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My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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It was a dark and stormy….cookie!? No, I’ve not lost my mind, I’ve just found my new favorite cookie! Dorie’s Dark and Stormies are a decadent chocolate cookie with dark chocolate chunks, and I’m in love! A comfy chair, crackling fire, cup of coffee and one of these cookies (or a whole plate!)…what could be more delightful?

I really love this cookbook. It is full of delicious, prize-winning recipes, gorgeous photos and easy to find information on prep time, chill time, bake time and cooling time. The book is divided into sections: Simple Drop Cookies, Sugar & Spice, Fruit & Nut Treats, Chocolate Delights, Sandwich Cookies and Brownies & Bars. If you’re looking for healthy treats for the holiday, you won’t find them here. Butter is king in this book. Now, nothing makes a good cookie like real butter, but some of these recipes have as much as a pound of butter in them! (I can see why they won prizes!!) With butter prices the way they are right now, that might curtail a little of my holiday baking–but only a little. There are so many recipes that I love or still want to try from this book. I adore the classic Nut Crescents, Dottie’s Mexican Wedding Cookies, classic Shortbread Cookies and Black-Out Cookies. My husband will love the Coffee Toffee, and next on my list is the Hazelnut Espresso Truffle Cookies.

This is a great cookbook to get you in the mood for all that holiday baking. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am happy to recommend it to all. As a little extra, I got permission to include the recipe for the Dark and Stormie cookies! Enjoy!!

I received a copy of this book from Agate Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dorie’s Dark and Stormies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Prep time: 25 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour
Bake time: 14 minutes per batch

1¼ cups flour
⅓ cup Dutch process cocoapowder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon sea salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together in small bowl; set aside. Beat the butter until smooth in bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the sugars, vanilla and salt; beat 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated but still crumbly, and being careful not to overwork the dough. Stir in the chocolate pieces.
2. Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface; squeeze it so that it sticks together in large clumps. (If you need to, it’s OK to lightly flour the work surface.) Gather the dough into a ball; divide in half. Shape each ball into a log 11/2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; chill at least 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Gently slice logs into 1/2-inch rounds using a serrated knife (some will crumble; simply press broken bits back onto cookie). Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
4. Bake, one sheet at a time, 14 minutes; cookies will not look done or be firm. Cool on pan 5 minutes; transfer to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature.

Note: Dough can be made ahead and frozen. Frozen dough doesn’t need to be defrosted before baking; just slice logs and bake 1 minute longer. Packed airtight, cookies will keep at room temperature up to 3 days or frozen up to a month.

Chicago Tribune recipe for one-time use only in conjunction with reviews or coverage of Holiday Cookies by Agate Publishing and the Chicago Tribune.

http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Cookies…

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons
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When I was contacted about possibly reviewing this cookbook and participating in the blog tour, I jumped at the chance. I have absolutely loved every Greek dish I’ve ever tried, so I knew I really wanted a part of this! As soon as the book arrived, I took a break from everything and spent the next hour curled up on the couch reading and browsing through the book. My list of things I want to make finally just got tossed as it was half the book!

I homeschool my girls and we are currently studying ancient history. One of their assignments was to make lentil stew, a dish very common to that time. They were very excited to find a recipe in “It’s All Greek to Me”, and set out to make it. Now, they are not exactly fans of lentils. I make them semi-regularly as they are a cheap, healthy dish, but it’s definitely not one of their favorites. However, they all actually enjoyed this version which includes carrots, celery and more.

Many of my favorites are in this book from Spanokopita to Tomato, Cumumber and Red Onion Salad, Greek Meatball Soup and of course, there’s always Baklava!! Oh, my! Definitely my favorite Greek dessert, I am very pleased to be able to share Debbie’s recipe with you!!

Baklava (bah-klah-VAH)

Here is my family’s secret recipe for the best Baklava ever. Rolling it this way, as opposed to baking it in a flat pan, ensures a light flakiness and just the right amount of the honey syrup running throughout. Around the holiday season, when I was growing up, my mom would make big batches of this so that my sister, my brother, and I could give platters of it to our teachers. Needless to say, every new school year, teachers were very excited to see one of the Matenopoulos kids on their class rosters!

