Weekend Cookbook Challenge RoundUp and Goodbye

Well, here we are for the 37th and last roundup for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I started the challenge as a solo project back in 2005 as a way to cook out of more books in my cookbook collection. After cooking out of 5 of my previously unused cookbooks the WCC was turned into an event that everyone could take part it. And now 37 months and 37 themes later, this is goodbye.

Let's go!


A sweet post and a lovely plate of Seared Tuna with Lime Crust are sent to the final WCC by the wonderful Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. Thanks Deb!


Judy from Judy's Gross Eats has come by to say so long and with her she brings photos of her gorgeous kitchen and some delicious Macaroni and Cheese.


Ok, everyone stay where you are and don't all go running into the kitchen at once to make Pages, Pucks and Pantry and Mrs. L's Pan Fried Angel Food Cake. Um, yum.


I don't want to alarm anyone, but I think Hell may have frozen over.......Lis sent in a post for WCC! Oh just teasing. But seriously, her Romanian Garlicky Ground Meat Sausages (Carnatzlach) with Sour Pickle Vinaigrette and Roasted Red Peppers looks stunning, and she says nice things about me, she's awesome!


My beautiful friend Mary from The Sour Dough has written a lovely post for the end of WCC. The WCC is actually how Mary and I "met", for which I will forever be grateful. Her Cappuccino White Chocolate Chunk Bread looks good, but is not nearly as sweet as her.


My friend Ruth from Once Upon a Feast has made what she calls her most romantic dinner for the final WCC - Bife a Poruguesa. Thank you Ruth!


Jenny from All Things Edible share these pretty Caramel Dumplings, a recipe from her Grandmother.


I could never thank Michelle from Je Mange la Ville enough for her participation over the 3 years of WCC. Her beautiful Tarte au Citron is a lovely goodbye.


I am working on finding the perfect Bloody Mary. It's a tough job, but I'm up to the challenge.


You are for sure going to want to check out these raw vegan brownies from TriniGourmet! They look great.


Another one from me - Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli. If you like mushrooms and ham, you'll want to try this.


This Mexican Chicken and Corn Chowder is well loved by Cynthia and her family at Diary of a Glad Housewife. Mmmmmm, corn.


LadyConcierge sends us this simply lovely Valentine's Day Cheesecake. Thanks LC!


Joanne at Eats Well With Others posted this crazy colorful Caramelized Sweet Potato, Garlic, and Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese and Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan. Yum!


Here's my Pulled Pork from Rachel Ray magazine. I've got a freezer full of shredded pork now. What could be better?

__________________________________

A thousand thank yous to everyone who ever posted for WCC, hosted, suggested ideas, and came by to check out our efforts. I so appreciate all you have done and thanks for joining me over the past few years for Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

It was so much fun. I miss it already.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge RoundUp and Goodbye

Well, here we are for the 37th and last roundup for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I started the challenge as a solo project back in 2005 as a way to cook out of more books in my cookbook collection. After cooking out of 5 of my previously unused cookbooks the WCC was turned into an event that everyone could take part it. And now 37 months and 37 themes later, this is goodbye.

Let's go!


A sweet post and a lovely plate of Seared Tuna with Lime Crust are sent to the final WCC by the wonderful Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. Thanks Deb!


Judy from Judy's Gross Eats has come by to say so long and with her she brings photos of her gorgeous kitchen and some delicious Macaroni and Cheese.


Ok, everyone stay where you are and don't all go running into the kitchen at once to make Pages, Pucks and Pantry and Mrs. L's Pan Fried Angel Food Cake. Um, yum.


I don't want to alarm anyone, but I think Hell may have frozen over.......Lis sent in a post for WCC! Oh just teasing. But seriously, her Romanian Garlicky Ground Meat Sausages (Carnatzlach) with Sour Pickle Vinaigrette and Roasted Red Peppers looks stunning, and she says nice things about me, she's awesome!


My beautiful friend Mary from The Sour Dough has written a lovely post for the end of WCC. The WCC is actually how Mary and I "met", for which I will forever be grateful. Her Cappuccino White Chocolate Chunk Bread looks good, but is not nearly as sweet as her.


My friend Ruth from Once Upon a Feast has made what she calls her most romantic dinner for the final WCC - Bife a Poruguesa. Thank you Ruth!


Jenny from All Things Edible share these pretty Caramel Dumplings, a recipe from her Grandmother.


I could never thank Michelle from Je Mange la Ville enough for her participation over the 3 years of WCC. Her beautiful Tarte au Citron is a lovely goodbye.


