Title: The Brisket Book: A love story with recipes
Author: Stephanie Pierson
Pub Date: October 2011
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Source: I received this from the publisher for my honest review.

About the book:
Food writer, cookbook author, and brisket zealot Stephanie Pierson contends, “Some foods will improve your meal, your mood, your day, your buttered noodles. Brisket will improve your life.”

Brisket is so easy to warm up to, no wonder everyone loves it. Families pass brisket recipes down like heirlooms. Chat rooms are full of passionate foodies giving passionate opinions about their briskets–and each one claims to have the best brisket recipe ever! When Angel Stadium of Anaheim introduced a BBQ brisket sandwich, it promptly won a national contest for best ballpark cuisine. This lively book offers everything from brisket cooking tips to chef interviews to butcher wisdom. Color photographs, illustrations, and graphics ensure that brisket has never looked better. The recipes include something for everyone: Beef Brisket with Fresh Tangy Peaches, Scandinavian Aquavit Brisket, Sweet-and-Sour Brisket, Barbecued Brisket Sandwiches with Firecracker Sauce, a Seitan Brisket (even people who don’t like meat love brisket), and a 100% Foolproof Bride’s Brisket.

If brisket does indeed improve your life, then The Brisket Book promises to be the ultimate life-affirming resource for anyone who has savored–or should savor–this succulent comfort food.

I have to send out another huge thank you to Andrews McMeel for sending me The Brisket Book for review.

I absolutely love cookbooks. Personally for me growing up I had parents who never wanted to try anything so we never really had cookbooks. We always ate the basic stuff and I loved going to friends houses because they always had new and different things. So when I moved away I always swore that I would have cookbooks and that I would always be open to trying new foods.

Thankfully I have a family who loves trying new recipes/foods. So when a new cookbook comes in we are always excited to flip it open and devour the book.

I have to say that this is the first time I have seen a cookbook devoted solely to brisket and this cookbook doesn’t disappoint because there is a ton of brisket recipes in the book. The recipes range from braised to barbecued to oven cooked to slow cooked. You name it you can probably do it.

The Brisket Book covers everything a cook book should such as cooking advise, butcher insight, the history of the brisket, chef interviews, plus tons of photographs, illustrations, cartoons and graphics. The recipes are all easy to follow and come from all kinds of sources (Chefs, cook book authors, etc).

The one I decided to make was Texas Oven-Roasted Beef Brisket and it was really good and I have to say that it tasted much better the second day. The only thing is I adjusted the recipe a little bit because I can’t eat really spicy food.

Texas Oven Roasted Beef Brisket
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 1 (4lb) beef brisket trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a small bowl, make a dry rub by combining the chili powder, salt, garlic, onion, pepper, sugar, dry mustard and bay leaf. Season the brisket all over with the rub. Place the brisket in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered in the oven for an hour.
3. Add the beef stock and enough water to yield about 1/2 inch of liquid in the pan and then tightly cover with aluminum foil. Lower the heat to 300 and continue to cook untils its fork tender about 3 hours.
4. Transfer to a cutting board and trim off any excess fat and then thinkly slice the meat against the grain. Serve with pan juices.

Thanks again Andrews McMeel for sending this to us. Bon appetite everyone.

Title: So Sweet! Cookies, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and more
Author: Sur La Table
Pud Date: October 2011
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Pages: 144

Source: I received a copy of the book for my honest and sincere thoughts on the book.

About the book:
Proving that life is indeed oh So Sweet! cooking authority Sur La Table offers 50 fabulously sweet recipes with intriguing flavor combinations. From cookies and cupcakes to doughnuts and whoopie pies, you’ll find them all in this attractive and giftable full-color package.

Gathered inside So Sweet! are 50 mouthwatering baking recipes presented alongside photographs of tasty treats such as Milk Chocolate Toffee Bars, Boston Cream Upside Down Cupcakes, and Strawberry with Lemonade Filling Whoopie Pies, as well as Blueberry Buttermilk Doughnuts with Orange Glaze, Cherry Oatmeal Cookies, and Chocolate-Mint Cupcakes. And just in case you’re uncertain what your sweet tooth is craving, a handy flavor profile reveals whether you’re in the mood for sweet, salty, chocolatey, fruity, or nutty. Remind yourself of the sweeter side of life with So Sweet!

One of my favorite genres books to review is cookbooks. Not only because they are pretty much a quick review but I am the kind of person who loves trying new things with food wither it be with food or desserts. So I am always thrilled when I get a cookbook to review.

So Sweet is no exception to the rule. I admit from the cover alone I was drooling. I admit I have a huge sweet tooth and pretty much everyone in the family does too. So when  I got this cookbook I couldn’t wait to try it out but the only problem was what do I want to try first because there is about 50 yummy recipes in this book.

The cookbook is broken down into four delicious sections labelled cookies, cupcakes, whoopie pies and doughnuts. Most of the recipes are accompanied with a photo, which I love because I like to see what the finished product is suppose to look like.

All the recipes include ingredients I could easily find and the instructions were easy to follow and didn’t require much which is another thing I love about the book. I have to say that I like straight forward recipes that include simple and easy steps. Anything complicated I always shy away from.

I realized that if I left the decision up to me I would probably back the whole book so I gave it to Michael and he picked out Smile Cookies. I think the thing that drew him in was the fact that the cookies are covered in icing sugar when they are cooked.

Thanks Andrews McMeel for sending me this great coobook and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes very soon.

Smile Cookies
(bakes about 45)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened (room temp) ( 2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour to finish
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Position 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and the other rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat to 350 and then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and using a mixer, beat for about 1 minute on low speed. Then beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes or until it looks very light (almost white). Turn of the mixer and using a spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the bowl again.
3. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the flour is blended in and scrape down the bowl again to make sure there is no clumps of flour hiding.
4. To shape each cookie take a piece of dough that is about 1 tablespoon and roll it on your work surface back and forth with your fingers, shaping it into a log that is about 3 inches long. Make sure to add some pressure to the ends to give them a point. Place onto bakig sheet and form into a smile. Place one inch apart of the sheet.
5. Place each sheet on each rack and bake for about 7 minutes and then switch the sheets and bake for another 8 to 9 minutes (so what was on the top rack will go to the bottom) The cookies should appear to be a light  sand color and firm to the touch and golden brown on the bottom and edges. Let cool 10 minutes.
6. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl and while the cookies are still warm roll each into the sugar until completely coated and place back on the pan to let cool completely. When completely cool roll them back into the sugar mixture again.

These were so good and I will be making these again.