The recipe recommended a large frying pan.  I don't own a 14-inch frying pan, so I used my 4-quart saute pan.  BIG MISTAKE.  I couldn't fit all the mushrooms in!  I had to grab my stock pot and transfer all the mushrooms, shallots and garlic.  I was already batting 0.00 anyway, since I burned the garlic.  Stupid electric stovetop.

The recipe called for Marsala, port or sherry.  I love to add Marsala to mushrooms; I think it has a nice sweetness that plays well with the mushrooms.  The chicken stock didn't add a lot of flavor; I think that mushroom stock would be just as good here.  The mix of mushrooms definitely plays a huge part in the success of the recipe; I mixed white and cremini mushrooms, but next time I plan on adding some fresh shiitakes and dried morels, as well.  After you let it simmer down for about 15 minutes, you can eiter let it cook on the stove in a Dutch oven, or transfer it to the slow cooker.  I transferred to the Crock Pot.  The liquid didn't reduce like it was supposed to, so I put the liquid in my saute pan to reduce it and added it back to the mushrooms.

After 45 minutes, I added the cream and cranked the heat, hoping that it would thicken.  No such luck - the consistency was like cream of mushroom soup with huge chunks of mushrooms instead of nice slices.  I gave up and ladled it over my polenta, and sat in front of the TV watching Bob Costas interview Michael Phelps and his mom.

I think I would have had better luck on the stove.  It takes a good hour for the stoneware insert in my Crock Pot to heat up, so I think I should have preheated it.  I also plan on slicing the mushrooms instead of quartering them; they took longer to cook.  I think I might add some thyme or a hint of rosemary to the proceedings, as well; I only tasted salt, pepper and cream.  The concept is good; I think I failed in the execution, however.  I kinda like my recipe better, anyway.

Quick Mushroom Ragu

1 T olive oil or butter (or a mix of the two)

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic

2 lb. mushrooms

1/2 t. dried rosemary

Good 1/2 c-1 c. dry white wine (can sub chicken broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the shallot and saute until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add the mushrooms, stir to combine, and saute until the mushrooms release their liquid, stirring frequently.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  Add your wine (I never measure) and rosemary, and allow the liquid to reduce by half (I'll sometimes let it get really reduced), about 10-15 minutes.

I serve this over polenta or pasta.  Polenta is my all-time favorite grain for this recipe; there's something about the creamy sweentess of the corn, the earthiness of the mushrooms and the acidity of the wine that just makes me happy.  This is one of my "desert island" meals and a standby for a quick weeknight dinner.  I just add a salad, some steamed broccoli and maybe a bit of chicken and I'm good to go.

Until next time...M

NOT!!!

Yesterday I sold several items at www.onlineauction.com  I am grateful for every purchase that I make, but I felt the need to re-stock my items.   Since Tama wanted to play on the pc, I thought I'd take the opportuntiy to spend some time in the garage getting things ready to list.  You would not believe how much stuff is out there!!  I could just grab a box without looking and have plenty to sell!

So I found a variety of things to list [toys, books, collectibles, a picture frame, and more], and set about taking pictures in between washing clothes.  Meanwhile, Tama is plugging away at her game.  About two hours later, I let T know that I was ready to list.

I'm not exagerating when I tell you ~ It took me a good 4-5 hours to list those 30 or so items!! 

My kids are normally self sufficient and often referred to as "good kids."  Let me tell you, yesterday I had never before seen my children so needy!  Not to mention that every toy I listed Tama wanted [though she already has the same thing, which she can't find]!  And they also know that this is what makes money for their Christmas presents and any extras they want along the way [heck, it NEEDS to be paying the bills right now!!!]

The plan was to list more today, but I think yesterday still has me a bit discouraged.  So instead I'm going to do a lot of "advertising" for ola today.  At least then I won't feel as rushed and walking away won't be an issue.

