Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was the first American to write a recipe for ice cream? Did you know that Mrs. Hill’s New Cook Book was the major southern cookbook published in the aftermath of the Civil War?  If not, you definitely need to read American Food Writing: An Anthology With Classic Recipes.  This is an excellent collection of essays, anecdotes, and recipes that span over three centuries (and yes, some of the old recipes aren’t too bad either!).  There is really interesting chapter on the thirteen course meal (I am still trying to figure out how to eat that much and can you imagine the dishes?!?).  There are more than 50 recipes that range from vintage (like the Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream recipe) to modern (like Lady Bird’s Pedernales Chili). Some surprising authors that are included in here are Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman, Thomas Wolfe, Willa Cather, and Langston Hughes.  Who knew they all were interested in food?  Chefs and critics discuss culinary philosophies and offer advice on the finer points of techniques too. This is a must have for all foodies.

You have to get the Mama says, “No More Frozen Pizza!” cookbook. This is the coolest cookbook I have ever owned. This cookbook has 24 nutritious recipes that are designed for new cooks! Now, the first thing that makes this cookbook unique is that it is in the shape of an order out pizza box. It looks like a pizza. When you open the box, you will be for a surprise. I know I was! Each recipe is on paper that is shaped like a pizza (circle). You can easily go in there and grab the recipe you want. The first thing you see is a picture of a pizza. When you flip it over, there is a nice little forward about the book. Plus, there is also some advice: “All we ask is that you wipe off the recipe cards before you store them, do the dishes within one week’s time, and send a “thank you” not to whomever sent you this recipe box. Oh, and call your mother once in awhile”.
Now, each recipe card is pretty unique. There is a picture one side of the card, and all of the recipes look absolutely delicious. When you flip the card over, it tells you what the recipe is, how long it takes to make, and how many it will feed. They also have an ingredient list, how to make list (preparation), and equipment. I have to giggle that under equipment they include things like a can opener, large knife, and large frying pan with lid.

There are several awesome recipes we will trying this next week are Dad’s Special Meat Loaf, Italian Roasted Potatoes, and Southwest Chicken Soup. These easy to make recipes are perfect for new cooks (and not so new cooks) with limited time and limited budgets.

I have been debating on which blog I should give a copy of this book away on.  However, since this blog mainly focuses on food, I decided this one. 

Food Fights is a great book that talks about the food issues most of use have at our dinner tables each and every day.  It is about which battles are worth fighting over and which are not.  It also has some great advice on what to do with certain behaviors like thowing food.  There is even a section about the 5 second rule!  As a parent, this is must read.

Sounds like something you’d be interested in?  Well, I have a copy that I will be giving away to one of my lucky readers!  What do you have to do?

1. Leave a comment on this post. I want to know why you would want this book.
2. Twitter about this contest. Please leave me your username so I can verify.
3. Stumble this post. If you don’t know what Stumble Upon is, please read Lori’s post at Blogging Cents. She explains it extremely well.
4. Add this post to other social media sites like Digg, Kirtsy, Blogging Zoom, Reddit, Propeller, Etc.

For 5 additional entries,

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Good luck! This contest will end November 16, 2008 at 11:59 PM CST and is for US residents only.