A Basket of Apple Recipes

Apples are one of the most nutritious and tastiest fruits around. There are some man different kids, from the custardy fleshed Macintosh to the crisp Granny Smith with a dozen other varieties in between. There are also dozens of recipes, both savory and sweet that feature  them in a brand new cookbook.

How D'ya Like Them Apples? (Gibbs Smith Publishers) is the cheekily named new cookbook written , by Madge Baird, a seasoned food editor and cooking instructor. She has previously written about chicken and soup, and brings the same enthusiasm and good recipes to this apple-centric cookbook, Her many and varied ones are a great way of introducing and sneaking nutrition into everyday dishes, from stuffing to even chocolate chip cookies. There are chapters on salads and soups along with meat and poultry. The best one are on the pies and pastries, where the fruit shines along with one on cakes cobblers , breads and sweet treats.I have to admit I was a little bummed when there were no caramel or candy apple recipes but there are enough sweet ones to fill that gap. There is a section on interesting facts and helpful hints which will make working with apples easier.The fruit comes in 7,500 varieties worldwide while there's 2,500 varieties alone in just the US and Canada. She also suggest what kinds make for better baking such as those crunchy Granny Smith, Pink Lady Jonathan, Golden Delicious and their hybrid Jonagold. Then there is the question of peels or no peels.Ms. Baird points out there there a lot of antioxidants in the skin and the vitamin C is located right under them skin.

The recipes are wonderful and can take home chefs from the summer right into the winter. There is the snappy apple salad blending Granny Smith chunks with snap beans and almonds with a lemon and honey dressing,,Two unusual ones  are an apple , spinach and brown sausage link one and a potato salad laced with crisp red apples in a honey mustard dressing.Picnic lovers will enjoy the apple slaw, a marriage of the fruit with crisp green salad. The soups are homey , blending apples and apple juice with everything from squash to pimento. Apples always go well with pork and there are a few recipes that feature the happy pairing.There are dressed up pork medallions cooked with apple slices and sweet onions. Home chefs will love making the Sunday Dutch Oven pork that features pork chops, apples and potatoes spiked with a Southwestern or Mexican spice blend that has a kick of smoked paprika,The sides are great too, from the spinach-apple curry to the Parmesan roasted apple vegetable menu. Apples shine in dessert recipes especially pie and these do too. Apple lovers will love the rustic pie  that's in the shape of a gallette.and the yummy wonton apples pockets a la mode,a take on the classic fritter recipe.Kids will enjoy the apple spice cupcakes with vanilla frosting. Try the classic Apple Dutch Baby for brunch or make the applesauce chocolate chip cookies. Purists will love the recipes for apple butter and apple sauce. two classics that are a must in any kitchen pantry.

How D'Ya Like Them Apples is a joyous salute to all dishes apples. Apple lovers have to add this cookbook to their library and to experience the sweet and savory recipes. They are wonderful to make and delicious to eat.

The books comes out in August but you can preorder it and others on Amazon.

101 Things to do With Beer

101 More Things To Do With Bacon

Pumpkin It Up!

How D'ya Like Them Apples?

Your Ultimate Beer Cookbook

Beer is a summer must have.An icy cold one is the perfect foil for barbecued ribs or even a burger. It's even great for those late night gatherings with friends or neighbors.Imagine having it three times a day or better yet, in bread or in fudge. Thanks to a new cookbook beer lovers can.

Eliza Cross has given us a neat little cookbook,101 Things To Do With Beer (Gibbs Smith Publishing) for not just for summer barbecuing but for year round cooking.Beer is one of the most versatile ingredients because there are many types and each are perfect for everything from casseroles to desserts.The small cookbook (only 124 pages!) is  packed with some big recipes. The chapters include appetizers, breads,sauces and condiments, soups, dinners, side dishes, desserts and sweets.She also give definitions of the seven different beers used in the two pages of helpful hints.Pilsner cannot be used for dessert recipes because it's too light and bitter while stout is too rich and almost chocolate-y to be used in batters.Regular  beers is excellent in baking because the yeast in it acts as a leavening agent.It also makes an excellent marinade because its' enzymes have a tenderizing effect. Its' natural sugars help promote browning and carmelizing. Also beers don't have the acidity of wine so meats can be marinated up to forty-eight hours to absorb more flavor.Home chefs should use caution in adding beers to food that will be frozen since the alcohol in it can inhibit the freezing process.