I'm not going to be posting lots of pictures, but please come by to check out my new wares.  I have listed Spongebob, batman, Bratz, books, a Pokemon Book, a vintage cookbook, a couple of vintage craft books, and so much more!

www.onlineauction.com/store/tamancam

[Sweet Potato and Ginger Salad--recipe below.]

Ah, yes, life is sweet.  Not so much in the "I'm a celebrity, I haven't a care in the world, I'm revoltingly rich, beautiful and vacuous" kind of way; but more in the "every which way I turn I see or think 'sweet,' most recently the chocolate chip blondies I devoured last week" kind of way.  Also in the "I'm finally finished marking for the semester and it feels so sweet to be able to breathe for a few days before it all starts up again next week" kind of way. But I wouldn't want to forget the "blog readers are truly some of the sweetest people in the world and the principal reason I'm so thrilled to be back here and blogging again" kind of way, either.

I have to tell you, as a rule, I consider myself pretty lucky in the friends department.  I mean, I've made some really great pals over the years (in fact, I've known a few of my friends even longer than I've known my younger sister!--take that, Oprah and Gayle). 

But you know what?  Ever since I started blogging last year, I've been repeatedly amazed at the level of support, compassion, and just basic goodwill that abounds among blog readers and writers, rivalling any of the best friendships out there. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate that you keep coming back to read  and comment (even when I disappear for a spell) and how much I enjoy my forays into reading all my favorite blogs out there as well. And so, without disintegrating into pure mush, please accept my heartfelt thanks, and a big virtual bear hug.  Truly, sweet. 

And now, on to our other "sweets" of the day. . . 

First:  My diet, temporarily an official "No-Sweets" Zone.

Forget the term, "yo-yo dieter." With me, it's more like a "bungee-jump" dieter.  Up, down, Up, down.  Waaaaay up, waay down (and note how the "waay" down is smaller than the "waaaaay" up--in other words, a net gain).  Seems the more I diet, the more my weight rebounds upward after a fall.  Recently, it struck me that I am more or less at the same weight I was when I began this blog (at which point my goal was to lose 40 pounds!!).  Still, like die-hard smokers who wish to quit, we overly zaftig people who wish to lose weight must persevere!  I'm thankful that 90% of the food I put in my mouth is healthful and very nourishing.  The other ten per cent, well. . . that explains the weight gain.

Several times on this blog, I've mentioned the anti-candida diet I endured a few years ago when my symptoms got truly out of hand.  Well, I've decided it's time to return to that diet as a way to rid myself of the sweets addiction once and for all (I think of it as the "Chunky Monkey on my back").  This time, the cleanse will be somewhat shorter than previously (which lasted 2 years!). 

What does this mean for the blog?  Not much, I'm hoping. Most of my eating habits already fall in line with this new regimen (about which I'll blog anon--this post will be long enough without fitting it in today).  The restrictions represent a new and--truth be told--somewhat exciting culinary challenge for me: can I concoct appealing, delicious dishes, even some alluring desserts, all within the bounds of the diet?  And afterwards, can I learn to consume dessert as a regular part of my menu, yet in moderation and sans cravings?  Only time will tell (and so will I, right here on this blog).

Second: Announcing Sweet Freedom!

As I mentioned last time, I've been working on this project for a while now (just about a year--even before I started this blog!).  After I closed down my full-time baking business in 2006, I decided to begin working on a cookbook containing recipes for my most popular products; because I'd been running the business for a few years, I already had a full compliment of proven recipes at the ready.  So in August 2007, I began mailing out cookbook proposals to various publishers (I eventually heard from two who expressed an interest in the project, only to decide against it after months of correspondence). And then, as I plowed my way through yet another set of student papers last week, I wondered:  why not just publish this book myself? And so, I averred, I shall!

Now, before I go on, yes, I do recognize the irony of doing a dessert book when I've just sworn off desserts.  But as I said above, my goal, ultimately, is to be capable of incorporating healthy desserts into my diet, in moderation--and these happen to be just that kind of dessert!  

