The Best Cookbooks Ever

In our tech-savvy world, there's no need to buy every cookbook in print. You can google most recipes and cooking techniques that come to mind.  Still you don't want to rely totally on the internet, as it's never a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket.  You may have to prepare a meal when your service is down.   And, what if one evening nothing comes to mind?  There's something permanent and comforting about thumbing through the pages of a cherished cookbook.  Something tangible, you can pick up and return to time and again.

For the sake of prioritizing, lets say … you only have space or a budget for up to 10 cookbooks.  Which ones would be on your shelf?

My picks are:

1) Joy Of Cooking – 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer: A classic and respected cookbook for over 75 years.  If I only had space for one cookbook, this one is it.

2) Mastering The Art Of French Cooking – 1961 by Julia Child: This cookbook brought French cooking to mainstream America, plus inspired a lovely movie, Julie and Julia.

3) Smoke & Spice – 2003 by Cheryl & Bill Jamison: A complete A-Z barbeque premier.

4) Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking – (revised) 1995 by Marcella Hazan: Very expansive and easy to follow.

5) The Gift of Southern Cooking:  Recipes and Revelations from Two Great American Cooks – (revised) 2003 by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. 

6) Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie – 1990 by Bill Neal: Southern baking explained.  The recipes are very authentic.

7) The Art of Mexican Cooking – 1989 by Diana Kennedy: If you love Mexican, this is the definitive cookbook for it.

8) Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, 2011: All of his cookbooks focus on simple, fresh, affordable meals. They are my go-to cookbooks. His recipes are hard to mess up.

9) Cabbage Patch Famous Kentucky Recipes – 1956, or 1972 by Cabbage Patch Circle: Delicious, home cooking.

10) Southern Food – 1987 by John Egerton: Ok, I love Southern food.

Personally, I'm more of a Jamie Oliver cook than a Julia Child cuisinier.  It's fun to get inspired to try to make fancy French food; but in truth, you will never find roasted pigeons or rabbit in cream sauce at my dinner table.  Duck, maybe.  I have enough to eat without looking outside my windows, thank you. How about you?

Below are favorite recipe websites:

1. All Recipes

2. 101 Cookbooks

3. Smitten Kitchen

4. Jamie Oliver

5. Rachael Ray

6. CopyKat Recipes

7. Cook's County Kitchen: Expert recipes; navigate with patience.

8. The Food Network


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Useful: Bigger Bolder Bakers' Substitute Corn Syrup & Molasses

PhoPhoto: Bigger Bolder Baker

There are two baking ingredients I never have in my pantry because I rarely need them. With these substitute recipes, I may never have to buy them. Thanks to Gemma Stafford, a former chef, I can make them at home (with ingredients I always have) for when I get a notion to bake a pastry that calls for one or the other. I love Gemma's recipes, tips, and videos but her website has so many ads and popups it's slowwww to load and murder to scroll, therefore although I'll link her website here I'm reluctant to send readers over there to be frustrated, so I'm reposting her 2 substitute recipes below also:

 I) Substitute Corn Syrup

Ingredients:

2 cups (16oz/450g) sugar
3/4 cup (6floz/170ml) water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (there is no substitute for this)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (stops sugar from clumping)
a pinch of salt

Directions:

1) Toss the sugar, water, cream of tartar, lemon juice, and salt into a heavy saucepan.

2) Bring to a medium boil, stir until the sugar dissolves, then turn down the heat to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture reduces quite a bit. Once cooled the syrup thickens. 

Photo: Bigger Bolder Bakers

II) Substitute Molasses

Ingredients:

2 cups (16oz/450g) dark brown sugar
3/4 cups (6floz/170ml) water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed

Directions:

1) In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the dark brown sugar, water, cream of tartar, and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

2) Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Cool and store in a sealed glass jar.

Gemma is an excellent baker and teacher and you should check out her how-to YouTube videos, but oi vay that website!

