Tea

One of my weaknesses is that I am easily enticed by things I see in magazines. Without even knowing what it tastes like, after I saw Lisa Edelstein’s "B,L,D" in the November 2006 issue of "Everyday With Rachael Ray," I’ve wanted to try Guayaki Yerba Mate organic tea. Often if I wait long enough, the impulse will pass...but then I saw it offered in the Vitamin Shoppe catalog, with free shipping. I had a cup this morning. It’s supposed to have caffeine in it but I didn’t get that jittery feeling like from coffee. It has an earthy taste to it. I added some vanilla soy milk to the last few sips, and that was yummy. The package had a recipe for a "latte" with strong-brewed yerba mate and vanilla soy milk. See what I mean…I’m a pushover for anything in print.

Anyway, it was fun to try it. One of my resolutions for 2007 is to drink more tea. I don’t like to drink the same kind of tea each day so I’ll add this to my rotation of teas and see if it has any effect on my sense of well-being. At the very least it’ll help balance out the other things I eat everyday, like cookies! We just watched "Stranger Than Fiction" with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson today. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character is a baker who wants to make the world a better place with homemade cookies. I like her thinking!

Mystery Pecan Pie

This recipe is from Paula’s Home Cooking, although the same recipe is all over the internet. They vary in using light or dark corn syrup, and the baking time & temperature. It’s also called "Alligator Pecan Pie" because the top is lumpy like an alligator. As for the "Mystery," the bottom layer is a cream cheese mixture, then pecans are sprinkled over, and a pecan pie filling is poured over the whole thing. When it bakes, the cream cheese rises to the top.

Paula’s recipe says to bake at 350 for 45 minutes. My pie was still very liquid (although brown) at that time, so I ended up keeping it in for 55 minutes total. It could have gone longer (still jiggly) but it was getting pretty brown. I guess I should have covered it with foil and baked it even more.
My pie was "alligator" was that the custard part was still runny and the pie looked like a swamp after it was cut. Everyone seemed to like it, though.

Two of my all-time favorites are cheesecake and pecan pie, but I think I would rather have one or the other instead of the two combined into one pie like this was. One comment I got was that it wasn’t as sweet as pecan pie, which was a good thing. I thought this would fulfill my cheesecake craving but I guess I’ll have to break down and make the real thing. I went all the way to Florida and didn’t have key lime pie…so I’ll have to search out a key lime cheesecake recipe.

The Celebrity Pasta Lovers Cookbook

This week on Rachael’s show, guests Mario Batali and Kristin Davis promoted the "The Celebrity Pasta Lovers Cookbook" from Barilla. Barilla teamed up with 10 celebrities and asked Giada DeLaurentiis and Mario Batali to take the celebrities’ recipes and transform them into Italian creations. The best part is that the cookbook is a free download! And Barilla donates $1 to America’s Second Harvest (the nation’s food bank network), up to $100,000 for each person that downloads it. The response has been so overwhelming that they have already reached that goal. The cookbook will be available online through the end of February.

I love projects like this that are fun, and it doesn’t cost you anything but a few minutes to download (1 or 3 MB, your choice), plus you give a little back in the process. If you are a Food Network junkie like me, it’s a must have. Check it out at www.celebritypastalovers.com.

Recipe #2 - Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie

This one has a bunch of good ingredients in it, yet they didn’t come together in a good way, at least for me. I made this last night in order to use up some leftovers (chicken broth, mashed potatoes, turkey burgers). As I was putting it together, I tasted it and thought "yuck." I added some worcestershire sauce in hopes it would brighten it up a little. (I also forgot to add peppers and had no sour cream.)

The casserole looked tempting in the oven, with the gravy bubbling around the mashed potatoes. I was hoping the spices & flavors would come together as it cooked. In the meantime I threw together a salad in case it was inedible.