I also know that there are scads (not to mention oodles, a plethora, loads and a real glut) of bloggers' cookbooks already out there right now.  Who needs one more?  But when I started receiving emails from people asking if I had a cookbook, and when my former customers asked if I'd consider printing up my recipes so they could bake their treats at home, and when I thought of all those existing recipes just lying idle in a filing cabinet. . . well, I just couldn't leave them to such an ignominious fate. 

Mine will be a dessert-only book, and everything in it is compatible with the NAG diet that I try to follow all the time.  Many of these recipes are already familiar to my former customers here in Toronto, so when the book is published, they'll be able to bake the same muffins, cookies, and cakes that they used to buy at local health food stores. And once I made the decision, I got really excited about sharing the recipes and "doing them up right"! 

The book, called Sweet Freedom, will contain recipes for a wide variety of baked goods and other sweet treats, all in a style similar to those you find on this blog (in fact, a few of the DDD recipes will also find their way into the book). However, the majority of the cookbook's 100+ recipes will be new, having not appeared anywhere else.  All the recipes are made with without wheat, eggs, dairy, or refined sweeteners; many are gluten free, soy free, and corn free as well (I'll tag each recipe according to the category into which it fits).  In other words, these are sweets that even people with food sensitivities (like me) are free to enjoy! Eventually, I plan to post a full Table of Contents with the names of all the recipes, but for now, if you'd like a peek at some photos of goodies from the book, I've started a blog that's devoted just to that.  I'm aiming for a publication date late this year or early next year; I'll keep you updated occasionally on this site, too.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you all about what you'd look for in a "good-for-you" baking book, or whether you've got specific items you'd like to see in it.  And it you've ever tried any of the desserts from this site, I'd love your feedback on the recipes.  Just leave any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions in the comments section, or send me at email at dietdessertdogs AT gmail DOT com.

And finally: A sweet (potato) ending to this post. . . 

Sweet Potato and Ginger Salad

I couldn't very well leave without posting a recipe, could I?  I actually mentioned this dish way back in my second blog entry, but since there were only two readers that day (no, literally, two readers), I thought it was worth repeating.  This is a salad from Everyday Food magazine, and it's both simple and delicious.  I like it so much that I've made an entire meal out of it, in fact. The trick to its appeal, I think, is that Martha advises us to bake the sweet potato rather than boil it--and that seems to make all the difference.

This salad is filling and satisfying, with a tangy ginger and dijon-based dressing to complement the yielding sweetness of the potatoes.  I enjoy this most at room temperature, but it can be eaten cold or hot as well.  Great for a picnic or party table.

2-1/2 pounds (about 1 kilo) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (2-3 medium potatoes)

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. (45 ml.) fresh orange juice

1-1/2 Tbsp. (22.5 ml.) extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 Tbsp. (22.5 ml.) grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

4 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 425F ( C).  In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the 3 Tbsp. olive oil; season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.  Roast until just tender, about 35 minutes.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the juice, 1-1/2 Tbsp. oil, and mustard.  Add potatoes and green onions and toss to coat well.  Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Makes 4-6 servings.

Courgette delight from How it all vegan.

So easy and simple to make.  I can recommend this for a young, first-timer, vegan,cook.  You only have to put some things together and, hup you go, in the oven. 

Jen's cream basil & sun-dried tomato pasta from La dolce vegan

Delicious easy.  I served this with Vegetarian Breaded Fish-Style Fingers from Redwood:

My teenage girl is really missing her fish-sticks (Actually, I never served here any of them but sometimes she could eat them with other people).  Now, she would never eat them anymore, but she misses them.  So, she was really excited when we found these 'fish style fingers' in London. 

We brought some of this back too:

And again, teenage girl goes crazy for this.  I wish I could find them over here too.

