Bitchin Kitchen Cookbook Giveaway, Review and Mocha Recipe

I have been saving the best (AKA my favourite) for the last. First, let me introduce you to Nadia G's Mocha. Divine! OK, I will get to that in just a sec.



Here is her cookbook: Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook: Rock Your Kitchen--And Let the Boys Clean Up the Mess. Which I LOVED! I bought this as a birthday present for myself and Nadia G. graciously agreed for me to do a giveaway on my blog for a lucky reader. This is the last of my blog bday giveaways!



Since I bought this cookbook I have been putting it through my test kitchen. I made her fantastic home fries and she helped me recreate my mom's traditional turkey noodle soup.



I had some technical issues with the fettuccine rose with shrimp (but it was still so good) and her blue cheese burger was out of this world delicious!



I had to try one of her desserts so I made the pot au chocolat which were classy and fabulous.

It has still been so dark, cold and dreary here I had to make one last treat by Nadia G... her mocha! One of my favourite flavour combinations: chocolate and coffee! This recipe is in her "One-Night-Stand Breakfasts" chapter: "This breakfast is reserved for the scragglers, the ones you want out fast."

Not sure why Nadia G. because this drink would make me want to stay forever!



Into a jar throw in 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 heaping tbsp brown sugar. Add 1/4 cup of milk (she suggests whole but I used skim). Seal the jar and shake vigorously for one to two minutes:



I tried but mine did you get super smooth but I did OK.



Heat a small saucepan on medium low heat and then add the cocoa mixture. Add an additional 3/4 cup of milk. Warm through, don't boil.



Add two shots of espresso in each drinking bowl. I made some decaf espresso and just poured it right into the hot chocolate on the stovetop. Nadia G. suggests sprinkling with cocoa powder but I used icing sugar instead.



This was one of the best mochas I have ever had! The second time I made it I replaced brown sugar with regular granulated sugar and it was even better. No sharing, I drank this whole batch myself. Five out of five wooden spoons!

Now when it comes to reviewing the cookbook, I have to say that if you are conservative and only want traditional cookbooks then stay the hell away from the Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook. Seriously, you are just going to be offended and hate it. If you are looking for something different, edgy, hysterical, outrageous and downright sexy, this is the cookbook for you.

On some pages there are shirtless men slathered in chocolate or striking a pose but nobody shows more skin than Nadia G. herself. This is her show, this is how she likes to rock it and I have total respect for that. There are many pages without recipes, lots of photos of her and her crew instead so some may find it self-indulgent. I find it hysterical and inspiring. With this book you get so much more than just recipes (which are also amazing). This book constantly makes me laugh and I keep going back to it for fun.

Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook is unlike any you have ever seen before. Some will find it offensive. For example, in the introduction to the first chapter dedicated to being single Nadia G. writes:

Now I know that cooking-for-one complaints are common: "Nobody is there to share it." "Nobody is there to chat." "I don't like hamsters." I hear you; but if you really think about it, who deserves a homemade feast more than you? Not only do you pay the bills, you're the only one who can give yourself an orgasm in under thirty seconds. 'Nuff said.

As I said, some people will be offended. Me? I want more! I love strong women. I yearn for role models like Nadia G. She is tough, funny, makes fabulous food and is out to redefine the domestic woman as someone who kicks ass and wears leather. It's a riot! I never get bored of this cookbook and I want to make everything. This cookbook is not for a traditionalist, they would hate it. For me, someone who loves all things edgy and foodie, I give it five out of five wooden spoons.

At the moment it is my most-favourite cookbook. A real treasure in my kitchen. I am so thrilled one of my fabulous readers is going to win a copy!

CONTEST

1. Contest is open to those in the U.S. and Canada.
2. Only those who have not already won big prizes can enter.
3. If possible, please follow my blog.
4. You must leave contact info if you do not have a profile or a current blog, otherwise you will be disqualified.
5. Tell me why this unusual cookbook would be a good fit in your kitchen: you love to play with knives, you secretly wear leather in the kitchen, you may look all sweet and nice but deep down inside you're a bitchin foodie perhaps?