I am working on finding the perfect Bloody Mary. It's a tough job, but I'm up to the challenge.


You are for sure going to want to check out these raw vegan brownies from TriniGourmet! They look great.


Another one from me - Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli. If you like mushrooms and ham, you'll want to try this.


This Mexican Chicken and Corn Chowder is well loved by Cynthia and her family at Diary of a Glad Housewife. Mmmmmm, corn.


LadyConcierge sends us this simply lovely Valentine's Day Cheesecake. Thanks LC!


Joanne at Eats Well With Others posted this crazy colorful Caramelized Sweet Potato, Garlic, and Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese and Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan. Yum!


Here's my Pulled Pork from Rachel Ray magazine. I've got a freezer full of shredded pork now. What could be better?

__________________________________

A thousand thank yous to everyone who ever posted for WCC, hosted, suggested ideas, and came by to check out our efforts. I so appreciate all you have done and thanks for joining me over the past few years for Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

It was so much fun. I miss it already.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Love - Bloody Mary

Here's my third recipe for the final Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Love.

Last September we went on a family trip which involved a 3 day cruise from Vancouver to LA, with a stop in Seattle. Neither Scott or I had ever been on a cruise ship before, and we both loved everything about it! Except for a 1/2 day of seasickness. And when they made us get off the ship in LA. But other than that, it was awesome. I will share some pictures with you soon.

On the first day on the ship, on the advice of my Dad, we bought a cocktail card. Basically it's a punch card good for 10 cocktails, any cocktail. By purchasing the punch card supposedly you save a bit of money. They also have them for wine. So we bought one. We are pretty basic drinkers and the only cocktails I really like that I could think of were Margaritas and Caesars. It can be hard to find a Caesar, one of my favorite drinks, outside of Canada. No Caesars on the ship, but they did have Bloody Marys.

The basic difference between the 2 is a Caesar is made with Clamato and a Bloody Mary is made with tomato juice. I don't like straight tomato juice and I have had Bloody Marys before that I didn't care for, but I figured I'd give it a try and if I didn't like it Scott would probably drink it.

It was so good! The best Bloody Mary ever, and better even than some Caesars I've had. It was heavily, wonderfully spiced and so refreshing. We blasted thru that cocktail card and then some for Bloody Marys on that ship.

The bad news - it's hard to re-created a taste like that at home. The weekend after we got back from our trip I made a batch of Bloody Marys that were bloody awful (hee!). So bad that Scott wouldn't even let me try another batch for a month. And that was a recipe from one of our cookbooks!

This is probably our 6th attempt at Bloody Marys since that trip and while it is not nearly as good as the ships, it's a solid drink. It makes me wonder - was the drink really as good as I remember, or was it being on vacation with my family that made it taste so good?





Bloody Mary
Playboy Bartender's Guide
Thomas Mario

1 1/2 oz vodka
3 oz tomato juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 tsp ketchup
1 dash Worcestershire
1 dash celery salt
1 dash Tabasco sauce

Shake all ingredients well with ice. Strain into a tall or squat 8 oz glass.
_________________________________

This is the final Weekend Cookbook Challenge! The theme is Love and the deadline is March 15. Send you posts to me at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Love - Bloody Mary

Here's my third recipe for the final Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Love.

Last September we went on a family trip which involved a 3 day cruise from Vancouver to LA, with a stop in Seattle. Neither Scott or I had ever been on a cruise ship before, and we both loved everything about it! Except for a 1/2 day of seasickness. And when they made us get off the ship in LA. But other than that, it was awesome. I will share some pictures with you soon.

On the first day on the ship, on the advice of my Dad, we bought a cocktail card. Basically it's a punch card good for 10 cocktails, any cocktail. By purchasing the punch card supposedly you save a bit of money. They also have them for wine. So we bought one. We are pretty basic drinkers and the only cocktails I really like that I could think of were Margaritas and Caesars. It can be hard to find a Caesar, one of my favorite drinks, outside of Canada. No Caesars on the ship, but they did have Bloody Marys.

The basic difference between the 2 is a Caesar is made with Clamato and a Bloody Mary is made with tomato juice. I don't like straight tomato juice and I have had Bloody Marys before that I didn't care for, but I figured I'd give it a try and if I didn't like it Scott would probably drink it.

It was so good! The best Bloody Mary ever, and better even than some Caesars I've had. It was heavily, wonderfully spiced and so refreshing. We blasted thru that cocktail card and then some for Bloody Marys on that ship.

