Posted in 4 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Recipe, Review on June 13, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

The first major Gullah Geechee cookbook from “the matriarch of Edisto Island,” who provides delicious recipes and the history of an overlooked American community

The history of the Gullah and Geechee people stretches back centuries, when enslaved members of this community were historically isolated from the rest of the South because of their location on the Sea Islands of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Today, this Lowcountry community represents the most direct living link to the traditional culture, language, and foodways of their West African ancestors.

Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, written by Emily Meggett, the matriarch of Edisto Island, is the preeminent Gullah cookbook. At 87 years old, and with more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Meggett is a respected elder in the Gullah community of South Carolina. She has lived on the island all her life, and even at her age, still cooks for hundreds of people out of her hallowed home kitchen. Her house is a place of pilgrimage for anyone with an interest in Gullah Geechee food. Meggett’s Gullah food is rich and flavorful, though it is also often lighter and more seasonal than other types of Southern cooking. Heirloom rice, fresh-caught seafood, local game, and vegetables are key to her recipes for regional delicacies like fried oysters, collard greens, and stone-ground grits. This cookbook includes not only delicious and accessible recipes, but also snippets of the Meggett family history on Edisto Island, which stretches back into the 19th century. Rich in both flavor and history, Meggett’s Gullah Geechee Home Cooking is a testament to the syncretism of West African and American cultures that makes her home of Edisto Island so unique.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Abrams Books

 

 

Review

 

This book is so much more than just a cookbook. It is also the story of the Gullah Geechee people and their history and traditions. There is also the story of Emily Hugchingson Meggett or M.P. as she is called by friends and family. I really enjoyed reading her story and learning more about her, Edisto Island, and the Gullah Geechee people that settled in South Carolina and surrounding areas.

The book starts out with her pantry staples to have on hand that will help you concoct her recipes in your own home. All of the recipes seem simple to prepare and are rich in flavors. Many will seem familiar but her twist on the recipes gives them a slightly different flavor but is still delicious.

I tried the Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe because that is something I make often in our home but decided to try it with her variation. I used ground pork instead of beef, but it was still quite tasty and I liked the variation from what I normally make. I will say that I usually cut my bell peppers in half so they are more like boats than the full pepper. It just makes it easier to cut and eat for me.

 

 

There are many recipes in here that I have bookmarked to make including this dessert that my husband said looked divine – Cracklin’ Rolls. This is the recipe that I am going to share with you and if you make it, let me know how it tastes!

 

Cracklin’ Rolls

 

Ingredients

 

1 loaf white bread, thinly sliced and crusts removed
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
3/4 c confectioners’ sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 c unsalted butter, melted

 

Preheat the oven to 350°

Flatten the bread slices with a rolling pin.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and set aside.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Roll up the bread, jelly-roll style.

Dip the rolls in melted butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. You may serve these warm or cold.

 

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review & Recipe – Gullah Geechee Home Cooking #cookbook @AbramsBooks #AbramsDinnerParty #sponsored
Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on December 24, 2021

 

 

From award-winning chef Gabriel Kreuther, the definitive cookbook on rustic French cooking from Alsace

Gabriel Kreuther is the cookbook fans of the James Beard Award-winning chef have long been waiting for. From one of the most respected chefs in the United States, this cookbook showcases the recipes inspired by Kreuther’s French-Swiss-German training and refined global style, one that embraces the spirits of both Alsace, his homeland, and of New York City, his adopted home. Sharing his restaurant creations and interpretations of traditional Alsatian dishes, Kreuther will teach the proper techniques for making every dish, whether simple or complex, a success. Recipes include everything from the chef’s take on classic Alsatian food like the delicious Flammekueche(or Tarte Flambée) and hearty Baeckeoffe (a type of casserole stew) to modern dishes like the flavorful Roasted Button Mushroom Soup served with Toasted Chorizo Raviolis and the decadent Salmon Roe Beggar’s Purse garnished with Gold Leaf.

Featuring personal stories from the chef’s childhood in France and career in New York as well as stunning photography, Gabriel Kreuther is the definitive resource for Alsatian cooking worthy of fine dining.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Abrams * Bookshop

 

 

Review

 

I have loved being a part of the Abrams Dinner Party the last few years. I have always loved to cook (and my mom isn’t sure where I got that gene) and receiving all of these wonderful cookbooks has opened up a new world for me. I was especially intrigued by this book because of my French and German background. When I think of German food, I think of heavy meals. French brings up thoughts of rich decadent foods. In this book, I see the best of all worlds and even learned a new recipe or two.

