Books & Bibles
Entertainment
Fashion & Jewelry
Gifts & Giving
Home Decor & Accents
Kitchen & Gourmet
Beauty & Health
Specialty Stores
|
|
|
|
|
The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style
| Our Price |
$ 25.35
|
|
| Retail Value |
$ 32.50 |
|
| You Save |
$ 7.15 (22%) |
|
| Item Number |
463910 |
|
|
|
|
|
Available on the Internet only.
|
|
|
|
|
Item description for The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style by Rebecca Rather, Laurie Smith & Alison Oresman...
Overview
Presents ninety-five holiday recipes from Rebecca Rather's Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, plus Christmas craft and entertaining ideas inspired by the traditions of small-town America".
Publishers Description
It's Christmastime at the Best Little Bakery in Texas
The annual Fredericksburg Christmas parade marks the beginning of the Texas Hill Country's holiday season, which means the Pastry Queen is kicking into high gear at her Rather Sweet Bakery and Café. As party invitations pile up in the mailbox, Rebecca Rather is up to her elbows in sticky meringue, creamy chocolate, and a sleigh full of savory treats to meet the entertaining needs of her neighbors.
In The Pastry Queen Christmas, Rebecca shares nearly 100 traditional recipes reflecting her made-with-love-from-scratch philosophy and the tastes of small-town Texas. Show-off desserts such as Chocolate Cookie Crusted Eggnog Cheesecake, Sticky Toffee Pudding with Brandy Butterscotch Sauce, and Warm Pear Ginger Upside-Down Cake with Amaretto Whipped Cream are the perfect toppers to a family-style feast of Texas Spice-Rubbed Roast Pork, Baked Apple Pear Chutney, Brown Sugar Bacon, and No-Peeking Popovers. Still hungry the next morning? No problem-this country girl does an impressive breakfast, too: Bite-Sized Sticky Buns, Sweet Potato Scones, Cast-Iron Skillet Potatoes, and Mexican Ranch Chilaquiles ought to fill you up.
And if you're still looking for excuses to entertain this season, you'll find ooey-gooey baked goods wrapped up as gifts, homemade craft and décor ideas to make your home sparkle, and holiday-worthy menus guaranteed to make your gathering a Texas-sized success. Tree-trimming, cookie decorating, and Santas running down Main Street . . . Christmastime is here.
Winner of 2008 IACP Cookbook Award: American category
"[This] adds up to big fun in the kitchen. Rather neatly balances unpretentious style with some adventurous flavor combinations . . . Let your sweet tooth be your guide."
-Baltimore Sun
"The Pastry Queen Christmas is such a calling card for Fredericksburg that it ought to be required material for the town's real estate agents. Ms. Rather's stories about the residents are so engaging, the photography is so luscious, you'll feel you know the town when you're done. But the recipes, straightforward and accessible, are the reason to buy . . . Ms. Rather has updated and elevated classics just enough to be enticing but not unreachable."
-Dallas Morning News
"This feel-good cookbook is full of irresistible menus and recipes to help you build family traditions and make you the most talked-about party thrower in your circle. Rebecca Rather shows you how to do Christmas proud."
-Gale Gand, author of Chocolate and Vanilla
"Rebecca Rather is not my daughter, but with amazing food like this, we'd claim her as our own any day!"
-Dan Rather, former anchor of the CBS Evening News
"Rather Sweet Bakery is one of the most enchanted places in the Texas Hill Country; every confection oozes Rebecca Rather's love of excess. It makes sense that in her glorious second book Rebecca would apply her characteristic warmth and Texas-style flair to the holidays."
-Paula Disbrowe, author of Cowgirl Cuisine
"Rebecca Rather loves to bake and cook, and she does so, and writes about it, superbly. THE PASTRY QUEEN CHRISTMAS is a classic of great food, spectacular sweets, and truly heartfelt reminiscences of family and friends, all served up with a big dose of Texas holiday spirit."
-Nick Malgieri, author of How to Bake and A Baker's Tour
A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan REBECCA RATHER has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café's sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café. Rebecca is the author of The Pastry Queen, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies' Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn't in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances.
