Name: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 h
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed; 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional); salt and pepper; 4 ounces cream cheese, softened; ½ cup crumbled blue cheese; 1 cup cheddar cheese; ½ cup ranch dressing; ½ cup hot sauce (I used Texas Pete)

My Favorite Halloween Candy (Friday List)

October 31, 2014

Everyone has a favorite Halloween candy, whether it’s a favorite because of taste or because of nostalgia. Here’s my top ten!

My favorite story about passing out candy at Halloween stems from a Halloween when I had absolutely no intention to pass out candy. I was home alone in my UTC campus apartment when someone brought what appeared to be a van load of children trick-or-treating in my complex. Um, really? Did no one ever tell you that college students have no money with which to buy candy? Anyway, something like fifteen kids came up to my third-floor apartment and starting banging on the door. And I didn’t answer. The only candy we had in the apartment were the caramel apple lollipops (my favorite Halloween candy at the time) I’d bought myself on my last grocery shopping trip, and I was NOT going to share them with trick-or-treaters. Until I saw tiny hands coming through my blinds. One of my roommates had left the window open. In the interest of not having tiny costumed bandits come in and find me hoarding my suckers, I opened the door and gave them my stash. My favorite Halloween candy – gone. Except that there weren’t enough (seriously, there were a ton of kids out there) so I had to resort to passing out peppermints. Yep. I was that lady. Serves them right for putting their hands through my blinds. As soon as they were gone you better believe I closed that window and got the heck out of Dodge before another band of candy-beggars came knocking.

When Philip and I got married, we bought candy for the first couple of Halloweens, but due to a lack of interest (i.e. five trick-or-treaters, leaving us with boatloads of candy that we ended up eating ourselves) we stopped on the third year. We buy candy for my sister’s kids and get out of the house basically as soon as they leave (though we have had to turn away trick-or-treaters who came while they were here, and I kind of felt like a heel). We stay gone until the danger of trick-or-treaters has passed.

Sometimes I just want to buy myself some Halloween candy. Here is a list of my favorite Halloween candy!

10. Nestle Crunch

Adding crisp rice to a plain old chocolate candy bar makes it at least 1,000 times better. Nestle Crunch is the standard, but I always thought that there were never enough Krackels in the Hershey’s mix bag. Who’s with me?

9. Kit Kat

I have a very specific way to eat these chocolate-covered wafers. First, I break one off; next, I daintily nibble the chocolate from the edges; last, I eat the chocolatey wafers. Then I repeat. Did you know that Kit Kats come in lots of different flavors? I’ve seen strawberry and green tea varieties at FYE and World Market. I’m not sure why I’ve never tried them!

8. Twix

How could you go wrong with a cookie bar draped in caramel and dipped in chocolate? There’s just something about the crispness of the cookie with the chewy-ish caramel and the swathe of chocolate. I was always fascinated by the pictures and videos of people breaking Twix bars in half, a sheath of caramel temptingly spreading out. It never happened in real life, not that it mattered. It all ended up in the same place.

7. Snickers

I really have a thing for chocolate and caramel. Add nougat and peanuts into the mix and you have a recipe for perfection. I haven’t had a full-sized Snickers in years…fun-sized is enough. Unless you are chopping it up and whirling it up in a Blizzard, then all bets are off. Mmmm, Snicker’s Blizzard….

6. Gummi Savers

Did you know that Gummi Savers are manufactured right here in Chattanooga? It’s true. Just last month, some guy stole part of the equipment used in the manufacturing process, shutting down production for a while. Which is crazy because I hear that they already have a hard time keeping up with demand! I completely understand why. I can’t buy them, because I will eat every. last. one. No matter what size the package.

5. M&M Minis

Do they even make these any more? I found several links for them, but interestingly none of them were the official M&Ms website. Hmmmm. I don’t know what it is about M&M Minis, but for some reason I found them more satisfying than regular M&Ms. I think it was the way they crunched (seriously!). I love the tubes, but I really loved when they were sold by the bag in the baking aisle (with the chocolate chips). Probably a good thing I can’t find those any more.

4. Junior Mints

Junior Mints make me think of my grandmother, who used to always have them around. I love anything that combines chocolate and mint, and Junior Mints are a perfect balance of dark chocolate and oozy creamy mint. I want some right now.

3. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Like caramel and mint, peanut butter pairs perfectly with chocolate. I love the savoriness of the peanut butter contrasted with the sweetness of the chocolate, though my favorite part is the thick, crinkly edges, which I like to eat first.

2. Peppermint Patty

My mom had some Peppermint Patties at her house last week and I brought a few home. Ever since then I’ve been wanting to buy a bag to keep at the house, but for some reason I haven’t. Maybe I need to remedy that. I like the mini ones….for some reason the big ones seem cloying, even though I could probably eat enough minis to equal a full-sized one. Anyway, again…the dark chocolate with the mint is a perfect combination, and they’re even better straight from the freezer.

1. Reese’s Pumpkins

That’s right. I mentioned Reese’s cups above and now I’m mentioning Reese’s Pumpkins separately. There is something about Reese’s Pumpkins that I think is even better than Reese’s Cups. They are definitely my favorite Halloween candy – I think it’s the chocolate to peanut butter ratio. It’s not just the pumpkins, though. I look forward to Reese’s hearts, eggs, and Christmas trees all year too, though I usually only eat maybe one of each. I guess I need to find a pumpkin!

What’s your favorite Halloween candy?

Best Bars in Chattanooga

October 10, 2014

What do you think are the best bars in Chattanooga? Guest poster Carmen joins us today to tell us her favorite drink spots in town!

Let’s all take a second to welcome my new guest poster, Carmen Patty, to the Chattavore party! Carmen is a local realtor and, like me, a Chattanooga native. She used to write her own blog as well. She’ll be writing some restaurant posts too, but for her first posts, Carmen has named her top ten best bars in Chattanooga!

As a twenty-something, I can still remember those natty light nights and plastic vodka cocktails in college. I think those nights shaped me into the food snob I am today. Instead of choking down the taaka, I think cocktails should be relished and enjoyed. Below are my favorite places to get the drinks you want to remember, not those you hope to forget!

10. Terra Mae Appalachian Bistro

TerraMae is probably the hippest and most interesting place in town. Their farm-to-table fare extends to their cocktail menu with most of their garnishes coming from their local farm. Nestled in the lobby of the Stone Fort Inn, TerraMae’s bar feels more like an upscale library than a traditional bar. You can try things at Terramae you will not experience anywhere else in the city. Since I am a fan of bubbles, my favorite is their French 75. While it is a classic cocktail, TerraMae makes it just right.

9. Hennen’s

Hennen’s patio offers a close second to my people-watching perch at Easy. If the weather is bad, their bar is the epitome of an upscale steakhouse bar. It is dark with a granite countertops and mahogany leather stools. The selection of whiskey is astounding and their staff is some of the most knowledgeable in town. The best thing to get at Hennen’s is a glass of wine from their extensive and impressive list. I love the Martin Codax Albarino!

8. Beast + Barrel

Beast + Barrel is the new Frazier Avenue establishment that is a much needed stylish and tasty hangout for the Northshore. They offer a multitude of interesting drinks and wines on tap. My favorite is the Smoke on the Water. Made with whiskey, Pimms, Brandy, maple syrup, and bitters, it is the most unique cocktail I have ever tried. It has hints of smoke, sweetness, and spice. It is definitely a must try!

7. Urban Stack

Urban Stack prides itself on its whiskey prowess and with good reason. They know how to mix some whiskey! My favorites are their strawberry and basil flavored Strawberry Blonde and their citrusy High Tea. The High Tea offers the best “bang for your buck” especially when it is half priced on their High Tea Tuesdays, but the Strawberry Blonde is just the right amount of herbal and sweet. You can find Urban Stack’s entire bar menu on their website.

6. The Boathouse

When thinking of The Boathouse, the first things that come to mind are probably oysters and the insane views of the Tennessee River. While those two things are great reasons to go to The Boathouse, their Lawton Rita is just as good a reason! It is the best margarita I have ever had! They use only top shelf liquor and instead of serving it frozen or on rocks, they shake it like a martini and serve it up in a large martini glass. Delicious!!

