What is it about this time of year that makes us look back and wonder?

What was the most important event of the year? Best song of the year? Favourite movie? Biggest discovery? It goes and on. In the days before the new year makes itself known, it seems we spend endless time evaluating the year that was.

Myself, I don’t really like to do that. This is partly because I have always viewed the new year with a mixture of both excitement and trepidation. Perhaps, when I was younger, I was a bit more optimistic but as the years go by, and life reveals itself both good and bad, I can’t help but feel both happy and anxious at this time of year.

What does the future hold?

Who knows.

Probably the only exception to this is books, and more specifically, cookbooks. Because they are my greatest pleasure, I seem to have no qualms in looking back. At the beginning of the month, I had a 12-day series highlighting my 12 favourite cookbooks of the year. But what I left out was the book that was, in fact, my absolute favourite of 2009.

While it wasn’t written in 2009, I was lucky enough to receive a copy and even luckier to read it.

The book I’m talking about is Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family.

Of all the books that I read in 2009, cookbooks included, this was my very favourite one.

I read it in early October, not long after I had returned from my trip to Italy.

Maybe it was the fact that I was missing my Italian family. Or maybe it was the fact that I was missing the food that my Italian family cooks. Whatever it was, from almost the very beginning, this book struck a deep chord with me.

Schenone’s book is primarily about her endeavour to discover the origin of her family’s beloved ravioli recipe. The deep need she has to uncover this recipe puts her on a road that takes her to Italy, but far more importantly and far closer to home, it takes her through the neighbourhood we all know as “family”.

Unabashedly, honestly and lovingly, Schenone tells us the story of her Italian-American family’s life in a new country, including the triumphs and pitfalls. I was struck at how open she was in her book and how she laid bare not just the good times, but the bad as well.

But I was most struck by how eloquently Schenone captures the reality of the immigrant experience.

We tend to romanticize the past. In my own family, as a first-generation Canadian, I can look around quite happily and say that we’re a success. My parents bought a home, built a business, acquired all the modern comforts and are really nice people to boot. The same goes for my aunts and uncles and for my grandparents, the first to immigrate to Canada.

What is not so visible is the struggle. The harshness. The pain. The hard work. The alienation. The adults in my family kept that from us when we were children. But now that I’m grown, and privy to the real history of my family, I see that my grandparents and parents had plenty of suffering mixed in with the success.

Schenone captures all of this in a way that is compelling and sometimes, hard to read. It’s like witnessing a difficult scene in real life. Just as you want to look away then, there are times I wanted to avert my eyes from the page because the emotion was so palpable.

And just as in life, in the midst of the challenges, there are successes and newfound joys. I especially loved reading about Schenone’s trips to Italy and how she made so many friends and learned so much there.

Mostly, though, I loved reading about her singular, intense and passionate drive to perfect pasta and ravioli. Just brilliant. I love how she reveals herself in her book. How she very honestly shows herself in transition in the midst of her life and how that affects not just her, but her children, her spouse and her extended family.

This treasure of a book came to mind again during the Christmas season. For Christmas Day, my mother made her pasta recipe and then made ravioli. They are not really based on anyone else’s ravioli recipe but rather are a Mamma Cream Puff original (my mom rocks the house!).

I didn’t help my mom much this year. We had a very small gathering on Christmas Day so she had everything under control.

Instead, I watched her from afar. And at one point, I saw her working away and noticed her ravioli press and rolling pin on the counter. I suddenly thought of Schenone’s book and realized that this is my little legacy. That little press and rolling pin, the fresh pasta, and my mom in the kitchen, they all came together in a snapshot that is frozen in me.

I don’t know what 2010 holds. I hope it holds health and good food and happy family and some nice surprises. And beyond that, who knows.

All I know is that I hope I never ever forget, in any of the years ahead, that picture of my mom making ravioli.

Ciao!

I will always say that my mom’s fresh pasta recipe is the best. Here it is.

I sincerely hope you will pick up a copy of Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family. It is worth it in every way.

I can’t believe we’ve arrived at the last Magazine Mondays entry for 2009! Where did the time go?

I have to thank everyone that has participated in Magazine Mondays over the past year. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m happy to say my magazine pile has gotten (marginally) smaller over the past year. Hope the same goes for you!

While I didn’t do a huge amount of baking this holiday season, I baked a few of my old standbys and I did manage to try one or two new recipes including these lovely Linzer Cookies from the December 2002 issue of Food & Wine.

