One thing I have found in the few years I’ve blogged is that
the world of wonderful bloggers is big. We all know that if we click on our
friend’s sidebar, we will find a whole new list of interesting blogs . . . and if
we click even on just one of them . . . we find another long, beautiful list .
. . there is no end. I quickly realized that I simply can’t read all of the blogs I’d
like to read.
Today, however, I want to highlight one such blogger . . . a friend of a friend! Jane Bryan has recently published a cookbook by the
same name as her blog, “Thy Hand Hath Provided” and I’d just like to tell you a
little bit about it and how it’s different from other cookbooks.
First of all, I love the title and the fact that it
acknowledges that all we have is from the hand of God. In paging through
this book, I get the feeling that the fruit and vegetables listed in the ingredients
have been carefully picked and frozen or canned while in season.
Favorite family and other adapted recipes, including breads,
salads, appetizers, soups, sides, main courses and cakes are listed just like
in any recipe book. What is unique, however, is that canned or frozen
ingredients have a separate recipe on how to preserve that particular fruit of
vegetable. For example, a recipe calling for pesto, will tell you how to make
pesto . . . a recipe calling for applesauce will tell you what page to go to
make applesauce . . . a recipe calling for canned pumpkin will refer you to a method
on how to make and use butternut squash puree. Needless to say, a good portion
of the book tells you how to can and freeze.
The index is great in that, if you have filled your freezer
and pantry with home canned products or done purchases while in season,
you can glean great ideas on how to use them.
One of the recipes we have enjoyed so far is the pesto
torte. I made the layers of cream cheese and pestos in a loaf pan. After freezing
it, you can slice it and serve it, showing off the colored layers. I like the
idea of slicing it and freezing the slices so that you are ready with more than just one quick
appetizer to pull out when needed.
The pumpkin bread turned out beautiful! I like the idea of
wrapping it up, ready for a gift. Again, from one recipe I made three loaves, so it's worth mixing it up.
A few days ago, for supper we had the Malaysian Chicken Pizza. A lot of flavour
gets packed into the ginger/peanut sauce made from scratch and it's oh-so easy!
And that's just a peek into a practical cookbook with lots more to see. To find out details you may visit Jane at
/http://www.thyhandhathprovided.com/
I wish I could send you off with a nice little something to nibble on, but this is the blogging room after all!
