Waukegan Public Library - cooking

Have You Heard About... Nestle Toll House Best-Loved Cookies

Fran J — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:30:36 +0000

… baking cookies from scratch? Nestle Toll House Best-Loved Cookies is a bakers’ delight of easy recipes. If chocolate chip cookies are your all-time favorites, then this is the book for you. There are seventy easy-to-follow recipes and no exotic ingredients. All of these chocolate chip recipes are different enough from each other that you’ll probably end up making just about everything.

Whether you like your chocolate chips in cookies, bars, or brownies there is something for everyone. It even has a section of lighter chocolate chip goodies for those who just have to have their chocolate chip fix, several times a day.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... The Casserole Queens Cookbook

Fran J — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:54:07 +0000

…the retro/modern casserole cookbook that has something for everyone? In The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, you will find retro 50’s casserole recipes that will have you drooling as you recreate these iconic classics.

The first thirty-three pages are a must read. Not only are they informative, but they are funny as well. A dish towel apron pattern is even included. Once I had the supplies needed, it took me all of ten minutes to make, and it works like a charm. (You don’t need a sewing machine either.) Dressing the part, having an apron and listening to music are a must while you cook these casseroles. Page sixteen tells you so.

The part on freezing your creations is very helpful so you don’t end up with mush or a chipped tooth. There are two pages on how to cut calories and only three pages on how to use this cookbook – assumptions and techniques. There are little family stories at the start of some of the recipes, which I thought were interesting, and a few tidbits at the end of some of the recipes. The “Mandarin Meatloaf” was a new version of an old favorite. It was a hit at my house, and the leftovers reheated just fine. “Damn Skinny Yankee Pot Roast” was very easy to make, but don’t save the leftover potatoes for the freezer as they get kinda mushy when reheated. The “Frenchy Toast Casserole,” I made only half the recipe one Sunday morning, and it was delicious. I’m anxious to try the “Freakin’ Insane Chocolate-Chip Applesauce Quick Bread” next.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... The Daily Cookie

Fran J — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:12:37 +0000

… feeling like you weigh 500 pounds after reading a cookbook? The Daily Cookie by Anna Ginsberg has 365 cookie recipes, one cookie recipe for each day of the year. Ok, so you’re not going to make a batch of cookies everyday unless you’re planning to send them to our troops overseas or hosting a super gigantic family reunion. If you make a batch of cookies every three weeks, it will take you about twenty-one years to get through this book.

Start out with reading the basic how- to’s, and what kind of equipment and ingredients to use. January1 tells you in a little side blurb that it is New Year’s Day and that Pomegranate Swirl Cheesecake Bars are a favorite on this day. If you celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday on January 8, you’ve got to try Peanut Browned Butter Banana Bacon Cookies. Sounds slightly disgusting, but the ingredients make sense. On January 13, the side blurb tells you it’s International Skeptics Day and that Sweet-&-Salty Corn Chip Candy would taste just fine. I made it, and it is yummy.

You can’t go wrong on April 30 if you make Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies as it’s National Oatmeal Cookie Day. Since everyone likes junk food, why not try Double Trouble Chocolate & Potato Chip Cookies on July 21 which just happens to be National Junk Food Day. (If you’re a junk food junkie like me, why wait until July 21? You can eat these every day!) You don’t have to be Polish to enjoy Polish Kolaczki on National Polka Day which is August 9, because it’s also National Book Lover’s Day too. These are good anytime of the year and a personal favorite of mine. Did you know that October 17 is Wear Something Gaudy Day? Why not try the Colorful Confetti Cookies! Do you feel like a dictator? Well, Start Your Own Country Day is November 22 and Cranberry, White Chip & Ginger Cookie Bark will have your subjects eating out of your hand.

Needless to say, this is the only cookie cookbook that you will ever need! If the recipes don’t tempt you the pictures will. The side blurbs are interesting bits of trivia. Happy baking (and eating)!

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... 4 Ingredients Christmas

Fran J — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:54:51 +0000

… cooking with only four ingredients? In the new 4 Ingredients Christmas, by Kim McCosker, there are all kinds of “Simply Yummy Christmas Recipes” that require only four basic ingredients. Most are pretty simple, but a few of them require foods that might be a bit hard to find. If you have little kids, you’ll enjoy making Magic Reindeer Dust; this has only three ingredients, and it will help Santa find your house with no problems.

For breakfast, how about trying Chocolate Filled Crepes? They were easy to make and tasted delicious.

For a luscious supper, how about Citrus-Glazed Ham (the photo will have you drooling) or maybe the Roast Pork and Crispy Crackling, which has only 3 ingredients, and pair it with the Golden Roast Potatoes? Once you’ve eaten and relaxed for a while, it’s time for dessert. Why not try the very simple Brandy Custard? If you aren’t into booze and have no brandy, then try Creamy Custard, and you’ll find it will be just as tasty.

