Thrifty Finds ~ Williams Sonoma Healthful Cooking and Sunday Night Football

Williams Sonoma - Essentials of Healthful Cooking, published in 2003. As with all books put out byW-S, there are magnificent photos depicting techniques and the recipes scattered throughout the pages.

The Introductory chapter is a comprehensive handbook for wholesome home cooking. Topics touched on include the Complete Approach which discusses choosing the best ingredients, using spices & herbs  to boost flavors, and using fat strategically, followed by Ingredients fora Healthful Kitchen which offers photos and descriptions of grains, fruits & veggies, legumes, fish & meat, dairy items, fats and oils and sweeteners. There are also  numerous photos of cooking techniques ~ roasting, braising, grilling, poaching steaming and stir frying, plus a few basic notes on equipment.

Appetizers begins the recipes and are comprised of goat cheese tartlets, creamy herb dip, mussels with fresh herbs, tuna tartare and grilled shrimp with tomato quinoa salsa, followed by Soups and Stews, consisting of butter nut squash soup, black bean stew, roasted tomato bisque, corn chowder, kale & potato soup, fish stew with fennel & saffron and an Italian shellfish stew.

For Salads, we are offered beets & Stilton with orange vinaigrette, couscous vegetable, edamame & orange,Thai beef , French style potato and  salmon, red potato & asparagus salads, with Main Dishes doling out roasted veggies with a warm lemon dressing, spinach & roasted red pepper lasagna, spicy scallops with vegetable rice pilaf, salmon with ginger & lime, Sicilian style swordfish with spaghetti, oven crisped chicken, spinach stuffed turkey meatloaf, cider braised pork chops with apple, grilled beef with salsa verde and medallions of venison with cranberry port sauce.

Small Plates dishes out pizza (caramelized red onion, olives & feta or potatoes, mushrooms & pesto), fish tacos, veggie melts on garlic toast, Portobello burgers, an ahi tuna & cucumber sandwich, buckwheat crepes and spinach custard, while Side Dishes encompass artichokes with vinaigrette, stir fried spinach with garlic & lemon zest, maple & soy glazed acorn squash, goat cheese and potato gratin, sweet potato & cranberry hash, lemon orzo with parsley and sesame brown rice.

Moving on to Desserts, a few of the yummy sweets include chocolate cherry biscotti, a glazed lemon loaf, key lime chiffon pie, a three berry cobbler, a cranberry apple crisp, peach mango sorbet, white or red wine poached pears and a very chocolate mousse. There is a chapter on Breakfast which offers fresh corn & cornmeal muffins, lemon ricotta pancakes, waffles with a strawberry & honey sauce, multi-grain yeast bread, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cheddar & basil and mango yogurt smoothies.

The last chapter is split into two sections: basic recipes ~ stock (rich chicken or roasted vegetable), a lean Bechamel, roasted garlic, tomato chutney, preserved lemons (much easier & cheaper at Trader Joe's!), croutons, candies lemon peel, yogurt cheese and vinaigrette (honey & cider or lime ginger) ~ plus a series of photos illustrating a few techniques ~  boning a chicken breast, boning & skinning fish, trimming artichokes and chiffionading lettuce or herbs.


The Sunday Night Football Cookbook, published in 2008.  Over 150 great family recipes from America's professional chefs and National Football league players. Each chapter is arranged by the four divisions in the league.

We begin in the East and with appetizers ~ New England bakes stuffed clams, radicchio and endive salad, Kalbi (Korean short ribs) and spicy stuffed shrimp, followed by main course which consist of Philly cheese-steak sandwiches, skewered lamb tenderloin, maple & chili glazed pork chops, lobster & onion pizza, garlicky guava shrimp whole crisp sea bass and eggplant & Swiss chard pancakes. Of course desserts are last and include a chocolate pecan toffee torte or a frozen orange souffle.

The North offers beef carpaccio rolls with apple syrup, soft shell crab tempura, creamy polenta, melon gazpacho and a beet salad with goat cheese medallions for appetizers then doles out a few main courses which encompass a spicy sausage & pepper sandwich, veal goulash, bison burgers, onion crusted wall-eye, Asian style salmon creamy seafood & mushroom pasta, lemon herb chicken with asparagus and potato gnocchi. We close with desserts ~ chocolate cherry tamales or lemon semolina cake.

Moving to the South, we encounter a few appetizers~ lamb sliders with tzatziki sauce, BBQ duck spring rolls, Creole boiled shrimp, Greek salad and clam & corn chowder, and main courses ~ Asian BBQ baby back ribs with pineapple slaw, crawfish curry, country gumbo (contributed by Emeril), pork belly with collard greens risotto, calzones, tomato & onion braised chicken, baked eggplant and lobster with brie macaroni cheese. For desserts we are offered citrus rice pudding, buttermilk panna cotta and a peanut crunch cake.

The last chapter features dishes from West division, a few of the appetizers are comprised of sizzling Dungeness crab cakes, sweet corn & crab bisque, wild mushroom soup, beach boy caviar (black eyed peas, tomatoes & corn) and chicken chili. For main courses a few of the options are lamb stew (from John Madden), tequila chicken skewers, lemon & cracked pepper chicken, Yankee pot roast and orange & rock shrimp risotto and desserts offer up orange glazed pumpkin cookies, Kahlua cake and profiteroles with spiced rum ice cream. 

A bonus chapter offers three menus for the big day a sample of the offerings include spicy miso chips with tuna, bruschetta, chicken gumbo, sumac seared lamb cops, cherry & white chocolate bread pudding and a pecan pie with a brownie crust.

Thrifty Finds ~ Desserts! Spago and Gourmet's Best

Spago Desserts, published in 1994. Recipes from Wolfgang Puck's iconic restaurant - winner of the James Beard Award for restaurant of the year - begins slowly with suggestions for equipment, techniques, cooking terminology and information on ingredients, before delving into the scrumptious dishes. At the start of each recipe, a list of equipment and suggestions for prepping ahead are included.

Cakes starts us off with a chocolate chiffon with creme Anglaise, followed by an Austrian chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting and finally the magnificent Opera cake with coffee buttercream and chocolate truffles. There are a few white cake options ~ basic buttermilk, lemon buttermilk with lemon buttercream, a buttermilk layer cake with strawberry Bavarian cream and lastly - lemon chiffon with fresh berries and creme brulee.

