Cookbook Review #1

Yay! So this is my first review on this blog, and it's going to start off on a high note! :) I just want to include a disclaimer first. Although I am not adverse to paid blogging, or paid reviews, these cookbook reviews are not paid or endorsed. I have either bought the cookbook myself, rented it from the library or received it as a gift from a friend (everyone knows I love to cook). So, all opinions are 100% mine, and you can take it or leave it at will.



The first book I am reviewing is The Gourmet Pregnancy by Leah Douglas. Let me start off by saying, I have totally enjoyed this book. I am kind of in love, and am really sad I do not own it myself. Although it has "pregnancy" in the title it is absolutely fantastic for both pregnant women and those who aren't. I fed my entire family these recipes and haven't had a single problem yet. The fact that it IS pregnancy friendly is a bonus though, no need to worry about specific ingredients, and most recipes are very high in calcium and folic acid. The book has full sized, beautiful photographs for almost every recipe (taken by Leah's husband, actually)... and your food comes out looking like the pictures... which always makes me feel better. Leah has also included cute little intro's to each recipe that actually can be very informative.

As for the structure itself the book is split up into sections. Below are the sections within the book, and the recipes I have tried.

Breakfasts & Brunch
Snacks & Sidekicks
Appetizers
Lighter Fare

• Butternut Squash and Carrot Ginger Soup with Creme Fraiche
• Spiced Caramelized Cauliflower and Candied Curry Pecan Salad

Entrees

• Tilapia Fillets with Coconut Curry Cream Sauce
• Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce
• Ancho Chili Chicken and Zucchini with Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Desserts

• Chocolate Mousse Cake with Chocolate Cookie Toffee Crust
• Toffee Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Mocha Nanaimo Bars
• London Fog Cupcakes (pictured above, oh so good.)
  

Drinks

There are still a dozen or so recipes I want to try from the book too, and very few in the book are 'run of the mill' recipes I already know. Which is a problem I find in a lot of other books (and why the library is my resource) and the fact that I could find so many exciting recipes in one short book was amazing! I can't wait to try out more! Including her French Fusion Onion Soup and the Salmon, Zucchini and Sweet Corn Latkes with Dill Sour Cream. All her recipes are very modern and use good, fresh ingredients, a good amount of fresh spices and nothing too out of the ordinary - which is nice for my budget. Her explanations are helpful, and every recipe I've tried so far has been a hit with the family (except I had an aversion to the coconut milk while I was cooking the Tilapia... but that's just pregnancy for you... I usually love recipes with coconut milk. Everyone else had second or third helpings of the sauce.)

The only thing I would complain about if I HAD to would be her Breakfast Section, it does edge towards run of the mill a little. With only one recipe I haven't done/had a variation of which is the Latkes. Though I've always been a big breakfast eater - so this isn't necessarily the case for everyone.

All in all I give this book two thumbs up, and would recommend it to everyone, from the brand new cooks to the quite experienced.

Cabin Fever

So, way back in May I had to leave my job. Why? Not because I didn't love it, I worked at a great petstore with wonderful people, had great hours and decent customers. I had to leave because of health concerns. Not only was I battling horrible morning sickness at that point (which when combined with the fragrance of a petstore made food unbearable. I lost 10+ lbs in my first three months of pregnancy), but there was a lot of potential risks for little raspberry. I had never owned a cat up until the year before, who I also had to sell - because of the risk of toxoplasmosis - so I wasn't allowed to touch any of the cats, or clean their habitats... I also could not come in contact with our turtles or any of our birds in case of Salmonella. Apparently hedgehogs and ferrets are no-no's too. We also had an extensive aquatic section, which I had to avoid, or be very very careful in. So, my doctor recommended I leave, or have my employer find me a position in which I didn't have to interact with so many animals. Yeah. Not so possible in that store. So I left.

Right around that time I decided to hurry up my degree and take my last two courses in summer school... so from May - June I was nice and busy. After that was the move, then MCAT studying. My MCATs were written a week before my baby shower, so I had lots of prep until then.

But now? Nothing. I know I know, yesterday I was complaining that my to-do list is a million miles long. But, hear me out. For the past five years I've been a Biology and Mathematics student at University, I've always had my hands full volunteering, running clubs and working at the very least part time. This last year, although I wasn't in school full time I was working fulltime at a job I took very seriously - I would learn as much as I could about all the breeds of dogs we had, all the different types of animals and even those we didn't sell, so I could be as informed as possible for the customers. I was constantly learning. As well, I was Assistant Manager - and had my hands full trying to keep things as organized as possible. I have always had something to occupy my mind with.