When you open this book, you will find glorious photos of the dishes, countryside, and it might just leave you dreaming about a trip to this beautiful countryside. I love that there are photos of every recipe. Sometimes you will find books that only share some images, but I think it is a benefit to those cooking to see what the dish might should look like when complete. This helps me in case I am way off when cooking. It happens to all of us.

I enjoyed how the chef wove in his personal tale to the book. I’ve noticed that more with cookbooks as of late and I think it adds that personal touch. We all like to see authors as other humans and how we might relate to them.

I have bookmarked many recipes but decided to try one of the cookie recipes for my book club cookie exchange. I decided to try the Cinnamon Stars recipes but used a heart cookie cutter since I didn’t have a star. I was a bit concerned when I first assembled the dough because the only “wet” ingredient was room-temperature butter. After the dough chilled and I tried rolling it out, the dough was too crumbly. However, I added a little bit of water to the dough and it came together nicely. I suspect you might want to add a little water to the dough before chilling, much like you would with a pie crust. But adding it once it has come back to room temperature works too.

If you are looking for a gorgeous cookbook that brings together multiple types of cuisine, definitely take a look at this book. You might find a new favorite recipe or two.

 

 

Cinnamon Stars

 

Ingredients

1 3/4 c All-purpose flour

2/3 c butter at room temperature

1/2 c granulated sugar

3/4 c almond flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Glacage or an icing made from powdered sugar and water (which is what I used)

 

Combine the flour, butter, sugar, almond flour, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and bring it all together by hand as you would a pastry dough. (hint – wear gloves to make it easier to clean your hands!) Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for at least an hour and as long as a day.

Preheat the over to 350°

Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into stars (or whatever cutter you have). Place them onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheet pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. (I baked for 10 minutes and did rotate the pan)

Let them cool and then, finish with the icing. (I used about 8T of powdered sugar with 1T water and then used a pastry brush to ice the cookies). If you want to add some color, add a drop or two of food coloring to the powdered sugar.

 

 

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Gabriel Kreuther The Spirit of Alsace @AbramsBooks #AbramsDinnerParty #gabrielkreuthercookbook #cookbook #sponsored
Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on November 28, 2021

 

 

In her follow-up cookbook to Salad for President, cook, writer, and artist Julia Sherman shows us how to apply an artist’s touch to our own home gatherings.

Artists throw superior parties, and we can learn from their willingness to draw outside the lines, choose character over perfection, and find boundless joy in feeding family and friends. Cook, live, and host like an artist with inspired, easy recipes and playful hands-on experiments in the kitchen.

Sherman shows you how to be the architect of your own uniquely memorable bash, whether that means a special breakfast for two, or a “choose your own adventure” meal that’s flexible enough to feed a crowd. Forget the codified markers of good taste—Arty Parties instead reveals that modern gatherings are less about “getting it right” and more about getting your hands dirty, building community, and taking risks in the kitchen and beyond. Featuring colorful food that is confident in its simplicity, Sherman shares easy-to-follow, healthy recipes that value imaginative flavor combinations over complexity: dishes like an avocado-lemongrass panna cotta, saffron tomato soup, coconut rice cakes with smashed avocado and soy-marinated eggs, and roasted broccolini and blood oranges with a creamy pepita sauce.

This book also invites readers into the idiosyncratic gatherings of internationally acclaimed artists, from a chic office party in a Parisian art book publisher’s atelier to an underground earth oven pizza party on a secluded hillside in Los Angeles. Woven throughout are Sherman’s own homegrown events that are relatable yet wonderfully experimental in tone.

Utterly unique and beautifully designed, Arty Parties is a guide to creating meaningful experiences that nourish both the host and their guests in body, mind, and soul.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Abrams * IndieBound

 

 

Review

 

One of the best parts of being a member of the Abrams Dinner Party is receiving the new books that are coming out; trying all sorts of fantastic recipes; and learning so much more about food, beverages, and entertaining. This book is no different and is filled with colorful photos, menus plans, dinner themes, and delectable recipes.

When I receive books such as this, I like to quickly flip through them just to get a feel for what is included inside. Then I will take it more slowly to digest what the author is trying to impart to the reader. At first glance, this book is colorful and will capture your attention – from brightly colored pages to photos of the dishes.

I loved the introduction because a lot of what she said is so true when it comes to hosting dinner parties. Don’t critique what you make, if it is edible that is all that matters!  Your friends and family are there for the interaction, the food is just a bonus. Live in a small space? That is ok because then everyone is closer together (maybe not ideal every time in this pandemic) and the interaction is more organic. Make extra because who doesn’t love leftovers?

