Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Currently Cooking - Giada's Kitchen

GIADA'S KITCHEN - New Italian Favorites by Giada de Laurentiis

This cookbook has a copyright of 2008. I have no idea where I got this cookbook. I have never cooked from this book before.

As a fan of Giada's I do own a few of her cookbooks (I've cooked from Giada's Family Dinners before) so I'm not surprised that I picked up her latest book somewhere along the way. The blurb on the back says that these recipes are focused on "fresh ingredients, simple preparation, and bright flavors". Her introduction states the book includes "hearty but not overwhelming" recipes and that every dish is "beautiful on the plate".

One thing I noticed flipping through this book is that some of the recipes seemed familiar. There is no "Food Network" symbol on the book, but lots of folks have made comments that the recipes in this book are ones she has showcased on her cooking shows. Since I don't pay that much attention to the shows, I can't verify that info.

Standard chapters with a chapter entitled "(Not) Just for Kids. To be honest I'm not sure if that chapter is supposed to be about getting kids to cook or cooking things that kids will eat. Some of the recipes in that chapter seem a bit much to have children try to make though they all look like something a kid with a decent palate might eat (Parmesan Fish Sticks, Mini Calzones). There are a few pages of menus (Italian Picnic, Ladies Lunch) along with the standard index. There are photos of most of the finished dishes and yes, even a few of Giada and her cleavage.

I wouldn't say this is a beginner cookbook. There are techniques or things to do that just seem to be missing in some of the instructions that a person just starting out might question. Also I don't think most of these dishes would be categorized as quick and easy. Simple maybe, but some seem to have a lot of steps or take a bit of time. Though I think I can find most ingredients, some might have problems getting black sesame seeds, calamari with tentacles, Taleggio Cheese or raspberry vinegar (though don't let that stop you, most of the recipes have basic stuff in them).

Dishes that I have bookmarked are Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers, Pecorino Crackers, Linguine and Prosciutto Frittatas (cute little individual servings!), Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust, Rib-Eye Steak with Black Olive Vinaigrette, Chicken Scaloppine with Saffron Cream Sauce, Ricotta Cappuccino, Pizza Pot Pies.

Can't say that this book screams at me "make every dish" but there are some interesting recipes that I'd like to try.

Current Cookbook - Fiery Foods That I Love

FIERY FOODS THAT I LOVE by Chef Paul Prudhomme

This cookbook has a copyright of 1995. I have no idea where I got this cookbook. I have never cooked from this before.

This cookbook also had a companion series on PBS. I do remember watching some of the episodes but I don't remember if I bought the book because of the series.

Open this book and have a freak out. The ingredient lists for most of the recipes are LOOOONG. We're talking 27 ingredients for Zucchini-Filled Muffin Cups, 24 ingredients for Hot Bittersweet Eggplant, 31 ingredients for Tomato Cream Chicken! But if you look closer, you'll realized that 3/4's of those ingredients are spices. Now of course using 15 spices in a Tomato Cream Chicken recipe might also seem a bit much but at least it's a lot of measuring and not chopping!

Since the cookbook has "fiery" in the title you can guarantee that most of the dishes are going to have some sort of kick. This kick usually comes from using some sort of spice. Once you get passed the freak out of the number of ingredients you'll find the following: A Notes from the Kitchen chapter giving tips for the recipes (what he means by high heat, info about chili peppers), standard chapters for fish, meat, soups, etc, along with a "Sweet Surrender" chapter all about desserts (but don't worry, they aren't of the "fiery" type, no jalapenos in the custard type of stuff). There is also a small glossary which goes into the different spices and such required in the recipes. There are some photographs huddled together in two sections of the book. Can't say they are the most appetizing photos (due to the nature of all the spices, the dishes seem to be the same basic color) but they do give you some idea as to what a dish is supposed to look like. There is a symbol for recipes that may be too hot for the average person.

Did I mention spices? A lot of spices. I admit it can be a bit daunting. I know folks that don't have more than ten spices in their spice rack much less some 20 different spices for one dish. Though a majority of these can be found at any really well stocked grocery store, I think some folks might have trouble finding things like Dried Arbol Chili Peppers, ground fenugreek, file powder, dried guajillo peppers or other ingredients like cane syrup, tamari, white balsamic vinegar (I can find pretty much all of the items in the book at either my local gourmet grocery store or off Amazon.com). Mr. Prudhomme does make a line of dried peppers (those that are required in the book) that can be bought online from his store kpauls.com.

