Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 60

Italian White Wines

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(Part 2 in my Wine Education)


Valtellina:  A light, straw-colored wine with a fresh taste.  Made in Lombardy.
Terlano:  A choice white wine form Upper Audige, beautifully translucent, with an elegant bouquet.
Soave: A soft, velvety, dry wine made from grapes grown near Vorona.
Orvieto:  The best-known, and one of the choicest, of Italian white wines.  There are two types, one dry and the other fruity.  Both varieties have an attractive light-yellow color and an exquisitely delicate bouquet.  From Umbria.
Frascati:  A limpid, golden-yellow wine with a mellow flavor.  It is also made in two types, dry and fruity.  A wine of historic Latium.
Est-est-est Montefiascone:  A golden wine produced near the Lake of Bolsena.  Made in two types, dry and sweet. One of the most famous wines of Italy.
Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio:  A straw-colored wine - sweet, velvety, and aromatic.  The grapes are grown in vineyards on the southern slopes of Mount Vesuvius.
Sansevero:  A fine, clear, delicate wine, excellent with fish.  One of the best wines of the Apulian district.
Vernaccia del Campidano:  A dry, amber-colored wine with a bouquet reminiscent of almond blossoms, and pleasingly bitter.  A wine of Sardinia.

Weight Watchers Cookbooks

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If you're a Weight Watcher - watcher you won't want to miss out on one or more of the 8 Weight Watcher books that I've just posted on Books, Books & More - Adopt a Book.  There are the Annual books for 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005 plus their Quick Cooking; Simple & Classic Home; Quick, Light & Healthy; and 15 Minute Cookbook.  All 8 books are in like new condition and priced at only $3.00 plus shipping each.  You'll find these books in the Category - Healthy Cooking.

Red Wines of Italy

[image error] Join me as I learn a little about wines.  This list of Italian wines are widely distributed in America.

Barolo:  A dry, ruby-red, full-bodied wine with a smooth, velvety taste.  It is produced in Piedmont.
Barbera:  A delicate dry or semi-sweet wine whose bouquet improves with age.  Also produced in Piedmont.
Bardolino:  A clear, light, ruddy wine, with a pleasingly dry taste.  It should be drank while still young.  Made in Venetia.
Valpolicella:  An excellent, deep ruby-colored wine with a delicate bouquet and mellow taste.  Wonderful with any kind of meat dish.  A Venetian wine.
Chianti:  Probably the best known of Italian reds, this Tuscan wine has a slightly prickly taste when young which disappears as the wine ages.
Brolio:  Very much like Chianti, it is grown in the same neighborhood in Tuscany.  Like chianti, also, it improves with age.
Ciro di Cababria:  A deep, ruby-red wine which should be allowed to mature to develope its full flavor.
Faro:  A Sicilian wine of a bright ruby color with an excellent bouquet and flavor.

Back to Basics - Muffins & Quick Breads

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*When making muffins leave some lumps.  The batter should appear lumpy, not smooth.  A few turfs of flour can remain.  If you over mix, the muffins will be tough with peaked tops and tunnels and -
*Don't overfill the muffin pans.  If you do, the batter will overflow the cups and the muffins will be misshaped.
*Quick breads need to cool thoroughly before slicing.  An overnight waiting period is best for even slices.
*Bake muffins and quick breads just till lightly browned.  If they are overly browned, they will be overbaked, dry and tough.
*Remove muffins form their pans to a wire rack as soon as they come from the oven.  Otherwise, they will steam and become soggy.
*A crack down the center of a quick bread is no mistake - it's traditional for quick breads.

Sidetracked Sisters Catch-Up on the Kitchen 1983

This book offers so much and will go fast at it's price of $2.25 plus shipping.  See it by going to Books, Books, & More - Adopt a Book.


From menu-planning to marketing to putting pots in proper places, the Sidetracked Home Executives show you how to overcome kitchen chaos. Try some of these samples ideas:
Attach a scratch pad and pen to yourself as you start reorganizing your kitchen. Then you'll know where everything goes and everything went.
Tape a table-of-content card to the inside of each kitchen drawer to keep things in their new places.
Organize your leftovers. Double-wrap them immediately for the freezer, label them, and file the information under "crisis" in your card file. Thaw them when an emergency arises.

Copyright 1983 this paperback measures 8 x 5 1/2 x 3/4 (approx.) and contains 207 pages. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being 'like new' I rate this copy a 6+. The cover shows a little wear but the inside pages are in great condition.

A Well Equipped Kitchen

I find myself overstocking my kitchen with equipment yet I'm usually under-stocked too.  I sometimes find that I have at least 2 of many items but 0 of some.  This list is one of the best I've seen to follow to equip a kitchen, including mine.  Please feel free to add your own must have items to the list in the comment section.
Assorted utensils;   kitchen scissors (a must have), pizza cutter, rubber spatulas, vegetable peelers, wire whisk, wooden spoons.
Broiler pan with rack (I've found the rack to be one of the most useful pans in my kitchen.)
Colander (This is one that I feel you need 2 of.  A large one that stands alone and a smaller one with a handle for smaller items.)
Dutch oven
Food processor/mini-chopper (I believe in having both.  A smaller one is great for small items such as onions, nuts, etc.)
Hand mixer (If you plan to do a lot of baking I would suggest a table mixer which can be used as a hand mixer too.)
Instant-read meat thermometer (A candy thermometer is good to have too.)
Jellyroll pan
Knives - good quality chef's paring and slicing knives
Measuring cups - dry and liquid
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls - assorted sizes
Baking pans, saucepans and skillets
8" cast iron skillet and a 10" ovenproof skillet
Steam basket or steamer
Wire grilling basket
Wok or stir-fry pan
Grater (I like to have a large box grater and a smaller hand grater)
 

Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook 1977

For all the Bisquick Fans this book is priced right at $2.25 plus shipping.

'For the woman who's practical enough to take a shortcut and creative enough to make the most of it.'
Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook will take you through the holidays with dishes such as Mincemeat Merrymakers, Leprechaun Cake and Jack-o'-Lantern Teacakes.  Then we get to the Strictly Thrifty Menus with Orange Crunchies and Hamburger-Bean Pie.  Want to go Mobile?  Try Skillet Biscuits or Cinnamon-Sugar Balls.  And the list keeps going on and on with recipes made easy using Bisquick as your main ingredient.
Copyright 1971 with this copy being a 5th print dating 1977, this hardback/inside spiral measures 6 x 8 1/2 x 1/2 (approx.) and contains 124 pages.  On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being 'like new' I rate this copy a 7.  There is the traditional usage wear on the cover and slight wear on the 1st page but the following pages are in great condition.

Cooking Spray Tips

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These are some great tips that I found in a Weight Watcher's book.  These are worth sharing.
Use vegetable cooking spray:
1.  Baked food won't be as hard to clean off casserole dishes and pans if you coat them first. (This is something I do to EVERY dish that goes into my oven, except cast iron.)
2.  Spray kitchen scissors before chopping sticky ingredients such as dried fruit.  (This I didn't know but will do from now on.)
3.  Coat measuring cups and spoons before measuring a sticky ingredient like honey and the honey will slide out easily.  Rinse measuring cups with cold water before measuring sticky ingredients works too.  (Another one that I didn't know.)

The Book of Whole Meals 1983 - Vegetarian

A great deal for the Vegetarian on Books, Books & More - Adopt a Book - $2.75 plus shipping.

The Book of Whole Meals starts out by educating us on the difference between 'Natural' and 'Artificial' foods, their benefits and dangers. Their dangers due to chemicals and even how their quality through canning, freezing, condensing, etc. The author educates us on the nutrients found in our foods, how our environment affects our foods and even how to balance our intake of foods. You'll find guidelines on creating a healthy menu, what sweeteners and oils to use and which beverages are best for our health.
The meals within take you through all four seasons. You'll find breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus and recipes for Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring all using foods that are in season during each and where to shop for those you might be familiar with.

Copyright 1983 The Book of Whole Meals measures 11 x 8 1/2 x 3/4 (approx.) and contains 231 pages. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being 'like new' I rate this paperback a 7. It has slight curling of the 1st few pages in the top and bottom right corners. This book has been used but still has many years of use to go.

Gourmet International - Fonde - The Fine Art of Fondue, Chinese Wok & Chafing Dish Cooking 1970

Another oldie but goodie that needs to be adopted at Books, Books & More - Adopt a Book for only $2.00 plus shipping.

Guests get acquainted in a hurry at fondue parties. They sit around small tables each with its own fondue pot and relax quickly as they become absorbed in dunking, swirling and cooking tasty bites in a communal pot. The food is eaten and the process repeated as long as food and appetites last. The cheese fondue is the first and probably the most famous of the fondues. Now there are scores of other favorites, meat, fish and seafood ones, the delicious dessert fondues and an endless number of appetizers, nibblers and snacks. All can be quickly cooked and enjoyed by guests.

 This book will give you tips on what kind of equipment will be needed, the difference between electric and flame type, forks and plates. You'll find recipes for everything from meat, appetizers, desserts and even fruit as well as what wine to serve with each. But there is more... you'll find fun recipes using a Chinese Wok and Chafing Dishes at your parties too.

Measuring 10 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 1/4 (approx.) and containing 64 pages, this hardback book was copyright 1969 with this copy being a 5th print in 1970. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being 'like new' I rate this copy's cover a 6, it does show some use wear but the pages I rate an 8. They are in great condition.