Amish Community Cookbook

Here in the Lehigh Valley, we don't live too far from Amish communities. It's no surprise, then, that I have several Amish cookbooks. Most are the same - recipes written with no fluff or extras, and no photographs. Amish food isn't exceptionally pretty, but the flavor more than makes up for it.

This cookbook, Amish Community Cookbook (Fox Chapel Publishing, 2017), authored by Carole Roth Giagnocavo and the Mennonite Central Committee, with photos from bloggers Joel Kratzer and Kaleb Wyse, fills in the photography gap in a beautiful way.

Most of the recipes are familiar to me, as they would be in Amish cooking, but the photos and anecdotes are what help propel this book above and beyond the rest. Oh, I still love my other cookbooks, but in my house there is always room for more - especially of the Amish variety.

The book begins with a brief introduction and history of Amish and Mennonites and goes on to offer little details about Amish cooking that are essential to know - things like using potato water and what "salad dressing" refers to throughout the book. While I fully enjoyed the anecdotes about Amish and Mennonite life, the thing I missed the most were descriptions of different recipes and how they had come to be. Mostly these are things I already know, but the average home cook may not.

The recipes are divine, and that's really the point, In fact, I've made Zucchini Casserole 3 times in the past two weeks! That stuff is just perfect and even my pickiest kids love it. Every recipe is comfort food at its finest - the kind that sustains a farmer for hours on end and nourishes the body and the soul.

Zucchini Casserole

This is light and fluffy and SO delicious! It's the perfect complement to any meat dish and my vegetarian daughter loves this as-is!

Zucchini Casserole

3 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup onion
1 cup all-purpose baking mix
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Swiss Cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup oil

Mix all ingredients together and put in 7x12 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center.

My notes: The onion is chopped finely, the Parmesan is grated, and I have used different cheeses in place of the Swiss with no ill effects.

If you adore Amish and Mennonite food like we do, pick up a copy of this book and you won't be disappointed!

Modern Pressure Cooking

Modern Pressure Cooking by Bren Herrera, Page Street Publishing Co. 2016.

I recall, when I was a child, Sunday's in my grandmother's kitchen. After morning church services we would come home and get changed then play until dinner time, which was mid-day so we would be ready to head back to evening church services. Because our day was scheduled so, there was one other thing I remember: this hiss and rattle of my grandmother's pressure cooker.

Every week, without fail, she would make a chuck roast for dinner, and the only way to get that done in the time span we had was to pressure cook it. The meat was ever so tender and flavorful and it was something I looked forward to each time we visited.

As an adult I didn't have a pressure cooker for many years. I was afraid of them, as many cooks are, and for a time I wasn't able to afford one, either. Once I settled in as a much older adult I was gifted an electric pressure cooker. I was hooked. With 9 mouths to feed daily and busy beyond all with school and life I found it to be my cooking savior. Meats were done in no time and dinner that tasted as if it had cooked hours was now ready in a fraction of the time. Sadly, the very day I received my copy of Bren Herrera's Modern Pressure Cooking (Page Street Publishing, 2016), my electric pressure cooker died.

I decided after a mere year's worth of use that I wasn't going to make that mistake again and bought a trusty old 8 quart aluminum stove top pressure cooker. I'm already in love - and not just with the cooker! This book. Oh, my.

If there is anything at all you want to know about pressure cookers, this is the book to buy. Bren covers everything from which types of cookers are available to all the methods of release there are to international, vintage and gadgets and gizmos for your cooker. After all that? The recipes, oh my.

I made Bren's mother's Famous Cuban Black Beans (recipe below!) right off the bat and they are just to-die-for! I mean, beans from dry to delicious in 40 or so minutes? This is my kind of recipe.

Once I had those beans done, I was hooked. I started throwing everything in that pot with Bren's beautiful book as a guide and created meal after beautiful meal in no time flat. Best You've Ever Had Braised Round Roast? YES. Herbed Chicken Stock? YES. (No more cooking for hours.) And flan? Oh, flan ... Bren is the QUEEN of flan and shares no less than 4 recipes for flan, and with a 13 to 17 minute cook time, what is not to LOVE? I feel a Braised Pulled Pork BBQ coming on this week, and after that I may just keep going until I've made every single recipe.

So, get your own copy, please don't even question this! GO and get a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BAM!, IndieBound, or iBooks. You can also find more about Bren at House of Bren.

Now, here is that beautiful recipe and photo, to boot!

Famous Cuban Black Beans, photo: Ken Goodman

Famous Cuban Black Beans

Black beans are Cuba’s most beloved food. They are pedestaled to glorious heights in Cuban homes around the world. You’ve seen and probably made a version of these “Cuban black beans” at some point in your Latin food exploits, but you’ve never made these. This is my late grandmother’s recipe as translated and perfected by my mother for over 40 years. Her beans are the point of query after reconnecting with childhood friends. They are the single food in my family that is still rationed. It’s the one dish that humbles my skill. I can make my mother’s beans, side by side with her, but hers will always exceed triumph. There’s something indiscernibly magical about her touch. I hold this recipe close to my heart, but have waited for over a decade to share it publicly. I hope you love them as much as everyone who’s ever eaten in Mami’s cocina. For your convenience and ease, this recipe does not require any soaking.

Goya and Rancho Gordo dried beans are my go-to brands. To enjoy a very classic experience, ladle about one cup (172 g) of black beans over fluffy white rice and serve with a side of sweet fried plantains.