The bad news - it's hard to re-created a taste like that at home. The weekend after we got back from our trip I made a batch of Bloody Marys that were bloody awful (hee!). So bad that Scott wouldn't even let me try another batch for a month. And that was a recipe from one of our cookbooks!

This is probably our 6th attempt at Bloody Marys since that trip and while it is not nearly as good as the ships, it's a solid drink. It makes me wonder - was the drink really as good as I remember, or was it being on vacation with my family that made it taste so good?





Bloody Mary
Playboy Bartender's Guide
Thomas Mario

1 1/2 oz vodka
3 oz tomato juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 tsp ketchup
1 dash Worcestershire
1 dash celery salt
1 dash Tabasco sauce

Shake all ingredients well with ice. Strain into a tall or squat 8 oz glass.
_________________________________

This is the final Weekend Cookbook Challenge! The theme is Love and the deadline is March 15. Send you posts to me at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge AND an announcement

**If you have enjoyed or taken part in Weekend Cookbook Challenge in the past, please read all the way to the end of this post**

This post for Weekend Cookbook Challenge combines many things I love. Let's name them: cookbooks, sales, Williams Sonoma, mushrooms, ham, and new recipes. And so the recipe I'll share with you comes from a cookbook bought from the sale table at Williams Sonoma, and the recipe is for sauteed wild mushrooms with ham and allioli. Here's the book:

The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen. It's a phenomenal book not only for the recipes (everything from tapas to desserts) but also for the writing and the photos. They are few photos of actual dishes from the book, but many ingredient shots and photos of Spain and markets that will make you want to book a flight and get the heck over there.

I've had this book for a couple of years and though I've read it cover to cover a few times, this is the first time I've cooked from it. It didn't take much flipping thru it to find the recipe to make, Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli, or Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Ham and Allioli. I was excited to find this recipe because first, who doesn't love ham and mushrooms and garlic on toasted bread, and second because I've never made allioli (that is how the book spells it) before.

I started with the allioli. It's a mixture of egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and canola oil. Whiz the yolk and friends in the blender while slowly drizzling in the oils et voila! You have allioli, aka mayonnaise.

My first mistake was not using the blender, but instead the mini chopper that fits on the blender base. I started drizzling in the oil and the allioli started spattering out the sides. I had to stop, wipe everything up and transfer the partially blended sauce into the blender, which I should have used in the first place, and continue. My second mistake was blending too long. The sauce went thick, and then back to thin. I gave up, scraped it into a bowl and seasoned it with salt.


Thin!

The mushroom saute went much more smoothly. After sauteing garlic and diced ham in olive oil, the mushrooms are added and cooked until all the liquid has been evaporated. When stirring in the parsley I also added a splash of lemon juice. The mushrooms mixture is spooned over toasted bread and drizzled with the allioli.

Doesn't that look heavenly? It was absolutely wonderful. The allioli ended up splitting and was not thick at all, but the flavor was nice and it went very well with the dish. I will be working on my allioli skills so I can make this again.

Basic One Cup Allioli
The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup peanut or canola oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg yolks
4 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
salt

Stir together both oils in a measuring cup with a spout. Place the garlic, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a blender and pulse until a coarse paste forms. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, thin, steady stream. The mixture will be the consistency of a thick mayonnaise. Scrape the allioli into a bowl and season to taste with salt, and more lemon juice if desired. Let stand for at least one hour before serving, or cover and refrigerate if keeping longer. If the allioli seems too thick, thin it out with a little water before using.
Makes just over 1 cup.


Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Ham and Allioli
The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

3 tb olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 oz serrano ham or proscuitto, finely diced (I used black forest ham)
12 oz assorted delicate wild mushrooms wiped clean with a damp cloth and sliced (I couldn't find any wild mushrooms so used buttons)
salt and pepper
2-3 tb finely minced fresh parsley
about 1/3 cup allioli
grilled bread or toast for serving (optional)
I added fresh lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and ham and cook, stirring, until the garlic is very fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have released and reabsorbed thier liquid and are lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes, adding more oil to the pan if it looks dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the parsley (and lemon).

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving plate or grilled bread or toast, if desired. Generoulsy drizzle the allioli over them. Serves at once.

