cookbook giveaway | Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson

Standing over the boiling pot of pasta, scallops overflowing in my hand, I had a crisis of faith. Should I follow the recipe directions and throw this beautiful seafood into the bubbling pasta water? Or should I go with my instincts and just pan sear these and add them later? 

The recipe for Lemony Seafood Pasta Salad said to drop the scallops into the water for the last minute of the pasta cooking time. But how could it be this easy?

I’m here to tell you, I’m a believer. I’m a believer in Pam Anderson. And I’m a believer in her new book, Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers. 

We met Pam and her family at Big Summer Potluck a few months back. Warm, generous, smart, Pam is truly a pro. Karen and I were lucky enough to each get an advance copy of Perfect One-Dish Dinners at that event, and we love it. Love it. You definitely want this book in your kitchen.

Our friend Alice over at Savory Sweet Life says it best:

[Pam] is the former Executive Editor for Cook’s Illustrated magazine, currently a Contributing Editor for Fine Cooking magazine, USA Today Food Columnist, and a New York Times best-selling author of six cookbooks.

Yeah. She’s at the top of her game.

So, my little crisis of faith was completely unwarranted. Pam is the master, and every recipe in her book makes you feel like you’re in the careful hands of a pro and that makes you feel in complete control of your food. Pam’s got a real winner on her hands with this book.

I love that Pam is so focused on making life easy in the kitchen. There are nights when I’m pressed for time, but cooking is never a burden. I don’t want to take shortcuts by opening a box, but I want to use my time wisely. I want to work efficiently and end up with something incredibly tasty and satisfying. This book is filled to the margins with tasty and satisfying.

The Lemony Seafood Pasta Salad was perfect. Perfectly seasoned, full of flavor, and perfectly cooked pasta and seafood. One minute in boiling pasta water for the scallops and the shrimp? Who knew? Pam Anderson knew. Pam and her daughters, Maggy and Sharon, talked to us about their meticulous approach to recipe testing. They challenge themselves to find the best approach to make the recipe tasty while making sure they don't waste anytime at all getting the food on the table. Gotta love that. Check them out at Three Many Cooks.

giveaway

Congratulations to Angel Hardy who was chosen randomly using Random.org!


Guess what? We’re giving away one of Pam’s books! One very lucky reader is going to get one of our copies of Pam’s book. This is a great addition to any kitchen.

How do you win? 

• Just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win. We’ll pick a winner randomly. 
• Want an extra entry? Go follow ThreeManyCooks on Twitter, to keep up on the latest news and posts from Maggy, Sharon, and Pam. Then come back here and tell us your Twitter handle (e.g., “I tweet @inserttwittername, and I just followed @ThreeManyCooks) in the comments below. If you already follow them, you can tell us that, too, for your extra chance to win.
• You have until Tuesday, September 28 to enter. 
• We'll announce the winner on Wednesday, September 29, so be sure to check back to see if you've won! 

One last thing...Pam just appeared on the Today Show this week. Watch the master at work. Then enter to win!

link to video

wordless wednesday | eataly

Chris and I took a very needed and well deserved date night into NYC. On the way to dinner at Via Emilia, one of our favorites, we stopped at Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich's Eataly. The photos really don't do it justice. We hope to spend much more time there in the near future.

wordless wednesday | frontera grill

Chris and I recently visited Chicago where we lived for six years before moving east. One of our favorite restaurants there (and favorite places and chefs ever) was Frontera Grill. We had lunch there a few weeks ago.  We ordered several appetizers and several entrées and savored every bite. Rick Bayless has a special place in heaven just for him.

Queso fundido

Guacamole

A fabulous herbal drink blend

Sopes rancheros

Sapitos

Frontera Grill interior

Trio of salsas

Frontera Grill

445 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 661-1434

s'mores bars (via The Hungry Mouse)

A few months ago, our friend, Kelly (aka) “Rakna,” posted a note on my Facebook page that said, “You must make these. TO DIE FOR!!!!”

Now, we love Rakna. Adore her. 

We have been attacked by monkeys with her at the Batu Caves outside Kuala Lumpur. 

We watched her eat giant meat kabobs in Sydney (Massive. Obscene, almost). 

We watched her skip through the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo because of delirious sleep exhaustion (we have video and are prepared to use it against her if needed). 

So if Rakna says something must be made, then it must be made.
Of course, she was right. These s’mores bars from The Hungry Mouse are perfect. Indulgent, substantial, delicate. Exactly like campfire s’mores, but every bite has exactly the right mix of chocolate, marsmallow, and graham cracker crust.


This is a fantastically easy recipe to make. You just need a mixer for the crust. Smash half of the dough by hand into the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Place on top of the unbaked crust a layer of chocolate and one of marshmallow fluff. And then a top layer of dough crust.





shortcut (lazy)
I've made these twice now, but I took a shortcut last week. My mom and I made the s'mores bars together for a Labor Day family gathering of 40+ people, and most had never seen our children. So it was a big deal. I decided to make the s'mores bars the night before, just after my mom had cleaned the kitchen for the evening. Mom agreed to help me, but I knew I couldn’t make a mess for us to clean up. 

The top crust layer is to be rolled out, then pieced together (great pics of this procedure over at The Hungry Mouse). The first time I made them, I rolled as told. But this time, I wanted to minimize the mess. I took a chance and sprinkled on the top layer dough, then pressed the pieces together. No rolling. Sprinkling and artful smashing. Fingers crossed...

And it worked. The top layer is much more delicate than the rolled version, which is great for eating, but not so great when stacking them on a platter for presentation. Don’t stack these. Just eat them.

So, thanks to Rakna for the spot on recommendation. You can read the blog she maintains with friends, My Mom Genes. She’s always right. About everything. Except meat skewers.

And be sure to visit The Hungry Mouse for more awesomeness.

recipe | s’mores bars via The Hungry Mouse

please help our friend, erika @ ivoryhut

Our friend, Erika, needs your help. She's an amazing photographer and blogger at The Ivory Hut.

You might have heard about the fire that destroyed her family's home two nights ago. They've lost everything, except for each other.

You can read Erika's post about the fire. Her words, her calm demeanor, her inventory of what she lost will make you want to grab the person closest to you and hold them for a good long while.

Please, if you can, make a donation to help her. You probably don't know Erika. We didn't either until we met her at the Big Summer Potluck. She's a dear person, and she needs our help.

Thanks to Alice at SavorySweetLife.com and Maggy at ThreeManyCooks.com for pulling this together. Good work, all.