The Cookbook Junkies

A few weeks ago I was able to attend a Sprouts Farmers Market blogger event at the Colorado Beef Council. I have to confess I have never been a huge fan of beef – I blame this on my mother and the chewy, flavorless roasts she would serve us and every other chewy, flavorless roast I had to endure in my lifetime. My husband states that I make a mean roast and a great steak – but I usually just eat the vegetables I make when I make those types of dinners for him – I had no desire to eat beef products – until now. The Colorado Beef Council and Sprouts have converted me forever.

Sprouts Farmers Market sells only grass fed, hormone free beef. They ground beef in-house using only muscle meat. And I have to say, I buy the majority of my meat and produce at Sprouts and it is always far superior to any other markets. Sprouts will also cut meat to order. In fact, today I picked up my organic turkey from Sprouts – completely boned. I also requested the bones to make stock and they happily wrapped those up for me as well. They provide this service at no extra charge to their customers.

The Beef Council’s kitchen is my dream kitchen. Stainless everywhere, open shelving and lots of room. Above, is our first instructor, Marcie, who is the lead tester for the Beef Council.

Marcie explained to us about using rubs to add flavor, the three methods of searing – in a hot pan, a hot oven at the beginning of cooking or in a hot oven at the end of cooking. I, myself, always sear in a hot pan – I just feel more control in that method. I also bring the protein to room temperature – about 30 minutes. The rub that we used for the roast we worked with was salt, pepper and minced garlic. Marcie also had the team working on a cranberry jalapeno relish that was out of this world good. Recipes for those dishes can be found at the links given.

Marcie went over the types of racks that can be used – the basic roast rack (All-Clad is always my preference), an adjustable rack for different size proteins or in a pinch you can crinkle up a large sheet of foil and make an S shape to place on the bottom of your roasting pan. I, typically, use vegetables – carrots, onions and potatoes – to keep my roast from sitting on the bottom of the pan and the bonus there is added flavor the drippings deliver to the vegetables.

Our second instructor, went over compound butters that can add additional flavor to our finished roast. My group was able to work on that portion of the meal. The Beef Council kindly shared their recipe with us for our readers:

1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon or the zest of one orange
Salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients together to combine and then place onto a sheet of parchment, plastic or wax paper to make a log and refrigerator. When ready to use, cut into rounds to serve atop your finished roast.

Our final instructor went over pan sauces and plating. I’m a huge fan of pan sauces – they add so much to the meal and I make them frequently for all proteins.

I jokingly asked if the plate of food above was for an entire family – the chef didn’t laugh.

The recipes for the restaurant quality meal shown in that photograph can be downloaded at this link. Everything on this plate was absolutely delicious and the roast made me fall for beef. I was lucky enough to take home a nice piece of prime rib and two servings blue cheese potatoes for my husband. We had that meal the next day – yes, we, because I made him share. He is not a fan of prime rib – although he loves beef – and even re-heated he raved about the taste and flavor of our dish. This has to do primarily with preparation and the quality that comes out of Sprouts’ meat department.

I hope to prepare the entire meal again for the holidays this year. The compound butter, relish and horseradish cream add so much to a meal – any one of these condiments can elevate your dish.

Thanks to everyone at Sprouts Farmers Market and the Colorado Beef Council for this wonderful learning experience. To keep tabs on new recipes be sure to follow the council on twitter and Facebook and keep up with Sprouts on twitter and Facebook.

 

Mary and Vincent Price’s Come into the Kitchen Cook Book is being re-issued by Calla/Dover this month. I have an original edition in my collection as well as the new release that shares a new foreword by Victoria Price and an introduction by Darra Goldstein, Founding Editor of Gastronomica.

Come into the Kitchen is a collection of American recipes that cover four centuries. There is also the story of wine making in America as well as helpful information on how to shop for wines and make them at home. Delightful illustrations fill the book as well as historical photographs – that make this book more than a cookbook but also a conversation starter and perfect for those school projects we have to cook for at times. From Recipes of Early America through Recipes of Modern America, each era provides recipes and information that will interest everyone in the family.

I am working with Dover to offer a great price on cookbooks through the middle of January. To the right, you will find a Dover ad block with two book covers. If you click on that box, it will take you to the cookbook section of Dover’s site. If you place an order, you will receive 25% off your total using the promo code shown. Dover has other titles as well – browse while you are there. This is a great deal in time for holiday shopping. Each month there will be a new Dover ad with a new code – be sure to keep checking back.

GIVEAWAY: Dover is offering two of my readers a chance to win a copy of Mary and Vincent Price’s Come into the Kitchen Cook Book. This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. To enter, leave a comment on this post (you may enter daily). For a second entry, please share this post on social media. This giveaway will run through December 10th. Good luck! Random Number Generator picked Lorraine and Connie! Congratulations!

What do these books have in common:  the mystery Devonshire Scream and the cookbooks Simply Scratch and The Love & Lemons Cookbook? They are all great books with recipes and I have them all here for one in one giveaway!

In Devonshire Scream, New York Times bestselling author of Ming Tea Murder serves up robberies, murder, and tea blends in her latest Tea Shop mystery. I read the book on a recent flight to New York and thoroughly enjoyed Laura Child’s writing style as well as the recipes and tea tips. Our main character, Theodosia, owns Indigo Tea Shop and finds herself in the middle of a crime scene that involves a robbery with a side of murder while catering a show at a local jewelry store. At her dear friend Brooke’s insistence, who is the aunt of the victim, she begins playing detective. You will have to read the book to find out more!