Serves 8 to 10

3 tbsp (46 ml) canola oil

½ Spanish onion, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano

½ tsp ground cumin

16 oz (455 g) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

2 quarts (1.9 L) water or Simple Vegetable Broth (page 157)

2 bay leaves

3 whole cloves

2 tbsp (30 g) raw sugar

1 ½ tbsp (27 g) kosher salt

1 tsp (5 ml) dry cooking wine

1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil

Heat the oil in the stovetop pressure cooker over high or use the sauté setting for the electric pressure cooker. Make the sofrito: Sauté all of the vegetables and garlic, with the oregano and cumin, until it is fragrant and the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low or cancel the sauté setting. Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the cooking wine and olive oil, to the cooker and stir to combine well. Close the lid.

Stovetop: Set to high pressure (15 PSI) and set the timer for 35 minutes. Cook over high heat. When the pressure point is reached, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook.

Electric: Set to high pressure (10–12 PSI) and 40 minutes.

When done, remove from the heat or turn off the cooker and allow the pressure to release on its own (natural-release) for 10 minutes, then apply auto-release. When all of the pressure is out, open the lid and top the beans with the cooking wine and drizzle in the olive oil. Allow the beans to rest a few minutes before serving.

B’S COOKING TIP: If you soak the beans overnight, you can save up to 20 minutes with this recipe! Simply reduce your cooking time by 10–13 minutes. Also, these beans can last up to 1 week in the refrigerator and 4 months in the freezer.

All photo and recipe credits to Bren Hererra, Page Street Publishing and Ken Goodman.

Taste of Home Simple & Delicious Cookbook

This past week I had the chance to review the newest Taste of Home Cookbook. I honestly can't recall the first time I read a Taste of Home magazine, but I know it was at least 20 years ago. This has hands-down been one of my favorite food magazines. I think the biggest draw is the simple recipes from real people. 

I made one recipe a day this past week and there wasn't one that my family didn't love! Not only that, the photos I've shared on social media have been a big hit as well. I'm not sharing recipes here because every recipe from Taste of Home is found on the website! How easy is that? 

This cookbook is full of the best - broken into 20 sections with a total of 1,314 recipes there WILL be something in there you'll love! My favorite sections were Finished in 15, 30 Dinners in 30, Slow Cooking, Oven Entrees and Good Mornings, but I've found recipes from each section that I've marked for making!

I'm missing one photo this week and that's because I didn't forewarn anyone that the recipe that day needed photographed and they ate so fast I never had a chance! That was Breakfast in a Muffin. So good and great for busy mornings so I'll be making them again, and when I do I'll be sure to update with a photo!

Pizzeria Burgers from 30 Dinners in 30.

Spicy Roasted Sausage, Potatoes and Peppers from Oven Entrees (One of my favorites!)

Korean Beef and Rice from Finished in 15.

Pierogi Quesadillas from 30 Dinners in 30.

Croissant Breakfast Casserole from Good Mornings.

French Toast Waffles from Good Mornings.

Here is the official press release, please note the link to purchase this cookbook for yourself, you won't be disappointed!

_________________________________________________________________

New Simple & Delicious Cookbook Caters to Busy Home Cooks

With its Largest Collection and Resource for Quick and Easy Recipes

Features More than 1,300 Easy Recipes for Express Weeknight Dinners, Classroom Treats and More

Biggest Simple & Delicious Collection Yet, On Sale September 13

MILWAUKEE, WI (August 1, 2016) – More than 600 pages of recipes and photos for the busy home cook make up the newSimple & Delicious Cookbook, on sale September 13 wherever books are sold. It is the biggest cookbook of fast-fix recipes in the Simple & Delicious collection, offering 1,314 easy-to-create recipes for family-pleasing foods, segmented so home cooks can choose recipes that take 30 minutes, 15 minutes and even five minutes to create.  

Simple & Delicious aims to make cooking easy for busy people by providing time-saving shopping, cooking and serving tips, and secrets from the pros. The new cookbook from Simple & Delicious is the brand’s biggest cookbook yet, packed with recipes for 15-minute meals, sides and desserts, slow-cooked favorites, and more, and is designed to show cooks how easy it can be to find the time to cook fun and flavorful meals, snacks and treats for their friends and families.

“For the time-stressed home cook, we’ve gathered a collection of fast and easy recipes,” said Catherine Cassidy, Chief Content Officer of Simple & Delicious and Taste of Home. “We hope that this will become an indispensable resource for those who lead busy lives but still want to put delicious food on the table.”

Split into 20 chapters, readers can easily locate the recipes that best suit their needs, including:

·         Finished in 15 – These super-fast entrees and more are on the table in just 15, 10 or even five minutes.

·         30 Dinners in 30 – Sit down to complete meals – a main dish with a side or dessert – in 30 minutes or less.

·         Quick Casseroles – Short prep times make favorite bakes a great choice any day of the week.

·         Make-Ahead Magic – Busy cooks can keep their cool with dishes that go in the freezer or refrigerator.

·         Cook Once, Eat Twice – Make extra food tonight, and then use the leftovers to kick-start an all-new dinner tomorrow.

The cookbook also includes five helpful recipe icons – Eat Smart, Fast Fix, Five Ingredient, Slow Cooker and Freeze It – to help cooks quickly locate the dishes that best suit their families.  

Recipes are selected through a very rigorous testing process done in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen before they are given the Taste of Home stamp of approval. The cookbook also features complete nutrition facts with recipes, free splash guards to keep pages clean while cooking, a photo index for each chapter and 36 menu suggestions to make meal planning easy.

