Hot Like Ebola!!!: Why Every Cookbook is Incomplete

We recieved many cookbooks for our wedding. Joy of Cooking, The New Basics, Essentials of Italian Cooking, The First and Forever Newlywed Cookbook, The Cake Mix Doctor, and two of the Williams-Sonoma guides (one on soups and one on salads). I've also picked up a few that have become favorites, like Jewish Cooking: A Complete Guide.

When I get a wild hair to cook something I've never cooked before, I always open the cookbooks first. Lasagna? Here's 4 recipes to get me started. Kugel? 3 or 4 recipes are sure to follow. Cakes, cookies, bread? More than I can find time to cook! I usually cook the dish more or less according to the recipe, then eat it and adjust to my tastes the next time around.

But oh, how my cookbooks have failed me this past week! First, I heard about an intriguing casserole using tater ots and onions (shut up, it sounds good to me). However, a search through the cookbooks revealed NO casserole recipes. What?!!? Casseroles practically define American eating! But alas! that was nothing compared to what I discovered today.

There wasn't a single recipe for cinnamon rolls in any of the cookbooks. Even Joy only had a recipe for sticky buns, which Ican't eat due to the caramel factor. I finally rigged together a recipe out of te Joy one and some common sense, but the jury's still out on how they will taste.

Sigh. "You made me believe that magic could happen to anybody."

:: submitted by Jenevieve, 11:34 PM
id="comments">5 Comments:

Well, the jury just had seconds, for whatever that's worth.

Matt, at 7:21 AM

Here's a super easy and tasty recipe if you're still in the mood for cinnamon rolls:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (1-pound) loaf purchased frozen white bread dough, thawed (recommended: Bridgeford)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. Mix the nuts, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl. Roll out the thawed dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush 1 tablespoon of butter over the dough. Sprinkle the nut mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the top and bottom sides. Starting at 1 long side, roll up the dough jelly-roll style, forming a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut the log into 9 equal pieces. Arrange the rolls, cut side down, in the prepared baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm draft-free area until puffed, about 45 minutes.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

Bake the cinnamon rolls uncovered until the tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese, and buttermilk in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.

Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the baked cinnamon rolls and then drizzle the cheese mixture over top. Serve warm.

Curator, at 9:25 AM

well, jeni. i'm pretty sure you should just keep trying out those cinnamon rolls. i'll keep eating them if you want and tell you how they are. i don't want to hurt your feelings, but those last ones were just a little too small. try making some bigger ones and bring them over and we'll see.

Mariquita, at 5:00 PM

If you ever find the casserole recipe, let me know--you can't go wrong with tots.

I'd recommend the Betty Crocker cookbook for another staple--lots of basics, and casseroles. :)

Becky

Anonymous, at 2:54 AM

There's a guy named Jim somebody who published a cookbook that's small and it's nothing but casseroles. I think it came out before 1998.

My flash player isn't up to snuff. Maybe after I pick up carpool I can upgrade and see the videos.

Anonymous, at 8:11 PM

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