Contest closes tonight so enter now! Good luck everyone!

Handcrafted apple pies at Canadian grocery stores? Yes, it is true!

Baker Street Handcrafted Apple Pies are now at Loblaws, Dominion, Loblaws Great Food, The Real Canadian Superstores and Atlantic Superstores across Quebec and Atlantic Canada. These pies are made with Granny Smith apples, unbleached flour, real butter and brown sugar. They contain no additive, preservatives, artificial colours or flavours.



Lucky me, I got to taste test one in my own home! Hand-delivered on a grey afternoon, I thought this was just the cutest pie ever. I think it was their 6" pie but they also come in 3.5" and a 9" sizes.

You will see that their 9" deep dish pie looks very different than their 6" pie. Much... flatter...???

I love that Baker Street is a family business that has been in existence since 1978, created by sisters who wanted people to know "how good love could taste" and that they are "... so excited to spread the Baker Street love!"

Well I wanted to spread the love of this pie so I shared it with my husband and his mom, Lorraine. I thought it was only appropriate because the first successful apple pie I have ever made was Lorraine's personal recipe. As far as I am concerned, she is the queen of apple pies.

My husband began to eat his piece, took a second and then said, "It's good. Yours is better." I would say Reg is a man of few words but that would be a lie. When he is enjoying food he does become succinct and knows what he likes. The fact that he liked this pie at all is a huge deal. We NEVER buy store-bought pies. He grew up on homemade pies and nothing has compared. Until now.



Lorraine did not like the doming of the pie and thought it odd that there were no vents on the sides of the pie (just the hole on the top) to keep this from happening. The size of the apple pieces were too big for her, she prefers smaller but she did like the flavour. She thought the spicing was quite good and not too strong. She gave the pie three and a half out of five wooden spoons.

Personally, I was downright impressed. Every time I have taken a bite of store-bought pies all I taste is stale food. They are usually made with a cookie crust (unforgivable), have been previously frozen and possible freezer-burned and the fruit never tastes fresh.

Eating this apple pie, was the total opposite experience. I searched for any hint of staleness and it was not there. The doming was a bit weird but for me, that is just aesthetics, I could care less. It was the flavour that mattered. Yes, the apples were larger cut than I would have chosen but they melted in your mouth. They were not crunchy, I hate crunchy apples in a pie. The crust was light and flaky, very well done. I must admit, I may have tasted a pinch of love in that pie.

If I was a busy foodie and needed a treat for a special event (or some comfort food) I would pick up this pie at my Superstore. I think it is very smart that the pies come in three different sizes. Not everyone has a big family and this way you can buy a mini-pie just for you on those days you need a treat. Is it worth paying a bit more for this pie than the typical $5 pie that I find inedible? Absolutely!

In comparison to pies at the store, this product gets five out of five wooden spoons. In comparison to homemade pies, I give it four out of five wooden spoons.

Bread Bible's Buttermilk Honey Bread & Cookbook Review

The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger published by Chronicle Books is a challenging book to review. It started out with frustration when I made her Rosemary Raisin Bread but then things improved with the Country-Style Whole-Wheat Pitas.



I was delighted to discover a recipe for elusive Mexican Morning Buns but the Classic Buttermilk Biscuits were dry and just OK. I made the cookbook's pizza dough and it turned out fine but I wanted to put one more recipe through my test kitchen before writing my review.



For the royal wedding, I made not only the groom's cake I also indulged in making crab salad and cucumber tea sandwiches. I wanted to make them using homemade bread. I had some buttermilk that I needed to use up so decided to make the The Bread Bible's buttermilk honey bread.



I began by putting 1 tbsp of yeast in 3/4 cup warm water (not hot) with 1 tsp of sugar. I let that foam for 10 minutes.



With a paddle attachment I added to the bowl: 1 1/2 cup warmed buttermilk, 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter, 3 tbsp of honey and the yeast mixture. Then I added 1 tbsp of salt and two cups of flour. I then changed to a dough hook added 4 additional cups of flour, half a cup at a time. The mixer kneaded the dough for three minutes, which seemed like not enough time but that is what the recipe said to do.



