Recently I was sent a little book called, Notes on Cooking. I could make this review really short and just say “go buy this book, immediately” but then you would think you were on someone else’s blog. So…grab your coffee and read on, MacDuff.

Notes on Cooking is just that.  It is like sitting at Julia Child’s kitchen table and fiercely scribbling away while she talks. I mean, stuff I didn’t know..not that that is SO surprising but …there was ALOT of stuff I didn’t know or hadn’t thought about. I think my cooking has taken on a different level since this book, and I am using more professional kitchen techniques which work great in home kitchens too!

I read it through once and now I find myself reading one small note a day to help me retain what I am reading. It really is that good. I think this is one of the most innovative, helpful, unique books to come out in a very long time.

I highly recommend it. It will be one you turn to again and again and again…..and…

Full Disclosure: I was sent this book to review. I didn’t pay anything for it, don’t have to send it back… I was not paid for the review.

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The Food and Wine Quick From Scratch Italian Cookbook has amazing images. That is always the first thing that I look for. It was kind of disappointing to me that my own cookbook was to be without images (not my choice). The images in the Food and Wine cook book are big and close up. You get a good idea of what the dish should look like which is nice. Each recipe is on one page with a full size image on the facing page.

The recipes are imaginative. For example the Fennel and Red Onion Salad with Parmesan looks amazing. The steps are clearly and easily laid out, there are no real surprises or difficult techniques. The book will allow even the most inexperienced cook to make classic as well as classically inspired Italian dishes.

Most of the recipes will go together easily in 30 minutes or less and the emphasis is on fresh ingredients.

The one thing I did not like in the book was the dessert section. Each dessert is based on an ice cream or custard of some sort. Italian desserts are amazing and flavorful and I was disappointed in the desserts they chose.

I mean, that IS the most important part of the meal, right?

If you are looking for a cookbook to help you learn classic Italian cooking techniques this is not it. However, if you are looking for a cookbook that allows you to serve something besides Kraft Macaroni and Cheese on weeknights this may be exactly what you are looking for.

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The odd thing is that even though the chocolate arrived the next day, and didn’t travel far…and even though it was wrapped in insulating material and with ice packs it was hot. It surprised me because we aren’t having a hot summer and other companies that have sent me cold items have done so successfully. Opening the chocolate I found that it was beautiful, but melty.

In the fridge it went.

When the candy had hardened up enough to get it out of the box I tried it.

The texture is very creamy, in keeping with fine European chocolates. It is creamy enough that it softens at a  room temperature of 80 degrees.  It is completely smooth on the tongue and has a great mouth feel.

Although there were a variety of unique flavors I was not impressed with the taste. The flavor combinations had huge amounts of potential but in reality they were somewhat bland and overpowered by the chocolate itself. The flavors I thought were the most well balanced were:

*Lavender

*Rose

*Hazelnut

The rest of them were not particularly unique, the flavors were lost in the intensity of the chocolate. The designs on two of the chocolates were inedible, and I found myself with a mouthful of posterboard disk.

These are good chocolates but for an artisan price I preferred the Pure Imagination chocolates that Becke sent me in the blog exchange a year ago.

The Delice Chocolatier chocolate is good but it isn’t fantastic.

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I know my surgery was over a month ago but I am just now beginning to cook a little. It wiped me out. I feel like such a wimp! I am exhausted in the afternoons. Anyway, I decided to try out the mushrooms and see how I liked them. We don’t get a huge variety of mushrooms here in Texas, at least not in my area. I was amazed at the selection I was sent, and there are even more on the site. Dried mushrooms are great because the flavors are more intense and they keep practically forever.

I decided to make my Faux Stir Fry Dinner. I will be posting the recipe a little later, we love it because it is cheap easy and quick!

I  used the Maitake mushrooms. These have a unique, nutty, woodsy-rich flavor and a buttery texture.  The texture really held up well during cooking. I rehydrated them with some hot water for about 20 minutes before adding them (and the water) to my recipe.

The flavor was wonderful. The dish was a huge hit – Kyrie ate two helpings, which for her is amazing. The child looks like a spider-monkey. Even those who aren’t at all keen on mushrooms loved this dish. Best of all, the mushrooms are organic. They are a little expensive but  the flavors are rich enough that you can use them as a flavoring agent in almost anything. If you are not using the water that you rehydrated them in in your recipe be sure to save it for soup or stew. It holds a lot of flavor.

The flavors were fresh and intense, and I like the fact that you can use these whenever without worrying about having them spoil. Marx Foods is the company that does the environmentally friendly palm leaf disposable plates I  reviewed.

If you want to add some mushroomy goodness to your foods but don’t have access to a wide variety this is a great way to try some new flavors and textures.

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When you open the tin the whole room smells like anise. The flavor is a bit like a delicate anise and honey combination. It isn’t sweet but is the type of thing that would add a delicate flavor to almost anything.

I used it in cookies, which I will be sharing with you tomorrow. This would go in breads, baked goods of all kinds, and even vegetables and meats

If you are looking for a unique flavor give the fennel pollen a try.