ALISON ORESMAN has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper's restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. The Pastry Queen Christmas is her second book with Rebecca Rather. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.
Chapter one: Holiday Open House
The annual Christmas parade in early December signals the beginning of the holiday party season in Fredericksburg. Long before that, local hostesses and businesses begin calling to inquire about catering. Last season, I provided desserts for a party in a magnificent home with breathtaking views of the night sky and the valley below. (City lights that dim the starlit sky are foreign to us here.) I put together several platters of mini Key lime pies, a bakery favorite included in this chapter. (At the bakery, and in the recipe on page 35, the pie is king-sized, making it much faster to produce than the bite-sized versions.)
When customers ask for advice about giving holiday parties, an open house is always my first suggestion. Casual by definition, open houses work for groups of all sizes and ages. Serving the food buffet style frees you to move around and mingle with guests. Careful advance planning and do-ahead recipes are your keys to success. Many of the recipes in this chapter can be made at least one day before serving. (My Creamy Chicken Lasagna on page 24 can be made the day before and baked just before serving, and just about every dessert in this chapter can be made early.) When planning your menu, try to balance make-ahead recipes with those that need fixing the day of the party.
When testing and developing recipes for this book, my coauthor and I shared a running joke involving a fictional Aunt Susie. On particularly grueling days, after testing numerous recipes with many left to go, I'd say, "Just get Aunt Susie to do it." We'd crack up and soldier on. There was a kernel of wisdom in our jest. You may or may not have an Aunt Susie, but enlisting family and friends to help with preparty cooking is an ingenious way to make party prep as much fun as the event itself. Plan the menu, buy all of the groceries necessary, have all of your recipes on hand, and invite a couple of friends over to help. Some of my most rewarding conversations have taken place over the kitchen counter. This approach could even work with your teenage children, although you may have to offer financial incentives.
One of the best things about Christmas in Fredericksburg is that everyone seems to get into the holiday mood, including Beau, the bakery dog (above). It helps that we have our own little spirit of Christmas, Rosemary Estenson. The owner of the Fredericksburg Brewery next door to my Rather Sweet Bakery and Café, she's one of the town's chief Christmas organizers/enforcers. If Main Street merchants don't have their Christmas decorations up in time for the Christmas parade, they hear about it. This year, Rosemary paid a visit to Root, a clothing store on Main Street, to suggest that the window decorations needed beefing up. Owner Castle Heep complied and was glad she did. Her store looked extra festive for an open house held the night of the parade, and the place was packed.
Old-Fashioned Eggnog
Classic eggnog is not easy to make, but it is sure to dazzle your holiday guests. This version is cooked, to kill any bacteria in the eggs. And it can be made mostly in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Just before the guests arrive, whip the cream, fold it into the eggnog, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg. One taste of this, and you'll happily give up grocery-store eggnog for good. Lucky for me, I don't have to go farther than my backyard henhouse for fresh eggs. I have Silkies, Rhode Island Reds, and Araucanas and I've named each hen after a first lady. (Unfortunately, Nancy Reagan ran off a while back, never to be seen again.) Each breed produces a characteristic egg. My favorites are the light blue-green Araucana eggs. Aside from standard chicken feed, my brood gets to feast on leftover bakery products, which I suspect gives their eggs a special Rather Sweet flavor.
{ Yield: Six 1-cup servings }
31⁄2 cups heavy cream
6 large eggs
11⁄2 cups sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1⁄4 cup Myers's dark rum
1⁄2 cup whiskey (preferably Crown Royal) or bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
In a large saucepan, heat 21/2 cups of the cream over medium-low heat until it begins to steam but not boil. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt. Using a heatproof measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of the hot cream. Gradually pour it into the egg mixture to temper, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan with the hot cream. Continue to cook, whisking constantly over medium-low heat, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a large bowl and let stand until cool, at least 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Stir in the rum, whiskey (or bourbon), vanilla, and the 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Finish preparing, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To serve, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the remaining 1 cup cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the eggnog mixture. Transfer the eggnog to a pitcher and serve immediately. Top each serving with a sprinkling of fresh nutmeg.
