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Books That Cook: Fresh takes on classic favorites
By ELLEN FOLKMAN The Foster's Market Cookbook by Sara Foster with Sarah Belk King (Random House, $35). The Foster's Market Cookbook offers recipes that provide modern takes on favorite, home-style classics. For example, raisins, apricots and cranberries make hot cross buns more flavorful than the standard variety. Pedestrian chocolate cake is transformed into Chocolate Espresso Layer Cake with Mocha Latte Frosting. Author Sara Foster features favorite recipes from her North Carolina gourmet markets and helpful suggestions for everything from make-ahead tips to ingredient substitutions. This cookbook has something that will appeal to everyone, and there are many recipes suitable for entertaining. Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Arugula, Lemons and Capers, Herb-Grilled Salmon with Fresh Tomato-Orange Chutney, or Spicy Grilled Standing Rib Roast would be suitable for a dinner party. Add a Cucumber, Avocado and Tomato Salad, Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Shallots and Cranberry Vinaigrette and Super-Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting to complete the meal. Kids especially will love the desserts. Who could pass up Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Satin Frosting, Fresh Strawberry Shortcake, Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies or Chocolate Whoppers? Virtually every dish is made from scratch, which will put off some cooks. Laura's Spicy Turkey Barbecue requires making Foster's Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce first. A prepared barbecue sauce could probably be substituted. The recipes are easy to follow, and no difficult techniques are involved. Preparation time is tedious, but the results are worth it. Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and set aside. Cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are combined. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and stir to mix. Slowly add flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture while beating until smooth and well blended. Do not over-mix. Scoop the dough with a 1/4 cup (2 ounce) ice cream scoop or a heaping tablespoon and drop onto the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Press flat with the back of a fork dipped into 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Each cookie should be about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and the remaining granulated sugar. Bake 12 to 15 minutes (or 10 to 12 minutes for soft, chewy cookies) until golden brown. Cool 5 to 10 minutes on baking sheets before moving the cookies to a baking rack to cool completely. Makes about 11/2 dozen 21/2-inch to 3-inch cookies. Variations: Add 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped, roasted peanuts to the batter for a chunkier cookie. The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated in a airtight container for up to one week. Source: The Foster's Market Cookbook by Sara Foster with Sarah Belk King * * * At Home With Friends: Spontaneous Celebrations For Any Occasion by Michele Adams and Gia Russo (Chronicle Books, $22.95). There is nothing very unusual about At Home With Friends and not much that's "spontaneous" about the recipes. There isn't anything in this collection that hasn't already been done by Martha Stewart. This isn't surprising since the authors are former editors at Martha Stewart Living. At first glance, one might think this book was written by Stewart, because the photography is similar to that in her works. At Home With Friends does offer many good ideas for different kinds of entertaining -- everything from breakfast to outdoor dining to cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Some of the ideas include a ranch-style barbecue complete with Grilled Tri-Tip with Savory Dry Rub, Roasted Tomato and Onion Halves with Herb Marinade, and Cherry Lemonade or a soup and sandwich buffet comprised of a variety of deli meats, cheeses and breads plus condiments or maybe an Asian dinner serving Sesame-Crusted Ahi, Ginger-Shrimp Dumplings and Blood Orange Cups. Although these are not the only suggestions for these affairs, most menus don't include much more and hardly any of them are what the authors call "spontaneous." It's unlikely you'll have the ingredients on hand and won't need to run to the store. The author's recommendations for the dessert buffet all require baking time. The Simple Chocolate Cake starts with a mix, but it is still time-consuming to prepare and bake, as is the Lemon-Poppy Bundt Cake. The time-saving suggestions all say to purchase the goodies from a bakery. There is nothing wrong with that, but then why is this book necessary? Lemon-Poppy Bundt Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 10-inch bundt pan with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Put the cake mix in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute or beat 2 minutes by hand. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan. Source: At Home With Friends: Spontaneous Celebrations For Any Occasion by Michele Adams and Gia Russo Lemon Frosting
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice; stir to blend. Drizzle the frosting over the top of the cake and allow it to drip over the sides. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top of the cake. Serves six to eight. Source: At Home With Friends: Spontaneous Celebrations For Any Occasion by Michele Adams and Gia Russo * * * My Kitchen In Spain: 225 Authentic Regional Recipes by Janet Mendel (HarperCollins, $34.95). Spain's profoundly Mediterranean cuisine is based on olive oil, seafood, legumes, bread, rice, potatoes, fruits, vegetables and pasta. North African spices add variety and uniqueness to the diverse cooking of this country. Most, if not all, recipes in My Kitchen In Spain build on these ingredients. With that in mind, many ingredients are readily available, and no difficult techniques will be found in this cookbook. As in most European countries, nothing goes to waste in the kitchen. After making Fish Soup with Sour Orange, Pan Roasted Whole Snapper, or Roast Chicken, the remaining fish heads, bones and chicken carcass are reserved for two broths that are used in other recipes such as Seafood Stew, Rice in a Skillet or Squab with Mushroom Stuffing. The few ingredients that may be more difficult to find are included in recipes that may not have a broad family appeal anyway. Squid in Their Own Ink or Hunters' Stew, which suggests using partridge, are two examples. More tempting recipes include Chicken Simmered in White Wine, Herb Roasted Marinated Pork Loin or Andalusian Beef Stew. Traditional gazpacho and paella are included with some slight variations. As tapas (Spanish appetizers) gain popularity in America, My Kitchen In Spain offers a wide selection to serve if you are having a tapas party. From classic to fried to cold and hot, the variety is outstanding. My Kitchen In Spain is more than a cookbook. It's a taste tour through the country's regions. From the far western province of Estremadura to the Moorish towns of Seville and Granada to the world famous Basque region in the north, it's possible to experience Spain without leaving your kitchen. Deviled Eggs with Shrimp and Olives
Peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and set them aside. Remove a sliver from the bottom of the whites so they will sit flat. Place lettuce on a serving platter and set the whites on it. In a bowl, mash four of the yolks. Add the shrimp, olives, onion, parsley, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, salt, and olive oil and combine well. Scoop this mixture into the egg whites so each white is just filled. Stir the mayonnaise with the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice until it reaches spreading consistency. (If necessary, thin with a little water.) Top each egg with a cap of mayonnaise. Grate the reserved yolks over the stuffed eggs. Lay a strip of red pepper on top of each. (The eggs can be prepared and kept chilled up to 3 hours before serving.) Garnish the platter with cherry tomatoes. Serves 16. Source: My Kitchen In Spain: 225 Authentic Regional Recipes by Janet Mendel
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