Fourth Thrifty Week of 2015 #4 ~ BAKE! and Gourmet Meals in Minutes

Bake - Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking, published in 2010. There are 30 techniques and recipes that enable the reader to master the essentials of baking. The book contains 20 chapters in all, each offering a master recipe or technique with helpful step by step photos. Also included are numerous tips and variations for each dish for a grand total of 125 recipes. So MANY amazing photos, I will be reviewing this book and brushing up on my pie crust making and bread baking when the weather gets a bit warmer!

To begin, we must first tackle the sweet pastry dough & tarts (there is a yummy looking Citrus Scented Chocolate Tart in this section) then move onto the flaky pastry dough & tarts (both fruity and savory), up next is the chapter on cookie dough & tarts (another tasty looking dish was the French Raspberry Tart) and finally we end with quick puff pastry.

Moving on, bread is the next topic with one step breads & rolls, pan breads, two step & whole grain breads (ciabatta), followed by flat breads (focaccia & pizza) and brioche. Before we delve into cakes, there is a chapter on danish pastries with a super quick and easy Apple Strudel.

Now we start with cakes - chapters include butter cakes, oil based cakes (with the "Best" carrot cake recipe....), pound & coffee cakes, sponge & meringue layers and finishing with layers and molded cakes (i.e. cheesecake).

As we near the end, there are recipes for baking powder biscuits & scones, plus quick breads and muffins. Lastly, the three remaining sections discuss cookies: bars & brownies, piped & drop and rolled/sandwich.


Gourmet Meals in Minutes, published in 2004.  Published by other CIA (Culinary Institute of America) there are 200 recipes and 125 photos of elegantly simple menus and dishes perfect for weekend nights and entertaining. The recipes are straight forward and help cooks master the fundamentals of food preparation with step by step photos of techniques employed in each dish. Many suggestions and tips for streamlining and organizing the kitchen, equipment and work areas are given, along with hints to reduce clean up and even a few pointers on seasonings to enhance the flavor of meals.

There are 10 chapters and we start with - Prior to Cooking - which begins with a discourse on "Mise en Place" (I am a FIRM believer) then offers lists of  recommended staples along with suggestions for stocking an ethnic pantry. Equipment hints and tips, plus time saving advice for shopping, freezing ingredients for later use, general cooking terms, and a few notes on seasoning, rubs and marinades are also discussed.

The recipes begin with the second chapter, and feature Appetizers consisting of salsa, hummus, guacamole, roasted nuts and several crostini choices, followed by Soups ~ both and hot and cold, including borscht, broths, bisque and chowder (both Manhattan and New England styles). Of course Salads are next and in addition to the usual basics like spinach, Cobb and Cesar there are recipes that utilize lentils, roasted beets, fruit, soba noodles, lobster and steak.

The Meats portion explores various ways to prepare beef, veal, chops and tenderloins (both beef & pork), while Poultry examines chicken, turkey and duck in curries, jerked, and stir fried. There were two recipes that garnered my attention - a Moroccan Lemon chicken and a chicken breast stuffed with pesto.  Seafood tackles the usual fish plus scallops, oysters (in a Po Boy sandwich), mussels, and shrimp with a few seared recipes (tuna & scallops) and two recipes prepared en papillote (in paper).

Vegetarian Meals contain stews, quesadillas, stir fries & sautes, sandwiches, a vegetable tagine and a recipe for homemade veggie burgers that I definitely will be making for future meals since the burgers (frozen) I usually purchase from Publix are no longer available. In Side Dishes we have slaws, sautees, pan steamed, braised & grilled options for many a vegetable, plus a potato salad, polenta and rice dishes (pilaf and couscous).

Closing out the book as always is the Dessert section with a few fancy sauces, fondue, tiramisu, cookies, a simple but elegant strudel, baklava, a gallette, mousse and cheesecake.

Fourth Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ Slow Cooker Recipes and Madison County

Fix It & Forget it Big Cookbook, published in 2008. Filled with 1,400 recipes from home cooks across the country and featuring their favorite family dishes all made simply and easily in a crock pot. The book is comprehensive in scope and filled with many options for every meal  from appetizers to entrées, desserts and beverages.