Finally, I started making the luscious lasagne from Get it ripe.  But when I was working on it, I decided to make it a little different.  Here it goes:

Make the eggplant and sauce as described in the recipe.

Then I made my own version of the 'ricotta':

crumble the tofu with your hands

add 2 spoons olive-oil

add 3 spoons nutritional yeast flakes

add soy-milk (about 3 spoons)

Do not do the spinach (or if you really want, you can, but I didn't) but do the zucchini (or if you wan't, you don't have too, but I did it)

Now you can make your layers, like this:

flaked almonds (this is the top)

sauce

ricotta

eggplant

zuchinni

sauce

lasagne

ricotta

eggplant

zucchini

sauce

lasagne

sauce (this is the bottom)

Yesterday my parents passed by for a visit and I wanted to make a good impression: it' not because  I have a different feeding habit that I wouldn't be able to be a good hostess.  Helas, I had my mind so much on the glaze I wanted to choice for my chocolate cake that I made this small, but big impact mistake.  I planned to make a lasagne for dinner and I thought: 'Hmm, I'll try to be ecological and when the oven is warming up I put some eggplant on top of it, so it can roast.  For this I only put on the grill.  And yes, when it was time to put my cake in the oven, I totally forgot to put the heat on below.  After more than half an hour of baking I tried to take the cake out and got this blurry thing that broke down totally.  No worry for a glaze anymore.  I put the cake back in the oven, and actually it didn't end that bad all, the taste was still gorgeous.   Only, a cake in pieces:

I used 'Jen's chocolate cake' from How it all vegan.

I love chili. I read somewhere recently that in Texas chili has no beans in it cause, hello!, there is no "bean" in "chili". That sounds like my cup of tea (or bowl of chili)!

The other night I decided I needed to break the seal on a cookbook I've owned unused for at least three years. Seeing as I had all the ingredients on hand for the Sour Cream Polenta Bread I decided to throw a loaf together. The bread was very good with butter right out of the oven, but pretty dry the next day. However, I do believe that it would have been an amazing addition to a hot bowl of chili. As soon as I perfect cooking beans from dry, I'm going to make this bread again. Don't plan on interrupting me in my future moment of bliss. Thanks.

Here's my adaptation of the Sour Cream Polenta Bread.

• 1 1/2 c. fine polenta (cornmeal)
• 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbl. agave
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk (I used whole)
• 1 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2 Tbl. coconut oil (any oil you have on hand would be fine)
• poppy seeds to cover the top of the loaf

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease Loaf pan.

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine next four ingredients. Whisk together and add to dry mixture. Mix wet and dry ingredients just long enough to combine evenly (like you would do with muffins).

Pour batter into greased pan and sprinkle top with poppy seeds.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400F. After the 30 minutes turn oven down to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes or so. Until the loaf is a golden color.

Enjoy!

note: If you are using coconut oil remember that the ingredients you add it to must be at least room temp! Personally, I cheated and warmed my milk and sour cream in the microwave and my egg in a glass of warm water.

Equally as respectable as classically-trained celebrity chefs (with their new restaurants popping up all over the world like zits on a teenage kid's face) are some of the emerging “home cooks,” who, despite their lack of formal culinary training, bring a joy of cooking to average food lovers like myself, thanks to a powerful vehicle like Food Network.

I like watching shows with veteran home cooks like Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson (seriously, can she be any hotter?) who unapologetically toss five sticks of butter to make a little entrée for two (you go ladies!). And although I fear that I have accidentally flipped the channel to an inappropriate station whenever I see her joyfully massaging ground beef while sporting a very low-cut shirt, Giada De Laurenttis (my friend Gabriel and I call her the "Baby Nigella" because she's sexy but not as much as the undisputed Domestic Goddess) is actually pretty fun to watch too. I like the fact that they have somehow remained authentic and true to their culinary roots which makes watching their shows educational, as well as entertaining. (fyi, I can't stand Ms. E-V-O-O, thank you very much!)

