FREE YOGURT...it's all Greek to me (and maybe a little bit French, as well.)

Yup, you heard me right!  Dannon is offering a coupon so you, me, your cousin, your neighbor, your uncle Buck and your aunt Flo...we can all try a free container* of one of their new Dannon Activia Selects yogurts.  There are two different varieties:  Greek (my personal favorite) and French.  Wouldn't you like to check out a "wider world of taste and texture"?  Go ahead...give a try...which will you choose?

Thick and creamy...

or fruity and silky-smooth...

...simply CLICK ON ONE OF THE YOGURT PICTURES to get your coupon for a free container of Dannon Activia Selects yogurt!

*the fine print:

This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion.

FREE coupon offer good 8/3/11 - 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID in LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11.

Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a '$1 off 3 Activia Selects' coupon.

50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #9 Irma Rombauer - Oatmeal Molasses Bread

In May '11, Gourmet posted a list of 50 Women Game-Changers (in Food) that runs the gamut from food writers to cookbook authors to television personalities to restauranteurs to chefs to food bloggers.  Some are a given.  Some are controversial.  Speaking the names of some brings fond childhood memories.  Speaking the names of others will make some readers cringe.  And of course, some of our favorites were not even included.  We food-lovers are a passionate bunch of people and whether we agree or disagree, every woman on this list has earned her place for a reason.  Being a woman who is passionate about food (cooking, eating, talking about, writing about, photographing), when I caught wind of Mary from One Perfect Bite's idea of cooking/blogging her way through each of these 50 women...one per week...I knew I wanted to join her.  Many of these women paved the way for us in culinary school, in the kitchen, in cookbooks, in food writing, and on television and I think it is a fabulous way to pay tribute to their efforts.  Some of the women on the list have been tops with me for years.  Some I have heard of (perhaps even seen, read, or cooked from) before.  And there are even a handful that I am not familiar with at all.  I excited to educate myself on each of these women game-changers and hope you look forward to reading along.  We are going in order from 1 to 50.

the "Gourmet" prompt...

9. Irma S. Rombauer - In all its eight versions, and all its 75+ years (and counting), Joy of Cooking is arguably the essential American cookbook. Irma wrote (and published) the first version in 1931, giving birth—literally—to a culinary dynasty.

I can't remember a time when I didn't have The Joy of Cooking.  Honestly.  It's another of those books that I remember seeing on the shelf when I was little.  It's one of the first cookbooks I bought for my own bookshelf.  The Joy of Cooking began as a sheaf of papers containing 73 recipes for the Women's Alliance and a cooking course at her Unitarian church.  Always a big social gal, Rombauer loved the art and togetherness of food, as much as ...or more than... the cooking aspect.  She was a well-seasoned cake decorator and an avid gardener.  After her husband died in 1930, around the same time that her children were off starting grown-up lives of their own, Rombauer decided to compile her well-tested recipes into an instructional book.  Since its initial release in 1931, it has been expanded and updated to keep up with the changing times and continues to be edited by Irma's daughter, Marion.The Joy of Cooking was the only cookbook included in the New York Public Library's 150 most influential books of the centuring during its 1995 centennial celebration.*

worth further exploration: (books) Little Acorn: Joy of Cooking, the First Fifty Years (the story behind...) by Marion Rombauer Becker, Stand Facing the Stove by Anne Mendelson, (cookbook) The Joy of Cooking, (website) The Joy Kitchen . com, (article) Notable Americans- Irma Rombauer: The Joy of Cooking

Oatmeal Molasses Bread (or rolls)
adapted from The Joy of Cooking (1997 edition)
yield: 2 loaves (or 24 rolls)

1½ c. water
1 c. rolled oats
1 Tbs. butter
¾ tsp. fine sea salt
~ ~
1 Tbs. active dry yeast
¼ c. warm water (~110° F)
~ ~
½ c. room temperature water
⅓ c. molasses
~ ~
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. unbleached bread flour + more, as needed

Stir first four ingredients together in a small pot over medium-low heat until oatmeal is soft, smooth, and thick, ~10 minutes.  Let cool, stirring occasionally, until mixture is no longer warmer than 115° F.

Combine warm water and yeast in the bowl of a mixer and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, ~5 minutes.

Add oatmeal mixture to mixing bowl along with remaining water and molasses.  Stir on low (using dough hook attachment), until well blended.  Add flour, 1 cup at a time until dough is moist, but not sticky.  Knead on medium until dough is smooth and elastic, ~7-10 minutes (or ~15 minutes by hand).

Form dough into a ball and transfer to a large, well-oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic and let sit until doubled in size, ~1-1½ hrs.

Punch dough down, then divide into two.  Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

At this point, either free-form your dough into loaves and place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat/parchment or roll and place into oiled bread pans.  Grease some plastic wrap, cover, and let rise until doubled in size again, ~45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375° F during last 15 minutes of rise time.

Slide into oven and bake for ~40-45 minutes. Let cool a bit before slicing.

to make rolls:
After first rise, punch dough down, cover and let sit 30 minutes.  Divide into 24 equal pieces, roll into balls and place ~2" apart on a lined sheet tray. Covered with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 400° F during last 15 minutes of rise time, then slide in and bake until golden, ~20-25 minutes.

Irma S. Rombauer (1877-1962)

"Will it encourage you to know that I was once as ignorant, helpless and awkward a bride as was ever foisted on an impecunious young lawyer? Together we placed many a burnt offering upon the altar of matrimony."  ~Irma Rombauer (from the preface of one of the editions of the Joy of Cooking)

Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

Mary- One Perfect Bite, Val- More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne- Eats Well With Others, Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan- The Spice Garden, Claudia- A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather- girlichef, April- Abby Sweets , Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living, Katie- Making Michael Pollan Proud, Kathy- Bakeaway with Me, Sue- The View from Great Island, Viola- The Life is Good Kitchen

*source: Notable Americans

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Yeastspotting!

cookbook review: Beyond Bacon Grease by Cheryl L. Hughey + Missouri Baked Beans

Beyond Bacon Grease

Author:  Cheryl L. Hughey
Publisher:  Old Timey Gifts
Soft Cover (comb-bound w/ heavy duty plastic cover) : 70 Pages
Photos: a few black & white + illustrations

Chapters/Sections: Breakfast, Main Dishes, Beans & Soups, Side Dishes, Desserts, Cooking & Gardening Tips

Unique Feature: I think the best feature in this cookbook is the section on Cooking & Gardening Tips. From Hughey's recommended pantry list (complete with her reason's "why") to her Urban Gardening Tips to her tutorial on growing her favorite condiment- sprouts.  Fun, unique, and very interesting. 

(a few of the) Recipes Destined for my Kitchen:  Thymely Veggie Broth, Gingerly Yours Fried Rice, Crusty Mashed Potatoes, Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding

My Thoughts/Review:  It is very obvious that this freshman effort by Hughey was a labor of love.  She put a lot of thought into this book that is punctuated with quotes, poems and musings.  Many of the recipes I would classify as "semi-homemade".  They call for things such as bottled dressings, condensed soups, gravy mixes, canned sauces, and squeezable tubes of garlic...things not normally housed in my pantry.  That said, many home cooks do keep these things handy and use them on a regular basis, so they could find these recipes very suited to their everyday needs.  I do, however keep canned beans, tomatoes, and a few other condiments handy, so I was able to envision some of these dishes in my own kitchen.  As I write, a fragrant pan of Hughey's Missouri Baked Beans is assaulting my senses from the oven.  This is a very user-friendly cookbook, with spaces left for your own notes and Hughey's girl-next-door style.  While I wouldn't recommend it for a chef or a well-seasoned cook, I do think it would be a great addition to the collection of somebody who doesn't enjoy spending loads of time in the kitchen (I've heard that there are people like this out there) or who is just "learning the ropes".  It's a great book for beginners and semi-homemaders.

recipe I have already tried:

Missouri Baked Beans

2 (10 oz.) cans navy beans I used cannellini, drained
½ c. onion, diced
2 Tbs. + 1 tsp. barbecue sauce
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. brown gravy sauce (avail. in Asian section) ?? I used A1
salt, freshly ground black pepper, chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients and pour into a 9x9" glass pie pan I just used a 9" metal pie plate coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake in a preheated oven at 425° F until bubbly and thick mine took ~20-25 minutes.  I also seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

I liked them...simple yet very flavorful.  I mean...beans are good food☺!

about the author: Cheryl Hughey is a St. Louis-based author that has been published in Natural Muscle, Ms. Fitness, Concierge Magazine, West End Word, Sauce, Intermission Magazine and more. A candidate for a black belt in taekwondo later this year, Cheryl often finds often finds inspiration by working in her garden.