It wasn’t much better than I thought, although some sour cream might have helped. I was surprised that Don thought it was OK and might even be better the next day. I doubt I will make it again, definitely won’t make it from scratch. I should have remembered what Debbie had said about it when she made this awhile back.

One of the aspects, of being the cook, that worked against me is that I knew what spices were in the dish so they were very prominent (especially the thyme and paprika, and I used less than the recipe for both). After it cooked, the paprika toned down a little but the thyme was still overpowering. I didn’t sprinkle paprika on top since I don’t much care for the taste.

I was itching to make something from "365" since there is someone else out there who is attempting to cook their way through the book. They are almost up to Recipe #50. I like how they’re cooking recipes in the order of the cookbook, anyone that follows their blog will know what’s next on the menu. They also have photos that look "real" vs. the staged ones you see in magazines (I mean that in a good way).

I really enjoy the honesty in what they write. I feel comforted in knowing I am not the only one put off by the kitchen messes that some of the recipes create. They’ve also mentioned that some recipes are rather expensive, for the kind of (mediocre) meal they produce. I don't mean to sound overly negative! It's just that these sorts of details are often passed over.

Mini Meatball and Broken Spaghetti Tomato Stoup

It must be that time of year where people want something comforting, as I’ve read a few other bloggers posts about this same recipe. It was featured on the Rachael Ray Show, as well as in the November issue of the magazine.

I did a "kitchen sink" approach to the recipe, aka clean out the refrigerator, so I added some chopped celery to the vegetables, used ground turkey instead of ground beef, and fresh chopped spinach instead of parsley. For Don I threw in some chopped green and black olives and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

Otherwise, I pretty much followed the recipe. It took a little longer than 12 minutes for the spaghetti to cook, and in the process, some of the liquid evaporated (even though I had a lid on the pot). In fact, it was almost like risotto, in that I’d add a splash of water, and when I checked on it, the liquid had absorbed so I had to add more. In the end, it wasn’t like a soup or a stew or a stoup even, just more like plain spaghetti. The main thing was that it tasted good!

What I’d do differently next time…even though I used thin spaghetti, I’d use something thinner like angel hair or Mexican fideo pasta. Or just boil the pasta separately.

I have a few meatballs leftover so I’m going to see if I can use them in Chicken Parm Subs. I’m anxious to try something from the 2,4,6,8 cookbook.

Keeping up with Rachael Ray

There was an article in yesterday’s Dallas Morning News, about someone’s attempt at cooking a Rachael meal in 30 minutes. It took her an hour, or an hour & forty minutes, including prep time. I always enjoy reading these stories because it makes me feel like less of a klutz in the kitchen. Even though Rachael says if she can do it, anyone can, I still feel inept when I try to put together a full-fledged 30 minute meal. I’m not good at multitasking. I’ve gotten better at getting things ready beforehand, including washing produce when I get it home from the store.

Anyway, the story from the paper comes across as honest, and although it takes the person longer than 30 minutes to prepare the meal, it’s not in the context of putting Rachael down for unrealistic time frames, like some other articles have done.

Baked French Toast Casserole

I’m one of those people that has a hard time throwing things away. I had a coupon for a free loaf of French bread from Albertson’s, and I actually remembered to use it. It was the worst French bread I’ve ever had. But I couldn’t throw it away (even though it was free). I put it in the freezer thinking I could make bread pudding with it. Just before Thanksgiving, there was a Paula show that featured "Baked French Toast Casserole," and I’d printed out the recipe since the holidays were coming up and it looked like something that would be perfect for a brunch. Then I remembered I had the bread in the freezer. I know it’s such an obvious thing, but often times my brain is not coordinated enough to put 2 and 2 together and remember what ingredients I have plus what recipes I set aside.

Anyway, it’s one of those "overnight" casseroles where you slice the bread, mix up a custard sauce and pour it over, and let it sit in the refrigerator. Then the next morning, you mix up a praline topping, spread it on top, and bake it. There’s also a raspberry sauce that comes with the recipe, but we thought the french toast would be sweet enough without it. I ended up putting some syrup on mine anyway, for the gooey factor.