Cheesecakes introduce the Spago cheesecake (topped with blueberry sauce or made with an apricot macaroon crust), a chocolate marble cheesecake, tiramisu (ginger or chocolate options), a macadamia nut cheesecake with macadamia brittle and a white chocolate rum raisin cheesecake, while Perfect Pastry Shells follows with recipes for pate sucre (almond, chocolate or spiced), plus basic or spiced pie dough.

Moving onto Perfect Pies & Tarts, we are offered an almond crunch brown butter tart, rustic apricot or a rustic almond apple pie, apple & dried cherry turnovers, a fresh cherry lattice tart, pear hazelnut sour cream pie, strawberry Linzer torte, pumpkin pie with cranberry marmalade and a coconut cream pie. Puff Pastry and Phyllo consists of an apple-pear tartin, fresh berry napoleons with caramel sauce and pear-cherry napoleons with phyllo nests.

The last of the "pastry" chapters is Brioche with recipes for basic brioche, apricot rolls, sticky buns, a ricotta fig tart and bread pudding (apple or chocolate), followed by Brownies ~ basic, blond, marbled or in pie form. In Muffins & Pound Cakes, we are treated to chunky apple, banana spiced or strawberry muffins, with buttermilk lemon or orange poppy seed options for pound cake.

Truffles and Candied Fruit explores candied fresh ginger or candied grapefruit peel, plus of course truffles ~ chocolate hazelnut or Chambord), with Cooked Fruits kicking in baked apples or tangerine soup. Cookies, Biscotti and Macaroons drum up a myriad of cookies (basic butter, chocolate coconut, ginger spice, chocolate chip, black snowballs or peanut butter chocolate chip), biscotti (pistachio or chocolate) and apricot coconut macaroons.

A few of the treats in Shortcakes include a strawberry shortcake, a peach & berry cobbler, the Spago banana split and a summer fruit cobbler with shortcakes. We end with Frozen Desserts, consisting of sorbets (banana, mixed berry, chocolate, pineapple daiquiri or tequila sunrise), ice cream (cinnamon, eggnog, honey, milk chocolate malt and white chocolate mint)  and vanilla parfaits with strawberry sauce.

Gourmet's Best Desserts, published in 1987. There are 555 pages of 600+ recipes culled from the magazine from 1962 to 1987.

Up first are Cakes, specifically white cakes which consist of Genoise with hazelnut, vanilla or orange options, followed by tortes (raspberry, sugar Kirsch and the Kaisertorte, a lemon or jelly roll and a coconut angel food cake. A few of the choices in layer cakes include carrot, lady Baltimore, Robert E Lee (coconut with lemon filling) and a strawberry cream, while chocolate cakes doles out a chocolate orange cake, marble cake, chocolate mousse cake with ganache, a Queen of Sheba Soul cake and chocolate almond cupcakes.

A few other options in the Cake chapter include blueberry lemon pound cake, orange poppy-seed cake, strusel plum cake, Moravian sugar coffeecake, Stollen, cherry kuchen, cranberry upside down cake, kiwi ricotta cheesecake, orange almond sponge cake, spiced black fruitcake and Buche de Noel.

Pies and Tarts dishes out dough (flaky, lard, sour cream, cream cheese or cheddar) and crusts (graham cracker, vanilla wafer almond and chocolate wafer crumb) before serving up fruit pies ~ apple, gingerbread pear, cranberry maple pear, maderia mincemeat, deep dish blueberry peach and apple cheddar turnovers, followed by custard/cream pies ~ pecan pumpkin, maple lemon, coconut custard, key lime and lemon chess.

There are still even more pies - eggnog, apricot chiffon, chocolate rum meringue, pecan and peanut butter fudge and then come the tarts which encompass pear & chocolate, dried apricot, gooseberry flan, frangipani filled, almond cherry and lemon curd tartlets.

Pastries encompass Neapolitans with raspberry sauce, palmiers, walnut twists, chocolate brioche, babas au  rhum, almond bear claws, profiteroles, croque en bouche, cherry strudel and Gateau Saint Honore, with Meringues contributing a frozen lemon meringue cake, orange Dacquoise double coffee kisses and baked Alaska.

For Cookies, we are offered macaroons (almond, coconut, chocolate almond), Danish butter cookies, orange meltaways, brownies (classic fudge, cream cheese or marbles chocolate butterscotch), filbert bars, Florentines, butterscotch cranberry bars, lady fingers, Irish lace, date nuggets, brandy snaps and brown sugar pecan shortbread. Puddings and Custards adds to the mix with numerous puddings ~ maple rice, lemon sponge, creole bread, chocolate brioche bread pudding, steamed cranberry with Grand Marnier sauce and a steamed orange pudding, while a few of the custards include orange, caramel, creme brulee and of course the Tipsy Parson.

Moving onto Ice Creams and Other Frozen Desserts, we are treated to an assortment of ice creams ( homey, vanills, hazelnut, molasses almond brittle or amaretto peach), a citrus sorbet, souffles (orange or hazelnut praline), mousse (dark chocolate or coffee) and a pineapple strawberry bombe, while Chilled Desserts dishes out lemon syllabub, a chocolate swirl mousse, a chocolate & macaroon mousse, iced lemon souffle, blancmange and coffee jelly.

Even more souffles abound the the chapter titled Souffles and Dessert Omelets which pitches a few more variations on the souffle (dried apricot, gingered pear or praline), plus a marmalade souffle omelet raspberries, and a vanilla lime souffle omelet. Next we tackle Crepes, Pancakes and Fritters which introduce a few crepes (rum marinated mango, orange souffle), a honey pear crepe cake, cottage cheese pancakes, blood orange dessert waffles, banana or applejack fritters, beignets, crullers and spice doughnuts.

A few of the Fruit Desserts highlighted include figs in port, oranges in red wine syrup, brandied peaches, blueberry crumble, a plum slump, sour cherry cobbler, mango fool, prune whip, bananas Foster and figs with marscapone, while Dessert sauces ladles out a brandied coffee custard sauce, rum raisin sauce, butterscotch, tangerine, orange marmalade, praline, an apricot rum sauce and a sinful chocolate honey almond sauce.