Each chapter is more than just a meal suggestion and recipes, it is also a concept and how to engage those that attend. Stretch your mind and keep your next dinner party low-key and don’t stress over the small stuff. I know that I tend to worry about small things but reading this book reminds me that it is about the people and not how perfect everything looks.

I have made several recipes from this book and everything turned out delicious, even with some modifications. Don’t be afraid to tweak recipes if you don’t have something or can’t find it. The recipe will turn out just fine. For example, I made the Chicken and Jeweled Rice and swapped dried cherries for the golden raisins, black cardamon pods for green, and I didn’t have pomegranate molasses or cinnamon sticks so just left that out. Everything still turned out delicious even with the substitutions. Sometimes recipes call for items that are not easy to find or are expensive, just look at what you do have and play around with your dish.

I also made the Perennial Saffron Tomato Soup. Oh my, this is VERY easy and oh so good especially as we are going into colder weather and makes the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich at lunchtime. The saffron gives that little something extra. I didn’t have Aleppo peppers so left it out but can imagine the pop in flavor if I had them on hand. Oh and of course I added more than 1 clove of garlic, who adds just 1 when cooking? Not me that is for sure.

 

 

I have other recipes earmarked including a parmesan broth. I have always thrown away the rinds from my parmesan but not anymore! I have a bag in the freezer and as soon as I have enough I will be giving this one a whirl.

This book can be the starting point for any dinner party you want to throw and don’t be afraid to put your own twist on the event or the recipe.

 

 

About the Author

 

Julia Sherman is a Los Angeles based artist, writer, cook, and photographer who runs Salad for President, an evolving publishing project that draws a meaningful connection between food, art, and everyday obsessions. Each of Sherman’s blog entries contains a salad recipe made in collaboration with an artist, musician, writer, or creative professional, living their lives artfully.

This online platform serves as a springboard for events, collaborations, and public programming. In the summer of 2014, Salad For President created the first ever MoMA PS1 Salad Garden, reimagining the previously unused rooftop of the museum as a public space for heirloom vegetables, performances, and dinners. The second Salad Garden was installed at the Los Angeles Getty Museum in 2015. Sherman has been the Creative Director at Chopt Creative Salad Company since 2015. Sherman, and her writing, have been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, T Mag, Domino, Art in America, Modern Painter’s, Triple Canopy, Cherry Bombe, The Paris Review, Martha Stewart, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, amongst others.

Sherman’s Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists was published by Abrams Books in the Spring of 2017, and is available for sale. Her second cookbook will be published Fall 2021, and is a treatise on the messy art of entertaining.

Sherman is also the founder and creator of Jus Jus Verjus, a low ABV sparkling wine made in collaboration with natural winemaker Martha Stoumen.

 

Instagram * Twitter

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Arty Parties by Julia Sherman @salad4president @abramsbooks #cooking #entertaining #AbramsDinnerParty #sponsored
Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on October 24, 2021

 

 

From award-winning chef and Food Network personality Scott Conant, a cookbook of restaurant-quality Italian meals that you can make easily in your home kitchen

Thirty-five years into an illustrious career of restaurant openings across the country, widespread acclaim, and frequent appearances on the Food Network’s Chopped and many other shows, Scott Conant has returned home to create his most personal cookbook yet. Meals cooked from simple, fresh ingredients were staples of Conant’s childhood in a New England family with roots in Southern Italy. From his grandparents’ garden to the dinner table, he learned early on to appreciate the nuances of different flavors and ingredients, and the strong connection between food and family.

Focusing on these foods Conant grew up with and the ones he makes for his loved ones today, Peace, Love, and Pasta compiles simple, fresh, and flavorful Italian recipes for the home cook to bring to their own family’s table. These recipes are built on the art of cooking for love, fascination with flavors and ingredients, and the simple pleasures of taste and conviviality.

 

 

Amazon * Abrams Books

 

 

Review

 

This is my 4th year as part of the Abrams Dinner Party which is great for me as much as I like to cook and try new recipes. Pasta is always a good fallback because there are so many amazing things that can be made and this new book from Scott Conant will delight everyone because it is so much more than just pasta. There are beverages, soups, meat dishes, sweets, and even a Turkish section. It is all about simplicity and I can tell you from the few dishes I have made so far, they are definitely not complex and great for any level of cooking skill you might possess.