*****************************************************************************

So now let's bake something!

All blondie photos and recipe courtesy of ATK

Let's use our homemade corn syrup to make America's Test Kitchen's Brown Butter Blondies -- linked here -- another website with inconveniences that you can overcome by watching its videos on Youtube.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup pecans, oven-toasted and chopped coarsely

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon flake sea salt, crumbled

Prepare a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with 2 sheets of aluminum foil with flaps (and crisscrossed +) so that you can lift the blondies up out of the pan after they are baked. Make sure you press the foil into the 4 corners of the pan and grease or use cooking spray on the foil.

Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder.

2) Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Over medium heat, simmer the butter, whisking throughout until it's golden brown and has a nutty aroma, which gives the blondies a butterscotch flavor. Transfer to a large heat-proof mixing bowl.

3) Add the sugar to the hot butter and whisk. 

4) Next add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

5) Stir in the flour mixture until fluffy. Test Kitchen uses a spatula to incorporate the ingredients.

6) Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

7) Spread evenly into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle to top with the flaked sea salt.

8) Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 35 - 40 minutes (turning the pan around at 20 minutes) until golden brown and the cake springs back to the touch.

9) Let the blondies cool completely in the pan before lifting the foil with the pastry out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Makes 24 bars.

Sometimes it takes a professional baker to perfect a substitution that works in our recipes. Thank you, Gemma Stafford (and Test Kitchen for the best blondies). Who wants to run to the supermarket every time you turn around, not to mention, stock 2 ingredients you rarely use! Now there's no need to do either.

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Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's Half Sour Pickles And BBQ Sauce

      

These two recipes from Chef Geoffrey Zakarian are definitely keepers. Pickling cucumbers is too darn easy not to try it. I suggest following the instructions exactly the 1st time out. You can blanch the cucumbers thereafter if you like pickles less raw.

Directions:  

Toss all the ingredients in a canning jar, screw on its lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days before eating.

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I love a scrumptious barbecue sauce. I have 2 recipes for you. For mine click here. The one below is extra special!

The BBQ Sauce for Burgers

The Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

Directions:

Toss all the ingredients (except for the bacon) into a stockpot and simmer on a stovetop for 40 minutes. You can save the bacon to top the burgers. Chef Geoffrey tosses them into his BBQ sauce at the end of the cooking time, but I prefer my sauce to be healthier with fewer calories. {I don't put bacon on burgers either. For me, it's too much of a good thing. I eat crispy bacon with eggs for a weekend breakfast. Moderation is ideal.}

Thank you, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, for sharing your restaurant recipes!

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Joy Bauer's Healthy Brownies and Rice Crispy Treats

Joy Bauer is a nutritionist who formally worked with New York City Ballet dancers and then became a TV personality. Two of her many keeper recipes are lighter, healthy versions of Brownie Bits and Rice Crispy Treats. Normally I pass on both sweets since usually they are made with a ton of butter and sugar. But Joy replaces these high and empty calories with healthy ingredients. In her recipes, she substitutes ingredients to boost the amounts of protein, vitamins, or fiber. Here are 2 of her sweet treats:

Brownie Bits - Go here for the recipe on Joy's website.

Ingredients:

¾ cup whole wheat flour, or all-purpose
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon instant coffee powder, optional
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup maple syrup
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Liberally mist your mini-muffin tin(s) with nonstick oil spray and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, salt and baking powder, and whisk until well combined.

2) Add the eggs, maple syrup and applesauce to the dry ingredients. Stir to form a creamy batter, being thoughtful to not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3) Fill each muffin compartment with batter; you’ll have enough for approximately 35. Be sure to mix the batter as you go to distribute the chocolate chips—otherwise, the chips may settle at the bottom and the last bunch will have a ton.

4) Garnish with a sprinkling of preferred toppings; you can mix and match various combos such as strawberries and coconut, granola, and seeds.

5) Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 14 minutes, until the tops are firmed

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Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats - Go here for the recipe on Joy's website.

Ingredients:

¾ cup peanut butter
 ⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups crispy rice cereal

Directions:

Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.

1) In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the peanut butter. Microwave for about 50 seconds to soften it, making it easier to mix.

2) Add the honey and vanilla extract to the softened peanut butter, and mix until well blended. Add the crispy rice cereal to the bowl. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to crush the cereal.

3) Transfer the mixture into the parchment-lined pan. Use a spatula or your hands to flatten it out evenly among the bottom perimeter.

4) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or freeze) to firm up. Remove
from the fridge, slice into 16 pieces (4 rows across and 4 rows down), and enjoy!

I want to make it clear again that these are nutritionist Joy Bauer's recipes, not mine. I'm posting them here for our convenience, as well as, linking them to their original source. 

Joy seems like an amazing cook and baker. I wish I could be her taster-tester and next-door neighbor, so she'd invite me to her house for delicious and healthy eating!

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Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake Streusel

With fall arriving on the Western hemisphere, I began to crave a generous slice of coffee cake paired with a delicious, oversized cup of coffee on weekend mornings. But my rule is if I eat such treats, mostly I must make them myself. 

Otherwise I could balloon up to 300 pounds, and thus the reason for my rule: I can eat anything I want as long as I'm willing to make it myself! Make sense? Stops mindless eating. Homemade is often better ... and involves more time.

A browse of my blog's cakes and pastry recipes tells you I like sweets containing cinnamon and nuts. So America's Test Kitchen's Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake Streusel hits the cinnamon-nuts spot!  

Since you can watch the recipe being made for free online by registering, I think I can post the ingredients below, plus mention -- the (1) streusel topping and (2) cake batter are made separately blended in a food processor. It is necessary to mix the ingredients in the exact order listed with 4-5 pulses of a food processor. Do not over pulse, nor add ingredients out-of-order in this recipe, or what should be a light and fluffy coffee cake will form glutton resulting in a tough cake. And nobody wants to eat that!

America's Test Kitchen's Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake Streusel

Ingredients for the streusel topping:

Toss into a food processor --

1 cup of toasted pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
🥮 Pulse 4-5 times in food processor
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
🥮 Pulse 4-5 times in food processor again. Set aside.

Ingredients for the cake batter:

Toss into a food processor --

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
🥮 Pulse 4-5 times in food processor

The spring form pan I own.

7 tablespoons of soften butter
🥮 Pulse 8-10 times in food processor

Directions:

1) Watch America's Test Kitchen's video as a thank you to them for creating the recipe for us!

2) After watching ATK, you can return here to my cheat sheet for the ingredients. I watched and jotted them down for you and me to return to time and again.:)

3) You will see how the bakers of America's Test Kitchen pour the cake batter into a 9'' spring form pan.

4) The topping is added from the outer edges first, followed by pouring it in the middle. That way the middle doesn't sink with streusel leaving uneven topping on the edges.

5) Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 - 60 minutes. Wait for the coffee cake to cool before you cut and eat it.

Undoubtedly, you can make the coffee cake with an electric mixer, but ATK made the job quicker with guaranteed light and fluffiness if you follow their directions exactly. 

You can watch AKT for other excellent recipes also!


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Chili, Mmm, Mmm, Good!

Three summers ago, I had lunch at the White Horse Tavern in Nashville, Tennessee where I ate the best bowl of chili in my life.  Ever since, I've tried to find the recipe, without success, though other chili recipes have come mighty close.  Usually chili is prepared Cincinnati-style -- with ground beef, which is certainly tasty and convenient, but what I consumed down in the Music City had succulent chunks of tender beef that had fallen off the bone.  In fact, it was a medley of all kinds of colorful, tender ingredients, including fresh peppers, onions, kidney beans, cilantro, tomatoes and other flavorful sensations.  The finished dish was hearty, spicy and so mouthwatering.  Ahhhh, the memory … I must take another trip down to Honky Tonk Land real soon.  Great city! people! and food!