The Love & Lemons Cookbook from Jeanine Donofrio has been discussed a great deal in The Cookbook Junkies and I had to get my hands on a copy. From Jeanine’s first line, “Why Love & Lemons? Because once, we walked by an Italian dog with a lemon in its mouth. Obviously” I was sold. Quirky – I like quirky.

The book is visually beautiful with 26 chapters from A to Z or Apples to Zucchini & Summer Squash. Not only do the recipes look amazing, but the author adds valuable information such as “How to Cook with What You Have” and “What to Have on Hand at all Times”. Her ease with words and encouraging tips instill confidence in cooks who might be newer to cooking. Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos, Curried Parsnip and White Bean Soup, and Spring Leek & Lemon Pasta all look like winners.

Special thanks to Jeanine and her publisher for sharing a tasty crostini recipe that will be perfect for your next tea party or brunch. This recipe is so easy and tasty – my son loved it (as did I).
APPLE, BRIE & THYME CROSTINI = Serves: 4

8 slices ciabatta bread
8 (¼-inch/0.5-cm) slices brie cheese
1 Gala apple, thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Honey, for drizzling
4 sprigs fresh thyme, thick woody stems removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the ciabatta slices on the baking sheet and top each with a slice of brie, a few slices of apple, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Remove from the oven and drizzle each crostini with honey. Top with a sprig of fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Reprinted from The Love & Lemons Cookbook by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Jeanine Donofrio

Simply Scratch by Laurie McNamara shares 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy. My favorite recipes in this book are those for Cream of Chicken Soup and Cream of Mushroom Soup – no more sodium laced cans in your casseroles. This weekend I’m going to be trying her Orange-Ginger Chicken and Rice – because it looks and sounds amazing. I also have the Mississippi Mud Pie (But Actually Texas Sheet Cake) and Pecan Toffee Oatmeal Cookies marked to be made. This is the perfect book to add to your collection as it provides scratch recipes from the Basics to Desserts.

Special thanks to the author and her publisher for sharing Laurie’s Lemon Ginger Scones with us another great option for a brunch or tea party. I love making scones and this recipe combine two of my favorite flavor combinations. A little trick I use to make perfect scones is that I grate the butter, spread it out on a small sheet pan and place it back in the fridge or freezer until I’m ready to use it.

LEMON GINGER SCONES

This is the part where I confess that I once ate a whole batch of these scones in a record three days. I was testing the recipe and poof! They were gone. I didn’t mean to, but do we ever? For me, a scone served with a steaming cup of coffee or tea is perfection. I haven’t looked back since I was first introduced to scones by my friend Nichole, and this recipe does not disappoint. These scones are inspired by some I love at a bakery in a nearby town. A quintessential classic American bakery complete with exposed brick walls and a hodgepodge collection of cute tables and chairs, this place serves the most amazing breads and baked goods. Ever. It’s safe to say I’ve tried one of all their scones, and the lemon ginger are my number one favorite. These scones are lemony, with a subtle ginger flair, and are topped with a thick layer of powdered sugar. What’s not to love? So naturally when I tried them at home I ate them all. The end.

NOTE: The key to any good scone recipe is using ice-cold ingredients, so I cube the butter and keep it in the freezer, and keep everything else, with the exception of the dry ingredients, measured and combined in the fridge until I’m ready to mix them in.

MAKES 8 SCONES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup cold heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon organic lemon extract
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) ice-cold
unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup finely diced candied ginger
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
¼ cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, use a fork to beat together the heavy cream, eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla until combined. Chill until ready to use.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Drop in the ice-cold butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse wet sand.
• Pour in the chilled cream mixture, ginger, and lemon zest and use a rubber spatula to stir until just combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times before forming it into a ball. With floured fingers, flatten it out into a 11⁄2-inch-thick round. Cut the round into 8 equal-size wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the baked scones to a wire rack to cool. Once the scones have cooled, dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Reprinted from Simply Scratch by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2015, Laurie McNamara

GIVEAWAY:  My lovely friends at Avery Books and Berkley Books who provided me with copies of these books for this review want to share a set of them with one of you! This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. There are several options to enter – do one or do them all.

1) Leave a comment on this post (daily if you like) telling me something you love to serve or have at a brunch or tea party.

2) Share this post on social media – there are several icons on this page to make this easier. Leave a comment telling me where you shared.

3) Visit The Cookbook Junkies Facebook page. Likes are appreciated. Sharing the page is even more appreciated. I only post giveaways on that page. Leave an additional comment telling me you did so.

4) Visit Avery and Berkley’s Facebook pages. Likes are appreciated. Leave an additional comment telling me you did so.

5) Visit Eat Your Books Facebook page. Likes are appreciated. Leave an additional comment telling me you did so.

A random winner will be chosen on November 5th! Good luck.

Random Number Generator picked #111 Carolsue.

Disclaimer: Links to Amazon are affiliate links and help to support this page. Please see the right side bar for links to my stores on Amazon and Book Depository – any purchases there also support this page. Lastly, the Dover Publications promotion is still going on until January 1st. See the ad on the right side bar. Using that link and code will result in a 25% discount on your purchases there.