Cookbook of the Month April 2013: The Nomination Thread

[greedygirl]

So - April. We have a saying in England that it roars in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Whichever, it's time to think about what you want to be cooking this Spring, even though March has barely begun!

Please note that all nominations should be in CAPS. For more on how Cookbook of the Month works or to see an archive of books we’ve already cooked from this link can give you lots of information: http://www.chow.com/cookbook_of_the_m...

The deadline for nominations is 0800 GMT on Friday 15th March, or late on Thursday 14th March for North Americans.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[greedygirl]

Voting thread is here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/894307

[greedygirl]

Nominations are now closed. The voting thread won't be up until this afternoon (UK time), I'm afraid. I have to go home and get some sleep!

[greedygirl]

Just popping in to remind you that nominations close at 8am GMT on Friday - that's midnight tonight if you live in California, and 3am if you're in New York.

So plenty of time to complicate things even further!

[herby]

We've been a naughty bunch, GG! Throwing all these titles out there, nominating, changing our minds, chatting along about everything under the sun - it has been a tough start for you. But I am absolutely sure that you will shine just as bright as you did last month :)

[greedygirl]

Not sure about that herby but I'll do my best! I'm working a night shift tonight so plenty of time in the wee small hours to get my head round things. Voting is going to be interesting, that's for sure...

[herby]

Can't wait to see what you will come up with :)

[juliejulez]

SMITTEN KITCHEN BOOK AND BLOG
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN

[ellabee]

AD HOC AT HOME because it's already a classic, because I know I'll get the book eventually, because the one thing in it I've tried (lime creamed corn, from a food blog post) is so outstanding.

Let me add my voice to those who'd be very reluctant to see the COTM be yet another very recently published book. (I wouldn't count the Smitten Kitchen cookbook if the blog were also included.)

[ItalianNana]

I could get behind Ad Hoc. Or into it.

[Breadcrumbs]

BILL'S FOOD & BILL'S SYDNEY FOOD - Bill Granger

[greedygirl]

I wouldn't mind exploring Bill Granger, but I don't have either of those books! I do have Bill's Asian Food, Best of Bill and Holiday though, and would be reluctant to add to my collection.

[Breadcrumbs]

I have Best of Bill as well gg. I'd be happy to cook from any of his books.

[LulusMom]

I have Bill's Asian Food, which I'd love to cook from, but it probably doesn't make sense after a month of Chinese. I'd be willing to do a month of his stuff though, definitely.

[Gio]

Bill's Food is the only Granger book I have, but haven't cooked a thing from it. There are ton of his recipes on-line.

[LulusMom]

Have you not cooked from it because you didn't find anything interesting, or because you've been busy cooking from other books?

[Gio]

The book arrived, I quickly skimmed it, put it on the "English shelf", CFOB. (cooked from other books). I must admit, however, nothing really jumped out a me and cried, "Make me, Make me"... Perhaps my skim was too quick.

[LulusMom]

This is good to know - thanks Gio.

[greedygirl]

English shelf made me laugh. I have an American shelf!

[Gio]

My English shelf is so full that "Jerusalem" is sitting on top of books on the Chinese shelf. I fear the books by English authors will have to move to the section in the den/library which is fast becoming the European section. That's next to the American section. Meanwhile the the Italians have their own separate bookcase which used to hold gardening books. It's not funny... (but I Am laughing.)

[greedygirl]

There's a flaw in your system, dear Gio. Ottolenghi is not English and neither is Bill Granger! I rationalised my cookbooks last week following the redecorating of our basement area. Ottolenghi is in the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean section. Bill Granger is in "general" along with other Australian authors like Neil Perry and Jill Dupleix! "Celebrity" authors like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie and Nigella also have their own shelf. Obsessive, moi?

[herby]

I am trying to re-organize my cookbooks into categories too but there are either too many categories with a few books in each or they are too broad. Maybe we should start a separate thread on the subject or has there been one already and I missed it?

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi herby, I posted a "How Do You Organize Your Cookbooks" thread some time ago. Here's the link:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769866

I've reorganized since then so I'll bump it if you don't get to it first.

[herby]

Wonderful, BC, thanks for the link! Please post about your re-organization.

[Gio]

Yes, I know you're correct about those placements. I can move Ottolenghi to Middle Eastern and that will free up about 3 good sized spaces. He's on the English shelf because I first read about him in the Guardian when he opened the Ottolenghi take-away. I think I have to separate ME from Mediterranean as well. He'll then be with Claudia Roden and Arthur Schwartz.

Perry and Granger will stay because they're related by association. My rationale.

[MelMM]

I am finding this thread so amusing because I struggle so much with how place authors like Yotam Ottolenghi, Neil Perry and others. Does Ottolenghi go with the British authors, or the Middle Eastern ones? I think he has been moved back and forth a bit. The Australians are tough, too, because my favorite Aussie writers tend to have a big Asian influence. I still don't have an Australian section, they get filed under the most appropriate place I can come up with.

Also, some books get filed by height. Remember the "Beautiful Cookbook" series? They are so tall, they are all together in an "oversize" area, no matter what cuisine they represent. Similarly, I put some particularly short books together on the shelves that won't hold anything taller than the average paperback, even if I have a section in my library that would be more appropriate.

[Allegra_K]

Hah! I have an 'oversize' section as well, the majority of which is taken up by the 'Beautiful Cookbook' series.

Like everyone else, I have trouble placing my Ottolenghi books...currently Jerusalem is with ME, Plenty with Vegetarian/All purpose....and when I get Ottolenghi:the Cookbook this fall, it'll start all over again.....my cookbook fantasy list is really only in its infancy, so I can't imagine what it'll be like 20+ years from now

[The Dairy Queen]

I put Ottolenghi with my UK books, same with Italian Two Easy. Even though they represent a cuisine, they are really restaurants in London in my mind. Plenty sometimes goes with my vegetable books, sometimes next to Ottolenghi. Also, these are a bunch of books that are generally in metric, so this is my chunk of books that require converting.

Aside from organizing my books by region of the world, I have a sections: for single subject books (eg., soups, fish), desserts, appliances (slow cooker, rice cooker, canner, etc.), weight loss books, vegetarian or produce-focused books, "quick"/weeknight books, children's books, memoirs...