Serves 2-4 as a meal.
__________________________________________________

I had decided a couple of months ago that it was time to wind down Weekend Cookbook challenge. Last month was actually going to be the last one, but I got sidetracked and distracted and moved it to this month. It has been great fun running WCC for the past 3 years, but the time has come. Originally I was not going to say anything, just write a thank you and goodbye in the round up, but after chatting with a couple of WCC regulars this weekend, they argued I should give some advance warning in case anyone wanted to take part one last time. Because I've already contacted the next 3 people that were slated to host and told them it was all over, and again, because I think it's time to say goodbye, I don't want to do another challange. But what I'm going to do is extend this one.

So, join me in saying goodbye to Weekend Cookbook Challenge! Challenge 37 has been extended to March 15. The theme is Love, but we've never really been about rules here. Do what you like! Send your posts to me by March 15 at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge AND an announcement

**If you have enjoyed or taken part in Weekend Cookbook Challenge in the past, please read all the way to the end of this post**

This post for Weekend Cookbook Challenge combines many things I love. Let's name them: cookbooks, sales, Williams Sonoma, mushrooms, ham, and new recipes. And so the recipe I'll share with you comes from a cookbook bought from the sale table at Williams Sonoma, and the recipe is for sauteed wild mushrooms with ham and allioli. Here's the book:

The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen. It's a phenomenal book not only for the recipes (everything from tapas to desserts) but also for the writing and the photos. They are few photos of actual dishes from the book, but many ingredient shots and photos of Spain and markets that will make you want to book a flight and get the heck over there.

I've had this book for a couple of years and though I've read it cover to cover a few times, this is the first time I've cooked from it. It didn't take much flipping thru it to find the recipe to make, Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli, or Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Ham and Allioli. I was excited to find this recipe because first, who doesn't love ham and mushrooms and garlic on toasted bread, and second because I've never made allioli (that is how the book spells it) before.

I started with the allioli. It's a mixture of egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and canola oil. Whiz the yolk and friends in the blender while slowly drizzling in the oils et voila! You have allioli, aka mayonnaise.

My first mistake was not using the blender, but instead the mini chopper that fits on the blender base. I started drizzling in the oil and the allioli started spattering out the sides. I had to stop, wipe everything up and transfer the partially blended sauce into the blender, which I should have used in the first place, and continue. My second mistake was blending too long. The sauce went thick, and then back to thin. I gave up, scraped it into a bowl and seasoned it with salt.


Thin!

The mushroom saute went much more smoothly. After sauteing garlic and diced ham in olive oil, the mushrooms are added and cooked until all the liquid has been evaporated. When stirring in the parsley I also added a splash of lemon juice. The mushrooms mixture is spooned over toasted bread and drizzled with the allioli.

Doesn't that look heavenly? It was absolutely wonderful. The allioli ended up splitting and was not thick at all, but the flavor was nice and it went very well with the dish. I will be working on my allioli skills so I can make this again.

Basic One Cup Allioli
The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup peanut or canola oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg yolks
4 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
salt

Stir together both oils in a measuring cup with a spout. Place the garlic, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a blender and pulse until a coarse paste forms. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, thin, steady stream. The mixture will be the consistency of a thick mayonnaise. Scrape the allioli into a bowl and season to taste with salt, and more lemon juice if desired. Let stand for at least one hour before serving, or cover and refrigerate if keeping longer. If the allioli seems too thick, thin it out with a little water before using.
Makes just over 1 cup.


Setas Salteadas Con Jamon Y Allioli
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Ham and Allioli
The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

3 tb olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 oz serrano ham or proscuitto, finely diced (I used black forest ham)
12 oz assorted delicate wild mushrooms wiped clean with a damp cloth and sliced (I couldn't find any wild mushrooms so used buttons)
salt and pepper
2-3 tb finely minced fresh parsley
about 1/3 cup allioli
grilled bread or toast for serving (optional)
I added fresh lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and ham and cook, stirring, until the garlic is very fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have released and reabsorbed thier liquid and are lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes, adding more oil to the pan if it looks dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the parsley (and lemon).

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving plate or grilled bread or toast, if desired. Generoulsy drizzle the allioli over them. Serves at once.

Serves 2-4 as a meal.
__________________________________________________

I had decided a couple of months ago that it was time to wind down Weekend Cookbook challenge. Last month was actually going to be the last one, but I got sidetracked and distracted and moved it to this month. It has been great fun running WCC for the past 3 years, but the time has come. Originally I was not going to say anything, just write a thank you and goodbye in the round up, but after chatting with a couple of WCC regulars this weekend, they argued I should give some advance warning in case anyone wanted to take part one last time. Because I've already contacted the next 3 people that were slated to host and told them it was all over, and again, because I think it's time to say goodbye, I don't want to do another challange. But what I'm going to do is extend this one.

