Cookbook Review: Chop-Chop: The Kids' Guide to Cooking Real Food With Your Family by Sally Sampson

Book: Chop-Chop: The Kids' Guide to Cooking Real Food With Your Family
 
Author: Sally Sampson
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): August 13, 2013

Synopsis: A collection of healthy, kid friendly recipes so easy that the kids can partake in the preparation. 
 
My rating: 3.5/5 Stars
 
My opinion: This was a pretty cool kid's cookbook although I think it would be more user friendly to the older "kid chef". I did thing that some of the recipes could be iffy for most kids. There were a couple that, if I had tried to give them to my child, he would have looked at me like I had 5 heads. I loved the better chunk of the recipes for myself though.

One criticism...the book was incredibly busy. I would have like to have seen a cleaner layout. 
 

Source: Review for Simon and Schuster

   

Would I recommend? : Yes, maybe take a look at the sample at a library or a brick and mortar store first.
 
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Cookbook Review: Emeril's Cooking with Power: 100 Delicious Recipes Starring Your Slow Cooker, Multi Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Deep Fryer by Emeril Lagasse

Book: Emeril's Cooking with Power: 100 Delicious Recipes Starring Your Slow Cooker, Multi Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Deep Fryer


Author: Emeril Lagassi
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): October 13, 2013

Synopsis: Emeril's latest cookbook focuses on utilizing a slowcooker, multicooker, a pressure cooker and a deep fryer.
  
Some recipes making me drool are:

Cuban Style Slow Cooked Black Beans (slow cooker)
Columbian Chicken, Corn and Potato Stew (slow cooker)
Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole (slow cooker)
Pot Roast Dianne (Slow Cooker)
Slow Cooked BBQ Back Ribs (Slow Cooker)
Emeril's Kicked-up Cream Spinach (Multipurpose Cooker)
Steam Mussels with Fennel and Hot Italian Sausage (Multipurpose Cooker)
and many more!  
 
My rating: 5 Stars, Baby!!

My opinion: this book was AMAZING and was immediately added to my Amazon cart! The recipes were totally unique, yet with some attention to detail should be simple enough to prepare even for the most novice home chef. Ingredients all looked like they should be easy to purchase.

Now I must admit that I have a fear of pressure cookers, but this might need to be a fear that I overcome because the pressure cooker recipes looked SCRUMPTIOUS! 

A point of criticism cuz that is who I am and no book is perfect: Although recipes included pictures of completed dishes. I might have liked to see some of them, due to increased difficulty in prep, include pictures of various steps of prep, but it wasn't enough to decrease my rating.
 
Source: William Morrow Cookbooks through Edelweiss
        
Would I recommend? : Hellz to the Yeah! BTW...this will be my first Emeril cookbook. If this is the caliber, I will be checking out previous ones.
 
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Chilies Rellenos Breakfast Casserole

Source: Cast Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly

Several months ago, I had the chance to review an awesome new cookbook called Cast Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly. I loved this cookbook. It was awesome. I finally received my purchased copy and am now getting the time to try out the recipes. I originally gave this book five stars for the look of the recipes and layout of the book. It is now getting 5 stars for the quality of the recipes.

This recipe was in the breakfast section, but I did it as a breakfast for dinner. It was just the right kind of spicy and incredibly simple. I did some additions with some additional chilies. I also offered salsa verde and sour cream to top it with. We ate an entire pan of this stuff within 12 hours.

In doing it for breakfast for dinner, I partnered with Mexican rice and a Jalapeno Corn recipe which I will be posting on The Pub and Grub. Want to do it for breakfast, partner with some fried potatoes with jalapenos and onions.

So, here we go.:

Ingredients

6 eggs beaten
24 oz cottage cheese
2 cans chopped green chilies
3/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers (use a food processor)
3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) In a large bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, 1 can green chilies, Ritz crackers and 1 cup of the cheese.

3) Pour into a 10 inch cast iron skillet sprayed with non-stick spray and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

4) Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese and second can of chilies. Bake for another 10 minutes.