When I first opened the book, it opened to the Roasted Garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and EVOO Spread. I happen to LOVE garlic so I knew this was a MUST to make. Now you can put it on crostini or use it as a dip, but I knew it would be delicious spread on some chicken and put under the broiler to finish off the dish. Let me tell you, it was divine!  I didn’t use as much EVOO as it called for since I wasn’t using it as a dip and didn’t need it running out all over the dish. This is definitely a spread that I plan to make multiple times in the future. This is a photo of that spread, my mouth is drooling just looking at it right now.

 

 

 

The second dish I tried was the Sausage and Porcini Ragu. This is another simple dish that I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. It came together pretty quickly and the taste was outstanding. I am not a mushroom fan but it worked in this dish (plus there were not a lot of mushrooms). This dish is going into our rotation.

 

 

 

I have several other recipes bookmarked including one of the Turkish dishes, Sigara Börek. It is a pasta dough filled with feta cheese and pan-fried. I found the Yufka dough at a Middle Eastern grocery store and plan to try it out very soon.

Overall, this cookbook has a lot to offer everyone from the amateur to the more professional chef. Plus the recipes are great for bringing family together to try new dishes and even cook together.

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Peace, Love, and Pasta by Scott Conant @conantnyc #peacelovepasta #cookbook @AbramsBooks #AbramsDinnerParty #sponsored
Posted in 4 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on June 12, 2021

 

 

 

Can you eat barbecue and still lose weight and be healthy? Yes, you can. New York Times bestselling author Myron Mixon will show you how.

After more than thirty years of winning contests for his smoked hogs, briskets, ribs, and chickens, Myron Mixon knows a whole lot about barbecue. So what does the “winningest man in barbecue” know about living a healthy lifestyle? As someone who was overweight and unhealthy before losing more than 100 pounds, he’s figured out how to cook and eat the foods he loves and still live healthfully. Having kept those pounds off for more than two years, Mixon is living proof that you can eat barbecue and be healthy, if you know how to do it right.

This is Keto done the way we all want to live; the recipes in Keto BBQ are the ones Mixon uses to enjoy the barbecue lifestyle without gaining weight. Like Mixon, you get to eat the foods you love—including bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, smoked pork shoulder, baby back ribs, and even barbecue sauce—if you follow the recipes in this book. In Keto BBQ, Mixon shares a series of real—and real simple—changes you can make to your diet while still enjoying barbecue and other Southern foods in a healthier way.

 

Review

 

I love to eat and my husband is a carnivore, so I knew this book might have some good tips on making dishes that fit the Keto plan. Neither one of us follow Keto, but I do find it interesting and I think the biggest difference is that instead of using sugar the recipes call for monk fruit sweetener. I have seen it in the baking aisle but never really thought much about it as a sweetener so I was definitely intrigued. The book has a variety of rubs for different types of meats, bbq sauce that doesn’t use sugar (which I try to avoid anyway), and there are sections that cover chicken, pork, beef, vegetables, desserts, and beverages.

I have to admit that I do not grill or bbq as much as I used to and I live in Texas where the weather is almost always perfect for this type of cuisine. But from his first book, BBQ&A, I learned a few handy rubs and techniques and a recipe I find myself frequently making. So I was curious to see what this book could add to my repertoire and I found one recipe that was similar to something I already make the BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breasts. This varied slightly from how I normally make it, taking the tenders and covering with a few spices and then wrapping bacon around it, and I have to admit I didn’t follow the instructions…mostly because I was scrambling at dinner time. But after reading this will definitely give the full recipe a try.  Ok, I know I’m rambling. It happens sometimes. Anyway, this recipe calls for marinating the chicken in bbq sauce, then covering it in a rub, wrapping it with bacon, and then cooking in a smoker. I don’t own a smoker, but since I normally make my recipe in the oven, I knew that would work just fine. I ended up making a smaller batch of the chicken rub and coating my chicken in that before wrapping it in bacon. We did use bbq sauce once it was cooked as a dipping sauce. My husband raved about the dish, but then he tends to rave about most things I cook. I think it is because he doesn’t have to cook the meal.

I did try and make the Mint-Basil ‘Rita since a friend had just given me some fresh mint and basil…but I think I put too much lime juice and I didn’t realize I was out of sparkling water. sigh….sometimes I have to realize I can’t make recipes on the fly because I tend to be missing something. This is why planning is key! I am going to give it another whirl and make sure I have all of the ingredients on hand.

This book is worth picking up and flipping through especially if you follow the Keto plan. I will leave you with Mint-Basil Rita recipe

 

The Skinny Pitmaster Mint-Basil ‘Rita

 

Ingredients

 

6 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

8 leaves fresh mint

8 leaves fresh basil

2 cups ice cubes

3 oz tequila or rum

1 cup sparkling water

 

In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice with the mint and basil leaves. use a muddler or other tool to muddle the leaves and fruit, crushing them in the lime juice as best as possible. Divide the muddled juice and herbs between two standard margarita glasses.