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 39 PIECES

FOR THE BAKLAVA
11/4 pounds walnuts (about 5 cups), finely chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 (1-pound) package phyllo dough sheets
(13 × 18 inches), thawed (see tip, page 112)
(18 sheets)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE SYRUP
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 (2-inch-wide) piece fresh lemon peel
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
(1 lemon)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon, and set aside.

Working quickly, and keeping the unused phyllo sheets covered, lay out 1 sheet of phyllo on a clean flat surface. Lightly brush the phyllo sheet with the melted butter. Cover with a second phyllo sheet and butter. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the nut mixture over the top sheet. Repeat this process with 2 more sheets of phyllo and another 1/2 cup of the nut mixture, then again with last 2 phyllo sheets and a final ½ cup of the nut mixture. You will have used 6 sheets of phyllo and 11/2 cups of the nut mixture (3 layers). Starting at the long end (the 18-inch side), gently roll the layered phyllo sheets up into a tight, fat roll. Brush the seam with butter to seal. Repeat the entire process twice more. One package will make 3 rolls.

Using a large, very sharp knife, cut the rolls into 1-inch pieces. Lay the pieces cut side down on 2 large ungreased rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, and, using a large spatula or tongs, quickly flip the baklava over. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more or until cooked through, golden and flaky.

While the baklava is baking, make the syrup. Combine all of the syrup ingredients except the lemon juice in a medium, nonreactive saucepan. Set it over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 12 minutes, stir in the lemon juice, and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and carefully remove and discard the lemon peel. Let the syrup cool slightly.

Remove the baklava from the oven and slowly pour the warm syrup over pieces on the baking sheets. Let stand 1 hour to soak up the syrup. Transfer to individual cupcake wrappers, if desired, and serve. The baklava will keep, covered loosely, at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Debbie’s Tip: To make a vegan baklava, substitute a vegan butter (like Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks) for the dairy butter, use maple sugar or organic (vegan) sugar, and omit the honey, if desired. 

Baklava!!

I was also able to get a Q&A from Debbie Matenopoulos to share with you all!

“Fall for Greek with Debbie Matenopoulos” Blog Tour Q&A
What was your favorite part about putting this book together? Most challenging?
My favorite part about putting this cookbook together was gathering all of the recipes from my family and translating them into English. There is so much history in these recipes. It was very nostalgic. My mother gave me my grandmother’s hand written recipe books that were written in Greek along with her own. There were pages that were coming out that were obviously worn by the years of being referenced time and time again. I felt as if I was holding our most valuable family heirlooms in my hands. I feel very honored that my entire family was willing to share their treasured recipes with me and allow me to share them with the world.

The most challenging part of writing this cookbook was translating the measurements from the metric system. That was no easy task. As opposed to just going by a chart, I chose to personally re-measure everything just to be certain. I have to admit that this was the one time in my life I wished they had taught us more of the metric system in school. 😉

What 5 items are a must in a well-stocked Greek pantry?
A Greek pantry is NOT a Greek pantry without some very key ingredients. I know you’ve asked for 5, but there are actually 7 that every Greek kitchen should be stocked with. They are Greek extra virgin olive oil, dried Greek oregano, fresh lemons, fresh flat leaf parsley, fresh tomatoes, and onions. Combined, those ingredients and you have the base of a lot of Greek dishes.

The Mediterranean Diet is high in healthy fats. How do you incorporate heart-healthy oils into your recipes?
It has been proven time and time again that extra virgin olive oil is the most heart healthy of all oils. It is all I have ever used and it is all that my family ever used growing up. Although the smoke point is much lower than it is on other oils, in my opinion, it is still the best way to go when cooking or flavoring any dish. I wouldn’t consider cooking with anything else. Extra virgin olive oil has been proven to lower cholesterol and fight heart disease. As a matter of fact, one of the leading cardiologists in the country, Dr. Michael Ozner, wrote the forward to my book and in it, he discusses this very issue. That’s why he too believes that the Mediterranean way of eating that I describe in my book is the most healthy way of eating on the planet.