A few of the Icing and Buttercreams include chocolate icing with cognac, mocha or royal penuche icing, plus vanilla, lemon. chestnut or praline buttercream and Friandises (small confections) showcase candied ornage peel, glazed strawberries, candied pecan halves, praline nuggets, chocolate cashew toffee, bourbon balls and brandied cherries.

We end with Essential Preparations which offers a variety of butters (cherry, chocolate or clarified), creams (kirsch, chestnut or almond), fondant, red currant glaze, spun sugar, marzipan and chocolate curls.

A Few Thrifty Goodies ~ Time Life Holiday Cookbook and The Art of Chinese Cooking

The Time Life Holiday Cookbook, published in 1976. Adapted from the Time Life Foods of the World Series, with over 300 recipes.

Up first is The Spirit of Christmas, beginning with Cocktail Party Fare consisting of fondue, ham balls, steak tartare rolls, cheese balls and Galatine de Canard - a four pages recipe (including an illustration on how to debone a duck in the French manner), followed by Holiday Dinners consisting of roast goose stuffed with apples & prunes, caramelized potatoes, bread dumplings, Christmas Eve borscht, roast pheasant and Yorkshire pudding.

Christmas Breads and Desserts consist of  Polish Christmas poppyseed rolls, stollen, a gingerbread house, Irish Christmas cake (a white fruitcake), plum pudding, gateau Saint-Honore, bourbon balls and divinity, with the Cheerful Glass offering eggnog, glogg, hot buttered rum, a claret cup and Kentucky Christmas punch.

Saluting the New Year is the next holiday/chapter with recipes for The Open House ~ baked ham with brown sugar glaze, hopping John, quiche, cassoulet, herring salad with sour cream sauce, Swedish meatballs, stuffed onion rolls, a Linzertorte and Scottish black bun cake, and Punch Fizzes and Cocktails ~ bloody Mary, green dragon (vodka with creme de menthe), milk punch and absinthe Suissesse. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with egg rolls, Peking duck, bird's nest soup, mandarin pancakes and steam sea bass with fermented black beans.

Moving onto to Winter Revels, a few of the options in Sweets for Valentines include strawberry cream rolls, gypsy creams (Hungarian), almond nougat and maple walnut fudge balls,with Mardi Gras Time doling out gumbo, king cake and Creole champagne punch. On Washington's Birthday we are offered all things cherry ~ cherries jubilee, sour cherry pie or cold cherry soup ~ and for Purim there is honey cake. Lastly, St. Patrick's Day Specials encompasses colcannon, corned beef & cabbage, soused mackeral and Irish soda bread.

The Rites of Spring delves into Easter Favorites: Greek egg & lemon soup, Yugoslavian marinated leg of lamb, crown roast of lamb, scalloped potatoes Dauphinoise, Greek Easter bread, babka and Paska (Russian Easter cake), and The Passover Seder: gefilte fish, chicken soup with matzo balls, latkes and macaroons. There are also dishes for a Derby Day Party: turkey hash, burgoo, tomato aspic and mint juleps.

With Family Celebrations the fare is varied, with Special Luncheon Parties contributing a brioche loaf, ginger-ale salad, sole & crab mousse, Chinese water chestnut & watercress salad and a Rhine wine cup, and Special Occasion Entrees presenting rolled stuffed fish fillets, chicken Kiev, lobster souffle and beef stroganoff. There are also a few Dramatic Desserts ~ bananas flambe, baked Alaska, chocolate mousse and a Spanish torte.

Some of the patriotic fare in the Fourth of July includes BBQ spare ribs with red sauce, maple BBQ ribs, charcoal broiled T-bone steak, BBQ stuffed salmon, three bean salad, ratatouille, swordfish shish kabobs, Boston baked beans, Kentucky fried chicken, corn sticks, steamed mussels in white wine, cioppino and molded salmon with cucumber sauce. There are also a few Cold Soups and Garden Salads ~ cold split pea soup with mint, coleslaw, celery slaw, gazpacho and spinach or Caesar salad and or course yummy All-American Desserts ~ fresh blueberry pie, strawberry shortcake, huckleberry cake, ginger peach ice cream, sangria, planter's punch and daiquiris.

Nearing the end, October Festivals include an Autumn Beer Fest with sauerbraten, German yeast dumplings, spiced sauerkraut, steamed bratwurst in a sour cream sauce, German potato salad, red cabbage with apples and potato dumplings with Columbus Day Dishes trotting out pizza, ravioli, minestrone soup, spinach gnocchi and gelato. Succoth (a Jewish harvest holiday) delivers cold borscht, kreplach (meat filled dumplings), pickled fish, beef & sweet potato stew and Israeli chicken with kumquats and Treats for Halloween contributes sugar doughnuts, brownies, pecan stuffed date cookies, sand tarts, apple fritters, licorice cookies and crullers.

The last chapter, The Thanksgiving Table is loaded with All American favorites from Virginia peanut soup, roast turkey, cornbread, sausage & pecan stuffing, spiced acorn squash, creamed onion, mashed turnips. corn pudding, plus pumpkin bread, a cornbread loaf, cranberry chiffon pie, pecan pie, sherried walnuts and a few libations ~ grasshopper, cafe Brulot and an interesting quaff titled "between the sheets" (lemon juice, brandy, rum & Cointreau).

The Art of Chinese Cooking, published in 1956. This copy is the 40th printing, published in 1975. Written by the Benedictine Sisters of Peking, who originally moved to China in 1930 to serve as missionaries at the Catholic University of Peking. They were held as civilian prisoners during World War II, and stayed in China (Shanghai, then Formosa) until the spread of communism led to relocation in Japan. To raise funds, the nuns started a Chinese cooking school that started with six students and eventually grew to 150 students (per week!). A petite book, with only 92 pages, there are Chinese proverbs scattered among the pages, along with whimsical drawings. Each recipe is listed in English and Chinese (written and in character form).

Pork starts of the recipes with lotus root sandwiches, won ton, braised pork with bean curd, pork dumplings, sweet & sour spare ribs and lion's head (ground pork, dried mushrooms - shaped into balls - then simmered on bok choy leaves), followed by Fowl which offers braised duck, mushroom or pineapple chicken, chicken eggplant or chicken velvet (with gravy).

For Beef, a few of the selections include beef with cauliflower & snow peas, string beans & beef, and sweet & sour beef balls with pineapple & peppers, with Seafood doling out sweet sour fish, shrimp Foo Yung, shrimp balls, braised prawns, shrimp on toast and shrimp with cucumbers.