I put the dough in a greased bowl, flipping it over to cover with oil. I covered the bowl and let rise for over an hour. I divided the dough in half and placed in two different greased loaf pans. I covered the dough with plastic wrap and let rise just over 30 minutes.



I brushed the loaves with an egg wash and then baked in a preheated 375F oven on the center rack for 45 minutes.



These loaves did get nicely brown but they hardly rose after being put in the oven. They were also very dense, not light and airy at all. Slicing the bread to make the tea sandwiches wasted a lot of the bread as a result but I ground up the parts I could not use and turned them into wonderful breadcrumbs.

I seem to have a love-hate relationship with The Bread Bible. In some ways I am grateful for the rare and unusual recipes it contains and that there are explanations for different methods of making bread. Yet, for the same reason, the layout drives me insane. It is hard to figure out where the recipe for making the bread with a mixer ends and other methods begin because they are all included within the same flow of the recipe.

There are no photos in this book but there are areas in which helpful diagrams could have been included but were not. Visualizing what to do with the dough can be much harder than making it. Sometimes the doughs were too wet, sometimes too dry. As a result, every time I worked from this cookbook I was nervous. I did not have much faith in the recipes and the way they wrote up the recipes made the process confusing.

I did love most of the breads I made. I will make some of them again and try more of the recipes but with trepidation. Rating this cookbook is a tough call but I can only give The Bread Bible three and a half wooden spoons. I just can not give a cookbook that leaves me feeling insecure about their recipes a higher rating than that.

Winner of Best Recipes Ever Cookbook is... Alex!

Alex from blogs: my corner, Canadian Home Learning and Windsor and Area Homeschool Books



"This book sounds like it would be a good match for us too! we're a homeschool family, and even though we are at home, we are busy and I prefer most days quick-to-make meals that are also healthy. my kids enjoy trying new flavours, but nothing too exotic! one more reason...it's Canadian and we are proud Canadians ;) ps. i really appreciate your review, it's nice that you are always honest."

Thank you Alex. Comments like yours keep me going. Congratulations as well! I think you are right, I think this book is going to the perfect home. Please write me with your contact info and I will pop that cookbook in the mailbox for you!

Well there is one giveaway left! Coming soon....

CBC & Canadian Living's Best Recipes Ever Sort-of Cookbook Review & Giveaway

Best Recipes Ever from Canadian Living and CBC is a cookbook that drove me crazy. I tried so many of the recipes and to be quite honest, they did not really speak to me. They were not bad, there was just something that did not quite work for me.



You know I made their chocolate chip cookies and their chocolate crispy bars.



Their caramelized onions were quite good and the Vaguely Coq au Vin was easy and delicious, which is saying a lot for a chicken dish. I normally find chicken boring.



But then there were dishes like their Quick Ground Beef Curry which was so watery I had to add a ton of thick Greek yogurt to try and save it. The flavour was quite dull and boring which is odd for a curry. The chicken souvlaki again was OK but not super flavourful.



I thought having chunks of cucumber in the tzatziki sauce was weird and I did not put mint in it because I am not a fan. As a result, pretty bland. The Island Chicken and Rice I thought for sure would have some punch, some kick, something... Nope. It was OK. A break from the ordinary chicken dinner but nothing memorable.



I thought for sure this Chef's Salad would do the trick but no. I did not enjoy the dressing at all which ruined this huge salad for me. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't spectacular.

The organization strategy of this cookbook drove me insane. It is divided up by segments like "Beat the Clock," "Around the World" and "Family, Friends and Fun" which is where you will find desserts. As a result, I found choosing recipes to test and dinners to make very challenging.

By the end of all this recipe testing, I had an epiphany. I realized that I am just not the target market of this book. For people with fast-paced busy lives who want a quick healthy meals that are more interesting than their regular rotating menu of choices, I think this cookbook would be great for you. I am a person who will go to great lengths for complex flavours and want more than just a "nice dinner." As a result, I can not actually write a review. This cookbook is just not meant for me!