What is your earliest memory of cooking/preparing Greek food?
My earliest memories of cooking are from when I was about 4 years old and are of me being in the kitchen with my mom. I was helping her stir the bechamel for the pastichio or moussaka over the stovetop to make sure it didn’t get too thick. She would pull up a stool for me to stand on and make sure to let me know that my job was very important. She would tell me that getting the pastichio or moussaka exactly right all depended on me making sure I didn’t let the bechamel thicken too much. That responsibility made me feel so important and made me so proud when we all sat down to dinner. It truly made me feel like I was an integral part in making this delicious meal. I think that’s when I fell in love with cooking.

What message would you like to resonate with your readers/home cooks?
I would like the readers of this blog and the home cooks to not only enjoy the amazing flavors of the Mediterranean cuisine of my ancestors, but also the immeasurable health benefits. And, I’d like them to enjoy this food with their family and loved ones, because after all, food is more than just food to Greeks. To Greeks, food represents love and family. So here’s to you enjoying the deliciousness of this cookbook with your family!! 😉

This book is gorgeous and filled with such lovely recipes that I can highly recommend it to anyone.  I am happy to host a giveaway for your own copy of this beautiful cookbook!  Enter on the Rafflecopter!  (I do apologize that I wasn’t able to get it up in time, so it doesn’t start until midnight tonight.)  Enjoy!

I received a copy of this book from BenBella Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons
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A fire is crackling merrily in the fireplace as I type, and the weather is perfect for this book today! Even the title of this beautiful cookbook makes you feel cozy. Leek and Potato Soup, Slow-Cooked Onion and Cider Soup with Gruyere Toasts, Baked Mushrooms with Manchego Bechamel, Chunky Fish Stew with Cheese Toasts, Winter Vegetable Gratin, Coq au Vin, Toasted Teacakes, Baked Apples….my mouth is watering and I’m in the mood for comfort food! I was slightly surprised there wasn’t a Beef Stew recipe included, just Boeuf Bourguignon. Boeuf Bourguignon is great, but sometimes just a simple, hearty beef stew with lots of vegetables and a nice, thick broth is perfect for those cold nights in front of a warm fire. This oversight caused the book to almost seem to have a hole in it for me, like a page was missing or something.

My girls and I have started “Tea and Tales” once or twice a month on a Friday to discuss a book we’re reading together. I think “Toasted Teacakes” will be the perfect accompaniment to our tea for our first meeting today!

This is a beautiful book with gorgeous photos and scrumptious recipes to get us through the fall and winter months. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from Ryland, Peters & Small and CICO Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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There is so much to love about this book! Curl up by the fire and read about the different countries and dishes represented here, or just get in the kitchen and start cooking! I love that along with familiar places such as Greece, Germany and Italy you also have Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Algeria, Aquitaine, Kazakhstan and French Guinea. My girls love the Cornish Pasties, and Fennel Salad from Sicily is quite lovely and simple to make. Try an entire meal from a country or your choice, or pick and choose dishes to make a truly International night! Hmmm, Spatzle from Germany followed by Hazelnut Salad from Switzerland, Pork Adobo from Philippines, Green Beans and Carrots from Haiti followed by Apple Blackberry Pie from Norway. You are only limited by your imagination–and sometimes your pocketbook for some of the more ‘exotic’ ingredients.

A couple of things dropped the rating of this book. Even a few photos would have been nice (an occasional line drawing of a cabbage, pineapple or other ingredient doesn’t do much for me in a cookbook). Also, if you don’t read the introductory portion of the book you won’t know that all the recipes are configured to feed three people because that’s the size of the author’s family. NONE of the recipes I could find lists serving size. The author explains this away as his daughter telling him when he does math to shrink or expand a recipe he is “no fun”, so he leaves that to his reader. Fine, hire someone to do it for you, then. Having recipes designed for 3 people can be pretty awkward for someone with a family of 4. We have six in our family so I can easily double, but others may have to work more to get an amount that works for them. This just feels very unprofessional to me.

