The Cookbook Junkies

One of the many great things about creating The Cookbook Junkies® are the people from all around the world that I have come to know (some are scary, some are lovely, many have become true friends). One of these friends, Melissa from Tennessee, directed me toward Lockeland Table and the release of their fabulous cookbook.

Lockeland Table is in Nashville and is on my list of places to visit when we head south. The menu looks fantastic and Melissa confirms it’s her go to spot and recommends it to friends and family.

Hal M. Holden-Bache is the chef/owner at Lockeland and he and his co-owner Cara Graham tell their story of the restaurant, local artisans and more in their cookbook, Lockeland Table. Besides the wonderful history behind these two talents — the book contains great recipes and beautiful photographs.

The recipes are Southern home spun with a twist. Crab and Corn Fritters, Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese, and Smoked Jalapeno & Fresh Corn Cornbread are a few examples. An in-depth pizza section will provide you everything you need to know about how from making the dough, sauce, ricotta – to the finished version of several variations including a scrumptious Vegetarian Pizza. Other dishes that look tempting are Roasted Gulf Shrimp with Blueberry and Corn Salad, Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Oysters Rockefeller but truth be told all the recipes contained in this gorgeous book are crave-worthy.

I am a fan of restaurant cookbooks and we all love Southern comfort food  –  and this book combines both brilliantly.

You can find more information about the cookbook and the restaurant on their website. Thanks to Lockeland Table for their generosity in providing me with a review copy of their stunning book and offering one of you a copy!

GIVEAWAY:  To enter this giveaway – you  must share this post on Facebook OR any other social media platform. Leave a comment telling me where you shared the post. This is a fantastic book and we want to get the word out about it! This giveaway is open to US addresses only and will run until February 16th when a random winner will be chosen. Good luck.  Random Number Generator picked #42 — Connie! Congratulations!

 

Nancie McDermott’s Southern Pies and Southern Cake books have been favorites of mine since they were first released. I was happy to learn that she has published several cookbooks covering some of my favorite cuisines including Thai and Vietnamese.

Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking was written by Nancie to provide authentic meatless variations on traditional Thai favorites. The author spent three years in Thailand as a volunteer for the Peace Corps and fell in love with this cuisine. This title contains 125 recipes for any occasion (and 100 of the recipes are vegan in nature and those involving eggs can easily be adapted).

Choo Chee New Potatoes with Fresh Basil, Sweet Potato Wonton Soup with Cilantro and Crispy Garlic and Mussamun Curry with Peanuts, Potatoes and Cardamom are examples of the tempting recipes that I am eager to try. The layout of the book is wonderful with easy to read font and detailed instructions. Sections with full color photographs are helpful to those without a great deal of experience cooking Thai food to give you an idea of how the final dishes appear.

One of my family’s favorite Thai dishes is Paht Thai and Nancie’s recipe is on my list to make for our next dinner guests. You can try this recipe by downloading it here.

Simply Vietnamese Cooking is the second title of Nancie’s that I am sharing with you today. Set out in the same format as Simply Vegetarian Thai – this book contains 135 recipes for stir-fries, salads, soups and recipes for cooking meat and seafood on the grill. Sweets and drinks are covered as well! Sections of gorgeous color photographs are included as well.

Beef Stew with Lemongrass, Star Anise and Cinnamon, Hainan Chicken and Rice with Ginger-Lime Dipping Sauce and Pho Noodles with Beef, Hanoi-Style are delicious examples of recipes contained in this title. I love the flavors that are often found in this cuisine and Nancie’s book is packed with delicious, tempting recipes.

The recipe for Shaking Beef with Purple Onions and Watercress is calling my name and you can find out why – by downloading the recipe here.

If you are not familiar with Nancie McDermott and her titles – I recommend you rectify that quickly and check out her cookbooks – you will not be disappointed. Nancie’s Southern Soups and Stews is another favorite of mine and my friends Jenni and Denise covered one of her fantastic recipes here.

Random Number Generator chose #10 Nan and #6 Felice – emails have been sent to both of these ladies! Congratulations!

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Robert Rose is giving away a copy of these books. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian addresses. One winner will win a copy of Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking and another will win a copy of Simply Vietnamese Cooking. To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Thai or Vietnamese dish is. Sharing this post is greatly appreciated. Two random winners will be chosen on February 12th.

Special thanks to Nancie for reaching out to me about her wonderful titles and to Robert Rose who provided me copies for review, the recipes to share with you and for sponsoring this giveaway. Good luck!

What is better than having your cupcake and eating it too? Having a cocktail cupcake, of course. Prohibition Bakery provides us everything we need to create make delicious cupcakes with a boozy twist!

Former bartender Leslie Feinberg, along with classically trained chef Brooke Siem, started Manhattan’s first cupcake company using alcohol as their secret ingredient. Prohibition Bakery has everyone lining up for a taste with their motto being Please Eat Responsibly. In this new book the duo share over fifty of their recipes that have been adapted for the home baker. The cupcakes are organized by type of alcohol and begin with recipes for Infusions such as Minty Rum or Gin or Spicy Scotch followed by recipes for Fillings and then Boozy James and Jellies before delving into the cupcake recipes!

Each cupcake is a piece of art and includes detailed instructions for filling, frosting and garnish. There are recipes for classics such as Pina Colada, Mojito, Negroni and Margarita but also recipes for some lesser known concoctions. For instance, Kokoloko – a coconut and chocolate creation that sounds wonderful as well as the Seelbach a bourbon and champagne treat named after the Louisville hotel where it was invented. Mudslides are one of my favorite drinks and the Mudslide cupcake will be in my immediate future. There are myriad combinations of flavors and they all pack a punch.

GIVEAWAY:  I’m a sucker for bakery cookbooks and this one is no exception. Delicious, unique and tasty cupcakes are in my future and can be in yours – Sterling Epicure is giving one of you a copy of this book. The giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. To enter please leave a comment on this post telling me anything you’d like!

A random winner will be chosen on February 1st! Thanks to Sterling for the review copy of this book and for sponsoring the giveaway.

Random Number Generator chosen #15 – Samantha K! Congratulations!

Good luck!

Please be sure to check out The Cookbook Junkies page on Facebook – to keep up-to-date on all giveaways and more!