Though the ingredient lists might be long, the recipes themselves don't seem to be too labor intensive (though there are exceptions to that rule). Beans with Chorizo might have twenty ingredients but other than soaking the beans a day before, it doesn't require a lot of work to actually make the dish.

The recipes in this book sound wonderful: Fire Roasted Golden Pepper Bread, Tomatillo Soup, Western Chili (with the too hot for some symbol), Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing, Hot and Sour Shrimp, Shrimp in Mango Cream, Fried Talapia, Chicken in Cauliflower Cream, Smothered Potatoes, Cabbage and Andouille...the list goes on.

I think as a person who loves hot and spicy foods, I'll enjoy cooking out of this book.

Current Cookbook - Cooking From the Hip

COOKING FROM THE HIP - Fast, Easy, Phenomenal Meals by Cat Cora with Ann Krueger Spivack

This cookbook has a copyright of 2007. I bought this book at Barnes & Noble for $7.98. I have never cooked from this before.

I picked this book up mainly because Cat Cora looks amazing on the front. It helped that the photos of the recipes looked good and the recipes themselves sounded interesting. And she's an Iron Chef. I figured a cookbook for quick and easy meals from an Iron Chef should be good.

The cookbook is divided into five chapters: Fast (30 minutes or less) Easy (not a lot of thought to put together) Fun (recipes that family and friends can help with), Phenomenal (for special evenings) and Good to Know (basic recipes like stock and roasting bell peppers).

I have to admit, most of the recipes don't seem fast or easy to me. The instructions do seem easy to follow. Cat gives notes on a lot of the recipes which tell you little tips and tricks to make things easier/faster. She introduces each recipe with a background on an ingredient, the dish itself or substitutions you can make. Interspersed throughout are pages of information (information about Hash, what it is and how to make it using leftovers or definitions of different rices and how to use them). Though almost every recipe has a photo, not every photo is of the finished dish, some are just of ingredients.

The recipes sound intriguing...Shiitake Duxelles Tea Sandwiches, Medjool Dates with Goat Cheese and Toasted Almonds, Greek Lamb and Olive Burgers with Garlic "Sauce", Lemonade Cookies, Salmon Fillets with Fava Bean Sauce, Tropical Fruit and Jerk Chicken Sushi, Pomegranate-Glazed Duck Breast with Pear, Pearl Onion, and Mushroom Hash.

Looks like an interesting cookbook and I have many pages bookmarked to try.

Current Cookbook - Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

MARTHA STEWART'S CUPCAKES - 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat by Martha Stewart

This cookbook has a copyright of 2009. I bought this at Costco back in June for $14.99 (see the post here about that). I have never cooked from this book before.

I've bought every Martha Stewart book ever published so it's not surprising that I bought this the day it came out. And when I started going through looking at all the photos of the cupcake recipes, I kinda figured it might turn into my favorite Martha cookbook.

The book starts out with a few pages of the chapters that await you. The cupcakes are divided into Swirled and Sprinkled, Dipped and Glazed, Simple and Sweet, Filled and Layered, Piped and Topped, Birthdays, Holidays and Celebrations. You'll find things like Tiramisu Cupcakes in Swirled and Sprinkled and Blackberry Cornmeal Cupcakes in Simple and Sweet. There is a brief introduction page and a quick "any day" page just letting you know that cupcakes are appropriate any time of the day or year.

The back of the book has a chapter on The Basics which includes pages on ingredients, tools for baking or decorating, working with fondant, a nice list of pastry tips, an extensive list of frosting recipes like cream cheese or Swiss meringue buttercream. Recipes for sugar cookie cutouts and how to make chocolate mint leaves are also included in the basics section. There is a chapter on Displaying and Giving and a Templates and Clip Art section. The index area lists sources for vendors and the equipment, display plates etc. that she uses in the book. Pretty extensive index by ingredient, recipe, type.