Even with the drawbacks mentioned above, this is a great cookbook full of interesting food. As a homeschool mom, it’s also a great tool in school. Instead of just learning about different countries from a book, why not incorporate their cuisine into your studies as well?! With this book we’ll get a little extra math in when we double the recipes as well.

I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons
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Oh, what fun! I’m not a huge vegetable lover, but this book had me salivating from Apple Butter clear through to Berry Maritime Rumtopf! So many ways to make vegetables! From Eggplant Fries to Scalloped Turnips, I found myself wanting to try them all. I started with a simple Garlic-Fried Brussels Sprouts. I hated Brussels sprouts growing up and only discovered they weren’t so bad after all when I was in my thirties. These were delicious and so quick and easy to make. I’m trying the Pecan Brussels Sprouts next! Fresh Tomatoes with Basil and Mozzarella is a long-time family favorite around here. I had never tried it with balsamic vinegar, though.

I love that this cookbook runs the gamut of super simple and easy with very few ingredients such as Kale Chips to more involved and adventurous, like Red Curry Shrimp and Cabbage. Emphasis is on fresh, quality ingredients, and that shows in the final dish.

Maritime Fresh is a beautiful cookbook full of gorgeous, full-color photos printed on a nice, heavy paper. It’s fun to browse through and cook from, and I know I’ll be returning to it again and again.

I received a copy of this book from Nimbus Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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The Surf Cafe Cookbook falls into that small category of cookbooks that are as much fun to curl up in a comfy chair and read as it is to cook from. It has a homey feel and is such fun.

The recipes are mostly simple and scrumptious. From the classic ‘Eggs and Soldiers’ breakfast–and they even include the pattern to knit your own egg beanies!–to grilled sea trout and from a classic Irish soda bread to ‘Perfect Bangers and Mash’, there is such a lovely variety of foods and flavors. I was a little disappointed that they call for baps (a type of roll) in more than one recipe but, while they make a point that everything in their restaurant is homemade, they never give you a recipe to make the baps. Unfortunately, baps are not something I can just go out and buy, so I’ll have to find a recipe somewhere else.

The egg beanies noted above are not the only non-food instructions included, which just adds to the fun of this book. There is everything from ‘The Perfect Irish Larder’ to tips to make the perfect cup of coffee, how to gut a fish, local walks, foraging and the classic Irish cheese board. This is such a fun book. I love it and highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from Quartos Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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My first introduction to Vietnamese cuisine was two sweet Vietnamese ladies who took my parents, my sister and I to a lovely Vietnamese restaurant in Anchorage, AK of all places. I, unfortunately, was very timid when it came to new foods at the time and played it safe, ordering mixed fried rice. Now, that fried rice was absolutely the best fried rice I’ve ever had (still to this day!), but I really regret not being more adventurous in my food choices. There was a soup everyone had before the meal that was amazing, but the name of it has been lost in the mists of time (that was over 20 years ago!). I’ve had a little opportunity to eat more Vietnamese food since then, but not near as much as I’d like. How exciting to get this cookbook to make my own!

This gorgeous book is well laid out with a comprehensive plan. It starts with ‘A Passion for Vietnamese Cooking’ with some facts and history. Four suggested menus are then given–Dinner, Lunch, An Elegant Dinner, and A Weeknight Dinner–each feeding 6-8 people. The author then gives his personal story of growing up in Vietnam through the Communist takeover and his eventual escape to Australia and life beyond. After this, we move into ‘Setting up Your Vietnamese Kitchen’, ‘Stocking a Vietnamese Pantry’ and a beautiful, illustrated guide to ‘Essential Vietnamese Ingredients’. Now we get to the good stuff–recipes!