Starting with Appetizers, Snacks & Spreads we have dozens of dips, fondues, queso, chutney, salsa, meatballs, apple butter, plus various ways to serve cocktail sausages. Breakfast & Brunch features casseroles and oatmeal, while Breads has many choices for corn, fruit and nut dishes. The Soups, Chili & Stews section is chock full of numerous options for vegetable soup - both with and without beef, a variety of bean soups, chili - many vegetarian choices are included, , chowders, seafood, poultry and an easy Hot and Sour soup that I may make before the weather turns warm. 

Beef Main Dishes is filled with roasts, ribs, briskets, beef stews, stuffed peppers, meatloaf, burgers, casseroles and quite a few Mexican selections, with Chicken & Turkey Main Dishes offering casseroles, curries, barbecue, roasts (including whole chickens and turkey breasts) plus Asian, Italian and Mexican options. Pork Main Dishes is next with similar recipes for roasts, chops, sausage, ribs, ham and hot dogs, and the Seafood chapter has casseroles and jambalaya.

Pasta, Meatless and Other Main Dishes delves into lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, stuffed shells and macaroni and cheese, while Vegetables covers a wide assortment of casseroles, stuffings, plus countless ways to use beans, eggplant, potatoes, fruit and rice. Of course we end with Desserts & Sweets with puddings, cobblers, cakes, applesauce and other fruit treats. There is a final chapter on beverages ~ punch, ciders, wassail, tea and hot chocolate. I found lots recipes to add to my repertoire  and will be utilizing this book for years to come.

The Madison County Cookbook, published in 1997. Recipes were compiled by the St. Joseph Church of Winterset, Iowa - the heart of Madison County. The 500 recipes celebrate food, family, friends & festivals and reflect family favorites, ethnic dishes and old fashioned down home cooking.

There are many anecdotes, stories, traditions and family activities scattered among the pages, gathered from the residents and parishioners of the town and church. We start with a few essays about Madison County and Winterset, including a brief history (founded in 1876 and  site of the covered bridge festival which brings 50k visitors each year), a former resident reminiscing on the charm of a small town returning for a visit 20 years after leaving, a short history of the church, the six covered bridges in the county, and John Wayne's birthplace (he's the most famous native of the town).

The Appetizer section is filled with cheese balls, dips, egg rolls, meatballs and beverages, while Breads takes on on biscuits, hot cross buns, kolaches, pretzels, muffins, rolls and a recipe for unleavened communion wafers. Brunch features crepes, a breakfast pizza or two, quiche, casseroles and pancakes. Cakes is filled with an array of sweet choices, and Candies gives us caramel corn, and fudge (including one made with Velveeta cheese!)

Continuing the sweet theme, we have Cookies & Bars with a multitude of sugar cookies, brownies and a Snowball Surprise (orange slice candy baked in dough and rolled in confectioner's sugar), plus Desserts with fried hand pies, cobblers, and ice cream. The Herbs section offers tips on growing and preserving fresh herbs with a few recipes for teas, breads and infused vinegars.

Main Dishes are next with many recipes for beef, pork, chicken, lamb,and pasta with quite a few options for spaghetti and lasagna and several tater tot casseroles, There are also meatless dishes and accompaniment to round out the chapter. In Pies there is a simple recipe for a Makes It's Own Crust Coconut Pie and a mock pecan pie made with oatmeal.

Salads & Dressings isn't filled with many congealed dishes - a welcome surprise - but many of the dishes do utilize cream cheese and Cool Whip. Unfortunately the dreaded Gum Drop Salad makes an appearance among the usual rice, macaroni, slaws, and fruit recipes. Soups and Sandwiches includes a contribution from the Governor of Iowa (at the time of publication) for a broccoli and cheese soup, and we end with Tea Time with recipes for more soups and sandwiches, plus sweets, scones pudding and fruit curds.

Fourth Thrifty Week of 2015 #2 ~ Meat & Asian Cooking

Recipes on Parade - Meats, published in 1969. Also including seafood and poultry, the 2,000 recipes were collected worldwide from the wives of military officers. A few first lady favorites kick off the book: Lady Bird's BBQ spare ribs, Jackie Kennedy's Beef Stroganoff and Mrs. McNamara's Beef Bourguignon. There are chapters on meat cookery, a meat calorie chart, an herb & spice chart, plus cooking terms and definitions.

Appetizers are the first recipes with an interesting sounding dish titled Drunken Meatballs (made with beer) and pickled pig's feet,. Salads are next with 16 recipes featuring chicken, followed by sides, soups and garnishes. There are casserole and combo dishes ~ tamale pie ~, ground beef and hamburger favorites with even more meatball dishes, plus a few chili options. Up next are beef and veal recipes, with pork and lamb favorites trailing behind. Lastly variety meats explores corned beef, kidney, liver, heart and tongue.

The poultry and wild game section has dishes with chicken, dove, duck, partridge, goose, pheasant, plus antelope, moose and venison. There is a slim chapter on seafood and fish, while favorites from foreign lands wraps up the recipes.

The Art of Asian Cooking, published in 1990. This is the fourth book of recipes compiled by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts and the first featuring Asian cooking. The book was a part of the centennial celebration of the Asian Department at the Museum and there are recipes from numerous Asian nations, especially India and China, but Nepal, Iran and Japan also make an appearance.

Scattered among the pages and the recipes are photos of the museum's permanent collection of objects and art from the Far East. We start off with a glossary of terms and then proceed to the recipes, beginning with appetizers ~ pakoras from India, egg rolls & seafood wonton from China, then move onto soups with a few familiar Chinese versions of hot & sour and egg drop, plus a mulligatawny from India.

There are several salads, followed by entrees ~ lamb, ribs, pork, beef, a few noodle & rice recipes, lots of shrimp, at least 4 versions of chicken curry and a bang bang chicken. Closing out the recipes we have vegetables, sauces & chutneys, a word or two on spices and of course desserts. The sweet treats include almond cookies and banana fritters.

Fourth Thrifty Week of 2015 #1 ~ London & Marlboro

Williams Sonoma London, published in 2005.  There are 45 recipes scattered among the pages, but the beautiful photography is the real highlight of the book. As such, the beginning of the book, up to page 70, is filled with LOTS of information on the food scene in London.

We start out with a brief culinary history of London including its many global influences, followed by contemporary cuisine with nods to artisanal  foods, famous markets and restaurant pioneers. Of course the next chapter is dining out and the varied options available ~ pubs, neighborhood spots and global cuisine (for some reason I have it my head that EVERYONE in London eats Indian food on a regular basis, probably from reading way too many chick flick books in the late 90's!). There is a slim chapter on the many food or farmer's markets found around town - again with lots of gorgeous photos - plus a culinary breakdown of  some of the most well-known or popular neighborhoods in London (Soho, the East End, Notting Hill, Chelsea and Chinatown to name a few).

Afternoon tea has photos of the luscious desserts options available at most shops, while the tea merchants & tea section also contains photos of various teas as well as instruction on how to brew the perfect cup. There are chapters filled with amazing photos and information on delicatessens, cheese-mongers & cheese (again with many lovely identifying photos), pubs (there were over 5,500 at the time of publication), fishmongers & seafood, bars & cocktails and lastly bakeries (along with a history of the pasty).

The recipes come last and consist of tea time treats (cakes, scones & hot cross buns), starters(samosas & tarts), soups and salads, followed by main courses (fish & chips, bangers & mash, pheasant, venison, duck, lamb & a roast with Yorkshire pudding) and ending with desserts (trifle, treacle tarts, crumbles and a soufflé or two).

Morning Fires, Evening Lights:The Marlboro Country Cookbook, published in 1998. This book is one of at least five cookbooks distributed by Phillip Morris, maker of Marlboro cigarettes. There are 180+ recipes hearkening back to the day of the trail cowboy.

