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This week at Blisstree, we are giving you the opportunity to win two fabulous cookbooks from the Hachette Book Group. The first is How to Roast a Lamb (ISBN: 9780316041218, $35.00/$43.00). This book is from the self-taught chef and co-owner of several Mediterranean restaurants, Michael Psilakis. Enjoy recipes from his restaurants and his home in his much-anticipated first cookbook. Learn to make these terrific Greek recipes, which are healthful, affordable and satisfying for the whole family.
Image: Hachette Book Group
The second is Chocolate: A Love Story (ISBN: 9780316056625 $29.99/$35.99). The vibrant new cookbook features 65 original chocolate recipes from Max Brenner. Brenner is the famous ‘bald man’ from the Chocolate by the Bald Man themed restaurants. The restaurants feature giant vats of chocolate and amazing desserts like chocolate pizza. This book is a must-have for any choco-holic.
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment here with one cooking or entertaining tip. You can also earn an entry by Tweeting this post and leaving the link to your Tweet in the comments.
The contest runs through Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 11:59pm ET. We will select two random winners from all the comments. Each winner will receive BOTH books. Winners must be US or Canadian residents. No PO Boxes please.
My tip is to buy things when they are on sale.
My cooking tip is to keep a well-stocked pantry.
I like making my desserts one day in advance and add toppings before serving :)
Hit garlic with a knife to quickly get the peel off.
My best entertaining tip is to make as much as you can ahead of time, and let people help! If they ask, let them!
We actually send out a menu when we are planning a get together… Most of the time it’s just friends or family so it’s a more relaxed atmosphere anyway but it’s always good to know they people LIKE what they are eating… I dislike it when we go somewhere and there is nothing I would eat… Plus we always offer a nice varity of things..
When entertaining friends it always good to plan the meal ahead so you can make sure you have everything needed and don’t have to run for this and run for that…
Prepare as much of the food that you can the day before the party!
Use fresh herbs as often as possible!
Tweet!
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If you are having company, try and prepare as much of the food as you can ahead of time . This way you can spend more time with your guests instead of in the kitchen.
To fix bitter-tasting burnt chocolate, dissolve 1 tsp.cocoa powder and 1 tsp. sugar in 1/4 cup of hot water. Stir into 4 ozs. burnt chocolate until blended. If chocolate is extremely bitter, add 1 tsp. instant coffee granules to make a mocha-flavored chocolate
Always, ALWAYS plan ahead. It allows you to do a lot of pleasant touches. One thing I like to do is put martini glasses in the freezer so they are frosty when it comes to making drinks.
When you schedule a party, schedule someone to come in that day for a few hours to take care of last minute clean up. This will free you up to concentrate on the food and decorations, and you’ll have a lot less stress to overcome.
Plan a meal that does not require a lot of last minute preparation. After all, you want to enjoy the meal and have time to spend with your family and guests.
Make sure your yeast and spices are not out of date. Fresh is always best
Always leave the dishes until after the guests leave.
dreamcleavers@yahoo.com
for a more flavorful turkey brine it
If you’re not sure when your family or guests are going to arrive, crock-pot recipes are your savior. They give you a couple hours’ flexibility on meal start time.
I always try to use as fresh ingredients as possible, including my herbs.