February Thrifty - Week 3 #2 ~ Nutcraker Sweet and Sweet Miniatures

Sweet Miniatures - The Art of Making Bite Size Desserts, published in 2000.  Recipes perfect for tea parties and other occasions where a small sweet treat is just the ticket. The author ran a catering company and also taught cooking classes. The most popular subject and food items were her miniature treats. This book is the revised edition of a former imprint.

To begin, there is an informational chapter on equipment, various shaping methods and tools (molds, dowels, cornets and spritz), baking pans, decorative utensils (pastry bags, tips & cones) plus many more tips and hints. Throughout the book are many helpful illustrations on techniques used in the recipes.

The recipes start with Miniature Cookies and at the beginning of the chapter are methods for mixing, shaping and rolling, there are 22 recipes for shortbread with notes on baking and variations. Some of the flavor options include coffee, cinnamon, apricot, chocolate chip, coconut and lemon.  Up next are Chewy Miniatures with 8 recipes for almond, Swiss and Italian dishes. The Crispy Miniatures follow with 12 recipes including Florentines, wafers and Chantilly fans.

The Spicy Miniatures feature 6 options for gingersnaps, Belgian almond cookies, Pfeffernusse and lebkuchen, while Chocolate Miniatures have a total of 15 recipes ~macaroons, thimbles, chocolate coins & tulips, starlets, cavaliers and cigarettes. In the Mini Pastries section, there are hints and tips for mixing along with illustrations, while Tartlets gives us 15 choices including chocolate, cherry, lemon meringue, raspberry lemon and lemon drop.

Flaky Miniatures  offers 24 dough & pastry dishes ~ sweet cheese puffs, rugelach, cinnamon strudel and cheesecake turnovers among others. and Mini Cakes has 11 recipes for Petit Fours, dominoes, S'Mores squares and a few fruit meringues. The last section of recipes - Mini Sweets - has recipes for lollipops, caramels, lady apples, jellies, wafers and marshmallows. The very last chapter has information on prepping ahead of baking, plus freezing and storing of miniatures.

Nutcracker Sweet, published in 1992. Part of the Music & Menus series,  this books offers desserts inspired by the music of the Nutcracker ballet. The recipes were collected from bakeries, restaurants, gourmet shops, hotels (and their restaurants) , farms and companies from around the world. The book opens with a quick story of the Nutcracker with notes on the composer and the first performance -  St. Petersburg (Russia) in 1892.

The first chapter titled Desserts & Confections for Holidays and Special Occasions features a 15th century Polish Cake ~ Kolacz ~ basically a yellow cake with raisins & poppy seeds, a sugar plum pudding with bourbon sauce, tarts, bombes, pies and souffles, plus cheesecakes, parfaits, creme brulee, kringle and truffles. The dishes span the globe with selections from the USA, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. A few other notable sweet treats are a Chocolate Decadence Cake, Turkish Delight and a rich custard from Spain whose name translates to "fat from heaven"  made with 12 (!!) egg yolks.

Sweets as Gifts offer brownies, cookies, breads, toffee, Madelines, baklava, spiced nuts, pralines and contributed by See's Candies - Peanut Brittle cookies. Light Desserts gives us applesauce, stuffed apples, sorbet, key lime pie, poached fruit, sherbert, a mousse or two, plus a Chocolate Orange cake made with Grand Marnier. The final section is Easy Treats with recipes for muffins, breads, cookies, cake, pudding, cheesecake, trifle, ice cream and Lucy's Christmas Persimmon cake - credited to Lucille Ball.

February Thrifty - Week 3 #1 ~ Vintage Goodies: Three Rivers and College President's Wives

Three Rivers Cookbook II, published in 1981. This book is the third printing (all in 1981) with a total of 120,000 copies. All proceeds from the book benefit the Child Health Association of Sewicky, as did the proceeds from the first book which was published in 1973 and sold 265,000 copies.