I switched the recipe up a bit by using a raspberry jam for the filling rather than making my own as the recipe instructs (although I would like to try that one day).

The cookies were pretty, festive and delicious.

This will be the last Magazine Mondays entry for 2009 and the first one for 2010 will not happen until January 11 as I’ll be on vacation for the first week of January.

I hope you’ll join me for an edition of MM at some point in the new year!

Here’s who joined me this week:

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Apple Raisin Bars from an old issue of Family Circle.

Carrie of Deliciously Organic made Chocolate Caramel Bars from Martha Stewart Living.

Jennifer of Daydreams of Baking made Chocolate Nut Cookies from Women’s Day.

Poppyseed of Poppyseeds and Tiger Lilies made Chicken Kiev from Gourmet.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle from Gourmet.

Have a wonderful last week of 2009, everyone!

Ciao!

At this time of year, it’s very easy to become lost in the great big commercial machine that the holidays have become.

So it’s precisely at this time of year that I like to look around and think that even though we live in a big city in a big province in a big country in a big world, in some ways, we also live in our own little villages of space. And the best way to feel full and warm and loved, is to inhabit that space fully and brightly.

I hope that wherever you are today, you have loved ones close by and much light in your life.

From Cream Puff and family, a very Merry Christmas to all!

Ciao!

The gingerbread scene you see above is my take on the 2009 December Daring Bakers’ challenge hosted by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. I cheated slightly (I’m allowed … right … ) by not quite making a house but rather making a little village (house facades only) based on an idea from Joanna Farrow’s book Gingerbread: 24 Inspirational Houses and Decorative Gifts to Make.

Christmas looks like cookies.

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of cookies.

All made with love and hope and warmth.

Christmas looks bright and beautiful.

It’s almost here …

Ciao!

These amazing cookies are called Buttered Rum Meltaways and they are by far the best new cookie that I’ve tried this Christmas season. Hope you try them too!

Christmas tastes like snowflakes.

And gingerbread. And amaryllis. And tinsel. And cloves. And candlelight. And angels. And chocolate. And warmth.

And éclairs dipped in chocolate.

And towers of cream puffs.

And vanilla. Christmas tastes like vanilla.

It’s almost here …

Ciao!

Christmas smells like spices. And oranges. And pine trees. And cold air. And butter. And warm bread. And candy canes. And pomegranate. And stockings. And glühwein.

And stars.

Christmas smells like stars.

It’s almost here …

Ciao!

Check out my article on glühwein at The Daring Kitchen!

I’ve missed Magazine Mondays the past few weeks for various reasons, but I wanted to make sure that I got this one in because I have a lot of MM posts to share with you. It seems everyone is really getting into the MM spirit.

I find that during holiday season, everyone is always looking for that perfect “special” dessert or sweet recipe to impress people. I love trying recipes at this time of year that I wouldn’t make normally.

In that spirit, allow me to introduce you to the Rich Chocolate and Chestnut Torte (Torta Morbida di Castagne e Cioccolato) from the December 2008 issue of La Cucina Italiana.

Please don’t be put off by the awful picture above. I was trying to shoot a decent pic in very low light with my very old point-and-shoot. Not the best results.

Please take my word for it. This is one of the very best cakes I’ve ever made.

It’s an almost flourless chocolate cake that is both dense and almost-creamy in consistency. It’s a very simple cake (very few ingredients), but it’s elevated to another level with the addition of chestnuts that have been steeped in a sugar-vanilla syrup. It’s like instantly, the cake is transformed into something even more beautiful than just a delicious chocolate cake.

If you really want to dazzle, try using chestnut flour in the cake instead of all-purpose flour. The results may have you eating the cake all by yourself.

Yes. It’s possible.

There’s still plenty of time before the holiday season to make this cake so I really hope you give it a try!

As usual, I’m joined by lots of wonderful people who have looked at their magazine pile and decided to tame it:

Deb of Taste of Sweet made succulent Spiced Rubbed Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Wedges and Green Beans from Cooking Light.

Margaret of Tea and Scones has gotten into the holiday spirit with a Cranberry Eggnog Braid from a 1990 issue of Taste of Home magazine.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Chicken Parmesan from a 2006 issue of Reader’s Digest.

Janie of Panini Girl made a luscious Pork Shoulder Roast with Figs, Garlic and Pinot Noir from the December 2009 issue of Sunset.

