A chill wind blows on this November evening, or so one would expect. Oddly, we seem to be celebrating a very late Indian Summer and it was unseasonably warm all day. Nevertheless, the Literate Epicures of Newtown were busy in their kitchens, baking, sautéing, simmering and freezing their offerings for the meeting later that night. Yes, I did say “freezing” since one of our intrepid chefs chose to bring a cocktail from the most recent book – Long Nights and Log Fires, Warming comfort food for family and friends.

Party girl Colleen chose the Vodka Cranberry Floaters to start the meeting with a bang. These are wonderfully festive with the bright red cranberry juice and the blueberries bouncing merrily in the glass. An interesting twist was that she froze the blueberries in cranberry juice in ice trays to add to the visual interest and so the punch retains its punch. Fun and festive, this should be a staple for every holiday party.

Toni continued the red theme with the Roasted Tomato Soup, which was a wonderfully rich soup, far superior to anything store bought. This has an interesting beginning, with the tomatoes, onions and garlic tossed with olive oil, salt and a bit of sugar and slow roasted at 325 for 1 ½ hours.  The veggies are transformed into tender sweet yumminess and then blended with additional vegetable stock to create a wonderfully intriguing combination of flavors. This tasted much more complex than the ingredients would indicate.

Brenda made the Baked Mushrooms with Manchego Béchamel. She was concerned that there might be a misprint on the butter, so she did increase it from the original recipe, and decided to leave out the cheese. She used button mushrooms, but allowed that any mushroom would work well in this recipe.  It really did take only about 20 minutes to bake, which allows plenty of time to mix up the fennel salad.  The fennel  was tossed with a very simple oil and lemon dressing and was the perfect crunchy foil for the sinfully rich mushrooms.

Margy made the Chicken, Leek and Tarragon Pot Pie and everyone was thankful that she did. Pot Pies can be wonderful creamy rich and homey or they can be absolutely awful. Fortunately, this was the former.  Margy used chicken thighs, removing the fat at the end, which added  richness and created a terrific combination of flavors.  The tarragon complimented the chicken and creamy sauce to perfection.  The leeks added a subtle onion flavor that is incomparable. Leeks are a milder cousin of the onion and are often the perfect ingredient when onion might be too assertive.  As she ran out of leeks, she added a little fennel which was a great chef moment.  The recipe states that the crust is easy to make, but the refrigerated dough in a roll was perfectly fine.

Marianne selected the Red Curry of Roasted Vegetables. She reports that this is a super easy recipe and she was able to double it so the family could eat and there were leftovers! Carrots, potatoes, pumpkin and parsnip are roasted to bring out the natural sweetness and then added to the savory soup base of coconut milk, red curry paste, Thai fish sauce and stock.  Over jasmine rice, this is a must make for the winter!

Mushrooms with Raisins and Apple Cider Vinegar were the next to be tasted, and they were wonderful. Julie put her organic spin on the recipe and everyone really liked the result. Rather than the shallots, Julie substituted in chopped Vidalia onion since she thought the sweetness would complement the dish. The recipe also calls for “runny honey” (which sent the author scrambling to google, I had never heard that term before) and discovered that it seems to be the kind of honey that will run off a spoon rather than a crystallized or creamed honey which is much thicker. Julie subbed organic raw honey and it worked perfectly.  Who knew that raisins would work so well with mushrooms?  Along with the cider vinegar and honey, the dish is finished with hot pepper flakes which added an unexpected spicy note that perfectly complemented the sweet and sour flavors.

Debbie brought the Thai Chicken Curry and was very happy to discover that it is the perfect recipe to use up any leftover veggies you might have lounging around. She did mention that roasting root veggies would work really well in this, too. The first time she made it she used low fat coconut milk and though it was good, making it a second time using full fat coconut milk really was an improvement. Also, rather than using Kaffir Lime paste, she used the whole leaves in the pot and pulled them out when serving. It came together quickly and had all the robust Thai flavors one could ask for – a definite winner!