We start with Openers - basically beverages & appetizers. All the beverage contain liquor (duh) and include punches, floats, slushes, frappes and Irish Coffee.  The appetizers encompass cheese balls (even one made with salmon), dips, pate. mousse and a few savory treats ~ stuffed mushrooms and spinach balls. Up next are Breads (both fruit and vegetable options), pancakes, rolls, fritters, pastries and coffee cakes.

In the Entrees section, the recipes begin with a few breakfast choices, mainly cheese and egg dishes (casseroles, quiche and strata), then delves into beef, lamb, pork, veal, poultry and game (duck, venison, and moose) with a few seafood & fish dishes, sandwiches, sauces and accompaniments.  A chapter on Vegetables, Rice & pasta follows along with another section on Salads & Dressings.

The Dessert chapter is filled with cakes, crepes, cheesecake, cookies, pies, ice cream & candy treats and finally we end the book with Foreign selections from Italy, the Mid East, Poland and Russia.

The College President's Wife Entertains, published in 1976.  Recipes were submitted by the wives of  the presidents of  26 colleges and universities - mostly located in Georgia, but with one each from Tennessee (Vanderbilt) and South Carolina (Converse College). The author is the wife of a chancellor affiliated with the Georgia Board of Regents.

The chapters contain menus for various university related functions with most of the recipes appearing below each menu. We begin with Luncheon Menus which is filled with lots of salads - mostly congealed - plus a few variations for chicken salad, aspic, and fruit salad. Of course there are desserts including muffins, flan, cheesecake, cookies, parfaits, pie, souffle and crepes. There are rolls and breads, plus a few casseroles, chicken, seafood, soup & gumbo dishes - all on the lighter side. A few highlights are 6 week bran muffins, a recipe spotted in many a community cookbook and the Congealed Chicken Log - which is aptly named - a concoction of gelatin, chicken, mayo, celery, pimentos and sliced stuffed olives all mixed together and shaped into a log, chilled,  then sliced.

Following luncheons are the Dinner Menus, filled with numerous entrees for beef, poultry, pork and seafood, plus a few sides (veggies and rice dishes), salads and desserts (another recipe for flan). Highlights are the Veal Chaufroid, a fancy dish that requires 2 days to prepare and the Big Tossed Salad which is created by letting olive oil, lemon & garlic season the serving bowl at least a few hours then adding mixed greens, tomatoes and cucumbers.

The third set of menus focus on Miscellaneous Occasions with suggestions for barbeques (salads, chicken and vegetables), a buffet or lunch for students (more chicken), supper for a crowd (casseroles, etc.) plus so much more! There are lots of choices for cheeses, pastries, breads & muffins, biscuits, grits and even a watermelon boat - which I actually made while in college for my dormitory's international day cook out!

The last set of menus are designed for Coffees, Teas & Receptions,  are mostly filled with a range of appetizers ~ cheese balls, dips, pates, sausage balls and bologna wedges ~ a few dainty desserts, sandwich fillings and beverages - a plethora of punches and just one wassail.

February Thrifty - Week 2 #2 ~ Junior League, St. John Style and Vintage Salads

At Your Service - Southern Recipes, Places & Traditions, published in 2001. All recipes were compiled by the Junior League of Gwinnett and North Fulton counties in Georgia. Next to a few of the selections are entertaining ideas, wine suggestions and a fun fact or two about the dish.
As always appetizers are first up with a few Brie choices, salsas, dips and beverages (both with and without alcohol), followed by breads & breakfast including casseroles, stratas and quiches. Continuing on there are soups (chowder, chili & stew), salads and entrées ~ beef, lamb, pork, seafood and chicken. Coincidentally or not, I found the SAME chicken enchilada recipe in this book that I make often from ANOTHER Junior League book .

Side dishes are mostly vegetable options, a relish or two and even a baked fruit salsa. The desserts kick it off with cheesecake, then delve into brownies, cookies, cakes, and trifles - including a Punchbowl Cake: cake mix, pudding mix, whipped topping, nuts, cherry pie filling and banana all layered in - you guessed it - a punchbowl. The last chapter offers up menu suggestions and serving ideas. 

St. John's Style - Islander's Favorite Recipes, published in 1994.  All the recipes were solicited from the residents of St. John Virgin Islands and are simple yet elegant, reflecting the breezy life style of the island. Due to limited choices available - specialty items are rarely available for purchase - and the infamous five stop shopping (one shopping trip could require five stops to find the ingredients for a single meal) many of the dishes contain just a handful of ingredients.

We start with appetizers ~ dips, cheese balls, pates, a mousse or two, soufflés, fondue and a few Brie options ~ while the soup & salad chapter contains nary a congealed salad, it does have many pasta, fruit and vegetable choices, including a Rolex salad (similar to a club salad but with Roquefort dressing) and a Daiquiri salad. Next up are breakfast  & breads, casseroles and sides, with vegetable and rice dishes.

The meat section has recipes for beef, veal, pork and lamb, while the poultry chapter has a delectable sounding pecan crusted chicken breast, in addition to options for turkey and Cornish game hens. As befitting an island cookbook, the seafood portion features many dishes utilizing the local fare of crab, scallops, shrimp, mahi mahi, swordfish and grouper. The desserts range from light sorbets to cookies, brownies, parfaits, plus cakes and pies ~ in fact there are TWO recipes for a Margarita pie as well as one for a Daiquiri pie.

Favorite Recipes of America - Salads ~ including Appetizers, published in 1968. Right out the gate we begin with Salad Dressings, there are a few vintage sauces rarely found in today's cookbooks: Green Goddess and a Condensed Milk dressing. I have made a red potato salad with a green goddess dressing versus the usual mayo and it was divine. In Seafood and Fruit Salads, suggestions for fruit combinations and special tips/hints begin this chapter which contains an abomination titled Gumdrop Salad - GUMDROPS, mini marshmallows and maraschino cherries are involved.

Cleansing our palate, Congealed Salads is one of several sections containing the word congealed and also gives hints on unmolding your masterpiece. Vegetable Salads offers bean salad ideas, coleslaw and an Amish Dandelion Salad. Up next is our second congealed option, this time for Congealed Vegetable Salads with an appearance of Perfection Salad and Aspic. Mixed Fruit and Vegetable Salads with a few coleslaw & fruit dishes is next, followed by Meat & Poultry Salads featuring a Beef Burger Loaf (congealed) and Pressed Chicken.

Seafood Salads include the ever popular West Indies salad, with Cereal & Pasta Salads giving a myriad of macaroni and rice options. Egg & Cheese Salads contains 18 Egg Salad recipes with just a mere two for deviled eggs. In Party & Dessert Salads, there is Ambrosia, Egg Nog Salad and The FLAMING Christmas Candle Salad which is horribly wrong but also amazing! Basically, mix together cream cheese with pineapple juice, then on lettuce leaves (arranged artfully on a plate) place  1-2 pineapple rings, add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture to the leaf inside the pineapple ring, then place a banana  (cut flat on the bottom side) on top of the cream cheese mixture (the pineapple rings are the anchor). To the top of the banana add another dollop of the cream cheese mixture then place a sugar cube (dipped in lemon extract) on top the cream cheese - then LIGHT the sugar cube.

Sadly the remaining recipes are not as spectacular not are they flammable. Foreign Salads gives us a few from Germany ~ Potato Salad and Red Cabbage Slaw, plus Tabbouleh from the Middle East. Appetizers finish out the recipes with canapes, cheese balls, dips, meatballs, a fruit kabob and beverages.

February Thrifty - Week 2 #1 ~ Southern Style: Atlanta Cooks and Nathalie!

Atlanta Cooks at Home, published in 2006.  Menus on home entertaining for every occasion with wine, beer or cocktail suggestions for each meal. The recipes and menus were contributed by various chefs in the Atlanta area with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the charity of the contributor's choosing ~ several chefs picked the Atlanta Humane Society and  Atlanta's Table - a community food bank.  Each section features hand crafted menus for a variety of celebrations, with photos, quotes and a short Q &A of each chef.

