new cookbooks & holiday hours

 

This newsletter has been in the works awaiting delivery for weeks now. Long before the dawn of Black Friday but alas…time flies when it’s the holidays. So here’s a peek at cookbooks new in the shop that make lovely gifts.

cookbooks galore

my most anticipated new release of the season

I’m a lazy cook ultimately. And sporadic. I like big binge sessions in the kitchen that usually yield multiple end products. Last year I discovered Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and it was an epiphany.

Literally make up a batch of dough, no kneading, very little mess, stash in the fridge (or freezer) to bake when needed. Pull off a hunk, pat it about a bit and bake. Viola! Tasty home-made yeast bread with very little effort. Music to this lazy-cook’s ears.                                  

 

But wait… It gets better.

Heaven on a Pizza Stone! This book is amazing. It builds upon the previous two books with more tips and tricks, numerous pizza dough variations and this time expanded flatbreads – even faster and easier than the breads – and tips on freezing not only dough but pizzas….that you can bake from frozen!

Needlessly to say I spent a day in the kitchen being a domestic goddess making up 4 dough batches, freezing them up so I’ve got dough at the ready. My favorite dough: Olive Oil Dough endless variations of foccaccia. (But that’s only because it’s much easier to push dough into a oil smeared tin, than trying to roll the dough out into a pizza shape.) When I’m feeling particularly flush I make up a batch of the brioche (uses lots of eggs and butter) for specially decadent treats.

Truly these books are amazing. It really is a “discovery that revolutionizes home baking.” No joke.

more of my favorite at the moment

I have a weakness. A weakness for cookbooks. I can’t help it. Especially gorgeously photographed cookbooks that make every recipe seem effortless. And if it imparts cultural insights…I’m hooked.

This book keeps staring at me and making me hungry! The photos are amazing and who doesn’t like comfort foods on a cold winter’s day? Each section highlights food from around the world and I want to  make everything. Despite it being a Saveur publication the recipes are not daunting fancy ones. All seemed totally doable and yummy. Something even my son would eat!

It’s crock pot season and there’s a couple of new books with great photos (love that) and terrific recipes.

The Slow Cook Book is big, fat with loads of recipes. Plus lots of photos makes the recipes appeal to the eye. It’s a big, comprehensive book with loads of variety. Each recipe also has conversions for conventional cooking which is a nice feature. Often I don’t think of making something early enough but could easily throw it together on the stovetop instead. A great gift for busy working cooks.

The second is a little spiral bound book with very creative recipes for soups. 50 Simple Soups is not in shop yet. I sold out and quickly reordered, now awaiting the publisher to wake up and print more! Let me know if you’d like a shout-out when it’s back in the shop. It’s a title I’ll probably always try to keep stocked in the future too because it’s such a great addition to my cookbook shelf.

How could you not like a pie baked in a jar?! This adorable little book, Cutie Pies is so sweet and makes a great gift. It also has chapters on hand pies, pot pies and other pies in addition to baking in jars…which is just so nifty. Sweet and savory recipes: I’m so wanting to try the curry veggie jars. Perfect for bringing to work to heat up for lunch.

Scandilicious: Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking is one of my favorites of the moment. I just want to crawl into this book to live. Not only are photos lovely but the tips about Scandinavian lifestyle are inspiring. Each recipe tells a bit about how it’s typical (or variation) of what you’d find in northern kitchens.

Speedy lunches, seemingly effortless “Scandi” dinners and healthful breakfasts and lovely tea treats. Top of my list are the cardamom cream buns and the various porridges that make up the staple of light evening suppers on cold winter nights. Her plum jam recipe presents canning jam as the least intimidating method ever. I so want to can jam now.

holiday hours

Hard to believe it but it is time to have holiday hours in the shop. This year we’re open Wed all season (thanks to our Mom)!

Open Daily 10-5; Thurs 10-3 and 6-9ish pm

Christmas Eve 10-3pm

Closed Christmas Day

Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 10-5
 

our crochet clinics and thurs night groups

If you’re trying to cram in making those last minute gifts don’t forget we’ve got the Tuesday Crochet Clinics (1-3pm) all month and our regular Thursday Night Group (6-9pm). Feel free to drop in and get help, encouragement or companionship while trying to finish up your projects.

 

Off to unbox several big boxes of what I think is our long awaited shiny novelty yarns! More on those in my next newsletter…