TIP: The difference between freshly grated nutmeg and the finely ground stuff you find on the spice rack is enormous. Fresh nutmegs are available in the whole-spice section of most grocery stores. Grating the hard, round spice is much easier with gadgets made especially for grating nutmeg. Microplane and Zyliss make good ones.
|
Item Specifications...
Pages 240
Dimensions: Length: 0.75" Width: 8" Height: 10"
Weight: 2.3 lbs.
Binding Hardcover
Release Date Oct 1, 2007
Publisher Ten Speed Press
ISBN 1580087906
ISBN13 9781580087902
|
Availability 5 units.
Availability accurate as of May 25, 2012 12:14.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Momence, IL.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
|
More About Rebecca Rather, Laurie Smith & Alison Oresman
Product Categories
Reviews - What do customers think about The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style?
 | My Favorite! Nov 8, 2008 |
| This cookbook is Awesome! I have tried many of the recipes and a must have for every get-together is the Focaccia Bruschetta. Everyone wants the recipe. The cowboy cookies are my favorite, I make them all the time. Her other book is great as well, I did all my holiday baking from that one book and it was all Fabulous! I strongly recommend this Christmas cookbook. | | | | Delicious Christmas Season Resource Oct 30, 2008 |
I like this "rather" unique Christmas resource because: it has excellent recipes which are organized by the varying holiday events (Eve, Day, open house, brunch, tree trimming, NY) and it has wide variety of recipes for appetizer, salad, soup, desserts, etc. and not least, it features great color photos with fun-to-read text and it has some great shots of a Great Pyrenees named Beau (I'm a former owner of 2 and love this Gentle Giant breed)
Rather won me over in her first cookbook as being a passionate baker who ventured out into other foods in her biz and offered some in this first offering. She and her community have a great time at the Christmas Holidays and so she shares some of her favorites as well as some that others offered her, as well as some other's she invited to contribute, such as LBJ's former chef.
The excitement and passion she has (even as a busy chef) for these Holidays exhibits themselves in this fine array of recipes, illustrated by these examples: Warm Pear Ginger Upside Down Cake with Amaretto Whipped Cream; Creamy Chicken Lasagna; Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Cranberry-Pecan Salsa; Glazed Chocolate Pave; Chocolate Cookie Crusted Eggnog Cheesecake; Texas Spice Rubbed Roast Pork.
These are not overfully difficult recipes with either ingredients or techniques, but will certainly test the uninitiated baker or cook. They definitely are delicious and creative and will bring smiles as gifts and servings at this festive time of the year.
Maybe she will do her third on Easter? | | | | God bless Rebecca Rather and god bless apple spice cake! Sep 7, 2008 |
| Rebecca's recipes are always spot on and always delicious. Her last book was wonderful (Pastry Queen), and this book is no exception. I received a copy for Christmas, and have been wanting to try some of the recipes since then. I tried the first one today, and made the Apple Spice Cake -- INCREDIBLE! Rebecca, thanks for delivering again. | | | | Reviewing: "The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining Texas Style" Aug 24, 2008 |
Fredericksburg, Texas area resident Rebecca Rather, owner of the "Sweet Bakery and Cafe" since 1999 has created a very good holiday book full of Texas color and recipes. After an acknowledgment that thanks her customers as well as many others who helped in some way with her writing career, and an introduction that gives personal background, it is time for the recipes.
Chapter One "Holiday Open House" starts with "Old-Fashioned Eggnog." Be warned, this isn't the kind of eggnog one buys in the grocery stores these days. Recipes for "Cranberry-Walnut Scones, Mustard Baked Ham, Green Chile and Cheddar Baking Powder Biscuits, Red Velvet Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Icing" are just a few of the delectable recipes in this chapter. Pictures are many and include not only the finished product but also often a picture at some point in the recipe before it is a finished product. "Tips" are many as well with various suggestions concerning adding other ingredients to the recipes mentioned. Along the way there is the occasional story about the recipe detailing the background of the dish.
