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Archive for the ‘Book News’ Category
Halloween Delights Delivers No Tricks, Plenty of Treats
Thursday, September 22, 2011
It’s that time of year again! The weather is turning crisp and cool, leaves are changing to vibrant autumn colors, and the holidays are just around the corner. First up is Halloween, a favorite for the child in each of us, a magical and spooky night filled with delicious goodies, fun costumes, and frights galore. To help make the most of the holiday, pick up a copy of Halloween Delights by Karen Jean Matsko Hood. More than just a cookbook, Halloween Delights is a treasure trove of creative ideas to make your fright night celebration one to remember! The book is also packed with extras, like information on how to grow your own pumpkins, interesting facts about the history, folklore, and symbolism of Halloween, and a helpful glossary of cooking and baking terms.
I’ve been impressed with each entry in Hood’s Cookbook Delights series that I have seen so far, but this one honestly blew me away. From the clever to the creepy to the downright ghastly, each recipe is a masterpiece of ingenuity that will delight, scare, and gross out your Halloween guests in the best way possible. The variety of recipes is staggering, enabling you to choose just how ghoulish you want your party to be. The Halloween Haunted Forest Platter, for example, is a really creative way of dressing up the ordinary vegetable platter that will entice even kids into nibbling on healthy treats, and it’s a really cute idea. (Imagine a forest of broccoli trees haunted by egg ghosts and other creepy, edible creatures.) If you’d rather horrify your guests, there are recipes like the Boogers and Slugs Halloween Cake and Chocolate Slime, foods that may sound or even look disgusting, but are guaranteed to be delicious. The Bleeding Human Heart, a heart-shaped gelatin that oozes thick grenadine blood when cut into portions, is one of my favorites–there’s no doubt it’ll make an impression!
Halloween Delights is so full of fun and creative ideas that my kids literally could not stop poring over it. They had a blast helping me try out some of the recipes in the kitchen and have been begging to try out more ever since. We made Witch’s Hat Chocolate Cupcakes, Creepy Crawly Spider Cookies, and Jack-O-Lantern Cheeseburger Pie. All of the recipes were easy to follow and turned out fabulous, not just in taste but in visual impact as well, which is at least half the fun with a holiday like this. I was also pleased to find a number of recipes that are designed for feeding large crowds, which will make planning a party all the easier. This is the ultimate Halloween cookbook, crammed with enough ideas to see my family through all the spooky parties we will ever throw. Now the only problem is picking which recipes to use–and how to prevent my kids from wanting to celebrate Halloween all year long!
Halloween Delights Cookbook – Paperback ©2008
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A Bountiful Harvest: Apple Delights Cookbook
Friday, September 16, 2011
I have to admit the apple is one of my all-time favorite fruits, but I’m not very adventurous or inventive in the kitchen, so I rarely eat them unless they are raw or baked into a pie or cobbler. Apple Delights by Karen Jean Matsko Hood has changed that for me, and I couldn’t be more delighted.
The latest in Whispering Pine Press International‘s popular Cookbook Delights series, Apple Delights arrives just in time for the beginning of autumn harvest and baked cool weather treats. Like all of Hood’s cookbooks, it is packed with over 200 mouth-watering recipes that cover every conceivable type of food, from main dishes to soups and salads–and of course, desserts and everything in between. There is also valuable information about the history and folklore of the fruit, as well as a selection of Hood’s internationally published poetry. I especially appreciated the section on different types of apple, since there are so many varieties that it can sometimes be overwhelming when trying to select the right kind for a certain recipe.
My family tried out the Chicken Apple Curry with a side of Apple Dumplings and Apple Tart Cookies for dessert. As always with Hood’s recipes, the directions were clear and easy to follow and the results were fantastic. The curry was very tender, more of a Thai red curry than the traditional yellow curry I expected, with hearty flavors from the tomato and cilantro, and a bright, pleasantly tart and sweet note from the apples. The Apple Dumplings were absolutely delightful, deliciously sweet and juicy, and my kids thought they were a blast. The Apple Tart Cookies were chock full of many different flavors that complemented each other in unexpected ways–I’ve had chocolate with coconut, I’ve had apples with raisins, but never have I had all of them together before. It’s a recipe you have to try to believe–an absolute knockout. And of course, with Apple Delights there’s so much more to look forward to, recipes for traditional goodies like homemade cider, caramel apples, and old fashioned applesauce that I can’t wait to try out, and intriguing new ideas like Apple Cheddar Cookies and Apple and Potato Chowder. No doubt about it: Karen Jean Matsko Hood has penned another winning cookbook that will revolutionize the way you see this humble fruit.
Right now, Apple Delights is on sale for only $9.95! Buy it today!
Apple Delights Cookbook – Comb Bound ©2004
Peach Delights Offers a Burst of Summer Flavor
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Peach Delights by Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the latest addition to the perennially popular Cookbook Delights series published by Whispering Pine Press International. Like all of the books in this series, Peach Delights is packed with valuable information that goes far above and beyond mere recipes: interesting facts about the history and nutrition of the peach, gardening tips for growing your own, and detailed information for canning and preserving this delicious fruit. There is even a selection of delightful poems by Karen Hood, who has had her work published in numerous international literary journals. Recipes are laid out in a consistent manner and the instructions are clear, simple to understand and follow even for kitchen novices. The glossary of terms and measurement conversion chart in the back make it even easier for inexperienced chefs to succeed in the exciting world of cooking. With all this and more than 230 recipes at your fingertips, Peach Delights is a treasure trove of culinary inspiration and knowledge.