There were two dessert offerings this night – the first was Gerry’s Cranberry Cherry Florentines. Sun dried cherries and cranberries are combined with bittersweet chocolate in a delectable cookie that is a symphony of flavors in each bite. They took a little longer to bake than the recipe indicated and she was hard pressed to squeeze 20 of them from the recipe, she mentioned she might make them a little larger next time. Rich and not overly sweet, this is a perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

The second dessert was the Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake, a recommended alternative to the Pear and Ginger Crumble Cake. This was a strange batter since there was no salt and the consistency was unusual.  However, it turned out light and moist.  She was concerned about the crumb topping as it seemed a little soft, so, she refrigerated it for a more crumbly consistency.  After baking the cake, she realized she forgot the topping in the frig…oops!  She toasted separately on parchment paper and sprinkled over the cake.  If you are looking for a light, delicious dessert this is a great choice.

The next meeting is December 13 and will highlight recipes that have been contributed by our members and the staff of the Newtown Bookshop. Please be sure to email a copy of any recipe you would like included to Marianne (chopp_alt@yahoo.com) or to me (alexacooks4u@gmail.com) to make sure it is included in our cookbook. We will be cooking our own recipes on that night and sharing and stories or anecdotes that make them special for us, our families and friends. This promises to be a night that will touch your heart and your taste buds. In January, we are looking forward to celebrating Lidia Bastianich with her most recent book, LIDIA’S  ITALY  IN AMERICA and the other selection is TIME FOR DINNER from Cookie Chef’s Pilar Guzman, Jenny Rosenstrach,  Alanna Stang.   The staff of the Newtown Bookshop and I wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and here’s hoping your table is overflowing with delicious food and your heart is bursting with love and happiness.

October 2011

Boo!

Yes, it is October and the Literate Epicures of Newtown have gathered on a crisp autumn evening. Fortunately, it was toasty and warm in the Newtown Bookshop, and there was fun and food to be shared. We had a great turnout – I would like to thank everyone in advance for making this our largest gathering to date and I am looking forward to meeting even more friends next month. We chose Mad Hungry Cooking for Men and Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn and everyone found something delicious to make even if they weren’t cooking for a houseful of guys.

We began with Brenda’s Cold Sesame Noodles. She used Tahini, which should be readily available at most grocery stores and mixed up the tasty sauce for the noodles. The recipe called for linguini, which we found interesting, most of us had only had this dish with narrow noodles. Needless to say, this is a dish we have all had many versions of and there are a ton of recipes out there, some are more successful than others. Despite following the recipe to a tee, and even adding a little extra water when it seemed a little dry, this was one recipe that would have benefitted from adjusting the proportion of noodles to dressing. We all agreed the flavor was good, but it seemed a little dry.

Next up was the Spanish Frittata. Janet had a left over baked potato which was perfect for the recipe. As frittatas go, and as with a quiche, a lot of the flavor comes from the “add-ins”. This was a great recipe and a super canvas for adding all sorts of wonderful ingredients that have character. Bacon, cheese and fresh herbs all would have been welcome. As it was, it was very tasty, but the flavors were so subtle it was almost too plain. The method is foolproof so it is perfect for a brunch, lunch or snack but be sure to use your imagination to add some interesting ingredients to bump it up a notch.

Marianne made the Spinach Feta Pocket Pies. This was an ambitious undertaking since it required not only making the filling, she also had to make the pastry. She got the pastry together and chilled it overnight as the recipe suggests, then the next day put together the filling. The spinach feta mixture reminded me of Spanikopita and is wonderfully tasty. If you don’t have time to put the pastry together, this would be a great filling for an omelet or mix a cup into the Frittata egg mixture! Rolling out pastry dough can be challenging, but this is a nice dough that is pretty easy to work with. Once she got the pocket pies together, she realized she had quite a bit of dough left over so she ended up making more pocket pies with apple and cinnamon filling. Talk about a fantastic recipe that lends itself to lots of uses, this is one that everyone should have whenever a dough is needed.

Margie made a couple of dishes. The Cornbread is really good and spicy and we loved that it was studded with whole corn kernels and bits of jalapeno. It makes it very pretty as well as super tasty. Everyone really liked it and she said it was easy to put together. This might be the perfect side for a bowl of chili, and now that the weather has cooled, this could become a staple on a lot of tables. She also made a Brown Rice and Chicken with Napa Cabbage that I think came from Lucinda’s Blog. It was really interesting in that the chicken was poached in a soy sauce mixture. This let all those yummy flavors permeate the chicken and gave it the lovely mahogany color. It was tossed with shredded Napa and brown rice to make a really nice fresh tasting dish that everyone loved.

