A Bundle of Cookbooks for the Holidays

A BUNDLE OF COOKBOOKS FOR THE H o l i d a y s

Cookbooks have been out and about in October cooking up a “bundle” of new holiday memories. They could be found at the Pumpkin Patch at Provenance becoming part of special pumpkin and popcorn gift baskets. They were also spotted at Lowder Baking Company.

For fall and holiday gifts, you can snuggle Cookbook Bundles into gift baskets with warm bread and pastries from Lowder Baking Company using these pairing ideas below. Sarah Lowder is a JLSB member, and we wish her the best with Lowder Baking Company and her new deli, Docs!

Fall and holiday gift giving Cookbook Bundles have been specially created and priced with one each of the A Cook’s Tour, Revel and Mardi Gras to Mistletoe. Gift baskets full of Cookbook Bundles, Sarah’s goodies, and items from your favorite boutique or gift store would make a fabulous gift to family, friends, or clients.

Or just wrap the Cookbook Bundles with raffia or ribbon and decorate with a wooden spoon and a bow! Think of the good you can do and the fun you can have by making many of your fall and holiday gifts as Cookbooks Bundles along with an invitation to get together to cook with family and friends.

Together we CAN help our Junior League even more. Let’s turn a few thousand cookbooks into several thousand dollars for our great family food projects like Red Apron Pantry or Health Literacy Institute!

FOR SOME GREAT RECIPES AND BREAD PAIRINGS, SARAH SUGGESTS:

BLACK EYED PEA DIP – PAIRED WITH CROSTINIS FROM LOWDER BAKING COMPANY

Mardi Gras to Mistletoe, p. 18

½ cup (1 stick) butter 1 roll garlic cheese, chopped 6 ounces Mexican Velveeta cheese, or 1 (6-ounce) roll garlic cheese spread 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas with jalapeño chiles, drained ½ white onion or equivalent amount of green onions, chopped 4 garlic cloves

Heat the butter, garlic cheese, and Velveeta cheese in a saucepan over low heat until blended, stirring frequently. Stir in the black-eyed peas, onion, and garlic. Process the black-eyed pea mixture in a blender until pureed.

Return the puree to the saucepan and cook over low heat just until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with crostinis. Serves 15 to 20.

ELECTRIC SKILLET STROGANOFF – PAIRED WITH JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR BREAD FROM LOWDER BAKING COMPANY

Revel Cookbook, p. 131

2 lbs. sirloin cut in strips 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup tomato juice Dash of garlic salt or powder 1 8-ounce can mushrooms, stems and pieces 2 teaspoons of salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1 10 ¾-ounce can of cream of mushroom soup 1 8-ounce carton sour cream

Heat skillet to 400 degrees. Trim meat well and brown slightly in the butter, about 5-8 minutes. Add tomato juice and garlic. Cover (leave vent open) and when steaming, turn control to simmer (200 – 225 degrees), for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir mushrooms, seasonings, soup, and sour cream into meat mixture. Turn off. Can be reheated with served. Serve over rice. Serves four to six.

Slice onions into rings and saute in butter for about 15 minutes until they soften. Melt bouillon cubes in one cup water and add to onion rings and 9 cups water. Slice bread and break into small pieces and submerge in water. Bring mixture to boil and cook over lowest possible flame for 5 or 6 hours. Can cook 9 or 10 hours and longer—cooking improves flavor. Toward end of cooking add salt. Ladle the thick soup into baking dishes. Sprinkle with thick layer of dry grated Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler until cheese melts and develops a cold crust. Serves six.

BAKED ONION SOUP – PAIRED WITH FRENCH BREAD FROM LOWDER BAKING COMPANY

A Cook’s Tour, p. 23

3 lbs. purple onions 6 beef bouillon cubes 1 loaf French Bread from Lowder Baking Company 10 cups water 2-3 tablespoons salt Parmesan cheese

For more information on Cookbook Bundles, reach out to Cookbook Chair, Maggie Malone at 318-469-8476 or magstern@bellsouth.net.

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