Fill the glasses 3/4 of the way with ice. Add 1 1/2 oz of tequila or rum to each glass. Fill the glasses to the top with sparkling water. Gently stir the cocktail with a stirrer or long thin spoon.

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Keto BBQ by Myron Mixon #AbramsDinnerParty @AbramsBooks @Lord_of_Q #cookbook #sponsored
Posted in 3 1/2 paws, cooking, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on February 8, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

Alene Baron is the proud owner of Whipped and Sipped, a café that offers healthful, delectable food and drinks. Her life consists of dreaming up new recipes, raising her three children, and arguing with her ex-husband–until her neighbor and close friend is murdered. She imagines nearly everyone she knows as a possible suspect. After a second attack, Alene is
determined to find the true killer … before she, or her family, become targets.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo

 

 

Review

 

I do enjoy a good cozy especially if there is food involved and this book does not disappoint on the food aspect! Battered is set in a coffeehouse/cafe that servers vegetarian/vegan items and don’t worry, all of the recipes (or many of them) are at the end of the book and I’m sure you will want to whip up some of these dishes for yourself.

When you first start the book there is a list of characters with a brief bio on each of them (age, relationship, etc) and trust me when I saw that you will need this information because there are a lot of characters to keep straight in your head and how they are related to each other. But as you move through the book it will become easier to keep everyone straight. Despite the numerous characters, each plays a significant part in the storyline. They might be related to the deceased, or to Alene, or involved with the cafe. The personalities and traits of the characters are also varied and add some dimension to the story, even if it is a minor character. Alene tends to throw herself into the middle of the situation, which isn’t uncommon for a cozy. However, she tends to blurt out things that are supposition on her part and not fact. Not too uncommon when you have an amateur intent on solving the mystery.

There is a lot of information packed into this book. We learn the dynamics of Alene’s family, her friendship with Ruthie, the relationship with the neighbors and their dysfunctional families, and the story behind the employees at the cafe. You will find a lot of memories from Alene about events from the past that have an impact on where she is now in her life. I think some of the information would have been better doled out in future books to add to Alene’s background and further reveal how she ended up where she is today.

The mystery has some interesting twists that I did not expect before the killer was revealed. It all made sense when the details were laid out and there are a few clues that might get you to that point but probably not enough to point you in the right direction of the killer.

There is even a potential love interest for Alene, Detective Frank Shaw. The funny thing is that he was the police officer that took her to the hospital in the past when she gave birth to her youngest child since her (now ex) husband couldn’t seem to make it there.

I think there was only one thing that I didn’t quite understand. Ruthie is a vegetarian/vegan which would make sense since she is the chef at Alene’s cafe which is vegetarian/vegan. However, when Alene had a dinner for the family and friends of the neighbor that was murdered, she wouldn’t let anyone bring any meat products in so that Ruthie wouldn’t have to smell them. While that was a kind gesture, I would expect Ruthie to understand that some people do eat meat and wouldn’t have a problem with it being in the same room. She would obviously not eat that item.

Overall we enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next in the series.  We give it 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Already known for her imaginative baking and fabulous dinners, G.P. Gottlieb began writing throughout her varied career. After recovering from breast cancer, she turned to writing in earnest, melding her two loves, nourishment for mind and body in recipe-laced murder mysteries. She is also the host of New Books in Literature, a podcast of the New Books Network.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Battered by G.P. Gottlieb #cozy #MysteryMonday @GottliebGp
Posted in Cookbook, cooking, Recipe on January 15, 2021

 

 

Since its humble opening in 2005, Xi’an Famous Foods has expanded from one stall in Flushing to 14 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. CEO Jason Wang divulges the untold story of how this empire came to be, alongside the never-before-published recipes that helped create this New York City icon. From heavenly ribbons of liang pi doused in a bright vinegar sauce to flatbread filled with caramelized pork to cumin lamb over hand-pulled Biang Biang noodles, this cookbook helps home cooks make the dishes that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods line up for while also exploring the vibrant cuisine and culture of Xi’an.

Transporting readers to the streets of Xi’an and the kitchens of New York’s Chinatown, Xi’an Famous Foods is the cookbook that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods have been waiting for.

 

 

It is such a treat to be a member of Abrams Dinner Party because we receive the hot new cookbooks that are sure to wow and excite our palettes. And during this past year with Covid, I think a lot more people were cooking at home and hopefully, they were trying many new recipes.

