Estate Sale Finds - Elder Road #3 ~ Cooks Illustrated: Restaurant Favorites

Restaurant Favorites at Home, published in 2003. There are 150 recipes selected by Cook's Illustrated from over 700 submissions.  After a dish was selected, it was adapted to "home kitchen" use and at the beginning of each recipe is short blurb regarding where the dish originated and the minor changes made. The goal of the book is to offer easy to prepare meals made with simple and available ingredients while retaining some of the restaurant "magic".

Selections include first courses (appetizers, salads and soups), entrees - mostly beef and at least four chicken dishes, plus green eggs and ham (!) - sides and lastly desserts.

There are photos and information on equipment and techniques, plus discussions on various ingredients ranging from truffle oil, chili peppers, cooking oil and recommendations for the best equipment/gadgets for one's kitchen.

The recipes are not as pretentious as one might expect with the exception of the Crab Towers with Avocado Salsa - which is a bit over the top. Of course there are confits, polentas and croquettes but they are made with simple ingredients and seem to rely more on taste then presentation. One familiar recipe was for Kim Chee Fried Rice - available from the Big City Diner in Hawaii.

Estate Sale Finds - Elder Road #2 ~ Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian

Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian: Savoring the Recipes and Traditions of the World's Favorite Cuisine, published in 2001. Featuring lots of AMAZING photos and yummy recipes that delve into simple, yet elegant Italian fare.

Of course we start with Antipasti (appetizers) and salads including favorites like panzanella and bruschetta with a quirky but tasty looking stuffed and fried squash blossoms thrown in for good measure. Continuing on we have soups (minestrone, of course), then pasta made with all sorts of sauces and ingredients like sardines, anchovies and black truffles, gnocchi, ravioli and lasagne make their appearances in this chapter.

There are several recipes for risottos, polentas, cheese & eggs, plus a decent seafood section with a recipe for cuttlefish in its own ink. The poultry and rabbit section offers dishes featuring quail and guinea hens in addition to the usual chicken, turkey and duck. Meats dishes consist of beef, pork, LOTS of veal, lamb and oxtails, while the veggie and side dish chapter offers a few ways to prepare fennel and chickory.

In the bread, tortes and pizza section there also ways to prepare calzones and focaccia. The last chapter is desserts with the appearance of the usual suspects like tiramisu, gelato and biscotti, plus a wondrous flour-less chocolate cake with Brandy!

Estate Sale Finds - Elder Road #1 ~ The Flying Biscuit and Vodka!

The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook, published in  2007. All recipes are customer favorites from the Flying Biscuit Cafe located in Atlanta, Georgia. The Flying Biscuit opened in 1993 and was an immediate hit, making the Top Ten of Atlanta restaurants in it's first year of operation. Today there are two locations and each store makes an average of 5,000 biscuits per week.

Most of the recipes are breakfast dishes with many variations of biscuits, egg dishes, pancakes and grits. There are also light entrées including pasta, fish & seafood, vegetarian options, salads and desserts.

Viva Vodka, published in 2006.  Similar to the Viva Margarita book profiled in an earlier entry, this book was also published by the El Paso Chile Company and contains 95 recipes. The books opens with a bit of information on the various distillations of vodka and mentions Vodka was first sold in the Untied States in 1939 by Smirnoff.  

The first chapter is Classics with recipes for vintage drinks including a Bloody Mary, screwdriver and Black Russian. The Moscow Mule is also featured and is described as a promotional drink from the early 1940's concocted to encourage drinkers in the United States to try the newly imported spirit.

Other chapter titles are Cold War drinks with many reflecting James Bond movie themes, Shooters - including one for Windex made with Curacao, Modern Classics (Cosmopolitan), Summer Coolers (Melon Balls & Mango Madras), Martinis, After Dinner selections and Exotic drinks - a Lychee Nut martini.

There is a chapter on infusions (an age old practice in Russia and other countries) with recipes for clove, green apple, coconut and coffee options. The last chapter deals with various rims techniques for both salt and sugar.

Second Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ Dinner on the Grounds and Mess Hall Cooking

Dinner on the Grounds, published in 2003. This copy is the second edition with the first being published in 1999. The recipes were collected from ministers and congregations from across North and South Georgia with most coming from Methodist church groups.

The dishes featured include casseroles - many made with various cream soups, a standard among Methodist cooks, soups & salads, vegetables, entrées, breads, beverages, and of course desserts which encompasses 42 pages - the largest chapter in the book.  Lots of yummy new recipes were found - as  church ladies always make the best food!

Quantity Food Service Recipes, published in 1945.Originally published in 1940, this copy is the 5th edition. The book was created as a major project of the American Dietetic Association and undertaken from 1937 through 1938 with all recipes tested and re-tested at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.  The recipes were solicited from hotels, institutions and hospitals.  The book formerly belonged to an Army Technical Sergeant stationed at the officer's mess in Ft. Lewis, Washington.