My very sweet Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction made Doughnut Muffins and Chocolate Layer Cake from Fine Cooking.

Poppyseed of Poppyseeds and Tiger Lilies made clotted cream; fresh ricotta cheese; Ricotta, Pancetta and Pumpkin Bake all from Issue 35 of Donna Hay magazine.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made seriously yummy Two-Tone Chocolate ShortBread from a magazine insert in an issue of … you guessed it … Canadian Living!

Remember, the most important rule of Magazine Mondays is that there is no rule. If you ever post a magazine recipe (doesn’t matter what day of the week), send me the link.

Have a great rest of the week, everyone!

Ciao!

The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

From the moment I first visited Simone’s lovely site, I knew I had met a kindred spirit. Besides being a passionate cook and baker, Simone is very warm and always welcoming. You can tell I’m a big fan.

I was thrilled when she agreed to host the December 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge, and even more thrilled with her choice of Salmon en Croute.

For me, anything wrapped in pastry is a good thing.

I’m going to keep this short because the Christmas baking is a-callin’, but I chose to make the salmon because I love it and I don’t eat enough of it.

I took a beautiful salmon fillet, removed the skin and then coated it with a mixture of cream cheese, dandelion leaves, spinach leaves, green onion, salt and pepper. I lay the salmon on a bed of puff pastry that I’d had stored in the freezer. The puff pastry was homemade (thanks to the Daring Bakers making puff pastry from scratch is a breeze!) so all I had to do was defrost it.

I baked the pretty bundle at 400 degrees F. for about 30 minutes and I ended up with a beautiful golden package that was oozing cream cheese filling.

Quite simply, it was delicious! Had I known that making this dish was so easy, I would have tried it sooner.

Thank you, Simone!

Please take a moment and visit all the other Daring Cooks to see what they cooked up!

This is the final Daring Cooks’ challenge for 2009. For a group that got it’s start this year, I’d say we’ve done remarkably well. Here’s to 2010 and all the beautiful dishes waiting to be cooked!

Ciao!

Elin Nodegren’s prowess with golf clubs aside (sorry … couldn’t resist …), ever since I was about 11 years old, I have always thought Swedish women are awesome.

This is a direct result of having read about the Swedish celebration of the feast of Santa Lucia on December 13. I don’t quite remember where I would have read this, but I do remember reading that the Swedish celebration of the day involved the eldest daughter in every family wearing flaming torches in her hair.

Seriously. You have got to be some kind of cool to wear a flaming torch in your hair!

Of course, as the years went by and I learned a bit more about Santa Lucia, I soon discovered the flaming-torches-in-the-hair-story might have been a slight exaggeration.

As is usually the case when it comes to martyrdom, there are many versions and explanations as to Santa Lucia’s life. The one that has always struck me the most is the story of a woman named Lucia helping slaves to escape and wearing candles in her hair to light the way out.

If I had to think of one word to describe the Christmas season, it would be light. In the midst of the coldest and darkest time of the year, even a simple lit candle becomes a symbol for warmth and hope.

Having always been fascinated by Swedish culture, I’ve had “make Santa Lucia buns” on my Christmas to-do list for many years. And this year, I got up in the early-morning darkness, turned on a light and made these beautiful buns for my family.

Being the eldest (and only) daughter, I did not wear flaming torches, or even lit candles, in my hair. However, I did give them over to my loved ones with much hope and warmth, that they would enjoy them and the season.

Happy Santa Lucia Day! God Jul!

Ciao!

Santa Lucia Buns
From a Christmas magazine recipe that I can no longer identify.

Note: This recipe will make 24 buns. It’s from a holiday magazine from 2001, unfortunately, because it’s a photocopy I can’t tell what magazine it is. Sorry!

21/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (you may need a bit more so have some handy)
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground saffron (you can also use whole saffron but be sure to strain the milk mixture before you add it to the flour)
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 golden raisins
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 egg white, slightly beaten (for egg wash)
1 tbsp. water (for egg wash)
coarse sugar (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup of the flour and the package of yeast. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter, salt, cardamom and saffron. Heat until it reaches 125 degrees F. on a thermometre. If you don’t have one, you want to heat it until it’s warm enough that the butter is almost melted. Add the mixture to the flour and yeast mixture.

With the paddle attachemnt, beat on low until combined.

Add the egg and beat on medium speed for three minutes.

Add the raisins and ground almonds and beat for another minute.

