Testing recipes for Volume II Tastes & Treasures cookbook

Recipes often need testing to make sure all the ingredients are accurate and the directions are easy to understand. Thanks to Chef Leslie Christiansen for insisting that we double check ourselves in order to create the best cookbook possible.
Tasting Parties are the most efficient and fun way to test a recipe but we often have individual Historical League members make the food in their own home. The family then gets to be the recipient of the delicious dishes, including this one from Prescott:  The Palace Corn Chowder. Just look what goes into it. Yummmmm!

Navajo artwork made for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Walking into the AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park, you never know what wonderful history will be displayed in the lobby.
Created for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor when she was a judge in Arizona, this skirt is decorated with Navajo Yei figures. Eddie Basha's aunt made it. Eddie was named a Historymaker in 2001. He was well known for the Basha Supermarkets through Arizona, his devotion to education and his collection of modern Native American art.

Margaret Baker's silver tray

Among the wonderful treasures Margaret Baker has from her grandfather's Gass Brothers Chop House is this lovely silver tray. Damaged in a fire at the restaurant, it is engraved and still quite beautiful.
The restaurant was a very popular and busy gathering place in Phoenix in 1916.
You can read more about this fascinating history this fall in the Tribute Pages, Volume II of Tastes & Treasures.

Photo shoot for Volume II T&T

Mouth-watering food photos are the result of the photo shoots with Ken Epstein, photographer, and Stephanie Green, food stylist. The sharp focus and attention to detail is what makes these two such professionals. Assisted by cookbook co-chairs Leslie Christiansen, Cathy Shumard and Linda Corderman, the food is prepared at the photo shoot to ensure it is fresh and exactly right. Can't wait to see the final result in Tastes & Treasures Volume II cookbook!

More Tasting Parties

This time the Tasting was at the lovely home of Cathy Shumard on June 30. With the beautiful dining room table set for eleven, we were looking forward to tasting the new recipes.
Beginning with Flagstaffs The McMillan's spicey Edamame and flavorful Hummus appetizers, we toasted to the feast!
Note the evaluation sheets near each dish. Chef Leslie Christiansen is working to make sure every page in Tastes & Treasures volume II is a gourmet delight.

Food stylist hired for new cookbook

Cathy Shumard and Linda Corderman visit with Stephanie Green while
Ruth McLeod takes the photo.

Interviewing a food stylist was so interesting. What does she do? Why do we need her? Does she know the food photographer, Ken Epstein? What can she offer to make our cookbook even better? What is the cost? What are the rewards? What can we do to facilitate her role?

So glad we hired Stephanie Green. When the book is published (hopefully this fall), you might notice the fabulous food photographs in Tastes and Treasures, A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona Volume II. They say "a picture is worth a thousand words".

Food and Friends at Tasting Party June 8

Toasting to all the great times we have had as a cookbook committee and the wonderful historic cookbook we are creating.  This group is so much fun!