Yes, as I’ve mentioned before, I love cheese. My arteries probably have something to say about that, but, we’ll worry about that later….Meanwhile, it is time to stock up on some of the most favored cheeses in the U.S. for making holiday party spreads and holiday party snacking trays.

GREAT CHEESES FOR PARTY SPREADS
These softer cheeses may be eaten as is from the wrapper or container, or blended with other soft cheeses and flavoring ingredients to create a smooth party dip or party spread.
- Blue and Blue-veined
- Boursin
- Brie
- Camembert
- Chevre
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Feta
- Mascarpone
- Ricotta

GREAT CHEESES FOR PARTY SNACKING TRAYS
These firmer cheeses are great sliced into cracker-sized pieces or cut into cubes or chunks to create toothsome toothpick munchies for party snacking trays.
- American
- Brick
- Cheddar
- Colby
- Edam
- Emmentaler
- Gouda
- Gruyere
- Havarti
- Monterey Jack
- Mozzarella
- Muenster
- Provolone
- Swiss

Let’s face it, having a great cheese list like this in your family cookbook could be worthwhile, so feel free to adapt it as you wish, adding your own favorite cheeses and recipes, of course.

Do you think those little green moon men had a great cheese list like this to work with? Maybe that’s why they moved the moon’s cheese and we can’t find it. Maybe the real cheese is on the dark side of the moon. (Tee hee.)

Happy Cheese Eating & Cookbook Making,

Matilda

We are so excited to report that our Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software has inspired one of our customers to publish her second recipe book and sell it on Amazon.com.

That’s right! High school English teacher Kathryn M. Carriere of Houston, Texas, published her second recipe book in July called Spirits for the Mind and Body: 2101 Cocktail and Alcoholic Beverages‎. It is a whopping 548 pages and features the classic Celtic design template from our Matilda software.

Kathryn says she discovered the software after she published her first cookbook, 74 Great-Tasting Chili Recipes‎, which is also available on Amazon.com. That cookbook was one of her biggest challenges, she says, because she wanted to prove something to herself and to others. With the support of a close friend and two colleagues, Kathryn climbed her Mt. Everest. Once the 164-page book was completed, she was energized, enabled, and empowered to do more. 

“However, I realized that I could do better. That led me to Matilda’s software and the second book. I tried the demo of Matilda and it was what I was looking for in terms of helping me organize my cookbooks the way I wanted them. The third book is now completely done (but not published yet), and I am working on a fourth book.”

Using the recipe template in Matilda for her second recipe book, Kathryn was able to categorize her beverage recipes into clear sections to make them easier to find, such as: Beer Mug, Brandy Snifter, Champagne, Cocktail, Collins, Coupette, Highball, Irish Mug, Old-Fashioned, Pousse-Café, Punch Bowl, Red Wine, Shot Glass, Whiskey Sour, and White Wine.

Kathryn’s first book took 3 months to get published, but only 6 weeks for the second book. She used an on-demand publisher (Trafford Publishing), which included marketing to Amazon.com as part of the package. Now she hopes to “continue writing cookbooks as well as writing novels and travel essays on places that I visit.”

We certainly do wish Kathryn well on her next publishing endeavors! You know, we would never have heard of Huckleberry Finn, Robert’s Rules of Order, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Ulysses, or Walden, if the authors hadn’t had the courage to self-publish. You roar girl!

Happy Cookbook Authoring,

Matilda

Kitty Litter Cake is a concoction of demented minds, yet it garnered lots of laughs and marvels at how it actually mimics “the real thing,” even down to the tormented Tootsie Rolls used to imitate cat poop.

I just had to share this frightful Kitty Litter Cake marvel of modern culinary arts with you as soon as possible. I understand that you MUST use a new (never used)  plastic cat litter box and new (never used) pooper scooper to gain the full effect. Whew!

Kitty Litter Cake for Halloween

1 spice cake mix (or German chocolate cake mix)
1 white cake mix
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies, crumbled
Green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Roll candies

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new kitty litter pan liner (optional)
1 new pooper scooper 

Getting Ready
1.  Prepare cake mixes according to package directions and set aside to cool when baked.
2.  Prepare pudding mix and chill.
3.  Crumble vanilla sandwich cookies in food processor, scraping often. Remove about 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs from the whole batch. Mix a few drops of green food coloring into this ¼ cup of cookie crumbs. Make sure they are completely colored. (Note: You will have a small amount of colored crumbs and a larger amount of uncolored crumbs.)

Assembly
4. After cakes have cooled to room temperature, crumble them together into a large bowl. Gently combine with the chilled pudding and half of the uncolored cookie crumbs. (Mix in just enough pudding to moisten, but not soak).

5. Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Spoon the Kitty Litter Cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the kitty litter box.

6. Unwrap 6 small Tootsie rolls and heat a few seconds in microwave until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Bury them in the  cake/pudding mixture. Be creative on placements.

7. Sprinkle the remaining half of cookie crumbs over the top of the Kitty Litter Cake. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything. (These are supposed to look like the “odor-eating chlorophyll” granules in real kitty litter).

8. Heat 2 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them up and place on top of Kitty Litter Cake. Sprinkle with a few cookie crumbs.

9. Microwave remaining 4 Tootsie Rolls until pliable and spead strategically over the top of the cake. For the ultimate shocker, take one Tootsie Roll and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Yuck!

Serving
10. Place the cake-laden Kitty Litter Cake box on a newspaper on the Halloween party food table.

11. Sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around the outside of the Kitty Litter Cake box for a truly disgusting effect.

12. Serve Kitty Litter Cake with the kitty litter scoop. Watch unsuspecting party guests maneuver around this dish. They will inspect the glistening misshapen Tootsie Rolls suspiciously. Don’t be surprised if many guests pass on it; it really is that disgusting. But good!

Aren’t you glad you now have a Kitty Litter Cake recipe to include in your family cookbook for a Halloween treat, (or is it trickery)?

Happy Cookbooking,
Matilda

Often called international street food or peasant ethnic food (I hope because of its basic close-to-the-earth goodness), many of these savory simple food dishes are made of common staples such as grains, root vegetables, and tough scraps of meat that do well with patience.

Here are some of my favorite international simple foods:

Italian
Pasta with chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, olive oil, & freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mexican
Beans & rice with cilantro and salsa.

Thai
Pad Thai noodles fragrant with lime juice, garlic, chiles, tamarind, and chopped peanuts.

Indian
Grilled chicken legs marinated with yogurt and at least seven spices.

Chinese
Hot Pot, a shared soup made with meats, seafood, tofu, greens, other vegetables, and condiments chosen by each person at your table.

Vietnamese
Bahn Mi sandwiches of cold cuts, pate, cilantro, shredded carrot & Daikon radish slaw, on crusty baguettes.

Arabic
Hummus sprinkled with sumac on pita bread.

Some of these simple food dishes are stunningly good and deserve a spot in your family cookbook. They were developed by budget-conscious cooks with inventive culinary skills passed down through many generations, and are indeed worthy of remembering. (I know I do at every opportunty!)

Happy simple food cookbooking,

Matilda

When adding biographies and family stories to my family cookbook, I always follow the basic principle of KISS (keep it short & simple).  To do this, I try to focus on one topic at a time when telling a tale, and avoid everything my subject discusses that is off the topic. This can be hard to do, especially when the subject rambles or hopskotches through years of a life well-lived.

For example, I interviewed a 96-year-old relative a few years ago who was a professional chef (as well as many other things) during his working days.  I dreaded the task, because he was notorious for always bringing up — at length — his hobby of interest (civic water works). I was determined to stay in control and go through my list of prepared questions in the one hour I had allowed for the interview.  Short & simple was my guide. First we talked about his favorite workplaces, but later we discussed who were his best friends, and why.

Whenever he wandered off my topic, I steered the conversation back by saying “how interesting,” then asking another question back on topic. Eventually he became absorbed enough to stay with the subject matter, and I was able to get through my list of short & simple questions and come up with several funny anecdotes that revealed his true personality. It did take longer than one hour, but the extra time was well worth the bio that ended up in the family cookbook.

In retrospect, here are my 5 short & simple tips for writing better biographies to include in your family cookbook:

1. Ask leading questions
Steer away from the short & simple yes or no answers you’ll get from “Did you enjoy the party?” Instead, ask “Why did you enjoy the party?”  Be sure to ask the basic facts of when he or she was born and other important dates, such as graduations, marriages, etc.

2. Talk to several people
If time permits, try to talk with several people about your bio subject. If the person is no longer living, interview at least 3 close relatives who interacted with him or her. The short & simple perspective of more than one person will lend credibility and personality.

3. Probe deeper
A person’s philosophy and character can become evident when answering more personal questions such as “How do you wish to be remembered?”  The short & simple answer might surprise you.

4. Parallel history
No matter what your subject’s age may be, some historic event in their lifetime will trigger an insightful comment. Where were you when (blank) happened? What do you remember most about it? Try to keep it short & simple.

5. Ask about favorite things
It may sound corny, but most people do have favorite colors, foods, pets, holidays, collections, magazines, television shows, and vacations. Anwers to these short & simple questions bring a rounded picture to the individual and allows others to relate and enjoy the opinions expressed.

Remember, your purpose in collecting information for a family biography is to capture the “essence” of the individual and not to write the great American novel.  Some short & simple loving paragraphs that portray a person’s life will do nicely. After all, it is a family cookbook that you are making!

Happy Cookbooking,
Matilda

I stumbled across a fascinating food pairing website the other day that I just have to share. It is a great resource for anyone who likes to cook, from professional chefs to food contest competitors and home cooks, on down to youngsters who are just beginning to explore the pleasures of culinary combinations.

The food pairing website was developed by a group of Belgian scientists who want to inspire new food recipes and groupings, and also to provide suggestions on what might be good substitutes for a particular ingredient when it is not available (or if one has allergies).

To test the food pairing website, I entered “pumpkin” in the search window, and read with some curiosity and amazement the result (noted below), which is based on scientific flavor and taste combinations that might be compatible:

Pumpkin can be combined with -
- Dairy: Butter, Cheddar and Gruyere
- Meat: Chicken cooked, San Daniele ham and Chicken roasted
- Chocolate, coffee, tea: Dominican Republic white chocolate, Tea black and Vanuatu milk chocolate

The search result on the food pairing website also comes with a visual “flavor array” that shows the relationship between the main ingredient and other ingredients that are compatible based on their flavor profile.  Some of the compatible food suggestions are quite unusual, and your imagination can certainly be creative.

Check out the food pairing website:  http://www.foodpairing.be/

Hmm, how about steam-grilled pumpkin slices over honey-drizzled basmatic rice garnished with grated Vanuatu milk chocolate? I’ll have to think about that before I add it to my family cookbook.

Happy cookbooking,

Matilda

Family Cookbook Month could be even bigger than Family History Month. Along with tracing one’s ancestry through the popular genealogy websites, families could get together to discuss favorite family recipes and preserve them in a family cookbook.

Families could use a cookbook software (mine immediately comes to mind) that already allows users the ability to include a family tree, complete with photos and biographies.

Family Cookbook Month could be even better than Family History Month. Parents, grandparents, and other relatives could get involved and share in the memories by contributing their favorite family recipes and stories about family mealtime traditions.

Family Cookbook Month could be even more practical than Family History Month. At the end of the month, you’d have a tangible result — a family cookbook of heirloom recipes to cherish forever.

It is a start. Shall we all contact our U.S. Congressional representatives and get bill number (Family Cookbook Month) FCM-100 going for next year?  I’m all for it. After all, I have a special interest. I own the cookbook software!  Tee-hee.

(You know I’m just kidding about FCM-100, right?)

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda

P.S. Family history always makes a great gift, especially for the hard-to-impress. This Christmas, a homemade family cookbook that looks professional could be a great, economical way to please more than one family member on your gift list.

With schools and churches having bake sales for fundraising, now is also a good time to review what makes a successful bake sale. Following are my 5 tips for bake sale success:

TIP 1. LOCATION & SET UP
Just as in the real estate world, bake sale success is all about location, location, location. There is no substitute for a highly visible location for your bake sale table. Being seen is the one major secret to bake sale success.  A busy pharmacy next to a supermarket may be a great place because you won’t compete with the store’s bakery.  Use tables to display the baked goods attractively (with a festive tablecover), and have chairs for helpers to sit down. Be sure to arrive early on the day of your bake sale to set up and get organized.

TIP 2. SIGNAGE & PROMOTION
Promote your bake sale in advance by putting up flyers around your community and in local businesses that agree to help your promotion. Make signs of yellow or white poster board. Print large letters on your computer or use a fat black marker to write BAKE SALE in big capital letters. Hang signs on three sides of the table. If allowed, attach some balloons. Also make your sales sail by using festive paper, ribbons, or stickers to add some creative packaging and pizzazz. Bake sale success is as much about marketing as great baked goods!

TIP 3. PRODUCT VARIETY
Ensure bake sale success by asking friends, family, and neighbors to contribute freshly baked items. Also ask for donations of bakery goods from the local supermarket to fill in the gaps not covered by the homemade goodies. A good product mix is to have brownies, small cakes, cupcakes, cookies, sweet and savory bread loaves, and whole cakes. You can sell some easy-to-eat individual items at premium prices, or pre-package baked items into an economical dozen assortment. Be careful about selling baked goods that will run up expenses. For example, a slice of pie requires a plate, napkin and fork. A whole pie requires nothing more than the plastic wrap over the top. Another good product option is to have sugarless, low-fat, or organic baked items for the more health conscious.

TIP 4. PRICING
Pricing items effectively is the other major secret to bake sale success.  Some people like to make price tags for each item.  Personally, it is much less work to group baked items for sale on the table according to a set price, and tape just one small sign on the tablecover, such as “Whole Cakes $4.95.”  (Smart bake sale sellers won’t have that nickel change available to encourage folks to donate the extra nickel. This technique works great at yard sales, too.)

TIP 5. TIME MANAGEMENT
Ask members of your group to sign up for 2 hour shifts. Most everyone can spare 2 hours, even during a busy weekend. I’ve found that those who do come have such a good time chatting with customers that they often stay longer.  Make sure volunteers have water to drink, paper towels, and moist wipes or hand sanitizer.  Also be sure to have such supplies as Saran Wrap, plastic bags, and paper bags. And, always after the limelight of your bake sale success, be sure to send thank you letters to everyone who helped, from store manager right on down to the kid in the stroller who bobbed the balloon to get attention!

We’ve had many bake sale fundraising triumphs in our town using these 5 tips for bake sale success.  Feel free adapt them to your next bake sale.

Good cookbooking,

Matilda

Once I had a potluck dinner party and no one brought anything. I was puzzled, in that I had specified the type of event in my invitation, both written and verbal. Guests said they didn’t know what to bring, and they knew from previous events that I would have enough food for an army anyway.

Guess what? That was the first time I had decided to stay on budget, not go overboard with last minute changes of mind and menu, and made just what the recommended per person serving amounts were. I made a very large pan of Lawry’s famous Sour Cream Tortilla Casserole as a side to barbecued steak and chicken.  I was horrified (mortified) when one guest asked if I had another pan made in the oven, since she didn’t get any!  (Everyone apparently assured her that I had more.)

Needless to say, that party was a hard lesson in the importance of maintaining portion control on the buffet, and in not trusting guests to bring a dish when asked. From that moment on, I always had enough food for an army readily available, and always had more food on hand as backup. Never again was I going to be put in the uncomfortable position of telling a guest that I didn’t have any more of what I was serving (even though she was supposed to bring something!)

Based on that experience, I created a personal guideline and put it in my family cookbook for how much food a typical guest might consume during a buffet (if I’m covering the entire bill and food preparation):

Appetizers/First Courses (per person)
4 oz tossed green salad w/ 2 oz dressing
6 oz. soup or chowder
2 oz. dip
8 pieces of finger food (about a 3-bite size)
4 oz chips/crackers
4 oz. cheese

Entrée/Main Course & Accompaniments (per person)
8 oz. meat/featured entrée
6 oz side dish (rice, pasta, potatoes)
2 hot dogs or bratwurst/buns
½ pound cooked shrimp

Desserts & Beverages (per person)
2 helpings of dessert
12 oz. beverage (per hour)
2 oz. alcohol (per hour)
2 bottles of water

I have used these portions many times, and feel quite comfortable with them as a rule of thumb. There are leftovers sometimes, but not so much that you could feed an army again.

P.S. You might be asking about my previous potluck surprise “why didn’t you find out what everyone was bringing?” Well, we had had so many parties in the past that I just said “bring whatever you feel like, it’s potluck.”

Pot luck, indeed.

Happy cookbooking,

Matilda

One sisterhood fundraising cookbook I ran across years ago included a light-hearted look at Jewish life and culture, with many funny stories from members of the temple sisterhood interwoven between the recipes. It was called “Chicken Soup,” (not to be confused with the best-selling Chicken Soup series), and most of the recipes fit into the following categories:

- Appetizers & Beverages
- Soups & Salads
- Breads
- Main Dishes
- Side Dishes
- Accompaniments
- Desserts
- Breakfast & Brunch
- Holiday Favorites
- Special Hints

Another sisterhood Kosher fundraising cookbook featured a clever idea: every member who contributed recipes had her own chapter!  This is a great idea for any cookbook, whether for fundraising or the family. Imagine how wonderful it would be to have a whole chapter devoted to your very own recipes (a mini recipe collection).  The dividers also featured child’s artwork, with photos of contributors interspered (when appropriate). Very inspired.

I hope this little story inspires you to get going on preparing your cookbook for the holidays! They are not too far away.

Best wishes & happy cookbooking,

Matilda