Mason Jar Cookie Cookbook

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Pat S

Are you looking for a great gift from your kitchen? Why not try some Mason jar cookies. With a little time and effort you can create wonderful gifts for all the cookie lovers on your list. To get you started, check out the book, The Mason Jar Cookie Cookbook by Lonnette Parks. Have fun!

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

Wash and dry a 1 quart wide mouth canning jar. Layer the ingredients into a canning jar as they are listed above , pressing firmly with a flat bottomed object after each addition. Try to make your layers as level as possible. Secure the lid. Tie a bow around it all and you have an instant gift. It would also be helpful to type out the additional ingredients and instruction to give along with the jar.

To make the cookies you will need these additional ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F

2. Place all of the jar ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and stir until well combined. Set aside.

3. Place the butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, and cream with an electric mixer set on low or mix with a fork.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix with a spoon until well combined.

5. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.

6. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until light brown in color. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

7. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Yields : 2 ½ Dozen cookies

Panera Bread Cookbook

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Pat S

Every once in a while I like to treat myself to lunch at Panera Bread. I will order up a scrumptious sandwich made with their own homemade bread teamed with one of their savory soups , or one of their signature salads. Yum! For a lot of us, money is tight and eating out has taken a back seat to eating in. I discovered The Panera Bread Cookbook at the public library and now I can have Panera whenever the mood strikes me. If you are adventurous, why not try the recipe I included below.

Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Thai Basil Panini

1 Tablespoon salted butter

4 slices Country White Bread (the recipe is in the cookbook) or brioche

3 Tablespoons goat cheese (see note)

10 Thai basil leaves (see note)

1 large Roma tomato, cored and cut into 8 slices width-wise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread and flip slices over so ingredients can be placed on the inside. Evenly spread the goat cheese over the unbuttered side of bread and distribute basil leaves and tomato on 2 slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a second slice of bread and grill in a press until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Cut the sandwich in half and serve immediately. A George Forman grill works great.

Note – for substitutions :

Thai Basil – common sweet

Goat Cheese – cream cheese or farmer’s cheese.

New Cookbooks in December

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Laura

Looking for something new? Investigate one of these new cookbooks for inspiration:

Cooking in Everyday English	Cookin' for Trouble
Sizzling Skillets	Martha's Entertaining
Essential Pepin	Southern Cooking Bible

Best Ever Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Laura S

There isn’t much I love in this world than the smell of a roasting chicken. Other than potatoes roasted in the same pan as said chicken that is. If you can use a mandolin slicer to cut your potatoes and onions nice and thin the prep time on this dish is about 5 minutes. I first time I made it in my new apartment my roommates were beyond impressed. By drying the chicken extra well you ensure a crisp and impressively colored skin.

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons butter
5-6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-rounds
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
One 4-5 pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter

You will need:

Ovenproof frying pan or roasting pan
Kitchen knife
Cutting Board
Paper towels
Kitchen twine and scissors

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Thinly slice potatoes and onion.

2 Melt the butter in a large oven-proof frying pan or small roasting pan. Layer the potatoes all around the bottom of the pan, completely covering it. Scatter the onions over the potatoes. Set aside and prepare the chicken.

3 Rinse the chicken and then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird.

4 Next, salt the chicken very well. Season to taste with pepper and garlic powder.

5 Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and onions in the pan and put it in the oven. Don’t open oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are golden and a little crispy, about 50 to 60 minutes.

6 Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with any juices from the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Like making chicken? Try these titles:

150 Things to Make with a Roast Chicken and 5o Ways to Roast it by Tony Rosenfeld

The Best Chicken Recipes by Cook’s Illustrated

The New York Times Chicken Cookbook edited by Linda Amster

Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller via Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

Quick Caramel

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Laura S

Everything is better when dipped in caramel, right?

For the CCPl Staff Development Day lunch I made my new favorite treat; marshmallows dipped in caramel and dark chocolate on a stick (because everything is better on a stick right? I already had the marshmallows and dark chocolate chips, but I thought homemade caramel would be a great choice.

My family has a secret recipe that almost always results in a great caramel and can be tweaked to provide soft and chewy or hard and lollipop like candies. Here’s how it works:

In a deep, thick pot with attached candy thermometer combine the following:

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
1 lb light brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Karo pancake syrup

Cook, stirring but not scraping the sides until candy is 225° F. When temperature is reached stir in:

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour from pan (being sure to not scrap sides) into desired dish.

Remember this recipe is super easy to change so that you get any sort of caramel you like. Try using dark brown sugar instead of light for a darker caramel. Cook to 228°F for caramels you can cut with a cookie cutter. Cook to 230°F for a darker, peanut brittle consistency.