I tried out a several of the recipes from Peach Delights and was absolutely thrilled with the results. I have to admit that the peach is not my favorite fruit, and usually I only eat it in a good cobbler. This cookbook has entirely changed my opinion about peaches–maybe I still won’t like to eat them plain, but now there’s a whole world of possibility for using this fruit to jazz up my cooking! The Cranberry Peach Meatballs were simply incredible–I honestly don’t know that I could say enough things about them. What an innovative recipe, full of ingredients I would have never imagined putting into a meatball, and the result is so flavorful it knocked everyone in my family for a loop. If you need a simple but very impressive appetizer for a pot luck or family gathering, this is it.
We also made the Chicken and Peach Curry, another flavor combination that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. It was a big hit even with the kids, who don’t generally care for curry. One thing’s for sure: since the Cookbook Delights series has come into my life, my kids are no longer such picky eaters and are much more open to trying out new foods! We finished up our meal with Peach Cobbler, of course, and I can honestly say that that was one of the best cobblers I have ever had. It was very simple to make, with a sweet flaky crust and flavorful, succulent peach filling.
Peach Delights Cookbook – Paperback ©2010
Strawberry Delights Gives Food a New Flair
Friday, March 11, 2011
Strawberry Delights is an excellent collection of more than 250 recipes that feature the flavorful flair of the strawberry. This versatile, innovative cookbook will impress even experienced gourmet chefs with its range of dishes and creative uses of the fruit. At the same time, those new to cooking will not find themselves intimidated, for instructions are laid out in a clear manner and are simple to follow. The rewarding experience of making such delicious food will prompt even reluctant cooks into returning to the kitchen again and again. Many of the recipes use strawberry preserves or frozen strawberries, so there is no concern that this cookbook will ever be out of season.
Karen Hood‘s remarkable cookbook also includes fascinating facts about strawberry nutrition, history, and folklore in addition to information on growing and cultivating your own strawberries–a valuable addition for anyone looking to go green or eat more responsibly. Hood’s lovely poems and wide knowledge of cooking, gardening, and the strawberry itself further enhance the collection in the poetry section and the ‘Did You Know?’ segments sprinkled throughout the book. Plainly, Strawberry Delights is far more than just a cookbook: it is a versatile companion for any household.
My family had fun trying out the Strawberry Pineapple Chicken Bites. Even though it is in the Appetizer section of the cookbook, I made it as a fun lunch for my kids, and it was a big hit. My oldest is fairly stand-offish about fruit, and to be honest even I am not too fond of pineapple, but this made a very light and flavorful meal that I will be happy to make again. I also made the Spiced Glazed Pork Tenderloin, which was very tender and moist. The spices gave it a taste reminiscent of the holidays, while the strawberry added a bright sweetness that I found particularly tasty. For dessert, we tried the White Chocolate Strawberry Fudgies, which were honestly just about the richest, most delightfully decadent cookie I have ever had. Everyone was blown away, even my husband, who is a strict milk-chocolate-only person. I find myself continually impressed and grateful for the way in which Hood’s recipes tempt even the pickiest eaters in my family to eat foods they don’t normally enjoy.
Order your copy of Strawberry Delights today!
Raspberry Delights: A Summery, Flavorful Twist to Beloved Old Recipes and New Favorites
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Karen Jean Matsko Hood has done it again: another amazing entry in her popular Cookbook Delight Series that is sure to tempt the tastebuds and lure even reluctant cooks into the kitchen to try out these delicious recipes. Raspberry Delights is a treasure trove of unique ways to use this sweet berry to the fullest. I was particularly impressed by the creative use of raspberries in soups, entrees, and side dishes to create unexpected bright, appealing flavors, and the sheer variety of breads and desserts is tantalizing.
As with all of Hood’s cookbooks, it is the extra touches that really make Raspberry Delights stand out. The recipes alone are worth the price of admission, so to speak, but there is so much more: information on different types of raspberry, medicinal uses of the plant, even tips on growing your own raspberries. I was planning to start a small garden in my backyard this year, and was pleasantly surprised to see this information. The preserving section not only provides wonderful recipes for raspberry jams and jellies, but actual instructions for canning, freezing, and dehydrating the berries as well. I have never seen such thorough, detail-oriented information in a cookbook before.
Since raspberries are not currently in season, I used frozen berries for all of the recipes I tried out. Many of the recipes call for fresh raspberries, but I was not disappointed in how any of them turned out and can only imagine how much more flavorful they will taste with fresh fruit. I am a sucker for a good potato salad and am always looking for new variants, so of course I had to try the Raspberry Potato Salad. The recipe was very simple and the results were nothing short of amazing. This potato salad blows my old favorite away, and I can’t wait to take it to the family barbeque on Independence Day this year–it will knock my in-laws flat! I also tried out the Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken, which turned out very tender and moist with a wonderful tangy glaze. The Raspberry Cornbread was a wonderful twist on the conventional recipe, and it was a bit difficult restraining myself to just one piece. Hood’s recipes continue to be a big hit with my family, most of whom are notoriously picky eaters, and I am very glad that I discovered her Cookbook Delights series.
Order your copy of Raspberry Delights today!
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