I recently read the most charming memoir/cookbook about raising chickens for the sole purpose of having your own fresh eggs. Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes by Janice Cole is a must-read for anyone who has ever considered raising chickens or is simply enamored with the idea of it. The author tells her delightful journey of raising a few chickens in her backyard in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota. We’re talking urban chickens here…not a farm.

The delicious chicken and egg recipes are a complete bonus, too! Dishes like: Morning Eggs on Mushroom-Bacon Hash, Chicken and Vegetable Stew over Parmesan Polenta, Cheddar Dill Chicken Cobbler, Holiday Roast Chicken with Cranberry-Fig Stuffing, Pumpkin Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce, Bittersweet Fudge Pound Cake, and many more wonderful recipes that feature chicken and eggs.

Tags: Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes, cookbook, Janice Cole, raising chickens, tips on raising chickens, urban chickens

Because trivial facts and information can be a great addition to any conversation, here’s some frivolous knowledge that will certainly impress your friends:

• The ancient Romans often paid their taxes in honey.
• Pound cake received its name from the one-pound quantities of the main ingredients — sugar, butter, eggs, and flour — used in the original recipe.
• Almonds are members of the peach family.
• The largest fruit crop on earth is grapes — followed by bananas.
• Pepper is the top-selling spice in the world. The second is mustard.
• In 1867, Napoleon III commanded chemists to produce a special kind of food for the army and navy. It was margarine.
• A can of Spam is opened every four seconds.
• It takes seventy-five thousand crocus flowers to produce one pound of saffron — which is why it is the most expensive spice in the world.
• Wild rice is not rice but a coarse annual grass that grows in shallow water or marshland.

-from The Ultimate Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham & The Useless Information Society

Tags: Fun Food Facts, The Ultimate Book of Useless Information

With Summer and Father’s Day almost upon us, I thought I’d recommend a few grilling cookbooks that I use frequently. Any of these cookbooks would make a great gift for the Grill Master or the Father in your life, or buy them for yourself (like I did)!

Weber’s Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance
This cookbook is filled with over 200 original recipes (each with a color photo) that were inspired by grilled foods all over the world. The recipes are easy and delicious, such as Filet Mignon with Lemon-Parsley Butter, Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Cedar-Planked Salmon with Honey-Lime dressing, Smoky Sweet Baked Beans and many more.

Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Grilling
More than 130 recipes from around the world (each with a photo), like Carne Asada with Blackened Corn, Hickory Grill-Smoked Chicken, Cilantro Pesto Shrimp, Mixed Grill of Summer Vegetables, etc. This is a beautiful cookbook!

BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen
This cookbook has 425 recipes from all across America. There are black and white photos throughout the cookbook but none of the individual recipes. Here’s a smattering of some of the recipes: Big Easy Barbecued Turkey, Tangerine Teriyaki Chicken, Cincinnati Chili Dogs, Apple City Championship Ribs, Santa Maria Tri-Tip with All the Fixin’s, Grilled Caesar Salad, Charred Vegetable Salsa, and the list goes on and on.

Note: If you click on the title of the cookbook, the link takes you straight to Amazon.com. Pretty handy, huh!

Tags: bbq, cookbooks, Father's Day gift, Grilling/BBQ, Summer

Whether you’re a Thanksgiving novice or an old pro, it’s always nice to have a few new recipes to inspire you for this traditional feast. Here’s a few cookbooks that have helped me:

Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers

Thanksgiving 101 is a practical guide to creating this iconic meal. Cooking teacher and author Rick Rodgers (also known as “Mr. Thanksgiving”) has put together a collection of his favorite traditional recipes, organizational tips and menus. No photos.

Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

This complete Thanksgiving guide is sure to inspire you with it’s beautiful color photographs, recipes, menus, and detailed work plans to help you get organized. Also included are ideas and step-by-step instructions for decorating your home and table.

The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

Oregon cookbook author and cooking teacher Diane Morgan has filled this cookbook with delicious recipes, menus, pretty photos, and organizational tips to help you create a memorable Thanksgiving meal.

Tags: cookbooks, menus, Recipes, table decorations, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers, The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan, Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

From Portland’s Palate, A Collection of Recipes from the City of Rosesis a compilation of recipes from The Junior League of Portland, Oregon. Some recipes showcase Pacific Northwest ingredients (Northwest Salmon Cakes with Mustard Sauce, Dungeness Crab Fondue, Blackberry-Apple Crunch) while other recipes are more global (Far East Noodles, Cilantro Chicken, Turkish Swordfish).  My favorite recipe in the book  is Grilled Citrus Salmon. I’ve made this delicious salmon many times and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.

The Table of Contents includes: Appetizers & Beverages; Salads & Dressings; Breads & Muffins; Soups & Sandwiches; Vegetables & Side Dishes; Eggs, Cheese & Pasta; Beef, Pork & Lamb; Poultry & Game; Seafoods & Sauces; Cakes & Pastries. While there aren’t any food photographs gracing the pages of the cookbook, there are pretty watercolor illustrations of some Portland landmarks and scenery. This cookbook would make a great gift for someone who lives in the Pacific NW, has visited the area or just wants a good, solid cookbook.

Tags: cookbook, Junior League of Portland Oregon, Portland's Palate

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten is filled with wonderful recipes and beautiful photographs. Garten, who used to own the East Hampton specialty food store The Barefoot Contessa, shares catering secrets and time-saving tips for making uncomplicated but delicious recipes at home.

A few of my favorite recipes include: Fresh Corn Salad, Szechuan Noodles, Perfect Roast Chicken, Outrageous Brownies, and Coconut Cupcakes, but there are many, many others. Recipes that I’m looking forward to trying are: Lobster Potpie, Indonesian Ginger Chicken, Caramelized Butternut Squash, Maple Oatmeal Scones, and Chocolate Buttercream Cake. The cookbook is broken down into the following chapters: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Dinner, Vegetables, Desserts, Breakfast. 256 pages, published in 1999.

Tags: cookbook review, From My Bookshelf, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook