platefullofmemories
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platefullofmemories
Wasted Food-more than just recipes
Every once in a while you come across an article that just needs to be talked about.
So it was with the Star Tribune 6/15/09 Variety edition titled What a Waste.. Here are the facts from the article:
The solutions
So it was with the Star Tribune 6/15/09 Variety edition titled What a Waste.. Here are the facts from the article:
- 50% of our food product are thrown out
- each family member has a couple of pounds of waste a week
- restaurants and buffets account for the rest of the food waste
The solutions
*shop wisely
*follow a meal plan (60% of what is purchased from meals is never made
*shop more frequently
*buy fewer items per trip
*buy locally when possible (2 weeks from growers to super market)
*plan a head- buy for the freezer
* use left overs in meal plans
*compost
*make it a house project to reduce waste
This would be fantastic to add to your cookbook for hints on what to do with your food!
Cookbooks are more than just recipes
Cookbooks were created to pass off knowledge from one generation to the next. This included recipes and household tips needed to keep a home. In the past, cookbooks were a great way to pass the values of the home down to the family members. Cookbook writing was not for sale but usually written in personal journals. Cookbooks were much more than just recipes.
I have often talked about my mother and her buying fruits and vegetables at the market when I was growing up. She would buy things by the bushel basket that she would can. Her frugal-ness is a value that can be part of my family cookbook and there several ways to included it…
1) by including those recipes where those products were used
2) how to choose those fruits and vegetables that are ideal for canning
3) writing the story about eating those things that were included in the recipes.
I have often talked about my mother and her buying fruits and vegetables at the market when I was growing up. She would buy things by the bushel basket that she would can. Her frugal-ness is a value that can be part of my family cookbook and there several ways to included it…
1) by including those recipes where those products were used
2) how to choose those fruits and vegetables that are ideal for canning
3) writing the story about eating those things that were included in the recipes.
Time is of the Essence for Creating a Family Memory CookbooK
My article, "Time is of the Essence For Creating a Family Memory
Cookbook" - has been accepted and published on EzineArticles.com:
http://EzineArticles.com/?id=2401061 This the link if you would like to read the article...
We put off those things that are not immediate and then wonder why things don't get done. Our cookbooks or collecting the stories for that cookbook are on the list of best intentions. I hope this article demonstrates the importance to start doing rather than talking about doing.
http://EzineArticles.com/?id=2401061 This the link if you would like to read the article...
We put off those things that are not immediate and then wonder why things don't get done. Our cookbooks or collecting the stories for that cookbook are on the list of best intentions. I hope this article demonstrates the importance to start doing rather than talking about doing.
Regional Eating
The hot thing is too eat local. I have often suggested doing that since that helps the growers in your area and you get to know them too. I did not realize that would that those regional fairs are crossing over boarders too. Buffalo Chicken wings no longer just in Buffalo. Philly Steak Sandwiches are served around the country as bar sandwiches.
A new book goes behind those foods that are distributed around the country to find the real soul foods of a regions. Mike Kurlansky, The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food-Before the National Highway system, Before Chain Resturants and Before Frozen Foods, When the Nation’s Food Was Season Regional and Traditional-From the Lost WPA Files. I am buying the book first because I love the title and then I really want to know what our local foods were really like before we became homogenized as a people. Just by reading the review I know that I will love it like I love driving back roads or blue highways and stopping at those small stores that offer local stuff. Some are selling vegetables from their farm and selling some other stuff. His book gives us what it really was like to eat regional foods when it really mattered.
Now the Sterns, Michael and Jane, give us 5oo things to eat before it is too late. They think that it is immigration plus regional food mixing to give us unique food like Korean tacos. They would say that Kurlansky’s is disappearing while the Sterns is emerging. The key is that these foods are not in a drive thru and much more than a burger or pizza…maybe like Wisconsin fish fry on Fridays.
