Julie and Julia Review

A few months ago, the wife and I started doing a Friday night 'dinner and a movie' thing. We both looked forward to Fridays with a new anticipation and of course the usual dilemma of where to eat and what to see would usually arise. We ended up seeing a few stinkers but the one that sticks out was - "Julie and Julia".
This movie was greatly entertaining! It was funny, serious and had a solid story line that kept me interested the whole movie. It contained so much of what I enjoy - food, cooking, history, blogging, romance, Meryl Streep and I can say I was certainly satisfied.
I grew up watching Julia Child and thought at the time she was a 'loony' old lady with a funny voice. But as I got older I realized she set the standard when it came to TV cooking shows and boy did she know her stuff.
One word of caution- eat before you go otherwise all that food and cooking will make you so hungry you'll hit the snack bar on the way out of the theater!

Bon Appetit

Great Collection of Vintage Cookbooks from Time-Life

Many vintage books are out there to be found but few are as exceptional as the Time-Life series, in my opinion. The cover pictures and recipes are all classy to say the least. These are certainly the ones you want to snatch up if you see them at a sale.

The Good Cook Series by Time-Life

from lost & found cookbooks by cookbooks lost & found

THE GOOD COOK, TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES

1971-1983

28 Volumes with exceptional "how-to" photos. covering foods by primary ingredients, from the simple "Cakes" to the more obscure "Terrines, Pates and Galantines". Now out-of-print, but still considered a remarkable achievement and coveted classic.

[buy it at OldCookbooks.com]

Easy Veggie Meal Plans For You

For all my vegetarian friends out there, check this out -

Easy Veggie Meal Plans For You

Barbequed Mediterranean Pizza

With the purchase of a new BBQ any one's imagination will begin to run wild with ideas of new things to try on the grill. Although this isn't the first time I've done pizza on the grill, it is the first time doing it on a gas BBQ, specifically my new Weber Genesis EP -320. YES, Weber is the best - just forget all the rest. You may pay a little more, but quality and durability are priceless. Ah but enough of my new toy here's how to make that awesome pizza I have pictured.

MEDITERRANEAN SNOW CRAB PIZZA

Ingredients:
pizza dough
4 medium size yukon potatoes thinly sliced
crab meat
swiss and mozzarella cheeses
fresh rosemary sprigs
black olives (sliced lengthwise)
crushed red pepper
fresh garlic (roughly chopped)

Preparation: Get all your ingredients ready olives, cheese, crab etc. so you're ready to go when the crust is.
Lay the sliced potatoes on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven, flip them over halfway through.
The Dough :
Making your own is the best, but to save time buy ready made bread dough or foccacia. Use cornmeal or polenta to dust your work space and roll and roughly press it out into a square. Lightly brush the top with olive oil. Flip it over and oil the other side. Be generous with the corn meal to keep it from sticking plus the oil will help the corn meal stick better on the dough. Slide it on to a rimless baking sheet or pizza paddle. Now your ready to preheat the grill.
Light the BBQ and turn all the burners to high for about 10 min. and close the lid until the temp. reaches aprrox. 500 degrees. While it's heating up you can get your toppings ready. Turn the heat down to medium and slide the dough onto the grill and close the lid. At this point you are really just toasting the one side to get some grill marks then you pull it off. It doesn't take very long but resist the urge to peek. Check it after 3 min. or so and you'll know how fast it's cooking.
Once it looks good, pull it off and flip it over and your ready to assemble.

Baking:
Topping the pizza begins with sauce, then some cheese, your toppings, then a little more cheese.
Lightly spread the alfredo sauce over the pizza to about 1" from the edges. Sprinkle some of the cheese mixture on, then arrange the potato slices, crab meat, olives and whatever else you wish. I like to add some crushed red pepper at this point and some fresh chopped garlic if you're brave.
Sprinkle a bit more cheese and rosemary sprigs on top and it's ready for the grill again.
(When "building" your pie, keep in mind that sometimes less is more, so try not to overload it with mounds of cheese and toppings. You want to be able to taste the crust which is the foundation of the pizza itself.)
Now take it to the BBQ, still at medium, and slide it off onto the hot grill. If you have a 3 burner set up, turn the middle one to low or off. Close the lid and bake until the bottom is browned the way you like and cheese is melted - about 10 -12 minutes. Keep an eye on it! After all this work you sure don't want to burn it.

When it's done, let it rest a minute or two before slicing it up. Grab yourself your favorite beverage and enjoy some of the best pizza to ever hit your lips. Eat your heart out Round Table!

Twist in store for Vintage Cookbook Collector's Blog

Keep your eyes open for an awesome new twist to VCCB. In addition to posting some great info on some really cool vintage cookbooks and recipe booklets, I'm also going to start sharing some specially chosen recipes that I try and include them in my regular posting. Don't worry, only the hits will be posted and I'll also have some pics of the finished dish.
Please note, I'm certainly no gourmet chef (yet) and would most likely be sent packing early on Hell's Kitchen. But when it comes to good food and a good recipe I can smell it a mile away. Besides, it dawned on me that if you're looking into vintage cookbooks you more than likely enjoy cooking and good food.

Bon Appetit!

Cookbook Collector Network

NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY

from COOKBOOK COLLECTOR NETWORK by Tim Mack

UNEEDA BISCUIT

In one of my earlier postings, I showed you one of my favorite recipe pamphlets from the National Biscuit Company. I’ve received many comments from my readers about this pamphlet, so here’s a bit more information.

I recently ran across a wonderful book, The Public Accepts: Stories Behind Famous Trade-Marks, Names and Slogans, by I. E. Lambert, Published by The University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, 1941. This is a fascinating read and I advise you to keep your eyes open for a copy of your own.

UNEEDA BISCUIT

The National Biscuit Company was organized in February, 1898. At that time crackers were sold in cracker barrels. As a rostrum for the village statesmen the cracker barrel was not a bad idea, but it was a definite evil for the cracker industry. The shopping housewife, upon her return home, often opened her brown paper bag to find that she had purchased broken, stale, and dirty crackers.

Mr. Adolphus W. Green, chairman of the Board of the National Biscuit Company, conveived the idea of selling a fresh and clean soda cracker in a small, attractive package and giving the cracker a distinctive name as a remedy for the menace of the cracker barrel.

In August, 1898, a suggested list of possible names for the new product was submitted, such as “Hava Cracker,” “Usa Cracker,” “Taka Cracker,” etc. The name “Uneeda” was also on this list, and finally, after some hesitation, it was adopted. The word “Uneeda” was probably the first coined combination of words which are so frequently used today for trade names.

In January, 1899, preparations were complete. One morning the people of Chicago and other Illinois cities woke to discover in the newspapers two mysterious words printed in bold type: “UNEEDA BISCUIT.” This suggestive combination of letters aroused the curiosity of the purchasing public and the venture was a succcess almost overnight.

A few months later, Mr. Joseph J. Geisinger, seeking to illustrate the moisture-proof properties of the new package, dressed his young nephew, Gordon Stille, in boots, sou’wester, and slicker, put a package of “Uneeda Biscuit” under his arm, and took him to the photographer. When Mr. Green saw the result he was delighted. Thus the “Uneeda Boy” was added to the gallery of world famous trade-mark figures.

Uneeda Biscuit, 1921

Latest Sales on Nostalgic Heirlooms

Well, just when things slow down a bit and I'm staring at this pile of old cookbooks wondering if I should box them up or not, all hell breaks loose and someone buys a handful. These are the orders that are really satisfying (and profitable), but even more it usually means the person is in to vintage cookbooks and might possibly be a return buyer.

Check out three of the books I just sold on ETSY.com in my Nostalgic Heirlooms store -
Keep cooking!!


To see the rest of the sale go to my ETSY.com store and search user / nostalgicheirlooms