The Cookbook Junkies

After reviewing books like Savor and Oh She Glows Every Day, I have decided that I want to try to incorporate more whole grains in our meals. I have serious auto immune illnesses, Andrew has his diagnoses and I can’t help but think that milling our own grains, beans and spices would be better for our whole family.

I’ve heard incredible things about the Mockmill, a mill that attaches to your Kitchen Aid (and other mixer brands) that isn’t overly expensive and takes minimal space in your kitchen. I have researched various mills and they can range from $500 to $2000.

The benefits of milling your own grains, beans and spices are many — some of which is cost savings, convenience and the product you mill in your own home is fresher than anything you can order.

A Mockmill has been ordered and is on its way but after talking to one of the partners of this great company – I wanted to offer you a chance to save $80.00 off an exclusive package — the mill, grains and a cookbook (details in the flyer) and link to promotion here. (The shop link in the flyer below doesn’t work). Total cost being $179 including shipping. I will be posting a great deal more about this product as I use it and experiment with different grains but as this offer expires soon – August 31st, 2016 – I wanted to get a quick post off about it.

I am incredibly excited about this product and I hope you will take advantage of this great savings. Follow the information below to the site and use the code “CookbookJunkies” at the end of the checkout process.

Using this link only shows Mockmill how many Cookbook Junkie members order the mill. It does not benefit me in the least – I am just really excited about this product and hope you will be too.

For years, I have owned The Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook yet every time I see it – I have to pick it up and find a home for it. I cannot pass up a restaurant cookbook and especially something that reminds me of the East Coast.

When you move to a town that doesn’t have a good year-round restaurant, you have to build one. And we did. Captain Robert Douglas

Yesterday, there was a long line at the store so I started looking through it. My neighbor had given me a large zucchini and the recipe for the Stir-Fried Zucchini with Spicy Peanut Sauce sounded perfect. I wanted to make a noodle dish as well so this cut my work in half.  When I posted a photograph of this dish, a few people asked for the recipe. The easiest way to share my adaptation of the recipe is to do a post and why not offer one of you a copy of this book?

This dish was absolutely incredible – I almost ate the whole bowl shown in this picture but I don’t feel bad – it’s zucchini! I had tripled the sauce recipe with a few tweaks and used the extra sauce to make peanut noodles and chicken.

A little about this cookbook. Named after the beloved companion of the owner, The Black Dog Tavern has been serving guests since 1971. Recipes from breakfast to dinner are included as well as many helpful tutorials such as how to fillet a fish or how to prep shrimp.

Char-lee’s Chilled Spicy Sesame Noodles, Jalapeno Shrimp Quesadillas, Flounder with Bananas, Almonds and Rum, and Lemon Basil Chicken Piccata with Penne are examples of the type of tempting recipes that are contained in this title. I have made the Lemon Basil Chicken Piccata and it was a hit.

Random Number Generator picked Noreen #30

Giveaway:  To enter for a chance to win this cookbook, leave a comment telling me if you have ever visited Martha’s Vineyard. You may enter this giveaway daily. It is open to U.S. addresses only. A random winner will be chosen on September 6th. Good luck.

Bourbon chicken mac and cheese, pulled pork mac and cheese, mac and cheese topped with a crispy potato topping – you name it – I’ve made it. While I was shopping for groceries, I saw a Havarti cheese with caraway seeds and inspiration hit. A Pastrami on Rye Mac and Cheese!

I have to say this is one pretty tasty mac and cheese. Here’s how I did it.

• 1 pound of shaped pasta of your choice, cooked 3 minutes short of package instructions, drained and rinsed – set aside
• 1/2 pound of Havarti with caraway if you can find it – if not use Havari and add a 1/2 teaspoon of caraway to the mix) – shredded
• 1/2 pound of cheddar – shredded
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of butter, melted (for later)
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 quart of warmed whole milk
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup of drained Sauer kraut
• 1 teaspoon of good quality stone ground mustard
• 1/2 pound thick-sliced pastrami
• 1 cup of stale Rye bread – processed into bread crumbs

Instructions

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan melt butter and added flour to make a roux.

Cook it for at least five minutes.

Warm one quart of whole milk in the microwave for three minutes.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, freshly ground pepper to the roux.

Slowly add warmed whole milk to roux while whisking — cook until thickened about 10 minutes.

At this point, add the mustard, sauerkraut.

When sauce is thickened — add almost all the shredded cheeses and combine until cheese has melted.

Add the cheese sauce to the cooked macaroni and transfer to a baking vessel (9 x 13 is what held this mixture). The sauce should look a little excessive – if for some reason your sauce isn’t loose enough or seems like it will be dry — slowly add a little more warmed whole milk or cream.)

Dice the pastrami into small cubes and place into a bowl. Add half the cubes into the macaroni mix. Process the other half of the pastrami into a fine crumb. Add the rye bread crumbs and two teaspoons of melted butter or olive oil and combine.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese (reserved from above) and then layer the pastrami and bread crumb mix on top. (I did this two ways – one without the pastrami crumbs in the rye bread and one without.)

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 (because this is a saucy, creamy recipe — if it looks like the cheese sauce doesn’t cover the pasta wholly – cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes – remove foil and bake for last five remaining minutes).

I hope you try it and like it. We loved it and a friend stopped by and tried some and gave it two thumbs up.

I’d like to give a shout out to Sprouts Market, I shop at Sprouts several times a week, their produce, meat and cheese departments are incredible and their prices cannot be beat. Their customer service is wonderful and the butcher will cut, remove bones, or prep your cuts at your direction and request. Great store with great products.