One home cook who is virtually unknown in the Western market and has gone completely under the food-obsessed American media radar is Harumi Kurihara, Japan’s version of the domestic diva, who has been inspiring millions of Japanese home cooks with Martha Steward-like vim and vigor (and equally impressive empire with appearances in numerous Japanese television shows, 20-plus cookbooks and her own magazine … all while staying out of jail) for over two decades, introducing them to fresh and creative ways of turning ordinary, everyday ingredients into innovative dishes. My favorite talent of Harumi is her incredible ability to resurrect the often unwanted leftover food into a stunning new dish.

Her menus are delicious but surprising simple, quick and very straightforward -- making many wonder why they didn’t come up with the recipe. Her food in an award-winning cookbook Harumi’s Japanese Cooking is perfect for people who are curious and want to dive into Japanese home cooking (like Japanese Somen Noodle Salad, Spaghettini with Fish Roe Dressing, Japanese-Style Green Risotto, and Tofu and Avocado Dressing), and equally appropriate for Japanese cooks who’s looking for some inspiration to add creativity into their everyday meals.

Her Carrot and Tuna Salad (she says that this recipe, “has proved to be one of the most popular”) is a perfect representation of what you’ll find in her cookbook. There’s nothing special about this salad, really – just a mixture of julienned carrots with finely chopped onion and garlic, and a canned tuna tossed in mustard dressing – but when you take a bite into it, you will taste something so familiar but new, something so simple but robust, and something so healthy but hearty. I made this salad for the first time for dinner last night, and believe me, I was under her magical spell just after one bite!

The decision to hold the Olympic pageant in Beijing was always fraught with danger. Two posts from last week take a lantwise look at the problems air pollution will give Marathon runners and Javelin competitors should give everybosy except International Olympic Committee members a good laugh.

Examples of Government Control Freakery always atract the attention of libertarian blogger fatsally and in To Legislate Or Not To Legislate she speculates on the latest swathe of plans to restrict our freedom to act and think for ourselves.

You can't blame Alligators for eating children (Alligator Declared Armless), it's what Alligators do (it is Crocodiles that eat sausages OK? Think back to the Punch and Judy show. So was it fair to execute the Alligator that bit off the arm of a child who was teasing it. Vets said they were trying to retrieve the arm so it could be reattached. They didn't think that one through, a couple of hours mariating in Alligator digestive juices had rendered the arm pretty useless.

We have seen TV chefs put some pretty weird ingredients in their dishes but a new cookbook recommends usungs herbs such as Henbane, a plant the leaves of which can cause hallucinations, convulsions and death, to add flavour.
In The Poisoners Cookbook, fatsally takes the idea a few steps further, collecting from leading chefs reipes such as Duck with Orange and Hemlock sauce, Blood Pudding with Bella Donna and Death Cap Toastool Stroganoff.

Sounds tasty.

For more comedy check out Greenteeth Comedy Menu the portal to comic fiction, verse and articles from the very whacky Boggart Blog team.

La Bonne Cuisine

This practical, nuts-and-bolts toolkit puts theory into practice with ready-made answers to common Flash development questions. It's the perfect resource for Flash developers, as well as designers who are ready to start doing development work.

Flash 8 Cookbook offers quick look-up (and cross-referenced) recipes in four main categories:

• Creating Flash Content

• Building Interactive Flash Interfaces

• Adding Multimedia and Data

• Planning Flash Projects

Using O'Reilly's popular Problem/Solution/Discussion Cookbook format, this book offers 280 standalone recipes that include a brief explanation of how and why the solution works, so you can adapt it to similar situations you may run across in the future. For people who say, "I understand everything in theory, but I don't know where to start in practice," this book offers ready-to-use answers to real-world problems.