Some of the Vegetable choices are Peking style asparagus, spinach & mushrooms or bamboo shoots with mushrooms, with Soups dishing out crab, egg and mandarin (pork, mushrooms, carrots & spinach).

We end with Desserts ~ caramel squares, cream puff pie, snowballs, lemon sponge pudding and honeyed fruit bars (coconut & chocolate chips) and a few Miscellaneous recipes: fried rice, egg noodles and Chinese salad dressing (vinegar, soy sauce and ginger).

Final Yard Sale Purchase (of the Season!) ~ Gooseberry Patch Christmas

The Best of Gooseberry: Old-Fashioned Christmas Favorites, published in 1997. Not just a cookbook, in addition to recipes, this volume offers handmade gifts/crafts plus decorating tips and hints. Purchased from a neighbor's yard sale!

Deck the Halls starts us off with hints and tips for tree decorating, including instructions for making a popcorn & cranberry garland (which can fed to the birds after the tree has come down), advice on decorating with poinsettias, directions for crafting paper snowflakes or making potpourri, plus personalizing ornaments to use in lieu of place-cards.

A few of the crafty projects in Handmade with Love are comprised of homemade greeting cards, soap stars (using a cookie cutter), fabric gift bags, scented bath salts and potpourri sachets, while the recipes range from apricot nut bread, peanut brittle or caramels to orange cranberry marmalade, spiced pecans, truffles and thyme. lemon peel & black pepper vinegar.  The third chapter ~ Heartwarming Memories consists of reader submitted Christmas memories and traditions (both old and new).

The recipes start flowing in Festive Food, beginning with starters ~ clam or corn chowder, hot pecan dip, ham & Swiss rolls, cherry muffins, crab puffs, jalapeno corn bread and an artichoke rice salad, followed by hearty fare composed of a busy day casserole, meatloaf, cranberry orange glazed Cornish hens, vegetable chili, crab meat bisque, roast in sherry and waffles. A few of the delectable sweets are an apple crisp, lemon snowdrops, stained glass cookies, shortbread, chocolate mint cookies, lace roll-ups, lemon chess bars, fruitcake, a brownie trifle, cheesecake, fudge and an almond glazed sour cream cake.

The last chapter is filled with Menus for various holiday soirees, beginning with a Night Before Christmas dinner featuring baked artichokes, prime rib roast, a lentil &  mushroom loaf, candied oranges, wassail and a walnut torte, while the dishes in a Christmas Breakfast or Brunch explore sunrise punch, casseroles, French toast, honey spiked ham, applesauce muffins and sticky buns.

Some of the selections in the Christmas Banquet menu are mushroom logs, roast turkey, mulled cranberry cider, an onion & apple casserole and a blackberry cobbler, with Holiday Open House offering caraway bread sticks, cheese coins, sweet & sour meatballs, wine marinated beef brisket, brandied peaches and espresso chocolate chip drops.

Estate Sale Finds ~ The Pillsbuty Bake-off 17th Annual and Cooking with Condensed Soups

The Pillsbury Busy Lady Bake-Off Recipes, published in 1966. This booklet highlights 100 prize winning recipes from the 17th annual bake-off and also includes prior winning recipes that have been updated, streamlined and updated for the "modern" busy cook. The prize winning recipe and recipient of the $25,000 cash prize was the Golden Gate Snack Bread (made with a jar of cheese whiz!).

Breads gets the ball rolling with chicken little bread (using chicken broth instead of water), corned beef rye twists, coffee cake, onion hoop bread and raised holiday muffins, followed by Main Dishes which include Polynesian buffet chicken, Calcutta lamb curry casserole, a corn & beef bake, busy lady beef bake and a pigs in a yoke (sausages on a cottage cheese filling).

A few of the prize winning Cakes are a roll in one (a jelly roll filled with pecan orange marmalade), pineapple dream cake, lemon ginger buttercream, pound cake, a plum fun cake, the every popular tunnel of fudge (updated to utilize frosting for the filling) and a Baltimore banana cake. Cookies pitch coconut crunch, molasses butter crescents, fruit punch bars, cherry pompoms, brownies, raisin bars and sesame bars.

Desserts consist of mandarin dream pie (made with canned mandarin oranges), lemon aloha pie, an orange chocolate ring, peach strudel, prune whip pie and baked Alaska. The final chapter, Snacks, delivers pizza dippers, meatball and blue cheese puffs.


Cooking with Condensed Soups, published in 1946.A slim booklet published by Campbell Soup which incorporates their soups into recipes ranging from main dishes to desserts.

Up first is Meat and Poultry which offers beef stew, meatloaf, meatballs, baked chicken puffs, creamed chicken, ham loaf, chili, chop suey, liver Creole and festive franks, followed by Fish ~ tuna casserole and a celery salmon loaf.

Egg and Cheese Dishes consist of souffles, tomato cheese macaroni, quick pizza and the rum tum ditty (tomato soup with cheese on toast), with Sauces providing BBQ sauce, creole sauce and tomato horseradish.

For Vegetables, a few of the dishes include scalloped potatoes, stuffed peppers and baked stuffed tomatoes, while Salad and Salad Dressings doles out a chicken cranberry party salad, tuna celery salad, chicken veggie salad and for the dressings ~ chiffonade and tomato French.

Bread metes out doughnuts, spoon bread, cheese biscuits and popovers, with the last chapter, Desserts delivering the famous tomato soup cake and a steamed tomato fig pudding.

Page from Pillsbury booklet: Winning Recipe

Page from Condensed Soups:

Ebay Purchase - Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook, published in 2012. Homespun desserts and rustic breads from the best little bakery in the South. The book was written to celebrate the shop's 10th anniversary and offers 150 recipes. There are many awesome photos filling the pages of completed dishes and the author's amazing collection of vintage cookware and bake ware. The baker's tool kit offers suggestions for spices, pots, pans, gadgets and utensils, plus next to the recipes are tips and notes on preparation, serving, etc.

Breakfast is first with cinnamon sugar doughnuts, mocha oatmeal muffins, ham & cheese pastry puffs, guava sweet cheese turnovers, baked eggs with grits & ham, granola bars and hot chocolate mix, followed by Coffee Cakes, Quick Breads and Sweet Yeast Rolls which offers Irish soda bread with black currants, pecan chocolate espresso coffee cake, Southern corn cakes, brown sugar banana bread, blackberry buckle, a lemon loaf and cinnamon sticky buns.

A few of the selections in Cupcake and Cakes include sweet potato cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting, red velvet cake, ginger cake squares, chocolate heaven, coconut cake with coconut buttercream, a deep dark flour-less chocolate cake and a brown sugar bundt cake with a butterscotch glaze. Pies, Cobblers, Crisps and Tarts contributes bourbon pecan pie, buttermilk chess pie, blackberry cobbler, plum tartlets, salted caramel apple pie and a strawberry rhubarb crisp.

Puddings and Custards deliver bourbon bread pudding, baked vanilla custard, summer fruit trifle and plum custard, while Cookies pitches lavender shortbread, sugar cookie tarts, snickerdoodles, oatmeal coconut cookies, almond crunchies and molasses ginger cookies.

The are so many delicious options in Brownies and Bars ~ Creole brownies, PB& J bars, drunk blondies, cherry pie bars and pumpkin crunch bars with Confections doling out vanilla marshmallows, pecan brittle, caramel popcorn balls,, truffles and brown sugar fudge.

Lastly, Savories provides herbed tomato chive tarts, bacon jam empanadas, cheddar pecan rounds, candied rosemary pecans and brown sugar tomato jam.

Here's a photo of the Chocolate Heaven cake I made for my birthday - it was amazing! I froze a few leftover slices (the cake was huge!) to eat later. It thaws well and still tastes delicious.

Grecian Gourmet and Blue Collar Food

The Grecian Gourmet, published in 1962. All recipes compiled by the members of the St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, located in Long Island, New York.

Appetizers are up first with caviar, yogurt dip, eggplant dip, Greek sausages, baked lamb brains, fried cheese, stuffed grape leaves, cheese triangles, spinach cheese puffs and stuffed mussels, followed by Soups and Sauces which consist of egg & lemon soup, lamb broth, lentil soup and buttermilk soup.

A few of the Fish recipes offered are mussels with rice, cod fish stew, fish with a mayonnaise sauce, calamari, stuffed fish and fried baby squid, with Poultry contributing chicken pilaf, chicken & okra, roast ducking and chicken stew.

Meats dish out roast lamb, beef stew, stuffed squash, meat tarts, roasted lamb head, roast suckling pig, stuffed cabbage, zucchini souffle, more ways to prepare lamb (with fava beans, artichokes, leeks or dandelion greens) and moussaka with Vegetables and Salads kicking in artichokes with fava beans, okra in olive oil, rice pilaf, beet salad, a Greek salad and an eggplant salad.

There are many yummy Desserts to choose from ~ apricot chocolate custard cake, almond cake, Greek bread, orange cake, Easter bread, butter cookies, nut cake (Karidopeta), sweet biscuits, baklava, sesame cookies, custard horns, honey dipped cookies, rice pudding and honey rolls.

The last chapter is filled with Miscellaneous goodies ~ chicken liver & eggs, homemade yogurt, Greek coffee, fennel seed tea, rose petal jelly and sour cherry preserves.


Blue Collar Food, published in 1994.

We begin with Sandwiches and Starters which include curried tuna sandwiches, pecan orange chicken salad, Cuban sandwiches, focaccia, chicken salad sandwiches, sesame shrimp salad in pita pockets, calzones, crostini, hummus, chicken wings and baby back ribs, while Soups dishes out littlenecks in broth, chicken soup, white bean & lemon soup, corn chowder with turkey, minestrone and red potato vichyssoise.

Salads consist of tomato feta with fresh dill, warm beet & goat cheese, curried vegetable & apple, potato, pineapple orange fruit cups and white bean & tuna, with Pasta contributing cottage cheese & spinach pesto, penne with chicken, baked shells with broccoli  and blue cheese, stir fried curry pasta, angel hair pancakes and macaroni salad with seafood.

Selected dishes in BBQ and Other Main Events include mustard glazed Cornish hens, grilled pork chops teriyaki, turkey meatloaf, grilled trout with papaya relish, rosemary lemon roasted chicken, curry, pot roast, stew, roasted picnic ham, lamb shanks and saffron seafood stew. Vegetables, Beans and Grains offer baked cauliflower, fennel & leek gratin, new potatoes with garlic, butternut squash puree, white beans & kale, coconut rice, polenta and couscous.

Lastly, Desserts doles out plum cake, cranberry crunch loaf, cheesecake, pies (apple crumb, peach & blueberry, pecan or butterscotch meringue), pound cake, brownies and pears poached in Chianti.

It's Martha AND Christmas(!!) ~ Martha Stewart Living Christmas Books

Christmas with Martha Stewart Living, published in 1997. Another combination recipe and craft book from Miss Martha! The slim book is filled with recipes, gifts, decoration & entertaining ideas for the holiday season. There is also a planning guide which begins 4 weeks before Christmas and ends a week after New Years Day.

Martha's Christmas Feast gets the ball rolling with oysters on the half shell, quiche with wild mushrooms in a Madeira glaze, prime rib roast, steamed pudding and a gingerbread trifle with a cognac custard. The crafts/decor interlude offers instructions for making ribbon medallions, pomegranate & flower garlands, a pine cone wreath sprayed in silver, embossed aluminum ornaments, paper tassels, gingerbread snowflakes, plus tips on collecting antique ornaments.

In Meringues we are offered chocolate meringue cookies, almond meringue sandwiches, pavlova and a baked Alaska, while Cookies and Candies consist of raspberry crumb cookies, lemon ginger drop cookies, biscotti, fruit jellies, toffee, French almond nougat and caramels, plus tips on working with chocolate - touching on tempering, shaping and working with molds. A few of the crafts/tips in the interlude include balsam pillows, gift wrapping ideas, cookie packing hints and a few felt projects: pillows, boxes and bottle bags.

The last chapter, New Years Days at Home, dishes out an apple & red onion caraway tart, wild rice salad and an almond torte. At the end of the recipes is an 8 page spread on perfect roasting ~ with a recipe for prime rib with Yorkshire pudding.


Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook, published in 2003. A comprehensive collection of 600 favorite holiday recipes filling over 450 pages. In the introduction, The Tastes of Christmas, examines culinary holiday traditions from around the globe ~ Baba au Rhum (Poland), Beef Wellington (very popular in 1960's America - thank Jackie Kennedy), Buche de Noel (France), Gravlax (Scandanavia), plus the usual suspects ~ cranberries, fruitcake, goose and oysters. There are also a few pages of suggested menus ranging from Christmas breakfast or brunch through the big feast.

The recipes begin with Breakfast which delivers fritattas, quiche, pancakes (apple or cornmeal) , orange croissant French toast, oatmeal, granola waffles (banana nut, buckwheat sour cream or savory potato), scones, blueberry sticky buns, muffins (sour cream, breakfast or carrot & fig) and coffee cake with poppy seed filling, followed by Breads which offers mini panettone, rosemary bread sticks, pretzels, biscuits, rolls, popovers and a cornmeal pear loaf.

A few of the Drinks include hot buttered rum, eggnog, glogg, planter's punch, homemade aquavit, hot chocolate and cherry bombs, with Hors d'oeuvres dishing out citrus & rosemary olives, spiced nuts, flame-grilled eggplant dip, chicken liver pate with white truffles, shrimp bruschetta, apricot onion tartlets, brie en croute, sweet potato chips, blini with caviar, curry waffles with gravlax, star anise gravlax and endive petals with smoked scallops.

Soups and Stews presents chestnut mushroom soup, pea bisque with shrimp, fresh lentil soup, potato seafood chowder, lamb & chestnut stew, spicy sweet potato soup, beef stew and a winter veggie chicken stew, with Main Courses doling out beef tenderloin with an herb salt crust, beef Wellington, prime rib roast with Yorkshire pudding, stuffed lamb chops, braised ham, roasted rack of venison, classic roast turkey with giblet gravy or a cranberry glazed turkey. Other options include a tamale casserole, duck roasted with salt, roast capon, goose, pheasant or guinea fowl, horseradish crusted halibut, whole roasted salmon with pickled beet salad, lobster fricassee and rigatoni with pumpkin & bacon.

Apparently I skipped the Salads chapter so here goes ~ some of the offerings are beets with blood oranges & watercress, chicory with lemon anchovy vinaigrette, fruit & fennel, a warm goat cheese salad or a wilted Brussels sprouts salad.

Among the many Side Dishes are mashed potatoes with numerous variations (saffron, garlic or herbed), a potato chive souffle, three potato gratin, baked sweet potatoes with pecans, green beans with tasso ham, caramelized chestnuts & Brussels sprouts, sweet & sour red cabbage, stuffing (cornbread, couscous, oyster brioche, cornbread & sourdough or wild rice & sausage), a pomegranate pilaf, polenta wedges, wild rice cakes, chutney (peppery fig or cranberry) and a cranberry fig relish.

The last two chapters tackle the sweet tooth, with Desserts introducing a few fruit choices ~ pear pavlova or a winter fruit crisp, some custards & puddings ~ eggnog panna cotta, chocolate souffle crepes, festive figgy pudding,tangerine parfaits, a pistachio Charlotte or gingerbread/poached pear trifles.Champagne granita, chestnut espresso caramel swirl ice cream and pear & cranberry sorbert represents the frozen desserts, while a few of the festive cakes are comprised of chestnut chocolate layer cake, a fig holiday roll, Buche de Noel, chocolate mousse cake, linzertorte with ligonberry jam, ginerbread upside down cake, brownie cupcakes, ginger baba au rhum, petits fours, fruitcake and of course gingerbread. Don't forget a few pies & tarts too ~ pear & sour cherry pie, pecan pie, holiday fruit tart, tangerine curd tartlets and a quince apple pie.

Finally, there are the Cookies and Confections ~ Congo bars, pecan caramel shortbread, rocky road brownies, lime sables, orange poppy seed spirals, chewy coconut chocolate pinwheels, coconut pyramids, honey lebkuchen, pistachio cranberry biscotti, palmiers, bourbon praline, toffee, candied citrus peel, and truffles (champagne, hazelnut, mocha, ginger or Sambuca).

Food & Wine Cookbooks ~ Best of the Best : 2006 and 2008

Food & Wine Annual Cookbook, published in 2008. An entire year of recipes that originally appeared in the pages of Food & Wine magazine, this is the 30th anniversary edition.

The recipes are arranged by season and we commence with Winter, beginning with Starters & Drinks ~ chicken soup with rosemary matzo balls, spinach & egg drop pasta soup, mini brioche lobster rolls, warm leek & goat cheese dip, Spanish devils (dates stuffed with chorizo), red curry buffalo wings, fried baby artichokes, rosemary-maple cashews, champagne mojitos and sticky toffee pudding eggnog. A few of the Main Course include roasted salmon & tomato jam, ginger duck salad with green tea dressing, Basque chicken with sweet peppers, Thai chicken stew with potato chive dumplings, pork & wild mushroom daube, pork & ricotta meatballs, rack of lamb with rosemary butter, Thai grilled beef salad, a horseradish & herb crusted beef rib roast, slow braised osso bucco, sizzled clams with udon noodle & watercress, crispy tofu noodles and Carolina Gold pilau with shrimp.

Still in the Winter section, we move onto Side Dishes ~ roasted carrot & beet salad, roasted cauliflower with green olives & pine nuts, stir fried bok choy with miso, braised kale, coal roasted potatoes, golden Persian rice and a cheesy grits casserole, and end with Desserts and Brunch ~ chocolate chip Bundt cake, cardamon applesauce spiced crumb cake, a feta cheesecake with wine poached dates, sticky toffee pudding, bacon baklava, salted fudge brownies, cream puffs with chocolate sauce, churros, raisin rte bread, granola, popovers and baked eggs with chorizo & potatoes.

For Spring, there is lemony asparagus soup, a cucumber-grapefruit crab salad, two cheese enchiladas, scallop fritters, virgin strawberry Bellinis and ginger margaritas for the Starters and Drinks, with Main Courses pitching a lemony shrimp salad, Chinese chicken salad, soft pork tacos, swordfish spiedini, pizza Margherita, mahimahi coconut curry stew, mirin glazed halibut, Sichaun peppercorn shrimp, spicy red curry chicken, Cornish hens with challah stuffing, Asian baby back ribs with panko crusted mushrooms, grilled lamb shwarma, tandoori leg of lamb and creamy risotto with edamame.

