Great Review for Stir, Laugh, Repeat

Jewel of a Cookbook, December 30, 2009
By Cynthia Chappelle - See all my reviews


Martha has written a jewel of a cookbook!! Great southern recipes! The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients are easy to fine, most things you already have on hand. I love the helpful hints that are included. I have made several of the recipes and some of my favorites are the Cracker bars, Sugar Cookie Bars and the Outside-In Cake. I have received great response from everything I have made. My family exchanged food baskets this year and I included the recipes mentioned and everyone has enjoyed their treats. I also like the fact that you can change some of the ingredients like using milk chocolate in place of white chocolate without ruining the recipe. I can't wait for the next book to come out!!

Celery Tips

Don't throw away those celery leaves. The outer leaves can be used as seasonings in soups, stuffings or any other cooked dish. The inner leaves add a nice flavor to tossed salads. And to keep your celery fresh and crips... wrap it in paper towels, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate. The towels absorb excess moisture. This works great for lettuce too.

Cookie Tips

Let cookies cool completely before storing. To keep them fresh, store soft and chewy cookies in an airtight container and crisp cookies in a jar with a loose-fitting lid.

Use shiny cookie sheets when baking. Dark pans absorb more heat and can cause them to over brown.

To loosen cookies that have been left in the pan too long, return the pan to a 350 degree oven for minutes, then remove them from the pan. (This works on cakes too.)

Quick-cooking oats, browned in a small amount of butter or margarine can be substituted for chopped nuts in most cookie recipes.

A simple way to make round shaped cookies without rolling and cutting is to roll the dough into 1" balls and place on the cookie sheet 2" apart. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Ice Molds

Having a party? Add an ice mold to your punch. Pour 2 cups of ginger ale into a cakepan. Freeze at least 4 hours. Arrange about 1 cup of fruit over the frozen ale and top with 1 cup of ginger ale. Freeze completely. To unmold, let the pan sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes or until the mold is loosened. Carefully place into your punch.

Seafood Tips

Scallops - Scallops are highly perishable so cook them within two days of purchase. Before cooking, always wash to remove sand and grit.

Crabmeat - Crabmeat becomes tough, watery and looses it's flavor when frozen. Use crabmeat in a recipe and then freeze.

Fish - frozen fish should not be kept longer than one day before cooking. The flavor is better if it's cooked immediately after frying. Fresh fish has practically no "fish" odor. The odor becomes stronger with age so smell your fresh fish before purchasing.

Muffin Tip

While making muffins, there have been times that I have more muffin cups than muffin batter and I usually don't discover this until after I've sprayed the full pan with non-stick spray or greased all cups. There is a way to keep the spray or grease from baking onto the cups. For those that you don't fill with batter, fill them about half way full with water. The water also keeps the empty cups from smoking while your muffins are baking.

Crab Pesto

I love Pesto and I love pasta salads but have never tried combining the two. The idea came to me in steps as I started making up my Pesto to go over some spaghetti. I first decided to add the black olives and then added a little mayonnaise to thicken and allow the pesto to stick a little better to the pasta. Then I spotted a package of imitation crab meat. It sounded pretty good so why not? Then I thought about adding the cheese and allowing it to melt. I have a best friend, Dusty, who loves any seafood and any pasta dish so she and her husband were perfect to test this one on. She called me later to tell me that it was perfect just the way it was but her husband Richard decided to spice it up by adding a little garlic and onion powder to his. The only other thing I might try adding would be some French fried onions on top of the cheese while melting. You can also use real crab or shrimp.

View the full recipe by going to Martha's Kitchen Korner

Fruitcake Icing

I can't say that I like Fruitcake so I don't even bother to make it. But I do sometimes find myself with leftover dried fruit and nuts that would normally go into the making of fruitcake. What do I do with them? Until today I've always tossed them into candy. One of the things I don't like about fruitcake is the taste the fruit ends up with after it's baked. Then I came up with an idea.... use them in cake icing. They keep their original taste and aren't cooked. So since I had a mixture of dried pineapple, coconut, papaya, raisins and nuts I decided to experiment using a coconut sheet cake.

