A Few More February Purchases ~ Baker's Dozen and 100 Fresh Salads

The Baker's Dozen Cookbook, published in 2001.  Filled with 135 recipes from the eponymous group (which actually consists of 400+ members) that have been tested, perfected and narrowed down to the best recipe by group members. Not all members are bakers, some are food writers, chefs or otherwise employed in the food industry. Besides the baking - members have taken field trips (all in the San Francisco area) to chocolate suppliers, a sugar factory and dairies.

We begin with the basics ~ with extensive information on chocolate, including types, how to buy & store and melt, similar wisdom is imparted on eggs, fats, flours, leavening, nuts, slats and sugar. There is a glossary on tools used: ovens, small appliances, pots & pans, measuring equipment, plus gadgets (my favorite) like zesters, spatulas, pie weights, scrapers, baking stones or mats and finally pastry bags and tips.

The recipes start with the Basics of Cake, with a plethora of useful hints and tips at the start of the chapter covering techniques for mixing butter, foam-based cakes and cooling and storing cakes. The cakes in this chapter include yellow, chocolate, a peanut butter layer cake, classic genoise, spongecake (with MANY variations) and angel food cake. Cakes for Families and Friends are sweets for special occasions, and among many of the yummy options are triple chocolate, dried cherry and almond, hazelnut with a chocolate rum glaze, chocolate raspberry, a caramel ice cream roll, Gateau Victoire and a Queen of Sheba torte. At the start of the chapter are cake decorating tips using frosting, pastry bags or parchment cones.

Next up (chapter three) brings us into the world of Sweet and Savory Pies with recipes for bourbon pecan, toasted coconut custard, key lime, cranberry chess, banana creme, lemon meringue, apple mincemeat and cinnamon apple. Savory is represented by a spinach, feta & ricotta dish. There are recipes for FIVE different crusts, tips on thickeners and rolling and mixing dough. Similar to chapter three - up next are Tarts to Tempt again with five different types of dough, plus recipes for nectarine galette, plum Frangipani, chocolate tartlets and a potato and mushroom tart.

Moving on,  there are crisps, cobblers, grunts, apple pandowdy, baked fruits and Apple Brown Betty in the Harvest of Fruits Desserts, while Cookie Collection showcases biscotti, macaroons, brownies, the ubiquitous chocolate chip, ginger spice, lemon stars and shortbread. There are muffins (blueberry and raisin bran) plus biscuits, scones, corn bread, ginger bread and buttermilk doughnuts in chapter seven and Yeast and Flatbreads are the subject of chapter eight. In addition to the recipes, there tips and hints about yeast, kneading and the 1st & 2nd rise. Some of the bread recipes include white sandwich, brioche, whole wheat, multi-grain, baguettes, sourdough, rye, pits, dinner rolls, focaccia and pretzels.

In Custards & Other Egg Based Desserts, there are recipes for bread pudding, a coffee creme brulee, chocolate Burdini, Sabayon, souffles, cream puff with lemon and cheesecake. We end with Finishing touches and recipes for frosting, glazes, ganache, pastry cream, a whipped cream topping, creme Anglaise, caramel sauce and lemon curd.

100 Best Fresh Salads, published in 2010. Picked up this little gem while shopping at Aldi. Great bargain for the low price of just $2.99! The author wants us to think beyond summer, for instance a hearty salad could be a meal during the winter months or any time of the year for that matter. There are classic recipes and new ideas to capture the flavors of cuisine from around the world. Also it helps to bear in mind that salads are great for fulfilling daily requirements for fruits and vegetables or they may be used as an accompaniments to meals.  There is a short introductory chapter on greens - both old and "new" with photos and taste profiles, some of the unusual greens include arugula, mache and mesclun.

We kick start the recipes with a chapter on Sunshine salads (salads made with vegetables) and some of the offerings shown are Cesar, Greek, red & green (beans & spinach), roasted garlic, sweet potato, eggplant, plus a few "non" green salads made with fava beans and a Thai noodle. The Hearty Salads chapter follows and features more "meal" type salads with a Waldorf summer chicken salad, chef salad, beef nicoise, roast beef salad, and salads topped with chicken lover or prosciutto, sausage, broiled lamb, roast duck, chorizo and pumpkin.

Fish and seafood are covered in the chapter titled "Sparkling"  which offers several variations on tuna salad, another Nicoise, coconut shrimp with cucumber, salmon or shrimp with avocado, a yummy lobster salad, plus shrimp & rice and salads topped with anchovies or mussels. The classic shrimp cocktail makes an appearance in this section.

The fourth and final chapter, Health Boosting, is all about energizing salads ~ wild rice with cukes and orange, chick peas & tomatoes, fennel with orange (very popular ingredient in this book), plus salads made with sprouts, lentils, succotash, beans (three bean!!), tabbouleh, noodles or tofu, roasted veggies and fruit (figs and watermelon).