Side Dishes for Spring consist of an endive, radish & lemon salad, fusilli with a creamy leek sauce, gazpacho salad, gnocchi, sweet & sour pickles, eggplant salad, sage polenta, baked beans and kimchi cucumbers, while Desserts and Brunch doles out dulce de leche Napoleons, easy vanilla bean Panna Cotta, lemon cake with a caramel glaze, pudding cakes, crepes, spicy Indian style scrambled eggs and a smoke salmon panini.

Moving onto Summer ~ we are treated to Starters & Drinks ~ homemade gazpacho, smoked bluefish pate, potato pancakes with smoked salmon, caviar & dill cream, corn & shiitake fritters, a summer squash & tomato tart, grilled veggie bruschetta, cucumber-basil martinis and Thai basil sangria. A large selection of Main Courses follows with lemongrass salad with mangoes, grilled squid & lettuce salad, Italian tuna melts, a soft shell crab sandwich, baked eggplant marinara, Indian pulled chicken sandwiches, fish curry with tamarind, a Nantucket clam bake, rock shrimp poke, rosemary grilled chicken, Caribbean jerk chicken, grilled pork chops with anchovies & Swiss chard, grilled steaks with a sweet-spicy hoisin suace, shellfish paella, saffron risotto with mussels and cold peanut noodles with tofu & red peppers.

Side Dishes encompass a fennel salad with tarragon, a tomato, cucumber & onion salad, a lemony rice parsley salad, Asian style spicy coleslaw, bread & butter pickles, Swiss chard souffle and four cheese stuffed portobellos. A few of the Summer Desserts &Brunch options are sour cherry turnovers, almond plum cake, blueberry lemon parfaits, apple pie granita, gooey walnut brownies, Chantarelle omelets and mushroom quiche.

Our last season, Autumn, pitches a few Starters and Drinks ~ Texas smoked salmon tartare, gingered butternut squash soup, mussel & spinach bisque, miso soup with shrimp & tofu, smoke mozzarella spread, stuffed fried sardines and Indian popcorn (sprinkled with curry), then delves into Main Courses ~ crunchy Vietnamese chicken salad, grilled beef rolls, steamed fish with mushrooms & noodles, Galacian fish stew, sweet & spicy chicken curry, lemon brined fried chicken, roasted turkey with a tangerine glaze, roasted capon with fig & prosciutto stuffing, sausages with grapes, pork & tomatillo stew, Iraqi lamb & eggplant stew, bison rib eye steaks and eggplant ravioli.

Rounding out the Sides Dishes, we are given a few choices, mashed potatoes with horseradish cream, sweet potatoes with apple butter, a mushroom shallot ragout, smoky kale & olives, cauliflower pilaf, butternut squash bread pudding and avocado relish with caramelized onions. The last of the Desserts and Brunch dishes consist of apricot kuchen, apple walnut roll-ups, chai spiced caramel fondue, a cranberry struesel cake, pumpkin cake with caramel cream cheese frosting, Gruyere souffles, caramel passion fruit sundaes, a date cake and a slow cooker sour cream cheesecake.

The last few pages are devoted to wine pairings.


Best of the Best, published in 2006. This is the 9th volume from Food & Wine magazine celebrating the "Best Recipes from the 25 Best Cookbooks of the Year", with a few new recipes thrown in for good measure. As with the prior book - this book looks unused and quite possibly had never been read before I bought it from a local thrift store (for 50 cents!).

Since the recipes are culled from specific cookbooks, I will employ a new format by stating the book's title with a notation on the type of cuisine or other morsel of information, followed by the recipes. An average of 3-5 dishes are presented in each chapter (sorted by cookbook).

Mangoes & Curry Leaves ~ written by a pair of Canadian travel writers and focusing on Asiain cooking from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka ~ with spices grated carrots, Sri Lankan beef curry and Vietnamese subs.

Molto Italiano by Mario Batali ~ featuring baked pasta with ricotta & ham, snapper with olives and spaghetti with crab.

Mexican Everyday ~ by Rick Bayless ~ introduces quick (30 minutes or less)  fare ~ green chili chicekn, jicama salad and melted cheese dip with tequila.

La Cochina de Mama ~ Spanish cooking ~ shrimp pancakes, Moorish style green salad with cumin & paprika and shrimp avocado phyllo triangles.

Chef Interrupted ~ a collection of recipes from 50 of the nation's best chefs ~ spice linguine with sauteed baby squid & chorizo, rack of lamb and a shredded Brussels sprout salad.

Everyday Italian ~ By Giada DeLaurentis ~ roasted pork loin with fig sauce and white bean dip.

Paula Deen & Friends ~ potato soup with shrimp and the perennial favorite - shrimp & grits.

Grilling for Life ~ Bobby Flay ~ red chili crusted sea scallops and grilled tuna salad sandwiches.

Eat This Book ~ Tyler Florence ~ peach & blueberry crostata and summer bean salad with lemon dressing.

Sunday Suppers at Lucques ~ recipes from eponymous restaurant ~ green goddess salad, lamb skewers and red cabbage salad.

Suppers at Richard's Place ~ another restaurant cookbook ~ seafood gumbo, crab meat dumplings and oatmeal pancakes.

Small Bites ~ recipes from an former caterer ~ five spice hoisin ribs, Vietnamese chicken in lettuce packets and an Arabian salad with dill.

Eating Korean ~ tofu hot pot and kim chee stuffing.

Brunch ~ recipes from a New York based eatery ~ baked eggs rancheros and baked banana French toast.

Chocolate Obsession ~ the author owns a popular confectionery in San Francisco ~  chocolate shortbread cookies and white cupcakes with a truffle cream topping.

Galatoire's Cookbook ~ dishes from the venerable New Orleans restaurant ~ crab meat au gratin and bread pudding with banana sauce.

Seasoned in the South ~ green Tabasco chicken, cashew cake with maple frosting and deviled eggs.

The Rustic Table ~  "peasant food" ~ Greek style orzo & shrimp salad, Normandy chicken and a macaroni & cheese custard.

Recipes ~ from the founding editor of Martha Stewart Living magazine ~ peanut noodles with mango, a roasted tomato tart and tandoori chicken salad.

Sweet Gratitude ~ desserts! ~ toffee thins, peanut butter pie and lemon mousse.

The Herbal Kitchen ~ recipes from the chef of the Herbalfarm Kitchen restaurant in Seattle ~ minted lentil & goat cheese strudel, penne with walnut pesto & eggplant and shrimp in garlic sage butter.