Special munchies during the holidays are a must. Why not try the extremely simple Cherry Baubles, Cinnamon Stars, Marzipan Marbles and the ever popular Reindeer Bark, which has only two ingredients?

To top off a perfect day, sit back, and have a Christmas Candy Martini.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Food in Jars

Fran J — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:51:13 +0000

… all the benefits of preserving your own food? If you’re like me, you’ve heard about the better flavor, the lower price, the more natural ingredients, the satisfaction of eating something you made yourself, and all of the other advantages. However, you wondered when you would have the time, where to get the fancy equipment and tons of fresh produce, and where to store umpteen jars of pickled beets (not to mention what to do when you discover that you hate pickled beets, even if you did make them yourself). Marisa McClellan’s Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-round takes care of many of those concerns. Most of her recipes make just two to five pints and use fewer than ten ingredients, so you can try them without investing a lot in supplies or time. Ms McClellan gives clear, concise instructions on how to do everything from preparing the jars to cooling and storing the finished products, even suggestions for how to use some of the less common ones. She also explains why the steps are important, particularly when doing long-term storage.

The recipes have a sample of almost anything food-related that you could store in jars — jam, jellies, chutneys, pickles, whole fruit, granola, nut butters, soup stock, and mixes to make later. Most of the recipes use boiling water bath canning for long-term preservation, but some are designed for dry storage or freezing. Each section has a variety of familiar and exotic options. For example, the jams range from raspberry and blueberry to vanilla rhubarb jam with Earl Grey (yes, the tea), honey lemon apple jam, and even tomato jam, which sounds bizarre, but the recipe and description are tempting.

If you have fond memories of home-made jam, or want to store the extra tomatoes from your garden, or would like to make a unique gift for a few close friends, check out Food in Jars. With its variety of treats, you’re sure to find something you want to try (even if you hate pickled beets).

Reviewed by Fran (staff)

Have You Heard About... Eagle Brand Best-Loved Desserts

Fran J — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 06:10:25 +0000

… all of your favorite Eagle Brand recipes in one book? Eagle Brand Best-Loved Desserts has sections for classics, kids, quick and easy, gifts, and the basics. Seventy-one of the recipes that cooks have been clipping from newspapers, magazines and can labels are gathered in one delicious cookbook.

Remember 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars, Foolproof Fudge, Simple Fruit Smoothies, S’more Cookie Pizza, and Creamy Cinnamon Rolls? If you’ve never heard of any of these, it’s time to check out this book and give them a try. Very easy to make and very yummy to eat!

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... The Great American Cookbook

Fran J — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:50:19 +0000

… the cookbook that collects favorite foods from every state in the union? The Great American Cookbook by Clementine Paddleford has 500 time-tested recipes. Little stories throughout each state tell of how some of the recipes came to be. Ever hear of “Zimtsterne,” commonly known as Cinnamon Stars or Potato Kugel? Both are favorites in Illinois. How does Schaum Torte , a Wisconsin favorite sound? Maine’s famous Lobster Stew or California Guacamole? Are you hungry yet?

This is a reprint of How America Eats, originally published in the 1960s. Some of these recipes are easy, and several are rather challenging. Even if you never make any of the recipes, looking through this book is well worth it.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Lobsters Scream when You Boil Them

Fran J — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:55:14 +0000

…the screaming lobsters? This food myth is debunked in Lobsters Scream when You Boil Them: And 100 Other Myths about Food and Cooking by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. Lobsters don’t have vocal cords. If you hear a whine, it’s their joints whistling. Food prepared at home is safer then food prepared at a restaurant. Not necessarily so. Restaurants have health inspectors. Eating candy causes acne. Think about this. Eating carrots helps your eyesight. Maybe. A gas stove is better than electric. This argument will go on forever.

Just because you’ve heard these things forever from your Mom, Grandma or the foodie guru on TV, doesn’t necessarily make them correct. With insightful info on the why’s and why not’s of 100 food myths, this book is presented in a funny and easy-to-read way. It has short headings so you can skim through the book fast or pick a favorite topic. Several recipes are also included.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... How to Boil Water

Fran J — Thu, 12 May 2011 06:17:14 +0000

… the Food Network’s great basic cookbook? If you are just learning to cook or want to learn how to cook more simply, How to Boil Water: Life beyond Takeout is the book for you. It really does teach you how to boil water! This book is a basic guide to cooking. It has how-to hints and tips worded in an easy-to-understand way (no big, fancy words). Photos guide you along in how to prepare comfort foods.

Learn how to make easy potato salad, cut up meat or a whole chicken, make a fried egg without flipping it – this was one of my favorites – and much more. I thought this book was really informative and very helpful.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)