A subsection of Chapter One begins on page 43 and is titled "Outdoor Tree Trimming" along with brief instructions on how to make "fresh fruit ornaments, dried fruit ornaments,"etc. there are the recipes. The recipes start with "In-The-Bag Chili Frito Pie," and move to "Rather Minty Brownies, My Mistake Cookies" and other treats. This is a very short section at six pages.
"Ranch Barn Brunch" is the title for Chapter Two beginning on page 51 and the Chapter works off the theme of the author's love of horses. Friends of the author provided the barn for the party pictures and she again explains about her love of horses and how the party was designed. The recipes begin with "Larry Doll's Famous Cranberry Margaritas" and include among other mouthwatering recipes "Seasonal Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing, Brown Sugar Bacon, Mexican Ranch Chilaquiles, Mexican Camp Bread" among many others. Like in Chapter One, there are numerous color photos of the meals as well as numerous tips along with personal stories about the history of the recipes and the people in the author's life.
Chapter 2 concludes with a section on "Making Gingerbread Houses." Templates for the houses are included in the appendix. As part of the making gingerbread houses, which is a kid involved activity, she makes a few other suggestions of what to make now that the kids are in the kitchen. "Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas" is one with "Torched S'mores" being another of the several possibilities.
"Christmas Eve" is Chapter Three (page 99) which kicks off with "LBJ Ranch Crown Roast of Lamb with Rice Stuffing and Jalapeño-Mint Sauce. If that doesn't strike your fancy, maybe "Blue Corn Blinis with Crab and Avocado Crema" will work for you. The recipe makes 28 servings which means since they are appetizers, you might need to double upon it. There is always "Green Olive Beef Tenderloin" as well as "Martha's Best -Ever Rolls. Save room for the "Christmas Coconut Cake." As in every chapter, there are far more recipes than I have mentioned here, along with color photographs, history and tips.
"Cookie Decorating" is a little section at the end of this chapter and is all about the kids and having fun. Pretty much self explanatory and this section begins on page 133.
"Christmas Day" marks Chapter Four in a chapter working around the theme of the day and beautiful Christmas dinners. It begins on page 143 and buffet is the order of the day in the author's house. One of the first dishes to be consumed is her "Green Bean Bundles." The "Texas Spice-Rubbed Roast Pork" sounds mighty good and looks good too. As does the "Cajun Roast Turkey" (no picture though) and numerous other dishes. Included are the usual photographs, tips, and personal history.
At the end of the Chapter is another small section titled "Wrapping Up the Holidays with Edible Gifts." Aptly titled and self explanatory, it covers little tasty treats such as "Denise's Vanilla Caramels, Lola's Sunday Fudge," among other items.
"New Year's Eve" is the title for Chapter Five and the final Chapter in this book which begins on page 183. Beyond the gorgeous photograph of a spinning windmill against a Texas sunset there are recipes such as "Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Cranberry-Pecan Salsa, Mother's Lobster Bisque, Ken Hall's Standing Rib Roast" and many others with a distinctive Texas flavor. Of course, there are more photographs, tips and history here following the format used throughout the book. This chapter closes the book and is followed by the aforementioned templates for a gingerbread house and an index.
At 225 pages, this is a beautifully photographed book full of recipes, Texas history and culture and ways to do the season right. Written in a down home style, this is not a pretentious book and does not at any time talk down to readers. It provides easy clear instructions, something many cookbooks lack, along with pictures, to help you through the recipe process.
It does lack basic info on dietary issues. While it states how many servings a dish has, it doesn't make any mention of sodium counts, fats, sugars, etc. in regards to health, Granted, it is a book for the holiday season and many folks ignore such issues during that time, but for others such information is critically important year around.
That being said a lot of that sort of info can be determined by considering the recipe itself before making the item. Therefore, the lack of info is a minor quibble overall and one that can be ignored simply because this is such a beautifully done book full of mouth watering recipes. A book well worth your time and investment in and one sure to assist you for many holidays to come.
Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008
| | | | PASTRY QUEEN AWESOME! Jul 14, 2008 |
| ANYTHING FROM REBECCA IS GREAT! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SHE COMES OUT WITH ANOTHER BOOK! | | | Write your own review about The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style
Ask A Question or Provide Feedback regarding The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style
|
Shopping Cart (0 Items)
