Every where i look these days, it seems to me people are discovering their own heritage via their food. Maybe I am more sensitive since the Jewish Holidays are almost upon us.  The New York Times just ran an article Jewish Recipes Routed Through Africa that were for the new years season.. Just saw an article about traditional Ramadan Recipes from Lebanon.I saw an article about Finnish foods being rediscovered right here in Minnesota which makes perfect sense. I had no idea that there were three different languages being spoken in the country.In food stuff yesterday was an article Like the Greek Kitchen of Her Grandmother highlighting one grand-daughters quest to bring the flavors of her Greek grandmothers table to others. I find this all wonderful and request you find one recipe that your grandmother might have made.
      I find it interesting that the people of my generation tried to eat out of the home as much as they could and it is their children that are rekindling the quest of family traditional foods. We need to make sure we do not loose another generation foods traditions of they might be lost forever.  I have lost my OMMA's recipes and I really loved her deserts. They are are lost for good. I can try to recreate them from recipes that are similar but they will never taste the same.
Check out these links:
Recipes for Ramadan
Epicurious (blog)
We've got recipes from across the Muslim world, including Arabic countries,
Africa, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia, along with tempting
sweets ...
<http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2010/08/recipes-for-ramadan.html>

Dora and Diego cookbook explores healthful eating
San Antonio Express
“Dora & Diego Let's Cook” is a cookbook from Nickelodeon that has 50
recipes for Latino-themed dishes that children and their parents can make
together. ...
<http://www.mysanantonio.com/sacultura/dora_and_diego_cookbookexplores_healthful_eating_101480009.html>

9 Of The Most Expensive Cookbooks ... Ever (PHOTOS)
By The Huffington Post News Editors
In wake of the news that former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold is publishing
a $625 cookbook (which is included in this slideshow), we strained, sifted,
and grated through the far reaches of the internet to find the nine most
expensive ...
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/27/9-most-expensive-cookbooks_n_695793.html>

Chefs create fun, good-for-you recipes for school menus
MiamiHerald.com
But she is helping Miami-Dade school cafeteria workers develop new, healthy
recipes that will encourage kids to pick up a hot lunch. ...
<http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/28/1793900/chefs-create-fun-good-for-you.html>

The 22 Best Android Apps
PC World
Free Make recipes mobile: Through Digital Recipe Sidekick you can browse
and import recipes from AllRecipes.com, save recipes to SD Card, e-mail
them, ...
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/203635/the_22_best_android_apps.html?tk=hp_new>

Rachael Ray launches iPhone food shopping app
The Associated Press
Rachael Ray, best-selling cookbook author and TV personality, has a new
iPhone application, "Tasty Bytes," that combines recipes and cooking tips
with a ...
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gYq3TskYF8L8V-V-q-zBGuVkP4IgD9HKKO301>

Recipes Are Like Children - kitchenmage
By kitchenMage
Your recipes are not your recipes. They are the sons and daughters of
Food's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And
though they are with you yet they belong not to you. With apologies to
Kahlil Gibran Watching ...
<http://blog.kitchenmage.com/2010/08/recipes-are-like-children.html>

Community Cookbook: Estonian sauerkraut
TMCnet
The cookbook was published in 1983. It features a history of Atonement
Lutheran Church to that point. The book highlights the milestones in the
church's ...
<http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-community-cookbook-estonian-sauerkraut-/2010/08/22/4968652.htm>

Ruth Reichl talks about her new cookbook
Chicago Daily Herald
... great Gourmet magazine; critiquing restaurants for The New York Times
and the Los Angeles Times; and penning both cookbooks and food memoirs. ...
<http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=399437>

Cookbook Uncovers Historic English Foods
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Founder of the English Folk Cookery Association, White was one of the
earliest British journalists to write about food. This pioneering
collection of more than 800 recipes, some dating as far back as the 14th
century, is the finest ...
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/12/cookbook-uncovers-histori_n_680009.html>

Cookbook Review: Gourmet Indian in Minutes by Monisha Bharadwaj
For those new to Indian cuisine, Gourmet Indian in Minutes is a great tool
to become familiar with Indian spices and ingredients.
<http://indian-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/cookbook-review-gourmet-indian-in-minutes-by-monisha-bharadwaj>

        

