Cookbook Review on Amazon.com

Nice to know that Tastes & Treasures A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona is traveling around the globe. Here is a review posted on Amazon.com

"I've just returned from vacation in Arizona. I sampled a "taste" of this cookbook while visiting Karchner Caverns Gift Shop, and knew I had to have my own copy. Inside there are interesting stories about the various historic hotels and restaurants that feature recipe selections from their menu. There are also recipes from folks who have lived in Arizona, including Barry Goldwater, that met with rave reviews from patrons or family members. I tried a salmon recipe that was excellent, and plan on trying a good many more. The stories attached to each recipe(s) are also gems in their own right."

By Raphaela M. Consigli April 2009

Arrival of 3000 cookbooks

Friday was a big day with the delivery of 3,000 cookbooks from the FRP warehouse in Tennessee. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers on the cookbook committee, we inventoried, labeled boxes, checked for defects and stored all these books at the Museum. We are so grateful for the very industrious "worker bees". Pictured are Ruth McLeod, Jeannine Moyle, Ruth Ann Hogan, Carolyn Mendoza, Sharron McKinney and Linda Corderman.
Thank goodness Linda's daughter preprinted labels for all the boxes. Carolyn and Linda recorded each box into the filing system.

Next step - Sell books.

Betsy Davis Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

Can't you just smell that wonderful aroma of lemon bars baking in the oven?

Betsy Davis is great about contributing food to the Historical League functions. This was her recipe from the February meeting. It was finger licking good. Sweet and Tart.

Crust
2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 sticks butter

Topping
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs well beaten
1 heaping Tbs grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix flour and powdered sugar together. Cut in butter until well blended. Press mixture over bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan. Bake about 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the remaining ingredients and spread on top of the baked crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Betsy’s Note: if they come out too runny, I haven't baked them long enough or didn't have the oven all the way preheated when I started the baking. If I make sure the oven is at 350 and bake them for 30 minutes, they come out fine.

Jeannie Fletchers Fancy Brownies

Jeannie brought these decadent chocolate treats to the Historical League meeting. The presentation was so attractive and they were delicious. I will definitely make these for a special occasion.

FANCY BROWNIES or Double Frosted Brownies

4 oz. UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
1 C. BUTTER
2 C. SUGAR
4 EGGS
1 C. FLOUR
1 tsp. VANILLA
1/2 tsp. SALT
1 C. chopped PECANS or WALNUTS
3 C. CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR
2 T. melted BUTTER
LIGHT CREAM or MILK
4 oz. SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE
2 T. BUTTER

Melt the unsweetened chocolate with the butter in a large bowl in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove-top. Beat in the sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the flour, vanilla, salt and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool completely. Combine the confectioners sugar with 2 T. melted butter adding enough cream or milk to make a spreading consistency. Spread on the cooled brownies and let set. Melt the semisweet chocolate with 2T. butter and spread on top, carefully spreading a thin layer with the back of a spoon until completely covered. Refrigerate or freeze. Cut into bars with a serrated knife and serve at room temperature.

Kathleen Fischer's Black Bean & White Corn Salad

This was a big hit at the Historical League meeting in February and I have found lots of variations of it. Kathleen made it easy and pretty.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Salad:
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
1 diced red pepper
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Best if made the day before.
8-10 servings as a side dish

For another variation try Tastes and Treasures Black Bean and White Corn Salad with Ancho Cilantro Vinaigrette page 183

Golf and Meatballs

Reunions are fun and this group of graduates from Michigan Technological University get together once a year in Palm Springs to celebrate over golf and food (and a few beers). The Sweet and Sour Meatballs from Tastes and Treasures was an easy dish to send with the crockpot doing the cooking while they were on the links. Rumor has it the bowl was empty with the sauerkraut being a favorite. Gotta love those Canadians. 

  

SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS page 165 

 Ingredients: 2 cups undrained sauerkraut 1 16oz can whole cranberry sauce 1¼ cups chili sauce 1¼ cups water 1 cup packed brown sugar 3 pounds frozen cooked meatballs 

 Method: 1. Combine sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, chili sauce water and brown sugar in a slow cooker and mix well. 2. Add the meatballs and cook on low for 2-3 hours or longer. (I think they cooked for 6 hours)

Cobe Frobes guest speaker at meeting

Meeting the author after reading a good book is always a treat and Cobe Frobes was a wealth of knowledge when she spoke at the Historical League February meeting. She entertained us with fascinating stories of old Arizona she learned while researching her book "Streets of Forest Highlands" in Flagstaff.

Bessie Kidd Best is a favorite. Born in Flagstaff, she went to the Normal School (now NAU) to become a teacher. She was hired in Williams, AZ, fell in love, married and was soon fired because "married women don't need jobs". She went on to serve 40 years on the Board of Education being instrumental in the growth of AZ school systems.

Cobe has been a fan of Tastes and Treasures cookbook since the beginning. Thanks to her, we corrected the misprint in reference to Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, the architect of El Tovar Hotel.

Cobe and Bruce, her husband, travel a lot doing geneology research. Recently they were in the Woolworth library in Connecticut working with the librarian. Tobe promptly sold her a copy of Tastes and Treasures cookbook. Sharing the history of Arizona is one of her passions and we are grateful to have such a lovely promoter.