Not living in the North East, there are many restaurants that I have never heard of but I’m sure the same could be said for those that live there and the restaurants available in Texas. I always enjoy learning about new places and dishes and while I may only drool over some of them, there are always some that I will endeavor to make or adapt.

The wonderful thing about this cookbook, and several others I have enjoyed over the past few years, is that it is more than just a book with recipes and photos of those dishes. It is a story begging to be told about the founders of the restaurant, their family, and the dishes that have made them popular.

While reading through this book, there are so many different aspects to inhale. Outside of the founder’s story, there is a section that is a guide to the flavors of Xi’an. There is a discussion of the spices used to flavor dishes from sour to spicy to super spicy. I enjoyed the history of the spices and how they arrived in this part of China to be used in cooking. There is also a section about what should be stocked in your pantry and refrigerator so when you are craving these foods you have everything ready to make the dish of choice.

We move on to cooking lessons and the biggest lesson is how to cook rice the right way. I learned a few tips I hadn’t thought of before and will be trying those out next time I need to make some rice. And while I’m not sure how I feel about trying to make noodles, the recipe looks simple enough and I think it is just a time consideration. So this would need to be a weekend project when I have more time. The same would probably hold true for the dumplings.

Interspersed with the recipes are more stories of the family and restaurant and that it is not all work, there is definitely time to play and have a good time. I think we get a better insight into them from this information and that they are no different than you or me.

Overall, this cookbook is more than meets the eye and should be savored over time.  With that, I will leave you with one of the simpler recipes but still chock full of flavor.

 

Eggs and Tomatoes

 

Ingredients

 

2 Tbsp veg oil, divided

2 large eggs, beaten

2 green onions, trimmed and chopped

1 medium tomato, roughly sliced into odd sized pieces

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

 

Heat 1 Tbsp of the vegetable oil in a skillet over low heat.

Add the beaten eggs to the pan and stir until you have a soft scramble but before they get browned about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Turn the heat up to high and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add the green onions, and stir fry for 15 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, and cook for another 15 seconds. Add the salt, stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the soy sauce and sugar and stir to combine. Add the reserved eggs, stir to combine, and cook for another 3 seconds.

Serve immediately.

 | 
Comments Off on #Cookbook Spotlight & Recipe – Xi’An Famous Foods @xianfoods @AbramsBooks #AbramsDinnerParty #sponsored
Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on April 28, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

When it comes to preparing meals, choosing between healthy and convenient can be a real struggle. Until now.

Popular bloggers and cookbook authors Six Sisters’ Stuff have gathered more than 100 of their top most-requested healthy recipes that combine their fast-and-easy cooking style with fresh ingredients for delicious and family-friendly meals. Whether you are serving a full three-course meal, grabbing a quick afternoon snack, or need to take a dish to a potluck, there is a recipe here that will fit your lifestyle and busy schedule as well as satisfy your taste buds.

With each recipe coming in at under 500 calories, this cookbook offers a great place to start for people who are looking to lose weight, who would like to prepare meals using more natural foods, or who are simply working to maintain a more balanced lifestyle.

With Healthy Eats with Six Sisters’ Stuff, it’s never been easier to provide healthy snacks and meals for on-the-go families.

 

Book Design: © Shadow Mountain

Cover Photo: © Shutterstock/Elena Eryomenko

Art Direction: Richard Erickson

Cover Design: Emily Remington

Typesetting: Rachael Ward

 

 

IndieBound * B&N * BAM * Amazon * Desert Books

 

 

Review

 

I love to cook and right now during this pandemic, I feel like I am cooking more than normal.  I don’t think I really am but it just feels that way.

I was excited to receive this cookbook in the mail and as usual, these sisters know how to put together a cookbook and make it simple so that cooks of any skill level could use these recipes.  I might even be able to convince my husband to try his hand at some of these dishes.  As you leaf through this cookbook, the brilliant color photos leap off the page and many times I found myself stopping and gazing (okay, maybe drooling) over the photos and adding the recipe to my queue to prepare.

The cookbook is divided into sections for Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Snacks and Desserts.  This book covers pretty much any possibility when it comes to mealtime.  With a wide variety of options, you are bound to find a recipe for even the pickiest eater.

I’m always looking for new ideas for main dishes and found quite a few I wanted to try here at home.  I had most of the ingredients on hand so it was easy to whip up the dishes.  Everything turned out delicious and we were quite content.  So far I have tried these dishes: Grilled Cajun-Lime Chicken, Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken, Garlic Steak Kabobs, and the Lemon-Garlic Salmon.  Side note, I think the lemon garlic sauce for the salmon would be divine on chicken too.  For the lime, I did substitute bottled lime juice because I forgot to purchase limes on my grocery run, but it still turned out well.  Even though I’m in Texas, our grill hasn’t been used in a while (yes I know, that is blasphemy) but I had a grill pan I used on the stove.

