Memorial Day

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Pat S

Memorial Day is the first holiday of the year where you can comfortably party outside. It’s the party that signals the start of summer. Every family seems to have one person who claims the title of Grill master. There is an art to grilling and if you’d like to do more on your grill then just cook hamburgers, then check out some of these titles:

1,001 best grilling recipes: delicious, easy-to-make recipes from around the world by Rick Browne

The complete idiot’s guide to grilling by Don Mauer

Fearless guide to grilling by Reece Williams

Easy grilling: simple recipes for outdoor grills

Betty Crocker grilling made easy: 200 sure-fire recipes from America’s most-trusted kitchens

So fire up that grill, and enjoy the great outdoors!

Herbs and Spices

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Pat S

spice and herb bible I love to cook with herbs and spices. Just a little pinch of this or that could make the world of difference in how good my meals taste. It took me a while to figure out what herbs paired well with what foods but hopefully the chart below will help you.

Beans (dried) – cumin, cayenne, chili, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme

Beef – basil, bay, chili, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

Breads – anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme

Cheese - basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chili, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme

Chicken - allspice, basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger lemongrass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

Corn - chili, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme

Eggs - basil, chervil, chili, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme

Fish - anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, marjoram Fruits -allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint

Lamb - basil, bay, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

Potatoes - basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Salad Dressings - basil, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme

Salads - basil, caraway, chives, dill, garlic, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Soups - basil, bay, chervil, chili, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme

Sweets - allspice, angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary

Tomatoes - basil, bay , celery seed, cinnamon, chili, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

Now that you know the basics, why don’t you check out some of these books and start enjoying more flavorful foods. Your taste buds will thank you!

The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs & spices : seasonings for the global kitchen by Tony Hill

The spice lover’s guide to herbs & spices by Tony Hill

The spice and herb bible by Ian Hemphill ; with recipes by Kate Hemphill

Spices of life : simple and delicious recipes for great health by Nina Simonds

The Unoffical Hunger Games Cookbook

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Pat S

unofficial hunger games cookbook

Suzanne Collins wrote the book, Hunger Games in 2008. Since then it has rarely sat idle on the libraries bookshelves. Book chat groups, library patron’s young and old have requested to read it and on March 23rd 2012, it will hit the big screens. Are you prepared? How about hosting a Hunger Games party and then trekking to the theaters for the first showing? Out of ideas? Well have I got a book for you! The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook by Emily Ansara Baines arrived at the library in December of 2011 and it is full of recipes with quirky names like: Creamy Bashed Potatoes, Katniss’s Craved Cheese Buns, and Peeta’s Cinnamon Bakery Bread to name just a few.

Katniss’s Craved Cheese Buns – yields 1 dozen buns

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

¾ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup (1 stick) butter

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450⁰F. Grease a cookie sheet.

2. Mix Bisquick, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, sugar, milk, and cheese until well blended.

3. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 – 10 minutes.

5. In a microwave bowl, combine butter, ½ teaspoon of each: garlic powder, Old Bay season, and kosher salt. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, until butter is melted.

6. Generously brush tops of biscuits with butter mixture.

Bread machine books

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Pat S

bread machine baking
Wintertime is soup and homemade bread time at my house. There is nothing more comforting to have good smells wafting from the kitchen on a cold winter’s day. I will admit that I have never mastered the whole kneading and rising process of making bread, instead I opt for using my trusty bread machine. After all, it’s still homemade in my book!

Country White Bread – 1 1/2 pound loaf

½ – 5/8 cup water

5/8 cup milk

1 ½ Tablespoons butter or margarine

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

1. Place all ingredients in bread pan, using the least amount of liquid listed in the recipe. Select Medium Crust setting and press START.

2. Observe the dough as it kneads. After 5 – 10 minutes, if it appears dry and stiff, or if your machine sounds as if it’s straining to knead it, add more liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until dough forms a smooth, soft , pliable ball that is slightly tacky to the touch.

3. After the baking cycle ends, remove bread from pan, place on cake rack, and allow to cool 2 hour before slicing.

For more bread machine recipes, check out these books:

The bread lover’s bread machine cookbook: a master baker’s 300 favorite recipes for perfect-every-time bread, from every kind of machine by Beth Hensperger

Biggest book of bread machine recipes.

Bread machine magic: 138 exciting new recipes created especially for use in all types of bread machines by Linda Rehberg

The breadman’s healthy bread book: use your bread machine to make more than 100 delicious, wholesome breads by George Burnett

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Pat S

make the bread buy the butter Have you ever wondered if it was cheaper to make something homemade or just buy it at the store? Well, I found a book that will help shed some light on that question. While perusing the New York Times Notable Cookbooks for 2011, I came across Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese. The author takes 120 items and evaluates them. She includes recipes and cost comparisons so you can choose to either make or buy.

Sample entry from the book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese:

Cocoa

Make it or buy it? Make it.

Hassle: None at all

Cost Comparisons: Swiss Miss charges about $0.38 per 1 ounce packet of cocoa. One ounce of homemade cocoa costs about $0.18

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Sift the ingredients into a bowl. If any of the salt or sugar gets left in the sifter, just pour it into the cocoa mix and whisk to blend. Keeps indefinitely in a lidded jar.

2. To make hot chocolate, use 2 tablespoons per cup of hot milk. Stir in ¼ teaspoon vanilla

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.

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

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.

Dishing on the Dish

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Emily

What do you look for in a cookbook? I want to see more than just a list of ingredients. For me, the most engaging cookbook is one with gorgeous photographs and a bit of narrative. The science-geek in me can get totally sucked into anything from the folks at America’s Test Kitchen, who walk me through the entire process of refining and perfecting classic recipes. Will an extra egg white make all the difference? Maybe using cake flour instead of white?

This year I’ve noticed an upsurge in cookbooks that share family stories as an accompaniment to the recipes. These anecdotes often give a sense of what the dish will taste like, serving suggestions, and a peek into the character of the recipe’s creator. Sound appealing? Then checkout some of these cookbooks:

In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark: A New York Times columnist offers a collection of stories about food along with comments on her own experiences in making the 150 recipes that she presents, classifying the dishes into such categories as things with cheese, the farmer’s market, and my sweet tooth.

One Big Table by Molly O’Neill: Presents a celebration of America’s culinary traditions that features such favorite recipes as Beacon Hill Chestnut Stuffing, Acadian Mussels, and California Avocado Soup.

The Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond: The author shares homespun stories on adjusting to life on a ranch in the country and offers a number of recipes, including cowboy calzones, ribeye steak with whiskey cream sauce, Patsy’s blackberry cobbler, and Iny’s prune cake.

Southern Plate by Christy Jordan: The founder of SouthernPlate.com collects more than 125 recipes that have been passed down through several generations of her family, in a book that also includes the family stories behind the recipes and full-color photos.