5) Serve with garnishes, if desired.

Agua Fresca

This drink even looks refreshing!

This is a refreshing non-alcoholic drink that will be one that I keep on my recipe roster during the hot months.   It is a simple one too. Water, fresh lime juice, strained fruit and sugar...what could be easier! It does have the ability to be served with a shot of tequila if so desired. I tried it both ways and must admit that I preferred it without the alcohol.

Don't like cantaloupe? This drink can be made with pineapple or watermelon. I even came across a recipe using strawberries, but felt that it could be a bit rough with the straining because of the seeds. Don't mind that? Give it a try. I would love to hear what you think!

So, here we go!:

Ingredients:

4 cups cut up fresh watermelon, pineapple or cantaloupe
3 T. sugar
2 cups water, divided
1 fresh lime, juiced

Directions:

1) Place fruit, sugar, 1 cup water and lime juice in a blender. Blend until broken down.

2) Pour through a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth (which will be more difficult) to separate from the fruit pulp.

3) Pour back into the blender and add 1 cup water. Blend until smooth

Tequila Sunset Pomegranate Punch

The Pub and Grub has drink recipes featured every Wednesday on author Bette Lee Crosby's Words, Wit and Wisdom. This feature allows me to present not only some classic favorites, but some Naomi Blackburn originals too. One of the things that I love most about this guest post is that it allows me to be creative with drink themes. For May, it was, of course, Cinco de Mayo with a nice selection of tequila based drinks. I had tried a drink I had come across in a cookbook that I found to be absolutely disgusting, but it has a nice base of tequila and orange juice. I took off from there and voila....The Tequila Sunset Pomegranate Punch was conceived.

The big thing with this drink is that the pomegranate juice is added AFTER the drink is poured into its glass. It will sink to the bottom but is BEAUTIFUL as it is doing it.

It has a citrus flair with the hint of pomegranate. If desired, it can be served with a straw to bring up more of the pomegranate taste. I didn't see this as a necessity though. 

12 servings

So, here we go!:

Ingredients:

1 qt orange juice (packaged or fresh squeezed)

12 oz BLANCO tequila

1/2 cup lime juice (FRESH SQUEEZED)

1/3 triple sec

2 cans (12 oz) lemon lime soda, very well chilled

12 oz pomegranate juice (poured as a 1 oz topper on each drink)

Directions:

1) In a large pitcher, pour in first 4 ingredients and allow to chill well.

2) Close to serving time, add the lemon lime soda

3) Pour into glasses filled with ice.

4) Top with the 1 oz pomegranate juice on each of the drinks. Serve with a straw and garnish with orange and lime slices, if desired. 

Cookbook Review~Ice Cream Sandwiches: 50 Recipes for Incredibly Cool Treats

Book: Ice Cream Sandwiches: 65 Recipes for Incredibly Cool Treats
 
Author: Donna Egan
 
Narrator (if applicable): n/a

Release date (if applicable): June 4, 2013

Synopsis: A collection of ice cream sandwich recipes. Some I considered to be pretty standard with a few that were unusual. All seemed kind of simple to prepare. 
 
My rating: 2 Stars
 
My opinion: I wasn't as impressed with this cookbook as I thought I would be. The recipes looked interesting, but they didn't wow me. Some were predictable combinations and some just really didn't either look pretty or photograph well. This might be good for a family with young children where appearance really doesn't matter, but I wouldn't use this in any form of entertainment cooking. 
 

Source: Netgalley for Ten Speed Press

        

Would I recommend? : Look at my note above
 
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Cookbook Review: The Soup and Bread Cookbook: Pairings for Simple Satisfying Meals by Beatrice Ojakangas

**Be sure to watch The Pub and Grub Forum for recipes from this cookbook!**

Book: The Soup and Bread Cookbook: Pairings for Simple Satisfying Meals
 
Author: Beatrice Ojakangas
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): October 8, 2013

Synopsis: A collection of unusual soup and bread recipes/pairings separated by the seasons. The bread recipes had a variety of difficulties from easy "batter" breads to more involved yeast breads. Sandwiches, cracker and fruit soup recipes were also present. This book is further supplemented with stunning pictures to accompany the recipes. Recipes ranged from simple to prepare to more involved recipes. 

