Terrie's Staff Pick

Terrie, BPL’s assistant director, said that her favorite cookbook from BPL’s collection is Delish : Eat Like Every Day’s the Weekend, by Joanna Saltz. She highlighted that, “It's a fun cookbook that reminds us that food is to be enjoyed. It also has my ultimate favorite cheesecake recipe - Cookie Butter Cheesecake. What's not to love?” Terrie also runs a local business called “T&C Cheesecakes” where this recipe is a fan favorite! If you enjoy this title, Saltz has also written several other cookbooks in the Delish cookbook collection : Delish Insane Sweets: Bake Yourself a Little Crazy, Delish Ultimate Cocktails: Why Limit Happy To an Hour?, and The Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, Best-Ever). Delish is well-known for their recipes -- producing a variety of books, articles, and videos each year! You can find Terrie’s staff pick under the call number “641.5 Sal.”

Elsa’s Stress-Less Eclairs

 

Pastry Cream

· 3/4 cup sugar

· 1 pinch of salt

· 3 1/4 cups milk

· 1/4 cup cornstarch

· 3 large egg yolks

· 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Pate A Choux

· 6 tablespoons butter

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1 cu flour

· 4 large eggs

 

Chocolate Icing

· 2 squares semisweet chocolate

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· Flaky salt (optional)

 

 

Steps

1) Make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepot over medium heat, combine the sugar, salt and 3 cups milk, and bring up to a bubble. While the milk is heating up, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch in a bowl and stir until completely dissolved. In another large bowl, break up the egg yolks and whisk them together.

2) Using a whisk, stir while adding the cornstarch mixture into the simmering milk. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until thickened (it’s okay if the mixture boils lightly).

3) When the mixture has thickened up, slowly add a couple ladlefuls of the hot liquid into the bowl with the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Add the egg yolk mixture back to the pot, return it to medium heat and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

4) Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap down so that it covers the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

5) Make the pastry: preheat the oven to 400°F.

6) In a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup water, the butter, and the salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the water is boiling. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Stir for about 2 minutes, until the mixture begins to create a dough ball in the center of the pot and the dough is completely pulling away from the sides of the pot.

7) Transfer the pate a choux to a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl well after each addition and beating until the bowl feels cool (the mixture should be very smooth and silky)

8)  Transfer the pate a choux to a plastic food storage bag and cut 1/2 inch off one corner to create a pastry bag. On a baking sheet, secure parchment paper at the corners with a dot of dough. Squeeze the mixture into about 5-inch lengths and bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. The pastry should look like it is sweating a bit.

9) The pastries can be made a day or two ahead of time and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If they feel soggy when you take them out, pop them into a 400°F oven for a couple of minutes until they crisp up again. Allow them to cool to room temp before filling.

10) Give the pastry a cream stir to break it up and smooth it out, then transfer it to a plastic food storage bag. Cut off about 1/2 inch from one corner to make a pastry bag. Use a chopstick or the tip of a pair of kitchen scissors to poke a hole in one end of each baked pastry. Squeeze the pastry cream into each opening to fill the pastries. If this process proves annoying, simply halve the pastry lengthwise and fill the lower half. Then replace or set the top half.

11) Make the icing: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and butter to combine. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar and add 1 to 3 tablespoons of hot water to desired thickness. Add the vanilla and remove the pan from the heat to cool a bit. Slather the eclairs with chocolate glaze and sprinkle with flaky salt.

 

Makes: 16

 

From: Rachael Ray 50: Memories and Meals From a Sweet and Savory Life

By: Rachael Ray

 

Mozzarella and Strawberry Bruschetta

 

Ingredients

· 15 slices of baguette

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 teaspoon honey, preferably clover honey

· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

· 3/4 cup chopped strawberries

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

· 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, chilled

 

Steps

1) Preheat the oven to 400 °F

2) Brush each baguette slice on both sides with the olive oil and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and bake for 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through if they are not browning evenly.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, and salt until smooth and emulsified. Add the tomatoes, strawberries, and basil, and mix well to coat. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to let the flavors marry.

4) Slice the mozzarella into small pieces. Place a slice on each of the crostini and top it with some of the strawberry mixture. Drizzle with a touch of the dressing, if
desired.

 

From: Giada’s Italy: my recipes for La Dolce Vita

By; Giada De Laurentiis

 

National Pancake Day

National Pancake Day is an annual holiday created by IHOP as a way to raise money for children battling illnesses. Each year, IHOP gives away free pancakes on this day, in hopes that customers will make a donation towards their cause. According to nationaldaycalendar.com, IHOP has raised nearly $30 million dollars since starting this tradition. Other businesses have also started celebrating National Pancake Day with the same goal in mind. Each year this holiday changes, but in 2022 it falls on February 16th. The BPL has numerous pancake recipes amongst our collection, but some fan favorite cookbooks include The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast : Breads, Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls & Muffins by Caleb Warnock, and Super Foods for Super Kids Cookbook : 50 Delicious (and Secretly Healthy) Recipes Kids Will Love to Make by Noelle Martin. This year, try out a new way to enjoy pancakes, or stop by IHOP to support their cause. For more pancake cookbooks, use our online card catalog or ask a librarian.

Thai Pork with Noodles

 

Ingredients

· 1 1/2 lb. pork minced

· 1 stalk lemongrass, finely sliced

· 2 red chillies, seeded and chopped

· 1 red onion, thinly sliced

· 150g mung bean vermicelli noodles

· 3 tablespoons fish sauce

· 1/4 cup lime juice

· 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

· 1/3 cup mint leaves

· Baby cos (romaine) lettuce leaves to serve

 

 

Steps

1) Heat a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the mince and cook for 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Place in a bowl and mix with the lemongrass, chilli and onion.

2) Break the noodles into short lengths and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes. Drain.

3) Mix the fish sauce with the lime juice and sugar until well combined. Pour over the pork. Toss the pork mixture with the noodles and mint leaves. Serve with the lettuce leaves.

 

Serves: 4

 

From: Modern Classics Book 1

By: Donna Hay

 

Sweet Potato Fries

 

Ingredients

· 5 large sweet potatoes

· 1 quart peanut oil

· Kosher salt

 

Steps

1) Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice
lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick fries.

2) Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed medium stockpot over medium heat, or in a
tabletop deep fryer, to 365°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.

3) Fry each batch until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to the baking sheet lined with paper towels and season immediately with salt. Serve hot.

 

From: Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes

By: Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas & Sally Jackson

 

Golden Potato Rolls

 

Ingredients

· 1 package active dry yeast

· 1/2 cup warm water

· 1 cup skim milk

· 3/4 cup margarine

· 1 1/4 cup mashed potatoes

· 1/2 cup sugar

· 2 teaspoons salt

· 8 to 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

· 2 eggs, beaten

 

Steps

1) Dissolve yeast in water; set aside.

2) In a saucepan, combine milk, margarine and potatoes; cook and stir over low heat just until margarine is melted. Remove from the heat and place in a large bowl with sugar, salt, 2 cups  of flour and the yeast mixture. Add eggs; mix well.

3) Cover loosely and allow to stand for 2 hours (the dough will be like a sponge).

4) Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured
surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. 

5) Place in a bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and
divide into thirds.

6) On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 12-inch circle. Cut each circle into 12 pie –shaped wedges. Beginning at the wide end, roll up each wedge. Place rolls, point side down, 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with nonstick cooking spray.

7) Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until nearly doubled. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden.

 

From: Down-Home Diabetic Cookbook: 300 tantalizing dishes with less sugar, salt and fat… but featuring full flavor!

By: Taste of Home