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I can’t tell you how much I am loving this cookbook.  The CIA Baking at Home cookbook covers many topics including cookies, cakes and tortes, pies and tarts, custards and puddings, confections and a whole lot more!  The recipes in this book are some of the best I have tested.  I really love the recipe for cream scones.  It uses only cream and the scones are frozen overnight to help develop texture.  They are great to make ahead and keep in the freezer for when unexpected guests show up.  The best thing about them is they are baked straight from the frozen state!  The texture and flavor are amazing.  These are my new go to scones. 

The recipes are only one part of this book.  The book contains all kinds of information on baking techniques and tricks!  I know if you love baking like I do you will love this book.  Amazon carries it for around $27.00. 

I like the rest of the world’s bloggers read many blogs in a day.  Usually I read them to see what the latest news is in the food industry, sometimes it’s just for fun.  The other day I stumbled across a interesting question.  What cookbook could you not live without?  I have to admit this question put me into a period of deep tought.  Only one cookbook?  No way!  I couldn’t do it.  I have too many favorites and each serves its own purpose.  I like most foodies admire cookbooks whenever I go to the bookstore.  Growing up cookbook was a foreign word in our household.  I don’t think I picked up a cookbook until I was well into my 20s.  Now I stand in the aisles and drool over the photos like everyone else.  Sometimes I spend so much time in the cookbook aisle the store clerks come and ask me if I need help.  It’s funny though, I only buy a cookbook after a long research process.  Here are some of my favorites - in particular order.

Baking Cookbooks

Baking - Dorie Greenspan is an amazing baker and a delightful person.  I love listening to interviews with Dorie and I love working my way through her book.  She also has wonderful food blog -www.doriegreenspan.com

Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook - Say what you want about Martha, if I need a go to recipe, she’s my girl.  I love Martha’s cookbooks.  Her staff works very hard to create these cookbooks and it shows!  I would call this book a primer for anyone interested in getting started with baking.

Everyday Cookbooks

Martha Stewart’s New Classics and Old Classics - I originally bought the new classics and immediately fell in love with it, so you can guess how the Old Classics made its way into my collection.

Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - I just love Mark Bittman’s simple approach to everyday cooking.  His recipes are simple and honest and most importantly, delicious!

The Bon Appetit Cookbook - I really use to love Bon Appetit magazine, not so much now.  I guess I am not hip enough for the new spin, but I really love the cookbook.  There are so many classic recipes in this cookbook, it’s hard to resist!

So how about you any favorites you would like to share with the rest of us?

So many of you know that I haven’t been posting much.  You also know that I was talking about a project in the spring.  Well, you may have guessed it by now… I am finishing up a vegetarian cookbook as we speak.  I am a huge fan of baking, so the cookbook also has lots of great baking recipes, but it is mostly devoted to vegetarianism.  Here’s a sample recipe from the future book. 

Spicy Rice and Black Bean Burgers

(Makes 8 mini burgers or 4 large burgers)

The funniest thing about becoming a vegetarian was how much I loved black bean burgers. I was never a burger eater when I ate meat, but there is something so satisfying about vegetarian burgers. I just love them.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, deveined and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbs. ketchup

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked rice (basmati, white or brown)

2 cups fresh wheat or white breadcrumbs

¼ cup dried breadcrumbs

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Serve with avocado, tomato, and lettuce

1. In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbs. olive oil. Sauté the jalapeno, onion, red pepper, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and ketchup. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a food processor add half of the onion and pepper mixture and half of the beans and rice. Process until combined. Place the mixture in a large bowl with breadcrumbs and the remaining half of the onion mixture, beans and rice. Mix well.
3. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Form patties either into mini patties (3-4 inches) or large patties (6 inches). Cook until browned on both sides. It should take about 3-4 minutes per side.  Top with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Enjoy!

I love making pizza at home.  All you really need is a pizza stone and a good dough recipe.  I have been using the same dough recipe for years, but recently ventured off to try a new recipe and I am so glad I did.  The recipe is from Todd English and it’s delicious.  It uses both white and wheat flour and I have to say the small amount of wheat flour makes all the difference in the world.  The recipe calls for a scant 1/4 cup of wheat flour, but what the wheat does for the texture of this dough is nothing short of amazing.  It gives the dough a nice chewy texture.  Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a try.

Figs Pizza Dough (Todd English)

Ingredients

Makes 4 eight-to-ten-inch pizzas

• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for rolling
• 2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the oil and 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water. Knead on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four balls, each about 7 1/2 ounces. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place two balls on each sheet, and cover with a damp towel. Allow the dough balls to rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in size, about 2 hours.
3. To roll out the dough, cover your fingers with flour, then place a ball on a generously floured work surface. Press down on the center of the ball with the tips of your fingers, simultaneously stretching the dough out with your hands. When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is very thin. The outer border should be slightly thicker than the center. Transfer the dough on a spatula (allowing the dough to fold up almost like an umbrella) to a pizza peel or another flat, wide surface. The dough will be more oval than round. If any holes have appeared, pinch them closed. Repeat with the remaining balls.

