Last Week's Cookbook Lalapalooza Results And Even More Cookbooks To Give Away

The results of Week 3 of the Cookbook Lalapalooza are in!

Sarah wins Eating Local. Chaya wins Tips Cooks Love. (Multiple entries are definitely the way to go!) And Pam wins Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone for entering. I’ll be in touch with the winners for mailing info.

This is the last week of my Cookbook Lalapalooza with Andrews McMeel Publishing. A big thank you to them for their wonderful cookbooks and thanks so much to everyone who has entered so far. This week’s cookbooks should inspire any cook. Check out the rules for entering at the end of this post.

Mary Mac’s Tea Room, 65 Years of Recipes from Atlanta’s Favorite Dining Room by John Ferrell is a fantastic collection of Southern recipes served in a well-known Atlanta tea room. They may call themselves a tearoom, but these are big-flavored recipes for dishes that go way beyond teas and scones. Chicken and Yankee Dumplings and Country Fried Steak and Gravy are just two hearty recipes to bring the South into your own kitchen.

Georgia Peach Cobbler (serves 8 to 10)

from Mary Mac’s Tea Room by John Ferrell

Posted with permission

2 pounds fresh fruit or 1 (16-ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
1 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup ice water (with crushed ice)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Peel and slice the fresh fruit. (If using canned fruit, taste before adding the sugar.) Place the fruit in a bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and cornstarch. Toss together gently. Pour the sweetened fruit into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and dot with the butter pieces.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat the shortening, salt, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon sugar. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the flour to the shortening mixture and mix together lightly. When the mixture becomes stiff, add 1 tablespoon of the ice water. Repeat the process until all the flour and water is used. The mixture should be soft, but not wet. Cover and let chill for 30 to 40 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to a 13 by 9 1/2-inch rectangle.

Cover the fruit with the pastry, crimping the edges. Make 3 or 4 slits in the pastry with a sharp knife for steam to escape. Brush the crust with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. If using fresh fruit, cook for 1 hour. If using canned fruit, cook for 25 to 30 minutes at 400˚F. The cobbler is done when the pastry is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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The next two books are by Sara Engram and Katie Luber, the founders of The Seasoned Palate Inc., an organic spice company. In The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices, they’ve put together a great collection of recipes that use their different spices in wonderful ways.

I love the sound of the Blackberry Vinaigrette with white balsamic vinegar and dried orange zest. Their Spicy Middle Eastern Chicken Skewers, fragrant with, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ancho chile pepper AND turmeric, would make be wonderful wrapped in a warm pita. Chile, Orange, and Coriander-Rubbed Pork is also deliciously appealing.

Chicken Salad on Croissant

from The Spice Kitchen by Katie Luber and Sara Engram

Posted with permission

This salad also works well with turkey. In fact, it’s the perfect day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich.

½ cup mayonnaise, plus additional for spreading
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried orange zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
½ cup Cardamom Candied Walnuts (page 112), chopped
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced celery
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons shelled sunflower or pumpkin seeds, preferably roasted and salted
4 croissants, halved horizontally

Whisk together the mayonnaise, coriander, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the chicken, walnuts, cranberries, bell pepper, celery, onion, and seeds and gently toss the salad until evenly coated. Spread additional mayonnaise on the croissant halves if desired. Evenly divide the chicken salad between the four croissants and serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.

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The second book by Sara Engram and Katie Luber, Spice Dreams: Flavored Ice Creams And Other Frozen Treats, features spiced-up, rich and tasty ice creams like Cardomom Snickerdoodle Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches; Three Spice Chocolate Ice Cream and other frozen sorbets and desserts.

Mango Sorbet with Cumin and Cinnamon (makes about 3 cups)

from Spice Dreams by Sara Engram and Katie Luber

Posted with permission

This recipe for mango sorbet is a winner even without the spices. But cinnamon and cumin lend an appealingly adventurous streak to mangoes, so it’s a shame not to let the spices shine. We like the full teaspoon of each spice, but it’s fine to start with ½ teaspoon.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
¹⁄8 teaspoon salt
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cubed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the sugar, water, and salt in a medium, heavy saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring gently, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup is clear, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in the cumin and cinnamon, and continue to cook, whisking continually, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a bowl of ice water to quickly cool the syrup. Let it cool, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the syrup is cooling, place the mangoes and the lemon juice in a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mango puree through a mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the syrup to the puree and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. The sorbet mixture may be stored in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Freeze the chilled sorbet mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and freeze in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

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Rules for Cookbook Lalapalooza

To win Mary Mac’s Tea Room, The Spice Kitchen or Spice Dreams, all you have to do is tell me which one you want - one of three ways:

1) Send a comment to this post. (Include your email address, if your name doesn’t link to it.)

2) Send me an email with Cookbook Lalapalooza in the subject line at FNMusings@gmail.com.

3) Tweet me at http://twitter.com/SueonFood

Enter as many times as you wish. ONE ENTRY per comment, email or tweet please. Contest open to US residents 18 years old and above.

This week's giveaway ends on Saturday, July 31st at 11:59 pm eastern time, when winners will be chosen randomly.