5. Flying Squirrel Bar

The Flying Squirrel has been the place to go for nights out since its opening in Spring 2013. With its sustainable and gorgeous building, large patio and upstairs lounge, it offers a landing place for every mood. My favorite cocktail at The Flying Squirrel is their infused lemonade with their house made strawberry vodka. While I usually shy away from sweet drinks, this one has enough of a kick to make it refreshing, not cloying. If craft beer is more your jam, you’re bound to find a new favorite here. You can find Flying Squirrel Bar’s entire drink menu on their website.

4. The Social

Whether you are in their private room, or are just standing at the bar, the service at The Social is almost as impeccable as their drinks. Their cocktails are a bit pricey, but their house made pineapple-infused gin is unbelievable, especially when added to their lemonade and with a garnish of mint.

3. Chato Brasserie

Chato is one of the few upscale eateries that manages to pull off the neighborhood hangout vibe while maintaining their consistent excellence. The food is incredible and thanks to their resident bartender, LT, the drinks shine just as brightly. Whether you’re ordering their signature Moscow Mule or you ask LT to create a tailor-made drink for you, it is always the right amount of sweet and smooth. If you’re looking for something that is practically a dessert with a buzz, order the Lindy Lou. It is a decadent chocolate martini that you’ll keep thinking of hours after it’s gone!

2. St. John’s Meeting Place

When you walk into St. John’s Meeting Place you feel like you have taken a departure from Chattanooga and have landed in a swanky big-city restaurant. With its dim lighting, buzz of trendy music, and sumptuous leather sofas, The Meeting Place is equal parts chic and inviting. It also offers one of the best happy hours in town because a place that can be a bit too pricey for an average weekday becomes the perfect spot for after work drinks. From 5-7 you can get a $15 bottle of Prosecco and various $5 drinks and discounted small plates. My favorite drink is their West Egg. It is a delicious concoction made from lime sour, bitters, gin, and topped off with a splash of Malbec.

1. Easy Bistro

Whenever the weather is nice, you can find me at Easy Bistro perched on their patio. One of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is to sit and people watch with cocktails. Chattanooga’s vibrant downtown scene is so much fun to spy on! The best thing about the bar at Easy is that you can ALWAYS trust what the bartenders there suggest. No matter what your “usual” is, Easy will make it and make it better and more interesting than you’ve ever had before. My go-to at Easy is their Violet. It’s a deliciously light sparkling cocktail with a hint of Rothman & Winter’s Crème de Violette. Not only is it tasty, but I feel like such a lady sipping on a drink with a flower garnish! You can find Easy Bistro’s cocktail list on their website.

Tell me below – what do YOU think are the best bars in Chattanooga?

Friday List: My Top Ten Things to Eat in Chattanooga (right now, anyway)

September 26, 2014

As I was making this list, I realized something about myself. While I love “fine dining” restaurants, I love to throw down some bar food. It’s my favorite, you guys. I’d much rather have a burger or some hand-cut fries in a super-cas atmosphere than to make a reservation. There are some really fantastic places serving some really great food around Chattanooga. Here are my top ten things to eat in Chattanooga.

10. The Rainbow Sandwich from Purple Daisy Cafe

Pimento cheese, chicken salad, and cucumber spread piled onto four slices of bread-two white, two wheat-cut and arranged into a checkerboard pattern? When I first heard tell of this sandwich, I thought it sounded a little weird, but one of the colleagues I was dining with went for it and as soon as I saw it I was sold. There is just something about this combination that works. I’ve never been able to bring myself to order anything else from Purple Daisy since. Rainbow sandwich with hash brown casserole for the win, yo.

9. Frites & Fritessaus from Good Dog

Like I said (and you know, if you’ve read my blog for any length of time) I can scarf some handcut fries. If you put them in a paper cone and put them in a special holder cut right into my table then offer me a variety of dipping sauces, I’m sold. If one of those dipping sauces is a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce, I might even clean your house if you’ll give me some of them. I love the dogs at Good Dog but I could really subsist on the frites.

8. Gelato from Milk & Honey

Okay, I’m not going to lie. Nana’s Frozen Custard was always my favorite. But Nana’s is gone now, and someone has to fill the void. Luckily for me, Milk & Honey is here to take their place. I’ve always been a fiend for gelato, which is basically a milk-based Italian style ice cream. Milk & Honey has a glorious ever-rotating selection and every time I go in there I want to dive into the cooler and wade around in it. Thankfully they allow you to choose up to three varieties of gelato to go into your cup, because I can never choose just one. It’s creamy perfection.

