Saturday, December 27, 2008

No Bake Cookies or New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook

No Bake Cookies: More Than 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Cookies, Bars

Author: Camilla V Saulsbury

Flavors worth splurging for with little effort. Readily available ingredients. Perfect results time and again. These are the principles behind No-Bake Cookies.

It may be a surprise to learn that some of the best-tasting cookies and bars can be made without turning on the oven. No magic is involved, just a few time-honored techniques for producing irresistible goodies while the kitchen—not to mention the cook—remains cool. With an assortment of cereals, crushed graham crackers, cookie crumbs, butter, nut butters, cream cheese, and chocolate (and some delicious options for adding flavor such as dried fruits, nuts, toffee, coffee, vanilla, spices, and more), no-bake cookies are a matter of mere minutes in the making.

The recipes in No-Bake Cookies are a boon for busy home cooks with a penchant for sweet treats. They make “first time” cooking fun for kids, too. Even the youngest of children can help with measuring and stirring the ingredients while Mom, Dad, or big brother handle more demanding tasks such as chopping nuts and melting butter on the stovetop.

Most people are familiar with Rice Crispy treats, peanut butter bars, and chocolate-oatmeal no-bakes. No-Bake Cookies expands the horizon with such mouth-watering treats as Maple Praline Drop Cookies, S’Mores Clusters, Quick Caramel Delightfuls, Mixed Fruit, Seed & Nut Energy Bars, PB&J Bites, Maui-Wowie Macadamia Bars, Irish Creamy Mousse Bars, Key Lime Squares, Butterscotch Pudding Bars, Blackberry Mascarpone Bars, and dozens more.

So whether one is looking for a fun-time treat for the kids, a healthy snack for the lunchbox, a dream chocolate indulgence, or a creamy-cool summery icebox bar, a recipe from No-Bake Cookies cookbook always fits the bill.



New interesting book: Emily Dickinsons Herbarium or Elementary Food Science

New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook

Author: Linda Amster

Like fireworks on the Fourth of July, relaxing country weekends are an American summertime tradition and no newspaper knows better how to enjoy them in style than The New York Times. For decades, its food pages have featured recipes perfect for leisurely get-away weekends.  Now, many of the finest have been gathered by best-selling cookbook editor Linda Amster in The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook, a collection that is sure to please every weekend wayfarer. Here are fresh and delectable dishes showcasing the best ingredients that local farm stands and markets have to offer, presented in chapters tailored to every aspect of a long weekend in the country or at the shore:

-The Cocktail Hour
-Quick Suppers After a Long Trip.
-Breakfasts and Brunches to Start the Day
-Lunches at the Beach, Near the Lake or on a Cool and Shady Back Porch
-Dinner: The Main Event
-A Visit to the Farm Stand
-Back to the City

From  celebrated chefs and food writers like Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, Mark Bittman, Daniel Boulud, Rick Bayless, Jean George Vongerichten and others comes a storehouse of wonderful weekend recipes: ginger chili shrimp; grilled pizza with a choice of mouthwatering toppings; sizzling porterhouse steak with herb salad; buttermilk roast chicken; corn on the cob with flavored butters; a simple and spectacular free-form fruit tart. There is even an essay by Lee Bailey, the man who some believe invented the country weekend, that accompanies the recipe for a favorite dish he served to guests before they left for home on Sunday.  A selection of beverage suggestions -- everything from smoothies to teas to martinis-- rounds out this treasure trove for cooks. As a special bonus, a handy chart at the back of the book offers shortcuts to choosing the dishes that best fit your needs and schedule. The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook is not only the must-have resource for your own country kitchen, but also the perfect gift for hosts from the Montauck to Malibu, the Berkshires to Big Sur, the Hudson Valley to the Napa Valley and every weekend getaway in between.



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