"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Spot on A Great New Cook Book and Cooks

This is my birthday present from my daughter and her family and I love, love, love it! I thoroughly enjoy Jamie Oliver's cooking show on the Food Network, but as it is now on very early in the morning I do not get a chance to see it. Our daughter's family DVR's it and we watch it together at a more ( to my way of thinking ) reasonable hour. Even better, I usually have a grandchild or two in my lap as we watch Jamie..oh joy! My husband is the "foodie" in the family and I thoroughly enjoy doing the table setting,being the go-for, and clean-up help when he prepares delicious meals , quite often, for friends and family. After all, my reward is that I get to eat fine food and drink fine wine and visit with people we love. Such a small price ...but I digress. My daughter asked what I wanted for my birthday and I suggested maybe a DVD of Jamie Oliver, not realizing he had a cookbook published. What a cookbook! It surpasses his show. It shows pictures of his gardens, him hunting, cooking outdoors, and much more...all done very practically too. As the wife of a hunter, it is refreshing to have a healthy view of such a much-maligned endeavor. Well prepared game of any sort is a rare thing now-a-days. I cannot say enough in favor of this cook book, and I will be reading it from cover to cover...and I have only read one other cookbook that way...might write about it later. All this to say that my husband suggested I cook through this book and blog about it like the movie "Julie, Julia". Nope, not going to do that, but I have decided I will blog every Friday starting next week about recipes from Jamie's book, and cook my way through it. Jamie's book is orderd seasonally and I will prepare his recipes accordingly. I will start with Autumn recipes and hopefully my husband will give me a LOT of help and we will have opportunities to share these meals with friends and family . I have been very, very busy preserving the harvest and bounty of the garden my husband so lovingly prepared, planted and tended. All he asks is that I do not let the fruit and vegetables go to waste. Until this year , my poor husband's labors have oft been wasted or ended up as chicken food because I am at the fairs from mid- August til the end of September and when home am too exhausted to do much canning, freezing, etc. Then I am ashamed for the waste and sad for my husband's hard work for naught. No more! I have canned pickles, jams, and tomorrow will can Tomato Jam, a recipe I found on this wonderful blog: One Perfect Bite* ( click here). I am excited about trying this jam out on broiled French Bread with a dollop of goat cheese on top. Another book my daughter and her family have ordered for me is by Nigella Lawson*( click here). I have seen a few of her shows ( Nigella Bites) on the Food Network, but she, too, is now on way too early for me. There is just something so pleasant about a woman who loves to cook AND eat too! I watched her prepare a few egg dishes awhile ago and thought I could get excited about cooking like that. Can't wait for my new cook book by her! Meanwhile, because I have been busy canning produce I have been making easy breezy dinners. That is O.K. with my husband because he has been coming home from work and straight-way working on finishing his new Honey house / pump house. It is looking good and we have been needing a new pump-house and water pump for a long time. It has room for all my husbands' bee-keeping equipment, and also has been prepared for extracting and storing honey. Yay! Dinner tonight was sliced ripe tomatoes, with baked chicken, toast and FETA PEPPER DIP , thanks to Noble Pig *( click here)! It is good, try it, you'll like it! "Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labors in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward." Ecclesiastes 5:18

17 comments:

Paula said...

I can't wait for your Friday posts now, Kathy! I'm looking forward to going through Jamie's book with you.
The tomato jam on french bread with a dollop of goat cheese sounds soooo good!!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Kathy, I, too, love Jamie Oliver. I'll be watching each week as you work your way through his book. Thanks so much for the mention of my tomato jam. I really appreciate it. Have a great day. Hugs...Mary

Anonymous said...

What a nice gift!

Amy

http://goatpod2.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

I want to come live with you!!! This cookbook from your daughter/family looks wonderful and it will be fun to check in with you on Fridays for seasonal recipes. All the fresh veggies and canned goods look so good too. This is a fun time of year, isn't it? Enjoy your day.

Flower said...

This post has provided many moments of discovery for me!! Thanks! I will look at Jamie's cookbook, look at the links and be off on a food experience!
You have done so many wonderful things with all the garden produce!! We grew eggplant and to my surprise...and a good simple recipe...we have enjoyed every mouthful!! The eggplant is so pretty just to look at!
Friday's are on my calendar to check out what you have done!!
Happy weekend and happy cooking!!
ps..are you going to the Flock and Fiber show in Canby?

LindaSue said...

Cookbooks are just the best kind of present - something to look at and enjoy now -and refer back to in the future and feed your friends with new/interesting recipes!

Mary said...

It is not your fault exactly...but now my tummy is growling. I need to make goat cheese. It has been way too long. Feta it just might be.

I look forward to your Friday cooking with Jamies posts!

A. Joy said...

Excited to see what you're able to make with the help of the book. I'm sure we'll be thumbing through it ourselves whenever we're over there! Hmmm, I wonder if any of the wild bunnies would be worth a recipe and moles???

noble pig said...

Oh my word you are busy and glad you tried the dip! I would love to can things, it's on my list of these to do!!

Vikki G said...

I have Nigella's How to eat...love it! I have to tell you I love her show..so sorry they seem to have taken it off. Her books read like good articles on food.
Blessings,
Vikki

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

This cookbook, "Jamie at Home," looks great. The photo of your canned vegetables, jellies, pickles, and cookbook was really nice. You've really been busy this summer, but I know the food is so, so good. I enjoyed your posting. Have a wonderful weekend.

Susie said...

Well I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing what you are posting. Love recipes.

What a great gift!

Karen said...

Oh I am looking forward to these recipes and pictures. Too bad you can't send free smells over the internet! Thank you for stopping by Nana Stories.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

God has blessed Jim and you with a bountiful harvest and it looks so beautiful in the jars!
Happy Birthday to EWE
Happy Birthday to EWE
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to EWE!
smile
It's tired but heartfelt!

English Cottage in Georgia said...

Easy breezy dinner - I like that sound. You harvest and canning is awesome. I so wish I could get started, but I am scared to death of poisoning my family. LOL!!! I laugh, but it really is a fear.

KathyB. said...

Thank-you for the extra motivation to get cooking!Every day this week my husband has come home and asked if I had started cooking some of Jamie Olivers' recipes. I reminded him I will post the first recipe NEXT Friday..I think he was already hungry just anticipating what wonderful things I will hopefully prepare. I am pretty excited to get cooking!

Connie said...

First of all, belated happy birthday to you, Kathy. I am late on visiting and commenting as usual. I hope your day was a special one. The cookbook sounds wonderful. I will look forward to your post when you try out all the recipes.