Switch to the dough hook and add another cup of the flour. Mix on low until combined. Add in the remaining flour and continue to mix on low.

Increase the speed to medium and mix for five minutes until the dough forms a neat ball around the hook (it should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl). If the dough is sticky, add some more flour. Continue to beat until you have a smooth ball of dough.

Remove the bowl from the stand and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place to rise for about an hour and a half (the dough should almost double in size).

Once doubled, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, divide each half of dough into 12 pieces (you will have 24 in total). Roll each piece out into a rope that’s roughly 12 inches long. Shape each rope into an “S” with the ends rolled in. Place a raisin in each end. Transfer the buns to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once all the buns have been formed (you will need two baking trays), cover with kitchen towels and let rest for 40 minutes (the dough will rise more).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the egg white and water together. Brush each bun lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle on some coarse sugar if you like.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the buns are golden.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

And on the twelfth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you The Happy Baker by Erin Bolger.

One of my frequent lunch-time treats during the workday is to walk up to Yonge and Yorkville and stop in at The Cookbook Store, Toronto’s best store.

Admittedly, I try not to do this too often as the trip inevitably ends with yet another cookbook purchase.

I am weak. I know.

Earlier in the year, on one such lunch-time foray, I came across a book called “The Happy Baker” and my first thought was, “Well … yeah! Who isn’t happy baking?!”

I picked up the book and was instantly smitten.

Written by Erin Bolger, it’s a funny, quirky and so-cute look at the sweets that we fall in love with through life. Erin very amusingly pairs the delicious recipes in her book with stories of growing up, dating and becoming a woman.

It’s all very sweet. And it just made me laugh and it made me happy and it made me want to bake, all at the same time.

I wish I could have tried more of the recipes in the time that I’ve had the book but I did try two: Best Friends Forever, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Better Late Than Never Peanut Butter Crispy Cups. Both treats were an enormous hit.

I actually added some peanut butter to the chocolate chip cookies and they worked beautifully.

But I really believe that half the fun of this book and the recipes is just sitting with it in the kitchen and reading the stories while you decide what to try.

I loved it all.

Hope you take a look at it!

Ciao!

And on the eleventh day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

I first “encountered” Lucinda Scala Quinn on the show Everyday Food. I would catch an episode every now and then and was always impressed by her straightforward, pleasing dishes.

When I found out that she’d written a cookbook and that I would have the opportunity to review it, I was intrigued. When the book arrived at my doorstep, I was totally taken in.

My “routine” when I get a new cookbook is to sit down on the couch with a pack of post-its. I begin flipping through the book beginning with the dessert section (if there is one) and going back to the beginning. When I see a recipe I like, I bookmark it for future reference.

After five minutes, I realized that I had bookmarked every single page that I’d flipped through up to that point.

People, listen. This is easily one of the best cookbooks of the year.

To begin with, the production quality of the book is major! The paper, the photographs, the feel of it is just top scale all the way. Even if you never cook from it, it would make a fabulous coffee table book.

The book is a tribute to the meals that Quinn has prepared over the year for her sons and her husband. This is her family’s soul food. Starting with breakfast all the way through dessert, the recipes ooze comfort, flavour and warmth. As I read through each recipe I could feel myself being drawn deeper into a big, warm family hug.

And as soon as I hit page 76, I knew exactly what I was going to try: Tuna Melts.

Oh my gosh, people, I have not had tuna melts in years. I literally stopped, put the book down and thought back only to realize that it’s been at least ten years since I last had one of my favourite open-faced sandwiches.

Without delay, I went straight into the kitchen, prepared a tuna salad that I spooned onto some bread, topped with some cheddar and broiled.

Love.

That’s pretty much how I feel about the whole book.

Love. Love. Love.

Please buy yourself a copy as a Christmas gift. You deserve it!

To Lucinda, wherever you are, thank you for a cookbook that will grace my shelves for many, many years to come!

Ciao!

Tuna Melts a la Cream Puff
Inspired by Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Mad Hungry.

Note: This is my favourite tuna salad. To make a Tuna Melt, just spoon it onto the bread of your choice, top it with the cheese of your choice, and place it under the broiler for a few minutes.

1 can of good quality tuna, packed in olive oil
1/2 a shallot, finely chopped
1 dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 cup pickled hot peppers, finely chopped
1/4 finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices of the bread of your choice, lightly toasted
4 slices of the cheese of your choice (I like aged cheddar)

Drain the tuna and place in a large bowl, breaking it up with a fork.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix very well. (I like a “loose” tuna salad with very little mayonnaise. You can adjust the consistency as you see fit.)

