Publishers Weekly looked into their crystal ball and predicted that these 98(!) Macmillan adult books will stand out in the first half of 2017: Art, Architecture & Photography (full list) THE SAGRADA FAMILIA: The Astonishing Story of Gaudí’s Unfinished Masterpiece by Gijs van Hensbergen Out: July 25 This book chronicles the story of architect Antoni Know More » […]
Tag: cooking
Whatcha Cookin’?
From appetizers to dessert, these four new cookbooks have you covered every course of every meal: THE ENCHILADA QUEEN COOKBOOK: Enchiladas, Fajitas, Tamales, and More Classic Recipes from Texas-Mexico Border Kitchens by Sylvia Casares Simple, flavor-changing tricks and 80 recipes for enchiladas, fajitas, and classic side dishes for the home cook by Sylvia Casares, founder Know More » […]
What’s Cookin’?
From cooking to cocktails, these five books will help revamp your usual dinner table fare: THUG KITCHEN 101: Fast as F*ck by Thug Kitchen For all those people out there wondering whether this crazy vegan sh*t is going to ever go away, wonder no more—it’s here to stay. Your foul-mouthed friends at Thug Kitchen show Know More » […]
The Very NSFW Coloring Book You Need
It was inevitable: the adult coloring book trend has taken a profanity-laden turn. Enter CHILL THE F*CK OUT by Hannah Caner (on sale April 12, 2016). Do you or one of your patrons need to Chill the F*ck Out? Look no further than this hilarious collection of more than 30 of the finest swear words Know More » […]
PW Fall 2015 Announcements
It’s still summer, but Publishers Weekly is looking ahead to Fall 2015. They recently selected their best of the best in a whopping 16 different categories and we’ve gathered all 90(!!!) Macmillan standouts into a handy Edelweiss collection and listed them here for you: Art, Architecture & Photography: People and Places HUMANS OF NEW YORK: Know More » […]
Cooking (Healthy Sh*t) With Attitude
Need a cookbook that’s as sassy as your mouth? Then check out the #1 New York Times bestseller THUG KITCHEN: Eat Like You Give A F*ck (Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous, week of 10/26/14). Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow (“This might be my favorite thing ever”) and named Saveur’s Best New Food blog of 2013—with half a Know More » […]
Cooking & Crafting 2013 – Pie Pops
Looking for something fun to bring to your next holiday potluck gathering? How about pie pops?
They're easy to make thanks to pre-made pie crusts and will get you tons of compliments, both for flavor and presentation–seriously, they're adorable. Andrea Smetona's EASY AS PIE POPS has tons of recipes perfect for the season, including Peppermint Pudding, Mint Fudge, and Pumpkin Cheesecake, not to mention brunch-inspired savory pops such as Breakfast Casserole and Hot Ham & Cheese.
Anne whipped up a batch of Honeyed Fig pie pops to bring to a white elephant party last weekend and they were a huge hit. Read on for the how-to and don't forget that this Sunday, December 15 is the last day to enter to win a copy of EASY AS PIE POPS and other cooking and crafting books (details after the break).
INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe Homemade Pie Pop Crust (p. 13 in the book) or 4 unbaked store-bought or homemade 9" diameter pie crusts
For filling:
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened (Anne used Neufchatel)
1/2 cup whipping cream (Anne substituted Half and Half)
1 large egg, plus the white of another for basting
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
5 cups brown or black figs, chopped small
Olive oil, for garnish
Fresh rosemary, for garnish
Other tools needed:
Basting brush (silicone is recommended)
Cookie sticks
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a large baking sheet, or line with parchment paper (Anne's note: wax paper and parchment paper are not the same! Wax paper will melt, so make sure you're using the correct one).
Prepare the filling by mixing together the cream cheese, cream, egg, brown sugar, flour, salt and honey. Toss in the chopped figs and stir. Pour into a 9" diameter pie dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before using in pie pops.
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Lay out the 12 bottom crusts on the prepared baking sheet. Using a basting brush, coat each bottom crust with egg white. Press the cookie stick firmly into the center of each bottom crust.
Dollop a 1-1/2 inch bit of the cooled fig mixture in the center of each bottom crust. Place a top crust over the filling and press firmly around the sides to seal the pie pop, making sure to start by firmly crimping the edges around the cookie stick to ensure it stays in place.
After all the pops are sealed and pressed, brush olive oil on each top crust and sprinkle with fresh rosemary.
Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is nice and golden. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Try your best not to eat all the pie pops before you get to the party/brunch/potluck (Anne highly recommends eating one or two for quality control purposes).
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Cooking & Crafting 2013 – WRAPAGAMI
Who's going shopping this weekend? We are, too. If you don't have a good hiding spot for your gifts, why not wrap them right away? Better yet, wrap them creatively without paper or tape! In WRAPAGAMI, Jennifer Playford shows you how to wrap boxes, bottles and even odd-shaped items like dishes and cookie tins (Anne's excited about that one). It's eco-friendly and depending on the fabric you use, can serve as two gifts in one (ex: a scarf wrapped around a jewelry box).
Today, Anne's going to demonstrate a wrap that most of us should find very useful: the Single Book Wrap. She didn't have extra fabric lying around the house but found that a dish towel worked perfectly well for this example (Gift idea: kitchen gadgets wrapped in a dish towel! See how easy that two-in-one idea is?).
Read on for the step-by-step instructions and don't forget that you can enter for a chance to win WRAPAGAMI and other crafting and cookbooks!
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Cooking & Crafting 2013 – Hanukkah Eats
While many people are preparing for Thanksgiving this week, others are ready to celebrate Hanukkah, which starts this Wednesday. To celebrate, Anne made Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Latkes and Cider-Glazed Root Vegetables from THE NEW JEWISH TABLE by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray to share with all of you.
Enjoy! And don't forget that you can enter to win a copy of THE NEW JEWISH TABLE and other cooking and crafting books (see details after the recipes).
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Cooking & Crafting 2013 – MONSTER KNITS!
Calling all crafty librarians! You know who you are. This one's for experienced knitters who want to make adorable winter wear for their little ones. We are in looove with MONSTER KNITS FOR LITTLE MONSTERS by Nuriya Khegay--just look at the precious little Yoda-like guy on the cover!
Unfortunately, Anne doesn't know how to knit, so she can't demonstrate this one for you. (She's more of a counted cross-stitch kind of gal.) But if you do, you'll find a treasure trove of goodies here: an adorable monster hat, gloves, and socks with little claws!
Click here to download a PDF of the "little monster" hat, mitten & bootie project.
If someone knits these for us in a grown-up size we'll be your best friends forever. Remember, Anne can trade for cookies.
Happy crafting and don't forget that from now through December 15 you can enter to win MONSTER KNITS and a bundle of other cooking and crafting books! Read on for more info.
UPDATE 12/16: Congratulations to our winners, Sarah Bourg of Hamilton North Public Library in Cicero, IN and Pam Aghababian of Ashland Public Library in Ashland, MA!
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