Download>>

Lots of college students and young people living on their own eat like crap. Just own up to it, no excuses. Some people are pretty empty pocketed at this stage in their life, which is understandable, but no one can stay healthy on ramen and tap water. I like to budget thinking that some of my monies destine to entertain myself get added into food. I kinda find some zen in cooking for myself, and get healthy and tastey results. Well... at least vegetables and identifiable protein sources are involved kinda healthy.

If you were never taught how to cook at home, it might seem like a high mountain to climb. But you can always start with a basic cookbook, and just start making things that sound good to your tummy. Here is a great list of cook book recomendations from the NYTimes (free to sign up for if it prompts you for a log in). Steal/beg/borrow from the library, scrimp and save, just please for all that is tasty avoid eating ramen more than twice a week.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (originally posted here).

1/2 cup (125 ml.) crunchy all-natural peanut butter (the only ingredient should be organic peanuts)

1/2 cup (125 ml.) Sucanat

1/4 cup plain soymilk

1 Tbsp. (15 ml.) pure maple syrup

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) organic sunflower or other light-tasting oil

1/2 cup (125 ml.) dairy-free chocolate chips

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (155 ml. or about 90 g.) light spelt flour

1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml.) baking powder

1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml.) baking soda

1/4 tsp. (1.5 ml.) sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, Sucanat, maple syrup, soymilk, vanilla, and oil.  Whisk vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon until quite smooth and no lumps (except for the bits of peanut) remain.  Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

In a larger bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.  The batter will seem too soft for cookies; this is as it should be. 

Using a large scoop or 1/4 cup (60 ml.) measuring cup, drop mounds of the batter onto the cookie sheet about 1 inch (2.5 cm.) apart.  The batter should be very soft, but firm enough that it doesn't run on the cookie sheet. 

Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, spread the batter out a bit so that the tops of the mounds are flat and each raw cookie is about 3/8" (1 cm.) thick.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, until tops are puffed and cracked, and edges are just beginning to brown.  (The cookies will still be quite soft). 

Allow to cool completely before removing from the cookies sheet (they will firm up as they cool).  These are even better the next day, when the peanut butter flavor intensifies (no idea what they'd be like on day 3, as they didn't last that long). Makes 12 large cookies.

I have been trying (and dying) to recreate some of the menus of TGIFriday's and Chili's, but I have not perfected them. I find it very challenging and it's always a good conversational piece with friends who love food as much as I do. When I hit the dead-end, I consult Google and try out the recipes of the top links in page 1. Unfortunately, no matter how popular they are in search engines, they still fall short in the expectations department.

So, with the failures outnumbering the success, I decided to invest in the CopyCat Cookbook. Out of the bazillion secret recipes online, I decided to try this one out because they have recipes for TGI Fridays, Applebees, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, and Starbucks. The food and drinks served in these restaurants are my favorites. Call me a cheater, but my family and friends will be the beneficiary of such sneaky act. Come on, you want one for yourself too! Admit it!

 And here's what it looks like sliced. . . .

For other baked goods and many gluten-free recipes, please visit my other blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Peninsula Regional Medical Center has been the site of some major projects in recent years -- including the Layfield Tower, dedicated this week -- but there's only one of those projects that is small enough to fit on your bookshelf and invaluable for use in the kitchen.

"Spoonfuls of Love: Recipes and Memories of Junior Auxiliary Board Friends and Volunteers" will be released next month with a special tasting event. For a $5 ticket, those interested in trying more than three dozen of the recipes from the cookbook can come to Christ United Methodist Church in Salisbury on Sept. 17, where from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. they'll be able to sample some of the dishes and, in many cases, chat with the cook who put the recipe in the book.

Think of it as taking the new cookbook for a test drive with your taste buds. Tasters will find slips of paper at each table with the name of the recipe, so they can pick up and save their favorites to make it easier to find the recipes they want to try in the book.

"We should have around 40 different recipes to taste taste from the cookbook," said Irene Phillips, president of the Junior Auxiliary Board. "There's going to be something from each category," from appetizers to desserts. "It will truly be a taste testing," with sample cups and water to cleanse the palate, "and you will move from table to table to table to get what you want."