Debbie made the Pork with Won Ton Noodles that also came from the Mad Hungry Blog. This was an ingenious use of Won Ton wrappers – cutting them into ribbons and dropping them into the sauce to cook. Won Ton wrappers are found in the refrigerator section in the produce department of most grocery stores, and are extraordinarily useful for many different types of dish. Members offered ideas for their use from Ravioli to dessert cups. She also ad-libbed a little celery and again, everyone agreed the added crunch and flavor were really great. Debbie did mention that she would probably make it using ground turkey or chicken in the future to cut down on the fat content. Very tasty and worth seeking out.

Gerri made the New Orleans Red Beans. She thought they may have turned out too watery, but we all agreed they were fantastic. This is definitely a plan ahead dish since the beans require soaking, and several hours to cook, but the combination of flavors was really good. It starts with the usual elements of onion, celery and green pepper, but is soon elevated to sublime when the garlic, ham bone, herbs and hot sauce are added. Definitely one to make again, maybe cut back on the water a bit?

Toni brought the Spanish Rice. This is home cooked comfort food at its finest. She opted to leave out the ground beef and add crumbled bacon at the end which was a nice twist on the usual. I think everyone remembered a version of this dish from childhood, and if you haven’t made it in a while (or ever) then you need to bring it back to the top. This is the culinary equivalent of a hug. It just makes you feel good and it is a delicious well rounded meal.

I brought the New Orleans Style String Beans and they were killer. I had to sneak them out of the house before my family ate the entire dish, so you know I will be making them again and often.  If it wasn’t enough that they were sautéed in olive oil with garlic, then the seasoning mix of Cajun seasoning and honey was added to glaze the beans and, brace yourself for this one, they are finished with a flambé of cognac. They can be served hot or room temp and if you put these on the table for Thanksgiving, no one will ask where the green bean casserole with mushroom soup is – they are that good!

There was a wealth of desserts to pick from and each one was tastier than the next. Lisa made the Pumpkin Flan and it was truly “flantastic”. Velvety smooth and wonderfully rich with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to compliment the custardy pumpkin, this is definitely a “flantastic” way to end a meal. She found it interesting that the sugar was caramelized in the pan in the oven, a method most of us had never heard of, and mentioned it took much longer for the sugar to melt than is indicated in the recipe. Plan accordingly, because the end result is absolutely worth the time!

Leslie made Dolly’s Chocolate Cake for us to try. She really had no choice since she shared that her husbands nickname for her is Dolly – well it was a perfect selection. She made a lot of substitutions on the recipe and they all worked. Who knew you could use Greek yogurt and Earth Balance instead of buttermilk and butter and that soy creamer would work in place of heavy cream? She even took it over the top by adding amaretto for part of the liquid. Everyone who tried it liked it a lot.

 (no photo - my camera ate it)

Colleen made the Busy Day Chocolate Cake. We all agreed that one can never have too much chocolate and this recipe is fast and easy everyone should always have all the ingredients on hand. Bonus – you mix the ingredients right in the pan! What is not to love about that!? Just think – fresh homemade vegetarian/vegan friendly chocolate cake with all natural ingredients in the same time it would take to open one of those box things! Love love love it.

Liza brought the Crisp Chocolate Toffee Bars and we were all very thankful she did. These are not your back-of-the-bag chocolate chip cookies. If the back-of-the-bag ones went to a Swiss finishing school they might approach the level of these bar cookies. Crisp, buttery, and very grown up we agreed that the hint of salt that makes the toffee sing is the perfect complement to the chocolate chunks that were sprinkled through these cookies. These are so good, even if you have a bite without a chocolate chip, you don’t even miss it.

Over all we all really liked that there weren’t any exotic ingredients that were hard to find, the recipes are straight forward, have a broad appeal and are not difficult. The only negative comment that came up over and over again was, “The photography is so disappointing! I made this dish and it looks MUCH better than the one in the book.” Buy the book – skip the pictures.

Septemper 2011

Tuesday night and the Newtown Bookshop unveils the new event room that Christine has graciously provided for us! It is the September meeting of the Literate Epicures of Newtown and the group is happily placing serving dishes laden with delicious smelling goodies on the table. Cooking in mid-September allows for the lingering summer veggies to still shine and the first cool nights inspire ideas of autumn dishes and there was a nice representation of each. We had two different cookbooks to choose from, Kitchen Simple by James Peterson and Clean Start by Terry Walters.

