Fall Feast Book Giveaway
October 31, 2009 by Kori Ellis
Filed under Recipes
This week at Blisstree, we are giving you the opportunity to win two fabulous cookbooks from the Hachette Book Group. The first is How to Roast a Lamb (ISBN: 9780316041218, $35.00/$43.00). This book is from the self-taught chef and co-owner of several Mediterranean restaurants, Michael Psilakis. Enjoy recipes from his restaurants and his home in his much-anticipated first cookbook. Learn to make these terrific Greek recipes, which are healthful, affordable and satisfying for the whole family.
Image: Hachette Book Group
The second is Chocolate: A Love Story (ISBN: 9780316056625 $29.99/$35.99). The vibrant new cookbook features 65 original chocolate recipes from Max Brenner. Brenner is the famous ‘bald man’ from the Chocolate by the Bald Man themed restaurants. The restaurants feature giant vats of chocolate and amazing desserts like chocolate pizza. This book is a must-have for any choco-holic.
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment here with one cooking or entertaining tip. You can also earn an entry by Tweeting this post and leaving the link to your Tweet in the comments.
The contest runs through Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 11:59pm ET. We will select two random winners from all the comments. Each winner will receive BOTH books. Winners must be US or Canadian residents. No PO Boxes please.
simpler and fresher is always better in cooking
Using interesting flavors of sea salt can really make a meat dish sparkle!
Fresh herbs can totally make a dish–so much better than dried.
Always lay out the ingredients first before cooking or baking, so you don’t have to run out in the middle of your cooking!
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Cooking Tip:
When chopping veggies for a dish, look at your weekly menu and go ahead and chop up other veggies for those meals. This is a huge timesaver and you only wash your knife and cutting board once!
For all those moms (and dads!) out there cooking by themselves for fear of “kitchen nightmares,” here is a tip for you. Overcome that fear and teach your kids how to do the simpler things, such as peeling vegetables and mixing the batter for the cookies. This way, there will be less stress on you, your kids will feel helpful and accomplished, and you can all enjoy a dinner that you all helped create!
My saving grace is parchment paper – it’s a lifesaver when cooking or baking, as nothing sticks & it makes clean up (the part I don’t like) a breeze!
Always have a game plan before starting. Without a plan, chaos usually happens.
I always go with a buffet with many varieties of foods. This way there is always something for everyone. I can’t begin to count the times we had to get something to eat after going to a party where nothing looked appetizing to us. Big tip, all because it’s something you enjoy eating doesn’t mean your guests will.
i find that its much more fun to have guests help with the cooking.. that way you don’t have to be as worried about timing (serving things hot, etc) issues.
plan a weeks worth of meals, it makes cooking go easier if you know what you’re making beforehand
I like to make a few side dishes a day ahead so all you have to do is re-heat that day. Thank you!
Keep cleaning up and washing dishes as you prepare. That way you’ve got a big headstart on cleanup after the meal.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
After finishing a meal no matter how small the amount left over. Always save for the next day or freeze to use in soups or casseroles. I use freezer bags because they lay flat and take up less room than containers. You’ll be surprized what you can whip up in a pinch.
Start cooking the day before so you aren’t rushed on the day of the party.
Count me in
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Read your recipie all the way through before begining any work in the kitchen…itll save you so much work. Thankyou
Plan and prepare as much as possible before the event. I like to socialize with my guests not spend time in the kitchen all night.So do ahead recipes are a must and a buffet help yourself type of style.
Substitute olive oil for butter in recipes– it’s healthier and works amazingly well!
Take the time to plan an outfit that’s both pretty and comfortable when you entertain.
When entertaining a big crowd, pull in tables from all over the home and cover them with festive tablecloths. You can never have enough tables for setting things on when entertaining.
Thanks for the nice giveaway!
Homemade is always better.
I always try to use as fresh ingredients as possible, including my herbs.
If you’re not sure when your family or guests are going to arrive, crock-pot recipes are your savior. They give you a couple hours’ flexibility on meal start time.
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for a more flavorful turkey brine it
Always leave the dishes until after the guests leave.
Make sure your yeast and spices are not out of date. Fresh is always best
Plan a meal that does not require a lot of last minute preparation. After all, you want to enjoy the meal and have time to spend with your family and guests.
When you schedule a party, schedule someone to come in that day for a few hours to take care of last minute clean up. This will free you up to concentrate on the food and decorations, and you’ll have a lot less stress to overcome.
Always, ALWAYS plan ahead. It allows you to do a lot of pleasant touches. One thing I like to do is put martini glasses in the freezer so they are frosty when it comes to making drinks.
To fix bitter-tasting burnt chocolate, dissolve 1 tsp.cocoa powder and 1 tsp. sugar in 1/4 cup of hot water. Stir into 4 ozs. burnt chocolate until blended. If chocolate is extremely bitter, add 1 tsp. instant coffee granules to make a mocha-flavored chocolate
If you are having company, try and prepare as much of the food as you can ahead of time . This way you can spend more time with your guests instead of in the kitchen.
Tweet!
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Use fresh herbs as often as possible!
Prepare as much of the food that you can the day before the party!
When entertaining friends it always good to plan the meal ahead so you can make sure you have everything needed and don’t have to run for this and run for that…
We actually send out a menu when we are planning a get together… Most of the time it’s just friends or family so it’s a more relaxed atmosphere anyway but it’s always good to know they people LIKE what they are eating… I dislike it when we go somewhere and there is nothing I would eat… Plus we always offer a nice varity of things..
My best entertaining tip is to make as much as you can ahead of time, and let people help! If they ask, let them!
Hit garlic with a knife to quickly get the peel off.
I like making my desserts one day in advance and add toppings before serving
My cooking tip is to keep a well-stocked pantry.
My tip is to buy things when they are on sale.