7. Apple Pie Soda or Café Cola from Pure Sodaworks

Let me take a minute to lament the passing of the Pure Sodaworks physical location that left Coolidge Park earlier this year. It’s not that I’m not happy for my soda-slinging friends, who have moved on to the big world of bottling and distribution, but I’m sad for myself that I can’t drop in anytime for a freshly-drawn soda (lavender-mint was my #1 favorite) and I’m not a fan of the Chattanooga Market (too crowded). However, I can still drop in to Grocery Bar for a bottle of my faves, Apple Pie (which actually tastes just like apple pie) and Café Cola, (which is made with Velo Coffee). It’s one of my favorite weekend treats. I didn’t have a picture of a bottle, so here’s a photo of a couple of their fountain sodas…

6. Pomme Tots from The Honest Pint

Yes, I know they’re just tater tots fried in duck fat. But oh my goodness, they’re tater tots fried in duck fat. And they’re served with curry ketchup, sriracha mayo, and garlic aioli, all made in house. We can’t resist ordering them every. single. time. we go to The Pint, then we save the sauces to dip our chips into. The duck fat definitely takes the flavor and the texture of the tots over the top, and the sauces are amazing. The garlic aioli is my favorite, by the way.

5. Pimento Cheese & Fried Okra Appetizer from 1885 Grill

Okay, you might notice a pattern. I’m basically obsessed with pimento cheese. The pimento cheese at 1885 is wonderfully creamy and very similar to what I make at home. The fried okra is some of the best I’ve had. 1885 is one of the few restaurants that actually breads their own okra, and it’s perfection. The two together is irresistible.

4. The Ryan House Burger from Main Street Meats

So, um, you guys. This burger. Grass-fed beef, dry-aged in house, seared in a cast-iron skillet and served on a Niedlov’s bun (made next door) with Gruyere cheese, mayo and whole grain mustard, house bacon, and caramelized onions? You order it up and eat it at their little bar while you watch the goings-on at the firehouse across the street. Main Street Meats has the burger arts down to a science. You don’t need chips, you don’t need ketchup, you just need this burger. Some days they serve the Simon, which has house pastrami on it. Philip went there without me once and ordered it. I considered not speaking to him for the remainder of the week.

3. Pot Roast Nachos from The Terminal

I’ve never ordered anything that I didn’t like from the menu at The Terminal BrewHouse, but I’m glad they brought these nachos back (apparently they took them off the menu for a while?). Fresh, hot chips topped with maple chipotle pot roast, queso, red onions (that, yes, I pick around), tomatoes, and cilantro. They’re meant to be an appetizer, which implies sharing, but I always order them as my meal and yes, I eat the whole thing. I didn’t have a picture, but my friend Chastity sent me one a couple of days after I first posted this!

2. White Cupcakes from Federal Bake Shop

Federal Bake Shop has been around in Chattanooga since 1921. When I was a kid, it was located in Northgate Mall. When I was in high school, my best friend and I called it the Fed and regularly went there to order cupcakes. As a reader said, I’m not sure why cupcake shops can even stay open in Chattanooga when we have Federal Bake Shop around. Their cake is perfectly white and deliciously moist, the icing is sweet (I used to think too sweet, but I got over that) and not piled six inches high-just enough to have a taste in every bite. By the way, I hear that their cookie cakes kick all other cookie cakes’ butts. Everything I’ve ever had from there has been amazing. Why have I not written about them yet? Oh yeah….because I’d spend half a month’s salary buying all the goodies I want to sample.

1. Pimento Cheese & Fried Pickles Appetizer from Public House

Yep, pimento cheese. One more time. After I spent six months studying for my BCBA exam, I had to go to Public House to celebrate finally getting the exam out of the way in February. Why? Pimento cheese and fried pickles. Pimento cheese and fried pickles are two of my very favorite foods, and when you make the best possible versions of those foods and serve them with grilled sourdough bread so they can all be piled together, you have hit a home fun in my book. I could eat this every day. It’s absolutely my favorite thing to eat in CHA.

Chattanoogans, what’s your favorite food to eat in local restaurants? If you’re from out of town, where would you tell me to go in your hometown?

