Historic restaurants beginning to re-open

Featured in Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona, we are pleased to see Rock Springs Cafe opening up. Great pies, great food. Some delicious recipes and fascinating history from Rock Springs can be found in Tastes & Treasures. www.HistoricalLeague.org/shop.aspx

Lon's at Hermosa Inn re-orders Tastes & Treasures II

Find fine dining along with Tastes & Treasures II cookbook at Lon's. They keep re-ordering the book. Norma Hinton dressed in proper western attire to deliver another box of books to Melanie Volker at Lon's! 
Note the artwork from Lon Megargee in the background.

Reviews of Tastes & Treasures II

Wonderful comments are coming in about Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona.

I received mine yesterday! Can’t wait to get started trying the recipes. Beautiful photos of the area...family histories behind some of the recipes and much more...truly a treasure chest! Cathy Soosi Poccia, Utica, N.Y.

"Got my book, went home, started around 12:30 pm and read it cover to cover. The dishes in the sink can wait.  Had hubby pick up dinner!" Julie M. Phoenix, AZ

"While the first cook book was extremely well done this one is even better. It is very professional looking, has some great stories and recipes.  We will be proud to give it as gifts".
Gerry and Peggy M., Phoenix, AZ

"I had a chance to sit down with the book this afternoon. It is truly exceptional! The cookbook committee must be so proud." from Anne L, Phoenix, AZ

“It is stunning. The photography, the layout, the cover…elegant and yet approachable.  And so many legacy recipes!  I am so proud to have gotten to be a part of it. Thank you.” Lisa Schnebly Heidinger, Phoenix, AZ

“We were hosting company last weekend and I made the most delicious meal from Tastes and Treasures II.  It was from the Harvey House Cafe at the Grand Canyon - their marinated grilled chicken and creamy rice. (p 59).  My husband said the meal tasted just like it came from a restaurant and I said, ‘It did!!!!’ Needless to say there were no leftovers!  I love that cookbook and can't wait to try more recipes.”  Thank you again.” Kim G., Scottsdale, AZ

"So happy to see you were able to do it (publish Volume II) again." Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore, Phoenix and Tempe

“I've never seen a more beautiful or useful Arizona cookbook -- Historical League's Tastes & Treasures II now available with beautiful hard cover and tons of photos, ring binder inside for easy use and page turning. Recipes from 24 Historic Venues, 28 Cherished local Legacies and 19 state Historymakers. A great find for any home cook or history buff.” Gifts to Go, Tammy Fraser, Surprise, AZ

January cookbook meeting

Filled with information, laughter and serious discussion, the January cookbook meeting was held at the AZ Heritage Center on Monday. So grateful to have this fabulous group working on Tastes & Treasures II, A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona.
We learned how to take credit card payments at special events, saw the Phoenix Home and Garden article, discussed future shows, inventory control, publicity, Feb 13 Statehood Day celebration at the museum, proofreading, funds raised, historic venues in the book, trademarking the title, stores, and more!

The Spicery in Our 1895 Home

Matt Borowski, owner of The Spicery

This fabulous Victorian home is so welcoming and when you smell the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen . . .

Cathy Shumard and Ruth McLeod met with owner Matt Borowski to discuss Tastes & Treasures Volume II, A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona. The 1895 home will make a lovely addition to the new cookbook.

The Glendale restaurant is undergoing a renovation this summer. Built as the Victor Messinger House, Matt has plans for an expanded outdoor patio. Can't wait to enjoy it's charm and also see the recipes Matt provides us!

Ruth McLeod and Cathy Shumard

Historical League tour of Glendale included a lovely lunch at "The Spicery in our 1895 Home".

Honorable Mention 2008 DIY Book Awards

Last year Ruth McLeod entered Tastes & Treasures in the DIY Book Awards. The cookbook has just won Honorable Mention in the 2008 DIY Book Awards Cookbook section.

Roast Beef Salad Recipe

Following the cookbook inventory, we shared a lunch prepared by Ruth McLeod. This delicious salad is a recipe from the Winter Lunch section in Tastes and Treasures, page 167.

Roast Beef Salad

Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/2 teaspoon sugar Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
1 1/2 pounds chilled roast beef, julienned
12 small fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 avocado, sliced

For the dressing, combine the olive oil, vinegar, cheese, parsley, Dijon mustard, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and seal tightly. Shake to combine. Chill in the refrigerator. Substitute Gorgonzola cheese for the blue cheese for a milder flavor.

