Thanks for all the sweet comments about my new blog banner! I’m glad you guys like it, too 🙂 The granola bars pictured are my 5-Minute No Bake PB Granola Bars — click here for the recipe!
Also, if you need any graphic design help, I’d definitely recommend talking to Ashley at The Edible Perspective (who made my new banner) — she takes beautiful photos and her rates are very reasonable since she’s just starting out! Plus, she’s cool to work with and it’s nice to support a fellow food blogger 🙂
…
Anyway! I have a special post today — a book review along with some AWESOME cooking tips!
I was sent this book, Georgia’s Kitchen, a few weeks ago to review and I FLEW through it. Chic lit with a foodie twist, sweet! When the novel starts, we meet a chef named Georgia who is suddenly fired from her swank Manhattan restaurant job and dumped by her fiancé on the same day. Devastated, she heads to the Italian countryside to sharpen her cooking skills at a trattoria run by a world class chef, in hopes that one day she will be able to open a restaurant of her very own. The book is light, fun, engaging, and inspiring, and if you’re looking for a perfect beach or pool book, you will love this one 🙂
Georgia’s Kitchen is the debut novel by Jenny Nelson, who was formerly editor and producer at iVillage, Vogue.com and Style.com!
Since the book (and my blog, obviously!) are about food, I asked Jenny to provide some of her favorite cooking tips for you guys, accrued from her years of cooking, watching cooking shows, and befriending chefs. 🙂
…
Jenny Nelson’s Favorite Cooking Tips:
…
- For a no-cry onion, cut the onion near a high, open flame.
- To peel ginger, use the edge of a spoon instead of a knife (this really works!)
- To grate any kind of cheese, pop it in the freezer and grate it once it’s frozen (this even works for the creamiest of goat cheeses). The cheese will thaw once it’s grated.
- Add white pepper to enhance the flavor of most savory dishes.
- To make your own buttermilk, add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to one cup of milk.
Awesome tips, right?! I’m definitely going to try these!
What are your favorite cooking tips?
Two favorites I’ve written about before on the blog are:
- To cut avocado more easily, slice it while it’s still in the skin. (see this post for more details).
- Don’t know what to do with the rest of that huge container of leftover veggie or chicken broth? Freeze it in an ice cube tray! (see this post for more details)
…
Book Giveaway:
If you order Georgia’s Kitchen (click here to order) by August 6th and email your receipt to [email protected], you’ll be entered to win this awesome basket of goodies:
- Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis
- After You by Julie Buxbaum
- Super in the City by Daphne Uviller
- She’s Gone Country and Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter
- Girls in Trucks and Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch
- I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- A one year subscription to the food magazine of your choice (Food and Wine, Bon Apetit, Fine Cooking, or Everyday with Rachael Ray)
- A $50 gift certificate to Crate & Barrel
Sweet! I wish I could enter! 🙂
Back to studying I go — have a wonderful day!