~TDQ

[MelMM]

Yup, I also have the appliance-based section, where slow cooker and pressure cooker books go. So Michelle Scicolone's slow cooker books are all under "slow cooker", even though they are specifically French, Italian, Mediterranean...

I think it all boils down to each of us understanding the way our own memory works, and where we will think to look for a book.

[The Chowhound Team]

This is a fascinating topic, but it's getting pretty far afield for the Cookbook of the Month nomination thread. We can't move posts from one thread to another, but perhaps everyone could agree to continue this conversation in the thread that breadcrumbs linked: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769866

Thanks!

[Gio]

This side conversation looks like we're all standing on the corner of the polling place waiting to see which books will be on the Ballot... Does anyone have the black and white smoke bombs ready?

[Berheenia]

Does this mean we should have a South American Cookbook as a contender? ha ha

[Gio]

I believe the La Gran Cucina book has been mentioned... and I could actually get behind that one.

[herby]

Maybe better next month, Gio? I associate Latin American food with ceviche, fresh vegetable, grilled meats - all late spring/summer foods.

[Gio]

I don't have the book yet, herby, but I do like what I've been reading about it. Yes, I agree about the right season of year for the food.

[qianning]

I don't have it either, but I've looked at it in stores and library, and fwiw, there are lots of cool/cold weather appropriate dishes.

[qianning]

Me too, GRAN COCINA LATINA

[The Dairy Queen]

Exactly (re: your point about memory).

Also, it kind of depends on what you're thinking of when you reach for a cookbook. When I reach for one of Scicolone's books (I only have her slow cooker books), I'm seldom thinking, "What kind of cuisine do I feel like?" but more, "I need to put something in the slow cooker for dinner tonight..." and go from there.

Honestly, though, books shift around depending on what's going on in my life. Italian Two Easy is usually with my UK books, but sometimes with my "quick" books or my "Italian" books.

Sometimes, in summer, I'll pull out a bunch of "summery" type books out of their normal places and put them in a summery section. So, Raichlen's Beer Can Chicken book moves from "single subject," Flay's "Grilling for Life" from "Weight loss", Nigella Summer from UK, and so on. Italian Two Easy often gets pinched from its regular spot to the summer shelf.

And don't even get me started about the perpetual, rotating collection of books that live under my couch and under my bed... Or on the nightstand or the little table behind the sofa.

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

I have a small book section as well!

[playingwithfood]

AD HOC AT HOME. I've made the chicken pot pie and cornish hens from this book and both were outstanding, so I would love a push to do more!

BTW, I'm a long-time lurker on chowhound but a first-time poster. Hope I have replied correctly...

[Gio]

You have indeed replied correctly. Welcome!

[geekmom]

Welcome! I jumped in and started contributing in October after being a long-time lurker too. It's been so fun.

Also, that chicken pot pie caught my eye and now I'm thinking I really need to make it. Thanks!

[The Dairy Queen]

Welcome!

~TDQ

[ItalianNana]

I'm a novice too.

WELCOME!

[Gio]

PLENTY/FOOD FROM PLENTY, DIANA HENRY

In due course I'd like to see the Charles Phan Vietnamese Home Cooking book and Burma have a month each this year. Although I do read the Smitten Kitchen blog I've not been motivated to actually cook anything...yet.

We've cooked several recipes from Diane Henry's Plenty and each was well liked, so there ya go.

[Westminstress]

Which ones have you liked, Gio?

[Breadcrumbs]

Gio, I had a look through the recipe list for Plenty in EYB as I don't have the book. The recipes somehow reminded me of Nigel Slaters....would you say that's the case?

[Gio]

@ Westministress:
OK... here are the recipes we've made so far from DH's "Plenty":
Page 40 Roast Pork Loin, Porchetta Style, 10/30/10 (My note here says it was overcooked but tasty)
Page 77 Mediterranean Potato, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Gratin, Savoyard Variation, 10/30/10
Page 65 Spanish Tomato and Bread Salad, 5/30/12 & 6/30/12
Page 88 Fried Kale and Turnips, 7/15.12

Here's a bit of Diana Henry's bio and 103 of her recipes:
http://uktv.co.uk/food/chef/aid/586455

She writes a column for The Telegraph UK but sometimes it's behind a payment wall:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddri...

@ Breadcrumbs:
I don't get a sense that Henry is similar to Slater but do feel they both have an "English" (she's Irish) sensibility to the food they cook. Both are interested in local/sustainable/seasonal produce and that's reflected in their recipes. DH's recipes are a bit more complicated, if you will, whereas NS's recipes are pared down to the bare minimum. IMO...

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks Gio, that's helpful. Nothing seems to be grabbing me yet for some reason. Coming off a month with a focus on ethnic cuisine I'm leaning towards a book w a diversity of dishes. The arrival of spring makes me crave bright dishes and that's likely why my mind wandered in Donna Hay's direction since she uses lots of citrus, fresh herbs and veggies in her recipes. That said, being an Aussie, I don't think she has as broad a fan base here as the British and American authors do so I realize I may be cooking on my own from her books!!

[blue room]

That picture with her bio -- looks like she's Nigella's big sister!

Thanks for posting this info, Gio.

[pikawicca]

Couldn't find the poster looking for a "bready" fried chicken recipe, but this should make you happy.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[Breadcrumbs]

Ok, I did a little tour of my cookbook shelves and here are the books that caught my interest for an April COTM:

Sarah Moulton's books: We don't see SM on the FN Canada anymore but I loved her and have 3 of her books. I'd be excited to cook more from them.

Donna Hay: Probably my favourite cookbook author. I have all her books and would cook from any. A couple of suggestions would be pairing Fresh Food Fast w Off The Shelf (a book focussed on fresh ingredients w one that makes use of pantry ingredients and, refrigerator staples) or, pairing Modern Classics 1 & 2 (a cooking book and a baking book)

River Cottage Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstal

Jill Dupleix: Simple Food (or any really, I have a few)

John Besh Month: his New Orleans book paired w his Family Table book

Bill Granger: any - very similar to Donna Hay

Giada De Laurentiis - any of her books. I've made many of her recipes and we've always enjoyed them

I'm not nominating yet, just tossing these out to see if there's any interest.