So, join me in saying goodbye to Weekend Cookbook Challenge! Challenge 37 has been extended to March 15. The theme is Love, but we've never really been about rules here. Do what you like! Send your posts to me by March 15 at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Love

Have you forgiven me yet for choosing the oh-so-cheesy theme of Love for February's Weekend Cookbook Challenge? Oh good, thank you. My first recipe this month ( I may do one or two more) has double love. Look out! How extreme of me. It goes like this:

Years ago I worked at a restaurant in Calgary. The place went thru a couple of owner and theme/menu changes, and for a long time the menu had a large selection of Southern food - ribs, smoked chicken and pork, homemade rubs and sauces. It was all so very very good. I loved the smell and the flavor that smoking gave to the food, and my very favorite was the pulled pork sandwich with mustard bbq sauce and the coleslaw in the bun. I'd have it at least a couple of times a month. Loved it! And do you know who worked at that very same restaurant? Who I met there? Who I loooooooved? Scott. Yup, that classic tale of girl waitress and boy cook making googley eyes at each other over the fryer and driving our co-workers crazy with our my moaning "But I liiiiike him! But I don't think he likes meeeeeee!"

And this month is the 11th anniversary of our first date. Guess my whining eye batting paid off!

So here's my double love - I made the food that I love (pulled pork sandwiches) with the dude that I love (Scott). Did you see how I made it rhyme there?

North Carolina Style Pulled Pork
Rachel Ray magazine, October 2008


Here's my 5 lb boneless pork roast. The recipe calls for you to rub the spice rub on the pork right before you brown it. We rubbed in the rub the night before, wrapped it in a bag, and fridged it overnight.


Then the next afternoon we browned the roast on all sides.


After the roast was browned it was wrapped in a double layer of foil, placed in a baking dish and put in the oven at 300' for 4 1/2 hours. Then you unwrap the top of the foil, exposing the top of the roast, increase the oven temperature to 450' and cook another 20 minutes.


Here's the pork sitting on the counter as we tried to figure out how to get the pork AND all the juices out of the foil and baking dish. I was trying to pull back the foil so I could get at the pork, figuring I could lift the meat out in 2 or 3 pieces, then spoon out the juices. Instead, I tore the foil, and the juices started leaking out into the pan. "Did you hear that?" said Scott.......


as a piece of glass broke off the dish and cracks appeared all over the sides and bottom of the dish. Frack. We put a bath towel around the dish, in case it shattered, and got the pork out of there. Most of the juice ended up in the dish, rendering it all useless. There was about 1/2 cup in the foil that hadn't been in contact with the dish, so we kept that. Dammit! Now I have to buy a new damn 9X13 pan.


After we calmed down, Scott shredded the pork, added the reserved juice, and the rest of the dressing ingredients.


We made her coleslaw recipe too. It was too spicy.


Coleslaw and pork on a toasted onion bun.


OMG! YUM!

Served with a side o'beans.

This was heavenly! The pork was so tender and nicely seasoned. The vinegar dressing kept it nice and moist, and if I'd been able to use all the juices (I estimate I lost about a cup) it would have been that much better. I wasn't crazy about the coleslaw though - not very interesting and a little too spicy. The hot sauce we're using right now is nuclear-hot, so I cut back on the amount of hot sauce and pepper flakes in the slaw, but it's too spicy on its own. Good on the sandwich though. Also, boring - no carrot or anything else that could add flavor or character. The coleslaw recipe is here, if you're interested.
They seem to have edited the pork recipe online, so here's the magazine version.

3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
One 5-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
8 hamburger buns, split
4 cups coleslaw

Preheat the oven to 300'. Mix together the salt, pepper and paprika; sprinkle all over the pork and rub in. **I used 1 TB pepper**
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 24-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil and double-wrap the pork.
Place the pork, skin side up, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; roast until tender, about 4 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and carefully unwrap the top of the pork. Increase the heat to 450' and roast for 20 minutes more.
Transfer the roast to a large bowl, along with any juices. Using two forks, shred the pork. Add the vinegars, sugar and hot sauce; toss. Serve on the hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw.

_______________________________________

Want to take part in WCC? Find a recipe that fits the monthly theme. You can use a recipe from a cookbook, magazine, website, your Mom, whatever. Make it, blog about it with a picture and the recipe (if you like) and email me a link to your post by February 28. I'll have the roundup posted a couple of days after that. My email is iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.