As I was leafing through the book while writing this review, I stumbled across a Loaded Bell Peppers breakfast recipe and I think I might have found my next dish to try one weekend morning.  There is also a Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake that looks good.  I wonder if I could make that and not tell my husband about the zucchini and he would eat it?  Something to think about.  I also just stumbled across Baked Cinnamon Apple Crisps, what a healthy snack, and just 2 ingredients – apples and cinnamon.  I could go on and on but I keep finding new possibilities to try and this cookbook is going to be a staple in my repertoire.

We give this 5 paws up

 

 

 

Some of the recipes in the book

Breakfast

Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
Chocolate-Banana Blender Muffins
Red Potato Turkey Bacon Bake
Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Scrambled Egg Breakfast Muffins
Breakfast Tostadas
Bagel Thin Egg White Breakfast Sandwiches
Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

Lunch

Flat bread Veggie Pizza
Buffalo Chicken Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Skinny BBQ Chicken Tostadas
Cajun Chicken Sausage Bake
Make-Ahead Bean and Rice Burritos
Sweet Potato Taco Bowls
Grilled Salmon Salad
Shredded Beef and Sweet Potato Tacos

Main Dish

Grilled Cajun Lime Chicken
Lemon Garlic Salmon
Garlic Steak Kebabs
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry
Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Shrimp Protein Bowl with Mango Salsa
Easy Chicken Street Tacos
Cauliflower-Crust Pizza

Sides

Garlic-Lime Sweet Potato Fries
Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus
Honey-Roasted Carrots
Homemade Naan
Honey Dijon Brussel Sprouts

 

About the Sisters

 

 

 

The Six Sisters—Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra—started their blog in 2011 as a way to keep in touch after they moved out of their house and started lives and families on their own. In just a few years, their blog has become one of the top blog sites for women, with millions of visitors each month enjoying the Sisters’ family stories, recipes, and tips for running a home. The sisters live in California, Texas, and Utah.

 

Facebook * Pinterest * Website/Blog * Twitter * Instagram

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Healthy Eats with Six Sisters Stuff @SixSistersStuff @ShadowMountn #cookbook
Posted in 5 paws, Cookbook, cooking, Review on November 11, 2019

 

 

I’m back with another cookbook from the Abrams Dinner Party!  I am a meat eater but do have a sister that is a vegetarian and my MIL used to be vegan.  So anytime I was hosting a dinner, I needed to make sure that something on the menu would be suitable for them to eat.  It really isn’t too hard to adapt recipes to make them vegetarian-friendly and of course, it depends on what level the person is a vegetarian or vegan.  My sister will eat some dairy and eggs so that made it a little easier with some dishes.  It is also easy to swap out vegetable stock for chicken stock in dishes.

Let me tell you about this cookbook.  If you are a beginning cook or learning your way around what is vegan, this is a great place to start.  The intro is in a nice huge font which makes it very easy to read.  You have no idea how much I appreciated the larger font.  The author then provides some cooking tips and then shares common vegan ingredients, how they are used and what to look for in that particular item.  Then the book is divided into chapters based on category and each category has its own color.  This is nice because if you know you want to look at pasta and noodle dishes then you look at the yellow section.  My only complaint when it comes to the categories is that the ingredient list is in the color of the section.  So the pasta and noodles section has the ingredient list in yellow.  It makes it a little harder to read if the color is a bit lighter.

I have made a few dishes from this cookbook and have marked a few others I want to try soon.  My husband is not a vegetarian by any stretch so I knew some of the main dishes wouldn’t be for him.  But there are a couple of super easy side dishes in the back that rounded out a meal quite nicely.  I made the Turmeric Garlic Rice and the Ginger Sweet Potato Mash.  I’ve made a sweet potato mash in the past but never thought about putting ginger in the dish and that spice added just the right little something to round it out.

 

 

 

 

For a dinner party tonight I decided to try the two cupcake recipes – Strawberry Lemonade and Chocolate with Peanut Butter Frosting.  Because it is November, I didn’t have any good strawberries on hand but did have some raspberries.  This is a delicious replacement for the strawberries.  The recipes are not hard to make and everyone at the party loved both flavors. In fact, several of us took half of each flavor to try.  I actually cut the recipes in half so that I only made 6 of each flavor instead of 12.  I really didn’t need that many extra hanging around!  Both icing recipes made more than enough for 6 cupcakes even with the recipe cut in half.  The icing is very sweet, but when combined with the cupcake (which was not sweet) it made for the perfect bite.  The dinner guests were surprised when I announced that dessert was vegan.  I decided after I took the photo to put a few peanuts on the chocolate cupcakes.  Because the color was close to the frosting color I don’t think it mattered much, but perhaps chopping them up and sprinkling on top would have added a crunch to the dessert.