[LulusMom]

I've been absolutely thrilled with pretty much everything I've made from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2. So I asked for Modern Classics 1 for Christmas. I have to say, it hasn't drawn me in that much, but I'd be happy to have an excuse to prove myself wrong about how interesting it is. Also got Jill Dupliex's Simple Food and would have some interest in using that.

[LulusMom]

Also just to say I've never been an especially big Giada fan, although I've never tried any of her recipes so who knows, but Lulu had a big crush on her last summer and sent her a postcard from the UK when we were on vacation. She asked if Giada would be her penpal (along with some other Lulu type stuff) and about 2 months later Lulu got a postcard back from Giada. I was massively impressed with that, and total props to Giada for being so nice to a 6 year old. I now think she's a total star.

[Breadcrumbs]

How sweet LlM and how nice of Giada to respond. I don't think we got as much of Giada here in Canada as folks did in the US but I always enjoyed her shows and I do love her recipes.

[limoen]

I was actually thinking the Veg Everyday cookbook would be nice for April/May/June - lots of fresh ideas to use what's in season in the summer. I'm glad someone else floated it, but I've already made a few nominations so will hold back.

[L.Nightshade]

I'm going to throw out Marcus Samuelsson's SOUL OF A NEW CUISINE. I've made a couple things from this book, which were outstanding. I'd love to go deeper into it. It's reasonably priced new, available used, and probably in many libraries.

[herby]

I'll second SOUL OF A NEW CUISINE. Have it and interested to cook from it but have not made anything yet. I do not think that an African book was ever a COTM - would be nice to expand our culinary horizon to a whole new continent :)

[Allegra_K]

SOUL OF A NEW CUISINE perhaps coupled with another African cookbook, like Jessica Harris' The Africa Cookbook or Yolole! Recipes from the heart of Senegal (Pierre Thiam)?

[LulusMom]

I have SOUL OF A NEW CUISINE and haven't used it yet. I'd love an excuse. But I must say, I think my cooking opportunities in April will be limited. Still, I'd be game for whatever time i do have.

[MelMM]

Oh, I love the direction this thread is going.... so many good suggestions, I want to nominate them all!

I would go for SOUL OF A NEW CUISINE, with a adjunct thread for other African cookbooks (there really aren't that many out there, it's a very neglected continent).

[honeybea]

SOUL OF A NEW CUISINE.

[Goblin]

I'm going to nominate THE SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK also. I've loved many of the ethnic cookbooks we've cooked from--"Jerusalem" is just the latest one I really got into--but it would be fun to work from Deb Perlman's delicious recipes that come out from a New York City tiny kitchen. Unabashedly perfectionistic as they are. I've made several from her blog and cookbook, and they are really good.

[Westminstress]

I'm interested in smitten kitchen but I placed it on hold at the library a few weeks ago, and it will be months before my turn comes up! I'd really like to try this one before buying so I'd love it if we could hold off a few months on this one.

[shaebones]

You can probably order a used copy on Amazon for a small amt if SK wins.

[qianning]

Some of us really prefer to use library copies; and lately there have been a lot of very new books (published less than months previously) which are difficult to get in timely way through the library.

[The Dairy Queen]

My library has 3 copies, all checked out

~TDQ

[shaebones]

I hear ya. I get them through my local library myself. Fortunately my library is part of a wider network of libraries so the books come from many sources and I have no trouble getting the books, even the newest ones.

[qianning]

My library system/network is pretty amazing about getting books, but the one area where this gets tough is stuff on the "new" books shelf. Lots of libraries outside of our immediate network just won't ship them, even if they are sitting in-house. And I wouldn't even mention this, except both "Jerusalem" and "EGOR" fall into this category, so to go that route again in April is fine if that's what the group wants, but might be a bit of high concentration of new books in a short period. I don't know it is hard to balance what's "hot" against what's "available".

[Westminstress]

I agree with this. Plus EGOR and Jerusalem were special in that most COTM participants already owned or planned to own them, and the authors are some of the universal favorites around here. I'm not sure Smitten Kitchen falls into that category, though I could be wrong!

[greeneggsnham]

You make a good point. Smitten Kitchen probably doesn't fall into that category. I got the book as a present and probably wouldn't have bought it for myself otherwise. I have used it much more than I expected, but I think part of that is that there are some recipes that fill niches that most of my other cookbooks don't address.

I was thinking that by adding the Blog, that would allow people who didn't want to buy the book a way to participate. The recipes aren't the same, but the voice certainly is.

[Goblin]

Greeneggsnham's addition of the Smitten Kitchen blog to the book's nomination adds to its appeal as a COTM, imho. There will be many, many more recipes to try that way, and the photos and Deb Perlman's text add a lot, too.

If I may, dear moderator, I'd like to add SMITTEN KITCHEN BLOG to my original nomination of the book itself. Not capitalizing the book this time since I already did in an earlier post! If that makes any sense! ;-)

[greedygirl]

No problem.

[LulusMom]

I agree with qianning. There was a reason we used to try to keep it to books that had been around a while. Two new books in a row is asking a lot of those who either don't have the space or the money (or both) to buy new books each month.

[geekmom]

I remember when I first joined in a nomination thread last fall I nominated a few brand new books that had just come out weeks earlier, and there were several people who gently told me that COTMs are generally preferred to be older books so that more people can get them from the library or buy cheaper used copies. And now here we just a few months later with Every Grain of Rice, a COTM that is so new my library hasn't even ordered it. The neighbouring city has 3 copies with 31 holds. So I opted not to participate this time around and for now I will continue not to participate if a book is chosen that I can't get from the library as my family is tightening the purse strings this year so that we can go to Britain.

[gingershelley]

With you, geekmom - I need to get books from the library for now, and if I really warm to it as a COTM, I would love a used copy to be an option for me if I want to purchase.

Same reason as yours for no 'every grain of rice' participation this month too......

[herby]

And I have EGOR since I got caught in the excitement and bought it as soon as it came out in Canada but not inspired to cook from it which is very-very sad :(( It is nice and relatively approachable and I keep looking throught but always turn to some other book to cook from. So sad....

[Allegra_K]

Used copies for newly released books are often more expensive than buying new, from what I've noticed. Smitten kitchen is definitely one of those that many people would have a tough time acquiring through the libraries, since it's a such a popular blog among the non-hardcore food people as well. I'd be waiting months for a copy to open up, and I already know it's not a book I would buy (I've made that mistake too many times in the past).
I worry about blogs-cum-cookbooks...the last time we did one of those books it wasn't exactly a resounding success around here.