If you ever wanted to make massive quantities of food, this is the book for you! There are appetizers, beverages, bread - cinnamon rolls for 370 people, cakes ~ how about orange  rolls for 540, you will need 22.5 pounds of flour, 33 3/4 pounds of sugar and only 22 1/2 dozen eggs. There are recipes for cookies, desserts. fish, fillings & sauces, luncheons dishes, meats, pies and salads (to make 20 gallons of potato salad you will need 5 bushels of potatoes, 8 dozen eggs, and five pounds of onions). Additional chapters include soups, sandwich fillings and vegetables.

Second Thrifty Week of 2015 #2 - Vintage Savannah and Idaho Potatoes

The Savannah Cook Book, published in 1967. The original printing occurred in 1933, this copy is the 10th edition. The dishes are old fashioned receipts from Colonial kitchens and many were collected from Savannah's oldest families' culinary albums.

The recipes include soups, breads, seafood, chicken & game, rice & hominy, vegetables, sauces, desserts, meats, preserves & pickles, candies and wines/beverages. Scattered throughout the chapters are essays on an oyster roast, fried chicken, a possum hunt and syllabub. Among one of the wine recipes is one for Scuppernog wine - a favorite old fashioned Southern beverage still made today.

One of the last chapters is devoted to old receipts found in Telfair Academy notebooks including one for Floating Islands - made with milk, raisins, wine, lemon & rose water topped with a frothed egg white and currant jelly.

Beyond Burlap, published in 1997.  Recipes were compiled by the Junior League of Boise, Idaho and were collected from friends, neighbors and chefs with many being hand me downs for several generations.  The book starts out with the history of potatoes in Idaho, descriptions of potato varieties, tips on storing and buying potatoes and cooking methods.

All the recipes contain potatoes or sweet potatoes as an ingredient. In many of the dessert dishes, the potatoes are mashed or cooked, some contain potato flakes with a few dishes calling for crushed potato chips. The dishes run the range from appetizers, brunch/breakfast, bread, soups & salads, entrées, sides, and desserts. There is a chapter title Potpourri filled with games and crafts utilizing potatoes and  a recipe for dog treats.

Also featured among the pages are tidbits, hints and trivia relating to potatoes.

Second Thrifty Week of 2015 #1 - Vintage Cookbooklets ~ Wells Dairy & Sunbeam

Wells Dairy Cooperative Cook Book, circa 1950's.  Produced by a Columbus, Georgia dairy to promote their multitude of products.  There are recipes for milk in soups, main dishes, sauces & vegetables and desserts. The perfect hostess chapters offers parfaits, baked Alaska and jelly rolls, while the gay specialties for little tots features bunnies and cats made with ice cream.

Hamilton Beach Food Mixer, circa 1950's. One of several small appliance booklets I own for the Hamilton Beach mixer. The first few pages introduce the user to the all the parts and features of the mixer.There are tips and instructions for using the beaters, bowl control, timer and speed control knobs. The recipes includes cakes & frostings, cookies, quick breads, pies, entrées and vegetables.

The last pages offer additional attachments for purchase ~ a coffee grinder, a slicer, a shredder and a meat grinder.

Closing Out the First Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ Vintage: A Cookbook for Girls and Boys by Irma Rombauer

A Cookbook for Girls and Boys, published in 1952.  Written by the author of the "Joy of Cooking" this cookbook is a beginner's guide to the wonderful world of cooking adapted for the younger set. The first chapter focuses on basic information with a glossary of cooking terms and processes, illustrations of common kitchen gadgets, hints on measuring and how to serve completed dishes. There is also a guide on how to cook a meal in only 22 steps!

The recipes are the usual found in all cookbooks with chapters on entrées, desserts, vegetables, variations on sandwiches and spreads, eggs, how to use leftover food,  and a chapter on soufflés and timbales. There are even detailed instruction on how to clean a chicken! 

The recipes are easy to follow and are written with step by step instructions, requiring few ingredients. The final chapter focuses on table settings and there are a few sample menus.

Closing Out the First Thrifty Week of 2015 #2 ~ Breakfast from New Orleans - Brennan's

Breakfast from New Orleans, published in 1994.  Over 200+ recipes from the grand New Orleans institution whose name is synonymous with brunch. Brennan's was founded in 1946 by Owen Brennan who also owned the Old Absinthe House, which coincidentally could be found across the street from the location of the first Brennan's restaurant. Two culinary favorites were invented at Brennan's - Bananas Foster and Eggs Hussarde and both dishes appear in the book. (++the restaurant uses 35k pounds of bananas annually in making the highly popular dessert++).