The best thing about this book are the photos. It's kinda hard to showcase a cupcake unless it's frosted and decorated and Martha does a wonderful job here. The photos really make me want to eat make all the cupcakes in the book. She makes something as simple as a Stout Cupcake (the photo is just the cupcake with the glaze dripping over the sides) look delicious. But honestly, it's the decoration of the cupcakes where this book really shines. Things like Ladybug Cupcakes which have little marzipan ladybugs nestled in green buttercream grass or Wise Owl Cupcakes which uses pretzels to make the owl face, these are quintessentially Martha.

Though some of the cupcakes will take a bit of work to make, Martha does give pretty good instruction. No strange ingredients and though you might need some basic decorating tools for some of the more decorative cupcakes, any cupcake recipe listed would work fine with just a simple frosting.

This is the part of the post where I usually list what recipes have caught my eye, which recipes might tempt me to try them. Impossible with this book. I seriously want to try them all....from simple things like Red Velvet Cupcakes or Devil's Food Cupcakes to Tres Leches Cupcakes or Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes. Oh and did I mention the Halloween Cupcakes?  The Shark and Sand Dune Cupcakes I have to make the next time I have folks over to watch a hockey game? Yep. Every single recipe is on my list.

Note: Those of you that have bought MS Living magazine or have received newsletters from Martha might recognize some of the cupcakes in the book.

Current Cookbook - Kitchen Express

KITCHEN EXPRESS - 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make In 20 Minutes Or Less by Mark Bittman

This cookbook has a copyright of 2009. I bought this from Amazon.com a few weeks ago. I have never cooked from this before.

This book scares me. Bittman wrote it to make me think. Wait, no he wrote it to stop me from thinking. Oh I don't know I just know he wrote it not like any other cookbook I have in my collection and it took me a bit to wrap my brain around it.

See. There are no recipes. At least like I'm used to. There isn't a list of ingredients. There is just one paragraph for each dish that tells you what to do with the food. Bittman calls the recipes "precisely imprecise". Oh, he gives you some help here and there by mentioning a teaspoon of this or a couple of that. But most recipes? Take some chicken. Rub with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and dredge lightly in flour. Add some herbs. Saute till done. My precise recipe focused mind says: Wait...chicken? What kind of chicken? You don't tell me how much. What if I have too much chicken? OH MY GOD I'LL RUIN THE DISH! No, Bittman is making me take a step back. He's making me take a deep breath. He's trying to make me a cook that thinks like a pot cook and not a knife cook. He's trying to make me cook without stress, without boundaries, HE'S TRYING TO SET ME FREE!!!!! You may laugh but for some of us "recipe" cooks, Bittmans asking a lot. He's asking us to take a chance. To maybe make
something that we can throw together without having to spend half an hour trying to figure out what to put on the table. I think he really is trying to set us free.

But it still scares the hell out of me.

Reviews of this books say it's not for beginners. That you have to know how to cook to use the book. But I think I'm going to disagree here. If you already know how to cook, cooking this way should be easy. But for those of us trying to wade our way through recipe books trying to make ourselves better cooks, to be given a guide like this that kinda just says "go for it" can be a bit liberating. Now, it's true that because my brain doesn't work this way, I may make some mistakes and some of the dishes might not come out quite the way they are expected to. But I'm thinking that's okay. That maybe next time I'll try something a bit different or add a pinch more of this or try another piece of that. Hell Bittman, you may make a cook out of me yet.

There is a wonderful introduction that explains the philosophy of the book. If I could I'd copy it word for word here because it makes perfect sense as to why he wrote the recipes the way he did. Basically what I think he was trying to get across is that every cook and every kitchen is different. The pot you use might not be the exact measurements of the one he uses. The chicken breast you buy at the store might not be the exact size or quality that he was able to get. So that no matter how much direction a recipe gives you, it might not always turn out the way the recipe reads. Which means recipes have to be a bit more forgiving, or you have to be able to "use your own judgment" when cooking.

There is a page on how to use the book (sections are given more for fresh ingredients than seasons, oil should be heating while you are chopping so you will be multitasking a bit, cooking methods are flexible etc.) There is a page about ingredients along with a section on what you should have in your pantry/fridge/freezer to be able to make these dishes in a snap. There is a substitution page where he lets you know if you don't have (or don't like) cauliflower you can substitute broccoli or swap zucchini for eggplant. He also has a section which list desserts you can have no matter what season, recipes that can be used as appetizers, best dishes for reheating...sort of a "here's what else you can do with these dishes". The index is pretty extensive by ingredient.  And yes, all the dishes are supposed to take 20 minutes or less to make...which for me means maybe in less than 45 minutes (your "Rachael Rayness may vary here).