Preheat the broiler.

On a sheet pan, lined with aluminum foil, place the bread slices and top with generous portions of the tuna salad. Top with cheese.

Place under the broiler for a minute or two, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Eat immediately.

Enjoy!

And on the tenth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma.

While it was published in 2007 and while I’ve owned it since it was published, I really only started to focus on this book during this past year. My birthday cake was courtesy of DePalma’s book, as were a few other recipes that I never blogged about. All were delicious.

To be sure, there are many, many baking books on the market. But to be honest, there are very few good Italian baking books. I would say that DePalma’s must be considered as one of the most definitive books on Italian baking.

Incredibly thorough, her book covers virtually ever “famous” Italian dessert, as well as numerous baked goods that wouldn’t be very familiar to North American audiences.

What I love best about the book is that the recipes straddle the line between traditional and modern. Many of the recipes will have a little twist that leads you to a better place.

I recently made Baci di Dama for the first time, using DePalma’s recipe. Stunning. Seriously. Without question, they were among the best cookies I’ve made all year.

I could go on and on, but it’s not necessary. Well-written, some really good photos, passionate, well-produced … DePalma’s book has it all.

It would be the perfect gift for anyone that loves to bake, especially Italian sweets. If I didn’t already have the book, I’d be asking for it for Christmas.

Ciao!

And on the ninth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen by Lucy Waverman.

I’m not sure how well Lucy Waverman is known outside of Canada (hopefully very well). She’s a very well-respected food writer and cookbook author.

Her most recent book is yet another winner. In Canada, she’s probably best known for her column in the Globe & Mail, which is always a treat to read. I also love her because she’s the food editor of Food & Drink magazine, which is a free magazine available at the LCBO that has better recipes and a higher production quality than many of the all-too expensive “food magazines” on the market.

Okay. Obviously I’m a fan.

Her latest book is a tribute to seasonal food, with a month-by-month glimpse of all that is in season and delicious. The cookbook also boasts wine tips from Lucy’s husband.

Lucy’s recipes work. They just do.

Once again, I didn’t have a lot of time to test recipes, but I did head straight for the recipe for beignets with chocolate sauce. The batter for these are very similar to the batter for cream puffs. While they were absolutely delicious, I had some issues with them through no fault of Lucy’s. I mistakenly used the wrong size of eggs and it made my batter more runny than it should have been. I ended up with something closer to funnel cakes than I did to beignets. My silly mistake aside, the beignets and chocolate sauce were scrumptious!

I love Lucy. I hope you’ll take my word and buy her cookbook for yourself or as a gift for the avid cook in your life!

Ciao!

And on the eigth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Domenica Marchetti’s Big Night In: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian-Style.

Domenica Marchetti is a cookbook author of Italian background who has very quickly become one of my favourites. I also own her book The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy and believe me when I say it has kept me company during the chilly fall!

Her recipes are excellent and well written and Big Night is no exception. This is a big, warm book about feeding a crowd of people, something that’s good for all of us to do from time-to-time, especially over the holidays!

The book is geared to cooks of all sorts with a heavy emphasis on bright flavours, abundance and comfort. It’s traditionally laid out as it starts with Appetizers and Soups and Salads. It’s followed by Pasta, Rice and Savory Tortes and then Main Courses. The content is rounded out with Vegetables and Side Dishes and then Desserts. There’s even a brunch menu at the end for those who entertain large crowds early in the day!

I, of course, decided to showcase a recipe from the Desserts section. Because you can never make enough crostata in your life, I made the Jam Crostata using strawberry jam.

A simple and rustic tart, this is a perfect example of the kind of cooking and baking that Marchetti offers with her recipes. This was a most satisfying crostata and I look forward to making it again.

I’m also really looking forward to having some people over and trying more of the recipes.

Hope you pick this up for the person in your life that loves to feed a crowd!

Ciao!

And on the seventh day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Carole Bloom’sBite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats, from Cupcakes and Cobblers to Custards and Cookies.

Carole Bloom is yet another brilliant pastry chef and cookbook author who I am lucky enough to “know” through her books. I own several of them including The Essential Baker: The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients (which is another one that I highly recommend).

Bloom’s books help you to create baked goods of the very highest standard. Her latest helps you to create mini baked goods of the very highest standard.