First up is the Range Breakfast with recipes for pancakes and biscuits (not necessarily made over an open fire), followed by the Bucking Horse Cafe which is filled with breakfast and lunch favorites including omelets, hash browns, burgers, chicken and desserts. The Cook's Pantry explores jellies, jams, vinegars, ketchup and relish - all homemade, while Southwest Heat covers dishes made with chilies: salsa and sauces, plus a Salsa Cake!

The Range Cook's Companions are recipes for cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens with chili, bread, biscuit and entrées, while Market Day incorporates fresh greens, fruit and vegetables into soups, desserts, bread and ice cream. A Cowboy Christmas celebrates the 4th of July and is filled with lots of barbecue dishes including steaks, ribs, grilled corn, salads, sauces and beverages. Line Rider's Camp is a way to use items on hand in entrées and desserts, while Cook Off Recipes features beef jerky, beans and pickles.

Feeding the Outfit are dishes made for a crowd, and the Snake River Cattleman's Association touts grand meals with all the trimmings from soups, vegetables, entrées and desserts. Saturday Night consists of appetizers, sandwiches and chili, while Headquarters Kitchens is all about beef and game. When Company Comes is the last chapter and all about the holidays, followed by a few basic recipes for doughs, pie crusts, plus a few helpful hints and tips on seasoning a cast iron skillet, grilling basics and a hot pepper identification chart.

Third Thrifty Week of 2015 #4 ~ Emeril TV Dinners and Clay Pot Cooking

Emeril's TV Dinners, published in 1998. This is the fourth book from Emeril and contains 150+ recipes collected from his cooking shows, "Emeril Live" and "Essence of Emeril". The book starts with the basics ~ stocks, sauces, roasted garlic and chowder then delves into the recipes.

The first chapter is titled - Fall River Memories - and covers hometown favorites of Emeril. Recipes represented are cod fish cakes, Boston Creme Pie and a few Portuguese recipes including Malasadas. In Hawaii there is also a large Portuguese contingent and I enjoyed Malasadas from Leonard's Bakery while living in the islands. Next up is Louisiana Specialties which are mostly seafood dishes and a Baked Alaska. Southern Favorites include fried chicken with mashed potatoes, greens and a coconut cream cake. While starters feature a few fondues, salads comprise poke salad and a molasses duck recipe. There are confits, torts and stews filed under vegetables, while prawns, a fancy salmon and a lobster with crawfish mashed potatoes make up the Fish Market chapter.

In the Know Your Birds section, there are recipes for squab and LOTS of duck including a duck burrito. There is a recipe for Homemade Bacon in Pork Fat and Where's the Meat has dishes incorporating lamb, filet mignon, oxtail, venison and rabbit. The final chapters are Creole Jazz Brunch with drinks and a crab meat omelet, with the last chapter titled Swingin' Sweets featuring a yummy Praline Bread Pudding.

One Pot & Clay Pot Cooking, published in 2002. The introductory chapter highlights and explores the equipment and techniques used in the recipes. The kitchen equipment used in the dishes are pot ramekins, casserole dishes, Dutch ovens, woks, a garlic baker, chicken brick and clay tagines. I bought the book in my quest to find the perfect recipe for a Moroccan chicken with rice (or couscous).

There are numerous yummy recipes for soups, first course and light meals, sides, oven and stove entrées for various meats and seafoods, a few vegetarian options and of course desserts. Many of the oven recipes are for roasts with lamb being well represented as well as whole chickens. A few unusual dishes include toad in the hole and pigeon in red wine.

I did find a tasty and simple recipe for stuffed grape leaves and another for braised spinach with sweet potatoes. I also will try a chicken dish, but need to adapt it to the tagine as it was presented as a stove top recipe.

Third Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ Food Festival USA & Highlands NC

Food Festival USA, published in  2002. Over 250 recipes from all 50 states collected from festival cooking contestants, local prominent chefs and many ethnic favorites passed down through generations. The most represented states are Texas, Louisiana and California and the recipes are grouped regionally with a directory of all the festivals in the back of the book.

