Favorite Cookbooks

[Anniet222]

I love cook books and have a ton. However, it seems that I have my favorite books that I return to all the time. What are your favorite cooks books--the old stand bys? Mine are Junior League Celebration Cookbook, Junior League Centennial Cookbook, Betty Crocker Baking Classics, Hershey's 1934 Cookbook, and Betty Crocker New Picture Cookbook, Applehood and Motherpie, The Black Dog Summer ont he Vineyard Cookbook, Fast Appetizers, and for Goodness Taste.

[Sydneyp]

The best recipe, the pie and pastry bible, In the sweet kitchen.

I love them because they go very deep - not just recipes but techniques and reasons.

[meliz]

I like the Moosewood books for vegetarian fare. As as well as the "Company's Coming" series. And I could not live without the Church Auxilary book I have-- its great for good, old-fashioned classics. Increasingly, though, I find myself using online recipe sources. There are lots of good ones... but Epicurious is a fave.

[Anniet222]

Yes---online recipes. Aren't they great? Really, one doesn't need to ever buy another cookbook if they have internet access. However, there is something about turning the pages (and looking at the pictures) that draws me in to buying those cookbooks. I always purchase a cookbook when I travel and that is interesting...to see what other people cook and eat. My favorite salad recipe is out of a book that I got in Nova Scotia.

[meliz]

Oh really Annie? What one? (book and recipe :))

[Csara]

I too, use online recipe sources often - I actually made my own cookbook with a three-ring binder and all my printouts, but I also use The Healthy Cookbook and our new Weber's Grilling Cookbook quite often as well.

[Anniet222]

The book is Elaine Elliot's "Salads". The book is published by Formac Publishing Co. and has wonderful salad recipes. The recipes were collected fromt he different restaurants in N.S. (Formac Publishing Co., 5502 Atlantic Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The name of the salad is Charlotte's Mesclun Salad and I first had it in the restaurant, Charlotte Lane Cafe & Crafts in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. The served the salad in the restaurant and sold the cookbook in the gift shop. Clever---huh?

The salad is a bit of work, but well worth it. I double everything when I make it so I have the ingredients and dressing on hand when I want to serve it.

dressing:
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustanr
1/4 cup honeya few drops of Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

mesclun salad mix to serve 4 (I use a Spring greens mix)

Carmelized garlic, recipe follows

Spicy Walnuts, recipe follows

6-8 dried apricots, finely sliced

edible flower blossoms (optional) as garnish (I never bother with this, but it is cute)

Combine vinegar, mustard, honey and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor or blender and mix. With machine running, add oil in a slow stream until mixture is emulsified.

To serve, toss crisp mesclun mix with dressig and divide between 4 salad plates. Top salads with caramelized garlic segments, walnuts, finely slice apricots and edible flower blossoms. Serves 4

Carmelized Garlic
1-2 garlic bulb (I use 2 and the bottled peeled garlic don't seem to work)
1 cup red wine (I use whatever red wine I have open)
1/4 cup balsmaic vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar

Divide and peel garlic into cloves. Combine with wine, vinegar, and sugar and simmer until garlic is very soft and mixture starts to carmaelize, approximately 30 minutes. (seems longer than that to me) Remove from burner and cool.

Spicy walnuts
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon curry

In a skillet heat oil over medium setting. Add walnut pieces, sprinkle liberally with spices and saute until lightly roasted. Cool to room temperature and reserve. Yields 1 cup. Store in air tight container.

I have added crumbled blue cheese and skipped the garlic if time was tight. It was good that way too.

[Anniet222]

I should make my own with a tree-ring binder. I print some off and shove them into a book that makes sense at the time. However, when I go to retrieve the recipe later, I often forget in which book I put the recipe. Same problem goes for writing recipes inside the covers. I have been putting them on the computer under categories--and I always keep past menus and recipes of parties and dinner parties--but there is always the fear that the computer might crash. A binder is probably the way to go.

[meliz]

Thans Annie! Never been to the restuarant, seen the book or had the salad, but all three sound great! Very clever indeed!

Didja like NS?

I like the binder idea... when we were married one of the things we did at my family shower was that everyone wrote down one of their best family recipes... would love to do something with them, and I will some day. Thought that was very cool.

[Anniet222]

I really loved Nova Scotia. We didn't see all of it, but what time allowed us. We went in October so there was not a lot of people around ---the way my husband and I like it. I would go back again.