Okay so I had a decidedly non-traditional Easter buffet yesterday.  My parents and my husband and I are known for our non-traditional holiday meals.  We had a Vegetarian Mexican inspired buffet yesterday with all kinds of interesting dishes.  It was fun, it was unexpected and it was definitely enjoyed!  One of the dishes that we had was a recipe from Bon Appetit for corn bread.  I really enjoyed this recipe, it wasn’t overly sweet or dry like some corn breads I have eaten.  I think next time I would make it a little more tex-mex, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it as is.  Next time I might add some hot peppers, maybe cilantro instead of basil for starters.  It really inspired me to rethink my corn breads. 

Here’s the recipe for those of you who are interested in trying it out.

Corn Bread with Basil, Roasted Peppers and Monterey Jack Cheese

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños (about 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red peppers from jar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 9×9x2-inch baking pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 tablespoons butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Mix in cheese, corn, red peppers, basil and onion. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake corn bread until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes.)

Cut corn bread into squares.

I just got an email for Food Network about a sale they are having on DVD collections.  The prices are really pretty good.  You can get some 3 disc sets of some of the more popular shows for as low as $15.  They have Ina, Paula, Rachael, Alton, Ellie and others on sale right now.  They also have a special offer on shipping for cookbooks.  If you order $25 or more in cookbooks, then the shipping is free. 

So…if you are jonesing for some Food Network nows the time to buy.

Here’s a link to the sale - http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/c-0+4294940030-DVD-Sale.aspx

People often think kitchen equipment has to be expensive to be really useful.  While some very expensive kitchen equipment is definitely helpful and very useful, there are some inexpensive items that I can’t live without.  Here’s the start of a list of great gift ideas that are really useful for any baker’s kitchen. There will be more posts in the future on this subject.

1. Silicone Spatulas - I absolutely love these little spatulas.  The price is very reasonable and they are an indispensable part of my kitchen.  At $8.50 for a medium size spatula, the price is right.  I often find these little beauties on clearance at cooks stores and I load up on them.  I have six of them in different shapes and sizes and colors, of course.  They are the ultimate accessory! 
2. Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Beans - I can’t think of too many baking recipes that can’t be improved with a little shot of vanilla.  I love to buy vanilla in bulk, the price sure is cheaper and I never have to worry about running out of vanilla in the middle of a recipe.  You can buy the 32 ounce vanilla online for $40 instead of $20 for a mere 8 ounces.  Another great thing to have on hand is vanilla beans.  Sometimes I love to add a vanilla bean just for the pretty little seeds and the awesome flavor.  These can also be bought in bulk for a much more reasonable price.  Click on the links above to find out where.
3. Silpat Mats - Silpat mats are great because they can be used over and over again.  The price is very reasonable at around $16 a mat.  Never having to worry about a baked good sticking to your pan is priceless, if you ask me.
4. Microplane - My trusty microplane has been with me in my kitchen for a number of years and is still as sharp as the day I bought it.  I know I reach for it every day, often more than once. 
5. Glass Bowl Set - Having enough bowls to make it through a recipe is an absolute necessity.  I can’t make it through a day baking without using these wonderful bowls.  I also love that I can make an instant double boiler for chocolate by placing one of these glass bowls over a pot of simmering water.  The price is definitely right at $34 for ten bowls. 

Steve Corry was recently named one of the top ten best new chefs according to Food and Wine Magazine.  If you happen to live in Maine or New England for that matter you can check out his restaurant five fifty-five (I assuming it is named for it’s address 555 Congress Street, probably a good guess, right?).  The menu has many options for all palates.  I am hoping to get reservations soon and check it out.  I am really interested in trying the caramelized cauliflower-mascarpone soup and the winter vegetable “wellington”.  The prices aren’t too bad with the most expensive dish coming in at $27.95 (not including the caviar prices).  I can’t wait to give it a try.  Who doesn’t love going into Portland to get a good meal?  If you have never been to Portland, then I would say you should come and visit, especially in the summer.  If you want to go to the website and check it out, please click on the logo above.

I am still working steadily on my project…

Do you have a budding chef at home?  Do you have a kid that just can’t stay out of the kitchen?  I found the cutest website for future chefs created by The Culinary Institute of America.  www.ciakids.com is a great resource for kids and parents.  They have recipe, tools, and technique suggestions for kids of all skills from beginner to advanced.  There is a great culinary dictionary, a section on planning to be a chef, a safety in the kitchen section and lots more.  They also have sections for teachers and parents.  Want to get your kids started cooking?  Click on the picture above to go to the CIA kids website.