For the salad, toss the roast beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichokes and avocado in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and mix until coated. You may serve on a bed of lettuce. Serves 6

2nd Printing of Tastes & Treasures

Tuesday morning, Ruth McLeod assembled a crew at the museum to unload a shipment of the 2nd edition of our cookbook. 2 pallets held boxes filled with a total of 2,000 books. A daunting task? Not so -- Mary Parker, Zona Lorig, Renee Donnelly, Terrie Sanford, Ruth Ann Hogan, Kay Holcombe, Jeannine Moyle, and Joan Robinson-Blumit cheerfully opened boxes; inspected books for quality; then re-sealed the boxes. Inventory numbers were assigned to the boxes, which were then moved into storage. The 830 originally printed cookbooks were moved from the storage area and transported to vehicles for storage at various members' homes or to taken to stores.

Ruth whipped up the Roast Beef Salad (recipe in above post) from Tastes & Treasures - for our lunch. Yum!

Tomorrow, 11/21 through 11/23, League members will be selling the cookbook at ArtFest in Scottsdale, which is held on the grassy area by the central library.

Recipes to Try

Zona Lorig recently made the Cashew Pea Salad on page 150 and reports that it's delicious.

The Arizona Date Cake, page 140, submitted by Betty Rhodes, the late Congressman John Rhodes’ wife, is the same recipe that Zona’s grandmother Edith Davis made and is wonderful. Her grandmother was born in Tombstone in 1885.

Salad Featured from Cookbook

Among the salads featured at our monthly luncheon/meeting this week was Curried Chicken Salad from Tastes & Treasures, page 151. Lindy Isaakson was our salad maker and she’s standing with Pam Ryan who helps organize the luncheons.

Curried Chicken Green Salad

½ cup olive oil 10 ounces fresh spring mix
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 Gala apples, chopped
1/4 cup chutney 3/4 cup golden raisins
1½ teaspoons curry powder 12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dry mustard 2 or 3 green onions with
½ teaspoon sugar tops, sliced
½ cup pecan halves,
toasted and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 whole chicken breasts, cooked
and chopped

Process the olive oil, vinegar, chutney, curry powder, dry mustard, sugar and salt in a blender until pureed. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator. Toss the chicken, spring mix, apples, raisins, mushrooms, green onions and pecans in a large salad bowl. Add the desired amount of dressing and mix well. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

FRP Cookbook University

Recently two League members, Ruth McLeod and Kay Holcombe, attended FRP Cookbook University. They met the president of FRP and what follows is from an email he sent to Ruth, complimenting Tastes & Treasures:

Ruth and Kay,

It was certainly a pleasure to meet both of you. When I originally reviewed a copy of Tastes & Treasures as it came off press I said, "These ladies understand the meaning of a community cookbook." Most people we deal with misunderstand the relevance of associating historical information through the subject of food. Tastes & Treasures is the best example of a true "community" cookbook that I have been associated with since the inception of the current Favorite Recipes Press model.

Your book is truly wonderful and it is THE sample reference I use 100% of the time to illustrate what the content of a "community" cookbook should be.

Thank you again for sharing in our Cookbook University experience; I hope you found the investment of your time worthwhile. Please say hello to my friends Gaye and Donna and keep me posted on your numerous success stories if marketing and selling Tastes & Treasures.
Dave Kempf
President
FRP Books, Inc.

Cookbook Recipes Served at League Meeting

We had our monthly meeting today, which always includes a salad/bread/dessert luncheon provided by the members. I'd volunteered to bring a salad. Being one who wants simplicity in my kitchen efforts, I looked in Tastes and Treasures and decided on what looked like an easy one to make: Romaine Salad with Two Cheeses (page 169). Plus it could be assembled up to 24 hours before serving. I could whip this together at midnight, if I wanted to. The recipe calls for romaine, Parmesan, Romano, avocado and green onions in an olive oil, lemon juice and Beau Monde seasoning blend. Beau Monde seasoning ... mmm.

Checking the spice aisles at 2 grocery stores revealed nothing so I got on the Internet to find out exactly what Beau Monde had in it. cdkitchen.com featured a recipe. Easy enough to mix, Beau Monde is a blend of cloves, cinnamon, salt, bay leaf, allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, mace, celery seed, and white pepper. But my spice rack only contains the basics like garlic powder. Back to the store.

I'd say it was worth the effort. It tasted great to me and the big bowl of a doubled recipe was empty so members must have found it to be pretty good, too. And I have a jar full of Beau Monde when I want to make the salad again.

April Riggins brought the Special Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 191.) She substituted the walnuts for pecans, but wow. Either way, they would have been delicious. The plate of 24 cookies disappeared fast. April said that she should have brought more because she had members saying that they were disappointed not to have had a chance to try them.