Honestly. Every little thing in this books is so adorable. So cute. So adorable!!!

I’ve tried many of the recipes, all with great success, but my most favourite so far has to be the Nectarine and Walnut Galettes on p. 97 (I used plums instead of nectarines). The pastry for these galettes completely blew me away. It has ground walnuts in it. It is, without question, one of my top five favourite new things that I made this year.

As I mentioned, I’ve tried numerous recipes from the book but another favourite is the recipe for Toasted Pecan Shortbread Bites. The picture isn’t great but trust me these cookies are so cute and so good.

This would make a great gift for a seasoned baker. The recipes do tend to be a bit involved and usually involve several stages so it might not be the best book for a beginner baker.

I’m off to bake something mini …

Ciao!

And on the sixth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Mario Batali’s Holiday Food.

Published in 2000, this book has been around for almost ten years but I only discovered it earlier this year while perusing some titles on-line. I immediately snapped it up and haven’t been disappointed.

Besides being the perfect size to slip into someone’s Christmas stocking, it’s the perfect special book to have on your bookshelf when the holidays come around.

From what I can tell the recipes are a collection of ones that Mario Batali has presented on the Food Network so you can probably find most of the recipes on-line. Still, though, it’s nice to have them all collected in one place and they are fabulous recipes!

Based heavily on Italian holiday traditions, the book walks you through Christmas to New Year’s so this is the perfect time of year to buy it.

I made it my Flavour of the Month for December 2009 so I’m hoping to try many recipes, but for today, you’ll have to settle for the Gamberoni All’Acqua Pazza (Shrimp in Crazy Water). I apologize for the quality of the photo. I was basically drooling as I put the shrimp in the dish and couldn’t wait to dig in so my patience for snapping a photo was limited to say the least.

This would be a perfect dish as part of a traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast, which is usually comprised of fish and seafood only. It’s really easy to make and it’s fast so you can put it together quickly.

Besides having a lot of sweet recipes, what I especially love about the book is that there’s a heavy emphasis on fish and seafood.

It’s a gem of a little book so I hope you pick it up, if not for yourself, then for someone special!

Ciao!

Jumbo Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Mario Batali Holiday Food.

Serves 4.

1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined
olive oil
1/2 a large onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or you can use fresh hot pepper)
2 cups tomato puree
1 cup white wine
salt to taste
roughly chopped parsley (optional)

In a saucepan, pour in enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan (at least 3 or 4 tablespoons). Heat the oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and red pepper. Saute until softened. Adjust the heat so that you don’t burn the garlic or onions.

Add the tomato puree and the white wine and simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked. Don’t overcook the shrimp or it will be tough.

Plate the shrimp and sauce and sprinkle with parsley if you like. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

And on the fifth day of the 12 days of cookbooks I give you The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox.

Honestly, 2009 is a year where you could probably buy four or five baking books for the baker in your life. That’s how many high calibre baking books have been published this year (if not more) and DeMasco and Fox’s book certainly ranks among those.

When they say good things come in small packages, they aren’t kidding. While not a huge book, this cookbook is a passionate testament to baking as an art form. Except that you don’t have to be a brilliantly talented artist to do this. Anyone can bake and this book is accessible to everyone, from the beginner to the more seasoned baker.

I feel like I’ve written this about a million times this year but had I had the time, I probably would have tried at least half the recipes in the book (I fully intend on trying many more over the holidays). Everything is so enticing from the scone recipes, to the brioche recipes, to the doughnut recipes, to the tart recipes and so on and so on.

I managed to make the Chocolate Chip Scones, which have instantly become my very favourite scones ever. Made with heavy cream, they are the standard by which I shall judge all scones from now on.

While I did not take a picture of the next dessert I tried, I loved it so much that I ended up eating almost all of it myself, something I rarely do. It’s called Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta and I’ve decided I’m going to spend the holidays holed up in my house eating batch after batch of it.

Try and stop me.

Beautiful photographs. Great recipes. And one of my most favourite features: many of the recipes include suggestions on other recipes in the book that compliment what you’ve made, so you can pair up recipes. Great idea!

Okay. That’s enough. Put this book in someone’s Christmas stocking. I’m off to eat more panna cotta.

Ciao!

And on the fourth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Martha Stewart’s Cookies.

I’ve had both success and failure with Martha Stewart recipes in the past, but this book, published in 2008, is a big success in my opinion. It made my list of top 12 cookbooks that I discovered in 2009 for the simple reason that Christmas is cookie season and this book is filled with fabulous cookie recipes.