To make our Staff Day treat lightly grease a cookie sheet, place marshmallows on it so they are not touching. Using thin pretzel sticks in place of sucker sticks impale marshmallows and dip them in caramel once you have removed it from the pot (into a bowl works best). Place in freezer to harden for 5 minutes and then dip into melted chocolate chips and then immediately dip just the bottom of your pop into sprinkles or jimmies (they help keep the chocolate from sticking to your serving dish).

If you enjoy this recipe try one of the following books:

Candy Making for Dummies by David Jones

Candy Making for Beginners by Evelyn Howe Fryatt

New Cookbooks – August

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Laura

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking – Provides over one hundred fifty recipes for muffins, breads, cakes, cookies, and pastries without using eggs, dairy, or other animal products.

Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm – Known by TV viewers as the Mississippi belle whose demure demeanor belied nerves of steel and true culinary skill, America watched Whitney Miller crush the competition and become the first winner of MasterChef Season 1. Now Whitney’s long-awaited dream of writing her first cookbook has come true as she shares her favorite recipes and entertaining secrets in Modern Hospitality.

Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love – Collects recipes and stories from a family eating healthy and delicious versions of America’s favorite foods, including chocolate chip cookies, enchiladas, and biscuits.

New Food Books

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Laura

Coming to a library shelf near you:

Tomatoland

Beekeeper's Lament

Dairy Delights

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Emily

June is National Dairy Month! Why not try making your own dairy products with some of these items from the library’s collection:

Complete Guide to Making Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt at Home by Richard Helweg

Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll

The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Homestead Blessings: The Art of Dairy Delights (DVD)

And it you’re like me and have a weakness for cheese, try some of these cookbooks:

Cheese, Glorious Cheese! by Paula Lambert

Grilled Cheese by Marlena Spieler

Behind the Kitchen Doors

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Emily

In honor of National Waitstaff Day (May 21), let’s take a look at books and movies set in the culinary world.

Waiter Rant by The Waiter – An account of a waiter’s life at an upscale New York restaurant describes his daily experiences with a series of outrageous customers and shares tips on such topics as getting good service and proper tipping etiquette. This funny book will resonate with anyone who likes to complain about work.

Dishwasher by Pete Jordan – For the armchair traveler, this is the story of one man’s quest to wash dishes in all fifty states.

Under the Table by Katherine Darling – A chef describes her haphazard experiences as a student at New York City’s French Culinary Institute, a journey during which she and her classmates tackled a range of challenges from veal calves and fish heads to broken eggs and cutthroat teachers.

Cleaving by Julie Powell – The author of Julie and Julia describes how in the wake of a strain on her marriage she left town to immerse herself in the art of butchery, the laborious training she received, and her journeys throughout the world in search of the butchery practices of other cultures.

The Waitress (DVD) – Jenna is an unhappily married, pie-baking pro who dreams of leaving her husband Earl, but her plans are thwarted when she becomes pregnant. Discovering a mutual attraction with the new doctor in town adds further complications. Staring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.

Just Desserts (DVD) - In this Hallmark movie, sparks fly when pastry chefs team up for the Golden Whisk Dessert competition, “the Olympics of desserts” and its $250,000 prize. With nothing in common, they’re determined to restrict the partnership to “just desserts”, but it isn’t long before this marriage of convenience threatens to turn into the real thing.

No Reservations (DVD) – Master chef Kate Armstrong runs the kitchen of an exclusive restaurant. When Kate’s sister is killed, her 9-year old niece Zoe comes to live with Kate, and Kate’s life is turned completely upside down. Nick Palmer is the newly hired sous chef, whom Kate perceives as a serious rival. Even as they clash, Kate is drawn toward Nick, eventually coming to the realization that Nick offers something that she needs both in her restaurant kitchen and her new life with Zoe. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart.

Mostly Martha (DVD) – Feel like a foreign film? This is the original German version of No Reservations. Which do you like best?

Happy Birthday James Beard!

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Emily

From the James Beard Foundation:

Anointed the “dean of American cookery” by the New York Times in 1954, James Beard laid the groundwork for the food revolution that has put America at the forefront of global gastronomy. He was a pioneer foodie, host of the first food program on the fledgling medium of television in 1946, the first to suspect that classic American culinary traditions might cohere into a national cuisine, and an early champion of local products and markets. Beard nurtured a generation of American chefs and cookbook authors who have changed the way we eat.

Born May 5, 1903, James Beard who died in 1985, would have been 108 this year. In commemoration, why not check out his classic, The Fireside Cookbook? This facsimile edition of the 1949 original includes hundreds of recipes and charming illustrations.