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The girls were excited to see the kit. We have dvds of Ace of Cakes and love to watch them. Shiloh, my 13 year old has worked with fondant in the past so was looking forward to working  with it again. Remember this image?

So, Shiloh read the directions carefully and began to take the stuff out of the kit.

And the cake is fondant-ized-

Now for some decorating. Everything including sprinkles and fondant comes with the kit. We happened to have some fondant presses and molds so Shi did create a flower for the top:

When Shiloh was done Kyrie used the kit to make me a perfect imaginary cake:

So here are my thoughts.

The girls loved it. Shiloh, at 13, had no problem following directions and doing it completely without help. I would think an 8 year old would need some supervision and input to be successful. Shi had a little trouble with the frosting tip which is like an air brush. It took her about 2 minutes to get the hang of it.

The cakes were tasty. All products are gluten free and these were made with cornstarch. I think it is great that they are gluten free but wish there was an option; the cornstarch had a funny texture in my mouth. The cake is very small. Which Shi didn’t like. She hoped it would be a bit bigger. All in all she gave the set an 8/10. The thing she liked best was using the air compressor to decorate with once she go tthe hang of it. She said that they thing she didn’t like was the texture of the fondant. It was gooeyer than the fondant we use. However this will obviously not be a problem if your child is not used to working with fondant.

My main complaint is the huge amount of plastic, and the fact that it isn’t American made. I try to make a point of staying away from the type things that certain large discount stores sell. Generally I feel like girls should have the opportunity to learn skills on real utensils.  I do however applaud the attempt to get kids interested in the kitchen. I give it a 7/10.

I would probably buy this as a gift for someone else’s child. A child with much experience in the kitchen may be bored.

If you have a child that likes to decorate cakes and you don’t like the mess in the kitchen of conventional equipment this is the way to go. It is cute. I am thinking it will fly from the shelves in November. Retail is about $35.00 You can find out more at Girl Gourmet

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For right now, check out how popular it was when it came out of the box.

Here is a better picture of the product…

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The plates are completely natural, organic, and biodegradable.  The are made from a completely renewable resource and hardly ripple the environment at all.  Plus they are beautiful.

I am thinking of making a notecard out of that image, by the way. I just love these plates. Ahem…O.k..

The plates are made from the Adaka Palm tree. But…and this is cool…no tree was harmed in the making of these plates. Maybe a bug or two was squished but that’s o.k..so far bugs aren’t an endangered species, right? Anyway, the tree drops the sheaths of its leaves and grows more, just like other trees. Workers collect these leaves and take them to be cleaned in fresh water and molded into plates. Sustainable, eco friendly plates that can be tossed onto the compost pile.  But wait, there’s more!

They are waterproof, leak proof, and handle hot and cold. No matter what I used on these plates they held up perfectly.

The plates are very unique. Some are very plain and others are spotted. Some are lighter and others are darker. Plus I love the ridges. I have touch sensitivity. It is weird but there are several textures that I just can’t handle. Touching these textures makes me gag…things like styrofoam, popsicle wrappers, some magazine pages…ick. Anyway..I loved the feel of these. They are ridgey and fun to touch. Just remember..simple things for simple minds….

They come in several shapes including:

• Hexegon
• Round
• Square
• Rectangle

They really are elegant and beautiful. I will admit to washing them off and re-using them…shhhhh…..Everyone loved these.

You are not going to be able to buy 100 plates for 1.99 though.   These are a little on the pricey side, understandably I suppose because a lot of work goes into them. Check them out at Marx Foods.

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Let me just say..first of all…there are alot of them. The cup sizes are from 1/8 of a cup up to 2 cups. The measuring spoons go from unbelievably tiny to two tablespoons.

When I say unbelieveably tiny I mean it. Their specialty sizes are listed as such:

• drop 1/64t
• smidgeon 1/32t
• pinch 1/16t
• dash 1/8t

There is also a leveler included. I liked these spoons alot. They are easy to use, red (they match my laptop) and come in a enough sizes to make anyone happy. The only downside to the products, at least the red ones, is that it is hard for me to see the measurements on them. They are embossed but the same color as the spoons. I would prefer that companies give a nod to those of us with high ceilings, eco-friendly lightbulbs, and less than perfect eyes by making the numbers easy to read. I will be getting around this with a bottle of nail polish or a sharpie.

The cups are fantastic. The have a lip on them that allowed me to pour some expensive balsamic vinegar (special occasions only) back into the bottle when I had mis-poured…and nary a drop spilled. It all was saved. The bottoms have a no skid band so that they sit firmly on your counter. You are not going to knock them and have them race across the counter toward the inevitable floor like lemmings. Nope.

The bowls are polished so ingredients slide out easily. Again, the numbers are hard to read but other than that this product is one of my favorites. I will be ordering bowls for sure.

You can find more out about the product and the company, including how to buy, at Pourfectbowl.

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Rather than doing a separate review for each I am just going to say that all  four of these products are delicious. The corn and black bean salsa was not too spicy, but had a very fresh flavor. In fact, all of the sauces had a good, fresh tomato flavor.They are not overly salty and all of the ingredients are well balanced. I really liked this brand. Give it a try if it is available in your area.

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