*I received a free copy of this book to review from the author.  All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.


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Mexican Chocolate Ice Pops {Paletas de Chocolate}

Remember those fudge bars you loved as a kid?  Perhaps they're still a favorite.  I was never really a big fan.  Once in a great while, I'd get a craving for one.  But only one.  Oddly enough, I've never been a straight-up chocolate kind of gal when it comes to ice cream.  Now, I know that a fudge pop is not exactly ice cream, but same difference.  In my mind.  When I eat chocolate ice cream (Still. To this day.) I want something swirled or chunky inside of it.  I guess I feel the need for some contrast and texture to break up the richness.  That is EXACTLY what my new favorite paleta is all about.  Imagine a homemade popsicle with that rich, smooth consistency of a fudge bar.  Now imagine it laced with the scent of cinnamon.  And now imagine little bits of grainy Mexican chocolate and toasty bites of nuts studded throughout.  Oh yeah.  This is my kind of fudge bar.  My new favorite.  It's entirely likely that, given the dangerous opportunity, I could eat a whole batch of these all by myself. 

 Mexican Chocolate Ice Pops

{Paletas de Chocolate}

slightly adapted from Paletas by Fany Gerson

yield 6-10 (depends on the size of your mold, really)

1 c. heavy cream

2 c. whole milk

1 (3" pc.) canela (Mexican Cinnamon stick)

pinch of fine sea salt

8 oz. Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped- divided

¾ c. mix of toasted almonds & hazelnuts, coarsely chopped- divided

Put cream, milk, cinnamon stick, and salt in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Lower heat and continue to simmer for ~5 minutes.  Add half of the chopped chocolate and stir until dissolved.  Let cool (over an ice bath or in the fridge) completely.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Combine the remaining chopped chocolate with the toasted nuts.

Divide the cooled cream mixture evenly among popsicle molds, leaving enough room on top to add the chocolate/nut mixture later.  Freeze until mixture has a bit of a slushy consistency, ~30 minutes.  Evenly divide the chocolate/nut mixture into the slushy molds, pushing down a bit so that the mixture is just covered.  Add your sticks (this may push little bits to the top and middle of the popsicles...but I like it...little surprises hidden throughout) and freeze until solid.

As with her book, My Sweet Mexico...I am now totally addicted to Fany Gerson's Paletas.  I promptly ordered it after checking it out from the library.

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Guiso de Calabacitas, Verdolagas y Flor de Calabaza con Chorizo {Zucchini, Summer Squash, Purslane, & Squash Blossom Sauté w/ Chorizo}

Come this time of year, I always find myself eating tacos stuffed with...whaddaya think...zucchini. Weird, right? I mean, such a rare item in the height of summer.  I comb the depths of the gardens and sparse farm stands in order to bring home this mysterious green vegetable...and sometimes its cousin with the yellow skin.  I'm always so pleased with myself when I'm able to hunt these shy rascals down.  And when their beautiful sister the squash blossom is hanging around?  Well, that's just a bonus.  When I saw a recipe for a dish using both, I knew I wanted to try it next time my chase proved fruitful.  I did want to include zucchini's friend, chorizo in the party...they always seem to get along so well...like they were meant for each other.  Soul mates, if you will.  Imagine my great shock when I ran into another of those wily, hard-to-get players, purslane.  I mean, how often do you see purslane creeping around in the middle of summer!?  I coaxed them all inside the house and added a few friends to make one fantastic party.  A party in a tortilla.  You may know it by its formal name- taco.

