The Cookbook Junkies

The Colors of Indian Cooking is a website I have been following for years which focuses on delicious and healthy Indian food written by Kathy Gori. Gori and her husband, Alan Berger, are Hollywood screenwriters and her second passion is Indian cuisine. She has been creating Indian dishes for over twenty six years living up to her blog’s tagline: A Hollywood Screenwriter, A Bollywood Kitchen.

 

One of the biggest obstacles to people contemplating cooking Indian food is their unfamiliarity with many of the spices as well as procuring them if they do not live near an Indian Market, Gori states. To resolve these issues, she developed The Chaunk which contains 8 key spices and recipes to start us on our Indian food journey.

The Chaunk kit contains: garam masala, black mustard seed (also known as brown mustard seed), kalonji (also known as nigella or black onion seed), Kashmiri chili powder, methi leaves (also known as fenugreek leaf), amchur powder (also known as dried mango powder), cinnamon sticks and dried red chilies. Just that information alone from the kit was very useful to me. Many times I’ve seen dried mango powder in a recipe and did not know to look for it under it’s alternative name, amchur.

Also included in the kit are recipes for simple and tasty vegetarian dishes and perfect for the cook that is venturing into Indian cooking for the first time. There are also 600 additional recipes on The Colors of Indian Cooking.

Kathy informs me that they are working on more Indian rubs and flavors and I will keep you inform of those new items. I love that Kathy grinds all the spices herself!

 

Kathy was gracious enough to provide me with a kit to try out as well as one to share with you (see below). Last week, I tried some of the spices to create an Indian spiced roasted potato dish. I mixed a teaspoon of garam masala and a half teaspoon of Kashmiri chili along with salt to chopped potatoes and onions. A touch of olive oil before roasting for 375 for roughly 40 minutes and it was as easy as that. I finished off with a bit of chopped mint. The warmth from the spices was comforting and gobbled up by the family. I used the same spice mix on some ribs that night and they were spectacular.

GIVEAWAY:  Kathy has inspired me to create more Indian cuisine in my kitchen and she wants to inspire you, too. She has provided a second kit to give to one of you! To enter this giveaway which is open to U.S. addresses only leave a comment on this blog post sharing your favorite Indian spice. For a second entry, please share this post to spread the word about The Chaunk (leave a second comment telling me you shared.) A random winner will be chosen on April 25th! Good luck!

Random Number Generator picked #21 Joan Osborne! Congratulations!

 

Marisa McClellan’s newest title, Naturally Sweet Food in Jars, has hit the shelves. This book follows on the tail of her popular blog, Food in Jars and publication of two previous cookbook titles Food in Jars and Preserving by the Pint focusing on preserving and bringing the art of canning to her reader’s kitchens.

 

Naturally Sweet Food in Jars focuses on preserves made with coconut, maple, honey and other natural sweeteners and has 100 new recipes. The book is organized by the type of sweetener used and shares recipes for Sriracha-Style Hot Sauce (honey), Date Pancake Syrup (maple), Cantaloupe-Basil Jam (agave) and more.

Creating your own jams and sauces is rewarding as it not only saves you money but alleviates the need to purchase overly processed items from the grocery store. Nothing tastes as great as homemade.

Marisa provides us with everything we need to know about preserving from selecting the fruit to processing instructions. With such unique combinations as Mango Lime Butter, Blueberry Ginger Shrub and Apple Meyer Lemon Chutney we are sure to create new condiments to wow our friends and family.

I love cranberries and the Pickled Cranberries recipe sounds so intriguing as does the Fruitcake Conserve (who would have thought a recipe with the word fruitcake in the title would interest me).

Running Press has graciously shared a recipe from this title for you to try, Pear Vanilla Jam:

 

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to Running Press, one of you has the opportunity to win a copy of this must have book. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me if you have tried canning yourself. For a second entry, please share this post on one of your social media outlets (be sure to leave a second comment). Open to US addresses only, the giveaway will run through April 20th. A random winner will be chosen on that date. Good luck  Random Number Generator picked #20 – Lisa Ghenne!

Running Press provided me a review copy of this title.

Rebecca Lang is the author of many books including one of my favorites on Fried Chicken. I’ve cooked many a recipe from that title. I mean – fried chicken – what could be better? Well, maybe fried chicken without calories (a girl can dream). Her newest title The Southern Vegetable Book: A Root-to-Stalk Guide to the South’s Favorite Produce is destined to join a coveted spot next to Fried Chicken – everything in balance.

 

 

Books devoted to vegetables would never grab my attention until Ottolenghi started producing cookbooks. Vegetables, I always felt were boring, but necessary. Over the last few years, I’ve developed a new approach to vegetables and their role at the dinner table – they are still necessary and anything but boring.

The Southern Vegetable Book is organized by season and vegetable with over 100 classic and modern recipes. An introduction of each vegetable includes its history in Southern cooking as well as selection and preparation pointers. Not only does this stunningly photographed book have tempting recipes, but also advice on gardening, canning, kitchen composting and more.

Lang presents vegetables in many preparations – sides, mains and even dessert. I am eager to try many of these recipes including the Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes, the Baby Vidalia Skillet Soufflé, Chocolate Zucchini Cakes and Fried Brussels Sprouts with Peanut Vinaigrette. If I ever get my hands on some ramps, the first thing I’m making is the Bacon and Ramp Jam to use on the Caramelized Vidalia and Yogurt Biscuits. (Note: I just ordered ramp seeds.)

I’m fortunate that my son loves vegetables – he would prefer vegetables over anything at meal time (I have to set aside Brussels sprouts for me because he inhales them). This title will open up endless possibilities for us and hopefully help me with getting Andrew interested in the garden this year as well.

Thanks to Oxmoor House for allowing me to share this beautiful recipe for Layered Carrot Cake with you. Download the recipe by clicking the link in blue.

 

GIVEAWAY:  Oxmoor House wants to share this title with one of you. To enter – please leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite vegetable dish. For a second entry (be sure to leave a second comment), please share this post and spread the vegetable love. This giveaway is open to US addresses only. A random winner will be chosen on April 20th. Good luck! Random Number Generator picked #11 – Aaron R.

Special thanks to Oxmoor House for providing me with a copy of this title for review.