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Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Valentine Delights: Culinary Romance
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Valentine Delights is a wonderful new cookbook by prolific author and cook Karen Jean Matsko Hood. Packed with delicious recipes, poetry, and fun tidbits of folklore and history, it is sure to be treasured year-round. Designed to achieve a lovely aesthetic as well as thrill the tastebuds, the recipes in this book will add a sumptuous touch to any special or romantic occasion.
Valentine Delights is an invaluable help when planning a memorable evening for your loved one. Hood’s inspired recipes take the stress out of cooking a special meal, giving clear, simple instructions that create truly spectacular dishes. No matter what culinary taste you are trying to achieve, you are sure to find a menu to suit. The extras added to all Whispering Pine Press cookbooks make Valentine Delights stand out even more, providing inspiration for new ways to celebrate the holiday and show your love for the special person in your life.
My family tried out the Chicken Pepperoni, Potatoes Dauphinouise, and Cream Cheese Cookie Hearts. We were all very impressed with the Chicken Pepperoni, which is a fun and unexpected combination of pizza, chicken, and pasta–a good way to get picky eaters to try something new and healthier than Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. The Potatoes Daphinouise were delightfully creamy and cheesy, fancier than ordinary potatoes au gratin. I will be proud to take them as a side dish to family holiday gatherings, where in the past I have felt a bit outclassed by my sisters-in-law and their greater experience in the kitchen. My kids had alot of fun making the cookies, which are very simple and versatile. They are a bit like sugar cookies, but lighter and flakier, and the cream cheese gives them a really wonderful flavor. The cookies were gobbled up quickly, leaving everyone clamoring for more. They will definitely be a favorite at our house. I only wish that I had bought this cookbook in time for Valentine’s Day this year, but I am excited about the possibilities it gives me for creating special ‘date nights’ with my husband all year long, as well as wowing him on our anniversary and many Valentine’s Days to come.
Order your copy of Valentine Delights today!
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Chocolate Delights: Decadence Beyond Dessert
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Chocolate Delights Volume I may very well be the most incredible cookbook I have ever seen. Every single recipe is enticing and decadent, and many provide new ways to use chocolate or unique flavor combinations that are very exciting. My mother is a chocoholic and owned numerous chocolate cookbooks that I have perused extensively, but I have never seen anything like Karen Hood‘s Chocolate Delights. At over 300 pages, this collection of recipes covers far more than just desserts and sweet treats: there are also appetizers, main dishes, soups, even jams and jellies with chocolate in them–an idea that frankly knocked me off my feet–and much more.
As with other books in the Cookbook Delights series, recipes are laid out in a simple, consistent manner that is easy to understand, and there is a glossary of cooking terms and a measurement chart in the back to aid less experienced cooks. Added to this is a wealth of fascinating history, folklore, and helpful information. Find out the truth about white chocolate, learn about the chocolate festival celebrated by the ancient Mayans, and more. I found these sections very valuable, especially the information about the different types of chocolate. I was not aware how significant of an impact the different types have on the outcome of any recipe, both in taste and nutritional value. Now I have a good reference that will help me select the right kind of chocolate for any cooking situation.
All of the recipes that I read were clear and easy to follow, and the three recipes that I tried out with my family were alot of fun as well. We made the Mexican Coffee, Savory Chili with Pasta, and Orange Oatmeal Cookies. The chili was very quick and easy, and it was praised even by the picky eaters in my family. The cookies were our favorite recipe–simply amazing, crammed with delicious ingredients that I had never thought to put in oatmeal cookies before. The coffee was an excellent after-dinner treat for my husband and I, and we’ll definitely make it often. My entire family is really excited about trying out the rest of the recipes, and we are already eagerly anticipating the second volume of Chocolate Delights.
Order your copy of Chocolate Delights today!
| Bindings |
Christmas Delights: Delicious New Traditions Your Family will Love
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Christmas Delights is not your average modern cookbook, a baker’s dozen recipes alongside full page photographs–pretty, but with little substance. No, this is your mother or grandmother’s cookbook, a weighty and serious volume with more than 200 scrumptious recipes divided into comprehensive sections that make it quick and easy to find exactly what you are looking for. The recipes are laid out in a clear and consistent manner, easy to follow and understand for even a kitchen novice. At the same time, more experienced cooks will not find themselves bored by the recipes, which offer many unique ideas and flavor combinations that are sure to tantalize the tastebuds.
Christmas Delights is packed with extras including the history of Christmas traditions around the world, the meaning of familiar Christmas symbols, even tips on how to care for your poinsettia. There are also several Christmas-themed poems by Karen Hood, and these have her usual simple yet elegant style, ensuring that this section of the book will be read and enjoyed time and time again. Further facts about Christmas are sprinkled throughout the cookbook, livening up the recipes with fun tidbits of trivia. There is also a US and Metric Measurement Chart in the back, an invaluable assistance for conversions and measuring ingredients; a glossary of cooking terms that will help even an inexperienced cook feel comfortable in the kitchen; and an alphabetized index of recipes.
