| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Oct 04 2005 : 09:31:44 AM
I would love to know about your favorite sources for holiday cooking and baking.
One of my favorites is a book called, "Four Midwestern Sisters' Christmas Book" by Holly Burkhalter (with help from her three sisters). Holly is from Ames, Iowa but lives in Washington, D.C. and does much entertaining. The book is a charming mix of holiday memories and their favorite family recipes. I loved her stories of Christmas shopping and gift making when they were children and all of the recipes, which range from cookies and scones to cranberry cocktail meatballs and oyster stew, are fabulous.
Of course, it is out of print, but there are plenty of used copies available from Amazon.com for a few dollars.
What's your favorite???
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ivmeer |
Posted - Oct 06 2005 : 11:09:14 AM
Well, lucinda, different holidays are associated with different foods or types of food. For instance, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is associated with sweet foods, particularly those containing honey, such as honey cakes. In the spirit of the holiday, I made baked acorn squash with dried cranberries and spice, as well as apple crisp.
Sukkot is the Jewish festival of booths, and a harvest festival. I plan to make apple sweet potato bread for that. Anything containing dried fruit is also good. Brussels sprouts are always wonderful this time of year, so I'll probably make those, too (I already made them for Rosh Hashanah).
Chanukah is associated with dairy foods and fried foods, like potato pancakes. Going on this theme, and the fact that it occurs in the dead of winter, I have made Russian meals at Chanukah time. My favorite menu is beet borscht, potato pancakes, kasha with mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and green onions in a yogurt/sour cream dressing, and a plate of smoked salmon. Of course, this is served with sour cream and applesauce. I break with the Russian tradition and make sesame candies to go with them, which are a Sephardic Chanukah tradition.
Purim is associated with giving gifts of food to your friends. One of the traditional foods is hamentaschen, which are three-cornered cookies filled with poppy seeds or jam.
Passover is the most involved of the holidays because the dietary restrictions are very severe. No bread except for matzoh, no grains of any kind, pasta, rice, etc. You eat a lot of potatoes and eggs that week. Furthermore, you have to purchase any foods you use during Passover completely new. In other words, you can't use a spice you already have sitting in your kitchen. You have to get a new one. It's really easy to go broke. For this reason, I'm always really careful to make stuff that relies mostly on fresh herbs and doesn't necessitate buying a lot of new spices. Luckily, in recent years, quinoa has been allowed because it's not technically a grain. I make a vegetable stew with quinoa, a casserole with mashed potatoes and cheese, and other stuff.
Shavuot is also a dairy holiday. Lasagna, anyone? |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Oct 06 2005 : 10:27:40 AM
Hi Amanda,
Which Jewish Holiday is associated with your favorite food and what is that food?
Having worked in the fine jewelry business since 1986, I have a nuber of Jewish acquaintances and am somewhat familiar with the holidays but have never had the honor or being invited to any of them.
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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| ivmeer |
Posted - Oct 05 2005 : 7:15:45 PM
Yes! I use Gloria Kaufer Greene's The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Oct 05 2005 : 5:37:42 PM
I used to tear out those susan b. recipes too!! I stuck some of them in the back of one of her regular cookbooks..love the apple cake recipe.
I would sure be interested when you finish the autumn book too, Susan!
I have alot of the martha cookbooks..my oldest sons have bought them for me as gifts over the years. Such pretty pictures, but alot of the stuff is things I would never in reality cook. I do love the pie crust recipe and use it every time (pate brise) and the lemon curd recipe for sure. The Christmas book is my favorite and I like the appetiser book too.
Have you all seen the Susan Branch Girlfriend book? I don't have it...bought it for a close friend when it first came out. I felt funny buying that one to keep...it screams out to be given to a friend!!
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
| thehouseminder |
Posted - Oct 05 2005 : 5:23:51 PM
Me too, me too! I love Susan Branches work. For years I used to tear her illustrated recipe out of "Country Living' magazine. I still have all of them. I have picked the books up here and there too.
I have three of the Martha Stewart books but I paid full price . I have been tempted by the Gooseberry Books but don't own any yet.
Susan, will you be putting "Autumn at Rose Cottage" on your website?
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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| TheSoapMaven |
Posted - Oct 05 2005 : 11:43:45 AM
I love Susan Branch too!!! My mom, me and my oldest daughter wrote a Christmas cookbook back in 1998 called Christmas Traditions. Its all our favorite recipes and traditions. I love cookbooks...and have a series of 4 started...for the past 6 years!!! One day I will finish - I do hope to have "Autumn at Rose Cottage" finished this time next year. I wanted to have it done this year but things have just not worked that way. No publisher...published the first one myself...probably will the others. Local sales were very good and I hear at least once a week from someone "When is your Autumn cookbook going to be finished?" And for the past 6 years I have given the same answer..."I am working on it."
Susan
Proprietress of Dahlem's Soapworks http://www.thesoapmaven.com
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| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Oct 04 2005 : 10:33:11 PM
I LOVE the Susan Branch cookbooks!! (I actually met her once at a booksigning/herb festival thing in Calif!) she was very sweet. I have all her books I think. And the Martha one is good too..and the gooseberrry patch books are always fun and have lots of ideas..heck..we all like the same ones!!
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
| bramble |
Posted - Oct 04 2005 : 6:47:03 PM
The Susan Branch cookbooks are fun and have some easy but good recipes. Her illustrations are cute too! The Gooseberry Patch books have alot of crafts and recipes for the holidays. I also really like
all the Southern Living Holidays cookbooks. They are decadent and
wonderful!
with a happy heart |
| KJD |
Posted - Oct 04 2005 : 1:07:26 PM
I love Martha Stewart's Christmas book. I found it many years ago at a used sale for $1. I've used the sugar cookie recipe every year, probably 15 or so. Other great recipes and projects that are fun. I have a few Southern Living Christmas books that have great recipes, also. |
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