The book has 404 recipes which are divided into four sections: summer, fall, winter and spring. Each section has 101 recipes. They are simple. Most ingredients aren't too out there but something like nam pla, sherry vinegar or bean threads might not be in everyone's pantry and take some work to find. There is just a paragraph of instructions for each dish. If you are familiar at all with Bittmans 'The Minimalist NY Times' columns with things like 101 Simple Salads for the season, the recipes are a lot like that. Again, directions are full of "Mix a cup of sour cream with diced canned chipotles along with a little of their sauce". Yes, my mind screams "But how much? What size can!?". But after a while, I was able to stop the screaming in my head and just realize there were many dishes in the book that I'd love to try even if they are precisely imprecise.

Spicy CHicken Tacos with Chipotle Cream, Crab Cake Burger, Grilled Skirt Steak with Tomatillo Salsa, Lamb Chops with Lemony Yogurt Sauce, Blueberry Ricotta Cheesecakes, Pasta with Spicy Shellfish, Blackberries with Champagne and Tarragon, Deviled Eggs with Crab. And these are all just out of the Summer section.

Will these take me 20 minutes or less? I doubt it. But they do seem pretty quick and easy. Will I have all the ingredients in my pantry? Hardly. I'll be making a grocery list and stopping on my way home from work to pick ingredients up. But I think I can get used to this type of cookbook and I think Bittman is a bit brilliant to make me think without thinking with this cookbook.

Small Plates - August 17, 2009

No this is not a review of the movie Julie & Julia. If you're looking for that you can find a ton of reviews online and on most food blogs. I will say that I loved the movie. I think Meryl Streeps portrayal of Julia was brilliant. I own two copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (no I have not cooked from them yet). I own both books the movie was based on (see photo). Loved them both. And yes, I'm DYING to make Julias Beef Bourguignon. No this post is in defense of Julie Powell.

I do not know Julie Powell. I do not think she's the most awesome cook. I do not agree with all her political views nor all her "foodie" views. But I do think she's getting a bit of a raw deal when it comes to reviews of her and her portrayal in the movie. I can't seem to read a review of the movie these days that doesn't say how great Meryl Streeps portrayal of Julia child is without also reading how sucky Julie Powells story is. So, I would just like to throw my two cents in and comment on some of the negative comments I've come across.

*This is a MOVIE...that was BASED on two books. The movie was not a documentary. That means that certain things in both books were left out. And, as with most movies BASED on a book, certain things were combined or created and put in the movie that did not happen in real life. Certain scenes (think the meeting with the girlfriends at the start of the movie) didn't happen at all. Julie Powell admits that the Julie in the movie is much "softer" and nicer than she is. I found the Julie in the movie to be a lot less "fun" than the Julie in the book.

*I keep reading about how Julie Powell was "just another of those food bloggers who started her blog just to get a book deal and become famous, just like all the gazillion food bloggers currently out there". Folks, Julie started her blog in 2002. Though there were food bloggers back then, there wasn't  nearly the amount there are these days. And back then bloggers weren't featured so readily in cooking magazines or newspapers. And I don't know any food bloggers who had book deals in 2002. Though it might have been a nice idea, getting a book deal was the furthest thing from her mind when she started the blog. 2002 was the year that blogging started to really take off. There were only 750,000 Blogger accounts that year. Wanna guess how many there are now and how many of those are food blogs? Yes, I think a lot of folks started blogging about their food after Julie and were hoping for a book deal just like her. But not every food blogger out there is after a book deal and I certainly don't think that was why Julie started her blog (though it seemed to be portrayed that way in the movie).

*"Julie had an affair. How dare they not put that in the movie." Yes. Julie had an affair, but it wasn't during the timeframe of the book. It happened way after. In fact, Julie has written a new book where she writes about the affair. But why should it have been in the movie? It wasn't in the book the movie was based upon and had no bearing on the story in general.