Karen Jean Matsko Hood has a great deal of experience in the kitchen, and it definitely shows. I tried out several of the recipes: Ham Casserole Supreme, Artichoke Green Chile Dip, and Butternut Ball Cookies. The ham casserole made a wonderful dinner that my entire family loved, a very flavorful and unique twist on the old favorite macaroni and cheese. The dip was very quick and easy to make, and again provided an unexpected and delightful twist on the usual artichoke dip that I am familiar with. The cookies also made a big hit, and were alot of fun to make. I have looked through many of the other recipes in the book and am very excited about trying them out. There are many fun ideas that any parent or grandparent will love to make with their little ones. The Cookie Casserole in particular looks like it will be a blast for children, and every recipe I turn to sounds delicious. This is definitely a cookbook my family will enjoy not just at the holidays, but all year long.
Order your copy of Christmas Delights today!
Morning Reflections: Prayers for Everyday Life
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Morning Reflections by Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the first book in the Inspirational Reflections Series by Whispering Pine Press International. I have had this book for several weeks now, and have thoroughly enjoyed waking up to its peaceful and uplifting devotionals. Each page features a Bible verse followed by one of Hood’s original poems, with a brief but insightful prayer completing the day’s reading. The devotionals are centered around themes that are reflected in verse, poem, and prayer alike, and this allows the reader to really concentrate on the message and internalize it. The poetry is simple yet poignant, a powerful and often elegant contemplation of various facets of the Christian walk. Thankfulness, praise, the filling of the Holy Spirit, the struggle to live righteously in a difficult world–all these topics and many more are meditated upon in Morning Reflections. I have found that my mornings tend to start much more smoothly when I set aside the time to quietly reflect on God, and Karen Hood‘s gentle, thoughtful words make it easy and enjoyable to do just that.
In the back of the book are three separate indexes that are helpful for finding a particular devotional quickly and easily: Index by First Line, Index by Bible Verse, and an Alphabetical Index. I really appreciated having these indexes handy to help me navigate the book to find my favorite poems and prayers again.
Morning Reflections also offers several other extra touches that I thought were particularly nice. There are several blank pages at the beginning of the book to provide space to write out my own thoughts on the reflection of the day, and there is a another page where you can fill in a personal message if you want to give Morning Reflections as a gift. There is a Reader Feedback form that can be mailed to Whispering Pine Press, something I have never seen before in a book and really appreciated because it shows that the publishers are truly interested in treating their readers right.
Order your copy of Morning Reflections today!
Frost of Spring Green Provides Insight and Beauty
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Karen Hood’s first collection of poetry, Frost of Spring Green, is a masterful collection of poems in a wide range of topics that will delight serious readers of poetry and those new to the genre alike. The poems deal with a wide range of topics including nature, everyday life, social and environmental issues, and the deepest, most profound emotions experienced by all of us.
Hood’s poetry is clear and confident, elegant in its simplicity. She is adept at crafting layers of meaning and impact that work on the heart over time, providing powerful insight into the wonders of the natural world and the human condition. At first glance, her poems appear straightforward and can be easily read and grasped by those inexperienced in the nuances of poetry. A deeper reading, however, will prove that there is much for a more experienced reader to discover beneath the surface.
Frost of Spring Green‘s imagery is powerfully visual, painting vivid pictures that are poignant and breathtaking whether the subject is a beautiful flower or mountain vista, or the cardboard box an orphaned, homeless child has used to construct a home for herself. Hood’s metaphors are equally strong, and with them she is able to bring the reader to a deeper understanding of her themes. Her knowledge of the craft is excellent, and she demonstrates an innate skill with rhyme and meter that enhances the impact of her poetry–although she also knows when to withhold them. Alliteration is used to create greater emphasis on particular phrases that will linger hauntingly long after the book has been set aside. One of Hood’s favorite devices is the use of stark contrasts, comparing and sometimes even equating opposites in such powerful ways that the poem creates a lasting effect on the reader. Personally, I have never encountered a poet who crafts more potent contrasts than Karen Hood.
Frost of Spring Green is a compelling read for anyone who enjoys poetry. It provides the opportunity to slow down and consider the world we live in, in all its beauty and heartbreak–a rare thing in this hectic modern lifestyle. I will close my review with one of my favorite poems from this collection, one that demonstrates the depth and power in Karen Hood’s writing.
~
Night Whistle
Do you remember that
Hot August night?
Iowa humidity so dense
You could backstroke in the breeze.
Mom and Dad, we came home with
You, back to our tiny apartment.
The brassy train whistle
Pierced our silence.
One quiet night with you, now
Dead within my body.
My beautiful dark-haired
First baby boy, still.
The last long night
I shared together with you.
Karen Jean Matsko Hood ©2010
~
Order your copy of Frost of Spring Green today!
Frost of Spring Green ©2010 & 2011
Frost of Spring Green ©2004 & 2005
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