SOME of my favorites:

Monkey Bread
Flowerpot Rolls
New Chive and Potato Soup
Bacon Parmesan Crackers
Mexican Style Cornbread 
Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cowboy Beer and Cheddar Bread
Almojabanas (Colombian Cheese Rolls)
Oatmeal Batter Bread
Green Cabbage and Hamburger Soup
Easy Cream of Tomato Soup (partnered with a killer lookin' grilled cheese sandwich)
Quick Yeast Buns 
Several Pretzel Recipes

My rating: 5 Stars
 
My opinion: What a beautiful cookbook this was. The book was loaded down with unusual, beautifully laid out and explained recipes for breads, soups and sandwiches that were divided into seasonal recipes. Now, I must admit that I did prefer the recipes for the sandwiches and breads over the soup recipes. Pictures of finished product were also plentiful. I think if I did have a criticism of the book, due to its difficulty, I would like to have seen more detailed breakdowns of working with yeast breads. 
 

Source:   Netgalley for Rogale Books

     

Would I recommend? : Yes and I have recommended it numerous times since reviewing it.
 
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Paris to Provence: Childhood Memories of Food and France by Ethel Brennan and Sara Remington

Book: Paris to Provence: Childhood Memories of Food and France
 
Author: Ethel Brennan
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: A collection of food recipes from France which are intermingled with stories from the author's childhood. 
 
My rating: 5 Stars
 
My opinion:  This cookbook was amazing. Between the author's stories of traveling France and the recipes, I was mesmerized. It made me want to head to Southern France and wine country even more! The pictures in the book of the French countryside really boosted that. Onto the recipes, the author offered a nice selection of recipe pictures. These recipes can be a bit more involved. The author also offered a nice selection of simple, elegant recipes as well.

Certain ingredients might be more difficult to obtain so be prepared for that issue. Although the author does state the ingredients can be purchased online.

As is my standard recommendation, due to the recipes and, particularly the cost of this book, a potential purchaser might want to view this cookbook from the library or a brick/mortar bookstore prior to purchasing. I can say that I enjoyed this book so much that even with the cost, it will more than likely be going in my Amazon shopping cart!

Be sure to keep and eye on The Pub and Grub Forum as I will be featuring recipes from this dynamic cookbook on here!
 

Source: Netgalley for Andrews McMeel Publishing 

       

Would I recommend? : Heck, yes! I might even be purchasing this one. 
 
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The New Wine Country Cookbook: Recipes from California's Central Coast by Brigit Binns

Book: The New Wine Country Cookbook: Recipes from California's Central Coast
 
Author: Brigit Binns
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): May 7, 2013

Synopsis: A collection of recipes from wineries from California's central coast. The  book also gives profiles of some of the wineries from that hoppin' region.
 
My rating: 4 Stars
 
My opinion: This was a beautiful book for its pictures of the Central California wine country. On the cookbook side of it, I wasn't as impressed from the "practicality" side of the book. I would qualify this as a book more for entertaining versus weekday or family meals. That is not to say that I wouldn't make these meals for my husband and I, but if I tried to throw children into the mix, I can't see it being successful. Personally, with food tastes, I thought too many of the recipes had a "fish component", particularly anchovies which were immediate passes on those recipes. This book is not for the novice chef as the better chunk of the recipes appeared pretty complicated. Furthermore, I would like to have seen more recipes of finished dishes. There were some included but not near enough for the complexity of the recipes.

I loved the wine pairing suggestions though, as well as the profiles of the central valley wineries. I must admit that this book made me want to head there even more than I do now. 
 

Source: Andrew McMeels Publishing through Netgalley

      

Would I recommend? : Yes
 
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