Waukegan Public Library - cooking

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)