When I resided in Louisiana, I was a mere 15 -20 minutes from the Strawberry Festival, the Oyster Festival and the Independence Italian Festival - all of which I attended during my college years. 

The theme of the festivals vary with many celebrating various ethnic groups such as the Hungarian Festival in New Jersey (I guess those Stephanie Plum novels were accurate!) and for some strange reason a Japanese festival in Missouri. There are festivals for just about every fruit and vegetable known to man ~ the Yambilee in Opelousas, Louisiana as well as a multitude of foods - Chitlins in Alabama, sorghum, cornbread and marshmallow in other states. I would love to visit the Cheesecake Open House in Virginia and the Duncan Hines celebration in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The recipes range from appetizers to entrees and desserts - so basically the same as found in most cookbooks. There was interesting strawberry burrito and a few made with abalone that looked intriguing.

Celebrate Highlands, published in 2002. Recipes were complied by the Laurel Garden Club of Highlands, North Carolina. The club was founded in 1982 for the protection and conservation of natural resources and to preserve the roadside charm found in Highlands. The town has population of 900 year round residents and swells to 20k in the summer. Many people from my hometown of Athens, Georgia have summer houses in Highlands and it is a popular travel destination for many people in Georgia.

The book begins with menus for various celebrations including movable feasts (picnics), a backyard summer BBQ, a full moon dinner and Christmas. The remaining chapters touch on appetizers & beverages, soups, salads & vegetables, entrées - including pasta, breads, eggs& cheese, brunches, desserts and a few recipes submitted by celebrity chefs.

I found a familiar recipe for a Pesto Torta that I used to make while entertaining company years ago. I received a copy of the recipe when I took a few cooking classes at the local Rolling Pin store which has since closed.

Third Thrifty Week of 2015 #2 ~ Mormons & Florida Flair

A Century of Mormon Cookery, published in 1995. Originally published in 1984, this is the 12th edition. The 460+ recipes were complied by the authors and culled from their catering business and church cooking classes. The wide multitude of dishes include appetizers, breads, salads & soups, veggies, pasta, entrées, eggs & cheese, desserts, candy, sauces and preserves.

The last chapter is titled Potpourri and features beverages (all made without alcohol) including a quick root beer, sandwich fillings, ingredient substitutions, cooking terms and assorted household hints.

A few notable dishes I found were orange rolls, a super easy Manhattan clam chowder and an oven Kalua Pork that I remember from my childhood. There are also chimichangas prepared with deer or elk and a Pineapple Torte that was the $25k winner in the National Pineapple Cooking Classic.

The book was given to the former owner from a friend as a remembrance of her time spent in Utah.

Food with a Florida Flair, published in 1968.  The recipes were selected by the author, who was the Homemaking editor at the Miami Herald (the publisher of the booklet). The author also worked for 5 years at Better Homes & Garden magazine.

The dishes reflect the abundant fruit and seafood found in Florida. In the fruit section there are recipes for avocado (guacamole and salads), limes (beverages, pies & dressings), mango (pies, sauces, chutney, a daiquiri or two and of course desserts), and orange & grapefruit (rice pudding, salads, cakes, pies, cookies & bread). In the exotic fruit category - there are recipes for guava, coconut, tangerine, plantains and kumquats, mostly consisting of desserts and preserves.

The seafood chapter chapter focuses on crab, lobster, shrimp, conch and frog legs. Most of the recipes are for entrées, with a few appetizers, soups, sauces and salads.

Third Thrifty Week of 2015 #1 ~ Morocco & Curries

Taste of Morocco, published in 1987.The author, who lives several months out of the year in Marrakesh, spent two years traveling throughout the different regions in Morocco collecting recipes from friends, regional chefs and his own household  for the book. In addition to the recipes, there are many wondrous photos of the people, places, culture and of course the cuisine of Morocco.