I decided to start of easy with a basic recipe. Just because I’m more adventurous now doesn’t mean my kids are! I decided to make the Carrot and Daikon Pickles on page 27. I didn’t have the daikon radishes and didn’t want to make a trip to the store since I’m still recovering from the flu, so I halved the amounts of the pickling liquid and just sliced up two large carrots with a food processor. Personally, I like them. They are definitely not what I’m used to, but it’s a nice, fresh yet acidic flavor that makes a nice accompaniment or just a little snack. My kids are still trying to make up their minds. I don’t try to force my kids to like new and exotic things, but I do strongly encourage them to at least give them a try!

For supper, keeping in mind the reservations with the first dish, I decided to go with Vegetarian Fried Rice. Fried rice is always popular with my kids, and I wanted to make something they would enjoy–and get some great veggies along with it! I had some very small leeks I just pulled out of the last of my garden, so I used the small ends in place of part of the onion, and some of the green ends in place of the scallions. This is not your classic, greasy fried rice you find in a lot of Asian restaurants. I had a bit of an issue with my rice tonight, but other than the rice being a tad too wet, the dish was light and flavorful. My youngest wasn’t a huge fan, but she is my pickiest eater. The other three all went back for seconds. I guess the pickled carrots grew on them as well as all four took a helping on their own.

Now that I made my family happy, I’m ready to branch out into more involved and unfamiliar dishes. I really want to try the Crispy Stuffed Pancakes, Fresh Rice Paper Rolls with Pork, Grilled Beef with Lemongrass and Rice Noodles and Mussels with Basil, to name a few.

This is a beautiful book with lots of gorgeous photos. I love that the dishes are usually photographed as they’d be served and not in high-fashion, stylized photos. Simple food served on simple dishes as they should be.

I received a copy of this book from Tuttle Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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Oh, my! I’m baking more madeleines as I type, and they are amazing!! I’m currently baking the Classic French Madeleines, and they are a huge hit with my family. Light and airy, they melt in your mouth!

There are so many different recipes for madeleines in this lovely little cookbook. I had no idea there were that many variations. One down side; there is a typo in the recipe for the Pumpkin Madeleines. It says 1/ c. pureed pumpkin. I guessed and added 1/2 c, but I think it probably should be closer to 1/4 c. They were absolutely yummy, but I think a bit on the heavy side for a madeleine. I haven’t found any other issues so far. Definitely try the Mapley Granola Madeleines!

I didn’t have a madeleine pan, and I couldn’t find one in the stores around here, so I ordered one online. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the smaller print which was the only place it stated that it was a miniature version. I don’t recommend a mini madeleine pan as the shell shape doesn’t seem to stay in the little cakes, and it takes lots of pans or refills to finish one recipe. At one point, I threw some of the batter in some mini muffin tins just to help finish up! If you need a pan, I highly recommend getting a full-size madeleine pan!

I received a copy of this book from Quirk Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons
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I have fond memories of going to a huge Indian festival in Texas (of all places!), and just enjoying the culture and food–especially the food! Real curries, kabobs and the most incredible desserts have long remained a delicious memory for me. I was delighted to receive this book to recreate some amazing Indian food for myself and my family.

This beautiful book is well laid out in a very thoughtful manner. You start with ‘Tools of the Trade’, letting you know what tools are necessary for recipes in this book. From there you move to ‘Indian Spices and Herbs’, a sort of glossary of the different spices used. ‘The Fridge and Pantry’ come next, and then you move right into the recipes. Instead of trying to buy pre-mixed versions of spices such as Tandoori or Garam Masala, why not make your own? Multiple spice mixes are laid out here before moving on to Chutneys and more. I love that you won’t find a store-bought curry powder in any of these recipes. Instead, you have a delightful, mix of authentic Indian spices.

The author leans vegan, so there is tofu recipes scattered throughout, but meat dishes are included as well. On the other side, if you’re vegetarian or vegan, there are often substitutes listed to make the dish available to you as well. My daughters love Naan (bread), so they were delighted to see the recipe included here. I forsee a baking day with all of us in the kitchen trying our hand at this luscious Indian bread.

This is a lovely, high-quality book that is wonderful to cook from, but is equally at home on the coffee table available for browsing at any time. A delight to cook from, I highly recommend this cookbook!

I received a copy of this book from Agate Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.