Review: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (Paperback)

THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister is one of those books that was stuck on my mind since it came out in January 2009.  As a lover of cooking and all things food, I knew right away that I  wanted to read this book and I had every intention of doing so, but it just never happened. The only excuse I have is that there are simply too many great books out there and not enough time to get to all of them. Its a flimsy excuse, but it's all I got. That said, with the follow-up being released soon and being included on the tour, it was the perfect opportunity for me to finally get it read.

This beautifully written story of Lillian, a restaurant owner and cook, who closes her doors on Monday evenings to teach a cooking class, is the perfect book to read if you're looking for something calm, soothing and just plain lovely.  The story begins with how and why Lillian has such a love for food and cooking. You get a real feel for what kind of woman she is and, in my case, I instantly adored her. Her calm and graceful persona brings out the goodness of those around her, especially her students, who all seem to adore her as well.

As the classes continue, the reader is given insight to each of the people who show up eager to learn the next lesson and what brought each of them to be taking this class. With each passing week, the students are also learning more about each other, new friendships are formed through their interests in cooking and, thanks to Lillian, they begin to appreciate the simplicity of good food.

My Thoughts:

I really, really enjoyed this book and the journey in getting to know the students in the cooking class. Lillian is a great character and had a warmth about her that is inviting and soothing. Simply put, this is not a book filled with twists and turns and second-guessing about motives. This is a book that should be savored like a nice glass of wine after dinner - a book not to be rushed through. The characters are interesting and each of their stories are important and I enjoyed them very much.

This book is a quick read that is perfect for those times when you've just finished an intense book and are looking for something to make you feel good inside. All of the reviews that I read back when this book was first published were right on. I'm really looking forward to THE LOST ART OF MIXING, the follow-up to this book. I'll be posting my review later this month (the 29th), as part of the TLC Book Tour.

THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS (Paperback)
Author: Erica Bauermeister
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Published: January 2010
Pages: 261
Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Saturdays in the Kitchen: Southern Chess Bars

Today I'm going to share a recipe that I got from one of my dearest friends, Brenda, that was passed down from her mother, a wonderfully crazy South Carolina woman. Shirley used to make this delicious dessert bar every year during the holiday season. Now that Shirley is no longer with us, Brenda has taken over the tradition. I made it the other day and it was so good, I thought I'd pass it along.

(Not a great picture, but at least you can tell what they look like!)

Chess Bars are a sweet, rich southern pastry, sometimes called Chess Pie or Chess Cake. They are so simple and quick to make yet they pack a lot of flavor and literally melt in your mouth. There seems to be a lot of speculation about the name Chess Bar. Some food historians think the word 'chess' is actually derived from the word 'cheese'. Chess Pie has an ancient tradition of puddings and pastries with the rich mixture of cheese. The Chess Bars are made with eggs and cream cheese, also making a custard-like filling.

Here is the recipe:

Southern Chess Bars

1 Boxed butter yellow cake mix

1 Egg

1 Stick of butter (softened)

1/2 chopped pecans (optional)

1 Box Confectioner Sugar

3 eggs

8 oz cream cheese (at room temp)

In large mixing bowl mix cake mix, 1 egg and butter. Mix well until combined. Spread and pat dough into bottom of 13 x 9 pan. At this point, you could add the pecans if desired. In same bowl, mix confectioner sugar, eggs and cream cheese until blended well. Pour mixture over crust and smooth out any bubbles. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. They taste great with a cup of hot coffee!

OK, I realize that its the beginning of a new year and everyone wants to lose those holiday pounds and here I've gone and given you a delicious and not-so-fat-free dessert recipe. So, to make up for it, here's a link that I found on the Southern Living website. It's their Healthy and Light page. On there, you can find several ideas and recipes perfect for eating lighter foods and less calories. One section that caught my eye is the Ladie's Luncheon. There are twenty light recipes to try, like Chunky Chicken Barley Soup. This soup is full of flavor and only has 208 calories and 3.9 grams of fat per serving. I am a big soup fan so I'll be making this one for sure.

Thanks for coming and visiting today and I do hope you get the chance to try these wonderful Chess Bars and if you do, please let me know how you liked them. See you next Saturday in the kitchen!

By the way, today is the first time I'm participating in Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking Series, so pop on over and check out all of the great food-related items being featured on the blogs today! If you're a chocolate lover, you should definitely check it out - remember, Valentine's Day will be here before you know it! (hint, hint)

Saturdays in the Kitchen

In the past, whenever I've shared a cooking blog or website, the response has been amazing. You've told me that you love those posts and to keep them coming. So, I'm going to do just that. Each Saturday I'm going to spotlight a new-to-me foodie blog or website. And I'll even share some of my favorite recipes too. A lot of you are like me - you enjoy cooking and are always on the lookout for new ideas for the kitchen. I think this will be fun and hopefully you'll enjoy it as well. Feel free to leave me comments and share foodie sites that you've found too!

So to get things started, today I am going to share with you a blog that I've found recently that features Southern cooking. Believe me, you don't have to live in the South to cook Southern food. The name of the blog is Southern Plate and is hosted by Christy Jordan. Like many of us book bloggers, Christy started her blog as a hobby because she loves to cook and she grew up watching her grandmother cook and share stories. Over the last year, her blog has blossomed into one of the most amazing and informative food blogs I have ever visited. In fact, Southern Plate was recently named Best Food Blog by Cotton Spice Quilting Magazine. (Which is a great magazine by the way). Hosting this blog isn't the only thing that keeps Christy busy. She also writes articles for different magazines and newspapers. She has really made a great success of her hobby. I encourage you strongly to take a few minutes and stop by this impressive blog. I guarantee you will find something that catches your eye. Be sure to click on the 'About' tab to read Christy's back story and to learn where some of her inspiration comes from.

Today on Southern Plate you will find a delicious recipe for Simple Tomato Soup. She takes a regular ole can of Campbell's Tomato Soup and turns it into a bowl of wonder by adding just a few simple ingredients. I know I will be trying that recipe very soon!

I really hope you do get the chance to visit Christy's blog and I'd love it if you came back and told me what you think of Southern Plate. I'm looking forward to continuing this Saturday feature on Books and Cooks and sharing my love of food and cooking with you. Bon appetite!

Favorite Food Find of the Week: Say Queso!!

Have you ever ordered a dish from a Mexican restaurant and wondered about that smooth, creamy cheese on top? It's almost white and it's so creamy - much creamier than the store-bought shredded cheese you buy in the bag. I love to eat Mexican food so I tend to incorporate a lot of Mexican flavors into many of the dishes I make. This week I found two great cheeses that add great finishing touches to any meal.

Campesino cheese is a Mexican artisan cheese, meaning it is made by hand the old fashioned way and has a more complex taste than other mass produced cheese. It is a cows milk cheese often used in quesedillas. It's a softer cheese than cheddar, which helps it to melt nicely. Because of its

soft texture, it's important to keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to grate it.

Another cheese I discovered this week is Tetilla cheese. This Spanish cheese is also made from cows milk and is considered to be a semi-hard cheese. It's almost white, very creamy and has a hint of sweetness to it. Tetilla cheese is also perfect

for grading.

I used the Campesino cheese this week when making my own version of grilled, stuffed burritos. The cheese melted nicely on top of the hot filling and gave it a nice mild flavor in contrast to the spiciness of the other ingrediants. Keep in mind this cheese is not limited to Mexican food, I even use it when making breakfast skillets.

Along with these great cheeses, there's a condiment that I always look for when ordering a dinner at a Mexican restaurant and that is pico de gallo. If it has pico de gallo in it, I'm all over it! This salsa-like condiment goes with just about anything and some people even use it instead of a regular salsa. I thought I'd share my recipe for a simple pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo

4 plum or Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)

3 Jalapeno peppers (seeded and finely chopped)

1 small red onion (finely chopped)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

3 Tbsp lime juice

Salt

Simply mix all of the ingrediant together and serve! Be sure to add the salt last because the lime juice and salt work off of one anoher and you don't want to end up with salty pico de gallo.

Now that I know how easy it is to make great pico de gallo at home, I will never have tacos or burritos without it! I always make it first to give the ingrediants time to meld. Using the Campesino cheese and my homemade pico de gallo, my Mexican dinner was restaurant quality and so yummy!

I hope these tips are helpful to you the next time you have a Mexican dinner night!

For Readers Who Love To Cook...And Eat

This is the time of year that I start spending more time in the kitchen and I know many of you enjoy cooking (and eating) just as much as I do. So today I wanted to tell you about two great blogs I've discovered recently while looking for something different to cook. Not only do these sites share great recipes but they also have fabulous giveways!! And who doesn't love winning stuff, right?

The first blog is Real Mom Kitchen hosted by Laura. She is a mom of 3 who has loved cooking and baking her whole life. She shares so many yummy recipes that aren't complicated. She is also always on the lookout for good deals and shares them with her readers. Speaking of which, she has over 300 loyal followers. You can also find coupons and links to other great sites on her blog. Everytime I visit, I come away with some great food ideas!

Another great gem of a site I've discovered is Our Best Bites, hosted by Sara, who lives in Idaho and Kate, living in Louisiana. As their site says...they offer 'tips, tricks and tastes from two real-life kitchens'. There is so much information here including a recipe index that makes it easy if you're looking for something specific. There's also coupons and giveaways, not to mention these two women have such great personalities! I really enjoy their site. Apparently, the word is out because they have over 900 followers to their kitchens!!

So the next time you're looking for something new to make, take a few minutes and check out these two great sites. I've tried their recipes and I haven't been disappointed yet!

Gettin' Toasted!

Now that I have your attention - How many of you have a toaster oven sitting on your counter that never gets used? If you do, this is your lucky day! You all know my passion for books but I also have another passion and that is cooking . . . and eating, but for now I'm only talking about cooking. I love to try new dishes and try to experiment at least once a week with something I've never made. I'm not talking about the fancy, shmancy recipes that require you to go to specialty stores, spend gobs of money and buy things you'll never use again. I'm talking about simply prepared food that looks great and taste even better with not a lot of foo foo.

I love watching cooking shows and one of my favorite chefs is Eric Ripert, Executive Chef at Le Bernardin in NYC. His specialty is seafood and being such a seafood lover, I always enjoy watching him cook on tv. By the way, he has a show starting in the fall on PBS!

This is where your toaster oven comes in! Last year he started a new website called Avec Eric (which is french for 'With Eric'). There are some very nice features on his site including great recipes (check out the Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream!). But the thing that really drew me in was his video series on cooking with a toaster oven. Yes, I said toaster oven! Here we have a world renowned chef' and he's going to cook with a toaster oven?! Since my house got struck by lightening last year - twice - I've been without an oven since August, so this is an answer to my prayers! I have a nice toaster oven that I use for many things and I love it, but I don't have many specific recipes for it. Until now!

Like Chef said, if you live alone like me, there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy a nice meal, especially when it only takes minutes to cook. These are simple, delicious recipes that anyone can make. To check them out, go to Avec Eric and look for the 'Get Toasted' link or just click here. Over the next several weeks, I'm going to be making some of the featured dishes and rating not only how they taste, but how easy (or hard) they were to make. Each Saturday, I'll post my results. This week I think I'll start with the Mustard Crusted Salmon. I hope you'll check back and see how I'm doing. This should be fun!

If you're really into all things food and cooking, you might be interested in Chef Ripert's new book On The Line. It's a behind-the-scene look at what goes on at Le Bernardin along with some yummy recipes.

Worlds Healthiest Foods

I found this great website during my online travels that I want to share.. It’s called “The Worlds Healthiest Foods” located at http://www.whf.org/. Actually it is a not-for-profit organization called The George Mateljan Foundation.

The website is packed with all kinds of nutritional information and offers healthful recipes and tips too. I found it educational and interesting. For anyone who is trying to eat better and learn how to prepare foods in a healthier way, this website would be invaluable. There are over 100 recipes that you can search either by ingredient or nutritional element. For example, I have extreme hypertension, so I searched for foods with Omega 3 fatty acid benefits to help lower my blood pressure and to help promote red blood cell function, which will also help with my retinal disease. The recipes are not complicated nor do they use gourmet ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about the cost or finding specialty items.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a burden. You can use your imagination and come up with your own recipes using foods you like.