Simple & Delicious Cookbook

ISBN: 978-1-61765-550-0

Hardcover Binder/$29.99

Available online and wherever books are sold on September 13, 2016.

About Simple & Delicious

Simple & Delicious, a Trusted Media Brands, Inc. brand, is the cooking magazine for busy people. Published by Taste of Home, the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking and entertaining, Simple & Delicious serves home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort of food made with love. Simple & Delicious is published six times a year and every issue is packed with more than 100 irresistibly easy recipes and time-saving tips, plus fast-fix weeknight meal ideas, color photos and more. The magazine is available via subscription and on iPad, as well as on newsstands where magazines are sold.

Content from the full suite of Taste of Home products is available online at TasteofHome.com and via the Taste Digital Community, with more than 39 million monthly visitors*, making these sites top destinations for kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and lively community forums. The same engaging content can be found in Taste of Home magazine, with a circulation of 2.5 million; Simple & Delicious magazine; top-selling bookazines; newsstand specials; popular cookbooks; and via digital download on iPad, mobile apps and Kindle.

Learn more at TasteofHome.com/simple for the latest on recipes and food.

Irish Country Cooking from The Irish Countrywomen's Association

When I was first asked if I'd like to take a look at and possibly review the cookbook, Irish Country Cooking: More Than 100 Recipes for Today's Table from The Irish Countrywomen's Association, there's was no way I'd say no. I mean ... Irish. Country. Cooking. Was there any question this wouldn't be a book I'd love?

With a huge portion of my own ancestry being Irish, I'm always, always interested to know more about the country, customs and especially, the food and cooking. When the book first arrived I knew it was a winner. Just look at the cover of this beauty:

It's something I know I'd pick up off the shelf of any local bookstore and sit to read cover to cover. It's what I do with cookbooks ... each is read like a novel from front to back. This one is no different. I read it through and chose recipes I wanted to make immediately.

What makes this Irish cookbook so different is the diversity. It's not all corned beef and cabbage (in fact, it's not even in there), but rather a collection of recipes from all over the world including real Irish cuisine, each with it's own special Irish touch.

Did you ever think you'd see Pasta with Tomato and Vodka Sauce, Hungarian Beef Ghoulash, Parisian Potatoes or Salsa Roja in an Irish cookbook? Neither did I, but they're in there with a whole host of unexpected delights offered up by the members of The Irish Countrywomen's Association. Each recipe lists the member who created it with a one-line bio giving you a tiny glimpse of the differences and beauty of each woman in the association.

The photos are sublime in this book. I found myself wanting to dive into the page and eat my way through, or simply to visit the kitchen or dining space the photo was taken in. The images do such wonderful and delicious justice to the food that I had to share that sentiment with the photographer, Joanne Murphy.

All together, the stories, the recipes and the photographs make this book an instant favorite of mine that I'm certain I'll turn to again and again over the years. I'm also certain it will be passed down in my family and last a very long and beautiful life.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, here are two traditional recipes from the book that are just perfection.

Lickeen Colcannon from Claire Ann McDonnell.
Photograph by Joanne Murphy, styling by Orla Neligan

Lickeen Colcannon

Claire Ann McDonnell, Wicklow: Loves gardening and the country air

This is my original take on traditional colcannon, and was such a winning combination of leftovers that I make it regularly. It’s very popular and very tasty.   

Makes 6 individual servings 

• 675g (1½lb) potatoes, peeled and quartered 

• 450g (1lb) green cabbage, shredded 

• 50g (2oz) butter 

• 1 small onion, finely chopped 

• salt and freshly ground black pepper 

• 2–3 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese 

to serve 

• 6 streaky rashers (optional) 

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. 

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and simmer the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. In another pot of boiling water, simmer the shredded cabbage for 10 minutes and drain well. 

3. Drain the potatoes once cooked, and mash well with butter. Add the cabbage and onion and season to taste. 

4. Divide between six ovenproof ramekin dishes. Lightly score the top of each so it crisps up nicely and sprinkle over grated cheese. Transfer to preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes until it is golden. 

5. Meanwhile preheat a grill to hot and cook the streaky rashers until crispy. Cut each in half and serve the individual ramekins garnished with two half slices each.

Dublin Coddle by Maureen Butler
Photograph by Joanne Murphy, styling by Orla Neligan

Dublin Coddle 

Maureen Butler, Meath: Bridge-playing mother of four

As a child growing up in Dublin, we always had this served to us at the end

of the week when all that was left were rashers, sausages and potatoes.

Everything was put into the one pot and cooked. It was delicious,

particularly on a cold winter’s day.

Serves 6 

• 2kg (4½lb) potatoes, peeled 

• 500ml (1 pint) boiled water 

• 1 ham, chicken or beef stock cube (optional) 

• 450g (1lb) good quality pork sausages 

• 450g (1lb) piece thick-cut bacon 

• 2 large onions, sliced 

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley 

• salt and coarse ground pepper to serve 

• fresh soda bread ICA Tip Pork sausages are best bought from a local butcher. 

1. Preheat oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas 2. 

2. Cut any larger potatoes into three or four pieces, leaving smaller ones whole so that they will cook evenly. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiled water, if using. 

3. Grill the sausages and bacon long enough to colour them but taking care not to dry them out. Drain on paper towels and chop the bacon into 2½cm (1in) pieces. You can chop the sausages into bite-sized pieces, though some prefer to leave them whole. 

4. In a large ovenproof casserole dish with a tight lid, layer the onions, bacon, sausages and potatoes, seasoning each layer liberally with pepper and parsley. Continue until the ingredients are used up and pour the hot water or bouillon mixture over the top. 

5. On the stove, bring the liquid to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and cover the pot. You may like to put a layer of foil underneath the pot lid to help seal it. 

6. Place the covered pot in preheated oven and cook for at least three hours (up to four or five hours will not hurt it). After two hours, check liquid levels and add more water if necessary. There should be about an inch of liquid at the bottom of the pot at all times.

7. Serve hot with fresh soda bread to mop up the lovely gravy. 

You can find your own copy of Irish Country Cooking: More Than 100 Recipes for Today's Table from The Irish Countrywomen's Association at Amazon.com.

Please do take a look and "Like" The Irish Countrywomen's Association Facebook page (I did!) and also check out the website: Irish Countrywomen's Association

Thursday Night Pizza

In our house Father Dominic has become known as "The pizza making monk", my fault of course, but everyone now knows exactly who I'm talking about when I bring him up. There is so much more to Father Dominic than pizza, and that is evidenced by his first six books and public television show Breaking Bread with Father Dominic which ran for several years beginning in 1999. He's not only the chief pizza maker at the monastery and baker extraordinaire, he teaches religion and directs the plays at the academy and has also authored two plays. Very busy, very talented, very blessed.

His most recent book, however, is all about America's favorite food; pizza. The first question that came to mind when I saw the title of the book was, "Why Thursday night?" In our house, like so many others across the country, Friday night is the usual pizza night. The explanation is a rather easy one. Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat when the monks at Saint Bede consume only one meal. While pizza can fit the meatless menu, it isn't very fun without the plethora of toppings available, so on Thursday night, or haustus night, they indulge a bit more knowing that the fast is coming the next day. It's also a community night when the monks get together to fellowship through conversations or games, whatever strikes their fancy that evening.

I read through this book rather quickly, it's a very easy read and I found myself drawn to the stories of Father Dominic's monastic life. The recipes are straightforward, but don't expect to see the usual pizza recipes here. Father Dominic feels very much the way I do about pizza, after the crust anything goes! He provides not just recipes for dough, but full explanations of the differences between them and exactly how they are to be prepared without being boring or tedious. Likewise, there is a chapter all about sauces before moving on to the pizzas themselves. In the monastery there is large garden tended by one of his fellow monks, Father Ron. The garden provides pizza topping inspiration and the pizza sauce is made from the heirloom tomatoes grown within. Now I'm looking forward to my own garden this year and can't wait to harvest and bake.

I took the opportunity to speak with Father Dominic about his newest book and would love to some day have to chance to meet and cook with him. I believe his closing sentiments to our conversation were the same. He was very fun to talk with and I really wish we both had more time to spend on the phone, I have a feeling we'd have talked for an hour or more easily. We talked a bit about his family and growing up baking, about drama and the fact that I have children who have been in theater and plays for quite some time. We even have similar loves for antique recipes and books.

Of the twenty pizza recipes offered (two are desserts!) I asked which was his very favorite. He did one better and gave me not just his favorite from the book, but his favorite all-time. His favorite from the book is the Four Cheese Tomato pizza and his favorite all-time is one from a pizza parlor in St. Louis named Thats'a Nice'a Pizza where they serve up a pizza called The Powerhouse which consists of a thin crust topped with sausage, pepperoni, extra cheese, hamburger, onion, jalapeno and chopped tomato. Wow! Father Dominic makes this pizza at the monastery as well with a few slight additions and variations. Either way, it's one I want to try for myself.

I have plans to make each and every pizza in this book, but for this post I made the Asparagus Mornay (see photos) and fell in love immediately. The flavors were so perfectly paired it was hard not to think that a gourmet chef had come up with the combination. I had three slices and don't feel guilty at all. If the rest of the pizzas in this book are as good as that one, we're in for some very delicious pizza nights at our house.

Pick up your copy of Thursday Night Pizza, Father Dominic's Favorite Pizza Recipes
by Fr. Dominic Garramone, O.S.B. at:

Amazon.com

Reedy Press

Tyler Florence Family Meal

I wrote in October of my trip to the New York City Wine & Food Festival sponsored by ShopRite and how I was able to meet Tyler Florence at a signing of his newest cookbook, Family Meal. The event was hosted at Abe & Arthur's and it was the first book signing I've ever been to.

When I entered the restaurant I was handed a name tag and a hard bound copy of the cookbook. If you've read here long enough you'll know that I read cookbooks like any other book; from start to finish like a novel. I sat in the crook of a large booth, settled in with my water and began to read over the book. First, page by page, scanning and taking in the photos, then back to the start to read in earnest. I didn't notice much going on around me (except the flurry of activity when Tyler Florence was ushered in to his seat at the book signing table) and kept reading.

I really couldn't pull myself away. We think alike about food and family on so many levels that I felt I could have written much of what I was reading. The recipes were at once familiar and different and I was intrigued. His fearless use of taboo fats and love for organic and fresh ingredients may not seem to go hand-in-hand, but it works very well and it's something I applaud him for.

When it came time for my book to be signed I didn't close it, rather I stood in line still engrossed with reading and when I stood before Mr. Florence, I think I actually said something completely stupid about not wanting to stop reading long enough to have him sign it. I vaguely recall mentioning the 7 kids and the fact that we'd thoroughly test the recipes. Not sure whether that was a complete failure or not, but it was the truth and I would hope that he'd take it as a compliment.

Kiki's Famous Coconut Cake - Perfection!

I did read it through - several times now - and have made many of the recipes. It's full of tried-and-true favorites from his childhood, from his grown-up family life, from the potlucks shared with neighbors and even recipes from his restaurants. Don't miss the story about El Paseo, the restaurant he and Sammy Hagar opened together. Yes, Sammy Hagar of VanHalen fame is quite the foodie.

The stories throughout give a glimpse into Tyler Florenece's life that you don't get in other books, something you'll be glad you read about. He's far more down-to-earth than most and his love and passion for food are shiningly evident in this tome. The photographs are elegant and homey at the same time, conveying the diversity of Mr. Florence's repertoire.

I took it upon myself to serve up a Sunday Dinner completely composed of recipes from this book and my family responded so well to it that it's now on the permanent dinner roster. What did I make? Chicken-Fried Steak with Southern Milk Gravy (perfectly seasoned), Buttermilk Biscuits (absolutely airy), Parmesan-Roasted Green Beans (my favorite part) and Kiki's Famous Coconut Cake (Divinity!).

Chicken-Fried Steak with Southern Milk Gravy, Buttermilk Biscuits and Parmesan-Roasted Green Beans

The verdict? Oh, well ... let me just say this, the next morning the 6 year-old and 4 year-old were asking if we could have steak and biscuits for breakfast, and the night before the 9 year-old wanted seconds at bedtime! Take note, those are my pickiest eaters. And you know, I have to say, I felt exactly the same way.

Pick up a copy of Tyler Florence Family Meal at the following book sellers:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

See more of Tyler Florence at:

TylerFlorence.com
Food Network
Twitter

Flavors of Malaysia

While Asian cuisine is something I am particularly fond of, Malaysian cuisine isn't something I've delved into too deeply. Flavors of Malaysia: A Journey through Time, Tastes, and Traditions by Susheela Raghavan is just the right book for initial exposure to the world of Malaysian food. It's packed with stories and facts about Malaysia and the food culture there. It's a colorful book in many ways; history, recipes and a beautiful center section of photographs.

The author's own history and the history of Malaysia could be a book in itself, but having it added to this cookbook makes it that much more interesting and useful when confronting Malaysian cuisine for the first time.

I tackled many recipes from this book including Lime Rice, Stir-fried Sambal Shrimp, Chicken Soup - Malay Style and Pineapple Tarts and each one was so flavorful and delicious even the youngest child in our home dove in and asked for seconds.

Many areas of the country are coming along and now have markets offering foodstuffs from across the globe, but if you aren't so fortuitous, the spices necessary for these recipes can be found on the author's own website, Taste of Malacca. Have a look at the site and please do check out this book, you'll be very glad to know Malaysian food the way that Susheela shares it and so will anyone you eat it with.

Buy your copy of Flavors of Malaysia from:

Amazon

Hippocrene Books

The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook

Mireille Guilliano, businesswoman extraordinaire and author took time out of her busy schedule recently to speak with me. Yes, me. I behaved myself rather well and didn't fall apart despite the fact that I was beyond nervous to speak to such an icon. I think I blathered on a bit too much about how I'd love to live in Provence, but she was gracious enough to listen to me.

I had read her first book, French Women Don't Get Fat, several years ago and, forgive the pun, absolutely devoured it. I, like so many American women, was searching for the answer to my expanding waistline and the best way to manage it. I thought then, and still think now, that Mireille hit the proverbial nail on the head with her book.

She espoused a more austere form of eating that had more to do with enjoying what one eats than how much one eats. There was no calorie counting or strict rules, just a common sense approach that was a sort of forehead slapping moment once I'd read it. Rather than the whole chicken, why not just a breast - and slowly consumed at that?

We are so busy and unfocused in America that eating has gone from pleasurable and deliberate to haphazard and as fast as we can get it. Mireille gently but effectively redirected us and has now expanded on her first book with a perfectly sensible and wonderfully delicious cookbook.

We chatted about college and the 'freshman 15', how food choices away from home are often difficult to make wisely (she knew this all too well from her own college days) and how getting to know your food can help to make better choices.

Her advice to parents wanting to make a family-wide change is to take your children to the market and helping them to connect with their food and where it comes from. Letting them help prepare is also a great way to help them want to eat better.

Over at Half Hour Meals we like to ask our interviewees which ingredients they can't live without. Mireille shared hers with me:

Dairy - especially cheese. Mireille has cheese every day.
Eggs - for their versatility and thrift. They're also quick to prepare for unexpected company.
Fresh fruits and vegetables.
Bread
Chocolate
Lemon
Vinegar
Olive oil

There are 150 recipes in the The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook - several from her other books because they were requested so often - and each one looks divine.

I'm completely smitten with her Miracle Breakfast Cream and I prepared the Caramelized Chicken with Vegetable “Pancake” and it was one of the best chicken dishes I've ever eaten and so quick and easy to prepare that it's become a regular dish here. In fact, you can watch Mireille prepare it here: http://mireilleguiliano.com/content/mireille-cooks-on-nbcs-today-show

Caramelized Chicken with Vegetable “Pancake”
• S e r v e s 4 •

For the Vegetable Pancake

1 carrot, washed and grated
2 medium potatoes, peeled
and grated
1 small zucchini, washed
and grated
1 garlic clove, peeled and
minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground
pepper

1. Place the grated carrot, potatoes, and zucchini
in the center of a large, clean kitchen towel. Wrap
tightly and squeeze as much liquid as possible
from the vegetables. Unroll and place the grated
vegetables in a large bowl. Add the garlic, thyme,
and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well.

2. In a large, nonstick sauté pan, heat the remaining
2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetable mixture to the pan, pressing
down so the pancake is about 1/2 inch thick and
cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Carefully
flip the pancake over (you can invert onto a
plate first and slide back into the pan if you are
nervous about the pancake falling apart) and continue
cooking until the other side is crisp and
golden and the vegetables are cooked, another 8 to
10 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Season to taste.


For the caramelized Chicken

1 lemon, rinsed, dried, and
quartered
12 small green olives, pitted
and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper
flakes
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless,
boneless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine the lemon, olives, red
pepper flakes, honey, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon
olive oil. Add the chicken breasts, season to
taste, and stir to coat.

2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a
large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the
chicken-lemon-olive mixture and sauté until the
chicken is cooked through and slightly caramelized,
about 8 minutes per side. Serve the chicken
with lemon and olives and accompanied by a
wedge of the vegetable pancake.

I so appreciate Mireille speaking with me and enlightening me about her books and her way of life - I love this cookbook and highly recommend it - there are no overly fussy recipes, just quick, delicious food that will satisfy more than your tummy.

Book provided by and interview arranged through Simon and Schuster.

Must-Have Summer Cookbooks

If you aren't aware by now that tomatoes are about my absolute favorite food on the planet (and probably off the planet, too) then you don't read this blog often enough. Let's just say, a day without tomatoes is a day without air. I have two cookbooks on-hand that I've been reading through for the past month or so and they have become books that I know I'll be using often.

The first is Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil written by fellow Pennsylvanian, Doug Oster and published by St. Lynn's Press, Pittsburgh. Come on, with a title like that, what's not to love? There's no way I'd walk by this one and not pick it up. These three ingredients are so key in many, many recipes and cuisines and this book delves into all three, but not just in recipes, in terms of growing and caring for all three, as well.

Planting, growing, harvesting and storing are covered for all three plants and the recipes run the gamut from old family favorites like Savory Tomato Sauce with Bacon (there's a must-read story behind that one!) to simple and quickly prepared dishes like the Simple Perfect Tomato Sandwich.

This book is also filled with personal stories and anecdotes that make it really worth the read. Whether you're looking for a recipe or a tip for keeping pests away from your tomatoes, you'll want to get your hands on this book.

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The second is simply titled Tomato by Lawrence Davis-Hollander published by Storey. Yep, there's a cookbook I wouldn't pass up in a million years. Think tomatoes are all sauce, salad and salsa? Wrong ... and deliciously so. There are 150 recipes featuring ones from Daniel Boulud, Alice Waters, Rick Bayless and many more world-renowned chefs.

The recipes begin with Sauces & Salsas and end with Desserts - Green Tomato Chocolate Cake, anyone? There are special chapters on Cooking with Heirloom Tomatoes and Preserving the Harvest and if you'd like to know of a Tomato Festival in your neck of the woods, there's a spot for that, too. There are fun tomato facts dotted throughout the book, as well that make it flat out fun to read.

I'm not sure which recipe I want to try first, but I do know that this book will get lots of play in my kitchen. There are recipes in here that I never would have thought of despite my fierce love for tomatoes. Check it out today and be prepared for the harvest this summer!

Cookbooks You Don't Want to Miss

Da Cajn Critter

What would you do if your home was taken away and you were displaced, with no real place to go and nothing but time to fill your days with? If you were Pamela Lyles, you'd pull yourself up by your bootstraps and make the most of it. Pamela and her family lost their home to Hurrican Katrina and were relocated to Houston, Texas where Pamela started writing down in earnest the recipes she had been storing up for years. She took a life-altering situation and made the most out of it and Da Cajn Critter is the delicious result.

With a slower paced look at life and food, Da Cajn Critter is more than just recipes, its a guide book to planning, shopping and cooking in the most efficient and family pleasing ways possible. Real NOLA and family Recipes like Aunt Bea's Cheese Cookies, Creole Pork Chops and Spicy Rice, Shrimp Po' Boys and Brownie with Double Chocolate Icing will keep you coming back for more and more. Don't miss grabbing your copy at Da Cajin Critter website.

Dollars to Donuts

Route 66, the American icon and home to Rock Cafe, owned by Dawn Welch is the backdrop for Dollars to Donuts, the companion cookbook to one seriously fabulous diner. Did you catch her spot on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? No? Go have a look and I'll wait for you.

Awesome, no? All those recipes along with tips galore on how to save money while feeding you family well are tucked between the covers of this book and you'll want to grab a copy for yourself just as fast as you can. Not only is this insanely delicious food, but Dawn Welch was named Oklahoma's Woman of the Year for 2009!

True to its Eat Big on a Dime and Save Time, 150 recipes like Paella with Spicy Sausage and Pot-Roasted Chicken with Saffron, Chickpeas, and Lemon, and decadent desserts like Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Pie are just what the family ordered. Find a copy of Dollars to Donuts at Amazon.com.

The Baking Answer Book

Ever bring a cake out of the over that could have been used as a frisbee? Ever wondered why? How about a fruit crisp topping that never gets crisp, but stays soggy and pale? What if there were a book that addressed these and many other vexing problems the everyday baker faces?

The Baking Answer Book is that book. Filled with questions and answers from the common to the more obscure, this is a book you will turn to again and again for help with your daily baking needs. From ingredients to equipment to specific baked goods, this book covers it all in an easy to understand way that even the most novice baker can follow.

Not only are there tips for every scenario, there are delicious recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, cobblers, yeast breads and pastries. Find your copy of The Baking Answer book at Amazon.com.

Cookbook Review: Cookin' with Coolio, 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price

I can take a cow out of Compton and make it taste better than Kobe beef at your favorite steakhouse. There's only one thing I've been doing longer than rapping: cooking. People don't know this about Coolio. I was making thirty-minute meals when I was ten years old and I haven't ever looked back. I'm the ghetto Martha Stewart, the black Rachael Ray. I am the kitchen pimp who won't hesitate to fillet Bobby Flay or send my posse after Emeril Lagasse.

What? Isn't Coolio a rapper? Yes, he is. My kids can attest to that fact. What they didn't know (and neither did I) was that he is also a quite talented cook. We have a large family in common (he has 6 kids, I have 7) and we both came from a not-so-well-to-do background of family cooks who knew how to make something from nothing and do it well.

His new book, Cookin' with Coolio, 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price, (Atria Books) can be brash and abrasive at times with some language that garners it an 'R' rating, but if you read between the lines, it becomes obvious that Coolio is not only talented behind the mic, but behind the stove, as well. His method is sound and his recipes ROCK.

There's nothing overly fancy here, just good food, prepared well and as fresh as possible. Mix in a double-dose of humor with a real passion for food and cooking and you have Cookin' with Coolio. This is a man who feels about food the way I do, there's no reason for budget to be a cause for lackluster or tasteless food.

Each recipe has notes from his Assistant Chef Jarez that help to make the most of the dish. Pay close attention to the beginning of the book - Coolio helps you set up your kitchen and pantry (ahem, 'Pimptry') in the most efficient way with everything you'll need. This book is created for the beginner with a limited budget, but the recipes aren't dumbed-down and certainly don't seem like budget food at all - 5 stars at a 1 star price is right on the money.

You need a sense of humor to read this, though - and if you do, you'll be laughing so hard you'll fall off your chair. I got started reading and couldn't stop - each page is hysterical, but so dead-on as far as cooking goes that I was honestly shocked.

I think the best part about this book is that it speaks to a whole new bunch of folks and bringing the art and love of cooking to them is just awesome. I commend Coolio for reaching out to and teaching the average guy how to cook.

Here's a recipe that's being shared freely, but if you get your hands on this book, make sure to also try the Soul Rolls, Kung Fu Chicken, Coolio's Meatless Grilla and Finger-Lickin'-Rib-Stickin'-Fall-off-the-Bone-and-into-Your-Mouth-Chicken just for starters.

Fresh Pickin' Raspberry Chicken

How long it takes: only 10 minutes to prep, and 25 minutes to cook
How much it makes: 4 people can chow down on this

What you need:

1 cup fresh raspberries
4 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 chicken breast halves (or wings, legs and thighs if you want)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 medium white onion
1 yellow chile pepper
½ cup sunflower oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Self-rising flour
Large Ziploc bag

What to do with it:

1. First, its time to make your homemade raspberry sauce. In a small pot, pour in the raspberries, sugar and salt. Put this over a low flame.

2. Add about 2 tablespoons of water just before it starts to simmer and bring it to a simmer. Let it all reduce down a bit, about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to crush up some of the raspberries and bring it all together. This is the coagulation we been talking about. When this really starts to bubble, take the pot off the heat and put it to the side.

3. Take your chicken breasts (or whatever) and massage them a little a bit before tossing them into a bowl. Pour in your balsamic vinegar. Let those luscious breasts sit and soak in the vinegar like a model in a bathhouse.

4. Take that onion and chop that bitch right up.

5. That yellow chile pepper of yours? Chop that bad boy up as well.

6. In a large-ass skillet, pour in the sunflower oil over high heat, along with your minced garlic, your chopped chile pepper, and your onion.

7. Let it all sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take in that amazing scent.

8. While you’re sautéing, take a large Ziploc bag and fill it up with some self-rising flour. Take them wonderful chicken breasts out and toss them into the bag, making sure they get fully and evenly coated with the flour.

9. Now, toss the chicken breasts into your simmering pan, lower the heat to medium, and let it cook for 10 minutes on each side. Givin’ them sexy breast an even tan.

10. Once that’s all done, place your chicken on a nice clean platter. Remember that raspberry sauce you made? Hell, yeah, you better! Drizzle that all over the place and let them chickens know that its time to get saucy. Serve it up!

Get your copy of Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price at Amazon and make sure to stop by his official website: http://www.coolio.com/

Check out A Thousand Soups for another Coolio recipe.

Cookbook Review: The Un-Constipated Gourmet

It's the thing nobody talks about but everyone suffers from at one time or another; constipation. You may think that topic has no business on a food blog and would be more appropriate for a health or medical blog, but try and remember, what goes in must come out, so starting with the source is one of those 'ounce of prevention' type deals. Yes, it's a funny subject, but fiber plays a very important role in our bodies, and not just for purposes of elimination. Fiber helps to keep cholesterol down, our hearts healthy and can reduce the risk of colon cancer, as well.

The Un-Constipated Gourmet by Danielle Svetcov deals with, in a very funny way, not just the subject of constipation, but the very best way to prevent it: what you're eating. Before you run away thinking this will be nothing short of a few recipes including bran muffins and prune whip, think again. Not only is there more to roughage than that, there's a lot more flavor involved, too.

Presented in a simple way, seven chapters and 125 recipes, each recipe is given a T.P. rating, the higher the score, the more likely you are to be hitting the potty in no time flat. I seem to be a number 8, having chosen recipes with that number more often than not. The recipe for Caldo Verde is shared at A Thousand Soups and the recipe for White Bean Dip with Cilantro is here. Danielle describes this as a Latino version of hummus, and my kids and I couldn't get enough of it. How did it, er ... work? Quite well - that's all I'll say here.