Friday List: Top Ten Game Day Foods

September 19, 2014

September brings a lot of things: Fall, cooling temperatures (though it’s still been in the eighties and nineties here in Tennessee), in-season apples, and….football. I’ve actually started watching football (though not fanatically) the last few years but I have to admit that the Facebook deluge (around here’s it’s “Go Big Orange” everywhere) can be a little bit daunting at times. While we are casual spectators who don’t generally go to many football viewing parties, I have to admit that party snacks are one of my favorite things. Here’s a list of top game day recipes (with a recipe at the end). What’s your favorite?

10. Brownies

All right, game day snacks don’t usually revolve around sweets, but you have to have something to satisfy your sweet tooth after downing all the salty snacks, right? Brownies are perfect for the job: baked in one pan, hand-held, solid, substantial. I can’t think of a better game day dessert. If you make this recipe from Joy the Baker, you can have your beer and your brownies!

9. Pizza

Okay, pizza might seem like “the easy way out” for game day, but why not? Pizza is a crowd pleaser. Whether you’re topping your own, throwing out a couple of homemade gourmet pizzas (try my baked potato, white, or BLT pizzas), or just picking up a couple of Hot & Ready pies, you know that everyone is going to leave happy.

8. Chili

To me, there’s no recipe that defines Fall like a gigantic pot of chili. While I know that people in some parts of the country believe that chili is meat in a rich red sauce, but in these parts we put beans in ours. At any rate, you must serve your chili with Fritos, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Green onions and jalapeños don’t hurt either. I’ll be sharing my favorite recipe in a few weeks.

7. Jalapeño Poppers

Whether they’re fried, grilled, or baked, stuffed with cheddar cheese, cream cheese, or even pineapples, wrapped in bacon or not….jalapeño poppers are a perfect one-bite snack. If the jalapeños aren’t too spicy, I can eat a ton. You can buy them frozen or make them from scratch, and either way they’re fantastic. These “jalapeño thingies” from Pioneer Woman are making my mouth water as I type this.

6. Cheese Dip

You could stop at your favorite Mexican restaurant and pick up a vat of white queso dip and some fresh tortilla chips, or you could pick up some Gordo’s dip at the grocery store. Honestly, though, my favorite cheese dips are thick with melted cheddar or even Velveeta, with tomatoes and chilies and maybe some seasoned ground beef. Sometimes I even like to have this cheese dip for dinner (in fact, it’s on the menu tonight). Recipe tomorrow!

5. Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Spinach-artichoke dip was my first love on the appetizer menu. When my friends and I started hanging out at TGIFriday’s (this makes me laugh) in college I fell hard for their spinach-artichoke dip, made with creamy alfredo sauce and just a little bit of spice. These days, of course, I like to make my own so that I can chop up the artichokes just the way I want and put in as much cheese as humanly possible. I could eat spinach-artichoke dip every day. I also love the cold spinach dip made with Knorr vegetable soup mix. Here’s a copycat recipe of the TGIFriday’s spinach-artichoke dip that first reeled me in.

4. Nachos

The great thing about nachos is that you can pretty much put anything on top of them. What’s in the fridge? Ground beef? Chicken? Beans? Leftover vegetables? Cheese dip or grated cheese? It doesn’t matter. Throw it on the nachos. You can assemble your nachos on the plate or carefully arrange toppings on each chip before baking…whatever you like. Nachos are a have-it-your-way kind of snack. I like these chicken chili nachos from Lucinda Scala Quinn.

3. Buffalo Wings

Admittedly wings are not my favorite. I like the flavors, but I find them to be a little cumbersome. I don’t mind messy food, but I can’t ever get much meat off of the wings. Also, I’m a little bit of a spice wuss so I have to have über-mild wings. Still, Buffalo wings rated pretty high on a survey that I did of my Facebook followers. Served with celery sticks and cooling ranch or blue cheese dressing, Buffalo wings are a game day classic.

2. Chips & Salsa

Chips & salsa are so obvious. If you need a quick game day snack, you can just buy a bag and a jar and there you go. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can chop up your own ingredients or whiz them up in your blender (which is my MO). A few years back salsa surpassed ketchup as the number one condiment on tables in the US, and I’m sure that chips and salsa are by and large the top use for salsa. While I usually make my salsa “classic” (with tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños), I also love tomatillo or pineapple salsas. With plenty of cilantro, always. What’s your favorite salsa? Here’s my favorite salsa (forgive the terrible pictures)!

1. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Hands-down, without a doubt, Buffalo chicken dip was the number one favorite among my Facebook followers. All the flavors of a Buffalo wing (and then some) without the mess or the unwieldy bones? Yes please. I’ve done a baked version before, but for today I wanted to throw out an easy slow cooker adaptation. The entire recipe can be made in your Crock-Pot, and with three cheeses this recipe is rich, just spicy enough, and perfect on a chip or a celery stick. Here’s a version of Buffalo wings from Simply Recipes-you can always count on Elise Bauer for great recipes!

Mary

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

15 minPrep Time:

5 hrCook Time:

5 hr, 15 Total Time:

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Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
½ cup ranch dressing
½ cup hot sauce (I used Texas Pete)

Instructions

Preheat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken for two minutes on each side (this step is optional but definitely adds flavor to the chicken).
Place the chicken into a 2-4 quart slow cooker. Cook over 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Drain away the liquid and shred the chicken.
Mix in the cream cheese, ¼ cup blue cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, and hot sauce. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and blue cheese over the top. Cook on high for one hour or low for two hours. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers, or carrot/celery sticks.

Notes

The cook time listed is for high heat. If you cook on low heat, the cook time is 10 hours.

https://chattavore.com/friday-list-top-ten-game-day-foods/

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Friday List: My Top Ten Cookbooks & a Chocolate Milkshake

September 12, 2014

Cookbooks? I have a few. Actually, I go through cookbooks like most people go through underwear. Okay, like I go through underwear too. I have favorites, though. Here they are:

10. Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach

Jenny records all of her dinners in a journal. She’s done this for years and years. For her, dinner is about family, about being home to eat dinner with her children every night. She and her husband tag team their meals and have created a great collection of go-to dinners as well as an impressive collection of more adventurous dinners. She provides “deconstruction” strategies for families with picky eaters. She also writes a great narrative about how the eating habits of families change as children get older. Her blog is just as good as her book (and she recently released a second cookbook, Dinner: The Playbook, which I haven’t read yet).

9. The 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook by Lisa Leake

Okay, so I just got this cookbook a week and a half ago, but I’ve already made several recipes from it. I can tell it’s going to be a great resource for me as I work (and you all know that it’s a constant growing process) to eat better. The book details how Lisa’s family went from eating a fairly typical American diet to eating a diet free of highly processed foods (I use the term highly processed because, as Lisa points out, cooking is form of processing too) as well as tips for implementing a real food plan of your own. There are recipes for every meal of the day, including a school lunch-packing chart. That alone might be enough for all you lunch-packing parents to go out and pick this book up! Of course, you can find tons of recipes and info on the 100 Days of Real Food blog as well.

8. Ratio by Michael Ruhlman

With Ruhlman’s ratios, you can cook just about anything. Local Milk once referred to the ratios as a talisman, and I have to say I agree with her. You can multiply or divide the amounts according to how much you need and add flavoring as you see fit. The book touches on baking, pasta, sauces, and custards. The cover of the book is a handy little chart of all the ratios and you can adjust which flours, fats, liquids, and flavorings you use-just don’t change the ratios. It couldn’t be more simple. One of these days I hope to commit the ratios to memory, but sadly it hasn’t happened yet (maybe I should just print a copy of the cover and hang it in my kitchen?).

7. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller (with Michael Ruhlman)

Chef Thomas Keller is the infamous proprietor of the French Laundry, Bouchon, and ad hoc. The Yountville, California-based ad hoc features a set menu of Keller’s classed-up versions of home cooking-fried chicken, beef stroganoff, and the like for around $50 a head. Now, if you all are like me, you’re probably not going to be paying $50 per person for dinner very often….but you can make it for yourself. Ad Hoc at Home is beautifully designed and photographed. It’s a gigantic book, as all of Keller’s are, but worth every centimeter it takes up on my shelf just so that I can get Keller’s take on chicken & dumplings and read his very touching account of planning and cooking his father’s last dinner.

6. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle

When I saw this 1967 copy of Julia Child’s magnus opum on the shelf of a used bookstore that Philip and I used to frequent, I knew that we were meant to be together. If it weren’t for Julia, I have no doubt that the world of cookbooks, blogs, and food television would be different today. She defined modern home cooking, at least in my opinion. Julia, Simca (as she called her friend), and Louisette penned a definitive book on French cooking that still holds up today. Julia worked exhaustively to make sure that the book was set up in an attractive way that was friendly to the servantless home cook (her words) and she accomplished just that.

5. The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

The Lee Bros. are real, true Southerners. That’s the most important factor when you write a cookbook about Southern food. They approach it with great reverence, as opposed to just writing some drivel about how all Southerners eat is fried chicken. You guys know how I hate that. They really get down to the roots of Southern cooking, telling real stories about real people and places (particularly South Carolina, from whence they hail) and history of Southern cuisine. The cookbook is huge. It’s definitely my Southern cooking reference of choice.

4. Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn

When I started watching Mad Hungry on the Hallmark Channel a few years back I had no clue who Lucinda Scala Quinn was. Turns out LSQ is one of Martha’s people-her executive food editor, to be exact. One must be good to get that job, so I was sold. I loved Lucinda’s easy approach to cooking for her family (her husband and three sons). Her food was flavorful and accessible. When I got her cookbook, I fell in love with many of the recipes. My cream cheese pie crust is adapted from Mad Hungry, and I haven’t found a pancake recipe that I love more than hers. Sadly, her show doesn’t air on Hallmark anymore (though I don’t have cable so I couldn’t watch it anyway) but you can catch clips on YouTube.

3. My Good Eats Collection by Alton Brown

Most of you that have been reading Chattavore for a while know that Alton is my cooking idol. He actually comes to Chattanooga for events from time to time and I keep wishing that someone would say, “Oh, hey Alton! There’s this really cool food blogger chick that lives here. She is totally obsessed with Good Eats, but not in a creepy way. We should totally invite her to our event. For free.” It hasn’t happened yet, but I am confident that it will. Anyway, Good Eats Volume I: the Early Years, Volume 2: The Middle Years, and Volume 3: The Later Years provide science, history, flavor, and practicality info. Good Eats was the show that made me love Food Network. If you read the books, you’ll understand why.

2. My America’s Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated Collection

Every recipe ever. And test to the nth degree. If you want a perfect, well-tested recipe along with recommendations for the best equipment and ingredients to use, you will definitely want to purchase some Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen books. I have Cook’s Illustrated New Best Recipe, The America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook seasons 1-10, and Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book. I couldn’t pick a favorite. I love them all equally. Why do I love Cook’s Illustrated and ATK so much? Because they take the time to diligently test every recipe….over, and over, and over….until they find the perfect ingredients and techniques to make the best dish you could hope for. Also, America’s Test Kitchen has single-handedly satisfied my cable-less self’s need for food television. God bless them.

1. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
So, not very surprisingly, my favorite blogger is also my favorite cookbook author. I preordered The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook from Amazon and since I’m a Prime subscriber I got the book in the mail on the day it was released. I don’t even remember how far ahead I ordered it, but it was a long time and I was on pins and needles until it arrived. I then proceeded to read the book cover to cover three times in two weeks (because I read cookbooks as if they are novels). I couldn’t put it down. Even after I did put it down, I couldn’t stop cooking from it. I have probably made more recipes from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook than I ever have from any other cookbook. White bean and pancetta pot pies, Passover brisket, apple cake, French toast casserole, and my obsession: salted brown butter Rice Krispie treats. Those are just a few of the recipes that I’ve made from Deb’s book. And she’s publishing another-amen and amen.

Also, today is National Chocolate Milkshake Day! Philip and I like our milkshakes bitter with as much malt powder as you can possibly dissolve in them. I know a lot of people that can’t stand malt. It’s all personal taste, of course. I was hoping to find a recipe for a chocolate milkshake in one of the aforementioned cookbooks, but can you believe there were none to be found? So, I give you my own recipe (if you can really call it a recipe).

What say you-malt or no malt?

Mary

Yield: 2 shakes

Chocolate Milkshake (Malt or No Malt)

5 minPrep Time:

5 minTotal Time: