Cook the Books Club: recipes

Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Monday, June 2, 2025

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club: The Roundup

It's time for the roundup of Cook the Books' Club April-May edition for which we read the novel The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson.

As I've done in the past, I will present our club members' contributions as a menu organized in courses. For each dish, I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a quote from it, a taste: follow the link and read the author's take of the book and how the reading inspired the cooking.

Cook the Books Club's The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club-Inspired Menu

Appetizer:

Anchovy Pesto Toast

Bread:

Potato Bread

Main dish:

Spinach and Paneer Pulao

Sandwich:

Woven Bacon Sandwich with Onion Jam

Side dish:

Fava beans and peas

Dessert:

Chocolate Eclairs

Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the menu.

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm prepared Anchovy Pesto Toast

"High Tea is served each day and on one of those occasions, Anchovy Toast, was served. This was the inspiration for the recipe that I am sharing today. I enjoyed this novel, which is, in essence, a love story... I had never heard of Anchovy Toast and wanted to confirm it was a thing. A Google search turned up numerous recipes. I decided to create my own, and it was pretty darn good."

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures baked Potato Bread

"It was a nice little historical fiction that managed to combine levity with the harsh realities facing survivors of WWI... Since some rationing was still in place just after the war, when this story took place, I started wondering if I could find any recipes specifically from that era... [Win the War Cook Book], published in 1918, was just what I was looking for with hundreds of war time recipes. I started reading and was so pleased when I found this recipe for potato bread!"

Claudia of Honey from Rock made Paneer
and used it to prepare Spinach and Paneer Pulao

"I decided to feature Basu and Pandora, who, is revealed, after putting aside his more ordinary honorific, to be the new young Maharaja of Kochi Benar. Then of course there is a quite hypocritical turn around, a Royal welcome! And he is able to help with the exciting developments and resolution of the storyline. So, in remembrance, a delicious curry and cheese in their honor!"

Debra of Eliot's Eats cooked Woven Bacon Sandwich with Onion Jam

"There is a lot of standard British fare—tea, sardines and toast, Dover sole, cheese sandwiches and scones. Champagne, cocktails and wine flow, too... I had to go with a version of Tilly’s Famous Bacon Sandwich (with sauteed onions). I was going to just recreate the recipe from the back of the book but then I ran across an onion jam recipe in by Heart by Hailee Gatalano and I had to try a version of that on this sandwich. This is a great recipe for bacon sandwiches before summer tomatoes are ripe."

Simona of briciole (your host) prepared Fava beans and peas

"The book inspired me to look at a food from my upbringing, something not only Italian, but from my family traditions. When I was in Italy last month, the smell of roasted chestnuts... reminded me of my mother. Every October, she would buy a large amount of chestnuts from someone in Casperia, the village in central Italy where she grew up. Then, in the following weeks, we would eat them often, as dessert at the end of dinner, alternatively roasted and boiled... The side dish is earthy and sweet (almost dessert-like) and it's vegan."

Marg of The Intrepid Reader prepared Chocolate Eclairs

"Once again Helen Simonson has given us a book which feels lighthearted, and yet covers many serious topics including racism, the effects of war, class differences and social change, and asks questions like how should the end of WWI, or indeed any war, be commemorated the year after it ended. She does it with a gentle humour and wry observations about society and class... My husband has been asking me to make eclairs for the longest time... I have made choux pastry once before, but not eclairs, but now is the time for it to happen."

A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.

I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. If you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.

And now, I’ll pass the baton to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm who is hosting the June-July edition in which we are reading the novel A Bakery in Paris by Aimie Runyan.

Arrivederci a presto!

Simona, of briciole

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Food Americana: The Roundup

It's time for the roundup of Cook the Books' Club June-July edition for which we read Food Americana by David Page.

Cook the Books Club's Food Americana-Inspired Menu

Sandwich:

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Bagel

Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls

Za'atar Bagels

Appetizer:

Mexican Taquitos

Main:

Three-Chile Mole

BBQ

Everything But The Bagel & Nova Salmon Cottage Cheese Bowl

Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

Dessert:

No Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Avocado Sherbet

Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the menu.

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm prepared a Bagel Breakfast Sandwich

"The food descriptions were remarkable, the history interesting and the personalities of the people who brought and introduced the foods to America were charming. The only problem with this book was that I came back from each walk starving and ate up all the calories I had just burned LOL... My recipe was taken from the chapter where we met Russ and Daughters who introduced bagels and lox to New York City. I had everything on hand that I needed for this sandwich that I enjoyed for lunch after my morning walk."

Camilla of Culinary Cam prepared Connecticut-style Lobster Rolls

"Page details and I already knew there were two distinct kinds of lobster rolls: Maine-style vs. Connecticut-style. After testing both, I realized... I vastly prefer Connecticut lobster rolls!... Maine-style lobster rolls are served cold, tossed in a mixture of mayonnaise, tarragon, celery, and scallions. Served on a buttered, toasted bun, this is the kind of lobster roll you'll likely find most easily. Connecticut-style lobster rolls hold the mayonnaise and bring on the butter. Yep. I'm sold already. Then they are served warm with more butter."

Camilla of Culinary Cam baked Za'atar Bagels

"For this post, I was inspired by Page's discussion of Russ & Daughters in New York. They are 'Not just any bagel. Russ & Daughters makes their own, two-hundred-dozen a day, triple that on holidays, each bagel hand-rolled, boiled, and baked in the traditional way, on burlap-covered wooden planks in a rotating deck oven with six deep shelves...' Once I got the hang of bagels, I make them about every other week. I've made them with poppy seeds, with salt, with dried cranberries, and more. But the bagel I'm sharing today is my Za'atar-Dusted Bagel."

Cathy of Delaware Girl Eats baked an Mexican Taquitos (El Indio's Specialty)

"I’m awfully fond of Mexican cuisine and seek out the real deal when I’m in a part of the country where it’s truly authentic, in other words not along the East Coast. This is how I ended up at the El Indio Restaurant in San Diego which has been in business for over 80 years... they do indeed offer masterful Mexican food. So when I read Food Americana and saw in the chapter 'Mexican Food in the US' that this restaurant was highlighted, I read avidly about the history of the place and its long-time owner/operators who produce 'authentic Mexican food."

Camilla of Culinary Cam prepared Tree-Chile Mole

"Mole just means sauce - a sauce made with chiles. And Cesario Ruiz of My Mom's Mole likened it to curry. 'It's a like a Mexican curry. You know, every cook has a different way of making it and each curry tastes different', Ruiz said. 'And you can taste the time, love, and passion in each one.' 'This is a big process', he says. 'You have to fry each ingredient one by one. In the end, you blend.' (Food Americana) This definitely takes time and I have tried to streamline the process by grouping them as they are prepared. Then they all come together in the end."

Claudia of Honey from Rock prepared A Good BBQ

"I decided to go with BBQ as my inspired dish from the book, or from life anyway. Bob was asked to do the grilling honors on Father's Day and I made the barbecue sauce. This sauce has a double purpose, getting grass-fed steaks tender and tasty. We had opened a ripe (we thought) pineapple, which as it turned out was on the tart side. Perfect I thought for helping to tenderize the meat. Pineapple has an enzyme in it called bromelain, found in the flesh of the pineapple and in the juice as well. Bromelain is a fast-working meat tenderizer that is great for tough cuts of steak. But you don't want to leave it too long, as the meat could end up on the mushy side. Good thing the coals didn't take any longer to get ready!"

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen prepared
Everything But the Bagel & Nova Salmon Cottage Cheese Bowl

As a creator and producer of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Page knows how to keep it interesting and I'd recommend this book to any foodie looking for a good read. …Although my new job has me working from home which lessens my commute, it also means that I need to come up with quick and easy, healthy home lunches. A new favorite way to get lots of protein is making cottage cheese bowls. Cottage cheese has had a big comeback this year and has become the cauliflower of the healthy eating world. I decided to take inspiration from the chapter on bagels and make a bowl with Nova salmon and everything but the bagel-spiced cottage cheese, along with some other toppings that might be found on a bagel and some Everything But the Bagel Chips.

Simona of briciole (your host) prepared Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

"[T]he reading got me thinking about how living in the U.S. has brought me into contact with cuisines from around the world, of which the Ethiopian one is a favorite. So I decided to make a favorite dish among those that are served at Ethiopian restaurants when you order the vegetarian combo, which consists of an injera (the traditional flat bread made with teff flour) spread on a large plate and topped with small mounds of various dishes, one of which is Misir Wot (or Misir Wat), a spicy red lentil stew."

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures made No Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

"I decided to take inspiration from the ice cream section. I have a feeling that the ice cream chapter would have a strong opinion about no churn ice cream and its air content (but they were in to super weird flavors). However, no churn is what I have since I’m not willing to buy an ice cream machine at this time. I’ve made several different no churn ice creams, but I've never made the classic: vanilla! As always, no churn ice cream is silky smooth with a great punch of flavor from the vanilla bean."

Debra of Eliot's Eats prepared Avocado Sherbet

"I really enjoyed learning about the history [of ice cream]. Apparently the ice cream cone 'became a sensation at the World’s Fair of 1904 and kicked off a boom in ice cream consumption nationwide' (196)... Maybe the most surprising history and testimony to ice cream’s restorative powers, came during WWII: “'t was considered so important for America’s troops to get ice cream during World War Two that an ice cream manufacturing plant was set up on a barge in the South Pacific. Military doctors prescribed ice cream to help soldiers recover from combat fatigue' (196)... I decided to try a weird recipe that my sister found in a retro cookbook mom had when we were growing up: Avocado Sherbet."

A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.

I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. If you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.

And now, I’ll pass the baton to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who is hosting the August-September edition in which we are reading the novel Love & Saffron by Kim Fay.

Arrivederci a presto!

Simona, of briciole

Monday, April 2, 2018

The Discovery of Chocolate: the roundup

It's time for the roundup of Cook the Books' Club February-March 2018 edition for which we read the novel The Discovery of Chocolate by James Runcie.

For each contribution (given in order of publication), I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a brief quote from it — a teaser that will entice you to follow the link and read the details of how the reading inspired the activity in the kitchen.

Make yourself comfortable, then follow me on a literary / culinary journey in the company of chocolate. How can you turn down such a sweet invitation?

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla made Lamb with Dark Chocolate Pepper Sauce

"I would actually give this 2.5 stars out of 5. It was a little more than okay, but I can't say I'm wholly in the 'like it' camp either... It started off well, then descended into silliness as, over the course of his chocolate elixir-extended lifespan, Diego encounters the Marquis de Sade, meets the inventors of the Sacher Torte, works for Hershey's, and comes full circle with Ignacia. It's a fanciful narrative about one man's history with chocolate wrapped around a contrived love story with some bizarre twists of fate. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't read it again... I did love Diego's description of introducing mole to dinner guests back in Spain." Camilla also shares "a little about my chocolate obsession. It's funny for me to think that sixteen years ago, I didn't eat chocolate."

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures prepared Heart Cocoa for Two

"This book would have been much better off as a novella featuring the love story between Diego and Ignacia. The first quarter and the last tenth of the book were the only parts that were worth reading. The part in-between were mind-numbingly boring and nonsensical... I mean seriously, how can you make chocolate boring? So frustrating! Hot chocolate played a huge (and confusing) role in this story, so this recipe fits the bill perfectly. Except, let me tell you something. This recipe totally uses hot chocolate mix, because I would have a full scale revolt on my hands if I tried anything else!... You could definitely make this with a homemade hot chocolate or a dark chocolate mocha!" Though "Heart Cocoa for Two is the perfect Valentine's treat for you and your sweetie!" nothing will stop you if you prepare it at other times during the year.

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm prepared a Sachertorte

"It is a fantastical journey through the history of chocolate by one, Diego de Godoy, who first discovers chocolate in the 1500's when given it as a drink by his one true love, Ignacia. Unknown to Diego, the chocolate was spiked with magic that gave him eternal life. This life was spent learning all he could of chocolate in memory of his lost love... It is a fun read and gives you a pretty concise lesson on the history of chocolate. And oh my, the food... and not only chocolate: food dishes of all sorts were described in tantalizing prose until you caught yourself drooling all over your book. I just had to make a Sachertorte... Diego created this historical recipe when trying to cover up another's mistaken spill of apricot jam onto a chocolate cake. No? Well, that's what the book said... This decadent and delicious cake... made the perfect Birthday Cake for our daughter."

Debra of Eliot's Eats made some Bourbon-Cranberry Chocolate Bark

"Runcie’s premise is clever and I started out loving the book. The author began losing me a bit after the 'invention of Sachertorte'. Then there was the tragic and ludicrous invention of the Hershey Kiss. Really? (Diego also invented Pain au chocolat)... Food abounds in the novel, and not just the sweets that one associates with chocolate. There’s the bounty of Mexican markets, fruit from Viennese orchards, and many savory dishes... I decided to experiment and make some bourbon infused cranberries and douse them in chocolate. I couldn’t help but be inspired by the Marquis de Sade’s raspberry liqueur creams as well as all the different liqueur combinations that Diego creates... I used the leftover bourbon for a cocktail."

Cathy of Delaware Girl Eats prepared Mole Poblano Enchiladas

Chocolate "can be an ingredient that enlivens sauces and savory dishes... Today it has become the soul of the Mexican kitchen in the form of mole sauces. In mole, chocolate is a transforming ingredient, lending a hint of sweetness, a silky fullness, spice and complexity to its dinner partner, which can be chicken, turkey or other meats... Diego discovers mole during his first experience in Mexico. As a gift of love, Ignacia embarks on a daylong process of preparing a feast for him. Her mole poblano began with re-hydrated dried dark chiles, vanilla, star anise and chocolate. Diego says that 'she made me inhale each spice before its inclusion in the mole'... Chefs today claim that choosing the right chocolate is the key to success in making mole."

Claudia of Honey from Rock prepared Taste of Mexico Stew and Chocolate Rum Soda

"I did decide to return and finish the book a few weeks later, albeit with reservations... Suffice it to say that Runcie's debut tale does end well, though I much prefer his later writing. The book was packed with food mentions, so plenty of inspiration for us at Cook the Books! Everything from chocolate in all its many guises, to European goodies encountered and created on Diego's journeys... My response, aside from a Chocolate Rum Soda concocted from home-crafted Creme de Cacao, was to make something inspired by the New World of Mexico. A stew, with lots of veggies, spices and pork loin, all thickened a bit with cornmeal."

Lynda of Reviews, Chews & How-Tos prepared Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

"I love magical realism, and found the premise very interesting, while being a good bit less enamoured of Diego, who... is, himself, a profoundly uninteresting man... It helped a lot to know that James Runcie originally intended to write this as a series of short stories, and I am sorry he chose not to handle it that way, as a more episodic approach would have solved the weaknesses it had as a novel. In a short story series, you have lower expectations for actual character development and growth, and can focus more on shorter term events... I settled on a savory dish rather than sweet, as I wanted to do something more rooted in chocolate's origins than in Europe's use of it. I've wanted to make Chicken Mole for a long time... The result was very flavorful... and quite fast to put together with the help of a food processor and slow cooker."

Simona of briciole (your host) prepared Mole Poblano

"Drinking a special concoction [Ignacia] prepares for [Diego] makes him immortal, which allows the novel to span centuries and continents, following Diego's adventures and the fortunes of cacao beans and chocolate... Having decided to make mole poblano, the question became: which recipe?... I chose a middle ground closer to the hard way... which meant a somewhat lengthy preparation using 25 ingredients. my choice of ingredients makes the recipe vegan and gluten-free... My rendition of mole poblano paired well with different dishes, vegetables (the dish in the photo is my 'empty the crisper' side dish described in an earlier post, chicken and even cod. I confess also that I ate it by the spoonful."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen prepared Chocolate-Orange Mousse

"It took me a while to get into the book. I wasn't particularly fond of Diego from the start as he is young, selfish, and not that appealing. In fact, my favorite character turned out to be Pedro, his loyal greyhound... I do like time travel and I adore chocolate and learning about food history, so eventually the story kicked in more for me... While on his travels, Diego has brushes with many diverse historical figures such as Montezuma, the Marquis de Sade, Sigmund Freud, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, and Milton Hershey... Besides Pedro, ;-) the food descriptions were my favorite part and the book is filled with them... I took my inspiration from the 'excellent chocolate mousse' that Diego is offered after dinner on a ship with Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein."

A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.

I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. However, mishaps are part of life, so if you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.

And now, I’ll turn things over to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who is hosting the April-May edition in which we are reading Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper, a memoir by Fuchsia Dunlop.

Arrivederci a presto!

Simona, of briciole

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: the Roundup

It's time for the roundup of Cook the Books' Club June-July 2017 edition for which we read the novel Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya Von Bremzen.

For each contribution (given in order of publication), I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a brief quote from it — a teaser that will entice you to follow the link and read the details of how the reading inspired the activity in the kitchen.

Now, please, make yourself comfortable, then follow me on a literary / culinary journey to the other side of the world.

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla made Chanakhi and Salat Olivier

"I actually felt this was three distinct books - one about her family, one about her and her food, and one about Russian history - and they didn't mesh very well in my mind... But I did like her writing style... I was inspired to make a meal out of it. So, on my way home from the courthouse, I stopped at the market to pick up what I needed for two different dishes. I was intrigued by the Salat Olivier she shared because I have never put apples and fresh cucumber in a potato salad before... Very popular in Caucasus region, there are slight variations [of Chanakhi] from Azerbaijan to Georgia. And though this dish is traditionally baked and served in individual clay pots, I cooked it in a Dutch oven."

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm prepared Borshch

"Perhaps it was the narrator, perhaps it was the writing. Probably it was a bit of both. Once the storyline started dealing with Anya and her life, her feelings, her impressions... it got much better. The best thing about this audible memoir was the pdf file of recipes that were included... Anya's version [of Borshch] contains meat, kidney beans and apples none of which I have ever had in a Borscht before. This is more of a stew actually than the soupy Borscht of which I was familiar. I have to say that it was absolutely delicious and I can see why Nataliya missed it so badly. This is much more work than the other beet soups I have made and worth every moment of it."

Simona of briciole (your host) prepared Mushroom and Egg Salad

"Von Bremzen describes her and her family's life in the context of the political changes in Russia, the Soviet Union, then Russia again. Her style of writing is engaging — with the right balance of humor and seriousness. The food she describes is intriguing: even when we don't feel like we want to taste it, the emotional context comes alive in her words... Towards the end of the book, she talks about writing Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook ... I had already put that book in my wish list, after browsing it in search of the recipe for a Russian dish. At this point, I was ready to get it."

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures prepared Chilled Borscht

"In the book, the author strives to meld a history lesson, memoir, and food into a seamless, touching story. Instead, the book read like a dry textbook, followed by a memoir with too many people to keep track of... However, I did get my foodie inspiration in the form of Borscht, which is mentioned several times as a warm winter meal and once as a light, chilled summer meal... I made my recipe for chilled borscht and served it hot for dinner (oh my gosh amazing!), then I served the leftovers chilled the next day for lunch (meh). Yeah, the amazing soup was not quite as amazing served chilled. I nibbled the cucumber pieces out of my bowl, then stuck it in the microwave. Much better!"

Terri of Our Good Life made Salat Olivier

"I can't say I loved the book, I kept losing the story of interest to me in the deluge of Russian history as seen by the author as a child, teen and grown up. What I did love, however, was the role that food, or the lack of it, played in her life. What I loved about the book was the apparent deep connection that the author has with her mother and how they developed their relationship over food. This resonates with me, as I am often asking my mom to share recipes from my childhood with me... It was an easy choice for me to choose this dish. First, my maiden name is Oliver and our family loves my mom's potato salad. It has a similar base of potatoes, boiled eggs and mayo."

Debra of Eliot's Eats prepared Moscow Mule and Pickled Beets

"My sister and I both read this book. She loved it and thought it was hilarious. I wanted to love it and think it was hilarious. Although I enjoyed the book and am glad it was a CTB feature, I felt like I was reading more of a history book than a memoir of 'food and longing'... As her story becomes her own and she and her mother emigrate to the US, I became more responsive. I even thought her description of her early childhood in the USSR as a bit witty, ironically enough... I could have done borscht or madeleines or gefilte fish or a number of the other recipes mentioned in the book. But instead… drum roll, please… you know I made a cocktail."

Evelyne of Culture Eatz made some Ukrainian Cheese-Filled Crepes (Nalysnyky)

"Anya weaves in her memoirs with family tales starting pretty much after the fall of the royal family to modern history. She covers family stories dating back a few generations all the way to her immigration to the US. But the book is super heavily dosed with historical facts, more like a scholarly book. Since I had a personal interest, I just devoured all the information... Nalysnyky are thin Ukrainian golden crips crepes rolled up with a cheese filling that can be either sweet or savory. This savory version is made with a few snippets of fresh dill. Once the crepes are rolled up, they are cut into three sections and layered in a dish before a quick baked stint in the oven. And don’t forget to lubricate each layer with a healthy dose of butter."

Cathy of Delaware Girl Eats baked Fresh Indian Corn Pudding

"The book was a bit tough to get through with all the Russian words and especially its references to obscure public figures. But the stories about her family and experiences were fascinating, especially her adventures in the kitchen with her mother. She recounts in Chapter Six that the 60’s were remembered by Russians for one of the worst crop failures of an era... People spat at piles of canned corn, saying 'all corn and no bread'... Quite a difference from my annual obsession with fresh corn picked that day at my favorite farmstead. Whenever I go to one of our neighborhood summer gatherings, I make sure to bring my Indian corn pudding casserole... It feeds a crowd and in fact is an easy dish to make dish that can be baked in advance and reheated."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen prepared Okroshka, Russian Cold Kefir Soup

"The book picked up its pace for the second half and I enjoyed it much more, through to the end--which included a recipe for each decade. I think foodies who are also history buffs, will enjoy Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking the most. Since I am not that familiar with Russian food and culture as compared to other countries, I'm glad we read the book and I walked away learning a lot--always a bonus... Traditionally, Okroshka is made with kvass, a rye-based fermented drink that is obscure here in America but yogurt or kefir, which is very easy to find nowadays, are great substitutions to add that fermented tang to this soup."

Claudia of Honey from Rock prepared Salat Olivier

"Anya held a secret fixation with Lenin, despite her mother's anti-Soviet hatred of all he stood for. However as a child she considered herself a 'Mature Socialist'. That whole story is the funniest bit in her memoir. At the age of 9-10 years old, a 'proper black marketeer' she is bartering bits of Juicy Fruit gum and M&M's for money, services and favors, and eating at a nice restaurant from her proceeds, instead of attending a 'silly ballet' class... There was so much I would like to try as far as food... What I did settle on was the Soviet-style Potato Salad, Salat Olivier. Though just substituting our own breadfruit - very potato-like, for the potatoes, celery instead of cucumber, and added some radish. Also left out the apple, as that was not traditional anyway, but an addition by Anya's mother."

A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.

I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. However, mishaps are part of life, so if you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.

And now, I’ll turn things over to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who will host the August-September edition in which we will read Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Arrivederci a presto!

Simona, of Briciole