This isn't just a book for the colonically challenged, it's filled with just plain good recipes that you'll want to make anyway.

White Bean Dip with Cilantro

Serves 8 as an appetizer

3 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup olive oil (maybe more)

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves

3 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Process all ingredients in a blender except for 2 tablespoons of cilantro, which are saved for garnish. For added 'go', serve with thick tortilla chips or homemade whole-wheat croutons (essentially thinly sliced, heavily toasted bread, with olive oil and garlic rubbed in).

Get your own copy of The Un-Constipated Gourmet at Powell's Books or Amazon.com.

Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook by Dawn Hall

Photo and recipe used with permission from Dawn Hall and Thomas Nelson Publishing

I don't normally 'gush' about anything. I get excited, but I try to keep myself in check when I find something I like. I can't contain this: I adore Dawn Hall!

I got to speak with Dawn yesterday on the phone for quite some time. I called to interview her for today's post at the HalfHourMeals.com blog, Food for Thought. Once we got to talking, we couldn't stop. I knew that we had a few things in common, but after chatting for a bit, the parallels between our lives just kept going on. I could well have stayed on the phone to no end with her, but the kids kept interrupting and dinner needed to be made, so we said our good-byes and promised to keep in touch.

Today is the debut of Dawn's 10th book, her 8th Busy People's cookbook, Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook. I've looked over recipes, read other reviews and talked with the woman herself and I can tell you this: There is nothing fussy about this or any one of her cookbooks - it's just good food, simply (and frugally!) prepared in 30 minutes or less and with 7 ingredients or less - and healthy to boot. It's the perfect addition to any busy person's collection (and aren't we all busy nowadays?) with the added benefit of each and every recipe fitting into a tight budget - and I know we all fit into that category lately.

You can read more about Dawn at HalfHourMeals.com or at her website DawnHallCookbooks.com, on the Cooking for Busy People Fan Page on Facebook, on Twitter, on her television show, Cooking for Busy People and at YouTube.com. That's more than enough Dawn to keep you busy for a while!

Here is a recipe of hers that I like for several reasons; my kids would all like it, it's super-fast to make and I can definitely fit it into my budget. Everything you need to know to make this is here (and in the book!) from timing to equipment to shopping lists. Also check out one of her soup recipes posted today at A Thousand Soups. You can purchase a copy of Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook at Amazon.com.

Apple Pie with Granola Crumb Topping

The crust is very flaky, the filling is very tasty and the crumb topping is sweet and crunchy, thus the ideal combination for a quick and easy home-style light apple pie that is every bit as delicious as the high calorie versions but a lot easier on the waist line!

Ingredients:

10 fillo (phyllo) dough sheets
½ cup oatmeal
1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons light butter
1 (20-ounce) can no sugar added apple pie filling
1(.14-ounce) pouch Alpine spiced cider sugar-free apple flavor drink mix from a (1.4-ounce) box of 10 pouches

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Make Pie Shell:

Take 10 sheets of fillo (phyllo) dough and lay them flat.
Spray each sheet of dough with butter flavor cooking spray. Individually stack the sheets into a pie plate like tire spindles, crossing in the center. Allow the extra to hang over the sides of the pie plate.
With sharp scissors, cut the fillo (phyllo) dough hanging off the edges of the pie plate.
Place pie dough in oven for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.
Make Granola:

Take the cut off excess of fillo (phyllo) dough and finely chop it. Place in a medium size mixing bowl.
Add to mixing bowl ½ cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix and 2 tablespoons light butter.
Using a spatula cut the ingredients together. Set aside.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread the oatmeal mixture on the baking sheet. Bake for 4-5 minutes, just until the butter melts.
Remove from oven and with a spatula stir the oatmeal mixture around the baking sheet making a caramelized granola.
Make Pie Filling:

In a microwave safe mixing bowl combine 1 (20-ounce) can no sugar added apple pie filling and 1(.14-ounce) pouch Alpine spiced cider sugar-free apple flavor drink mix from a (1.4-ounce) box of 10 pouches.
Cover with wax paper and cook in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and heat for 1 additional minute.

Assemble Pie:

Place the apple filling in the made pie shell.
Top with the granola that you made and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Calories per serving: 188 (15% fat); Total fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Carbohydrate: 37 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 2 g; Sodium: 125 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 1/2 carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Helpful Hint:

This pie needs to be eaten the same day it’s made or the crust will become soggy.
This pie comes together very quickly so have all of your ingredients sitting out.
This pie does not freeze well.
Phyllo Dough (also spelled Fillo Dough) is in the freezer section. It comes in 1-pound boxes. Each box has about 40 sheets in one box of Phyllo dough. It is super simple to work with, so do not be intimidated to use it, if you never have before.


Supplies List :

Oven
Pie plate
Sharp scissors
Timer
Cutting board
Medium sized mixing bowl
Baking sheet
Microwave safe mixing bowl
Wax paper
Microwave oven

Grocery List :

DAIRY

Light butter

FROZEN

10 fillo (phyllo) dough sheets

PACKAGED

Oatmeal (1/2 cup needed)
1 (20-ounce) can no sugar added apple pie filling
1 (.14-ounce) pouch Alpine spiced cider sugar-free apple flavor drink mix

PANTRY

Splenda brown sugar blend
Pumpkin pie spice
Butter flavor cooking spray
Non-stick cooking spray

This recipe is provided by Dawn Hall and is from Busy People’s Fast & Frugal Cookbook - re-printed with permission.