Cookbook Project, Books #174 and 175

"Gifts From The Pantry," Annette Grimsdale

I've had this book just about forever. It's a weird one, taller than your average hardcover and only about 4-5 inches wide, and full of odd recipes and beautiful pictures. I bought it at a secondhand store long enough ago that I can't remember any of the details; I know it was well before I got into vet school. I've used it at least once or twice, but mostly I just look at the pretty pictures and daydream about situations for which I could reasonably make brandied peaches or ice cream easter eggs or petit fours.

I did have to actually use it, though, and so last month when the bake sale rolled around and I was looking for ideas of stuff to make and sell, I dug out this book. And while none of the more fancy and glamorous recipes seemed quite practical, I did find one that caught my eye.

I made Ginger Cookies, with lemon icing. I had other sweets that were bound to appeal to the kids, and brownies that would be popular no matter what, but I wanted something a little fancier and more grownup to offer as well, and these seemed to fit the bill.

I'm glad I chose to make them, because they were awesome. Just sweet enough, and with a serious ginger kick that was balanced by the sweet-tart icing. I'll make them again, and they may make their way into my holiday cookie trays in the future.....


"Mr. Food Cooks Like Mama," Art Ginsburg

And now into the fun section of the project - apparently my cooking escapades are entertaining enough that people want me to continue, because y'all have started sending me contributions to keep the Cookbook Project from ending. I'm not complaining in the least, because... well, because I'm having fun. And I love books, and I love cookbooks, and I love baking from books that friends give me. It makes me think of them through the whole course, and it's almost as good as sharing a meal with them.

This was a gift from aries_walker (thank you!), and I had a blast reading through it. It's adorable, and silly, and fun, and looking at the man on the cover just makes me laugh. The food in it is simple, unsurprisingly, but none of it looked bad or scary. Honestly, it really did remind me of a lot of the food I ate growing up.

The hardest part was picking out a recipe. While nothing leapt out as world-shatteringly must-try, nothing looked bad, either. I wound up flipping through a couple of times, looking for ideas, until I noticed that "Try This!!" was written in the margin above one particular recipe. (The book itself seems to have come to me third-hand, since there's a dedication to "Jan" on the inside cover. I do love hand-me-down books; the stories they hold are fascinating.....)

Well, who was I to argue? I tried this, "this" being All In One Burgers - basically, hamburgers with picante sauce and cheddar cheese mixed into them before cooking.

They were yummy. I will endeavor to listen to all of my cookbooks in the future when they take it upon themselves to tell me which of their recipes to try.....

3 Day - One Last Auction Item

So y'all by now know that I'm taking part in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer Research.

I've been fundraising for most of a year now, and folks here have been generous beyond my wildest dreams - as a team, tpau and I have come incredibly close to reaching our goal. We just have a little more to go.

As part of our fundraising, we've auctioned and raffled off a bunch of items, but I've saved the best for last.....

Tom Smith has promised to write a commissioned song for the highest bidder in this final auction.

For those who don't know filkertom, he's an amazingly talented musician and songwriter. Famous, award-winning, able to write songs that make you laugh or cry with equal ease, and just an all-around awesome person. You can check out some of his music at his web page, including some other commissioned songs he's written.

Custom-written songs like this usually start at $349. Bidding starts at $49.

I'll be accepting bids for the next 7 days before closing the auction. Post here with your bids, or with any questions, and I'll contact the winner at the end to arrange payment. All proceeds go to the 3 Day.

Feel free to spread the word, too, if you know anyone else who might be interested in a prize like this.....

Thank you!