The first chapter is a brief history of the country, followed by next chapter which is an introduction to the food ~ including spices and culinary influences. Other topics covered in the subsequent sections are eating in Morocco ~ highlights a few of the more familiar dishes, especially couscous ~ kitchen equipment with very useful photos and the tea ceremony (mint tea). Street food sold in stalls and bazaars is up next along with a very useful guide on herbs and spices, followed by a discussion of olive oil.

The recipes start with the basics: butters, preserved lemons and Harissa and continue with bread recipes and bread starters. There is a recipe for a tagine bread that I may try - eventually. Next up are pastry dishes, salads (mostly consisting of eggplant and cucumber), soups and fish. The chapter titled Feast of the lamb highlights many dishes with lamb (duh) and also throws in a few with camel and gazelle as an ingredient. Tagines and other main dishes follows and there is an entire section devoted to the various ways to prepare couscous.

Finally there is a chapter on the wedding feast with an enlightening look at traditions and customs. Of course like many cookbooks, the last section is devoted to desserts ~ many with almonds and dates, plus a fresh (local) fruit platter.

Curries & Indian Foods, published in 1989. This slight booklet is filled with a few familiar recipes, but more glaring are the omissions of what I thought were common Indian foods. The recipes cover meat, poultry, seafood desserts, breads, pickles, relishes & chutneys and beverages and represent all regions of the country in the 100+  dishes.

The book starts with a slight chapter on making a few of the basics needed for the recipes (garam masala and tandoori masala) then continues on with the recipes. Most of the dishes take up only one page, plus there are instructional photos to accompany the text. Lamb is found in many of the dishes as well as pistachios with a few duck recipes thrown in for good measure. I did find an easy recipe for a WHOLE tandoori chicken, plus one for saffron rice, a yummy mango milkshake and a rosewater rice pudding. The steamed chicken and fish recipes may also need further examination.

The glaring omissions include pakoras and in the beverage section any type of lassi.

Estate Sale Finds - Elder Road #4 ~ Trains and Kitchens & Gardens

From the Dining Car: The Recipes and Stories Behind Today's Greatest Rail Dining Experiences, published in 2004.  The recipes capture and share the culinary talents of railroad chefs of North America and beyond. All dishes were cooked and served on moving trains. Chefs were invited to submit recipes from a typical meal in the following categories: private luxury trains, private chartered rail cars, dinner trains, scheduled trains (Amtrak & VIA Rail Canada) and business cars - usually employed by railroad executives while on the job.

The first category covers the luxury dining of the Eastern & Oriental Express, the Blue Train in South Africa, the American Oriental Express and showcases delectable five course meals. On the Midnight Sun Express, Reindeer chili is a featured entree. In  regard to the second category, there are 150-160 privately owned rail cars that are certified by Amtrak and the chefs serve an eclectic array of meals from a simple butternut soup, an elegant broiled salmon with lobster cream sauce, a classic champagne & caviar service to  beartooth Bison.

On the dinner trains, the meals are still a bit fancy with a pate made in two stages , a Grand Marnier Flan, crown roast of pork,  lobster salad and basmati rice with edamame. The scheduled trains (the one most of us commoners would travel on) have a more subdued repast with New Orleans gumbo and Kentucky ham as a main course or you could choose the humble grilled cheese club sandwich, duck confit or an omelet. The railroad executives dine rather well on either tenderloin of beef or deep fried ravioli.

Garden & Kitchen Secrets Cookbook, published in 1992. Recipes were collected by the Savannah Area Council of Garden Clubs. There are only a few chapters in the book, but they cover all bases including appetizers & starters, main courses, desserts and baked goods. There is a slim section titled Potpourri which contains a recipe or two on making ACTUAL potpourri.

A few notable inclusions are in the main course section are the international recipes from Cuba, Greece, Italy and Vietnam, plus bread made with Tofu and the Jezebel sauce (pineapple preserves, apple jelly, dry mustard and horseradish) which is served with crackers.

There are hints and tips about garden plants scattered among the recipes.The last chapter offers information on cooking with herbs & herb flavorings as well as hints and tips on using and buying herbs.

The book was a gift to the former owner from her daughter. The owner had quite a large selection of cookbooks at the estate sale where I purchased this title.

