February 2011 meeting: Mexican cookbooks

This month we explored and shared Mexican cookbooks and some very tasty food!


Everyone attending had been to Mexico at one time or another (alas, mine was the shortest trip, having only been to Tijuana for an afternoon). Some of our favorite Mexican foods include Shrimp Mojo de Ajo,

Here are the dishes everyone brought:

Sheri - Shrimp & Pork Tacos with Creamed Avocado
Deborah S. - cornbread
Teresa - shrimp ceviche
Katie - Flan and Marinated Tomatillo salad.
Dawn – Tuna Ceviche with Lime, Roasted Chipotle Acorn Squash


Cookbooks we shared were:
Chevys & Rio Bravo Fresh Mex Cookbook
Salsas and Tacos by the Santa Fe School of Cooking
Ceviche! Seafood, Salads, and Cocktails with a Latino Twist by Guillermo Pernot & Aliza Green
The Sunset Mexican Cookbook (and old favorite...2 different versions showed up!)
The Book of Mexican Food
The Essential Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy (the Julia Child of Mexican food)
Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor by Marcela Valladolid

Overall it was a really delicious meeting, both the discussion and the foods!

Here are our upcoming books:

March – Pomegranate Soup
April – Fortune Cookie Chronicles
May – Omnivore’s Dilemma
June – Little House in the Big Wood

Invite your friends...anyone can join! All we ask is that you make a good effort to finish the book (not required to get to the end if you hate it or are suddenly busy) and bring a dish from or inspired by the reading.

January report and February date change

Last month we had a delightful meeting talking about Farm City by Novella Carpenter. A lot of people are really interested in raising some of their own food. We talked about what we have been most excited to grow. Artichokes, potatoes, mushrooms, raspberries and other foodstuff was very popular. Some of us are happy with a few containers of tomatoes, but others have loftier ambitions and want chickens, bees and full herb gardens. What do you hope to grow or raise?

Our feast included:
Turkey and squash, plus peach cobbler, and salami and cheese from Heather.
Greens with ham from Katie.
Homemade corn muffins made from scratch by me.
Bacon and egg quiche by Karen.
Salad with custom dressing from Debby.
Wild duck (freshly hunted by her husband!) and orzo from Julie.
Potatoes wrapped in bacon by Sonja.

This last dish came from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, which Sonja got from her mother as a present. We passed it around and admired how it was both practical, tasty looking and unpretentious. I know I'll be checking this magazine (and the book) out from the library, and exploring the website, too!

Our February meeting was scheduled on Valentines Day, but apparently people have plans that night? So by popular demand, we will be having our next meeting on Tuesday February 15th, 2011, 6:30-8:30. The theme is Mexican Cookbooks. Bring your favorites, or check out a few from the library to explore, then cook a dish to share. We will discuss what we feel works best in these cookbooks, special features to look for, etc...

Looking forward to seeing you there!