*"I hated the book, it didn't have many recipes". I had to laugh when I read this. Last time I checked Julie's book wasn't a cookbook. And last time I checked there already is a book that contains all the recipes Julie cooked. I have no idea why this makes Julie Powell such a person to hate or why her part in the movie should be frowned upon. By the way, don't go to see the movie if all you are looking for is recipes because there aren't any recipes in the movie either.

*"Julie Powell isn't a serious cook." Actually, though I saw this on a blog review or two, I think the quote came from Julia Child herself: "I don't think she's a serious cook."  Julie didn’t start the blog to set out to be a better cook, she set out to become a better writer. Yes, she learned to cook, but that wasn’t the point. I don't think Julie Powell thinks of herself as a serious cook either. I'm not a serious cook. That doesn't mean I don't cook, love food (or read way to many food blogs!)

*I didn't like the blog/book because it was all about her (Julie)". And therefor they didn't like the Julie part of the movie because it was all about Julie. Um gee. Isn't a personal blog usually about the person who writes it? Yes, there are exceptions, but most food blogs I know are about the folks that write them and what they are cooking. It's about what the blogger finds interesting or newsworthy.

I'll stop now. I could go on because the reasons that folks have found to "dislike" the "Julie" part of the movie astound me. But I believe I'm starting to rant. I'm starting to sound like Julie in parts of her book. Except I can't use the "F" word on my blog. I have no problems with reviews of the movie, of the acting or the script. I too, found the Julia part of the movie much more interesting. And I'm not sure why I'm reacting so much to the negative reviews of Julie the person. I just know that along with Julia Child, the Food Network and other food bloggers, Julie Powell gave me that extra edge to get off my butt and start cooking. I will always thank her for that. And the realization that maybe, just maybe, I could take out Mastering the Art of French Cooking and cook from it (as soon as I find those two copies that are still in storage).

This is what Julie wrote on her blog about Julia Child "...the fact that she might not for whatever reason adore me as much as I adore her has absolutely no bearing on what is wonderful about her. Throughout her life, Julia nurtured and encouraged and gave great help to chefs and writers both. And she changed my life. No matter what she - or anyone else, for that matter - thought of the project. I know why I did what I did, and I am proud that I spent a year writing and cooking in tribute to one the most wonderful women I've ever not met."

Please note: This opinion is solely my own. Any resemblance to person or persons living or dead is purely coincidental. No animals were hurt in the making of this post. Your mileage may vary. Semper Fi.

Please note: I was going to post this Saturday, which would have been Julia Childs birthday. Alas I have the flu so I missed Julias birthday AND National Rum day which was yesterday. No worries, I'll just have some rum when I get well.

Current Cookbook - Build A Better Burger

BUILD A BETTER BURGER - Celebrating Sutter Home's Annual Search for America's Best Burgers by James McNair

This cookbook has a copyright of 2005. I bought this cookbook at Barnes & Noble for about seven bucks in the discount section. I have not cooked from this before.

I had no idea that Sutter Home wines had a burger contest every year. Probably because the contest is NOT open to Californians. Yes, the winery is in California, but something about the laws here mean we can't enter.  Go figure. This contest has been going on for almost twenty years in the Napa Valley. And the Grand Prize for the best burger each year? $50,000. That would buy a whole lot of burgers.

This cookbook marked the 15th Anniversary of the burger cook-off. It includes each of the 44 recipes that have won awards since the Build a Better Burger contest started. Some of the chefs and cookbook authors who have judged the cook-off also have recipes in the book. Sutters culinary director and executive chef, Jeffrey Starr, suggests a wine match for each recipe and offers general burger and wine pairing tips.

The book starts with a brief history of Sutter Home, the contest and burgers in general. The book is organized by year. Each year highlights that years winning burger recipe/s. There are a few pages about the judges and then a list of the judges, the year they judged and a brief bio of each (past judges include Joey Altman, Jan Birnbaum, Flo Baker, Marion Cunningham, Thomas Keller, Sheila Lukins, Cindy Pawlcyn, and Barbara Tropp). There is a section of burgers from a handful of the judges and a section on guidelines for building a better burger (which includes contest guidelines). There is also a list of the winners and finalists from 1990 through 2004.