The recipes are great. Party givers and party lovers will enjoy the easy beer cheese dip made with cream cheese and beer. Of course there are the beer battered recipes,  but with a new spin using cauliflower and jalapeno chips (!). There are the beer battered onion rings but spiced up with garlic and Parmesan. Home bakers will love baking loaves with it because the en product will be not only fluffier and moister but will stay fresher than regular loaves.They'll enjoy baking soft beer pretzels. There is also honey wheat beer bread and cornbread waffles. Beer is  even in German coffeecake and a glazed banana bread as well as in foccacia and scones. The dinners include the classic Welsh rarebit, that glorious mix of beer, cheddar and Worcestershire sauce along with the new classic beer can chicken. However beer lovers will delight in the spaghetti with beer braised meatballs and beef boiled  shrimp. Stout lovers will go mad for the beef stout pie. There are also recipes for sides such as buttered mushrooms with beer and refrigerator pickles made with it. Crafty home chefs can also whip up  spicy beer mustard or best beer turkey brine. along with the beer orange dressing. Stout beer, tastes the most like chocolate and it's in many dessert recipes There are chocolate glazed stout brownies and chocolate stout ice cream.. Other beers such as lager star in apple cinnamon beer batter crepes.along with cherry wheat beer in the appropriate cherry beery Bundt cake. For a fun movie night make a batch of chocolate stout fudge or beer caramel corn.

Beer is the perfect summertime drink. Yet it's even better , saucing up meatballs or giving depth to classic Welsh rarebit. Try the recipes in 101 Things To Do With Beer. They'll elevate the brew to another level.

THe book comes out in August but you can preorder it and others on Amazon.

101 Things to do With Beer

101 More Things To Do With Bacon

Pumpkin It Up!

How D'ya Like Them Apples?

The Ultimate Bacon Cookbook

Bacon lovers are a rare breed. Their lives revolve those mouthwatering cured strips and will do anything to incorporate it into their diets. Luckily, here is a great new cookbook out there with all sorts of savory and sweet recipes that feature bacon.

101 More Things To Do With Bacon (Gibbs-Smith Publishing} is a fun cookbook and a great Father's Day gift for those bacon loving paters. The book was written Eliza Cross, who has penned several of these little cookbooks featuring such diverse ingredients as pickles and beer.She is also a bacon lover and the founder of BENSA, the bacon enthusiast society. It is a slim cookbook (122 pages) but chock full of interesting recipes from breakfast to candy(!). She also includes two pages of helpful hints that help in cooking it. Home cooks will appreciate such facts as nitrate free bacon is sometimes saltier than regular bacon due to processing. She recommends adjusting the salt accordingly if using nitrate free slices. There is more advice regarding artisanal bacon, now a standard in some kitchens and being made by many adventurous home chefs.Also sweet flavored bacon, such as the ones flavored with apple cider, brown sugar or maple syrup may cook up faster than the regular kind and could burn quicker There are also tips on freezing  and microwaving it as well as what to do with bacon grease. She gives smart advice on disposing it - never pour the down the sink.It solidifies quick and creates clogs. Instead put in into a can and dispose of it through the garbage. Bacon fat  can also be reused in several recipes too and used to fry up hotcakes.

Bacon recipes are fun and these are no exception. The book is divided into different chapters, from breakfast - of course - to desserts. The breakfast ones are not what you would think, There are some truly original ones such as apple bacon strata, a layered breakfast casserole that features Granny Smith apples and pecans and the jalapeno bacon popper quiche, an egg pie loaded with heavy cream and cheese  along with the strips and peppers. The appetizers are also varied . There is slow cooker bacon cheeseburger dip that not only uses a pound (!) of it but also a pound of lean ground beef for a fun and flavorful dip.Bacon batons are a neat way to start a party. These are spiced and sugar bacon strips wrapped around the thin Torinese breadsticks, or grissini, Bacon is also a fine addition to  soups and Ms. Cross does add it to tomato bisque along to a wild rice and chicken chowder.. Bacon cheeseburger makes it way into soup with a dash of beer.There are also a chapter on salads, from macaroni to potato along with a chapter on sandwiches. Try the bacon cheese melts instead of the usual grilled cheese or the bacon cheese dogs.for a fun barbecue treat. The strips also make their way into such sides as bacon asparagus saute and bacon and mushroom dressing. Bacon is a wonderful addition to any main meal and compliments the flavor of other meats, poultry and seafood. There's even a BLT pasts with it and arugula gracing bowtie pasta. Bacon in dessert is also wonderful. There is the yummy man candy that also has dark beer as well as a bacon maple fudge. Try the bacon bread pudding with vanillas sauce.

101 More Things To Do With Bacon is a fun cookbook, perfect for any bacon lover. It is a fun mix of sweet and savory recipes.. Get it today to get more joy out of those cured strips of heaven.

,he books comes out in August but you can preorder it and others on Amazon.

101 Things to do With Beer

101 More Things To Do With Bacon

Pumpkin It Up!

How D'ya Like Them Apples?