 

 

This is a very versatile cookbook and I highly recommend it to anyone learning to cook or interested in some vegan dishes.

We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Book

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is the undisputed queen of vegan home cooking. Her readers turn to her for recipes that work, whether they’re looking for cupcakes that adhere to their diet or comforting Thanksgiving dinners that taste as satisfying as their childhood memories. With I Can Cook Vegan, Isa offers doable recipes designed to help inspire people to kick their meat habits, improve digestion, and become all-around better citizens of the world. The book includes shopping lists, achievable goals, cheerleading, and an extensive FAQ, all written in Isa’s inimitable voice and style. But the book isn’t only for meat eaters looking for a better way to live: Isa wants to get vegans to start cooking more so that they can worry less about what they can and cannot eat. The perfect book for Isa’s legions of fans and anyone interested in learning vegan basics.

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review – I Can Cook Vegan by Isa Chandra Moskowitz @isachandra #cookbook @AbramsBook #AbramsDinnerParty #sponsored
Posted in Cookbook, cooking, Giveaway on November 10, 2019

 

Today I am sharing one of the cookbooks that I received as being a part of Abrams Dinner Party.  This is my second year and I have really enjoyed all of the other bloggers I have met, looked at what recipes they tried, cooking techniques, and so much more.  I have always loved to cook (and my mom isn’t sure who I inherited that love from since it isn’t her) and trying new recipes takes me out of my comfort zone and expands my techniques and repertoire.

This particular cookbook has a retro look with a silver foil cover.  If you are into coloring, the inside covers are in black and white and just itch to have someone take a coloring pencil to them and a pop of color.  Martha Stewart wrote the foreword and I learned that she has a show on VH1 with Snoop Dogg called Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Challenge.  I don’t have cable so I can’t catch this show but if you do, let me know how they do on the show.

Potluck dinners can be hit or miss and it all depends on the host and the coordination of the event.  I like how Questlove calls his dinner parties Food Salons.  So elegant! He describes in his introduction how this cookbook came about and even encourages you to share your successes and failures with photos.  I think that is a grand idea and lord knows I’ve had a few misses in my cooking career.  I think all chefs, bloggers, and home cooks have a dish that didn’t turn out quite right or sounded good until all the flavors came together and well….it wasn’t as tasty as it was in our heads.

The guest list for this cookbook is quite extensive and the recipes cover everything from appetizers, salads, main courses, vegetables, beverages, and desserts.  Each recipe has a gorgeous color photograph to showcase the dish and a note from the guest that reflects the inspiration for the dish.  At the end is the playlist that Questlove selected for each contributor.  The songs cover multiple decades, styles, and artists.  It is quite a collection.  There are even tips for creating your own playlist for your next Food Salon aka Potluck Party.

Since I can’t keep every cookbook that I receive (ok I could but I would run out of room for all of them!), I am giving away my copy that I received so that you can create your own Mixtape Potluck extravaganza!

 

 

About the Book

 

What if Questlove threw a dinner party and everyone came?

Named one of fall’s best cookbooks by Los Angeles Times, GrubStreet, and Eater

“Even with its many flashy co-authors, Mixtape Potluck never wavers from its earnest stated intent: to help readers plan the best possible dinner party. With friends like his, Quest is one to trust.” – EATER

Questlove is best known for his achievements in the music world, but his interest in food runs a close second. He has hosted a series of renowned Food Salons and conversations with some of America’s most prominent chefs. Now he is turning his hand to creating a cookbook. In Mixtape Potluck Cookbook, Questlove imagines the ultimate potluck dinner party, inviting more than fifty chefs, entertainers, and musicians—such as Eric Ripert, Natalie Portman, and Q-Tip—and asking them to bring along their favorite recipes. He also pairs each cook with a song that he feels best captures their unique creative energy. The result is not only an accessible, entertaining cookbook, but also a collection of Questlove’s diverting musical commentaries as well as an illustration of the fascinating creative relationship between music and food. With Questlove’s unique style of hosting dinner parties and his love of music, food, and entertaining, this book will give readers unexpected insights into the relationship between culture and food.

 

 

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway