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The Paupered Chef on North Carolina Barbecue
I am actually from Lexington, NC, and I was so excited to Honeymunk's (which is what locals call Lexington BBQ) on this list. They did leave one off the list that's easier to get to - Jimmy's BBQ on Hwy 8, which is right off of I-85 and delicious. Lexington also hosts the BBQ Festival every year, last Saturday in October.
Cook the Book: 'Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies'
Most triumphant and most disastrous - the first thing I ever baked was a complete victory for me, despite it being very nearly a disaster. When I was 7 or 8, I decided to make a devil’s food cake out of my grandmother's recipe box. I made the whole thing myself, while she sat at the kitchen table playing cards, drinking coffee, and when I pulled it out of the oven, so excited and proud, it was as flat as a pancake. I forgot to use a single egg. The cake tasted wonderful, but looked just terrible. My grandmother ate it and told me it was wonderful.
Cook the Book: 'The Barcelona Cookbook'
I lived in Sevilla for a summer abroad - my most memorable tapas experince was off Plaza de Cuba, way in the bank twisted streets at a street party filled with locals at 4 am, and going into a little bar and getting the biggest piece of tortilla I'd ever had! I spoke to no one for 10 minutes and I can still smell the olive oil...
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
Coming from a poor family, we didn't purchase cook books. My grandmother had a recipe drawer in the kitchen, and in that was every single free recipe she could clip and hand written recipes that were passed down from family and friends. I remember when I was very young getting to go through it and pick whatever I wanted her to make and making it together. This inevitably meant we were making that weird giant rabbit cake from some Kraft Easter recipe, covered in shaved coconut and jelly beans. She indulged me greatly with this because I NEVER wanted to eat it; I just wanted to make it :)
The Paupered Chef on North Carolina Barbecue
I am actually from Lexington, NC, and I was so excited to Honeymunk's (which is what locals call Lexington BBQ) on this list. They did leave one off the list that's easier to get to - Jimmy's BBQ on Hwy 8, which is right off of I-85 and delicious. Lexington also hosts the BBQ Festival every year, last Saturday in October.
Cook the Book: 'Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies'
Most triumphant and most disastrous - the first thing I ever baked was a complete victory for me, despite it being very nearly a disaster. When I was 7 or 8, I decided to make a devil’s food cake out of my grandmother's recipe box. I made the whole thing myself, while she sat at the kitchen table playing cards, drinking coffee, and when I pulled it out of the oven, so excited and proud, it was as flat as a pancake. I forgot to use a single egg. The cake tasted wonderful, but looked just terrible. My grandmother ate it and told me it was wonderful.
Cook the Book: 'The Barcelona Cookbook'
I lived in Sevilla for a summer abroad - my most memorable tapas experince was off Plaza de Cuba, way in the bank twisted streets at a street party filled with locals at 4 am, and going into a little bar and getting the biggest piece of tortilla I'd ever had! I spoke to no one for 10 minutes and I can still smell the olive oil...
What Weird Family Foods Did You Grow Up Thinking Were Normal?
pickles dipped in orange juice (makes the orange juice taste super sweet! - and it must be Donald Duck orange juice)
lemon jam thumb print cookies and vienna sausages (camping mishap, but it was AMAZING)
potato chip sandwiches - white bread, lays, and mayo. drool...
cornbread mashed in a cup and covered in milk was a favorite of my grandparents - all cold. Has anyone else had this?
What's the Prettiest Dessert You've Ever Seen?
Anything that Tartlette does:
Should Fast Food Chains Give Kids Toys?
kids will eat what their parents put in front of them. I imagine getting rid of the toys isn't going to stop parents from going to get fast food and plopping their kid down. At least the toy gets them active and playing after the meal - or even better, the play area. this isn't a problem for the government, it's a problem for parents.
Cook the Book: 'Seven Fires'
cuy soup - that is, guinea pig soup with barely. Ecuador has amazing soups :)
Cook the Book: 'Endangered Recipes' by Lari Robling
The only thing my grandfather would make that was off the grill was oyster stew. When I was about 6, I remember him making it special just for him and me. I loved it - that is, until he told me it wasn't oysters, but elephant boogers. I immediately (and I'm sure this was his plan) fished out every single little black oyster and put them into his bowl. But I can still remember his laugh and that rich stew.
Cook the Book: 'Tacos'
tacos were one of the first things I learned to cook for my boyfriend (now husband). We do much fancier and tasty versions now than the boxed version!
In Videos: Futurama's Bender as Cooking Bot
We watch Futurama every night :) Yes, I know, I'm a dork. But I do love it! There are a lot of food references - the ice cream soup is a good one! The sterno nicoise is also a favorite.
What are you planting in your garden this year?
we just put in a small 8 by 3 garden next to our side walk - we have a postage stamp sized yard. We just put in cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, spring onions, dill, thyme, marjoram, basil, tarragon, mint, oregano, and swiss chard. I can't wait :)
Cook the Book: 'Real Cajun'
when I was little, my grandmother had a drawer in her kitchen that was filled with baking recipes she'd clipped out of magazines or off of products. My favorite thing to do was to pick out one she could make for me. I have a very fond memory of a giant rabbit cake, shapped like a bunny (but since we didn't have the money for the fancy pan, she cut the sheet cake into a bunny head shape!), covered in shredded coconut and jelly beans. She knew that I couldn't stand to eat the cake, I just liked the way it looked, but she made it anyway.
Then, when I got older, about 7 or 8, going to it and her encouraging me to pick something to bake. The first thing I ever made was a chocolate devils food cake from a recipe in that drawer. But I forgot to put a single egg in it! She ate every bit.
Cook the Book: 'Ten'
Oysters, I was craving oysters last October and I went all the way to Baltimore to get oysters (I live in NC). I ate WAY too many oysters. but they were delicious and I the craving was satisfied :)
What Do You Like to Read When Eating Solo?
To escape the office, I frequently eat out alone at my favorite place, Eastern Lights (Durham, NC). They know me, they have delicious food, and they leave me alone so I can read. I love to read during lunch, and if I'm at work, my boss insists on talking to me, despite the fact that I have my back to him and a book touching my nose. Any book I'm reading is good, but I love the Anita Blake books. Vampires, adventure, and zombies go so well with handmade Chinese noodles... Plus the paperback size it just perfect for the one hand reading, one hand with chopsticks method.
Your Oldest Cookbook?
It's the neatest and oldest in our house - the December, 1951 Marquette Golf and Country Club cook book from Marquette MI. I have no idea where it came from or how I got it, since I have never been to MI nor do I have relatives there. It's three ring style and has strange and classic '50s recipes all typed on a type writer, with hand drawn blue pages to separate the different foods. The poem at the front:
There used to be an adage in the dear dead days gone by,
That "Women's place is in the home" we never could see why,
The kitchen was the only place to while away the hours,
New recipes concocted to the tune of "Hearts and Flowers,"
How times have changed, and women too - the man's world is no more.
Women are in businesses they never were before,
And so it just comes naturally that sports have got them too.,
Gold is no except - BUT the cookings still to do,
So to keep the husbands happy, and maintain the home morale,
We offer this collection, it's your Culinary Pal.
Cannibalism
there are more bugs than people, if we're discussing survival. and I'm geeked out by the thought. I don't think I could eat horse, and I am still working on rabbit, so I gotta say human is off. and fuman (very very funny!) - if we taste like chicken, why not just eat chicken?
Texas Wineries? Yer Darn Tootin'
I love Austin. We have friends there and when we visited, they took us to a vineyard. The whole landscape and feel was just different, and the wine was fantastic. It felt very unpretentious and easy to just go in with friends and enjoy the wine. I love Austin. We have friends there and when we visited, they took us to a vineyard. The whole landscape and feel was just different, and the wine was fantastic. It felt very unpretentious and easy to just go in with friends and enjoy the wine.
How to Make Perfect Croissants, from Foodbeam
Julia Child does this on her show (god I love netflix!) and she made it look so easy! The layers of butter and dough...maybe not easy, but definitely delicious. take a saturday and start early :p
Cook the Book: 'Kneadlessly Simple'
Smitten Kitchen's Potato Rosemary bread. it was my first real yeast bread and I truly enjoyed the experience of bread baking for the first time. (plus, I pulled something out of the oven that I would have sworn I bought from a bakery!)
What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?
I have to say I'm the most excited about two things. The $2.99 Shiraz which is actually very good and the NUTS!! There is a whole aisle of cheap and beautiful nuts! makes me drool...
V-Day Giveaway: Praise the Lard Box from Zingerman's
Just for breakfast?
Are you mad?!
Monday through Sunday
Only you I crave
Now please supply this dear pork slave.
I don't have a ___ in my kitchen and I don't want one.
microwave. oh I have one, but it's just a giant clock since it stopped actually heating food up. it's one of those over the stove, so we didn't want to replace it right away - nearly two years later, we just don't miss it at all.
Cook the Book: 'Baking Unplugged'
while making some sort of batter, I had my hand mixer beating away - done, I pulled it out and went to take out the beaters. instead of pushing the button in, I pushed it up. I was immediately covered in my batter. I found stickey sweet goo everywhere for about a week.
The Hamburger Fatty Melt, a Burger with Two Grilled Cheese Sandwiches as Its Bun
Lettuce? Whaddya, crazy? Why? It adds nothing. Maybe some arugula (strong flavor) under the burger if you need a built-in salad, but plain old lettuce would just disappear.
But tomato in the grilled cheeses sounds good. Gotta have tomato on a cheeseburger.
I'm thinking maybe blue and swiss/Gruyère/Comté for the cheeses (one each), if not all extra-sharp cheddar. If using jalapeño cheddar (or better yet, habanero cheddar), only in one sammy, plain cheddar on the other. Otherwise the chiles will overwhelm everything else.
Bacon only if using cheddar. And not too much. Still have to taste the burger. Balance is important.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
Thank you for participating, and congratulations to our winners:
Louisa
Jilly
leighana
Michael Z
gramvo
Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
I received The Joy of cooking as a wedding present. garrettsambo@aol.com
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
my first cookbook was one i got from school...it was with all the students favorite recipes...
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
It was a Strawberry Shortcake cookbook that had recipes for sandwiches and other easy recipes.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
it's actually kind of sad. My freshman year of college I worked at the corporate HQ of Fanny Farmer candy shops and for our Xmas bonus we all got a copy of the new Fanny Farmer cookbook ..... so my first cookbook was the Fanny Farmer cookbook.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
Better Homes And Gardens, but I grew up with my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My first cookbook was Betty Crocker's. It had all the basics and I still own it today.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
A collection of recipes that my mom made based on my observations
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My first cookbook was one from our church. I know, not top quality. I rarely turn to cookbooks as a new cook because of the vast information on the internet. I would enjoy having a few cookbooks in my collection, though.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My Mother in Law got me a 5 ingredient cookbook that had horrible recipes which basically combined 5 canned foods into one dish meals. Revolting.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
mom's ratty old Joy of Cooking!
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
The first cookbook that I ever received was a book of photocopied recipes my grandfather made for me of all the traditional Italian recipes that my great grandma used to make for her family. There are some wonderful recipes in there too. From homemade tortellini, to antipasto that has to sit jarred for a year before you can eat it (to let the flavors meld).
The sad bit is that I rarely use it because so many of the recipes are so labor intensive and large.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My now-husband bought me the New York Cookbook when I started college, which turned me on to so many of my favorites today!
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
When I was small, I used my mother's Betty Crocker cookbook. When I married, she gave me one of my own and I use it still, although a host of other cookbooks have joined it on the bookshelves.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My first cookbook was Betty Crocker's Cookbook that was a 5-ring binder.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My first cookbook was the Company's Coming Kids Cooking cookbook - Company's Coming is really big where I'm from (Alberta, Canada), but even when I venture to another province, no one's heard of it! I don't think I made too much from it... there was a pretty good fudgesicle recipe though :)
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My Mother gave me my first cookbook which was Betty Crocker's and I still have it today. I also gave one to my son when he moved out on his own. It's a great basic cookbook that anyone can use.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
We had the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book growing. Plus a binder with tons of 3x5 cards neatly written by my mother and grandmother. My favorite was cooking from recipes on my mom's index cards.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
I remember looking through cookbooks, many of them, off the shelves when I was a kid. No one stands out.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
There was pretty much only one cookbook in the house growing up in my Chinese household (which my mother never cracked open) and it was the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. The first recipe I ever made was probably tuna casserole one Thanksgiving when my sisters and I decided to do as the Americans do and add to our standard hot pot feast. How things have changed!
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
My first cookbook was the Little House on the Prairie Cookbook. I didn't cook anything out of it, but it recreated the recipes from the books I loved.
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
Unfortunately, I can not remember the name of the Cook Book Given. But I do know who gave it to me. My Aunt Sandra gave me the cook book for my Baby shower 24 years ago. She wished me a long and happy life. Aunt Sandra died 4 years ago..and although I cannot find the cookbook through many moves I do treasure the sentiment
rhondastruthers at yahoo dot ca
Cook the Book: 'Gourmet Today'
The old-school Betty Crocker cookbook!
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Coming from a poor family, we didn't purchase cook books. My grandmother had a recipe drawer in the kitchen, and in that was every single free recipe she could clip and hand written recipes that were passed down from family and friends. I remember when I was very young getting to go through it and pick whatever I wanted her to make and making it together. This inevitably meant we were making that weird giant rabbit cake from some Kraft Easter recipe, covered in shaved coconut and jelly beans. She indulged me greatly with this because I NEVER wanted to eat it; I just wanted to make it :)