The first menu is for Dinner Under the Tuscan Sun, with light, yet elegant Italian fare, an International Brunch is next, followed by a Supper Club menu with Shrimp & Grits and Springer Mountain Chicken. The Bridal or Baby Shower menu utilizes a simple Chicken Salad, while Dinner with the Gambinos features a spinach & ricotta gnocchi and a leek & ricotta cannelloni. There are menus ranging from Summertime meals, a Romantic Dinner for Two, a Cocktail party with duck tacos and crab cakes, to the Great Outdoors featuring steaks, steamed shrimp and corn, plus a Southern Evening Soiree.

We finish the last of the chapters with a Day of the Dead Fiesta, a Greek Easter with lamb as the main course, while Luck of the Irish features fish & chips and Irish soda bread. Bringing up the rear are suggestions for Meet the Neighbors, Brunch for Friends and my personal favorite - Just Desserts.

Shrimp & Grits, published in 2006.  Two Southern staples in one beautifully photographed cookbook! No instant grits were harmed in the testing of the recipes, since they are NOT used in any of the dishes. The beginning pages give the reader the basics on shrimp - how to buy, methods of cooking and the many varieties available then jumps to grits doling out the same advice plus a short summary of grits versus hominy.

The first dish, Breakfast Shrimp and Grits, was the earliest recipe found by the authors and dates from a 1930 edition of "200 Years of Charleston Cooking". The recipes then begin in earnest with starters & soups ~ there are crab cakes, grits cakes, shrimp paste and a yummy gumbo with grits ~ followed by Anytime Grits consisting of dishes like a Shrimp Grits Cake with a Lemon Sour Cream sauce and a strata made with fennel, apple sausage and of course (say it with me!) shrimp AND grits.

There are frittatas, souffles, timbales and tarts, and in the Chef's Recipe section ingredients include fresh hominy and truffle oil. The last chapter is titled Grits Alone and is filled with recipes for peach & grits, a parfait or two, pudding, cobbler, waffles and bread.

Wonderful Surprise - Cat Sitting Gift ~ Tupelo Honey Cafe

Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen, published in 2011.  Southern comfort food with innovative flavor pairings from one of Asheville's  (North Carolina) early adopters of the farm to fork movement. The book is filled with 125 recipes, plus amazing photos of food, the restaurant, locals, farmer's markets and farms. There are also a few black and white archival photos of Asheville.

We begin with an brief introduction to the restaurant and city, then notes about wine and beer pairings - scattered throughout the chapters are suggestions for both beverages. Moving on to the recipes, The Larder is filled with gravies, salsas, dressings, sauces, dressings, pickles & preserves, and chow chow. I may try the root beer & sorghum glaze as well as the pecan vinaigrette.  Heavenly Appetizers and Soups is aptly named with Tupelo Honey wings and a Coconut Sweet Potato Bisque, while in the Sandwich & Salads chapter a scrumptious Fried Green Tomato and Grilled Portobello will be tried once the weathers gets warmer. Fish Out of Water explores a few seafood dishes ~ shrimp & grits, Snapper, scallops and catfish ~ while Chicken Seven Ways is just that - seven variations on chicken.

Beyond the Smokehouse offers the meat recipes for beef, pork, lamb and sausage, and The Three's pitches a few quirky takes on sides including a Candied Ginger Cornbread dressing. The dishes in  Blue Ridge Parkway Brunches are biscuits, pancakes, quiche and a Blueberry Breakfast Bread Pudding. The final section, As Sweet as Tupelo Honey contains a few desserts with the Mocha Cheesecake deserving at least a second look.

February Thrifty - Week 1 ~ Home Economics Desserts and Season to Savor

Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers - Desserts, published in 1978. This copy is a revised edition to the 1967 printing.  A handy temperature chart for candy making plus instructions for creating chocolate curls, leaves and doodle garnishes are in the introductory pages as well as a few dessert cooking terms.