For my icing I mixed 1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese, softened, 1 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 1 cup of my fruit mix. The icing came out thick and a little lumpy from all of the fruit and nuts so I knew it wouldn't spread very well on a cold cake. Solution... Add the icing as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.

I have to say that the cake was a hit! None of my "food testers" like fruitcake but they all loved this one.

Cake Baking Tips

I don't make layer cakes very often but when I do I want them to come out perfect. No sticking to the pan! These are a couple of things I do to make sure my cakes come out of the pan clean and complete.

When a recipe calls for a "greased pan" it means to use solid shortening, not oil. And a greased pan means bottom and sides. Plus, you can add a wax paper liner to the bottom of the pan. This is done by tracing an outline of the pan on the wax paper and cutting it out. Place your liner in the bottom of the cake pan, pour in your batter and bake. When done, invert the layer on a rack to cool and gently peel off the wax paper while the cake is still warm.

I hope these tips will make your cake baking easier too.

Keeping That Fresh Coffee Smell and Taste

When I open a fresh container of coffee, the aroma is so wonderful that I can't wait to make a pot. I usually can't wait for the pot to finish before I've poured my 1st cup. That is the best cup of the day but I usually have 2-3 cups. The second cup is good but not as good as the 1st. The third is OK but not as good as the second. Why? AIR! Exposure to air saps the aroma from the coffee. Continued heat makes it bitter. The solution lies in pouring freshly made coffee into a sealed container such as a carafe, coffee butler or even a thermos,as soon as it's made. This will keep your coffee fresh, giving it that 1st cup taste and that 1st cup aroma.

And to keep that opened container of coffee grounds fresh, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Coffee grounds kept at room temperatures can become rancid giving even the 1st cup a not so good taste.

More Vegetable Tips

When selecting yellow squash, look at the stem. If the stem is hard, dry, shriveled, or darkened, the squash is not fresh.

To make use of thick asparagus stalks, peel the lower part p to the tender part with a vegetable peeler.

Steaming fresh vegetables over boiling water preserves more vitamins than cooking in boiling water.

And... remove the tops of carrots before refrigerating. The tops drain the carrots of moisture making them limp and dry.

Vegetable Tips

When preparing vegetables for cooking, use a stiff vegetable brush to scrub rather than peel them. Peeling causes a loss of vitamins found in and just under the skin. For many vegetables, such as squash, peeling is not necessary.

Sand and dirt can be removed by soaking them in warm salted water for 5 minutes.

Stir, Laugh, Repeat - Review

I want to share another great review for my cookbook Stir, Laugh, Repeat.

Stir, Laugh & Repeat is a must use cookbook. It's many recipes are dazzling and also a lot of fun to make. Different recipes for all types of tastes. I personally made the banana pudding which came out rich and tasteful the whole family enjoyed that recipe. So many great recipes come inside this book which is titled appropriately. I couldn't come up with a better name for a cookbook. And just to actually make the recipes are a thrill in themselves. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys great tasting food and loves to cook...David C

Ingredient Equivalents

Beans, dry - 1 lb. = 6 cups cooked
Carrots - 1 lb. = 2 cups sliced
Celery - 1 med. bunch = 4 1/2 cups chopped
Corn - 2 med. ears = 1 cup kernels
Lettuce - 1 lb. head = 6 1/4 cups torn
Noodle, med. egg - 4 oz. = 3 cups cooked
Peppers, sweet - 1 large = 1 cup chopped
Potatoes, 3 med. = 2 cups cubed cooked
Rice, long-grain - 1 cup = 3 1/2 - 4 cups cooked
Tomatoes, 1 med = 1/2 cup cooked

Can Measurements

Can Size:
6 oz. = 3/4 cup
8 oz. = 1 cup
10 1/2 oz. = 1 1/4 cups
16 oz. = 2 cups
20 oz. = 2 1/2 cups
29 oz. = 3 1/2 cups
46 oz. = 5 3/4 cups

Cake Recipe

This is a recipe sent to me by Eileen Thorton, Author of The Trojan Project. I thought everyone would enjoy this fun and simple recipe.

Eileen Thornton
The Trojan Project - Nominated for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2009
Order your copy from my website - £8.99
www.eileenthornton.co.uk

You must read down to the bottom....enjoy!!



Ingredients:

* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs

* Nuts
* 2 bottles wine
* 2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the wine to check quality.
Take a large bowl, check the wine again.
To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.
Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer.
Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one teaspoon of sugar.
Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something.
Check the wine.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window.
Finish the wine and wipe counter with the cat.

Go to Waitrose and buy cake.

Bingle Jells!

Japanese Pink Sauce

When I eat at a Japanese restaurant I always order Shrimp Sauce. I use it as a dip for my shrimp, chicken, steak, pork, broccoli, just about everything I'm served. I love it and after every meal I politely ask for the recipe, which they won't give out. One day a friend of mine gave me a recipe from a Japanese restaurant that had closed down. At the bottom of the page was a recipe for Shrimp Sauce, which I've included in my cookbook Stir, Laugh Repeat. While browsing around at the Southern Christmas Show this year I ran across a booth that was offering samples for Japanese Pink Sauce. One taste and I know that someone had finally bottled the perfect Shrimp Sauce. I had bought a stovetop grill while at the show and couldn't wait to get home to cook up some shrimp and broccoli. This stuff is wonderful! I hope my picture above will entice you enough to order a bottle and try it for yourself. I don't think you will be sorry. For more information and ordering go to Japanese Pink Sauce

Pistachio Lace Cookies

The original recipe for these cookies took a bit longer. I eliminated one step that appears to make no difference in these cookies. The eliminated step called for the dough (which is about the consistency of thick cake batter) to be rolled in plastic wrap, frozen and sliced. By-passing this step has made no difference in the outcome of these cookies. For changes, use different nuts such as pecans or walnuts. Add a little cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice for flavor changes. These cookies are so good that it's hard to eat just one or two or three...

To view the full recipe go to Martha's Recipes

Eggnog Truffles

There are times that I do use a recipe to the letter and this is one of those times. I love white chocolate and I also love eggnog so these were perfect. One trick that I did while coating my truffles was to insert a toothpick into each, spooned the chocolate over them and removed the toothpick as I placed them on the wax paper. Also, sprinkle each one with nutmeg as soon as it's coated. Otherwise, the chocolate will start setting and the nutmeg won't stick. These are perfect to make with the kids.

To view the full recipe go to Martha's Kitchen Korner

Simple Christmas Cookies and Candies

Christmas is a great time to spend time in the kitchen with your kids. It's so simple them to make festive cookies and candies without turning on your oven. All it takes is a little melted white and milk chocolate, some decorative sprinkles and their imagination. The cookies in the picture are actually crackers that I found, shaped like butterflies. They are iced with white chocolate and sprinkled with red and green sugar. The marshmallows are covered in milk chocolate and rolled in sprinkles, almond slivers and stuck a pretzel in the center. You can ice just about any cookie, cracker or pretzel and come up with some inexpensive, pretty treats. These are perfect for the kids to give to their teachers for Christmas and the kids will take such pride when they tell them that they made them.

Measuring Tips #2

I ran across a recipes where one called for 1/4 cup of chopped cherries. I asked myself, "how many cherries make 1/4 of a cup?" Here is my answer.

About 15 cherries will equal 1/4 cup chopped

Another recipe I wanted to work with called for 8 oz. of chocolate chips. Quick thinking will tell you 1 cup... incorrect. Below is the answer to this measurement.

