Category: Book and Product Reviews

The Best Summer Drinks Give Away

It is hard to believe the summer season in these parts is nearing an end. When I think of summer I think of lazy cocktails by a beach or pool, and just relaxing. Source Books has a new book called the The Best Summer Drinks by Ray Foley. Ray is the publisher of Bartender Magazine and a mixologist extraordinaire. Name the brand or spirit and he has a drink for you. The book is alphabetized by recipe name, but a handy index lets you search by alcohol type and brand. Ray has also included a tasty chapter of Summer recipes with such as Grilled Honey Bourbon Chicken, Bacardi Lime Sherbet, and Kicked Up Cuervo Ribs.A glossary of tools and bar tending terms as well as basic instructions on hoe to properly rim your glass are included. The book is small and handy to place at the bar or give as gift with 500 recipes. I will be giving away 2 copies to randomly selected commenter’s. Just leave a comment and tell me what your favorite summer memory and cocktail is.

Kahlua Banana Cream Fizz
adapted The Best Summer Drinks by Ray Foley
1/3 oz. Kahlua
1/3 oz. rum
1/3 oz.creme de bananes
Cream or milk on top
Blend the Kalua, rum, and creme de bananes together. Pour into a glass and top with milk or cream.

The Un-Constipated Gourmet….Elote


Even the Queen of England has to go…. No one is above this bodily function. For all we shove in we should more concerned about it coming out, and on a regular basis. Constipation is a growing problem that can lead to many medical complications and disease.Only now are people even daring to talk aloud about this.Danielle Svetcov has addresses this in what,many people don’t want to talk about out loud, The Un-Constipated Gourmet. Can one watch their health and enjoy good food without having to resort to nasty , drastic remedies? Yes, by incorporating certain foods in your meal plans.
I love this book for the great original concept and the writers style of addressing this non delicate subject. I wish however that this book of 125 recipes had photos, because she has some really great recipes that need to be shown in a visual sense.Asking family and friends what ‘makes them go’, Danielle develops a list of key foods and rates them with a numerical ‘Go-Meter’.The Un-Constipated Gourmet also tells you what foods to avoid .Breakfast,Snacks, Dips and Spreads,Soups,Salads, Sides, Entrees, Desserts, Special Elixirs,Emergency Recipes, and a chapter on ‘Corkage’ if you need to stop the flow, are all there. Some recipes are interesting and original, and some are familiar. But one looks at them in new light and as something good that will keep you regular.
With my schedule there were many recipes I wanted to try, but managed to only make one for this post. Elote is something you find on the streets of Chicago sold in the Mexican community. Summer is abundant with corn, and this combo, which I never dared buy form a cart, called my name.

Elote
from the Un-Constipated Gourmet by Danielle Svetcov
4 Ears of corn
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Boil corn in salted water for 5 minutes. on a plate combine mayonnaise and lime juice to roll the corn on and through.Mix cheese and seasonings on another plate.Roll cooked corn on mayonnaise, and then roll on the cheese plate.Grilled corn works great as well.
For prinatable version click here:

I am giving away a copy of the Un-Constipated Gourmet. Leave a comment with your own remedy or just why you want the book. Don’t be uptight and keep it all in.It’s bad for you.Drawing ends July 20.


Congrats to Judy of No Fear Entertaining for winning the Real Housewives Cocktail contest!Send me your address.