Estate Sale Finds - Elder Road #4 ~ Another Cooks Illustrated: The Best Recipe

The New Best Recipe, published in  1999. A massive book from Cooks Illustrated magazine containing 574 pages packed with incredibly detailed information on all aspects of cooking. There are 200 illustrations and 700 editor's picks recipes  from the magazine dating from 1993 through 1999. The book is a companion piece to the PBS cooking series "America's Test Kitchen".

In each of the 21 chapters, there is usually a master recipe followed by a few variations, plus short essays or notes on ingredients, equipment and techniques for the dishes discussed in the chapter. The book starts with Soups, with a master recipe for several stocks, notes on lemon grass & dried rice noodles (for the Asian soups) plus a handy chart depicting a multitude of vegetable options for making Minestrone. Salads are next with several choices for leafy salads, coleslaw, potato salad, bread salads, plus Tabbouleh as well as the usual egg, tuna, chicken and cucumber. There are notes on oils and vinegar with master recipes for mayonnaise and vinaigrette.

Vegetables take on broccoli rabe, Brussel sprouts, leeks and fennel in addition to the usual suspects. There is a short essay on knives in this chapter. Beans & Grains contains recipes for risotto, spoon bread, lentils and black beans, with essays on white rice and rice cookers. Poultry offers recipes for  chicken roasts, breasts, cutlets, wings, pot pie, fried and dumplings with essays on how to cut up a chicken, using a roasting rack and how to butterfly a chicken. There are also recipes for Cornish hens, turkey, duck and goose, plus gravy, stuffing and accompanying sauces, salsas and relishes.

In Beef there is an illustrated chart depicting the 8 prime cuts of a cow with recipes for steaks, fajitas, tenderloin, prime rib, briskets, burgers and meat loaf. A short treatise on roast beef offers information on different cuts available. Pork offers a chart with the 4 prime cuts of the pig and dishes that include chops, tenderloin, roasts, ham, ribs and bacon. Moving onto the next topic, Lamb has a 5 prime cuts chart plus recipes for chops, rack of lamb, shanks, roast leg of lamb, plus a few rubs and sauces. There is a whole page illustration on how to bone a leg of lamb. Grilling & Barbecue has a master recipe for marinade plus a few sauces, rubs and pastes. There are short articles on both charcoal and gas grills.

Stews features chili and curries plus dishes made with meat, fish, chicken and seafood. For Fish & Shellfish a few methods for preparation include grilling, pan seared, steamed and pan fried. There are are recipes for shrimp cocktail, clams, mussels, lobster and my favorite - soft shell crab. Pizza, Focaccia & Bruschetta  offers master recipes for both a thin and thick crust dough plus a recipe for grilled pizza.

Yeast Breads gives us short essays on equipment ~ the stand up mixer, the food processor ~ and recipes for Amish sandwich bread, wheat, rustic country, cinnamon swirl, rye and bagels.Muffins, Biscuits & Quick Breads follows with master recipes for scones, pop overs, corn and soda bread, plus recipes for pancakes, waffles and French toast. Eggs delves into quiche and fritattas, while Cookies, Brownies & bars offers the usual choices, plus biscotti and a rolled butter dough with a dozen variations with matching glazes.

Cakes starts with angel food, then moves onto chiffon, sponge, pound, flour less chocolate and fruit upside cakes with many variations. Of course the basics are also covered with master recipes for white, yellow and chocolate cakes. A helpful illustration on frosting a cake is also featured. In Pies & Tarts, there is an illustration on making a lattice top and recipes for apple, pumpkin, pecan, lemon meringue, key lime and a few options using summer fruit. Crisps, Cobblers & Other Fruit Desserts has variations on the Brown Betty, topping options for the cobblers, plus recipes for shortcakes, baked apples and poached fruit. For the final recipe chapter, Puddings, Custards & Soufflé there are master recipes for chocolate pudding plus bread, rice and summer puddings, creme brulee and  creme caramel. Lastly, there is a TV program guide with the recipe title and page location for each episode.