       When you drive out of the city on weekends, you will kiosks at the corners selling corn. At the grocery store you will see corn at ridiculously low prices. At all the festivals and local baseball games there are corn cobs dipped in butter for sale.Corn is everywhere.As I get ready for the state fair, I know I will see lots of corn and be tempted smelling the sweet butter things going by.
        I am sure you have stories about the great corn you ate growing up. My cookbook would have a story that some of you might be able to add to your cookbooks.But it is not one of eating corn as a young kid. In fact I did not eat it until I was a teenager during my annual country visit at my aunt and uncles farm when I went to the county fair. My parents did not have corn growing up. They thought of corn was feed for cattle. This little story makes my recipe worth trying or making it more special than just a recipe. It would be my family cookbook and the traditional foods of my growing up.
        Next story, the battle of grilled corn. Which instructions would I include? I soak the ears in water for an hour and put them on the grill for 10 minutes and then twist them around until all sides are cooked up to 10 minutes.It all deeps on how hot your fire it is. It takes about  30 minutes. They steam in the husks and the silk seems to disappear. My partner takes the silk out and then soaks them and ties the husks back on. His gets his toasty and loves the taste.  I think they are a little dry. He likes his and I like mine. So I guess this little story would have to be included for these recipes. I guess the way to cook them in boiling water is our safe way to avoid disagreements on corn on the cob.
         When you check out the recipes for corn right now you see some that ask for corn cut off the cob and then frozen. That gives you lots of ways to cook it later and but summer on your table in the middle of winter. Corn Chowder never tasted better than on a cold winter's day. Corn Bread or corn souffle are just a few ways to bring summer back to your home when the snow is flying.
          So as you go to the farm stand or grocery store and see 12 ears of corn for a very low price buy it knowing you can cut it and freeze to so many recipes. Look at this link and just type corn into the blank.
http://www.bonappetit.com

        

Tidbits Today:

1. There is a new recall for eggs. Those eggs have been in the stores since May and were sold as late as last week. I know that food recalls did not exist when I was going up. What have we done to our food supply that causes this??? The report I heard said the chickens had the disease and they passed on to their eggs.
2. I was watching the Iron Chef this past Sunday, there was a lady on the panel that was French. Does any one remember her name? When they introduced her I was not listening. I only became interested in her once she announced she had written a cookbook for her granddaughter.   And is it not why we write our cookbooks.
3. I saw an article this week that said we might have a shortage of beet sugar soon. The FDA has not approved a the genetically altered beets now after 95% of the beets used for sugar have it. I want to know what brand use the 5% and purchase some of them.
4. I have started working on Holiday Cookies Cookbook. Hope to have it as gifts this year and I knew that if I waited it would never get completed. I will let you know how I progress.
5. When writing your cookbook don't forget the stories. Family stories can make your cookbook really stand out as a must read...must keep book.
   

        

I need to warn you in advance, this is a sad story. I have talked about my Aunt Lisa's Amish Blueberry Pie for years.It is the recipe on my cd-rom for cookbook creation. This pie was very special to me and it was one of my favorite treats when I visited. If you have heard the beginning of this story move to the next paragraph but I want to fill everyone one in. When I was teenager I went to my aunt and uncles farm in Northern Indiana every year. They lived in Amish country with horse and buggies passing the house during the day. I would plan my trip to match the county fair which we would visit every year. I loved going. We would also pick high bush blueberries at the farms in southern Michigan with our buckets around our necks. After we spent an afternoon picking Aunt Lisa would make my favorite pie.

Aunt Lisa's Amish Blueberry Pie used have of the blueberries for the sauce and the other half were raw. And fresh wipe cream always top the pieces of pie. You will not believe the horror I felt when I went into my cookbook and found the recipe. Then I went on-line there were recipes that were exactly a like. None mentioned that this was an original pie created by the Amish. It was in my Canadian Summer cookbook and I discovered that my secret recipe was not a secrete any more.

I want you to understand that when you share recipes at your reunions this year "that special recipe" may show up on line or in another cookbook. Nothing takes away from the wonderful taste from your youth but with the story it really makes the recipe keep its special status. The stories are important to keep the context but also to make that recipe even more special. Do you need a story with each recipe--probably not but if there is one keep in the cookbook. When writing your cookbook the stories do not need to pages of text but just a few paragraph to relate the story to your readers.

Just remember that you should be aware with communications these days that any recipe can become exposed not matter how special the recipe has been to you. Don't let that shock as it did me!

        

Are you hiding from the neighbors? When the doorbell rings, you don't answer it? When you are at home the blinds are down so know one knows your at home? Yes, it is that time of year again when our good meaning neighbors are trying for find someone left on the planet that will take their tomatoes and zucchini. << MORE >>

While reading the paper's food section last week I was surprised to open the section to see brightly colored carrots. But as I read the article I was pleasantly surprised that the University of Minnesota had been cultivating over 100 vegetables and fruits and coming up with new looks for these foods. I think bright colored foods maybe the answer to having kids try foods that they typically turn their noses at.

Rick Nelson, the author of the piece, stated that these new carrots were extremely sweet. The sweetness is sometimes missing from my carrots that I buy and that is why I tend to buy the baby carrots that we all know are not really baby carrots but processed to be smaller then the regular carrots. I buy the organic carrots but end up with lots of green stuff that I am not sure what you can do with the green tops. Any ideas please share?????? But I think the University is on to something by making the carrots sweeter and another way that kids might be satisfied with these vegetables instead of junk food.

After reading the article I wanted to go buy these carrots and learned one more thing, the University has a Farmers Market each Wednesday. I am not sure I will drive across town to buy the purple, gold or orange carrots but I might be tempted. Think of the great looking foods I can create with carrots that are purple. Carrot soup may have a new look but taste all the better.
 
Here is the link to the article:     http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/98936839.html You will be blown away with the photo and may be tempted to try them too. There is even a link to more carrot recipes!

In the heat of summer we all are looking for quick easy recipes that keep our kitchens cool, if you have any recipes and ideas please share them with us.

        

Many times when we think about cookbook creation for family recipes, we think of the big traditions around holidays and celebrations. Sometimes it is the small things that we always did but do no more...As I was leafing through this months Bon Appetit I came across something that shouted out to me, The Summer Picnic is being lost!

If you read it, I am sure you were thinking some thoughts about summers long ago when the family piled into the car with food packed away in the trunk to be opened when you got to that special place.  The question posed to the ba foodist read, "My fondest childhood memories are of the family outings when my mom would make a large picnic lunch and we would pack up the car and go for a drive. I would like to continue that traditon with my family. What dishes can you recommend for a picnic/?

I am so glad the Jenny is planning to keep the tradition of summer picnics in her family. But I was amazed that Andrew answered that he too enjoyed picnics in his youth. I thought he might think he was too cool for such summer frolic but he has decided to go on a one man campaign to bring back the fine art of the picnics. He said it perfectly, "It connects you to with nature, friends, family and food, and,- most important-it helps you relax." If you are looking for recipes or what to take out to your own family picnic he asked for people to visit his blog at bonappetit.com/go/bafoodist

Such a simple tradition could be lost because we just are too busy doing stuff...so sad...schedule family time this summer and go on a picnic and have some fun.

        

Basil is such an easy herb to use and it is full of vitamin A, C and has calcium. Basil rocks since it is so easy to grow in the garden. << MORE >>

As I think of all those people collecting family recipes preparing for their family reunions, I want to remind you that our foods have changed over the decades when some of these recipes have been written. I think it is important to take many changes very obvious to your readers.I think the notes section of a cookbook are perfect for talking about those changes but make those clear to your readers so they understand how those changes have been made. I really think the fundamental reason to write a family cookbook is to pass down traditions and those recipes reflect some of those traditions.

When I talk to audiences about food changes I think part of it not very obvious..the changes of can sizes as well as boxes size. So when you say two cans of creamed corn. Those cans might have been 8 ounces and now are 6 ounces. This also means if you are making cereal bars the size of the pack has become smaller. Even a stable like flour has changed from cake or bread flour which did not exist in my Grandmother's day. My mother in law just created an Angel Food Cake from her Grandmother which had her sift flour six times. She did it exactly as the recipe outlined to respect her grandmother but did she really have to do that.

Items that might be different to think about are butter, milk, heavy cream, sour cream which may have different fat contents than they did in old recipes. Remember you can always change recipes to low salt, low fat or less sugar as long as they do not change the taste of the recipes but again in the notes section let your readers understand those changes are different from the original recipes.

Lastly, when you include portion size remember we have super sized our eating habits and those original sizes may be different today. So a recipe for cookies or muffins may need to be changed. When you taste and test the recipe it is the perfect time to figure out how many our new portion size creates. For bars a family favorite make sure you say how big the bars are- 2 by 2 or 2 by three so the readers really know how many people can be served.

        

Elections do have consequences and how we spend our money on foods also restates our fundamental beliefs on what is important to us and our families. This is a very provocative statement but I think this is true but this will not be a political article but a reflection that started with last week's blog on Are Our Strawberries Safe. Some may question that a blog on cookbook writing would venture in the current debates on foods but a family recipe cookbook is really about our families and keeping them safe as well as well feed our ... << MORE >>