Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Mother’s Day Delights: Bringing a Special Touch to the Holiday
Whether you are looking for a special gift for Mother’s Day or would like to dazzle your mother with a delicious meal, Mother’s Day Delights is the perfect choice. Packed with recipes, insightful poetry, and information about the holiday, this cookbook is a treasure trove of inspiration. Even mothers who don’t do much cooking are sure to enjoy this book, for the recipes are quick and easy with clear instructions, and the results are always fabulous. On the other hand, if your mother is a kitchen whiz, she will be impressed by the quality and variety of recipes that range from appetizers to desserts, jams and jellies to soups, main dishes to side dishes and everything in between. Amaze your mother with a breakfast of Swedish Pancakes and a souffle, or serve her Baked Beef Burgundy and a tantalizing Confetti Chopped Salad for dinner–no matter what meal you choose to honor her with, she will be delighted. Many of the recipes are easy enough that the kids can help Dad out in the kitchen to make a special breakfast in bed, and some are even suitable for older children to make on their own.
My family tried out the Buttermilk Cloverleaf Rolls, the Steak with Sweet Onions, the Baked Potatoes with Stuffing, and the Chocolate Velvet Cake. The rolls were both aesthetically impressive and delicious, very light and buttery. The steak was incredible, as flavorful and tender as any steak we would find at an expensive restaurant. My husband may insist that it become a Father’s Day dinner too! We were pleasantly surprised at the way our kids devoured the potatoes despite the tofu in the stuffing, and thought that it was a great way to add protein to this normally starchy side dish. The cake was best of all–and not just because I’m a chocoholic: it was very moist and rich, truly velvety. Karen Hood has come up with a unique way to add a special touch to the traditional chocolate cake recipe, and I continue to be impressed by her cooking experience and the quality of her Cookbook Delights series.
Order your copy of Mother’s Day Delights today!
Make this Spring unforgettable with Easter Delights
Easter Delights is a cookbook that is destined to become a well-loved classic, filled with over 240 delicious recipes that will make planning for this holiday a breeze. Even at a glance, it is clear that author Karen Hood has chosen recipes that reflect the freshness and vibrance of Spring, using seasonal ingredients that bring dazzling flavors to life. Cooks of all experience and skill will be thrilled with this book, for it offers both traditional dishes and inspiring new recipes that are laid out in a consistent format that is easy to understand and follow. Whether you want to create an elegant brunch or a satisfying dinner, this cookbook provides everything you need to make your Easter meal a success.
While the garden freshness of many of the other appetizers appealed strongly to me, I simply couldn’t resist trying out the Empress Chicken Wings. These Asian style wings were amazing, very flavorful without being overly hot and spicy like most recipes I have tried in the past. The selection of light, fruity beverages were so tempting that I had trouble picking just one. The Springtime Freezy Punch was easy to make and got high marks from my entire family, and I can easily imagine how well it will compliment an Easter brunch. For dinner, we had Roast Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Cranberry Glaze, Garlic Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, and Sweet & Nutty Holiday Peas. All of the food was outstanding, the pork tender and the glaze delightful, the mashed potatoes so packed with flavor that I don’t think we’ll ever be able to go back to eating them plain. The peas were downright amazing. I must confess that I have never liked peas and was actually a bit nervous about how this side dish would be received at the dinner table. No one complained, and there wasn’t a single pea left, not even on my plate.
There are so many enticing recipes in Easter Delights that I will be cooking up a storm for some time to come. I am very impressed with the variety, elegance, and quality of Hood’s recipes–she has transformed me from a shy and inexperienced housewife into a first-class hostess always excited for the next family gathering! My husband’s large (and rather daunting) extended family will be coming to Easter at our house for the first time this year, and with Easter Delights in hand I have no worries about making a good impression. There are recipes for everything I could want, from delicious desserts and sweet treats to fancy quiches and salad dressings. Traditional Easter foods like hot cross buns, deviled eggs, and the classic Easter ham are just the beginning: there is also Bourbon Pecan Roast Chicken, Spiced Cherry Salad, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, and much more. Now the only trouble is deciding which amazing recipes will make up my holiday menu…
Valentine Delights: Culinary Romance
Valentine Delights is a wonderful new cookbook by prolific author and cook Karen Jean Matsko Hood. Packed with delicious recipes, poetry, and fun tidbits of folklore and history, it is sure to be treasured year-round. Designed to achieve a lovely aesthetic as well as thrill the tastebuds, the recipes in this book will add a sumptuous touch to any special or romantic occasion.
Valentine Delights is an invaluable help when planning a memorable evening for your loved one. Hood’s inspired recipes take the stress out of cooking a special meal, giving clear, simple instructions that create truly spectacular dishes. No matter what culinary taste you are trying to achieve, you are sure to find a menu to suit. The extras added to all Whispering Pine Press cookbooks make Valentine Delights stand out even more, providing inspiration for new ways to celebrate the holiday and show your love for the special person in your life.
