazine, so I feel comfortable saying the recipes in the book are really good.