We begin the evening with a lovely appetizer of Radish Toast from Kitchen Simple. Collen summed it up nicely by saying “Butter and salt is the best combination EVER!”. She was a guest at a recent dinner party where the hostess had served great bread topped with fresh butter and caviar, and decided the radish butter salt combination might be ever so slightly reminiscent of that great starter. This is a very simple combination that packs a lot of flavor and textural excitement in each bite and should be on the list of every busy hostess for the upcoming holiday season.

Lisa made the Fresh Corn Soup from Kitchen Simple. She made it after work and was pleased that it was truly “simple”. There was a concern that the corn took a lot longer than the recipe suggested, and it is a chunky soup rather than smooth, but the flavor was excellent and everyone agreed that it should be in the repertoire of any busy cook. Overall, the book seemed a little too easy and the recipes a little too basic.

Toni had made the Jicama Salad from Clean Start earlier in the week and didn’t care for it at all, so she made a last minute switch to the Minted Cucumber Salad and we were all very happy she did. It was light and refreshing and we all thought it would be a great addition to a summer picnic since it seemed like it would hold up well. Overall, Toni wasn’t impressed with the book, but thought there were some good ideas.

Brenda made the Tarragon Chicken Salad from Kitchen Simple. The dish was very nice, and everyone really enjoyed it. We all thought that it was a perfect recipe for a luncheon and would be really delicious on a croissant. Again, Brenda agreed with the other participants, this cookbook is meant for a raw beginner. Many of the recipes are just too simple for someone who has even basic skills in the kitchen, but for anyone who has never cooked before it is a great starting point.

Your truly was inspired by the cover photo and decided to make the Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas. This was a huge hit at my house before I left for the meeting, and the attendees agreed that the dish is a winner. It came together very quickly after work and a few very simple ingredients came together into a fantastic dish. This is definitely going to be on my list for quick meals when the schedule is tight, or when last minute guests drop by and I need something simple that has just a little “wow” factor.

Julie made the Deep Dish Green and Vegetables with Polenta Crust from Clean Start. Julie likes that the book is divided into seasons to make the most of what is currently available at the market. This particular recipe was a little more involved than what she usually makes, several of the veggies sautéed for different times and required several pans going at once. There were two topping options, she chose the polenta topping this time. It was really nice, almost a cornbread like topping that one might find on a pot pie, the alternative choice was a millet topping. We all really liked it, but Julie felt it would benefit from a slightly sharper note or a little heat.

Speaking of millet…. Marianne made the Herb Infused Millet from Clean Start. She chose the recipe because she had never cooked with millet before and thought it would be a fun culinary adventure. Specialized archaeologists called palaeoethnobotanists have identified storage pits along with remains of pit-houses, pottery, and stone tools related to millet cultivation dating back to around 8300–6700 BC, so millet is truly an old world grain. She served it “al dente” and the slight crunchiness was really good with all the great veggie ingredients in the dish. She also had to go on a search for Mirin, but really liked the flavor and is looking forward to finding new ways to incorporate it into more recipes.

We ended the evening with the Blueberry Breakfast Cakes from Kitchen Simple. They may have been intended for breakfast, but they made a great sweet ending to a really fun evening! They came together very quickly, only about 30 minutes from start to serving and had a great flavor and texture. The texture was compared to panna cotta, they are not the traditional crumb-y type of cake. They were definitely a winner and she will definitely make them again.

Over all the thought on Kitchen Simple was that it was too simple. However, everyone said they really enjoyed the dishes they tasted and will definitely make them all again. “It is a great 6:30 weekday book.” and any busy parent who is running kids to and from practice after school and work will definitely appreciate the inspiration this book offers.

Clean Start is a great reference for stocking your pantry to be able to make a variety of well rounded healthy dishes. The ingredients used are not expensive, but you may have to look further than your local grocery to find them. This is a thoughtful book that is great when you are trying to incorporate some interesting and healthy dishes into your regular menu.