I have a sense that this cookbook is also very "kid friendly." None of the flavours are so over-the-top that children will reject the dishes yet will be introduced to new spices and flavours. As a result, parents will get to try dishes that might normally not get a pass in the kitchen like curries and Caribbean dishes.

As a result, I think this cookbook just is not meant for me. So, I am giving my copy to one of my readers who feels a connection with it.

CONTEST

1. Contest is open to those in the U.S. and Canada.
2. Only those who have not already won big prizes can enter.
3. If possible, please follow my blog.
4. You must leave contact info if you do not have a profile or a current blog, otherwise you will be disqualified.
5. Please tell me why you think this cookbook may be a right fit for you and your kitchen. I want it to go to the right home!

What a shame for me because the show Best Recipes Ever is cute as a button and finding instructional cooking and baking shows are hard to come by these days. Still, I feel I have a cookbook that was intended for someone else sitting in my kitchen. Time to let it go.

Contest closes tonight. Winner will be announced tomorrow.

Ingrid Hoffman's Cinco De Mayo Foodie Ideas!

I was lucky to be asked to do a fun call-in interview with Ingrid Hoffman from Food Network's show Simply Delicioso about sweet Cinco de Mayo treats using Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. Check it out!



Her Coffee Spanish Torrijas looked so good in video that I had to make it immediately! At first I finished it off with maple syrup because I can be a purist that way. The coffee flavour was there but I wanted more.

The next time I made it with the condensed milk/coffee syrup, although I used real coffee, not powdered. Doh! My bad. Still, I loved it. My husband thought it was weird at first but he also warmed up to it. I personally think it is genius! I can't wait to make it the correct way next time.



So inspired by that fabulous French toast I decided to make Ingrid's Orange Cream Granita but put it through my ice cream maker. I used orange blossom water instead of rose water but if you do not have either feel free to add vanilla, which I did as well to make it taste like an Orange Julius.



I love that this recipe does not requires cooking a custard and it also does not use whipping cream. It is high in sugar but for a sweet treat, this is pretty-guilt-free which I love and appreciate.

I grated in the orange zest into the orange juice, added the lemon juice, condensed milk, orange blossom water and vanilla, whisking everything together in a large spouted measuring cup.



I slowly poured it into the ice cream maker and let it churn for 20 minutes. I put the whole vessel into the deep freezer, forgetting I should have put it into a different vessel. Don't make my mistake! It will harden like a rock and never want to come out. If you don't have an ice cream maker, just do as Ingrid says:

Cover and freeze just until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Using a fork, scrape frozen granita toward center to break up ice crystals. Pat mixture evenly into pan. Cover and freeze. Repeat every 30 minutes until granita is firm, about 4 hours. 



My mother-in-law gave me a vanilla cake to play with so I made a clementine sauce and topped it with the sorbet. Delicious! Wonderful texture, the flavour was extraordinary and really reminded me of an Orange Julius. I could not get over how easy this was to make and how delicious it was without a lot of fat that can be in frozen treats this yummy. I added the sorbet to our mango smoothies last night and the flavour blew us away!

After these two success stories, I definitely want to try her Creamy Mango Mousse and when I am in a decadent mood, her Caribbean Pineapple Lime Ice Cream.

Thanks Ingrid so much for these fantastic ideas! It was so much fun chatting with you and these recipes are absolutely Simply Delicioso. Perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party.

Blog Bday Winner of Bal's Cookbook is... Kenora!

My dear friend Kenora!!!! Kenora and her wonderful boyfriend Nigel have a blog called My Kitchen is Too Small. We have know them both for a long, long time and are thrilled they are having so much fun discovering making food for themselves.

I love Indian food! Nigel and I have a favourite restaurant and we go a few times a year, for a treat. We've tried a couple of simple dishes at home and I'm going to try making my own chai concentrate soon, but we'd love to try other things to give us yummy dinners in between our trips to our local eatery. :)

Congratulations Kenora! So happy for you!

There are TWO more cookbooks to be given away this week!!! Good luck everyone!