The Alameda High DECA Cookbook is Reviewed!
Tasting the Kids' Cookbook Written by Dennis Evanosky
Published: FRIDAY, 25 JANUARY 2013 01:09
High schoolers release collection of family recipes
By: Dennis Evanosky
Alameda High School's DECA program is raising funds with Delectable Dishes, a cookbook that highlights recipes from the school's students, alumni and staff.
For starters, the cookbook has a number of helpful hints. For example, did you know that you don't have to cry when you're cutting onions? "Cut them under cold running water or place them in the freezer before cutting," one suggestion reads. I put the onion I used for the stuffed bell peppers in the freezer and was amazed to find that I did not have to step back to wipe my eyes while performing this necessary task.
To get a copy of Delectable Dishes send an email to alamedadeca@yahoo. com.
I followed a second suggestion with great success. I used some of the fresh lemon juice I prepared for the apple crisp to wash my hands after I cut the onions. That got rid of the onion smell.
The cookbook has eight sections: appetizers and beverages; soups and salads; vegetables and side dishes; main dishes; breads and rolls; desserts; cookies and candies; and "this and that" with recipes for dips and puddings. Each section starts with pertinent helpful hints. One hint in the soups-and-salads section advises the cook to perk up soggy lettuce by spritzing it with a mixture of lemon juice and cold water. A hint in the vegetable-and-sidedish section says that adding a little vinegar to potatoes before draining them will keep those spuds extra white when you mash them.
Delectable Dishes also has a "quick-fixes" page. Don't worry, for example, if you've under cooked that cake, relax and serve it over some vanilla ice cream, or, layer it with some whipped cream. And if your rice turns out too sticky, save the day by rinsing it with some warm water.
The book has a page with cooking terms, another that describes measurements (for example, a "pinch" is one-eighth teaspoon or less) and substitutions. If you're out of brown sugar, reach for some molasses. Do you need tomato juice and don't have any? Mix some water with that tomato sauce in your cupboard.
The pantry basics page tells you what a well-stocked cupboard should contain. Everything needed to provide a good meal has found its way onto this list. Food-storage guidelines, cooking terms and slow cooker tips round out Delectable Dishes' storehouse of information. The book even comes with a stand that allows the cook to prop the book up in the kitchen while he or she is preparing a meal.
But recipes make the cookbook, and I put three Delectable Dishes' recipes to the test. For dinner I prepared Laurie Andrews' stuffed bell peppers and Carmen Arroyo's garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert I cooked up Andrews' apple crisp. The recipes were all easy to follow and each of the three dishes (especially the apple crisp) was delicious. My wife, Pauline, and I enjoyed the sauce made with garlic and half and- half for the potatoes. (And that vinegar did keep the potatoes nice and white). Each dish passed the Evanosky taste test with an enthusiastic "yes" to the question, "Would we make this again?"
That enthusiasm also applies to Delectable Dishes. Pauline and I would recommend this book to other cooks, and we can't wait to try some of its other recipes. Although I admit I've already bought more Granny Smith apples and will be making apple crisp again this weekend.
To learn how to get a copy of Delectable Dishes for just $20, send an email to [email protected].
Published: FRIDAY, 25 JANUARY 2013 01:09
High schoolers release collection of family recipes
By: Dennis Evanosky
Alameda High School's DECA program is raising funds with Delectable Dishes, a cookbook that highlights recipes from the school's students, alumni and staff.
For starters, the cookbook has a number of helpful hints. For example, did you know that you don't have to cry when you're cutting onions? "Cut them under cold running water or place them in the freezer before cutting," one suggestion reads. I put the onion I used for the stuffed bell peppers in the freezer and was amazed to find that I did not have to step back to wipe my eyes while performing this necessary task.
To get a copy of Delectable Dishes send an email to alamedadeca@yahoo. com.
I followed a second suggestion with great success. I used some of the fresh lemon juice I prepared for the apple crisp to wash my hands after I cut the onions. That got rid of the onion smell.
The cookbook has eight sections: appetizers and beverages; soups and salads; vegetables and side dishes; main dishes; breads and rolls; desserts; cookies and candies; and "this and that" with recipes for dips and puddings. Each section starts with pertinent helpful hints. One hint in the soups-and-salads section advises the cook to perk up soggy lettuce by spritzing it with a mixture of lemon juice and cold water. A hint in the vegetable-and-sidedish section says that adding a little vinegar to potatoes before draining them will keep those spuds extra white when you mash them.
Delectable Dishes also has a "quick-fixes" page. Don't worry, for example, if you've under cooked that cake, relax and serve it over some vanilla ice cream, or, layer it with some whipped cream. And if your rice turns out too sticky, save the day by rinsing it with some warm water.
The book has a page with cooking terms, another that describes measurements (for example, a "pinch" is one-eighth teaspoon or less) and substitutions. If you're out of brown sugar, reach for some molasses. Do you need tomato juice and don't have any? Mix some water with that tomato sauce in your cupboard.
The pantry basics page tells you what a well-stocked cupboard should contain. Everything needed to provide a good meal has found its way onto this list. Food-storage guidelines, cooking terms and slow cooker tips round out Delectable Dishes' storehouse of information. The book even comes with a stand that allows the cook to prop the book up in the kitchen while he or she is preparing a meal.
But recipes make the cookbook, and I put three Delectable Dishes' recipes to the test. For dinner I prepared Laurie Andrews' stuffed bell peppers and Carmen Arroyo's garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert I cooked up Andrews' apple crisp. The recipes were all easy to follow and each of the three dishes (especially the apple crisp) was delicious. My wife, Pauline, and I enjoyed the sauce made with garlic and half and- half for the potatoes. (And that vinegar did keep the potatoes nice and white). Each dish passed the Evanosky taste test with an enthusiastic "yes" to the question, "Would we make this again?"
That enthusiasm also applies to Delectable Dishes. Pauline and I would recommend this book to other cooks, and we can't wait to try some of its other recipes. Although I admit I've already bought more Granny Smith apples and will be making apple crisp again this weekend.
To learn how to get a copy of Delectable Dishes for just $20, send an email to [email protected].