Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Cookbooks and Kitchen Giveaway

I get a lot of cookbooks. I won't lie. I am not going to apologize either. I spend hours and hours of my precious time writing about things I like on my blog. I am honest. There are cookbooks that I will never write about. There are cookbooks that are gathering dust, there are cookbooks that I will never open again. I will not waste my time writing about a cookbook that I don't like.

I do want to write about some cookbooks that I really like.


by Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Goodbody.


I was skeptical about this book. Another Tapas Cookbook?

Not at all.

A cookbook that has a party menu already planned out for you. Perfect for people like me, who plan to make a million things and then realize how much work it really is. The Albondigas (meatballs) in this book are to die for. They have a secret ingredient, one that I refuse to tell my husband about.... The secret: anchovies. Before you tell me that you don't like anchovies, try this recipe!
Fields of Greens is the ultimate vegetarian cookbook. I am not a vegetarian but always looking for healthy grain recipes. I have been using recipes for this book for the last few years. When I asked blogger Dana from Dana Treat what her favorite cookbook was, she named this one.
Ready Steady Spaghetti is a kids cookbook. The unique part of this cookbook is that the recipes are not kiddie recipes. There are some simple recipes but many of them are actually recipes I use in my home for my husband and myself (the baby has no teeth yet).
Introducing your child to homemade gnocchi, pork and chive dumplings and fresh spring rolls is a great way to make sure he/she is open to different foods.
I admit that I have been using this cookbook to train myself to make quick dinners during these busy hectic days.
I even decided not to make a complicated birthday cake for my husband and chose the chocolate cake in this book. I strongly recommend this book if you are a mom and looking for ideas for cooking with kids.










And Now for the Giveaway...........


A bowl full of OXO products. Everything you need for the kitchen.

Cherry/olive pitters, a mixing bowl , spatulas, whisks and more. You all know what a difference a good spatula makes. I discovered this only in May when I got the goody bag from IFBC. Sur La Table gave away some amazing kitchen stuff including a Shun Knife.
I tossed all my cheap dollar store kitchen stuff and filled the drawers with high quality swag.


Leave a comment with the name of your favorite kitchen gadget and a little explanation. I will make sure you get this bowl of goodies. Limited to U.S.A only. Deadline is August 30th.



















































18 comments:

ph said...

Spring-loaded tongs, an absolute necessity in the kitchen that I use every day.

Unknown said...

I'm thinking the only gadget I use and love on a regular basis is the immersion blender. I use it for everything. So much, in fact, that I once broke it trying to blend pork skin. Now I have a new one though. Won't be trying that again.

TR's Thoughts said...

My favorite gadget is a set of Mario Batali branded measuring/prep bowls. Each bowl has a halfway line measurement, and a full line measurement, and they all nest together nice and neat. It's easy to measure as you go if you're prepping an item, and is way easier than traditional "Measuring cups on a ring"

Brooke said...

my chef's knife... i can't live without it!

Katie said...

My lemon reamer. It's one of the few single use tools that I use almost every single day.

Thanks for the review of the cookbooks - I don't have any of them...off to the library to find them!

Dana said...

Love the look of that Spanish cookbook! Might have to add it to my collection! :) My most used tool is my citrus juicer. It's big enough to hold a small orange, but I mostly use it for lemon and lime juice. I can't believe that I used to buy pre-bottled juices like that with no flavor. I use a lot of citrus in my cooking so this thing gets a workout!

(Just wanted to share, you don't need to enter me into the contest. I have more gadgets than I care to admit. :) )

Anonymous said...

Silicone Pinch Grips for when you bake. You definitely won't burn yourself with this gadget!

~ Panda Foodie

kprice said...

Kitchen shears. I use them for so many things - opening packaging, trimming flower stems, splitting crab leg shells, cutting strips of bacon in half...the list goes on.

eM said...

my favorite kitchen gadget is the huzbeau! ;-)
other than that, I really love my silicone garlic peeler tube thingy. Huzbeau says he can't decide between immersion blender or bench scraper.

Chris said...

The one recent gadget that has made life so much easier is the Green Papaya Shredder ("Kiwi Pro-Slice")... found it in a Vietnamese grocery store in the ID for $3.98, made the shredding for Green Papaya Salad a snap!

Danielle Lothrop said...

I can't live without my giant Pyrex measuring cup. It makes baking so easy! Instead of measuring, washing and switching between bowls I can add everything in the Pyrex cup, mix and tada! instant baking deliciousness.

Jennmcn said...

I have to say my kitchen shears. From butterflying a chicken to snipping herbs it is by far the one thing I use the most.

Anonymous said...

Silpat baking sheet and my ceramic steel. I can sharpen and cook on anything with those two.


Eric

Anonymous said...

My microplanes. I have 2 different sizes, and grating chocolate, nutmneg, and parmesan has never been more fun!

aubrey said...

I use my flexible cutting boards every single day. They have a grippy bottom so they don't slide, they are flexible so i can bend them and throw stuff into a bowl, and i can throw them in the dishwasher so i never have to worry about nasty bacteria. LOVE.

Renee G said...

I would guess that my favorite gadget is my cookie scoop. I love how it makes perfectly round cookies every time.

rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOt)com

Jackie Baisa said...

I absolutely love my Mario Batalli pizza cutter. It cuts through anything dough-related, doesn't matter if it's deep dish or crusty.

I also REALLY love my microplane grater!

That Barcelona cookbook looks fabulous!

Katie @ goodLife {eats} said...

I am constantly using my microplane zester. And it seems whenever I need it, it's in the dishwasher. Go figure!