A new book goes behind those foods that are distributed around the country to find the real soul foods of a regions. Mike Kurlansky, The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food-Before the National Highway system, Before Chain Resturants and Before Frozen Foods, When the Nation’s Food Was Season Regional and Traditional-From the Lost WPA Files. I am buying the book first because I love the title and then I really want to know what our local foods were really like before we became homogenized as a people. Just by reading the review I know that I will love it like I love driving back roads or blue highways and stopping at those small stores that offer local stuff. Some are selling vegetables from their farm and selling some other stuff. His book gives us what it really was like to eat regional foods when it really mattered.
Now the Sterns, Michael and Jane, give us 5oo things to eat before it is too late. They think that it is immigration plus regional food mixing to give us unique food like Korean tacos. They would say that Kurlansky’s is disappearing while the Sterns is emerging. The key is that these foods are not in a drive thru and much more than a burger or pizza…maybe like Wisconsin fish fry on Fridays.
How Green is your kitchen…
Mine not so much.
Although I really try to be green…I buy things that have less packaging, I recycle all I can and I think about new-uses and reuses for my stuff. When I cook I have no problem on using everything before putting it down the disposal. I grew up with Lore B, my mom, who added leftovers every night to the soup until Thursday night you could not tell what was in the soup.
I look at the kitchen a cog for cleaning my house. I blame that on Lore B too. My house is clean, some days more than others but one a week I go vacuum, dust and scrub my entire home. It is one of the few things I do that has an actual beginning and end so I can really feel good about my accomplishment- finishing with a clean house. But I am one of those who think that smell of bleach and ammonia smells clean so I am slowly trying to use green products and feel that I am really cleaning. I have no problem cleaning windows with vinegar and water with a splash of alcohol using newspaper…yes that is how Lore B cleaned her windows too. And she gets to say she wins by everyone coming back to where she was 40 years ago!
I am trying to be more green in the house and in the kitchen…I will keep you posted how I do.
Spring in a Jar???
I have written about summer in a jar since I feel it is the last celebration of the summer. What better treat than eating something in January that you have grown last summer. But lately I think some are pushing the season.
In the Sunday newspaper coupon section Ball Jars had a coupon a few weeks ago. I clipped it and hope I can find it when I need it in August. And then today the NY Times had a great article called "Preserving Time in a Bottle." It had great information about pickle different vegetables. I can fruits so most of my recipes end up as jelly, jams or preserves. I know many people pickle veggies to be canned. Some people make them spicy and they are great to add to fresh salsas. But if you are like me you are just putting your garden in. The only thing that might be ready to be harvested is asparagus and rhubarb.
What I really like about Julia Moskin's article is, she like me feels you really do not need to grow all you can. Yes, you can go to the farmer's market and pick some great foods to be shared this winter. But the foods at the market right now is not local and that to me is like opening a tin can of a veggie. some farmer's markets don't open until some time in later June. nytimes.com/dining
The best part of the article is the side where she provides links to may sites for information on canning. The heading is Some Canning Dos and Don'ts. Great Stuff! She also has a list of books that you can read about canning.
For those of you who are over planners and organizers, you might want to plan what you want to can by choosing those things for your garden now. Plant it now and can it when they are at their peak flavor.
In the Sunday newspaper coupon section Ball Jars had a coupon a few weeks ago. I clipped it and hope I can find it when I need it in August. And then today the NY Times had a great article called "Preserving Time in a Bottle." It had great information about pickle different vegetables. I can fruits so most of my recipes end up as jelly, jams or preserves. I know many people pickle veggies to be canned. Some people make them spicy and they are great to add to fresh salsas. But if you are like me you are just putting your garden in. The only thing that might be ready to be harvested is asparagus and rhubarb.
What I really like about Julia Moskin's article is, she like me feels you really do not need to grow all you can. Yes, you can go to the farmer's market and pick some great foods to be shared this winter. But the foods at the market right now is not local and that to me is like opening a tin can of a veggie. some farmer's markets don't open until some time in later June. nytimes.com/dining
The best part of the article is the side where she provides links to may sites for information on canning. The heading is Some Canning Dos and Don'ts. Great Stuff! She also has a list of books that you can read about canning.
For those of you who are over planners and organizers, you might want to plan what you want to can by choosing those things for your garden now. Plant it now and can it when they are at their peak flavor.