[geekmom]

Yup - amazon.ca is selling SK for $21.95 and the cheapest used copy is over $27! How does that work, exactly?!

[greeneggsnham]

I have Smitten Kitchen and have cooked a number of things from it. Interestingly, none of those has been dinner! I think her granola recipe (slightly modified) is killer and my husband loves the breakfast date bars. I really like that she has a chapter on vegetarian entrees, which I keep meaning to explore more. But somehow her entrees (both veggie and non-vegetarian) just haven't really inspired me to start making them NOW.

Would be curious to hear others' experience with her book. I do think it would be fun to do a COTM from her book including her blog too. So, I'll go ahead and nominate SMITTEN KITCHEN BOOK AND BLOG.

[Musie]

SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK AND BLOG for me too.

BURMA is another one that I'm itching to try out too.

[geekmom]

greeneggsnham - THANK you for flagging that granola recipe for us. I had to leave out the wheat germ, but otherwise had everything on hand & what do you know, we ran out of cereal this morning. Finally, I'm actually cooking from this book! Next up - date bars!

[greeneggsnham]

Oh good, geekmom! I hope you enjoy the granola as much as we do! I actually use hazelnuts instead of walnuts as my son is allergic to walnuts, but I think the addition of the egg white really improves the clumpability (I love big clumps!) and I find the sweetness and salt level is just right!

Date bars have wheat germ as well but I'm sure you could just leave it out.

[italianyc84]

another for SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK AND BLOG.

[Paprikaboy]

EUROPEAN PEASANT COOKERY- Elisabeth Luard

[MelMM]

Ooh, good one!

[relizabeth]

Have you ever read Elisabeth Luard's sublime and trashy bodice ripper, Emerald?

I;m also quite fond of her Portuguese cook book. We went through a fruitful broa period thanks to her.

[MelMM]

No, I have only read her cookbooks. I knew she had written and autobiography, but didn't know she had written any novels.

[qianning]

now that's an interesting idea, I've always wanted to cook from one of her books.......but looking into it a little, not a single copy of any of her books in NH libraries, and prices on Amazon are pretty steep.

[pavlova]

I haven't got that one, but I love The Old World Kitchen, both for reading and cooking.

[ItalianNana]

Oh, oh yes!

EUROPEAN PEASANT COOKERY

"25 countries, The recipes come from twenty-five countries, ranging from Ireland in the west to Roumania in the east, Iceland in the north to Turkey in the south..."

The Amazon comments sound amazing! Great food, great writing and great photos.

[jpr54_1]

Has a decision been made on CAPS?

I still like the CAPS option

[Breadcrumbs]

I suggested using the "RECOMMEND" feature for the COTM Voting thread, a thread where there is typically very limited to no discussion.

Here, on the COTM Nomination thread it wouldn't make much sense IMHO since there's (rightly) lots of discussion and it would be hard to sort through all the discussion to find the various books being suggested so you could add your recommend.

[jpr54_1]

ROOTS by Diane Morgan

ROAST FIGS SUGAR SNOW by Diana Henry

THE JOY OF PICKLING by Linda Ziedrich

[Allegra_K]

I'd like to go for GRAN COCINA LATINA again....

or maybe AUTHENTIC MEXICAN by Rick Bayless, perhaps coupled with another of his books?

or THAI FOOD, Thompson....I guess I'm stuck on these books.

[Njchicaa]

I could totally go for AUTHENTIC MEXICAN!

[BigSal]

I'd love to cook from AUTHENTIC MEXICAN and any other Rick Bayless books.

On the other hand, the recipes from PLENTY/FOOD FROM PLENTY, DIANE HENRY look great and seem feasible on a work night.

[The Dairy Queen]

Totally random, but I was just looking at this thread http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3246... from Sept 2006 where redwood2bay first proposed the "cooking together" concept. What I think is amazing is how quickly people signed onto this idea, which was hatched almost fully-formed, and how true we've adhered to the original concept over the years, even though we've refined some of the mechanics over time. Also, golly, remember when there was not a separate board for Home Cooking? When all of this discussion took place in General Topics? Wow.

~TDQ

[L.Nightshade]

Wow, thanks for linking to that thread, I had no idea how this got started. I love seeing the names that have been around a long time!

[The Dairy Queen]

Funny, LN, that's exactly what I did. Scanned the names of the posters in that thread. I'm so in awe of those who had the smarts to jump in right from the very beginning, and I'm a little nostalgic from looking at the names of people who don't post much anymore, including redwood2bay herself. I don't even really remember when I became aware of COTM, but it was only a month or two in. I could have been in on the ground floor but that was a) before I had a cookbook addiction and b) before I knew that COTM'ers would welcome people like me who were really uncomfortable in the kitchen.

~TDQ

[blue room]

I found an old post of my own (2006) asking if the COTM process was as simple as it looked.
I've wondered about redwood2bay too!

[The Dairy Queen]

And how would you answer your own question today? Simple or no?

redwood2bay did come back and post in a few threads in late 2010 and seemed pretty amazed we were still going.

~TDQ

[blue room]

Nuthin' to it!

[shaebones]

So much chatter. No nominations. I'll nominate SMITTTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK

[L.Nightshade]

So funny! I love the chatter. Of course, at this point, the COTM chatter is responsible for a good portion of my cookbook collection.

[Breadcrumbs]

Does anyone know of an International-themed cookbook.

I haven't looked at my shelves yet but I was looking at Jamie Oliver's Food Escapes earlier (it's not out in the US yet) and I loved the idea that it covered a variety of countries so there was an incredible variety of dishes to choose from. For folks in the UK, it looks like this book is a compilation of Jamie's "Jamie Does..." series.

[blue room]

How about something like "The Cheesemonger's Kitchen" -- that would have to cover a few countries, wouldn't it? Hmm .. maybe only Italy France England ?
But ... it's cheese!

[blue room]

Brazilian Chinese French Greek Indian Italian Jewish Russian Spanish Tex-Mex Vietnamese

These are all entries in the Smitten Kitchen recipe index -- (for the blog, though, not the book!) I have not seen the book, but I assume it is the best of her blog.

[Caitlin McGrath]

My understanding is that the book is almost all different than what's on the blog, given that the vast majority of what's on the blog is not her original recipes. The recipe index on Eat Your Books: http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/1...

[blue room]

Thanks, Caitlin McGrath. The recipes on Eat Your Books do not inspire me as much as the (celebrating other cooks) blog recipes.

[geekmom]

Most of the stuff in the book is not from the blog. Although it's a lovely-looking book and stuffed with bookmarks, I have yet to cook from it & would welcome a chance to do that as a COTM. I think it's just unfortunate for Smitten Kitchen that it came out so close to Jerusalem and I became so utterly absorbed in the latter.

[blue room]

I was also looking at "Off the Menu" Staff meals from top restaurants
http://www.amazon.com/Off-Menu-Staff-...

but I wonder if this is just a gimmick?

[L.Nightshade]

Do you think Mighty Spice fits in that category? I don't have it, but looking at the recipes, it seems like it hits a lot of international cuisines. It seems to have dropped off the radar, but there was a lot of enthusiasm from the people who were cooking from it.

[Sfspicegirl]

Any thoughts on Charles Phan's (slanted door) Vietnamese home cooking-- I recieved as a gift and am trying to get started on this one--

[The Dairy Queen]

Totally intrigued by Phan's book and it has been a long time since Vietnamese month for us COTM'ers. (Fall of 2008 I think?) I'm ready to break out the fish sauce again!

~TDQ

[greeneggsnham]

I recently got Vietnamese Home Cooking and have just started delving into it. A lot of recipes on my "to make" list. Have pork chops marinating tonight for Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade tomorrow and I plan to make the grilled eggplant and leek salad tomorrow too. I'll report back how it goes.

I think this book has great potential for a COTM ,although it is still pretty new, isn't it?

[greeneggsnham]

Update on the Grilled Pork Chops with Lemongrass. WOW, they were killer. What a great way for us to start our grilling season this year. I served with a highly adapted grilled eggplant and leek salad from the book. Also very good although overshadowed by the chops.

A couple of notes though:

1. This book is not afraid of sugar. 3/4 c sugar in the marinade for 3 chops is you follow the recipe exactly. I used 3/4 cup for 4 big chops, but I still felt like I was making candy. However the sugar chops (as we took to calling them) had a wonderful caramelized flavor that really was special. And most of the sugar was left behind in the bag when we grilled them.

2. The eggplant and leek salad was highly adapted because the original recipe requires a sub recipe for spicy soy sauce which then requires a sub recipe for chili paste. I find the sub recipe within a sub recipe a bit much.

[delys77]

This may be overkill, but does anyone know if Mastering the Art of French Cooking has ever been considered.

[Caitlin McGrath]

There was an all-Julia Child month, so that included Mastering the Art of French Cooking: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/446374

[geekmom]

Wish I had been around for that Julia Child month. I love Mastering the Art of French Cooking!

[blue room]

I don't know what possessed me, but I made an "Orange Bavarian Cream" from that book -- wow that seems like an odd choice, and a long time ago!

No reason you can't cook from that book now of course, and add to the threads.

[delys77]

I do as well. My only challenge is that I don't cook from either Volume 1 or 2 very often because I find the prep not very weeknight friendly.

[blue room]

delys77, you can see them *all* here:

http://www.chow.com/cookbook_of_the_m...

[delys77]

Thanks Blue Room, when I looked I must have missed this.

[Westminstress]

I know a few months ago a Diana Henry book, Plenty/Food from Plenty, made it to the final round of voting. Any interest in revisiting Diana Henry?

[Gio]

Me! It's on the list I want to look at today if I ever drag myself away from the computer. That and "The New English Kitchen" by Rose Prince, and "Food i Love" by Neil Perry. Bye now...

[limoen]

I nominated it so yes, I would be interested. It's a lovely book with some robust recipes. In fact I cooked from it last night...

[MelMM]

Me too! I would love to explore Plenty or her other books.

[geekmom]

Yes! Me! I would be delighted to do this revisit. I now have her preserving book (Salt Sugar Smoke) in addition to Plenty/Food from Plenty which sadly I have yet to cook from.

[limoen]

What is Salt Sugar Smoke like? Does it have recipes for anything other than preserved foods?

[geekmom]

It's luscious - the recipes take home preserving to a whole new level compared to the standard canning guide I have. A large number of the recipes have a "how to use" note that suggests what kinds of foods they would go well with, but it's definitely a preserving-focused book. Everything from jam, to pickles, to chutneys, cordials, cured meats and fish. So far I've only made one recipe - a marmalade, which I reviewed in one of the recent "what cookbooks are you lusting after" discussions, and the result has been a highlight of my breakfasts for the past couple of weeks. Next up is a blood orange curd.

[gingershelley]

I would LOVE to see this as a COTM, but probably later in the year, as in, in full 'preserving kitchen' months like August or September:).
I taught canning locally here at PCC Foodworks' for several years, and the winter canning season is pretty limited for many folks to Citrus and root pickles, etc. from what my students shared with me in their questionaires.

There seemed to be much more interest in canning/putting up food in the late summer.

I would WELCOME such a COTM during a month like this; what fun to preserve foods with all the CH'ers!

[greedygirl]

I love Diana Henry. Have made several things from her book focussing on winter cooking, whose name I forget, and they've all been terrific. The Simple Cooking one is also good. I haven't delved much into Food from Plenty yet.

[MelMM]

Yes, I have all of those. I also can't remember the name of the winter one, and I'm on the road right now so I can't check, but what little I have made from the winter one, Simple Cooking, and Plenty has been solid stuff. Oh, Roast Figs & Sugar Snow... wasn't that the name we are forgetting?

[ItalianNana]

I'd be interested in anything with Simple in the title. It took me years to realize that in cooking "complicated" does not mean good.

Update: re: Simple Cooking...this book is currently unavailable on Amazon.

[geekmom]

Hear, hear!

[The Dairy Queen]

Yep, I'm especially interested in her winter cookbook, Roast Figs Sugar Snow, though sadly April would be too late for that book in particular, even here in MN, land of 10,000 lakes, but also of the long, dark winter. April is usually ice-out! (Thank goodness!)

I think it's going to be a wet, puddly spring. I don't know if she has any books that capture the puddly spring spirit, but bring it on. I'm sick of winter.

~TDQ

[Westminstress]

In that case I will nominate PLENTY by Diana Henry. An adjunct thread would work nicely for her other books.

[MelMM]

And I will second PLENTY with an adjunct thread.

[limoen]

I will third (as a second nomination of mine, if that's possible) FOOD FROM PLENTY/PLENTY by Diana Henry

[greedygirl]

Count me in for a DIANA HENRY/PLENTY month.

[L.Nightshade]

I wonder if others would be interested at some point, in a Cindy Pawlcyn month. I would love to dive into the two I have, Mustards and Fog City, and someone was recently talking about Big Small Plates. She also has a newer book titled "Cindy's Supper Club: Meals from Around the World to Share with Family and Friends."
No caps yet, just musings...

[The Dairy Queen]

I would. I know serious 'hounds might laugh at me, but I used to really love Fog City Diner, even long after it had become a cliched tourist trap. And LN, I have really been intrigued by your occasional posts about Big Small Plates.

Huh, funny, I just looked at Pawlcyn's entry in wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Pa...
I did not know she was originally from Minnesota! Nor did I know that she used to work at MacArthur Park, which was another fav of mine, back in the day. OK, now I have to look it up, see if it's even still open... Hmmm, I think it is not, but I can't tell exactly when it closed. Mustards is also lovely.

~TDQ

[L.Nightshade]

Well I certainly wouldn't laugh! I always thought Fog City was a fun place. And I've had some spectacular food at Mustards.

[gingershelley]

You are a complicated woman, LN:), with that nomination for street food, and then further musings on ideas for the category

I sure like the category, and hope it ends up a final option!

[Gio]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a specific "street food" cookbook?

[qianning]

....."Malaysian Hawker Favourites"; "Thai Street Food"; "Chinese Snacks, revised"; and pushing the boundary a little "izakaya- The Japanese Pub Cookbook"......my regional biases, not to mention love of a narrowly focused books, glowing through as usual.... :)

[L.Nightshade]

Izakaya, what a fun idea that would be! I was just bemoaning the fact that we have to travel a ways to find izakaya; it would be wonderful to do it at home.

[geekmom]

LN, we have some truly great izakayas in Vancouver! If you're ever in town try one of the Guu restaurants.

[L.Nightshade]

Oh we always do when we're up there, we just haven't been able to get there much lately!

[blue room]

Well this was my laugh for the day -- i had no idea what "izakaya" meant, so I looked it up.

"Restaurants serving various kind of food and where people usually go to drink alcohol.."

No nuance in that! Must be more to izakaya, though...

[herby]

I do not know what izakaya is either but from your description sounds like gastropub.

[geekmom]

It's a sort of Japanese tapas concept - lots of inventive little dishes in small, sharable portions to be eaten alongside sake or beer (although we usually skip the alcohol & just focus on the food!)

[blue room]

Mostly sushi, or not sushi?

[pikawicca]

Not sushi.

[geekmom]

Not sushi. The last time I ate at an izakaya, we got tuna tataki (lightly seared tuna), battered cauliflower with a mayo sauce, a sort of Japanese-style scotch egg, miso black cod, and miso stewed pork belly with a really incredible dark miso sauce served with a poached egg.

[buttertart]

Is the Chinese Snacks, revised the Wei-Chuan one?

[qianning]

yes.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, silly me, for some reason I assumed we were talking specifically about Feniger's Street Food... Serious Eats did a cook the book: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/08/co...

~TDQ

[DiningDiva]

I purchased Sue Feniger's book STREET FOOD late last year. While I haven't cooked from it yet, I like what I see. It hits all the primary global areas where street food is a well ingrained tradition.

There is lots of Asian, a slightly smaller number of Latin dishes, things from the Indian subcontinent, and a smattering of European and African options.

(and yes, GG, since I capitalized the book, you can count it as a nomination)

[L.Nightshade]

I have several street food books, Feniger's seems quite comprehensive and varied. I'd love to cook from it for a month!

STREET FOOD, by Susan Feniger

[ItalianNana]

Liking the idea of "street food" and Ad Hoc.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'd love to cook from either of these books, though I'd prefer the latter because I actually own it... I think both of these books are eventually going to have their day with COTM...

~TDQ

[Breadcrumbs]

Just a thought but this new "RECOMMEND" feature could make for much simpler COTM voting.

The co-ordinator could post the thread w 1 reply for each of the books in the running then we could just click on "RECOMMEND" to cast our vote for whichever book we wish. This would provide immediate tallies too.

[greedygirl]

Great idea - it would mean people couldn't change their mind though!

[Breadcrumbs]

Actually, they could. According to the Site Talk thread, you can remove your recommend at any time. So, if someone changed their mind it would be up to them to remove their vote from one post and place it on the other one.

[Gio]

COTM being dragged (¿kicking & screaming?) into technological progress...

[L.Nightshade]

The problem I see there, is that its SO much easier to tally votes on a busy thread if you chalk them up as they come in. As we do it now, a person has to make a post that they are changing their mind. So you just erase that tick and put it in the right place. If people can remove a recommendation and add another one, the coordinator would have to wait until voting was complete to make sure no one had changed votes.

On the other hand, if it made tallying a lot easier, it wouldn't matter if all the votes had to be counted at the end.

[Breadcrumbs]

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying LN. This way the tally is automatic. If everyone decided to change their vote, even at the last minute, you'd always have an immediate, current and automated tally without having to count anything. If I understand how this feature works, it updates immediately as each selection comes in.

[L.Nightshade]

Oh, I see! I didn't realize it would show a count.
It's really a "like" button some of us may be familiar with from a certain other website.

[Breadcrumbs]

I didn't see that at first either LN. It might simplify things.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, that's a very good idea. What the coordinator could do for the voting thread is Name the 2 or 3 or 4 "finalists" in her OP, then reply to herself 2 or 3 or 4 times with just one title per post.

For example, the finalists for March were egor, burma, and ad hoc at home. (remember that far back??? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/890667)

So, GG could have just posted her same OP announcing those three finalists then replied to herself three times. Those 3 replies could each look something like this:

reply 1. vote for e.g.o.r. here by clicking recommend by 5pm Tuesday
reply 2. vote for burma here by clicking recommend by 5pm Tuesday
reply 3. for for ad hoc at home by clicking recommend by 5pm Tuesday

Then we could each jump in and recommend one of three replies. We could even change our minds repeatedly by un-recommending one, then recommending another!

The only thing is, gg would have to set a deadline for voting (as she already does, of course) and then look at the total "recommends" for each of the three posts. The only thing is, if she set a deadline for noon on Tuesday, then looked at the tally at 5pm on Tuesday and announced the winner, there's no way to stop people from continuing add or subtract "recommends" after that point. So if we wanted a voting record for posterity, there would be no way to do that.

She could, I suppose, look at the list of names who clicked recommend for each of the three nominees , scribble down those names and post them. Or maybe that's too much work, instead of listing all of the people who voted for each she could just announce the tally for each of the nominees, along the lines of:

And the winner is e.g.or!

e.g.o.r. 15 recommends as of right now, 5:05pm tuesday
ad hoc: 12 recommends
burma: 12 recommends

It might be worthwhile for her to type up the list of names, though, as she's going to have to scrutinize those lists at least carefully enough to make sure that everyone voted only once.

People could theoretically accidentally still change their votes after that, but at least would be a firm record of what the final tally was.

~TDQ

[blue room]

Remember that people might just ignore/not read the instructions (as we sometimes blithely do) and post "I vote for ALL CAPS COOKING".

[The Dairy Queen]

Of course that's very likely, but over time people will catch on. And if 95% of the people follow the new method, then 95% of the votes are easily tallied and the remaining clueless votes can just be tacked onto the tally...

~TDQ

[Breadcrumbs]

No need to write down names TDQ, the coordinator could just do a screen shot of the names if they were concerned.

Likely not necessary though as the coordinator usually leaves their note saying voting is over. Yes folks could change things afterwards but as long as the coordinator had the tally to report to us, it wouldn't matter.

[geekmom]

I really like this idea.

[MelMM]

Would we then be on the honor system that people are only voting once? Or is there some way to tell?

[Breadcrumbs]

You can tell Mel. If you scroll over the recommend, you'll see the names and icons of all who have recommended. I'll recommend your post so you see what I mean.

[MelMM]

Oh, cool. I hadn't really looked into this new feature. It would be really neat to be able to see the tally as voting progresses. I sometimes tally them up myself just to satisfy my curiosity.

[geekmom]

I agree. Sometimes I check in to the voting thread and do a ctrl-f search on a keyword in the book title, but that only gives a general idea since it can't distinguish between capitalized (actual votes) and lower case (discussion about the book).

[Breadcrumbs]

I do that too sometimes!! We're a funny bunch aren't we!! ; )

[herby]

If you "mouse over", you'll see who recommended - coordinator will be able to check and make sure that only one vote per person is registered. Honestly, I can't immagine why anyone would want to cheat :)

[gingershelley]

People can vote more than once. That is one of the quirky-fun things about COTM - you can 'Love" more than one selection, as far as I have understood....

[The Dairy Queen]

Typically voting more than once is discouraged in the voting threads. Nominating threads are a different story. Although, it always comes down to the discretion of the coordinator as to how many nominations and how many votes are permitted.

~TDQ

[blue room]

Usually the books with the most nominations will go up against each other for a final vote. In that vote, each person only gets to vote once.

[gingershelley]

Right - I thought you could nominate more than once (and people either respond to and discuss and agree or disagree with your nomination), but final voting is only once per person.

[greedygirl]

This coordinator agrees. Only one vote per person (vote early! but not often!).

[Frizzle]

I think it's a great idea Breadcrumbs.
I'm sitting April out as it's home shifting month but can't wait to cook and read along in May.

[gingershelley]

!!!!!!!!! Great idea to use technology to let our leader, and all of us voters see what is going on easily. Best use of the new "recommend' I have heard of yet on these threads.

What a smart idea, breadcrumbs!

[Breadcrumbs]

Thank-you gs! I love it when technology simplifies life.

[gingershelley]

Instead of complicating it, as it sometimes does:)

[juliejulez]

I'm not a cookbook guru so I don't have any specific title to suggest, but I would appreciate any cookbook that isn't ethnic cuisine, except maybe Mexican (although I think that lends itself more to warmer weather). That's mainly why I'm not participating in the current month's book, even though I enjoy reading the threads. I just don't have access to the right markets to get the ingredients. I like the Thomas Keller idea a lot.

[herby]

I had a quick look through my bookshelves and these two books called out my name: A YEAR IN MY KITCHEN by Skye Gyngell and STIR by Barbara Lynch. These are not new books and according to EYB over 200 people own each.

[Gio]

I was looking at A Year in My Kitchen too on EYB. When I get a chance I'll take it down from my shelf and have a closer look at the recipes. That could be a possible COTM for me.

[limoen]

I have Skye Gyngell's My Favourite Ingredients and How I Cook. I don't really wish to own A Year in My Kitchen, but I would love to cook from her other books. May I (humbly) suggest SKYE GYNGELL MONTH? She only has three books so it's manageable

[geekmom]

I've never heard of this author. Can you tell us a little more about her books?

[limoen]

She's Australian but she trained in France and has spent the past few years as the chef of Petersham Nurseries cafe (she has recently left) in Surrey. Her focus is on beautiful ingredients, clean flavours and simplicity that brings out the natural flavours of the food. And I just read that she used to be the food editor for Vogue...

[herby]

I only have her A Year in my Kitchen and it is small (regular size book) and well illustrated. It is divided into four seasons and has two "toolbox" chapters - one general and the second one devoted to desserts. Recipes are seasonal and heavy on produce. The book was named the Guilds of Food Writers Cookery Book of the Year and Best Food Book at Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards.

Hope this is helpful. I would love to explore the book together with other CHers :)

[geekmom]

Sounds nice! I like the emphasis on seasonality & I have a thing for acquiring cookbooks by Aussie chefs, so I'm definitely interested now.

[gingershelley]

Thanks for the critique and info Herby; good information

[emily]

I like the STIR recommendation.

[geekmom]

OK, I'll bite. (No pun intended). I cooked the buttermilk fried chicken recipe from Ad Hoc at Home last weekend and WOW. The crispy, ever so slightly spicy batter. The incredible moist lemony chicken! Our result was not 100% perfect but I was truly amazed that something that tasted like THAT came out of my kitchen.

I wonder how people would feel about a Thomas Keller month -- lots of folks have Bouchon Bakery, and, like me, may need a little nudge to start baking from it. So here is my vote for THOMAS KELLER month.

It'll be interesting to see where this discussion goes!

[Westminstress]

I wouldn't mind this. Ad Hoc At Home seems to be readily available in my library system, and I wouldn't mind dusting off my copy of Bouchon (the only one of his books I actually own).

[Gio]

Here's a link to about 21 on-online recipes from Ad Hoc At Home... (The grid pics link to recipes as well)... plus other TK recipes.

http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/thoma...

ETA: I don't have the book but apparently there is no Table of Contents however the author of the post has included one.

[blue room]

You have to click on the pictures individually to see the 21 recipes, I think, unless I'm missing something.
That recipe for the buttermilk fried chicken looks outstanding, (even though I'm not sure I want my fried chicken "lemony".)
A Thomas Keller month would include the French Laundry, Ad Hoc, and the bakery book? ( + the sous vide book if you've got the equipment !) I don't see how we could go wrong with a Thomas Keller month. However, I still want a tryout for (1) a street food book, (2) the Smitten Kitchen book, and (3) a Jewish food book. "The Mile End Cookbook" looks great-- http://www.amazon.com/dp/030795448X
I don't want to do Burma so soon after Chinese, scarce ingredients being my reason I think.
I'd also be quite happy to cook from an online site. Some are adamantly against this, but we might be missing a true treasure/bargain -- there is SO much out there.

[Gio]

BR, if you follow the list of recipes down after the grid of pictures the Table of Contents is listed along with some other on-line recipes...

[lilham]

I know I'm not supposed to buy more books. But somehow the Smitten Kitchen book ended up on my iPad. Along with Diana Henry's Cook Simple.

[geekmom]

Weird, that kind of thing happens to me ALL THE TIME. What's up with that? ;-)

[ItalianNana]

LOL

I have a glitch in my Amazon Kindle app that is constantly downloading cookbooks, chef bios and novels...that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Oh I love the idea of a "street food" selection.

[geekmom]

BR, that's a fair comment re: lemony fried chicken. It's kind of hard to describe well - the lemon flavour is there in the meat, but it doesn't overpower or dominate at all; you are definitely eating a very flavourful fried chicken. The lemon is in the brine along with plenty of other flavours which all sort of elevate the meat to something really special on its own (often I find the meat in fried chicken is basically just a batter delivery system rather than something delicious in its own right, if that makes sense.) But if you hate the flavour of lemon, you would likely want to leave that out of the brine!

[gingershelley]

I would really enjoy a fried chicken that IS more than a 'batter delivery system:)

[geekmom]

In that case, I hope you'll give TK's recipe a shot & let me know how it goes. :-)

[biondanonima]

I'll second THOMAS KELLER MONTH or AD HOC AT HOME, either one!

[greeneggsnham]

A Thomas Keller month is appealing, but also a little intimidating to me. For those who have Ad Hoc at Home, how involved are the recipes? Anything for the weeknight? or is everything a weekend project?

[geekmom]

While there are quite a few weekend project type of meals in here, I've just had a look through & there are a decent number of meals you could do on a weeknight. Some of the meat and fish dishes are quite fast; others rely on leftovers from a previous meal (like a beef stroganoff made from leftover braised ribs). You can also speed up some of the recipes - for instance, he suggests buying three different cuts of beef and grinding them yourself in the hamburger recipe (!) but you could just use pre-ground beef.

[greeneggsnham]

Thanks, geekmom! These days I find that sometimes even on weekends there is no time for a big cooking project. I like the idea of built in recipes for leftovers-- that's a big plus.

Grinding 3 different cuts of meat for hamburgers?!? Never gonna happen around here....

[LulusMom]

Laughing in agreement!

[pavlova]

I could go for that too! I had the Ad Hoc at Home book from the library a few years ago and remember some grits extravaganza that was absolutely delicious. I've just returned Bouchon Bakery to the library and am anxious to make the crepe cake. So, enough blathering...
AD HOC AT HOME
BOUCHON BAKERY

[Westminstress]

I will second THOMAS KELLER MONTH

[Breadcrumbs]

Living in a region where each season is distinctly different, I can honestly say that no change of season is met with greater anticipation than the passage of winter into spring. Thanks to another flurry-fest late yesterday, we have a dusting of snow on the ground and there are no signs of anything new and green in my gardens as yet.

While I won't be cooking with garden-fresh ingredients in April, I will be in the mood for lighter, brighter meals. I'll have to hit the bookshelf this weekend to see what inspires.

Thanks gg!! Yay spring!!

[Gio]

In like a lion out like a lamb is what we in the US say about March. "April showers bring May flowers..."

Where Does the time go? Wonder what new and exciting things we'll be cooking in April. That's why I'm replying to this thread...

[herby]

Same here - easy to loose a thread in the mass of discussions.

What are we going to cook in April? Hoping for something light and fresh.

[Breadcrumbs]

Well, now you and gg have me craving lamb Gio!! ; )

[Gio]

Well, as I type we are in the middle of probably the worst snow storm of the season. Rain, sleet, and heavy, heavy snow. About 8 inches of the stuff has fallen since yesterday afternoon on top of about 4 inches of old snow. And it's still going strong. All my shrubs are Splat on the ground. So, yes, I too am awaiting Spring and warmer weather even if it does rain.

Lamb is our usual Easter meal and I personally Love it. But April does have it's seasonal vegetables too... Pea shoots and fava greens, sorrel, some lettuces, fiddlehead ferns, sweet onions, watercress... and beans, chicory and chives, early strawberries and late season leeks. To name just a few...

[LulusMom]

dipping my toe in too.

[greedygirl]

Maybe you're right Gio and I'm confusing the two months! Definitely no sign of Spring here either - freezing temperatures and possibly snow forecast for the weekend. Snow definitely not unheard of in April either!

April is also traditionally when we get "the hungry gap". Winter produce finished, and Spring produce yet to appear.

[LulusMom]

It is pretty chilly here, but the daffodils are popping their heads out to say hello.