"Spoonfuls of Love" will sell for $25, or two copies for $45. After the cookbook launches at the Sept. 17 tasting event, it will be available for purchase at the Junior Board at PRMC. Tickets for the event are available from any Junior Board member, at the Junior Board shop and at Jack's Religious Gift Shop on Snow Hill Road; First Shore Federal Bank (downtown), Shore Bank on the Plaza and Kuhn's Jewelers. Call 410-543-7262 for more information.

The Junior Auxiliary Board last did a cookbook years seven years ago, but the new book got an updated look with pictures and stories that provide a look into the past. Ethel Berry, part of a group of women who knit items for the Junior Board, submitted the winning title and has a recipe in the book. Most of the recipes are from the pink-coated women who make up the Junior Board, as well as from hospital staff.

"A lot of the recipes are family recipes and people have shared the recipe, photos and stories about their mother or grandmother," Phillips said. "It was an opportunity to use old recipes, recipes that had been in the family."

While the Junior Auxiliary Board hopes people will buy and use the cookbook at home (proceeds from the cookbook sale will help fund the board's $1 million pledge to the new PRMC trauma center), the board also hopes the book will remind the community of the homey comfort on the menu at the Junior Board shop and restaurant on the hospital's ground floor. (The Junior Board will also be opening a cafe at the new front entrance to the hospital.)

"Spoonfuls of Love" includes recipes for corn bread and rice pudding that are served in the Junior Board, and more Eastern Shore dishes are coming to the menu.

"We're trying to let the community know that when they come into the hospital, they can come here for comfort food," said Marilyn Booth, incoming Junior Board president.

A visitor or employee dealing with stressful health issues can find refuge in a soothing serving of rice pudding, creamy and spicy bread pudding or real mashed potatoes, "all those good things that are like a warm hand, a warm fuzzy."

"It's nice to come down and have something comforting, " said Mary Rhodes, part of the cookbook committee. Homemade soups, peas with slick dumplings, and warm bread pudding fit the bill. "They may need that."

The cookbook harkens back to the earliest days of the Junior Board, founded in 1924, when members cooked food at home and brought it in to serve. Those women were true Eastern Shore cooks, fixing dishes from scratch.

"When people come to the Junior Board, we want them to think of that," Phillips said.

Most importantly, people should realize that they can not only eat at the Junior Board and use its cookbook at home, they can be part of the Junior Board. The Junior Board partners with PRMC and the local community to provide comfort and support to patients and visitors at the medical center, through volunteer service and financial donations.

"This is the community's hospital," Phillips said. "They (people in the community) are a part of it. Not only when somebody gets sick and they have to be here, but when they join the Junior Board, they can help. They can be a part of it." Call volunteer coordinator Fay Holloway at 410-543-7262 for more information.

Here are a few recipes from "Spoonfuls of Love: Recipes and Memories of Junior Auxiliary Board Friends and Volunteers."

"Try as I may, I still can't make this delicious corn bread as good as my mom, Jeanette Brown," wrote Susan Brown Robinson, who submitted this recipe. "My mom makes the best corn bread I've ever tasted."

Jeanette's Corn Bread

1 1/4 cups corn meal

1/4 cup flour, all purpose

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

1 stick margarine

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix in saucepan the corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, water and margarine. Cook until thickened. Add milk, baking powder and eggs. (Mix baking powder with a small amount of milk before adding to the mixture.) Add beaten eggs last. Mix well.

Pour in a greased 8x11-inch pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 1 hour or until golden color on top.

This skillet lasagna was submitted by Irene Phillips: Barbara Trader perfected easy stovetop lasagna during her 25 years as a Delmarva Power & Light Co. home economist. Recipes like this one helped her teach home cooks how to use an electric range for their family's meals.