The current location of Brennan's (on Royal Street) opened in 1956 and is still a mecca for visitors to the Crescent City.  The restaurant is run by the Brennan family and expanded to Houston, Dallas and Atlanta in the 1970s & 1980's. As part of the expansion, the family also purchased the Commander's Palace restaurant in New Orleans - another venerable institution. Due to in-family squabbling, the Atlanta and Dallas locations were shuttered. In the end, Owen's sister Eileen Brennan took charge of Commander's Palace, leaving Owen's sons his legacy of Brennan's.

After that brief history lesson, we will now focus on the recipes! All the dishes reflect the French Creole cuisine that made Brennan's renown in both New Orleans and around the globe. As always, appetizers start out the recipes with many crab and oyster variations, followed by soups & sauces, salads & dressings, breakfast treats and sides - including the infamous Oyster Loaf (which I miss dearly and can never really duplicate at home). Entrees feature many varieties of seafood, duck, quail, chicken, pork, lamb, veal and beef. Of course the last chapter contains many "beverage" recipes (most if not all involve alcohol) and there is a dessert section with aforementioned Bananas Foster, beignets and crepes.

Closing Out the First Thrifty Week of 2015 #1 ~ Nathalie Dupree Times TWO!

Nathalie Dupree Cooks for Family and Friends, published in 1991. The book is a companion to the television series of the same name. There are over 300 recipes for everyday meals, casual entertaining and special occasions.  One caveat is the ingredients found in all the dishes are easy to procure.

As always Nathalie titles her chapters with kicky names starting with Everyday Fare, featuring entrées, appetizers, soups and pasta. Simply Smart are upscale recipes for both family and special events. The dishes in Putting on the Ritz are very elegant courses for special occasions with one meal featuring Cornish Hens and other recipes for aspic, duck, rack of lamb and fish in parchment paper.

A few menu suggestions are noted in a slim chapter. The remaining subjects covered are On the Side - salads, vegetables and grains, Sweet Inspirations - nothing but desserts and Breads, with a bagel or two recipe.

Nathalie Dupree Cooks: Everyday Meals from a Well-Stocked Pantry, published in 1995.  Another companion piece to a TV show by Nathalie. The recipes utilize basic pantry staples with a list of 150+ items recommended by the author. The premise of the book is basically the same one I employ, one MASSIVE (or The Big Shop as I refer to it)  shopping trip each month to stock up on staples and other household necessities and a refresher trip every two weeks to picky up produce and other fresh items.

There are a few "bomb shelter" staples which every house should have on hand at all times that can transformed into simple and quick meals. The recipes have various icons to alert the reader to items that may need to be purchased including Asian products, dairy and baking supplies.

The chapters range from appetizers, meals in a bowl, the meat locker, fish & poultry, pasta & pizzas, sweets, sides and salads.

It's a New Year! First Thrift Run of 2015 #2 ~ Madhur Jaffrey

An Invitation to Indian Cooking, published in 1973.  Written especially for the American market using ingredients and equipment readily available in most metropolitan areas (there is also a directory at the end of the book with over 60 mail order suppliers).

The author utilizes recipes passed down to her by her mother. There are sample menus and recommendations for serving suggestions and accompaniments to each dish. The introduction focuses on the differences between the various regions in India with notes on food customs, flavorings, kitchen utensils and equipment.

The recipes cover appetizers & soups, meat, chicken, seafood, summer cooking & BBQ foods, vegetables, rices dishes, dals, chutneys & relishes, breads and of course desserts. There is a very simple recipe for vegetable pakoris and a very detailed recipe for a barbecued & butterflied leg of lamb. The last chapter is a glossary of Indian foods and terms.

It's a New Year! First Thrift Run of 2015 #1 ~ Junior League Face-off Round Two: Sweet Home Alabama & True Grits

Sweet Home Alabama, published in 1995. Recipes complied by the Junior League of Huntsville, Alabama. The dishes represent Southern favorites with an elegant twist. The book is filled with many beautiful photos of the completed dishes in various typically Southern vignettes, plus landmarks in Huntsville.  Quotes from Southern literary figures are scattered throughout the pages.

The recipes run the usual gamut from appetizers, entrées (including game) through desserts which is surprisingly short for a JL cookbook.

True Grits,  published in 1995.  All recipes were collected by the Junior League of Atlanta, Georgia and were gathered from chefs, caterers and everyday cooks.  The dishes are New Southern fare, both haute cuisine and  home-style cooking.

The topics covered are appetizers, soups & salads, veggies, pasta, seafood, chicken, meat & pork, cakes & pies, desserts, brunch - with numerous grits recipes, and quiches. I did find a familiar recipe for Morning Glory Muffins that I tried many years ago - made with carrots, apples, coconut and raisins.

There are essays from Southern writers at the start of each chapter, information on contributing restaurants. a wine guide and hints and tips beside each recipe.