Produced by the editors at Martha Stewart Living, the book has a cookie for everyone from basic cookies to more complex creations.

If you want to surprise people with cookies this Christmas, this is a great book to buy for yourself or to give as a gift.

I tried two recipes: Coconut-Cream Cheese Pinwheels and Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.

The Coconut-Cream Cheese Pinwheels were a bit time consuming because of the pinwheel effect but they were well worth it. Not only are they pretty to look at, but the cream cheese pastry was so tender. I used some lovely blueberry jam for the filling.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars were such a treat as well, and so easy. Basically you top a peanut butter base with the jam of your choice (I chose strawberry), and then top with the remaining peanut butter base and salted peanuts. Such an easy yet pleasing treat.

There’s a picture of every cookie, the recipes are clear and easy to follow and most importantly, they work.

This one has my seal of approval.

Ciao!

On the third day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Savory Baking by Mary Cech.

Published this past summer, I bought this lovely book several months ago during one of my almost-weekly trips to my most favourite bookstore in the world.

I’d never heard of author Mary Cech before, but I must say she deserves kudos of all sorts for putting together a beautiful testament to the joys of savory baking. It’s a delicious reminder that baking isn’t all about sugar and chocolate.

The book covers, among other things, savory breads, pastries, puddings, cheesecakes and cookies. Very well-written and beautifully photographed, it’s the perfect gift for the savory baking fan in your life.

I tried one recipe from the book, which was savory profiteroles part of a recipe for profiteroles served with a caprese salad filling. I didn’t make the caprese filling but rather used the profiteroles to make Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma sandwiches with arugula (not pictured). I made them for an event that I catered and they were a huge hit.

I could go on and on but there’s not much more that I can say other than to give this book my very highest recommendation. It would make a lovely Christmas gift.

Ciao!

On the second day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Baking for All Occasions.

December 27, 2008.

That’s the day that I purchased Flo Braker’s brilliant baking book.

I pretty much worship at the altar of Flo Braker, who is a stunningly accomplished baker, teacher and food author.

This book was published in 2008 and I’ve owned it for almost a year, but I only started baking from it about a month or so ago.

If there is a baker in your life that you know and love, then be nice and go buy a copy of this book and put it under the tree for him or her.

Stunning, all the way around, this is what I call a serious baking book in that it starts by giving the reader a strong foundation in baking and then builds on the foundation with block after block of worthwhile recipes.

The Baking Primer is full of important information and tips. As I tell all budding bakers, read the section because the author has put it there for a reason.

The Baking Primer is followed by dazzling recipes that range from timeless classics to more modern renditions of what sweet teeth want to eat.

I love it from cover to cover.

Some of the recipes can be time-consuming, but as I mentioned above, this is a book for people who love to bake. The instructions are detailed, but never confusing. I think my favourite part is the names of the recipes like “Be My Valentine” Heartwiches or Sunshine Orange Semifreddo.

Love.

I’ve made a couple of recipes recently, both of which were winners in every sense. For starters, I made the Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze.

I wish I could actually tell you that I tasted it myself but I did not. Before I could barely finish taking the lid off the cake container it was completely gone.

Every. Single. Crumb.

Judging by the smiles from all those that ate it, I’m guessing it was pretty good. The cake uses store-bought eggnog so it’s definitely an opportunity to splurge on some really top-notch eggnog, but evidently it’s also well worth it.

The other recipe I tried was Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, Squared.

Now this one I actually managed to eat and my goodness it was perfect. The cake base is a buttermilk cake that is just divine. The cake is layered with the most delicous peanut butter and white chocolate ganache and the whole creation is topped with my new favourite thing in the world: peanut butter crunch made with salted peanuts and sesame seeds.

Hands down, this is a tremendous cookbook and I consider myself lucky to own it. Thank you, Flo Braker.

Now go make the baker in your life happy and give him or her this book for Christmas!

Ciao!

Disclaimer: Cream Puff will not be held responsible for the dramatic reduction in bookshelf space due to the purchasing of any cookbooks as a result of posts on this blog between December 1, 2009 and December 12, 2009, inclusive.

I happen to believe that cookbooks make the very best Christmas gifts.

Well, okay, maybe diamonds make the best Christmas gifts but right after diamonds it’s cookbooks.

Ummm … hold on … okay Mauviel copper pots are really cool so let’s say Diamonds are number 1, Mauviel copper pots are number 2 and then cookbooks.