The Spanish Table ~ Catalan guacamole, Georgian cheese pie and creamy Basque smoked cheese risotto.

The New American Steakhouse Cookbook ~from the chef at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas ~ chopped vegetable salad, steamed littleneck clams and a crab & avocado salad.

The Cooking of Southwest France ~ autumn squash soup and ragout of duck legs.

Chocolate, Chocolate ~ layered blondie squares and giant chocolate chip coffee cake muffins.

More Estate Sale & Thrifty Bargains ~ Cookwise and Tuscany the Beautiful

Tuscany the Beautiful Cookbook, published in 1996.  Another over-sized cookbook filled with recipes as well as photos of the food, people and scenery of Tuscany. Many of the dishes stress simplicity and a love of food based on three ingredients ~ wine, olive oil and bread. The introduction explores the Tuscan region, from the seacoast to the hills, the plains and mountains to scattered villages and cities. There is a timeline journey of Tuscan cuisine and before each chapter a short blurb of the local food, produce and meats of each area. Some of the larger cities profiled include Florence, Sienna, Lucca, Arezzo, Grosseto and Livorno.

A few Appetizers include deep fried polenta, elderflower flat bread, anchovies fried in dough, fried sage leaves and wild boar sausages, while First Courses offer chestnut & rice soup, spelt soup, noodles with hare sauce, egg & vegetable soup, spaghetti with sea urchin sauce, salt cod & leek soup, gnocchi and risotto with Chianti.

The Middle Courses chapter dishes out an artichoke omelet, snails with sausages & tomato sauce, stuffed eggs, fried country bread, polenta with panchetta & rosemary, potato croquettes, and anchovies in vinegar, while Main Courses contributes pot roasted pigeons, goose stuffed sausage, roast chicken with fennel, braised rabbit, Florentine steaks, osso buco, fried meatballs, tripe, squid & beans mussel soup, lamb with artichokes, wild boar stew and drunken pork (made with wine).

Vegetables consist of pureed chickpeas, artichoke fritter, Swiss chard & pine nuts, stuffed zucchini flowers, chickpeas with salt cod, celery with meat sauce and Swiss chard with lemon dressing.

We close out the recipes with Desserts ~ coffee on a fork (custard), cinnamon rice pudding, drunken chestnuts, honey cake, almond cookies, doughnuts, anise seed cookies, chestnut flour cake, fritters and candied figs.


Cookwise, published in 199. The Secrets of Cooking Revealed! Over 230 recipes explaining the hows and whys of successful cooking are scattered over a massive 526 pages. This compendium of cooking is excellent for the beginner through the most experienced cook with many helpful illustrations and numerous tips, hints, techniques and useful information for every aspect of cooking and baking. There are also "At a Glance" notations throughout the book with more techniques and problem solving advice.

The Wonders of Risen Bread gets the ball rolling with information on gluten, bread making techniques (kneading, shaping, slashing, rounding & baking) and a chart listing the protein content of various types of flour, along with with a few recipes ~ brioche, crusty French bread, buttery flaky rolls, semolina bread  ~ and then even more advice on starters (sourdough, etc.), and more recipes for rolls, waffles, Portuguese sweet bread, honey walnut sticky buns and hot cross buns.

The role of fats is explored in How Rich It Is, beginning with pie crusts (including techniques) and recipes ranging from a classic fruit tart, bourbon pecan pie, cookies (chocolate chips or crisp corn wafers), cakes (raspberry & cream or coconut with a sour cream frosting) and apple bran muffins with orange zest before moving onto frying. A few of the frying techniques discussed are deep fat and stir or pan frying, along with several dishes ~ Szechwan chicken salad, fish fillets with pecans, a low-fat shrimp bisque, horseradish meringue crusted fillets and lemon ginger ice cream.

Eggs Unscrambled covers how to cook eggs employing a variety of methods (poaching, baking, frying, etc.), how to rest for freshness, ways to use as a thickener and usage in baking. A sampling of the recipes include: deviled eggs with caviar, a omelet souffle with dark cherries & marscapone, white chocolate floating islands, creme Anglaise or creme Patissiere, lemon curd, flan, cheesecake, custard, flan, souffles, meringue and pate a choux (light pastry dough).

The processes in Sauce Sense touch on purees (basics and used as a thickener), stocks (chicken, brown veal, fish, & clear/consomme), emulsion sauces (mayo, Hollandaise, etc.), and starch bound sauces, of which there are two types ~ grain (cornstarch, flour or rice) or root (arrowroot, potato or tapioca). Some of the recipes presented are a fresh tomato basil sauce with roasted almonds & garlic, seafood with Rockefeller sauce (spinach based), lemon cream with veal, Bechamel sauce, poppy-seed dressing, fish fillets under a dill souffle, Buerre Blanc or Buerre Rouge (made with red wine), broccoli & cauliflower in an artichoke cup with Hollandaise and pan seared steak with Bernaise.

Treasures of Earth celebrates fruits and vegetables with a plethora of  useful information ~  a storage time and temperature chart, tips to longer freshness and cooking methods: blanching, poaching, steaming, braising, stewing, drying and grilling. Some of the dishes include a spinach & orange salad with pine nuts, fresh fruit with ginger, corn on the cob with honey, applesauce, roasted asparagus with lemon chilie oil, old-fashioned grated sweet potato pudding, carrots with raspberry Chambord sauce, poached pears with walnut blue cheese rounds, oven dried cherry tomatoes and an Indian veggie stir fry.

Seafood and meats are the topics examined in Fine Fare from the Land, Seas and Air with the names for cuts of meat, USDA beef grades, methods of tenderizing/cooking and marinades filling the chapter. Recipes trot out the best ever marinated shrimp, juicy roast chicken, brined turkey, whole roasted tenderloin, roast duck with Grand Marnier sauce, Cajun Italian oysters and fish fillets with macadamia butter.

We end with Sweet Thoughts and Chocolate Dreams (Desserts) which contributes ~ creme brulee in flaky pastry, orange slices with cinnamon candied peel, macadamia-almond brittle, fudge, pralines, roasted walnuts with brown sugar caramel, ice cream (ginger, creamy lemon chip, cappuccino), plus truffles, mousse and a pretty chocolate walnut ruffle cake.