The next meeting is Tuesday, October 11, 2011 and we will be focusing on Mad Hungry, Deefind Men & Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn

August 2011

August. The dog days of summer. Lazy days turn into lazier evenings, unless you are a Literate Epicure and it is the second Tuesday of the month. There must have been a frenzy of activity in several Newtown kitchens, and the delicious results were graciously presented at our monthly meeting. This month we explored Dorie Greenspan’s AROUND MY FRENCH TABLE and we were so impressed with the number of wonderful recipes and stories, we decided that we need to revisit this cookbook this winter. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and despite the overwhelming number of available cookbooks on the market, we thought this one deserves another go around in wintery months when stews and soups will reign.

First up on the menu was Charissa’s Gorgonzola and Apple Quiche. Charissa admitted it was her first time making tart dough and though she had read the warning about stretching the tart dough when putting it in the pan. She felt there was still some shrinkage, and it may require a few more tries to be comfortable with the process. She loves that this book presents French food done simply and has made several recipes from the book that were all wonderful. Highly recommended!

Brenda chose the Profiteroles aka Cream Puffs and made two different fillings, one as an appetizer and one as a dessert. We love that the recipe is so flexible and that Dorie has many options for fillings available in the cookbook. The appetizer filling was Goat Cheese – she mixed it with a little cream cheese and fresh chives. She thought it was a little too close to plain cream cheese, but everyone else thought the goat cheese was present and tasted lovely, especially since the fresh chives were a great complement.

Julie made the Corn Pancakes and she was pleasantly surprised that only 3 ingredients came together so nicely. Canned corn, white flour and eggs were pantry items on hand, and the recipe allowed that canned creamed corn could be used also. The recipe mentions that they should be done in a black iron pan, but Julie thought a regular sauté pan or griddle would be just as successful. The end result was very tasty though not complicated, so she made a lovely little green dipping sauce to go with them.

Christine gets the over-achiever award for the night. She and her daughter made Girard’s Mustard Tart, Potato Chip Tortilla, Strawberry Mozzarella Salad and Vanilla Salad. The Strawberry salad was very pretty with the creamy white mozzarella and the bright red bursting with flavor berries. It was really good and since it is so mild, it would probably appeal to kids as well as adults. The Vanilla Salad was a lovely surprise of flavors. Spring greens, with ribbon cut carrots and squash were topped with a vanilla vinaigrette. The balance of dressing to ingredients was perfect and the vanilla was a beautiful note that made the whole salad sing. This is one everyone should try – such a simple twist created a fantastic result. Girard’s Mustard Tart was heavenly. She was a little concerned that it may have gotten a little dark in the oven, but the gorgeous arrangement of the veggies made an interesting design and the flavors were amazing, so no one even noticed. This was another one that got rave reviews and everyone really enjoyed the mustardy flavors. Her final dish was the Potato Chip Tortilla. This is an interesting twist on a Spanish Tortilla that uses bagged potato chips form the grocery! The results were fantastic and definitely on that I am going to try soon.

Janet made the Caulifower Gratin which everyone absolutely loved. She mentioned that she had a little difficulty getting the lumps out of the flour when it was mixed with the beaten eggs. Maybe sift the flour over the eggs or use a blender for this step? Working on those little lumps gave her ample opportunity to cook the bacon “just right”. It has to be just shy of crispy so the additional baking time doesn’t overcook the bacon, but you don’t want it wiggly either, it would remain wiggly in the final product. This also required a lot of bowls and pans since everything is at least partially cooked separately and then combined into the casserole for final baking. The flavors of the gruyere, cauliflower and nutmeg were really good and the final result was not nearly as heavy as one might imagine when reading the recipe.

I made the Chicken Diable for dinner for my family and reserved part of the recipe to share with the group. My family absolutely loved the creamy mustard sauce over the simply sautéed chicken breasts as did the tasters at cookbook club. Both grainy country style and smooth Dijon were used (the recipe calls for either, but since I had both on hand, I decided to use both) and the resulting sauce was absolutely sublime. The majority of the prep time was spent pounding the chicken breasts into thin medallions, but once they were done the sautéing and sauce came together very quickly which was a boon for an after work dinner. I opted for wide egg noodles, but this could have been served with any number of side dishes to sop up that lovely sauce.

 

Debbie & Allison made another version of the Profiteroles. They opted for a very tasty almond filling, and topped each puff with chocolate and sliced almonds. They were concerned that they didn’t have a better description of how to tell when they were done and felt the end result may have been a little “eggy”. Everyone who tasted them thought they were delicious, and the almonds added great flavor and texture.