1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips will equal 8 oz. chocolate chips (don't be fooled by the cup measuring 8 oz. Remember chips aren't liquid)

Left Over Pork Roast

What do you do with leftover pork roast? I usually slice mine and make a sandwich using rye bread, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle slices and lettuce. Then it hit me. I use the same ingredients in my chicken salad so why not make pork salad. So I did and it's great and very time saving. Everything but the lettuce and bread is already blended so there is no need to pull out the mayo, mustard and pickles. Just spread it on your bread and add the lettuce.

Cheater BBQ Review

As most of you already know, I don't just cook but I read and write book reviews. Sometimes I get really lucky and have the opportunity to review a cookbook. One of my latest reviews is for Cheater BBQ. This book is great! View my full review by going to A Book and A Dish

Stir, Laugh, Repeat Review

A very very delightful cookbook that is compact, concise, easy handle, and containing such a variety of recipes that are simple and very appealing. They are easy enough for young people and new cooks to follow, yet they are not so simple that experienced cooks would not be interested in following them. I do not have time to spend on complicated recipes that take a lot of time to prepare, and this cookbook solves that problem. Also, I do not have to look beyond my own kitchen for most of the ingredients, a plus. I especially liked the tips throughout, most of which were new to me, and find them very useful. I will go over them and over them. I loved the stories which the author shared and found them so amusing,. They seemed to bring the cookbook to life and make you feel as though you personally know the author. They also made it more than just a cookbook. I found the suggestions in changes most helpful. In many cases, I had read or used a similar recipe but your suggestions really did improve them. I am particularly fond of southern recipes (as attested to by the fact that I am a Southern Living magazine subscriber), so I, of course, enjoyed those in the cookbook. I love Potato Soup and have always used my mother's recipe, but since trying yours I have decided to make that my permanent recipe. I would, however, omit the sour cream, for my own taste. I found the Sausage Cookies delicious and would not have thought of topping them with a pecan. That gave them a nice balance and even enhanced the taste.. I have used a similar Key Lime Pie recipe before but love yours. I agree with your "man friend" on the Mustard Pork Chops. They do seem kind of messy but I was so surprised at the delicious flavor. They will be a keeper for sure. My daughter makes the Monkey Bread but never thought to include the butterscotch pudding until we saw the recipe in your book. It really does give the dish a wonderful flavor. I must tell you a story about Boiled Peanuts. My daughter, my sister and I were on a trip south recently and stopped for gas at a mini-market. Inside, they had a pot of boiled peanuts going. Never having tasted them, we watched as a girl ladled a cupful. She said "I love these and make special trips here to get them." When she heard we had never tried them she offered us a taste. I did not try them but the other two did. They waited until the girl left and both spit them out as soon as they could. They said they had a terrible taste. I don't think I will be trying them. I also enjoyed the Chicken Marsala and will be using that again and again. I plan to continue using more recipes, and especially the ones for cookies for the holidays.

Overall, I think this is a great cookbook. I love it! The recipes are so simple and unique. The book combines delightful recipes with wit and humor, giving it a personal touch, and the tips themselves are worth the price of a book. I am a collector of cookbooks and have never come across one like this. You did not ask for comments on the title or the cover, but I must tell you that I think the title is excellent and the cover itself is eye-catching.

Thank you so much for allowing me to comment on your wonderful cookbook.

Sincerely,

REDA BURK

Crock Pot Steak Strips with Dumplins

This is another dish for those of you who wanted meals for 2. And of course, you can double the recipe to feed more. This dish is made up of beef strips, cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and topped with light and fluffy dumplings. To view the full recipe go to Martha's Kitchen Korner

Whipping Creams

I've been asked this question several times so I thought I would share the answer with everyone.

Question - What is the difference in - heavy whipping cream, whipped cream, whipped topping?

Answer -
Heavy whipping cream is cream with a fat content of 36-40%. When whipped with an electric mixer, it can be used as a dessert topping or folded into desserts for flavor and lightness.

Whipped cream is the product you get from beating heavy whipping cream. If you desire a sweeter product, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of confectioners' sugar.

Whipped topping such as Cool Whip is a nondairy whipped topping.