There are photos of every burger. Great photos. Yummy looking photos. I dare anyone to pick up this cookbook and not start craving a burger. I found the index lacking as it only highlighted recipes. I would have liked to have had one that went by ingredient since the burgers are so ingredient driven.

And by ingredient driven I mean lots of ingredients. You don't just get some meat with a topping. You get a burger comprised of ground beef, Australian crystallized ginger, White Zin, soy sauce, mirin, spices and a topping of Grilled Jicama and Onion (that's for the Gingered-Beef Burgers). There are  ingredients that might not be easy to find in local markets....dried black Chinese mushrooms, duck sauce...but I could honestly find most of the ingredients listed in my gourmet market.  And the patties are made from ground beef, ground sirloin, turkey, chicken, lamb, tuna...even beans.

But the thing to remember is that these aren't burgers you're going to whip up when you get home from work. They're gourmet burgers which are going to take some time to prep and more ingredients and instructions than normal burgers (the recipe for Mini Duck Burgers with Shiitake Mushroom Ketchup and Hot-Sweet Mustard Sauce has 37 ingredients for marinade, patties, ketchup and sauce).

But the burgers do sound awesome and some don't look like they would take that much to make. Spicy Sausage Burgers with Roasted Pepper Relish, Peppered Jamaican Jerk Burgers, Mediterranean Tuna Burgers with Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise, Green Chile Chicken Burgers with Orange-Chili Mayonnaise and Three-Pepper Cheese Spread, Carolina Pork Barbecue Burgers, Hawaiian Tuna Burgers with Maui Wowee Salsa. Seriously, while I doubt I'll ever make all these burgers, I'd certainly go to  a restaurant that served these and try them all.

For more information about the Build a Better Burger contest go here. The contest has closed for this year but you can find more recent recipes and maybe try out for next year!

Please ignore the cat in the photo. She decided it was time to play fetch when I was taking the cookbook photos.

Current Cookbook - Williams-Sonoma Salads

THE WILLIAMS-SONOMA COLLECTION: SALAD - By Georgeanne Brennan

This cookbook has a copyright of 2002. I don't know where I got this book. I have not cooked from this before.

I know what you're thinking. A book that tells you how to make salads? They're so easy! But this is a bit more than a basic salad cookbook. This book isn't about just tossing some greens together with a dressing.

This book only has about 40 or so recipes. The chapters are divided into classic salads, salads by the seasons and then picnic salads. Each recipe has a really nice colored photo of the finished dish. There are a few pages in the back about salad basics (recipes for dressings and mayo) and a glossary of ingredients.  That glossary also gives tips on things like peeling mangoes. The index is really nice as it lists not only the recipes but lots of ingredients so if you have bell peppers or capers you want to use, you can look up which recipes in the book call for them. I didn't find any ingredients that I couldn't locate at my nearest grocery store though some of the fresh fruits and vegetables might be hard to find in certain areas (like blood oranges).

The salad recipes can be pretty substantial. The recipes in the Classics section range from dishes like Caesar and Cobb to Ambrosia. The Spring section includes Asparagus and Smoked Salmon with Tarragon Cream Salad along with a recipe for Baby Spinach with Ginger-Glazed Scallops. You'll find Tomato and Bread Salad with Deep-Fried Chicken Bites and Thai-Style Beef Salad in the Summer Section. Autumn features Mushrooms and Fennel with Parmesan Crisps and Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Arugula. Winter Salads include Mixed Citrus with Red Onions and Escarole and Duck Breast with Radicchio and Bitter Greens. A recipe for Rice Salad with Tuna and Capers is included in the Picnic section along with a recipe for White Peaches with Almonds and Currants.

The book sure looks good, great photography. And most of the salads sound pretty tasty. With additions of fish, poultry and beef, these salads definitely go beyond just a recipe for greens and dressing.

Dear Mr. L

Dear Mr. L

It's not my fault, I'm innocent, I'm not responsible. It wasn't me, I didn't do it on purpose, I had no control over the situation.

I went to Costco yesterday to get some paper towels. Seriously, we were getting low and I just figured I'd be the one to traipse all the way over to Costco at lunch to pick some up. I fully went in to just buy the towels and nothing else. But this is Costco and the paper towels were in the back so it's not my fault that I had to go by the cookbook section to get to them.

