Friday, August 19, 2011

Connecticut Cooking - Part Two

I made the last recipe from Connecticut several months ago, but didn't get anything posted at the time. I made the Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes. It seems a bit strange to choose a recipe with that title when cooking from a cookbook that is supposed to be representing Connecticut. But I am glad I chose it. The casserole was very tasty and not as loaded with sugar and butter as many of the sweet potato casseroles are. I liked the addition of pineapple, the crumb topping and the leftovers warmed up nicely. I definitely hope to make this again.


Friday, February 11, 2011

Finished Colorado and started Connecticut

I tried the last recipe I had selected from Colorado Collage. I made Western Slope Peach Bread. It was very good, with a nice touch of spice. I had to use frozen peaches at this time of year, but do plan to make this when I can get fresh peaches in the summer. I think I will also leave out the nutmeg and just use cinnamon. I toasted the almonds that I added. Steven also liked it.

I have made two recipes from Connecticut a la Carte. I made Sunshine Carrots which was easy to put together. After cooking fresh carrots, I added an orange based sauce. The result is a nice citrus flavor, but not overpowering. Steven admitted that they were pretty good. Nice!

Then a few nights ago, I made Yankee Cobbler. This is a different type of cobbler than I have ever had since I have not had one made with apples. The sauce on the apples is made with cranberry juice cocktail and gives a nice tartness to the dish. I also liked the flavor of the biscuits with the lemon sugar sprinkled on top. There were a few mishaps in getting the cobbler prepared. It took much longer than stated in the recipe to get the apples cooked in the oven. Then I had a lot of the sauce that ran over in the oven. So I think if I try this again, I will make some changes. I will try cooking the apples on top of the stove and just finishing it in the oven to bake the biscuit topping. I think I will also try to reduce the amount I make since no one else ate any of it. So I would make about half.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Stalled for Now

I am stalled just a bit on my cooking through the states. I still need to make a peach bread that I chose from Colorado Collage but haven't been doing much baking. I have chosen a few recipes as possibilities for the next state of Connecticut. I should decide on which ones I will actually use so I can see what ingredients I need to buy on my next trip to the grocery store. I wish I could get groceries without going to the store. LOL

Friday, January 21, 2011

Colorado Cooking, part 2

Last night I made another recipe from Colorado Collage. It was for Sausage Rigatoni. Easy to put together and tasty. I used less cheese than specified in the recipe since Steven doesn't care for a lot of cheese. I made half the recipe so I wouldn't have excess leftovers. I also made whole wheat bread to go with it. Tonight I made my specialty of pizza. I do enjoy making my own crust. I always make two pizzas so we have leftovers to enjoy on the weekend.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Colorado Cooking

This week and next, I plan to try some new recipes from a book from Colorado. I am using Colorado Collage by the Junior League of Denver. Tonight, I made Kung Pao Chicken. It was easy to make. Edgar and I both thought it was quite good. I would definitely like to make it again. Steven, however, would prefer to pass on it. The chicken was marinated in soy sauce, then stir-fried with onion and red pepper, finished with a little more soy sauce, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and peanuts. Served it over rice. Very tasty and nice to have something a little different.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Cookbook Gifts

I received two very nice cookbooks as Christmas gifts this year.

First, I received The New Blue Ridge Cookbook by Elizabeth Wiegand. The cover says it has authentic recipes from Virginia's Highlands to North Carolina's Mountains. When my daughter bought this, I think she thought it had recipes from the Blue Ridge region in Georgia. Since I am not from the area, I don't know if the town of Blue Ridge, GA is considered to be in the Blue Ridge mountains. I am looking forward to reading this book as it has lots of sections to read with local information and lore. The first recipe tried was a big hit. My SIL made the Carolina-Style Pulled Pork for us and it was delicious. It was definitely a "make again" for him so my daughter copied the recipe for them to have.

Then, I also received Charleston Classic Desserts by Janice Shay. This book is part of a classic desserts series and I have a couple of other books from that series. I left this book in Georgia as I could only carry so many things home. We have several recipes in mind that we want to try when I go back. This series has dessert recipes from restaurants in the
featured city.

And speaking of Blue Ridge, GA, we made a trip there after Christmas and I bought one cookbook while shopping there. It is the Georgia Hometown Cookbook. It is another book that is part of a series - The State Hometown Cookbook Series. I tried one recipe from it with apples that I bought. Made the Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze. Delicious.

So I would say having used two out of three of my new books already is a great start to the new year.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Starting My Cooking Blog

For the last few months, I have been trying to start using more of my cookbook collection. So that is a definite goal this year. I hope to use at least one new book a week and write about it here. What book did I use and what recipe? Was it good or bad. It will be interesting to look back later and see what my experience was.