And let's face it. Making sure the nursery looks as perfect as possible, and packing a suitcase for the hospital aren't exactly taxing. I'm going a little stir crazy. I've been reading a ton of books, and cooking up a storm... but I'm bored. And the worst part? I know I shouldn't start any new projects, because in four weeks I'll have plenty to occupy myself with, but I really really want to. I also have a ton of ideas of things to do! Ah. What to do what to do... *whine*

Three weeks, Six days.

I have decided to do something though. I haven't picked one from my list of ideas, but as soon as I do I'll let the world know. It just has to be something that in a month I can take a nice hiatus from. Right?

Officially 9 Months

Whew. I've officially made it through to the ninth month of pregnancy! I am due in exactly 4 weeks. Eeek! So much to prepare still, with Thanksgiving, reunions, and my niece's first birthday in there too! My to do list just keeps growing longer and longer, instead of crossing things off I just keep adding them.

But, besides all the mayhem, I am so excited. I had another ultrasound this week... baby is doing a lot better. For those of you who didn't know, about a month ago my doctor was a little concerned that my stomach was so small still. Not "so small" but, smaller than average, and not growing consistently. So she sent me for an ultrasound; turns out Raspberry was actually averaging larger than normal... but mostly due to her ginormous head. :/ I was 33.5 weeks at the time, and her head was measuring around 36, with her body just lagging a little at 32.5. My ultrasound this week showed that her head only moved up to 37 weeks (still ahead of schedule), but that her body has caught up significantly and is just under 36 weeks. And at this point they are no longer concerned, it could be genetics (my father has a huge noggin'), or it could be error (her head is actually really low in my abdomen, so low its hard for them to get a measurement, which is also why my stomach isn't as big as its expected to be... she's hiding. :P). But all in all she's healthy, she's moving like mad, and still pulled a million and one faces for the ultrasound pictures... but didn't give anyone the finger this time.

As for me... I'm doing good. Cooking up a storm, I have a couple recipes I'm going to try out today... and a cookbook I'm dying to get into. And I have a super secret project that I think would be really cool if I decide to do it. More on that later. My back is being pretty achy though, but that's to be expected, right? I just have to be careful how much I stand in one spot - walking seems to help though, in small amounts.

Anyways, I'm going to go make some London Fog Cupcakes! I'll let you know how that goes.

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Chocolate Toffee Crust

Taken from The Gourmet Pregnancy by Leah Douglas, from the Desserts section.

Ingredients
Crust
- 1 pkg chcolate sandwich cookies (with chocolate filling)
- 1/2 cup Skor bits
- 1/4 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Mousse
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grind cookies in a blender to medium-fine consistency: pour into a large mixing bowl. Add Skor bits and melted butter, stiring to mix well.
3. Press crust evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 4 - 5 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.
4. In a large saucepan over low heat, warm chocolate chips, vanilla and 1 cup of the whipping cream, stirring gently until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool in refrigerator.
5. In a separate large bowl, add remaining 2 cups of whipping cream and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the cooled chcolate mixture and spread evenl over crust.
6. Let the cake cook in regrigerator or freezer for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve cold.
   

Comments
This was an amazing cake, the mousse is absolutely heavenly (as Leah describes it). When you freeze it before serving it's almost like an icecream... but it is also great just out of the fridge. I baked the crust the full 5 minutes, and it was a little hard, so keep a close eye on it, and don't be afraid to 'underbake' it slightly, especially if you're going to serve it frozen. It's better to have a crumbly crust than one that you can't get through. Highly recommended!

Spiced Caramelized Cauliflower

Taken from The Gourmet Pregnancy by Leah Douglas, out of the Lighter Fare section.

Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into sliced florets
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method

1. Preheat oven to 500 F
2. Combine cauliflower, melted butter, brown sugar, paprika, cinnamon and cumin. Season with salt and ground pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Serve cauliflower warm.

Comments
The recipe is actually "Spiced Caramelized Cauliflower and Candied Curry Pecan Salad", but the way the cauliflower is spiced makes a fantastic side to your meal on its own. Make sure to keep them in the oven until they look very brown in spots, I thought I burnt them the first time, but the darker ones were the best ones! This even won over non-cauliflower fans. Enjoy!