cookbook

Cookbook Giveaway: The Blender Girl

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Alison Ashton — 31 Comments ↓

OK, so here’s the deal: I never jumped on the smoothie bandwagon. Sure, smoothies are BIG these days, but they’re just not my thing. So when Tess Masters’ popular blog, The Blender Girl, started crossing my radar, I thought, Oh, yeah, smoothies.

Well, it is that, but not just that, as a peek at her new cookbook, The Blender Girl: Super-Easy, Super-Healthy Meals, Snacks, Desserts & Drinks (Ten Speed Press), proves — deliciously. Nor is it a liquid diet. “No, we didn’t check our teeth at the door,” jokes Masters, a self-confessed blendaholic. To celebrate, we’re hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader to win a copy of her book (keep reading for details to enter).

Masters has plenty of smoothies in there, to be sure, and a whole lot more among the book’s 100 gluten-free, vegan recipes, all of which involve using your blender. You’ll also find creative soups, salad dressings, entrees, desserts, some raw fruit butter and jam that looks really intriguing, and concoctions for nut milk and nut cheese. There’s even her margarita recipe — a nice touch with Cinco de Mayo around the corner.

But why blenders? Masters loves them for the same reason we all do — they make quick work of healthy, tasty meals. And for Masters, who was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr as a teenager and embarked on her own NOURISH Evolution to find a diet that was healthy and delicious, her “s’blended” appliance was the key.

She also shares her tips for choosing a blender (she’s tried them all so you don’t have to) and how to use it wisely. (Tip: Always wash your blender by hand, even if the manufacturer claims it’s dishwasher-safe. Your investment will last longer.)

So if you need some fun ideas to get more mileage out of your blender, Masters has ’em. I’m certainly digging in. Heck, I may even whirl up a smoothie or two.

FOR THE GIVEAWAY: We’re giving away one copy of The Blender Girl to one lucky reader. Here’s how to enter: Just leave a comment below. We’ll draw a winner at random and announce the lucky duck on the site on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.

In the meantime, you can try a taste of The Blender Girl with Masters’ recipe for Creamy Cauliflower Soup.

UPDATE (4/16/14): We have a winner: Nina S! Thank you to all who entered. Please check back for future giveaways!

Cookbook Giveaway: Everyday Thai Cooking

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Alison Ashton — 32 Comments ↓

I’ve got a confession to make: I adore the heat and complexity of Thai food, but I rarely cook it at home. I always seem to be missing some key specialty ingredient, so unless I’ve planned ahead, a home-cooked Thai meal isn’t on the menu. There must be a lot of cooks like me, because Chef Katie Chin has come to our rescue with her new book, Everyday Thai Cooking: Quick and Easy Family-Style Recipes (Tuttle Publishing). And to celebrate, we’re hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader to win a copy (see below for details to enter).

{Chef Katie demonstrates techniques and ingredients featured in Everyday Thai Cooking.}

The book is especially welcome this time of year, when the indulgence that punctuates the season makes me crave light, bright flavors more than ever. Katie’s Steamed Mussels in Lemongrass and Basil made our Christmas Eve celebration. Her Tangy Pumpkin Soup yielded a nourishing, zippy meal to warm up a couple of chilly weeknights.

And while the recipes are mouthwatering, the section that’s perhaps most useful for the Thai cooking newbie is the rundown of signature ingredients. You’ll come away with a solid understanding of the role each plays in building the unique balance of the spicy, salty, sweet and sour flavors that characterize Thai cuisine, as well as helpful tips to make substitutions. Even better, you’ll be inspired to make a field trip to an Asian market to add some ingredients to your pantry and repertoire.

FOR THE GIVEAWAY: To celebrate Katie’s book — and make it easy for you to experience its delicious flavors — we’re giving away one copy of Everyday Thai Cooking to one lucky reader. And it’s easy to enter: Just leave a comment below. We’ll draw a winner at random and announce the lucky winner on the site on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013. Good luck!

In the meantime, you can enjoy a taste of Everyday Thai Cooking with Katie’s recipe for Tangy Pumpkin Soup.

UPDATE (12/31/13): We have a winner: Liz Carl Ulloa! Thank you to all who entered. Please check back for future giveaways! And สวัสดีปีใหม่ (Happy New Year!)

The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Alison Ashton — 1 Comment ↓

You may not know food writer Kim O’Donnel personally, but you probably know her work, which has appeared in The Washington Post, Real Simple and, currently, on Culinate.

But we’re really excited about her newest project: The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour (Lifelong Books). It’s filled with 52 hearty, bold-flavored menus–enough of a year’s worth of Meatless Monday feasts!–that will appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Recipes are divided by season, and now that it’s officially fall we’re looking forward to making dishes like Blue Corn Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Whipped Feta or Thai-Style Red Curry Tempeh with a make-your-own curry (I’m on a bit of tempeh kick lately).

Recipes also are designated GF (gluten-free), Kiddo (kid-friendly), DO (dairy optional), V (vegan) and XTRA (leftover bonus) so you can choose dishes that will satisfy everyone’s appetite.

But what we like best is Kim’s friendly, gently irreverent voice that just makes us want to get into the kitchen and start cooking!

“The Homesteader’s Kitchen”

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Alison Ashton — 14 Comments ↓

Win a free copy of Robin Burnside’s The Homesteader’s Kitchen (Gibbs-Smith)!

If you’re new to eating local (whether from your own garden, a CSA or farmers’ market), you’ll love this week’s treat.

Robin Burnside was an urban homesteader long before vegetable gardens and chicken coops became chic. As the chef and co-owner of Carmel Cafe in Carmel, Calif., and Cafe Amphora in nearby Big Sur, Burnside has always advocated seasonal, local fare. Her simple recipes–which run the gamut from refreshing sippers to soups, salads, entrees and desserts–boast plenty of creative touches while allowing the flavors of stellar seasonal ingredients to shine. (We love the addition of Sririacha hot sauce to the Hollandaise sauce for her Amphora Eggs Benedict.)

We’re giving away one free copy of The Homesteader’s Kitchen to a lucky NOURISH Evolution member.

But, friends, you have to play to win.

So here’s the deal. Normally, we’ll have a link here where you can go to the Weekly Giveaway group forum and sign up to win. But we’re having a bit of a glitch setting up new forums at the moment, so just leave a comment here to be entered to win (important: be sure you’re signed in to NOURISH Evolution so we can find you … or sign up, if you haven’t already—only NOURISH Evolution members are eligible to win).

Lia will announce the winner in next Friday’s Friday Digest!

Bonne chance!