Becky Sue Epstein says that after dealing with not always having  the proper ingredients on hand, or knowing what it was when given a recipe, she started keeping her own lists.  This list grew into a collection, then a project.  Let’s be thankful for Becky Sue’s lists, because I don’t have to be that organized now.  Usually I hit up a bunch of different cookbooks in order to find the right combination of conversions and substitutions.  Here they are in one book.

I’m not sure that the household cleaning formulas belong in a substitution book, but it’s here also.  There are  recipes for ketchup and garam marsala and garlic butter and some marinades.  You get the more common name for herbs – so that  your recipes won’t confuse you, and you get all of the common substitutions.  I never thought about substituting spinach with lemon juice for sorrel, but I think that would work fine.  If you need a pound of apples, Becky Sue lets you know that it is two apples or 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sliced apples.

My opinion – this is a good go to easy reference book. Substituting Ingredients would make a great gift for the first time cook – or someone like my husband who likes to think up weird substitutions that I’m not always thrilled with( especially since there is a section on remedies for common kitchen disasters).

If you’d like to win one, Robyn’s World is giving away a couple of copies. Good Luck! Contest ends June 24th.

Disclosure – I was give a copy of Substituting Ingredients for this review.  The review reflects my true opinion.

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Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto is the good stuff, prime pickings, cream of the crop – too delicious to share with my kids on a regular basis.  They sent it to me to review and I’ve got to tell you that you need to get some and try it out.  My mom was visiting and hitting up the freezer every night, along with my mother in law who was also visiting for my son’s graduation.  Okay, well I did share some for that occasion, it was a little on the special side.  While we preferred the Gelato, the Sorbetto was also divine.  Serving size is a 1/2 cup or 1/4 of the pint, but these desserts are dense, not fluffy.  If you are like me it lasts a lot longer than 4 servings because you just can’t finish a 1/2 cup in one sitting.

Here are my reviews for the individual flavors.

Sonoma Strawberry – Tastes just like fresh frozen strawberries, only mashed and with a really nice texture. That doesn’t sound like a nice description but it really is so delicious.  June is Strawberry time in Ohio, the perfect time to enjoy this treat.  Layering the Sonoma Strawberry Sorbetto with strawberries and whipped cream is a heavenly strawberry dessert.  The Sorbetto is so fresh tasting, and only 90 calories per serving.  Tonight my husband grabbed the Strawberry Sorbetto asked me if I wanted to share and spoon fed me some Strawberry.  What a treat.

The Roman Raspberry is another Sorbetto.  It tasted just like fresh raspberries in a sorbet form.  Delicious.  I enjoyed this probably more than anyone else since I ate most of it.

Double Dark Chocolate – First I will confess that I don’t normally eat chocolate ice cream.  I don’t, it’s not my favorite, and I think it’s because chocolate ice cream some how covers up the real flavor of chocolate.  I did tentatively taste this and realized that it was better than any chocolate ice cream I’ve had.

Semi Sweet Belgian Chocolate Morsels are united with dark chocolate gelato and a splash of vermouth.

I not only had that first bite, but I went back for more later on.  I think it wasn’t as sweet, plus it contained bits of really fantastic chocolate, plus a little vermouth, wow!.  Even better, I combined the Double Dark Chocolate along with the Roman Raspberry for a flavor combination that couldn’t be beat.

Tahitian Vanilla Bean – A really delicious vanilla bean, though my mom ate most of it.  She did, every night, grab herself a little more out of the container.  My mom is an ice cream fiend, I’ve mentioned it before.  She really loved this one the best.

My grade is an A+.

Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto provided me with 4 flavors to review.  The review is my fair and honest opinion.

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Pan-Seared Salmon with Chipotle Honey-Lime Glaze

This recipe comes from Chef Jeremy Ryan, formerly of Kentucky, who has returned to his native Mississippi and works at the MGM Mirage at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi.  He suggests using bourbon in a glaze for pan-seared salmon.

Ingredients:

• Salt and pepper
• 4 salmon fillets
• 3 tbs butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup Kentucky bourbon
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Candied lime zest

Salt and pepper the salmon.  Melt the butter in a skillet.  Place the salmon in the skillet skin-side-up and sear for 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove it from the skillet and set aside.

To make the glaze: Add the honey, bourbon, chili powder, and lime juice to the skillet and whisk these ingredients together; heat them on low heat.  Let the glaze thicken slightly; return the salmon to the pan and cook the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes or until the salmon is pink inside.

Drizzle the glaze over the salmon and garnish with the candied lime zest.

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You know it’s good when a recipe book based on alcohol starts out with a chapter on drinks.  Some of the recipes come with explanations, like the Grog recipe.  Yes, there really is a grog recipe, and sailors really drank grog, to help keep away scurvy.  Classic bourbon drinks such as the Mint Julep, and twists on whiskey drinks such as the Kentucky Whiskey(Bourbon) Toddy and the Old Fashioned are right there for you. The rest of the book is divided up by seasons. I was disappointed in the way it was presented, because if you are going to do it by seasons, then it should be representative of all the major areas.  Breakfast is only in Winter – what we skip it the rest of the year?

There are plenty of meat and fish recipes, plus you can do the whole Thanksgiving Dinner in the theme of Bourbon.  I made the Pan Seared Salmon with Chipotle Honey-Lime Bourbon Glaze; it was divine.  Soups and sides are also plentiful.  In the appendix there are recipes covering a Dinner for Four at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House in New Orleans (by Chef Darin Nesbit) – If you want a while mean done up in Bourbon, this meal is for you, starting with appetizers and running all the way through dessert.

The photos are not so plentiful.  There are a few in the center of the book, that are representative of the recipes, however, I like more photos.  I do like the blurbs that go with the recipes.  Many of them have to do with the history of Bourbon and Kentucky – sometimes Tennessee.  As a recipe book overall, I liked it a lot and I recommend it for the Bourbon drinker/chef in your life.

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Covermates Food Covers - Shower caps for your food- really, that’s what my husband calls them.  When I saw these, I thought that they were for lazy people – the people who didn’t like to search for the proper lid.  It turns out that I live with those people, the ones who are always tearing off aluminum foil and plastic wrap for bowls.  I am the only person in my home that can find the proper lid for my bowls, and will put in the effort.  That being said, I would rather the food be covered, than not.  Covermates solves the problem of covering the food, while also not adding to the garbage fill problem my family creates because they are too darn lazy to find the right cover…. Okay, maybe I should get over it now that we have covermates.  They are reusable, and cleanable.  The suggestion is to clean the cover in the dishwasher by putting it over a clean plate.  I just handwash and hang over a wine or juice bottle to dry, because it’s easier.

I still use my lids, however, I brought a giant green salad in a big ceramic bowl, plus my Quinoa Berry Salad in another Ceramic bowl to a family cookout and I used Covermates to keep them clean.  Plus, for an outdoor picnic, they are so easy to lift off and recover, unlike the other covers.  As we were cleaning up, my sister in law remarked on them, and my mother in law agreed, saying that she thought they were nice.

There you have it. I recommend both of these products for your parties and picnics.

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CanolaInfo.Org is a great website owned by the Canola Council of Canada. There is plenty of information about Canola, from what the plant is, to how it’s processed, how it’s used and recipes using Canola Oil.  Canola Oil has the least amount of saturated fat of all the vegetable oils, which makes it a great culinary ingredient.

CanolaInfo.Org joined together with the American Diabetes Association to come up with The Heart Smart Diabetes Kitchen Recipe Book.  These recipes all use canola oil, but they’re all very healthy, and delicious sounding. All of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to the ADA.  Even better, bloggers are getting in on the canola cooking bandwagon.

The cookbook, which was developed by CanolaInfo and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), is filled with healthy, delicious and easy recipes. Seven bloggers from the CanolaInfo team will be preparing all 151 recipes and sharing their experiences with you! Each blogger has a different life perspective to offer — some with culinary expertise, some married with children and others young career-focused urbanites still learning their way around the kitchen. While culinary levels in this group vary, they all want to share one message: Healthy cooking is for everyone!

When we had our Roast Chicken the other night, I used a recipe in the cookbook – Cumin’d Lentils and Carrots.  I had lentils in the closet, but I never made them, and this was a delicious first time effort.  The recipes all contain canola in some form or anther: Canola Oil, Canola Cooking spray or Canola Mayo – all of which I had in my house.  The recipes start with breakfast and then proceeds through soups, lunches, dinners, stews, and even desserts.  Many contain grains or legumes, plenty of veggies and easy to find ingredients.  There are photos, but not enough in my opinion.  However, if you go to the CanolaInfo.Org website, you can find more recipes and they have images.

Diabetes is a health issue many families are dealing with now, but this book isn’t for people who have diabetes.  It’s for anyone wanting to eat a healthy meal without saturated fats, hfcs and all those other things usually hidden in our meals. The ones I’d like to try are: Black-eyed Peas with Jalapenos and Tomatoes, Quinoa and Browned Onion Salad with Apples, Mini Corn Cakes with Chipotle Aioli, just for starters.

I do recommend the book The Heart Smart Diabetes Kitchen and the website CanolaInfo.org, including the blog with all of the fantastic recipes from the book they’re trying out.  The recipes in the blog give you a much better idea of what’s in the book than I can.

There are substitutes for whole eggs, and sugar free sweeteners, and fat free ingredients to help keep your calorie and fat intake down.  While this may be a drawback for some, it’s not for me and I know my mother would love it.  My grade is A.  The profit from this goes to the American Diabetes Association.

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The next time I cooked lamb chops – and that worked out really well.  I still had to work with the timing a little because they were a little more done on one side than the other.  My favorite meal though was tonight’s roasted chicken.  I put it into the NuWave, 20 minutes on one side, 25 minutes on the other.  The grease all drips down from the chicken into the lower pan, but it was still moist and delicious.  I followed the Rosemary Garlic Chicken – exactly, and it worked out perfectly.  My favorite part?  I don’t use a lot of energy like I would using the oven and it doesn’t heat up the house.  We have a small home, so while roasted chicken is one of my husband’s favorite’s, my house stays cool.  Yes, there is the grill outside, but I don’t always want to spend my cook and prep time outside.  The kids and my husband all gave a big thumbs up to tonight’s dinner.

Let me tell you about the NuWave.  It’s infrared technology -  There’s a heating element in the top, plus a fan to circulate the heat.  This is attached to the dome that you can lift off.  There is a bottom lift out pan for easy cleaning.  The pan could be better made, it’s a little on the flimsy side, but if you cover it with foil, or use the silicon pizza liner in the lift out pan it will last much longer – I think.  There’s a grill which can be flipped from a 1 inch side to a 4 inch side, depending on how far away you want the heat.   So, you put the food on the grill or in a pan and turn it on.  Sometimes you need to flip it, like the roasted chicken.  Since the element is only on the top (even though there is a fan) you have to flip meat in order to get it evenly cooked.

The downside -  in a small kitchen like mine, it takes up space.  My counter space is limited, and I usually only keep things I use often there.  So, before you purchase you need to consider where you will store it.

Researching the NuWave was interesting.  There are whole clubs and forums for NuWave fans and Youtubes like you wouldn’t believe.  Do I like this gadget?  Yes, I do.  Will I use it again?  Yes, I will.  Do I recommend it?  Yes I do.  It’s perfect for a small apartment – though counter space can be an issue.  Indoor grilling is something you can do with this, and once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty darn cool.  My grade A- (because you need some practice, and space).

I was sent a NuWave for review.  My opinion is my own.

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Now, I know some are collectors of nice reusable bags.  I’m not a collector, I’m a user.  I use all of my bags for groceries, hardware stores, pet food stores, retail stores.  I have all different kinds, though.  Some I think are prettier than others, some more functional for milk and others for carrying boots when we travel in the winter.  They are washable and reusable and responsible.

I hope I haven’t over talked it, or sounded like a lecture, but I am passionate about them.

For those of you looking for a cool reusable, one that is very natural, and a good environmental choice, there’s one appropriately called Nature Bag, because it’s made from jungle vine.  The Nature bag is actually part of a Humanitarian effort.  Those in Laos that make the bags from jungle vine still live hand to mouth hunting and gathering in the forests, most having no or very little income. The people of the village strip the green from the vine leaving woody threads.  These are used to knit (kind of) into bags.  The bags are strong, sturdy and very nice looking.

What Are Nature Bags Made From?
Wild-growing, organic tropical Kudzu or now called Jungle Vine™ is used to make the Nature Bag fabric. It is a naturally growing, hearty perennial vine with a deep spreading root that grows quickly during the rainy season and can be found in various parts and higher elevations in Southeast Asia. Jungle Vine™ cord is lightweight but nearly impossible to break, is biodegradable and virtually mold resistant.

I think this will make a great Farm Market Bag.  When you are done, you can bury it so it can decompose naturally.

Disclosure: A Nature Bag was provided to me for this review. The opinions are my own.

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Chocolate-Banana Protein Shake

• 1 banana
• 1 scoop powdered protein
• 1/2 – 1 tsp flax sprinkles
• 1 1/2 cups milk or 1/2 cup water + 1 cup yogurt
• ice cubes if you like it cold

Use a blender, drink mixer, or magic bullet and blend the whole thing.  That’s it.  If you use skim milk, then go with 1 1/2 cups skim milk, and no water if you like.  We use almond milk, so you can substitute that or soy if you like too. You want it thin enough to drink, not too thin, but you also don’t want it to sit in your stomach.

I’ve been using Stober Farms Golden Flax Seed Flax Sprinkles.  I use in on cereal and in yogurt straight up too.  It’s very fine, and adds a little extra fiber (which I need most days). They also have a very pleasant taste, and aren’t grainy at all.   They’re ground with a cold mill process that helps preserve the nutrients in it.

Disclosure:  I was sent the Stober Farms Golden Flax Seed Sprinkles to try out.  The review is my honest opinion.

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Cheese without the FreshSaver system:

Cheese with the FreshSaver system:

Lots of fresh cheeses mmmm.

All you do is position the device over the seal and suction out the air until there isn’t any more air to suck out.  It doesn’t work well on wet foods, so jello would not work, however, you can reseal the bag if you just need to take the cheese out and grate a little then put it back and suction it again.

Though the bags and the sealer are only rated for the refrigerator, I have used mine for meat in the freezer.  Again, it’s better to pre-freeze the meat a little first so it’s not so juicy.  The juicy will ruin the seal. My son used it for his breaded shrimp.  He’d take out only what he needed and suction the bag up again, then stick it into the freezer until the next time.  Sorry Handivac – I’m working with the FreshSaver now.  I don’t have to worry about the dead batteries for this.

By the way, the ziplock sous vide bags work great with the freshsaver also.

Disclosure:  I bought this, it wasn’t a paid review.  The recommendations are my own.

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