Except I guess Gien dinnerware is really nice … oh … nevermind!

Let’s just stick with the cookbooks, shall we?

I find that at this time of year, a lot of bloggers have “year-end” lists as in “my top five posts of the year” or “the best five dishes I made this year”. I always love reading people’s top cookbook lists for the year since I am a cookbook freak. Certifiable freak.

I did a list last year but I left so many cookbooks off my list and had such a hard time choosing that I really felt I needed to do something more this year.

So for the first twelve days of December I’m going to give you a cookbook a day. Now to be clear, while some of these cookbooks are newly published, some aren’t. In fact some of them are older cookbooks but the point is that I discovered them in 2009 and I really feel it would be awesome for you if you found them in your Christmas stocking this year.

So let’s get started, shall we?

On Day 1, I give you Two Dishes: Mother and Daughter - Two Cooks,Two Lifestyles, Two Takes by Linda Haynes and Devin Connell.

I’m the lucky owner of two previous cookbooks by Linda Haynes: The ACE Bakery Cookbook and More from ACE Bakery, both of which I love.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, Linda Haynes is the founder of ACE Bakery, probably the most famous bread bakery in Toronto. I’ve said this to many people on many occasions but ACE Bakery consistently has some of the best artisanal bread in the city. Lucky for me, the ACE headquarters are just around the corner from my family’s business so we’re pretty much in there all the time!

Linda contacted me awhile ago and asked if I’d like a copy of her new book and of course I said yes. The first thing I noticed when I got the book is that it was signed by Linda and Devin so that immediately got things off to a great start. Much like the bakery itself, Linda’s books are very open and very welcoming and the well wishes were a nice touch to get me started!

The idea behind this book is that Linda and her daughter Devin each present dishes based on a particular theme. The difference is that they each present their own take on the theme. What results is an always delicious juxtaposition of recipes. Clearly both good cooks, mother and daughter carry on a “recipe conversation” throughout the cookbook that really clicks. Several times, as I read through the book, I found myself thinking, “What kind of recipe would my mom come up with in this situation?”

It’s a completely accessible book that’s beautifully photographed (a bonus in my books is that many of the pictures are taken in and around Toronto and as a native Torontonian, it was nice to see many of the places that I shop at featured in the book).

Ultimately, though, a cookbook always comes down to the recipes and these ones are very enticing and very good. On the savoury side, there’s a nice mix of dairy, vegetables, fish and seafood and meat. On the dessert side, well, there’s lots of dessert and that’s a good thing that requires no other explanation.

I also really loved the way many of the recipes borrow from a variety of ethnic cuisines including Asian and Italian. The recipes strike a nice balance between being healthful and being indulgent.

It’s hard to put my finger on it, but it’s just one of those books that says “pick me up, invite your friends over and cook from me”. It also says, “pick me up and put me in someone’s Christmas stocking!!!”

If I’d had the time I would have happily tried about half the recipes but I managed to try two in time for this post.

The first was the incredible and life-changing (for me) Multigrain Bread on page 30. I adore ACE’s multigrain bread and buy it all the time. While I enjoy baking bread at home on occasion, I have had no luck with grain breads. I don’t know what my problem is. If the idea of integers didn’t send me into a cold sweat I’d express my rate of success with a negative number. That’s how bad it is.

When I first saw the recipe I flipped by it many times. But then I kept flipping back. Finally I was like, “no guts, no glory”, and I headed out to the nearest natural foods store to stock up on my supply of bulgur, rye flakes and untoasted buckwheat groats (a lot easier to find than one would think!). I made my starter and the following morning I was eating the most incredible grain bread. It will never be ACE’s grain bread but for homemade, it was really good. So I’d like to thank Linda and Devin for giving me that early Christmas gift.

The second recipe I tried was one of Devin’s: Baked Lemony Feta Cheese with Thyme, Rosemary and Black Pepper on page 51. I thought I had thyme in the refrigerator but as it turns out I didn’t. Surprisingly, we still have oregano fluorishing in our herb garden so I substituted some of that instead.

About three seconds after I had my first taste I pretty much decided that this is the appetizer of the year for me. It will be front and centre on Christmas Day when we serve nibbles before the big family meal. Delicious! Delicous! Delicous!

Just like the book.

A big thank you to Linda and Devin for thinking of me but more importantly, thank you for such a lovely book!

Ciao!