My family tried out the Chicken Pepperoni, Potatoes Dauphinouise, and Cream Cheese Cookie Hearts. We were all very impressed with the Chicken Pepperoni, which is a fun and unexpected combination of pizza, chicken, and pasta–a good way to get picky eaters to try something new and healthier than Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. The Potatoes Daphinouise were delightfully creamy and cheesy, fancier than ordinary potatoes au gratin. I will be proud to take them as a side dish to family holiday gatherings, where in the past I have felt a bit outclassed by my sisters-in-law and their greater experience in the kitchen. My kids had alot of fun making the cookies, which are very simple and versatile. They are a bit like sugar cookies, but lighter and flakier, and the cream cheese gives them a really wonderful flavor. The cookies were gobbled up quickly, leaving everyone clamoring for more. They will definitely be a favorite at our house. I only wish that I had bought this cookbook in time for Valentine’s Day this year, but I am excited about the possibilities it gives me for creating special ‘date nights’ with my husband all year long, as well as wowing him on our anniversary and many Valentine’s Days to come.
Order your copy of Valentine Delights today!
Raspberry Delights: A Summery, Flavorful Twist to Beloved Old Recipes and New Favorites
Karen Jean Matsko Hood has done it again: another amazing entry in her popular Cookbook Delight Series that is sure to tempt the tastebuds and lure even reluctant cooks into the kitchen to try out these delicious recipes. Raspberry Delights is a treasure trove of unique ways to use this sweet berry to the fullest. I was particularly impressed by the creative use of raspberries in soups, entrees, and side dishes to create unexpected bright, appealing flavors, and the sheer variety of breads and desserts is tantalizing.
As with all of Hood’s cookbooks, it is the extra touches that really make Raspberry Delights stand out. The recipes alone are worth the price of admission, so to speak, but there is so much more: information on different types of raspberry, medicinal uses of the plant, even tips on growing your own raspberries. I was planning to start a small garden in my backyard this year, and was pleasantly surprised to see this information. The preserving section not only provides wonderful recipes for raspberry jams and jellies, but actual instructions for canning, freezing, and dehydrating the berries as well. I have never seen such thorough, detail-oriented information in a cookbook before.
Since raspberries are not currently in season, I used frozen berries for all of the recipes I tried out. Many of the recipes call for fresh raspberries, but I was not disappointed in how any of them turned out and can only imagine how much more flavorful they will taste with fresh fruit. I am a sucker for a good potato salad and am always looking for new variants, so of course I had to try the Raspberry Potato Salad. The recipe was very simple and the results were nothing short of amazing. This potato salad blows my old favorite away, and I can’t wait to take it to the family barbeque on Independence Day this year–it will knock my in-laws flat! I also tried out the Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken, which turned out very tender and moist with a wonderful tangy glaze. The Raspberry Cornbread was a wonderful twist on the conventional recipe, and it was a bit difficult restraining myself to just one piece. Hood’s recipes continue to be a big hit with my family, most of whom are notoriously picky eaters, and I am very glad that I discovered her Cookbook Delights series.
Order your copy of Raspberry Delights today!
Chocolate Delights: Decadence Beyond Dessert
Chocolate Delights Volume I may very well be the most incredible cookbook I have ever seen. Every single recipe is enticing and decadent, and many provide new ways to use chocolate or unique flavor combinations that are very exciting. My mother is a chocoholic and owned numerous chocolate cookbooks that I have perused extensively, but I have never seen anything like Karen Hood‘s Chocolate Delights. At over 300 pages, this collection of recipes covers far more than just desserts and sweet treats: there are also appetizers, main dishes, soups, even jams and jellies with chocolate in them–an idea that frankly knocked me off my feet–and much more.
As with other books in the Cookbook Delights series, recipes are laid out in a simple, consistent manner that is easy to understand, and there is a glossary of cooking terms and a measurement chart in the back to aid less experienced cooks. Added to this is a wealth of fascinating history, folklore, and helpful information. Find out the truth about white chocolate, learn about the chocolate festival celebrated by the ancient Mayans, and more. I found these sections very valuable, especially the information about the different types of chocolate. I was not aware how significant of an impact the different types have on the outcome of any recipe, both in taste and nutritional value. Now I have a good reference that will help me select the right kind of chocolate for any cooking situation.
All of the recipes that I read were clear and easy to follow, and the three recipes that I tried out with my family were alot of fun as well. We made the Mexican Coffee, Savory Chili with Pasta, and Orange Oatmeal Cookies. The chili was very quick and easy, and it was praised even by the picky eaters in my family. The cookies were our favorite recipe–simply amazing, crammed with delicious ingredients that I had never thought to put in oatmeal cookies before. The coffee was an excellent after-dinner treat for my husband and I, and we’ll definitely make it often. My entire family is really excited about trying out the rest of the recipes, and we are already eagerly anticipating the second volume of Chocolate Delights.
Order your copy of Chocolate Delights today!
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