Do you have a pasta roller collecting dust? Oh, baby! Let’s break that thing out! I’ve been playing in an amazing pasta book for a week. The Ultimate Pasta and Noodle Cookbook
I couldn’t decide which recipe to ask permission for. Maltagliati with Creamy Lemon Sauce is the perfect first homemade pasta. As the author explains, “Maltagliati translates to “badly cut” in Italian.” It’s generally the scrap pieces from making more specific pasta like ravioli, so she has you cut diamonds and triangles in the sheets with a pasta wheel without any fussiness. And the creamy lemon sauce is the easiest and it’s delicious. It would be the perfect first pasta to tackle, getting you that wow at the table right out of the gate
At the other end of the spectrum, is a Ravioli with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe with a Browned Butter and Sage Sauce, showing you what you can do when you want to flex in the kitchen.
I couldn’t decide. So I asked for either one of those. A huge thank you to Cider Mill Press for giving me permission to share both so you can really taste that book! I’ll tell you all about the book first, then give you the recipes to try! Read More
Do you love cookies? Me too! I have the ultimate cookie book, 
. I thumbed through it and it had so many beautiful cookies that I was surprised that she’d chosen such a humble looking cookie for the cover. Then I found the recipe, World Peace Cookies. I had to try them. They are amazing cookies. She’s really not overselling it with that name. A huge thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me share the recipe with you. I’ll get to my review of the book afterwards, but first those cookies! 
I have an absolute favorite cocktail book and it really shines in the summer, 
. The author, David Alan, is a legend in Texas. If you go down to Franklin BBQ in Austin, you’ll see a sandwich up on the board, called the Tipsy Texan and it was created for David. I still haven’t tried that. Because brisket. And ribs. Nice excuse to drive back down, don’t you think?! Anyway, this cocktail book is amazing. Truly. There are so many complex fruit drinks in there that are perfection out in the hot sun. A huge thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for letting me share the recipe for Hot Summer Night with you! It’s the best cocktail I’ve ever had. Lemon lovers, meet your new favorite drink! If you hug me later, no need to explain. I’ll know you tried it. 😉 I’ll get to my review of the book in a minute, but first, let’s get back to that cocktail! 
I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Mexican cookbooks, 
. It has a special place in my heart because she demystified tamales for me. I hadn’t even realized sweet tamales were a thing, and then I saw her pineapple tamales. The whole book is filled with special dishes. Tons of produce. Fresh seafood. Oozy cheese. Yeah, I love it. I’ll get to the review afterwards, so you can get a glimpse of what it offers, but first I wanted to share her recipe for Creamy Beer Shrimp–Stuffed Poblano Chiles with you. Shrimp sautéed with garlic and arbol chiles, then simmered in dark lager and heavy cream, with some cheese stirred in at the end. You need to try this! A huge thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me share the recipe with you. 
Red wine pasta. You actually cook the pasta in a full bottle of wine in a wide shallow skillet and it absorbs it perfectly. I didn’t even know that was possible. My family loved it, but can you even imagine bringing that to your next GNO, barbecue, or book club meeting?! <My husband just asked what a GNO was. Sorry. Girls’ Night Out.> It’s ridiculously easy. My husband could make it, and he’s only vaguely aware of where the kitchen is in our house. The color is stunning. And it’s just as delicious as you’re hoping it would be reading this. A huge thanks to Running Press for letting me share the recipe with you!
will help you bring on the hanging out. But let’s get back to that pasta! 
I grew up in Wisconsin. People know about the cheese, beer, and bratwurst. Scandinavian bakeries are a really big deal there, too. Everyone’s got strong opinions about which bakery is the absolute best to get kringle and Danishes for holidays, gatherings, and weekends. Oh, I miss those bakeries! When I have a craving, I love to make them at home now. One of my favorite Scandinavian cookbooks is 
by Trine Hahnemann. A huge thank you to Quadrille for letting me share her recipe for Poppy Seed Danishes with you! They are so delicious! (And yeah, she has a recipe for Kringle in there, too!) My review of the book is right after the recipe. Amazing book.