It"s time for a Family Memory Cookbook, It's Family Reunion Time
Reunion Cookbooks
Many people are starting plan this summer’s family reunion. Some of you maybe planning to do a fund-raiser and are thinking about a cookbooks. I warn you to really plan a head. Most of you will not make back the money you spent for printing them.
Planning is key and your sales team is the difference between making a profit for your fundraiser or not. Sometimes the only one to make money is the printing company. I am not sure if Morris Cookbooks even has a guide to pricing your cookbook. They have great samples materials to make your cookbook and most of what you can do in self-publishing on your desktop.
With many of the cookbook companies you need to have 200 cookbooks to make an order, that is why all the focus on the actual cookbook and very little on selling it. That really is the hard part is the pricing it and then selling it.
If the cookbook is going to cost 3.95 for each at 200 copies…it will cost $800 plus shipping/handling to cover the cost of the book…so lets round up to a total $1,000
How many members are there coming to the reunion…250 people but actually on 100 families… max in sales 100 if everyone buys one…..
3x printing to price a book … $11.95 + 84 to break even max revenue
$2390
4x printing to price a book… $15.95 63 to break even
$3190
5x printing to price a book…. $19.95 50 to break even
$3,990
How much money are you really making????
Pricing also is what your family is willing to pay too…????
Figure out exactly how big your family is and who many will actually buy your cookbook. As I always suggest, make full of family stories and photos so people who do not cook still do not have a reason not to buy it! Then work back from there.
The Winner is Your Cookbook!
The winners for the 2009 James Beard Awards for cookbooks were announced on Monday. If you did not see your name among the winners do not fee badly. You need to enter to win. I have a Woody Allen feeling about awards...if I can win one, then I would not want them...So I never enter contests.
But is that really why you are writing your cookbook...an family cookbook is a about hugs and kisses from your family for creating heirloom that will be passes down for generations.Maybe James Beard should add the category of Heirloom Cookbooks.
Here is what categories are judged now:
Cookbook of the Year
Cookbook Hall of Fame
American Cooking
Baking and Dessert
Beverage
Cooking from a professional point of view
General
Health Focus
International
Single subject
Photography
Reference
Writing and Literature
Be a winner in your family and complete your family cookbook with your families favorite recipes
But is that really why you are writing your cookbook...an family cookbook is a about hugs and kisses from your family for creating heirloom that will be passes down for generations.Maybe James Beard should add the category of Heirloom Cookbooks.
Here is what categories are judged now:
Cookbook of the Year
Cookbook Hall of Fame
American Cooking
Baking and Dessert
Beverage
Cooking from a professional point of view
General
Health Focus
International
Single subject
Photography
Reference
Writing and Literature
Be a winner in your family and complete your family cookbook with your families favorite recipes
Too Many Recipes!
Too Many Recipes!
Part of the job of any cookbook writer is deciding which recipes to add to your cookbook. If your using a theme that may help and if you are collecting recipes but not getting a lot of additional recipes then you may be limited. I have too many recipes I have collected in the last year and have not tried. I am thinking about choosing a night during the week that will be new recipe night. I can only use a new recipe on that night until all the clipped recipes have been used in my three ring binder. I have thought that it should be a weekend endeavor but with going out to eat on the weekends that might not work. It has to be a week night and one that I usually don't teach Create an Heirloom Cookbook. The goal is to get thou all the new recipes and delete those that I really don't like and adding the ones I do to a new cookbook I will be creating. It's a start.
Great Idea...50 Ways to eat green
50 ways to eat green!
Ever read an article that you thought what a great idea. That is what happened this morning when I read the taste section of the paper today. I would love to know what you think. My plan is to print it and they make a check mark when I do attempt to do one of the things and then highlight through it when it becomes part of my household. You might want to do the same.
Ever read an article that you thought what a great idea. That is what happened this morning when I read the taste section of the paper today. I would love to know what you think. My plan is to print it and they make a check mark when I do attempt to do one of the things and then highlight through it when it becomes part of my household. You might want to do the same.