The chili I made last weekend is also a keeper.  The recipe comes from Meghan M., who won first place in a chili cook off, hosted by the staff at People Magazine:

Meghan's Chili

2 pounds london broil

2 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce [or Louisiana Hot Sauce]

1 tablespoon Tabasco

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

½ cup chopped green peppers

½ cup chopped red peppers

2 large garlic cloves, minced  [I mince 3 - 4.]

2 16 ounces, canned tomatoes, or 4 cups fresh peeled tomatoes

1/4 to 1/3 cup chili powder

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 16 ounces can kidney beans

1 16 ounces can black beans

1} Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.  Put the london broil in a dutch oven with water so that the water is ½ way up the meat.  Add 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 1 tablespoon Tabasco.  Cover and cook in the oven for about 5 hours at 250 degrees.

2} When the beef is tender, remove from the liquid and pull the meat apart with a fork.

3} In a dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil, add the onions, peppers and garlic, and stir until tender; about 10 minutes.

4} Add the tomatoes (with liquid), chili powder, salt. Heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

5} Stir in the beans and pulled meat. Heat and serve. Leftovers are delicious!

Alternatives:  At times, I substitute 2 pounds of lean, beef round cuts, first browning them in a pan, then simmering all the ingredients on the stovetop (low flame) for 2-3 hours.  Sometimes I add a teaspoon of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar to enhance a BBQ flavor.  Add 1/2 teaspoons of mustard and cumin seeds for extra zest. [You can adopt the recipe for a crock pot also.]

Thanks for sharing your winning recipe, Meghan!  Chili is a real stick-to-your-ribs meal and so perfect for Autumn's nippy evenings.

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High Protein Granola Bars -- To Bake Or Not To Bake

Granola bar images istock

Since my senior mom has become a picky eater I spend more money on protein drinks and bars than I do on meat. One of my rules is she must eat real food -- unprocessed meat, carbohydrates, and either fruit or vegetables for dinner. At times, it's a struggle. So I buy 30-gram protein drinks and strive for 20-gram protein bars that are low in sugar. They are more costly than real food and not as tasty, but what am I to do?

I found 2 recipes for High Protein Granola Bars. Both are 20 grams of protein per bar, count as real food, and are easy to make. Since the recipes are on multiple websites without credit, I have no idea who created them. 

Nearly the same, the 1st recipe requires 5 ingredients and no baking. Add eggs and bake recipe #2:

I. No Bake 5 Ingredient High Protein Granola Bars

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, oats, and protein powder.

2) In a 2nd mixing bowl, microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds to soften them.

3) Combine the wet with the dry ingredients. You can add a few spoons of water to the mixture if it's too dry.

4) Press the mixture into an 8" by 8" pan lined with parchment paper.

5) Evenly distribute the chocolate chips and press them into the batter.

6) Refrigerate until the bars are firm before cutting with a knife dipped in water (to avoid sticking) into 16 bars.

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II. Baked 6 Ingredient High Protein Granola Bars

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) Mix the dry ingredients, oats and protein powder.

2) Mix in the eggs.

3) Microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds to soften them and combine them into the mixture.

4) Pour into an 8" by 8" pan sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.

5) Distribute and press the chocolate chips into the dough.

6) Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Check and remove when the outside edges start to turn slightly brown.

7) Cool, and cut while still warm into 16 bars.

To bake or not to bake, that is the question. My answer: First try the unbaked granola bars and if you like them go no further. If curious, make the baked granola bar recipe and decide which texture you prefer. Also if you want add-ins like whole almonds, or sunflower seeds, or white chocolate chips, or coconut flakes, or raisins it's up to you. Feel free to dip your baked granola bars into melted dark chocolate with baker's wax if you desire. 

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