Military Wives Cookbook …Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

I was fortunate to receive an email from Sourcebooks asking if I could take a look at their Military Wives Cookbook,200 Years of Traditions , Recipes, and Remembrances. This treasure of American historical lore and modern vignettes is the brainchild of an accomplished Military wife herself , Carolyn Quick Tillery.She’s a go getter who having a law degree and retired form the Air Force, decided she needed a ‘portable career’ as her husband , still in the Air Force was constantly assigned all over the world in various posts.So she combined her love of history and food , thereby forging a career. A pretty successful one at that.
I admit, I know nothing about the whole military culture and lifestyle. As an account executive I had an account on a naval base and saw a glimpse. I envied those PX Stores for the great deals.What I did see was my hard working sales staff who may have had a spouse in service and was used to the ordeal of moving around , or them being way , and surviving on limited means. I saw the cadets come in every few weeks after graduation to pretty up a bit and get their cosmetics before heading off to some new assignment. For many it was there first time away from home perhaps. I admit I am pretty privileged and spoiled at times, but I can recognize the great sacrifice those that serve and their families make for our country. It takes a strong woman, or man to support that spouse in service. Lets honor them on Friday May 8th , which happens to be Military Spouse Day.Our current First Lady of the United States, Michele Obama has vowed to focus on aiding Military families.
Military Wives Cookbook is chock full of recipes from today to 200 years ago. I was expecting Americana type of recipes, which there were plenty, but also got some international ones , reflective of the wives travels all over the world. The author assembles the recipes into menus with themes. For example a Colonial Thanksgiving or Christmas in the Confederate White House. The cookbook is divided into 6 sections:
Teas and Coffees
Buffets, Brunches, and Lunches
A Taste of Home: Dinner Family Style, Alfresco Dining
Over There: An International Affair
Home for the Holidays and Other Celebrations
It was hard to pick a recipe to try out. But I was drawn to the Old Fashioned Banana Pudding, because it reminded me of my mother and is a tradition in the Black community and others as well . You will find this at every event or picnic this summer. A lot of people fake it with pudding mix and vanilla wafers. I like it old school.
Note I was out of Vanilla wafers but had Vanilla Biscuits , that worked fine. A coworker of mine uses shortbread , which is also a great substitute. I shamefully admit I polished this off and gave a bit to a neighbor. Nothing was wasted. It was that good. I might play on this recipe with chocolate chips or banana rum one day.
I will be giving away a copy of this cookbook. The drawing runs until May 12.Just leave a comment! And be sure to check out Month Of Edible Celebrations posts on this great book and her giveaway as well.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding
adapted from Military Wives Cookbook 200 Year of Traditions, Recipes, and Remembrances
6 servings
2/3 cup Sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups half and half( I used heavy cream and milk combined)
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 12 oz box vanilla wafers
2 cups bananas (ripe)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a double boiler over boiling water, combine sugar, salt, and flour.Add half and half and stir constantly until mixture thickens.Remove from heat.Place egg yolks in separate bowl. Gradually while stirring constantly( I use a stand mixer for this to free up hands) add some of the hot cream mixture to the egg yolks to temper. Then add the egg mixture back to the cream in the pot.Cook to a simmer and thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cool for a bit while you assemble the pudding.
In a baking glass dish, layer vanilla wafers first, the sliced banana, then pudding, Continue layering of wafers, bananas, pudding, ending with pudding on top. Set aside.
Make Meringue topping.
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
In a bowl whip egg whites, with cream of tarter with a electric mixer or use your stand mixer. Whip until they hold stiff peaks.Fold in vanilla extract and confectioners sugar.
Spread atop the pudding and bake for 10 -15 minutes until golden.


I know I missed the deadline by a few days, but I want to offer this up for the Retro Themed Waiter There Is Something In My Soup.

Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes…A Review

What can I say. I was lucky a second month in row to obtain a copy of Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros through Library Things Early Reviewer Program. This has to be the most beautifully designed and written cookbook I have come across in awhile. Both travel memoir and cookbook, Tessa offers up a wealth of recipes from various chapters in her globetrotting life between Finland, South Africa, Greece, Cyprus , and Italy. Half Finnish and Half Greek-Cypriot, Tessa recollects memories and recipes from her grandfathers in Finland and Cyprus. It took me a long time to decide what to prepare from this book. Both the savory and sweet recipes are mouth watering. With some new life changes and diet changes,I gravitated to the Greek sections, as the flavors of the Mediterranean are perfect for one trying to reduce salt intake. Cherished family photos , drawings, and honest non slick styling capture the essence of the food.This book will have a place of honor in my vast collection of cookbooks.
Stuffed Vegetables
This has to be the favorite of what I tried out so far. Hollowed out array of Zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, stuffed with rice, and the vegetable pulp, and slowly roasted with potatoes in lemon , Olive oil and tomato juices. The uncooked rice is mixed with the ground beef and pork and seasoned with mint, paprika, salt and pepper and the vegetable pulp. Potatoes are quartered , and all is placed in a baking dish with tomato juice, water, and olive oil and slow baked for 1 1/2 hours. Served warm or room temperature.Its generous recipe that feeds 6-8, and I reduced it , but still ate off for days. Perfect for a family or easy but filling entertaining. It ‘s presence makes quite a statement on a any table.
Lemon Oregano Chicken
A simple dinner of a whole chicken , spatchcocked, and broiled in lemon juice, olive oil, butter,and oregano. First browned in skillet , then placed in a broiler, the chicken cooks in a reduced time while full of flavor.
Here are some highlights of the various regions Tessa covers:
Finnish Recipes
Lingonberry or Cranberry Jam
Sipis Strawberry Cake
Finnish Mustard
Greek Recipes
Taramasalata
Bougatsa
Octopus Stifado
Cyprus
Tava (Cypriot Baked Lamb and Potatoes with Cumin and Tomatoes)
Pita Bread
Loukoumades ( Deep Fried Honey and Cinnamon Syrup Puffs)
Mastika Ice Cream
South Africa
Prego Rolls
Barbecued Spare Ribs
Milk Tart
Italy
Olive Oil Bread
Fried Mozzarella and Anchovy Filled Zucchini Flowers
Baccala with Red Onions
World
Chicken, Coconut, and Cashew Curry
Caramel Ice Cream
Ludi’s Chicken

The Scandinavian Cookbook Review and Salmon Burgers with Rye Focaccia

Those of you that know me , know that Scandinavia is no stranger to me. In a way through Certain Someone its like a second home. But even prior to meeting Certain Someone , I have relatives there in which I got to visit. My first visit to Stockholm , I feel in love. So how fitting my love has a beautiful summer home, by the sea, which I cant wait to go back and visit. I have yet to explore the other Scandinavian countries. I’m eager to see Denmark and Norway.One day.
I was so so happy to get a copy of The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann (Andrews McMeel Publishing,LLC), through the The Library Thing Early Reviewer Program. If you don’t know about this ,please check it out. As all my books on Library Thing are cookbooks, that’s what I normally snag based on my profile. But they have all types of genres available, and the competition is tough. This is my second review for them.
The Scandinavian Cookbook is a big gorgeous book by the Danish chef Trina Hahnemann.In her first English cookbook, she breaks the book down into seasons and months so the reader truly understands the cycle of life in Scandinavia.Winter is long with little light and summer leads into those White Nights with the sun not going down until midnight or after. Its a beautiful corner of the world with a simple straightforward and delicious approach to cooking. Flipping through the gorgeous photographs by Lars Ranek one gets a visual Smorgasbord of fishes, pastries, vegetables, breads drinks, and just about anything else you can think of. I long to go back and make the Kartoffelkage (a choux pastry with marzipan, cocoa, and filled with cream). Of course she shows you how to make smoked salmon. With the seasonal approach all the dishes presented look so healthy, wholesome and appetizing.A nice balance.

I chose to make a simple Rye Focaccia and Salmon Burgers form the month of April because I had most of the ingredients on hand. I confess,I was out of capers, and really regretted it. Nevertheless the burger was fantastic. And the Rye Focaccia was outstanding and very simple to put together. The burger was basically fresh salmon chopped into a mince with green onion , capers, eggs, and breadcrumbs. I garnished mine with sprouts , rather the chives and capers. And I cheated with mayo out of jar rather than her homemade dressing with homemade mayonnaise,and creme fraiche.The focaccia which was to make 4 burgers, could have been stretched to six or even eight in my opinion. I was really hearty and I couldn’t stop nibbing throughout the day. What I love about this book is that there are basic recipes and components I can carry over into other seasons and dishes. Naturally I am submitting this into BYOB.
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