✽Yes, I'm being facetious.✽

Guiso de Calabacitas, Verdolagas y Flor de Calabazo con Chorizo

Zucchini, Summer Squash, Purslane, & Squash Blossom Sauté w/ Chorizo
adapted from Saveur (May '11)
serves ~4

½ lb. fresh chorizo
olive oil
¼ sm. red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ jalapeño, minced
handful verdolagas (purslane), picked/trimmed
1 medium zucchini, halved, seeded & cut into half moons
1 medium summer squash, halved, seeded  cut into half moons
1 large tomato, chopped
small handful cilantro
~12 flor de calabaza (squash blossoms)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

queso fresco

Cook chorizo in a small skillet over medium heat until cooked through.  Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat a couple glugs of olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño and cook for ~5 minutes, or until soft.  Add both types of squash, purslane, and tomato to pan and cook until squash is just tender.

Run a sharp knife through the cilantro a few times and then throw the cilantro and squash blossoms into the skillet, gently "fold" them into the mixture and turn off the heat.  Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (going light on the salt, if you use it at all...remember the chorizo is seasoned).

Scoop into individual bowls and divide reserved chorizo evenly over each serving, then crumble as much queso fresco on top as you wish.  Serve with warm tortillas and some salsa.

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book tour: Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto + giveaway

Before Ever After

author: Samantha Sotto  
Publisher: Crown  
Source: TLC Book Tours
Hard Cover: 304 pages  

"foodie" elements: YES...in the form of words...no recipes, but plenty of mouthwatering, belly-rumbling moments.

random excerpt:  The group followed Max and their noses to a rustic wooden table.  It groaned under the weight of freshly baked bread, croissants, jams, coffee, and fruit.  Max set the dish at the center of the table, revealing a golden crust of cheese topped with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.  It bubbled an invitation.  

summary/synopsis: (from dust cover flap/author website)  Three years after her husband Max’s death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max–same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose–he could be Max’s long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well. As outrageous as Paolo’s claims seem–how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn’t he looked her up? – Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down–if it is really Max– and along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max’s stories of bloody Parisian barricades,medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her “happily ever after.” And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to.  

my thoughts/review: I found myself instantly intrigued by Shelley.  Her sudden devastating, life-altering loss and the way she chose to deal (or not so much) with her husband's death.  Until she finds out that maybe the past three years she mourned somebody who didn't really die.  I love (in a shivering, teeth-chattering kind of way) the supernatural, and I found Sotto's immortality concept very intriguing.  From the yellow flyer that found its way to Shelley...

...to the new, unexpected life it led to, I was hooked.  Since the loss is laid out right away in the book, I began to wonder where the story would lead me.  As Shelley and Paolo began a new journey, I felt a bit of a longing for more of what was happening "in the present", but was easily caught up in the tales of Max's past lives (in a sense) in Paris and Austria and Rome.  We got to know much about Shelley and a lot about Max through her memories...memories that began to take on a whole new meaning with the new, confusing information that Shelley had to relate to.  It ended with a bang and a twist...and made me wish there was something hiding on the next page.

And darn it all.  Why oh why would Sotto tempt us with such brilliant descriptions of eggs baked with cream, tarragon, a hint of cayenne...and a crust of golden cheese and then not put a recipe to go with it!?  Just the one.  But alas, it's not there.  I checked thrice.

A fun, interesting tragic romance sprinkled with good food, historical fiction, and a bit of fantasy.  I enjoyed it.
----

 about the author: SAMANTHA SOTTO fell in love with Europe’s cobbled streets and damp castles when she moved to the Netherlands as a teenager. Since then, she has spent nights huddled next to her backpack on a beach in Greece, honeymooned in Paris, and attended business meetings in Dusseldorf in the pleasant company of a corporate credit card. Before Ever After was inspired by her experiences living, studying, and traveling in Europe. Samantha lives in the Philippines with her family. This is her first novel.

Giveaway: The publisher has graciously offered one of my readers a chance to win their own copy of Before Ever After.  Open to those who have a mailing address in the USA or Canada only.  If you'd like to be entered to win, simply let me know in a comment on this post.  Please make sure I have a way of contacting you, should you win (otherwise I will draw a new name). Submissions due August 14th by 11:59 pm (Eastern).  Good Luck!  
 This giveaway is now closed.

 Winner by random draw is:

Congrats, Nay...I hope you enjoy it☺!

*I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher.  All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.