Barbara's Skillet Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons oil

1 envelope 2.5-ounce spaghetti sauce mix

3 cups medium uncooked noodles

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 can tomatoes ( 3 1/2 cups)

1 cup water

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Lightly brown meat in oil. Sprinkle 1/2 of spaghetti sauce mix over meat. Arrange uncooked noodles in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining spaghetti sauce mix, basil and parsley flakes. Add tomatoes with liquid and water, being sure all is moistened. Cover tightly.

Simmer 20-25 minutes or until noodles are tender. Sprinkle cheese over top. Return cover and let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Cheesecake

16 crushed graham crackers

1 stick butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eight-ounce blocks cream cheese

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup and five tbsp sugar

1 pint sour cream

Grease an angel cake pan with butter.

Line bottom and tube up to 2 inches with crushed graham crackers, butter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 2 tablespoons sugar.

Mix cream cheese, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup sugar. Pour into pan and bake in 375-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Turn oven to 500 degrees.

Mix sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 3 tablespoons sugar. Pour this mixture over cheesecake and bake 5 minutes. Chill 4 hours.

Recipe by Anna Bell Tilghman Booth, 1899-1960, first president of the Junior Auxiliary Board

Intense?  Me?  Really?

So, yeah, I've been described as intense.  

I don't see myself as intense, but every once in a while somebody captures a shot of me on camera, and my first thought is, "Gosh, I look so damn intense!"

Of course, I tried my best to catch the "look" myself in the photo above.  I was leafing through a new canning cookbook, and sensed my intense expression.   

 I'm really not all that intense.  The truth is that I need to wear reading glasses, and I have a slight hearing loss in my left ear which causes me to cock my head to one side and lean in when somebody is talking to me--which tends to make people talk more because they believe they are fascinating me.

ABOVE: I highly recommend the book!

As you can see, I'm sitting in my beach view office. 

I love this spot.

I can park right on the edge of the beach and watch the ferry cross back and forth.  Other people park in cars alongside me.   Most are single drivers or couples.  People eating their lunches or reading a book.  Many times I see people so relaxed they've fallen asleep--and yes, I'm guilty of a catnap on the beach too.

This spot has been a saving grace.  I called my dad who I hadn't spoken to in many years from this very spot.  When my husband and I split, he asked me to take him back on this beach.   I taught my son Greek Mythology when I homeschooled him on this beach.   Many wonderful things have happened on this very beautiful beach.

So much has changed in my life.  Change is good.

What struck me then – and remains true to this day – was the clarity and integrity of Shaun’s cooking. You’ll find great flavours, some bold, others understated but they always work. Unlike many chefs, his food is appropriate, never over the top and what you actually want to eat.

All this leads to Better Gravy and Other Kitchen Secrets – Shaun’s new book. To be a good cook and particularly one that makes everything seem deceptively simple, there’s no denying you need some basic skills: good cooking technique, an understanding of which cooking methods best suit which ingredients and a knowledge of how those ingredients work together. Shaun, a master of more than just these basic skills, proceeds to share his knowledge.

For more about the book and a chance to win a copy check out our original article.

I flipped each book over and the title is correct (losing the "are" in the title). No, I didn't buy it---for many, many reasons: 1) we already have a gazillion cookbooks, 2) I'm still doing the vegetarian thing (gave up chicken and turkey two months ago; beef almost 20 years ago), and 3) even though it was only $2.99 (a bargain for a hard cover cookbook), I simply can't bring myself to put something like that on my bookshelves. I think it was a British publication---the price printed on the back was in pounds.

I just noticed the type in the circle at the top left---"This book just makes you wanna cook."

No. This book just makes me wanna weep.

As my father, the Grammar Guru, says....so many errors, so little time to correct them all.

Oh. One more thing. This book cover photo is courtesy of Michael's camera in his new iPhone 3G. What an marvel that thing is! He e-mailed the photo to me while we were in line to check out. How's that for service?