This was really good, very simple, and looked nice. I was afraid it would be dry but surprisingly it was moist in the center, crunchy on the edges. I’m going to use the same topping and put it on cinnamon rolls, and see what happens.

Tony Moment

Some of the books on my reading list have been available at the local library. I just finished "Heat" by Bill Buford. I enjoyed the "inside view" of things but found it quite disillusioning to read of his impressions of Mario Batali. I guess some of it is the "celebrity image" we have in our minds vs. the "real person."

I had reserved Anthony Bourdain's "The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones" online from the library. Shortly after I placed the hold, I got a call from them, saying "The Nasty Bits" was in. I could literally hear the person on the other end, struggling to stifle a giggle, and the tone in her voice implied "what the heck kind of book is this." Because of the holiday and national day of mourning, I didn't get to the library until today. I checked at the front desk and they didn't have it. I went upstairs to the racks and it wasn't in the 641's. So I went to the other information desk where I was referred to, and inquired there. The librarian didn't have it but asked my name and the title of the book. I must lisp and she started writing down..."The Nasty..." and then asked me to spell...B...I...T...C...!!! Hold on! I quickly corrected her, it's "Bits." Eventually we found the book in the "new releases" section.

How embarrassing. Keep in mind that this is the South. And I live in a dry county. Lots of things I took for granted from my Berkeley upbringing, are frowned upon or not understood here. I thought it was such a "Tony" moment.

Blog on!

Here is the book that my friend had signed. Cool, huh?!? I've been overwhelmed with how thoughtful people have been this Christmas. Debbie (from this blog) had her hand in this too.

I flipped through it and saw a few recipes I'm willing to try. I like how this one is organized, it has a table of contents in front and an index in the back. The Express Lane Meals book I just got from the Nabisco promotion isn't as "put together" as far as being easy to use as a reference book.

The other cookbooks I got this Christmas were "French Women For All Seasons" and the King Arthur Flour's "Whole Grain Baking." I'm such a Francophile, even though I don't really speak French, all I had was one year when I was something like 6 years old. It has been pretty chilly this week so I'm hoping I'll have a chance to get started on reading all these books.

BTW, here's another photo that Sharon took at the VA booksigning.

Virginia Booksigning

My friend Sharon went to Rachael's booksigning in Vienna, VA, on Monday. She took this photo, and reported back that...

"In a nutshell ...She was 45 minutes late getting there -- traffic is awful here, and she got stuck in it. She looked sharp - black shirt, black skirt, black boots ... she didn't talk about the book - just signed and talked to people as they walked up. She was very pleasant, and nice. I told her that you have a blog for her, and gave her the site. Not sure she'll stop by, but she has the address. I told her you were in Texas, and she said 'oh, I was just there". I couldn't remember what part of Texas you were in (brain freeze!!) but I said I thought you were in some small town and couldn't make it to Dallas."

Anyway, I found an article online about the Dallas booksigning, and there were over 400 people there!

Thank you to Sharon for getting a book autographed for me. I wish I could have gone in person but this is the next best thing.

While on the subject of books, I got my "Express Lane Meals" from that Nabisco offer, in the mail yesterday. I feel like a "loser" in that I have most of the items on the pantry list, but there are many times when I feel like I have nothing to cook for dinner. I hope this book helps a little.

Now begins the holiday crunch...not sure how much I will be online in the next week...so Happy Holidays everyone!

Sister Act

My sister had a cookbook review published in her local paper! I'm so proud, her article is superb. I think it's weird (in a neat way) that we both write about recipes for fun, guess it is in the genes.

All-American Favorites

By Denise

The following review is by a reader who was given a cookbook from the Times. The included recipes were selected and prepared by the reader.

What intrigued me most about "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook" was the book's "promise of sorts" to deliver more than 1,200 recipes guaranteed to be a success in home kitchens. Operating out of a 2,500-square-foot test kitchen, recipes are developed by test chefs after conducting blind taste-tests of recipes culled from other cookbooks. Further testing and tasting is done, culminating in what the Test Kitchen believes to be the best version of that dish. As if this is not enough, each recipe is further tested up to 40 times with variations in equipment and ingredients to mimic what might be found in a typical home kitchen.

Recipes are formatted with easy-to-follow directions, including step-by-step pictures, as well as prep time and total cooking time. Ideas for variations and make-ahead directions are also provided. Recipes designed to be "30 minutes or less" are easily identified by a red icon. The book's 700-plus pages are contained in a binder, with dividers for easy reference to each section. There is even an entire section devoted to slow cooker and pressure cooker recipes, and another for light recipes.

Several features of the book help the cook to understand how and why recipes work. Throughout the pages are sidebars referencing Test Kitchen tips, test cook favorites, cooking 101s, menu planning, equipment testing and ratings of ingredients. I learned that Minute Maid Premium Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice was the top-rated supermarket OJ, beating out the chilled carton version. The double pasteurization used in carton juices heats the juice, which in turn destroys its fresh flavor, making canned frozen the fresher-tasting choice.

Choosing recipes to test was not an easy task, given that I had more than a thousand to choose from. I'm lucky that my family is always willing to be test subjects and are supportive of my efforts, providing feedback in terms of "keepers" or "don't make again."

Up first was the Best Spaghetti and Meatballs. I couldn't resist testing the theory that mixing sandwich bread with buttermilk would provide tender and moist meatballs. I followed the recipe as stated, choosing the recipe's option to use jarred pasta sauce over homemade. I also added diced homegrown tomatoes to the sauce. The results were a unanimous thumbs-up. The meatballs were tender, flavorful, moist, holding together with a great texture.

I proceeded to make Quiche Lorraine. The recipe had me partially bake the pie shell and then pour the egg batter into the warm pie shell in order to achieve a crisp bottom crust and to ensure even cooking of the batter. Since I did not have the time to make my own pie crust, I used ready-made pie crust from the refrigerated section at Trader Joe's. The end result was a nicely browned crust filled with a delicious egg custard that was silky and luscious, far from the tough and rubbery quiches I have produced in the past.

Next up, Beef Stew. The Test Kitchen states that contrary to popular belief, flouring chunks of beef before browning does not properly brown the meat. In addition, the flour hinders the flavor of the sauce because there are no browned bits (fond) in the pan to use as flavor for the sauce. I followed the recipe, using the picture of properly browned meat as my guide, and made the stew, finishing it in the oven. The end result was a rich, flavorful sauce with fork-tender pieces of meat.

I hit a bump in the road with Asian Spiced Chicken Wings. The recipe was time-consuming, as it required deep-frying the cornstarch-dredged chicken wings in batches. I used my deep fryer in order to monitor oil temperature, but the end result was disappointing, producing wings that were soggy and pallid. Although the sauce was tasty, my chicken looked nothing like the enticing picture in the book, which showcased dark, crispy chicken, bathed in sticky sauce.

For dessert, I made the Classic Apple Pie. Since I have an ample supply of Golden Delicious apples from the tree in my backyard, I used these apples instead of the combination of McIntosh and Granny Smith apples called for in the recipe. I found the visual instructions very helpful in making the crust and assembling the pie. The pie was delicious, with a tender and flaky crust. The only change I recommend is reducing the lemon zest, as its presence was a bit overwhelming in relation to the apples.

Because of numerous past failures with light recipes from other books, I am a bit reluctant to try any light recipes. However, bearing in mind that I was promised a foolproof recipe, I went ahead with the Light Fettuccine Alfredo. According to the Test Kitchen, cornstarch along with half-and-half is the key to achieving a creamy sauce comparable to the kind made with heavy cream. Other than substituting dry pasta instead of fresh, I followed the recipe as stated. As promised, the recipe delivered a rich, creamy sauce with 11 grams of fat versus 43 grams in the full-fat version in this same book. The pasta should be served and eaten immediately after it is prepared, as the sauce tends to congeal if left to sit. However, adding a little reserved pasta water to the sauce restores its creamy texture. I'll be making this dish again, next time adding green peas or chicken.

This is a great, basic, all-purpose cookbook perfect for both aspiring and experienced cooks looking to hone their skills. I definitely recommend this cookbook. With its tips, techniques and an endless supply of recipes, I'll never be at a loss for something to cook.

• BOOK: "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook" ($34.95, America's Test Kitchen, 726 pages), more than 1,200 recipes.
• AUTHORS: The editors at America's Test Kitchen, led by Christopher Kimball, host of the PBS series "America's Test Kitchen," editor of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
• REVIEWER: Denise will try almost any recipe once.

Risi e Bisi

I started out making Risi e Bisi (risotto with peas), then changed my mind at the last minute and substituted broccoli for the peas (since that’s what I had on hand). I also had some chicken leftover and threw that in as well. I’ve never had risotto before, much less cooked it. My usual recipe for rice is throw it in the rice cooker and hit the "on" switch…voila.

This was easy, though. The hardest part was trying to figure out how much salt to add. I was afraid to add too much, since there is chicken broth and parmesan cheese already in it. Anyway, it tasted good. (It needed salt but it’s so much easier to add it than to take it away.) One of my favorite dishes is Campbell Soup’s "Glorified Chicken" which is chicken cooked with cream of mushroom soup, served on rice. The risotto tasted like a glorified version of that. Now I want to try the risotto cacciatore that’s in the December issue of the magazine.

P.S. Half the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of arborio rice. It may not look like it will be enough, but it made plenty. I didn't think it was enough so I put in 3/4 cup. Of course, it soaks up all that liquid and expands, and it would have been fine with the original amount.

Chicken Francese with Lemon and Wine

I still have a bunch of lemons and have been looking at recipes to use them. I love chicken piccata but the last recipe I tried (from Penzey’s One) had a ton of butter in it. It tasted good, naturally, but I didn’t feel good eating it. This recipe from Rachael’s "365" cookbook sounded promising. It’s not exactly a piccata and not exactly francese, a little bit of both.

I used chicken thighs instead of breasts, and pounded them out thin. Then they are dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and then pan fried. I added a tiny minced clove of garlic and mushrooms to the sauce, and used chicken broth instead of wine. Everything went on top of some egg noodles.

The chicken was moist and the sauce had lots of flavor. The egg coating added a rich taste to the chicken. And even though it has butter in it, I felt good eating it, it was very light-tasting. As Rachael would say, "You could certainly entertain with this dish" - it was pretty on the plate, I thought.

It took me about 45 minutes to prepare. I did a mise en place this time, since everything comes together quickly in the end. It saved a lot of frantic scurrying to get ingredients ready while something was cooking. Everything was chopped, pounded, sliced, and ready to go. I think that’s why Rachael is able to do her 30 minute meals, so gets everything as prepared as possible beforehand.

She is coming to Dallas next week for a booksigning at Borders. I don’t think I will be able to attend. The tour schedule is online at http://www.rachaelray.com/bookTour.html. She’ll be in cities from Boston to Seattle, and every town in between. I wish she were signing books somewhere closer to me but she is only doing Dallas and Houston. I’d love to hear how it goes if anyone gets to attend in their area.

Baking with Rachael and Paula

I was disappointed that on Rachael’s "Thanksgiving in 60 II" she didn’t bake the pecan pie, since there was a recipe in the November magazine. But…she made up for it by baking last week on her talk show. Personally I have to measure ingredients because I tend to underestimate when I eyeball things.

Anyway, yesterday I baked a lemon meringue pie with lemons we brought back from CA. For the crust I followed Rachael’s recipe that went along with the pecan pie. It was easy to put together, no cutting in shortening with a pastry blender. Her recipe has 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and 3 tablespoons of milk. I found a similar recipe in Joy of Cooking that recommends this sort of crust for pies that don’t require baking the filling in it for a long time, since the oil gives it a strong flavor. (I didn’t think it tasted bad, just different.) Joy also says you can pat the crust in the pan, which is even easier (I rolled mine out). I blind-baked it for about 14 minutes at 425° F.

For the pie, I used Paula’s recipe from Lady & Sons Too. It’s a typical lemon meringue pie, except for the order in which you mix together the filling. Her recipe calls for mixing in the lemon juice & rind at the very end. Most other recipes, you mix it in and cook it with the rest of the ingredients.

The lemons were not very tart so the filling didn’t have a strong lemon flavor. I like how the meringue topping came out. For the filling, I think next time I’ll add the lemon juice & zest earlier and cook it all together, maybe it won’t be as soggy that way. I was surprised Paula’s recipe only called for a tablespoon of butter, I think Joy’s recipe has four tablespoons. I felt like something was missing, I’m not sure if the butter made that much of a difference or if it needed more lemon zest. It tasted like lemon meringue pie! I guess what was disappointing was that it wasn’t anything outstanding, just OK.

Ravioli Lasagna

Last shopping trip, I had the ingredients for lasagna in my cart until I remembered Rachael’s Ravioli Lasagna, that was featured on the Rachael Ray Show. Anything that tastes like lasagna without the hassle sounds good to me, so I went around the store again and swapped a few things out (put back the ricotta and picked up cheese ravioli, etc.).

I substituted sweet Italian turkey sausage and a package of Boca crumbles for the mixture of beef, pork & veal (Don didn’t know until I told him). And I halved the recipe but still used a whole can of tomato sauce, and added extra cheeses (mozzarella and asiago). When I tasted the sauce it had that "missing something" taste so I added some fresh sage and Italian seasonings, in addition to the fresh basil.

I thought it tasted better this way, in a casserole, vs. cooking ravioli and spooning sauce on top. The flavors mixed together. I’m not very organized so it took me about an hour to throw this together. I think it would have taken me just as long to make a regular lasagna. On the other hand, there were fewer dishes to clean up.

One comment I have is that I used about 2/3 of a package of ravioli, for half the recipe (which calls for 3 family size packages). That was more than plenty. I'd go by eyeballing the amount rather than a particular quantity stated in the recipe.

Another keeper!

Pantry

Today's Sunday paper had a ton of coupons for Thanksgiving-related products, that are on Rachael's pantry list. Things like chicken stock, canned tomatoes, flour, sugar - real basic kitchen essentials. It inspired me to try to organize my pantry and stock it a little better. Right now quite a few of the items are on sale for the holidays too.

Rachael is everywhere! Her picture was also on the cover of the TV listings in the Dallas Morning News today. At the grocery store, there is a sort of "flag" with her picture in the cracker aisle, for Triscuits and Wheat Thins.

Oh, and in the coupon section, there's a coupon for those kinds of crackers, along with an offer for her "Express Lane" cookbook (only $4.99 plus product purchases).

I'm horrible at keeping a well-stocked pantry. There's lots of cans & boxes in there but I still have a hard time coming up with something to make for dinner on a whim. My other problem is that I'll buy something and not use it and by the time I think about it again, the expiration date has come and gone. I guess that'll be one of my New Year's Resolutions, to maintain a better pantry.

Fish Stick Po'Boys

The other day I made this sandwich from the MP of the October issue of "Every Day With Rachael Ray." I only had a few fishsticks left, not enough to serve for dinner, so it was a good way to use up a small bit. There were no surprises here, it tasted like what you would expect…I mean that in a good way. I put spicy mayo on it like the recipe said, but I like relish too so I added a small squirt of tartar sauce. That gave it more of a Filet-o-fish flavor. Tomatoes would have been good, as in the recipe, but they are out of season and they want a small fortune ($2.89 a pound!) for them right now.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow for Rachael’s "Thanksgiving in 60 II" on the Food Network. I just finished watching "Day to Day With Rachael Ray" - and thought what was that all about?!? While I enjoyed it, I kept wondering what does this have to do with food and cooking. There's also "Iron Chef" on Sunday with Ray vs. DeLaurentiis. Can't wait to see that!

Rachael’s new cookbook "2,4,6,8" is out now. I’m anxious to hear how others like it. We are not big eaters so even though I scale down her recipes, they still make a lot. This sounds like a cookbook more suited to my family’s eating habits.

Be Nice

This week Manilow fans have been treated to a MMF (Manilow Media Frenzy), with Barry doing the talk show circuit to promote his current release, "Greatest Songs of the Sixties." Rachael did a great job interviewing him, even admitting she was so excited she had to write down notes so she wouldn’t get flustered.

One of Barry’s mantras is "Be Nice." Unfortunately there were some not-so-nice comments made by Martha Stewart (directed towards Rachael ) when she had Barry on her own show. She was upset that Rachael’s show with Barry apparently was originally scheduled to air Friday, while Martha’s show (live) was on Thursday, but the schedule was changed such that they both aired at the same time in the New York area. I thought the whole thing made Martha come across as petty and mean. The shows are not on simultaneously everywhere!

There’s more about in some articles online:
Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray Feud...Over Barry Manilow!, Martha Bitchslaps Rachael Over Barry and Rachael, Martha Split Barry

Anyway, I loved seeing how much Rachael was enjoying Barry’s performance, especially when he was crooning directly to her. She looked like she was going to melt and explode all at the same time.

If you liked what you saw on Rachael’s show, and are even thinking of buying the album, think about buying it now! Barry’s fan club is trying to get this one to chart at #1 just as his "Greatest Songs of the Fifties" did earlier this year. We have until Saturday night (tomorrow) for our purchases to count. It’s on sale this week a stores such as Target (which has an exclusive Dual Disc version), and Walmart (which has an exclusive bonus download plus a free year’s membership to the fan club). Or if you don't have time to run to the store, you can get it for only $9.72 at Amazon.com.

By the way, I had wanted to be at the taping of this episode, and even got a phone call from the Rachael Ray Show, for a brief interview. I guess I didn’t come across as the fanilow they were looking for, but it was fun anyway.

Go buy the CD! "Greatest Songs of the Sixties" You won’t be disappointed.

Barry Manilow on the Rachael Ray Show today!

According to the Manilow Hotline...

..." see Barry perform "CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU" and "WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE" on THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW (ABC)!"

Check your local listings for air times!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Today I wanted to bake something but didn’t want to deal with cookies or pie, this was kind of in between. It’s from Paula Deen’s "Desserts" cookbook, one of the variations of Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes. I used spice cake mix, and followed the recipe for pumpkin. I read the reviews on FoodNetwork.com but I’ve become skeptical of the opinions. I do think it is a good place to get practical tips (learn "things to do next time" before you make the dish). Most of the positive reviews went along the lines of these cookies replacing pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. I thought the bars were good but I think I’d still want the "real thing." It’s kind of a cross between pie and a cookie and a cheesecake, all in one. The spice cake flavor was good but a little overpowering. (Paula mentioned using yellow cake mix too.) Next time I think I'll try adding less pumpkin too, so that the cream cheese flavor stands out more.

I was reading Rachael’s November magazine and saw that she has a "Thanksgiving in 60 II" coming up. I’m looking forward to that and seeing what some of the dishes look like on TV. I like her magazine, that it has lots of pictures. I’m one of those people that likes cookbooks that have photos of every dish.