#bloggingforbooks Archives

Will Blog for Food (Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook)

By threejamigos | November 20, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

I received an e-mail from a publisher a couple of weeks ago. They had come across my blog and wanted to know if I would like to review a book they had coming out. Me? I was flattered (my aw-shucks, you really like me moment). Wait, this isn’t some ploy to get me to buy another book is it? So I asked “Do I have to send the book back? I hate mailing stuff. I GET TO KEEP IT?! Sure I’ll do it!” The last thing I needed was another baking book as I am the owner of way too many cookbooks. As space on my shelf grows tight I have had to be selective about which books I get and keep. BUT THIS WAS FREE. So what the heck! When I did receive my copy of Miranda Couse’s Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook I felt like I was getting an extra birthday gift. I flipped through the book for an initial look just to size it up. I noted the extensive section on essentials, ingredients, and how-tos. Great for beginners. The cookies are organized by types such as drops, classics, brownies and bars, slice and bake and holiday treats. There are tips and variations interspersed throughout the book, very informative. Each page is user-friendly with the ingredients and quantities listed on the left and instructions on the right. Every recipe is preceded by a highlighted box with prep time, baking time, how many cookies and shelf life, love that. There are photos every couple of pages but not one for each cookie. Bummers. But the photos included are well-staged and close-up, you know exactly what the cookie should look like.

Now to the serious stuff. I tried two recipes, the Blueberry Lemon Shortbread and Coffee Cheesecake Swirled Brownie. Both were straightforward and easy to make, especially the shortbread. The cookie is buttery, very lemony which really creates a nice contrast with the blueberries. Dried blueberries are used which I think intensifies the flavor. Really delicious cookie. The brownies were a bit more effort with the 2 batters but worth it. They are decadent, gooey and dense. The sweetness is tempered by the hit of espresso powder. Next time I might add chocolate chips to the brownie batter just to amp up chocolate. Double yums.

Despite having a zillion cookie books, I am making room on my shelf for this one. It is easy, straightforward, well organized and more importantly, the recipes work. I know Jamie is going to love it. Holiday baking here we come.

This would be the perfect stocking stuffer for novice bakers and cookie lovers!

52 Ways to Have Your Salad

By threejamigos | July 28, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

Slip out the bowl Joe, toss some new greens, Jean…just get yourself free..to make some satisfying salads. After quite the wait I received a copy of Food 52 Mighty Salads from Blogging for Books. I flipped through the book and with my trusty pad of post it notes tagged quite a few recipes I wanted to try. This is a book of main dish salads, hearty and substantial enough to serve alone. The book is organized by ingredient, leafy greens, not so leafy greens, grains, pasta and bread, meat and fish and seafood. The photos are gorgeous and the recipes themselves are laid out well. Tips and how to’s are interspersed throughout the book. I am guessing different people submitted various recipes. Some recipes have explicit directions while others, coincidentally the ones I tried, were a bit looser ie. “blend ingredients together”. I had to think for a second with what? A food processor, blender, or would a bowl and a whisk suffice?

A closer look at the recipes narrowed down which ones I wanted to try, many were pretty involved or contained ingredients I didn’t have on hand. I ended up with 4 recipes, Fresh Corn Cakes with Crab-Tomato Salad, Lamb Kebabs Grilled with Tomato Cucumber Salad, Half Blistered Tomato Pasta Salad and the Brioche Croutons (ok, not a salad but a bonus recipe).

Right off hand I would say none of the recipes I tried WOWED me. With every dish a tweak would pop into my head or I would think this is not bad but it’s missing something. The Corn Cakes were tasty, a bit heavy but had a nice crunch from the cornmeal and corn. The tomato-crab salad fell flat and needed a bigger hit of acid. I added a squeeze of lemon trying to give it some pop. I also would have thrown some fresh corn in with tomatoes and crab for some crunch and sweetness. Full disclosure, I ended up hitting it with a dollop of Siracha mayo, but that’s me.

The pasta salad was a hit with the hubby but I once again thought it could use a flavor pop. I julienned my basil and mint to distribute the herbs through the salad more evenly. It reminded me of a de-constructed pesto.

The grilled lamb kebabs were tender and juicy from the marinade. I only had greek yogurt on hand so the marinade was thick and left the kebabs a bit pale in color. The sauce of tahini and yogurt was flat so I added a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper, be generous with the salt. The tomatoes and cucumbers are a classic, I would add slivered red onion for pop and a sprinkling of feta to finish next time.

Brioche toasted with honey and walnuts and sprinkled with sea salt. Adds a nice touch to yogurt or fresh seasonal fruits-peaches or berries. My new favorite breakfast bowl, Greek yogurt, fresh berries drizzled with honey and topped with the croutons and toasted walnuts. Stupid easy and a winner.

I don’t think I can give this book a resounding thumbs up but it is a solid book. If I try more recipes I’ll keep you posted.

A Quirky Cast of Characters and Delicious Pastries Makes for a Pleasant Read

By threejamigos | January 12, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

Instead of the usual Christmas baking and festivities I found myself in bed with the flu for most of the holiday season. I passed the time by watching the Hallmark holiday movie channel (I know, desperate times call for desperate measures) and luckily a PBS Downton Abby marathon. I soon tired of watching TV and fortuitously a package arrived in the mail from Blogging for Books. Yay, perfect timing. I excitedly tore open the envelope and found the audiobook version of The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller.

The book started out much like one of those Hallmark movies I had been watching. Olivia, a talented but down on her luck Boston pastry chef, moves to a rustic small New England town. Initially an outsider she begins to make friends (with the help of her delicious pastries) that run the gamut of quirky to ornery. The book is a quick and easy read. Though my initial reaction was this is going to be fluff, the more I listened the more engaged I became with the story. The cast of characters are endearing as is her dog, Salty. In the end I would say I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. The reader, Jorjeana Marie has a pleasant voice with enough tonal range and emotional nuance to carry off the host of characters and the role of narrator as well. If you need a quick light read during your commute or on the beach, City Baker’s Guide to Country Living would fit the bill nicely.

Review: Martha Stewart’s Vegetables

By threejamigos | November 6, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Early adopter. That’s how I would describe myself when it comes to Martha Stewart. Years ago I invested in a copy of Entertaining the book that put her on the map. In a tiny apartment, on a student’s budget, I dreamed of hosting a Hawaiian luau or an elegant holiday soiree’. Ok, never did the luau or soiree’ but I have used many of her recipes and tweaked her entertaining ideas.

But it has been quite awhile since I have picked up one of her books. But Vegetables caught my eye. We have made a concerted effort to eat more vegetables and less meat, this book was right up our alley. First, this is not a vegetarian cookbook. Though vegetables are definitely the star of this book there are quite a few recipes that contain meat or seafood. Each and every recipe has a beautiful photo of the finish dish. How cool is that? The photos are up close, clean with simple backgrounds so focus stays on the food. The book is divided by type of vegetable such as bulbs, roots, tubers, greens and stems. Each chapter starts with an introduction covering seasonality, buying, storing, prepping, flavor pairings and cooking. Recipes are straight forward and uncomplicated. Helpful hints are offered in sidebars. As I flipped through the pages I bookmarked quite a few recipes to try.

Always looking for new ways to serve carrots I tried rainbow carrots and chard. The vegetables are steamed and drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette. Colorful and appetizing perfect for a summer or fall meal. Quick and easy. I tackled the recipe for leek and parsnip soup next. Parsnips, I have to admit, is not a vegetable I cook very often, actually ever. Loved it. The parsnips give the soup a sweet earthy flavor, a nice twist to the classic potato leek soup. I also managed to make the lone dessert recipe in the book. Cornmeal shortcakes with corn ice cream and blueberry compote. I substituted vanilla ice cream for the corn ice cream but if Santa brings me an ice cream maker with its own compressor (hint hint) I’ll definitely try the corn ice cream. The shortcakes were buttery with a slight crunch from the cornmeal and the lemony blueberry compote a lovely accompaniment.

I received this book from Blogging for Books and I recommend it to anyone wanting to expand their “veggieverse”. It’s filled with simple, delicious recipes with gorgeous photos and plenty of valuable information. It’s a good thing.

Here is a link to Cornmeal Shortcakes from Martha Stewart’s Living. It is not exactly the same as the one in the cookbook. The difference being instead of 3 cups of all purpose flour the book’s recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups AP flour and 3/4 cup fine cornmeal.

Book Review: The Dim Sum Field Guide

By threejamigos | September 19, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

The Dim Sum Field Guide: Not For the Novice Dim Sum Eater

I love dim sum so I jumped at the chance to review Carolyn Phillips’ “The Dim Sum Field Guide”. My first impression of the book was, quite honestly, underwhelming. “There aren’t any photographs,” I lamented to my hubby. “Only line drawings of each tasty morsel and in black and white no less. How is this going to help the dim sum newbie navigate the chaotic, intimidating hustle and bustle of a Chinese Tea House? In this day and age a field guide should have photos of each entry, not line drawings.” Disappointed, I put the book aside.

A few days later I picked up the book again this time spending a bit more time perusing it. There is an introduction to and history of dim sum, dim sum etiquette and a funny, all too true, bit on fighting over the bill. The book is divided by savory and sweet and then further divided by wrapped or not wrapped, method of cooking, and hot or cold. Frankly, it was confusing, but then again, dim sum is comprised of hundreds of different dishes and virtually impossible to neatly categorize.

Each dish has two pages. One is the line drawing and the other is best described as a taxonomy of each item with origins (history), nesting habits (how many in an order) and species (variations). Also listed was a pronunciation guide in Mandarin and Cantonese with the name of each dish in Chinese characters. The line drawings are very nice but one would be hard pressed to identify or differentiate many of the dishes from the drawings. I did like the origins section which presented little factoids about each dim sum that I never even thought about. Basic fillings are listed for each. Whether a dish contains pork, seafood or beef or if it is vegetarian or vegan is also noted.

This is my first review for Blogging for Books. I am a bit bummed that it isn’t a glowing review where I finish with the tag line-You need to get this book NOW!. However, it is a cute coffee table worthy book with interesting tidbits about dim sum. Fortunately, I am not new to dim sum so I know what I am ordering, but I am going to sound pretty smart the next time I take my friends to a Chinese teahouse.