2/21/2019

Sorry but I lost the pictures for this meeting.  

I used Skinnytatse One & Done

On page 140 is the recipe for Turkey Cheeseburger Soup.
  It was easy to follow the recipe, not expensive to make and taste was WOW.

On page 132 is the recipe for White Chicken Chile with Hominy.
  It was easy to follow the recipe, not expensive to make and taste was WOW.

Ruby used Complete Cookery Baking Cakes , Puddings & Pastries

On page 120 is the recipe for Oat & Raisin Cookies
On page 126 is the recipe for Gingernuts
On page 128 is the recipe for Caraway Cookies

all were easy to follow , not expensive to make and taste was WOW.  

Everything we made went over with our Fiber Group as delicious and all took copies of the recipes home with them.

January 17, 2019

This month Ruby tried Perfect Pie and Tart cookbook.

The recipes were organized by name of recipe, included .chapters on equipment and ingredients, well structured table of contents, index and cross referencing. The ingredients and cooking instructions were well organized and easy to follow and the ingredients were not hard to find.  The cookbook had pictures of the finished recipe. 

Ruby used a recipe on page 11 called Apple Pie and concluded that the taste was UGH and thought that the recipe was not kitchen tested.

The next recipe she tried was on page 99 called Bavarian Blueberry Tart and concluded that the taste was NOTHING SPECIAL and felt the recipe was not well written.

  

Ruby would not use this cookbook again.

The recipes were organized by name of recipe, included .chapters on equipment and ingredients, well structured table of contents, index and cross referencing. The ingredients and cooking instructions were well organized and easy to follow and the ingredients were not hard to find.  The cookbook had pictures of the finished recipe.

I used Anne Byrn Saves the Day.  

I used a recipe on page 64 called Fast Asparagus Soup and concluded that the taste was NOTHING SPECIAL and felt the recipe just lacked depth.

The next recipe I used was on page 127 called Ann's Fresh Tomato Pie.  The taste was VERY GOOD.

I also did a repeat recipe on page 33 called Laurie;s Goat Cheese, Pesto and Fig Cheesecake.  The taste was WOW.

I have done this recipe before and the taste is always a WOW.

These recipes were tested by a lovely bunch of ladies in our Fiber Craft Meeting.  They all agreed with the above assessments of the recipes.

Cookbook Critique December 2018

Name of Cookbook- The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

1.How are the recipes organized?  Name of recipe
 

2.Does it include equipment and ingredients chapters?       Yes

3.Are the Table of Contents and index well structured?      No

4.Are the recipes cross-reference (I.E. does banana bread appear under bread and bananas)?    No

5.Are ingredients and cooking instructions well organized and easy to follow?    Yes
 

6.Does the recipe include hard to find or expensive ingredients?     No

7.Is the recipe in a step-by-step format or do you have to read the whole recipe to understand what must be done first?    Step by step
 

8.Do the recipes have pictures of what the finished recipe should look like?  Some 

Page 45  Brown Sugar Banana Bread
Page 20 Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins
Page 205 Sunny lemon Bars
All recipes  were NOTHING SPECIAL
 

Would you recommend this cookbook?   NO

Was the cookbook written for both novice and seasoned cook?  YES  

October 18, 2018   Hi Foodies!

This month Ruby used Handmade Gifts from the Kitchen

Page 98-The front left recipe was White Chocolate and Rosemary Truffles- the recipe was easy to follow, not expensive to make and taste was GOOD.  Ruby suggests that you use less cream and butter as it was too soft for a truffle.

Page 29- Front right recipe was Rose Petal Cookies- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was GOOD.  Ruby suggests you add rose water to dough to bring out the flavor or process sugar with roses.

Page 153- Back left recipe was Lemon Loaf- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was GOOD.

Page 77-Fig Relish- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was VERY GOOD.

Ruby would use this cookbook again.

I used The New Midwestern Table (please note that the loaf of bread was my recipe and not from a cookbook)


Page 278- front left recipe was Cottage Cheese- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was NOT GOOD because it did not taste like cottage cheese it was basically a recipe for ricotta cheese. 

Page 346- back left recipe was Mom's Butter Caramels- esy to follow, not expensive and taste was VERY GOOD.  This recipe is a keeper, soft to chew and not a filling jerker.

Page 276-back right recipe was Homemade Butters- easy to follow, expensive to make and taste was GOOD.  One quart of cream  made one stick of butter for $3.84.  You can buy four sticks of butter from the grocery store for the same amount.

September 20, 2018

RUBY

The Family Table, Recipes and Moments from a Nomadic Life

Page 31- Dad's Cuban Picadilla- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was NOTHING SPECIAL, the olives overwhelmed the palette

Page 58- Green Pea Gnocchi with Parmesan White Wine Sauce- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was GOOD.  Ruby would use a lighter sauce for the gnocchi.

Page 68- Pull Off the Bone Slow Cooked Ribs- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was GOOD.  Ruby said the ribs were good but nothing to WOW about.

Overall Ruby said she would use this book again.

I used Betty Crocker Come Home to Dinner

Page 11- Oriental Pork Soup- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was GOOD.  I would use a little less Soy Sauce.  This tasted better the second day.

Page 29- Creamy Leek and Potato Soup- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was GOOD.  This also tasted much better the second day.

Page 204- Chocolate Rice Pudding- easy to follow, not expensive and taste was NOTHING SPECIAL.  Not enough chocolate to be called chocolate rice pudding.

All the recipes were done in a crockpot.

I would use this book again.

August 18, 2018

We have not met for cooking since May but will start meeting again in September..

May 17, 2018

Last month's meeting is not posted because after I finished writing it, saving and hitting publish it disappeared into the great internet sky.  Sorry folks.

Ruby used World's Greatest Christmas Cookies She made:
1. Coconut Oatmeal Cookies on page 47- easy to follow recipe, not expensive and taste was GOOD.  She would add more sugar and butter
2. Carrot Cake Cookies on page 28- easy, not expensive and taste was NOTHING SPECIAL. She said frosting needs more confectioners sugar
3. Ginger Clouds on page 14- easy, not expensive and taste was WOW.
4. French Macaroon on page 37- easy, not expensive and taste was NOTHING SPECIAL.  She would use more egg whites, the macaroons were flat.
5. Lemon Creams on page 50- easy, not expensive and taste was VERY GOOD.

I used Handmade Gifts From The Kitchen.  I made:

1.Coffee Cream Liquer on page 134- easy, expensive and taste was GOOD.  Not worth making again

2.Strawberry Pastilles on page 92- easy, not expensive and taste was VERY GOOD however it did not come together as a candy consistency and after 30 minutes of stirring , I gave up.  This did make a very nice strawberry butter though.

3. Poppy seed & Sesame Seed Crackers on page 118- easy, not expensive and taste was VERY GOOD.