My Cookbook Tour!

I love cookbooks. I think that is kind of an understatement - I am obsessed. I have a very large collection that grows constantly because I ask for cookbooks for all gift events. Also, people donate them to me when they don't want them anymore. It is wonderful. You can tell so much from cookbooks. I have some from all different decades, different cooks, and some very special ones that my Grandmother Rita gave me. Sometimes I sit and read them just for fun. My friend Erin understands this, probably the only person who does...try it sometime!

So while I am in love with these books of food, I am guilty of actually only using about three over and over again. In my whirlwind cleaning while on maternity leave I took them all off the shelves and reorganized them, only to realize my obsession is actually slightly crazy. In order to justify what if they were cats would make me a crazy cat lady (crazy cookbook lady? whatev!), I decided to take a little tour. Here is my declaration:

I, CougarKate, will vow to cook at least one recipe from each cookbook in my collection by this time next year.

Sure that sounds easy...but I actually have some off the wall items. One cookbook has a squirrel recipe. I think I will find something else in that book. Yikes! Here squirrley squirrley!

Not kidding: here is the section...yes SECTION on squirrel oh and of course POSSUM!

To start this I am using a cookbook that one of Brad's aunts gave me at my bridal shower.

Book #1: Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook

Here is the amazing item I chose, based on my desire to eat as much pasta as possible...mmmm pasta!

Mom's Baked Ziti p 79

Mom's Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 cans (15ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Kosher Salt
black pepper

The directions (according me) - chop up the onion and garlic super fine (if you have a picky hubster that claims he doesn't like onion as much as he used to) and then cook them in the olive oil until translucent. Then dump in the tomato sauce and paste and sugar, and cook to combined. Taste it and add a ton of salt if you are me...

The rest of the stuff:
1 3/4 tbls kosher salt
1 pound ziti (I had this weird shaped pasta I used instead...and whole wheat...it makes me feel better about myself)
1 pound ground beef
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese (I did low fat...again to feel better about myself...)
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 chopped fresh parsley (yeah I forgot to buy this...so we didn't have it)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or more...hey I had whole wheat pasta and low fat ricotta)

What I did - brown the meat with a little of the salt while cooking the pasta. Once it is browned remove from heat, add the ricotta, beaten egg, and some pepper. You are supposed to add the parsley too...unless you forgot it because you are a bubble head. Combine it all up and then add half the sauce and stir it all up real good. Dump in the pasta, unless you used a too small pan like me, so dump it in with the pasta in the big pan...then mix mix mix! Dump the yummy pink colored mixture into a 9x13 inch pan and dump a ton of mozzarella cheese on top, bake at 350 for 20- to 25 minutes until ooey gooey! Now here is the important part...don't forget about it because you are playing with the baby and then hubby comes home and looks at you like you are crazy finally asking "Um...is there dinner!" to which you jump up flustered and pull out a slightly browned baked ziti dish. It tasted good...but the cheese was a little tough. Darn.

This was super yummy - and easy peasey! It makes a ton though...way more than two people could possibly eat. I am going to cut it in half if I make it again. IF because I have about two billion cookbooks to get through....

I would have a picture, but I forgot. It happens people...I have two month old at home!