Finally, Brenda’s other cream puff filling was Dorie’s Vanilla Pastry Cream. We all loved the light vanilla creamy filling and thought it was a very creative way to spin those original appetizer profiteroles into dessert. She mentioned that she had never made Pastry Cream before and was pleased to discover that it is very close to making homemade pudding. A little egg, cornstarch and vanilla in a double boiler, a lot of stirring and voila – pastry cream! She also really loved the cookbook and loved that there are so many easy recipes that have great results.

Everyone agreed that this cookbook has very approachable recipes and great pictures. It is perfectly appropriate for anyone from a beginner cook to the more kitchen savvy and has entertaining cross cultural references that make it a great read when you aren’t in the kitchen.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday September  20 and once again we have chosen two different cookbooks – CLEAN START by Terry Walters and KITCHEN SIMPLE by James Peterson. Please check your email, call the bookstore or look for our event on Facebook for more information. Hope to see you!

July 2011

Brevity is the word for July! I was not able to attend the meeting of the Literate Epicures of Newtown,  so I am sharing a brief description of each dish from the notes shared by the tasters.

Toni S made the Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Salad – a recipe I have had my eye on since I bought the SoBe Wine & Food Festival cookbook a month ago – looks lovely and was very simple to make. This is one to showcase the perfectly ripe avocados, so plan in advance if they are on the firm side. “Lovely spiral presentation” and “Yummy” were the tasters comments. She also liked that it was simple and had readily available ingredients.

Margie T made the Pickled Cucumber Salad. Thinly sliced and done with Splenda instead of sugar and just a hint of sesame oil to finish the dish. It was very tasty and a great compliment to the Sea Bass.

Miso Glazed Sea Bass with Soy Reduction and Pickled cucumbers. This one takes planning! 48 hours of marinating and some expensive ingredients. Debbie W opted to substitute salmon for part of the Sea Bass (which was very pricey) and it was a great idea. She also recommended putting the soy reduction in a squeeze bottle for ease of presentation.

Christine G and her daughter Michaela made the Bruschetta of Lemon Ricotta and Berry Marmalade. This looks amazing and the tasters commented that the lemon zest really elevated the whole dish and gave it a bright note. Kid friendly and a definite keeper!

Marianne & Ellen A chose the Watermelon Sorbet. It was lovely and light and came together easily. This is one that you could also sub any juicy fresh fruit (grenadine optional) and have a lovely summer dessert.

Overall, everyone liked that this was a collaboration of many chef contributions and stories. Despite there being several “kid friendly” recipes, some of the recipes had unheard of ingredients and very challenging directions. As a whole this one would appeal to a wide audience.

As of right now, there is an August 9^th meeting planned, but due to many people traveling it may be postponed until September. Keep checking back and call the Newtown Bookshop 215-968-2400 if you have questions! Whenever we have the next meeting, we will be using Dorie Greenspans’ Around My French Table.

June 2011

June 2011

Tuesday evening and the Newtown Bookshop is bustling.

 The Bookshop is hosting the monthly meeting of the Literate Epicures of Newtown and we have come out to share our culinary efforts and talk about one of our favorite topics – FOOD!  This is a monthly gathering that is open to anyone who is interested in reading, cooking and sharing kitchen ideas, and though we have several regulars, we love to see new faces too. Our hosts at the Newtown Bookshop are very generous in offering a 20% discount to all participants, and everyone finds a book or two to pick up on a cookbook club night. As we assemble in the cookbook corner (where else would we be?) several tables are ready to showcase the delicious offerings of our diverse group. Each month we select a cookbook or two, and the participants each choose a recipe from the selection(s) to make and share with the group along with opinions on whether they liked the recipe and how it was written and if they would recommend the cookbook to others. We have a different volunteer coordinator each month who keeps a running list of the recipes that have been claimed and a count of the attendees and that person is asked to lead the discussion.

As the dishes arrive and little card tents are filled out with the name of the recipe, several participants gather off to the side for a drink. Wine, water and juice are offered and several of us start the night with a quick toast. The books chosen for June are Harvest to Heat Cooking with Americas Best Chefs, Farmers and Artisans and Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook by Rachael Ray.  Everyone grabs a plate and the dishes are served.  Our fearless leader for the meeting was Marianne A and she kicked off the festivities and kept the meeting rolling right along.

Marianne made the Herbed Gougère from Harvest to Heat. She chose Manchego for the cheese and though she couldn’t find Spanish Pimentón, we all agreed that the smoked paprika she substituted was excellent. She felt it was a little pricey to use such expensive ingredients, but the results were delicious and absolutely worth it to have a great end result.

The second to comment is Charissa S who made Sundried Tomato and Feta Dip from Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook . Her thoughts were that is was very simple to pull together, though the ingredients were expensive for a RR dish. We all agreed that it was very tasty and several people commented that the Terra Chips recommended in the book were a great suggestion. She did mention that comparing this book to some of the other resources, she would prefer the magazine or some of the other RR books available.

Next to offer a dish was Tina  S who made the Beet and Chèvre Salad from Harvest to Heat. Everyone agreed that it is a beautiful presentation and it was delicious, but Tina felt it was a lot of effort for the result. One particular challenge was that the olive tapenade kept falling off the croutons. She suggested that it might be better to just sprinkle the tapenade over the salad as a topping and we agreed that it sounded like a good idea.

Sharon P made Sesame Noodles from the Rachael Ray cookbook.  Though she had never made a RR version, she has made several variations of Sesame Noodles recipes in the past. Her thoughts were the recipe was not saucy enough and the end result was a little bland. The group agreed, and as we discussed the recipe compared to some others, we all agreed that this was one to skip.

The next one up was yours truly who made the Savory Bread Pudding with Cheese and Bacon and Tomato Jam from Harvest to Heat. I admitted that the recipe sounded so delicious I gave it a trial run a couple of weeks before the meeting, and was I ever glad I did! The jam was good, but I felt it might be a little flat so I ad libbed a little fresh ginger into the mix. The first attempt at the bread pudding was a disaster! The liquid to bread ratio was really off and I ended up, even after baking, with a loose gruel mess that had a toasty cheese shell. Also, the fresh farmers cheese was not nearly flavorful enough to stand up in this dish. When I made the recipe for cookbook club, I cut way back on the liquid and substituted a combination of cheddar and gruyere which worked really well with the smoky bacon and tomato jam. Overall, I really liked the Harvest to Heat cookbook, but I would not recommend it for a novice cook.

Sharon J made the Bacon and Egg Mini Quiche from the Rachael Ray cookbook. Her first comment to the group was “I don’t like to cook but I can read and make a basic recipe”.  We all agreed that these were a great easy option and far better than the frozen pre-fab ones. Sharon had reserved a few of the little quiches and served them for breakfast the next morning to her most discriminating audience and her kids loved them! She also liked that they were made from fresh ingredients.  She said she would definitely make them again as a lunch or brunch option and loved that the recipe was kid and grown-up friendly.

We also had Asparagus and Country Ham Bundles from . She was careful to select a seasonal recipe and since the asparagus had been beautiful that week, it fit the bill. She searched a few places and could not find a true “country ham” so she opted for a Virginia ham from the deli counter, which was a great substitution. It was a lovely presentation and the flavors were fantastic. The citrus dressing was really nice on the ham and asparagus and brought a bright note that really pulled the entire dish together. She did mention there were a lot of steps, but the end result was absolutely worth the effort!

There were two dessert offerings on this night, both were delicious, and both were from the Rachael Ray book. We had a lovely Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd from Janet A. She thought that is was a great result from all store bought ingredients. The purchased Angel Food cake with a jar of purchased lemon curd that was warmed in the microwave was one of the simplest things she has ever made and when she sliced a few fresh strawberries on for color and flavor the result was spectacular.  Debbie W made the White Chocolate Fudge from Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook and thought it was very easy, very pretty and quite tasty. She mentioned she ad libbed quite a bit with adding the coconut and making a few other substitutions with the nuts and dried fruit, but it is a very forgiving recipe that allows for creativity. She did suggest that it would be excellent at Christmas time made with starlight mints or candy canes.

It was a terrific gathering with lovely people who are very passionate about food and we are all looking forward to the July meeting. Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook: Recipes and Behind-the-Scenes Stories from America's Hottest Chefs by Lee Brian Schrager with Julie Mautner - Foreword by Anthony Bourdain. This month we are cooking with kids!  Find a kid, pick a recipe, prepare it together and both of you bring it to the July meeting.  We'll be one big, fun group at The Newtown Bookshop.  215.968.2400.