The recipes start with party beverages ~ punch, eggnog, coolers and a few wassails ~ followed by a large chapter on Cakes, with at least six choices for Carrot Cake, 16 fruitcakes (one is made with PORK??), 22 pound cakes (with an Apricot Brandy or a Rum option) and way too many to count Chocolate cakes.  The Frosting & Toppings section includes fillings, icings and sauces, Candy explores divinity, fudge, brittle and pralines.

Cookies includes shaped and dropped, bars & squares, a LOT of brownies, petit fours and bonbons.  Puddings are next with rice, bread and sugar plum varieties. Meringues and Tortes  are mostly pies,  there is a short section on Fruit Desserts, followed by Refrigerated Desserts which is filled with recipes for angel food cakes, ice box cakes, puddings, Charlotte Russe, pies and parfaits.

Frozen Desserts tackle Baked Alaska, ices, sherbets and ice cream, while the Pies & Pastries chapter features many fruit options, especially lemon, plus pumpkin, pecan, raisin with cream puffs and turnovers representing pastries. Desserts Breads are coffee cakes, ginger breads, cupcakes and dough nuts. Jiffy Desserts are quick and easy dishes made with ice cream, Jello, cake mixes and condensed milk and bringing up the rear are Foreign Desserts ~ trifles, pots de creme, crepes, cannoli, strudel and kuchens.

A Season to Savor: Recipes for Memorable Moments, published in 2006.  All recipes collected by the Marist School Parent's Club in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the second cookbook I have found with recipes from this particular private school.

The appetizers range from tortes, tartlets, salsa, and tapenades (I did find a new possible recipe, Shrimp won-ton with pineapple salsa) while salads contain greens, fruit, rice and even Stilton cheese. Up next is the soup, sandwich & pasta section with bisques, gazpacho, chowder, crepes and risotto - another possible recipe to sample would be the chicken and pesto sandwich.

There are seafood and fish dishes with marinades, salsa and relish accompaniments, while the meat and poultry chapters features options for beef, lamb, chicken and duck, plus a handy chart for preparing a beef tenderloin with several glazes, rubs and sauces. The sides section include the usual vegetables, plus a few rice dishes. The previous owner had bookmarked the pages for Roasted Cauliflower and Overnight Mashed Potatoes.

Brunch and breads offer French toast, pancakes, stratas, egg dishes and quiche. Lastly are Desserts with crepes, fondue, mousse, cheesecake,tarts and cakes. The last chapter is filled with menu suggestions for various occasions with recipe names and page location.

Fifth Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ The Mandrell Family Cookbook and Home Interiors

Mandrell Family Cookbook, published in 1999. My first cookbook purchase that came with COA (certificate of authenticity) AND it's autographed by the Mandrell sisters and the author (who is Barbara Mandrell's eldest son). All the recipes were contributed by Barbara, her sisters Irlene & Louise and their mother - the author's grandmother. There are 80 photographs of the family both at home and on the road, many which haven't been seen by the public as well as anecdotes and stories to accompany many of the 140+ recipes.

We start with Newlyweds, which features simple and easy dishes including entrees, soups, vegetables and a super simple bread recipe. Christmas is next and offers turkey made two different ways, gravy, a stuffing AND a dressing recipe, beverage and desserts, followed by "Aspen - Second Home" where the family spends many months during the summer and winter (including Christmas) with seasonal dishes like chili, guacamole, croquettes, soups and stews. Home Cooking at It's Best are mostly entrees (like a Chicken in Beer casserole), vegetables, more soups/stews and biscuits, while Recipes from the Road are meals that were made on the Mandrell Family tour bus and consist mainly of one-pot meals and even a pressure cooker chicken dish.

Cooking with Kids are little people friendly creations of mostly desserts (brownies, cakes, muffins) and only one entree. Everyday Entertaining steps in with appetizers, entrees, veggies, breakfast and even gazpacho! The next two chapters deal with outdoor cookery and have a few sandwich fillings (pimento cheese, tuna, chicken & crab),a recipe for making beef jerky and of course wild game with recipes for quail, duck, venison and goose. Apparently Irlene is a big hunter!

The author is also a chef and supplies his recipes for a few Italian and Japanese dishes as well as basic sauces, lamb chops, fancy (compound) butters and a delish lobster club sandwich.

Cooking with Love & Butter, published in 1993.  All recipes were supplied by Home Interiors hostesses, the author, Mary Crawley (sister-in-law to THE Mary Kay) and several are updated versions from a prior cookbook.Seldom does a cookbook annoy me, but somehow this one took the cake. Besides all the "inspirational" quotes attributed to Mary Crawley (cited from a book she wrote AND self-published), there are numerous religious overtones, which if I had looked more closely before purchasing the book, I would have left it behind. It's not surprising since Mrs. Crawley was famous for holding business meetings with a bible on her lap and she saw the company as her divine mission and a way to aid other women. Anyways, lets get on with the recipes!

The first chapter is titled Dinner at Mary's and showcases meals the author has served at various company meetings held at her home in Texas including a roast and the accompanying sides. Then the real recipes begin, starting with appetizers & salads, many of the salads are of the congealed variety (a Five Cup Salad  for example consists of one cup each of sour cream, pineapple tidbits, orange tidbits, coconut and mini marshmallows), entrees are next and most are made from beef with a few chicken and seafood dishes thrown in for good measure.

There are also chapters on vegetables, breads and desserts. The Dessert section is the largest in the book coming in at 114 pages - more than ALL the other chapters combined! There are lots of brownie recipes, a yummy Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry cake, a Watergate cake and a Watergate salad (which may have also made an appearance in the salad section).  The next subject is Mary's Mountain recipes, based on dishes served at company retreats held in Colorado for new managers and lists entrees, beverages and desserts. Most of the recipes are super easy to make and require few ingredients.

I did get one big laugh, listed under Very Special Goodies (recipes submitted by managers) is a dish titled BEAVER Cake made with a German Chocolate cake mix, butter, evaporated milk, chocolate chips and caramels.

Fifth Thrifty Week of 2015 #2 ~ The Fab 50's & Cooking with Beer

Fabulous 50's Recipe Collection, published in 2004.  Another book filled with back of the box recipes from favorite brand names. We start with parties & cocktails with recipes for the Famous Lipton California Dip and Chex party mix and many alcoholic beverages. Up next is Popular Proteins with a yummy Lemon Rosemary Chicken, followed by Backyard Barbecues and then Kebabs Galore with a recipe for Spam Kabobs.

Can Opener Casseroles is filled with lots of dishes made with several varieties of cream of soups, including a Chicken Divan, Johnny Marzetti and Tuna Noodle, while Classic Sides explores vegetable and assorted dishes, of course the ever popular Green Bean Casserole and a congealed Cranberry mold make their appearance. The final chapter is In Style Desserts with a pineapple Upside Down Cake, Banana Pudding and Carnation Fudge.

Cooking with Beer, published in 1996. As the title implies, all recipes contain beer as an ingredient whether as a marinade, in a batter, or used for braising and poaching. We start off with pairings and foods - there is a very handy chart, followed by a history of craft beer and the many styles of beer: ale, stout, lager, porter, etc.

The recipes start with appetizers ~ beer cheese, dips & sauces ~ next are soups, including a few stews, chili and bisque. There is a salad section which also encompasses sauces, dressings, and salsa, while the meat chapter covers beef, pork, sausage and chicken - with a yummy sounding Amber Orange chicken made with a lager. I found a few new recipes to try in the seafood section ~ calamari with a beer batter, sesame salmon and poached shrimp.

There is a chapter for sides and vegetables, plus another on grains & bread with beer croûtons and a steel head bread. Desserts wrap up the recipes and feature waffles, ice cream, cookies and brownies. The last few pages are filled a beer tasting menu based on styles of beer and gives notes on the aroma & bouquet, plus taste profiles of numerous brands of craft beer.

Fifth Thrifty Week of 2015 #1 ~ Cooking of Provence and Spain

A Taste of Provence, published in 2001. I bought this book mainly for the beautiful illustrations and it was on sale for just a dollar! The dishes are classics from the south of France and all the recipe names are in French with an English translation. There is a brief introduction to the region and the chapters are divided by the cities/towns in Provence. All food groups are covered from appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, beverages, bread and desserts.

There is a lot of information on landmarks in each town, plus suggestions for sightseeing including a few names of the author's favorite food and pastry shops, plus a few open markets. The last chapters covers Christmas in the region and in addition to the recipes, seasonal traditions and food are discussed.

Cooking in Spain, published in 1991. This copy is the 6th edition with the original publication date occurring in 1987. The author moved to Spain and spent many years collecting recipes from neighbors, other local area people and even a few chefs. The book opens with a cook's tour of Spain - information on the different regions of the country emphasizing local food, produce, dairy and meat found in each area. I lived in the Andalusian region and according to the book the focus is on seafood (many towns are located on the coast), olives (saw MANY an olive orchard near my home as well as oranges), sherry (Jerez a town a few miles from Puerto de Santa Maria where my parents lived is pretty much the epicenter of sherry in Spain) and of course the Moroccan influence on cuisine derived from centuries of being conquered and ruled by the Moors.

At the Market revels both Spanish and English names for fruit, vegetables, legumes. seafood, poultry & game birds, meats, spices & herbs and many assorted cooking essentials (including wine!!). The In the Kitchen section offers suggested menus for a tapas only party, dinner parties for all four seasons, brunch, holidays and a barbeque. There are charts for ingredient conversions as all the recipes are in metric measurements before the recipes begin.

We start the recipes off with appetizers, tapas and salads ~   fritters and empanadas with various fillings and an octopus salad, then move on to soups, gazpacho and one pot meals - many made with seafood and or garlic, then we explore tortillas and egg dishes. In Spain a tortilla or Tortilla Espanola is NOT the flour shell used to make a burrito, but rather a very YUMMY omelet like dish filled with potatoes. It still remains one of my favorite meals I ate while living in Spain - very simple in style, but amazing in taste.

After the tortilla chapters "regular" egg dishes (both fried and baked) are discussed, followed by vegetables, rice, pasta & breads ~ of course paella is featured along with more empanadas- this time with savory choices, then we move onto fish and seafood with many recipes incorporating sardines, anchovies, hake, cod and squid.

Poultry and game crops up with chicken, turkey, partridge,quail (including a Drunken quail dish made with brandy), lots of rabbit options, plus dove and boar. In the meat section, there are dishes made with the usual beef options as well as veal, pork, lamb and offal (tripe, tongue, liver and brains). The last remaining sections are sauces & salads, beverages (of course there a a few recipes for Sangria) and desserts (flan, churros, ice creams and sweet breads).

Page from "A Taste of Provence":
 

Amazon Amazing Purchase ~ Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree

Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking, published in 2012.  The most comprehensive book on Southern cooking since the publication of the revered "Southern Cooking" by SR Dull in 1928 (I own the 1941 copy). This compendium features 750 recipes and 650 variations filling over 720 pages, with amazing photos and in-depth hints, tips and techniques.  The BEST cookbook I have purchased in the past decade and one I am sure I will be referring to in the years to come.

The introductory chapters discusses the geography and inhabitants of the South along with the cuisines of each region. A page titled Southern Pantry is filled with a list of essential ingredients for preparing most, if not all the dishes in the book. In each chapter scattered among the recipes are invaluable tips and hints for food preparation, storage, techniques and so much more!

The recipes begin with Appetizers, there are 5 ways to serve figs, plus recipes for squash blossoms, wings, crab cakes, sausage balls, fritters, frog legs, plus a few tarts, dips & spreads, pate, roasted peanuts and of course pimento cheese. In the Salads section, there is ambrosia, many variations on other fruit salads (peach, pineapple, watermelon) and salads made with greens/vegetables (collards, beets, asparagus, cucumbers, fennel, onions and green beans), coleslaw (and a carrot slaw), plus the usual potato, sweet potato, aspic, chicken, tuna, shrimp and egg. I did find a recipe for a crab, mango and avocado salad (three of my favorite foods!) that I will be trying in the future. Of course there are also recipes for dressings, vinaigrette and homemade mayo too.

Stock, Soups, Gumbos & Stew offers insights on equipment and types of stock, plus recipes - including one for corncob stock. The soups are both hot and cold, made with fruit (melons, berries, peach),  veggies (tomatoes, beets, butter beans, carrots and corn), seafood (she crab and turtle) or meat (oxtail and chili). A long and complicated recipe for fish muddle takes up two entire pages. There are gumbos galore - including a roast chicken and one made with duck - and for stews - oyster, crab and tomato. The Vegetables & Sides chapter delves in to the multitudes of ways to prepare just about every vegetable found in your average grocery store (artichokes, cabbage, beans, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, greens and okra, etc.) plus there is a treatise on potatoes with information on types and techniques for mashing. There is a two page discourse on Grits and accompanying recipes, plus rice dishes (pilau and dirty), dressing/stuffing (made with cornbread or rice) and a lovely recipe for mac and cheese (which is considered a vegetable in the South!).

Eggs also has a wealth of information on cooking and storing techniques, plus recipes for eggs Benedict, omelets, custards, souffles and spoon bread. The Fish & Seafood section delves into the many ways to prepare fish (grilling, roasting, in a leaf pouch, fried, steamed, curried and sauteed), plus there are recipes for crabs (including the soft shell variety), crawfish (seafood boil), clams, shrimp and oysters. A big bonus of this chapter is the wealth of information on buying, storing, prepping (including cleaning and skinning), cooking and freezing both fish and various types of seafood.

Poultry is next with numerous ways to prepare chicken, turkey, quail and duckling ~ including Country Captain and a bog ~ and there are photo instructions on how to carve a bird. The Meats chapter starts with pork (tenderloin, medallions, roast, chops, ribs (coca cola glaze), crown roast, sausage, ham, chitlins and cracklings), plus instructions on cooking a WHOLE suckling pig (with a diagram noting every part!), plus beef  (tenderloin, filets, roast, stew (oxtail), brisket, meatloaf, ribs and steaks (including chicken fried) and lamb (grilled, chops and rack).

Moving on to the Bread chapter, there are facts on flour types, techniques for baking with yeast, equipment and hints for biscuit making and of course the recipes: muffins, popovers, coffee cake, crepes, pancakes & waffles, griddle and hoe cakes, biscuits, cornbread (sticks & muffins), artisan bread, rolls, Sally Lunn and beignets. Pastries & Pies starts us on the sweet treats with 10+ pages of different crusts and doughs, plus phyllo cups and puff pastry (the better to make cream puffs!), plus an assortment of recipes for tarts, pies, tassies and croustades.

In addition to helpful information on equipment, ingredients and technique, the dishes in Cakes range from cobblers, batter cakes (even one made with Coke), fruitcake, pound cake, 1-2-3-4 cake (found in many a church cookbook), the classics: yellow, white & chocolate, plus caramel, coconut, daffodil and cheesecake. Of course there are glazes and icings too. Memorable Sweets covers cookies (shortbread, crescents, wafers & bars), meringues (Pavlova), souffles, mousse, brownies, fudge, pudding & custards (flan and rice among others), ice cream and sauces, plus candy (brittle, pralines, divinity and candied fruit).

The last section is all about Condiments, Savory Sauces & Marinades ~ there are recipes for pickles & relish, peach butter, jams, jellies & preserves, and marmalade, plus invaluable info on types of thickeners, sauces (white, roux, Hollandaise, marinara, BBQ and remoulade, with salsa, rubs and flavored butters rounding out the chapter.