I really didn't plan on picking up the new Martha Stewart Cupcakes cookbook. I mean, I did know that it was coming out on the 2nd and I did see that ad in the Costco newsletter that they would be carrying it and I could have pre-ordered it from Amazon but I was a good girl and didn't. And yes, I dragged you to Barnes and Noble Monday night after getting the new kitten proof garbage cans at BB & B, but it really wasn't just because I thought that there was a tiny possibility that they'd get the Cupcake cookbook a day early. 

See it's not my fault. My brain is thinking cupcakes. Godson had cupcakes at his birthday party Sunday and Godson's Mom sent home cupcakes with you and we've been eating cupcakes for three days and so my brain was thinking cupcakes.

And then there was Martha. I heard her. When I walked passed the cookbooks I heard her voice call to me... "Mrs. L you have all my other cookbooks, why on earth would you not add this one to your collection?"...and then I heard that cackle she does and I knew if she was standing in front of me she would be looking at me with those eyes that said "I bake everything from scratch, do twenty scrapbooking pages a day, churn my own butter, milk my own cows, tape a popular TV show, sew my own drapes, plant corn fields, groom horses and I do all that before noon! You can buy my book and make some damn cupcakes!".

So it's not my fault. I couldn't help myself. I walked out of Costco yesterday with paper towels to last us a year and the new Martha Stewart Cupcake cookbook.

Will it help if I let you pick out the first cupcakes I bake?

Your loving wife who lacks any willpower when it comes to buying new Martha Stewart cookbooks,
Mrs. L

Current Cookbook- The California Wine Country Cookbook

THE CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY COOKBOOK - Edited by Robert and Virginia Hoffman

This cookbook has a copyright of 1991. I got this book at a winery. I have never cooked from this before.

I believe I bought this book at some winery where I went wine tasting many years ago. I know that I bought it specifically because my Grandma W owned the cookbook and because of a specific dish that seemed similar to something she makes. The book says the recipes come from 58 chefs, winemakers and wineries. Several pages are devoted to listing those chefs and wineries that participated. Some have well known names...Charles Krug, Clos du Val, Korbell, Rodney Strong, Stag's Leap, Sutter Home. Some wineries I'd never heard of. Some, like Adler Fels I know only because of wines they have recently started producing (Adler Fels makes Leaping Lizard which I know of).

The book starts with a brief history of California Wine County which, in this 1991 edition, is already pretty dated (the last revision I found online was 1995). The index lists by name of recipe only. I wish there had been an index for wineries and by type of wine.

There is a nice little guideline which tells you approximately how much wine you might add to a dish as you are cooking. For example if you are broiling fish, they recommend about a 1/4 cup of white wine to go with your ingredients.

Standard chapters. No photos. Sometimes two recipes to a page. Each recipe lists either the chef and/or the winery the recipe comes from. The recipes seem pretty straight forward though the directions can be a little lacking which I think can happen when you have so many different folks offering recipes. I did find a few recipes that called for things like "Tiger Lily Blossoms" or "Fresh Golden Caviar" but most of the ingredients are things you can find in a regular grocery store.

I've bought some wine cooking books before that always seem to scare me. They don't call for "a cup of merlot wine" in the ingredients, they'll list "a 2001, special reserve bottle of "insert winery" wine where the grapes were picked at midnight by virgin males under the age of twenty who have iPhones and dogs named Pete". I then spend my time trying to find a wine that is similar to the one that is requested and always end up asking questions like "okay, the dog's name is "Peter" is that the same thing???" Luckily most of the recipes here call for " 1/4 cup of champagne" or "one cup Cabernet Sauvignon". I like that though they suggest you use their wines, they allow you to make the dish with whatever is on hand.

There are several recipes in this book that do not include wine in the ingredients (Pork with Apples and Ginger, Tomato Basil Pasta, Sonoma Goat Cheese Torta) but which do suggest a good wine to go with the meal.

Some of the dishes I've bookmarked to try: Mushrooms a la Gloria from Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves; Spirited Ragout from the Louis Martini Winery; Medallions of Pork with Champagne Mustard Sauce from Korbel; Country Cactus Meatloaf from Timbercrest Farms; Chardonnay Shrimp from Charles Krug Winery; Port Torte from the Ficklin Vineyards. I definitely think this is a book I could make more than one recipe from.