tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36884836671026533322012-01-26T18:10:43.568-05:00A Cook and Her BooksLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.comBlogger4191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-42734139284278693562012-01-25T07:00:00.011-05:002012-01-25T07:40:37.763-05:0010 food blogs everyone should read
I still read cookbooks, but find myself spending more time reading food blogs. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I read blogs. A lot of blogs, mostly about food, gardening and home-y subjects, never about politics. In the past 10 months, I've stumbled through nearly 10,000 blog pages on StumbleUpon, liking and sharing pictures and stories that speak to me. I also check in on Open Salon Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-57637628698975973872012-01-23T07:00:00.003-05:002012-01-23T07:00:14.322-05:00Candied kumquats
Candied kumquats. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Each winter, just after New Year's, I find a special treat tucked in my grocer's produce case - pints of kumquats, the tart orange min-football-shaped fruits that can be eaten peel and all. Kumquats are an acquired taste - the pucker makes my eyes pop and there's a faint bitterness to the pith. But like the first asparagus of spring, or theLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-17583641643729915882012-01-20T07:00:00.006-05:002012-01-22T17:05:00.683-05:00Paperwhites about to bloom
Paperwhites, week 4. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
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In these dark days of winter, as mild as this winter has been, I long for the green stems and colorful blooms of spring. While the outdoors sorts out whether its truly winter or spring...
Daffodil blooming in January. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I'll watch my paperwhites reach to the sun by my kitchen window. Here'sLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-33716676765390855392012-01-18T07:00:00.018-05:002012-01-22T17:07:01.290-05:00Happy 4th Birthday, A Cook and Her Books!
Meyer lemon coconut macaroon tarts. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
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Today is the 4th birthday of my dear little blog. Some bloggers call this a blogiversary, certainly one of the more unfortunate and unappealing words to come out of the internet revolution. It’s not an anniversary, it’s a birthday. I gave birth to it, I didn’t marry it.
I’ve never told the story of how A Cook and HerLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-11954964873784203372012-01-16T07:00:00.002-05:002012-01-16T07:36:25.563-05:00Try a new apple
Pinata apples. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Sometimes apples are the star of the show - think apple pie, apple cake, applesauce, and apple dumplings. So many dishes revolve around the excellence of the apple, it's easy to forget what an accommodating supporting player a crisp and sweet apple can be.
Recently, Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, Washington, sent me a sample of a new apple Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-45243775660254731292012-01-12T23:12:00.002-05:002012-01-14T18:33:32.817-05:00Meyer lemon cheesecake with a Biscoff crust
Meyer lemon cheesecake with Biscoff crust. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
A friend needed a cheesecake, and so I made one. And not just a plain vanilla cheesecake, this time it's flavored with the juice and zest of two Meyer lemons. Have you found the Meyer lemons in your supermarket produce section? (I'm asking this question of my local friends, not my California friends, who all seem to Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-59830711771554315782012-01-06T07:00:00.014-05:002012-01-06T21:09:56.402-05:00Full of Beans
Vegetarian bean chili. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Funny how your identity can get so wrapped up in a name. I was born Lucy, named for my grandmother Lucille, and have endured every Lucy joke imaginable. “Aw, Ricky” is a standard remark when I’m introduced to new people, which is much better than lame jokes revolving around Charlie Brown. It’s taken me awhile to feel comfortable in my Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-74285371902387668762012-01-02T14:18:00.001-05:002012-01-04T08:14:03.574-05:00White trash snack mix
White trash snack mix. Lucy Mercer/ A Cook and Her Books
White trash is probably one of those phrases we're not supposed to say anymore.While it's not cool to call someone "white trash," like Scarlett O'Hara would refer to Emmie Slattery" (after all, Emmie did run off with the carpetbagger), it's funny to call certain foods "white trash." I think it all started when Ernest Matthew Mickler Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-41395868453001180932011-12-29T07:00:00.004-05:002011-12-31T07:28:22.024-05:00Black eyed peas recipes After the gut-busting decadence of Christmas, it's nice to settle in with simple, humble fare for New Year's, like the Southern traditional foods - black-eyed peas and greens. Southerners eat their peas on New Year's Day to bring luck and partaking of greens is said to put plenty of green, as in money, in your pocket in the coming year. We may need all the luck and money we can get to avoid the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-5609429178698529002011-12-28T07:16:00.000-05:002011-12-28T07:16:59.079-05:00Let there be peas on earth, and let it begin with me
Dried black eyed peas. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
On Jan. 1, New Year's tradition holds to eat greens or cabbage for wealth and black-eyed peas for good luck. I don't mind the greens, but, honestly, black-eyed peas boiled with pork taste just like dirt boiled with pork. A few years ago, I discovered Black-Eyed Peas Vinaigrette in Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking (I love the cover Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-23196645074730527622011-12-24T22:06:00.000-05:002011-12-24T22:06:18.409-05:00Merry Christmas!
White Christmas, 2010. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care and I'm about to settle down for a little last-minute present-wrapping and a long winter's nap. Our mild winter has meant temps in the 70s in December, a far cry from last year's white Christmas, pictured above. I like my house in the snow, and with the porch decorated, it just seemed an Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-67167642809706599552011-12-23T07:00:00.001-05:002011-12-23T07:00:03.608-05:00My favorite Christmas carol
Nativity/Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Christmas music is the mood-setter as we gear up for the holidays. I look forward each year to the familiar and funny, as well as the sacred and serious songs of the season. Before I tell you about my favorite song, I will tell you what I don't like:
Waking up the Monday before Thanksgiving to the strains of Kelly Clarkson's Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-82881752974293875492011-12-22T07:30:00.001-05:002011-12-22T07:30:04.733-05:00My favorite books for Christmas
My favorite Christmas books. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
It's the most wonderful time of the year, and when I'm not jingle-belling and caroling out in the snoooow, I've got my nose stuck in a book. I have a shelf in my living room that is devoted to Christmas books and these are a few of my favorites:
By Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
1. "Reader's Digest Book of Christmas," a big Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-16351327317292026532011-12-18T23:09:00.001-05:002011-12-18T23:10:16.030-05:00Paperwhites and daffodils for Christmas gifts
Paperwhite bulbs.Lucy mercer/A Cook and Her Books
When you run into the Lowe's or Home Depot or your favorite garden center this week, looking for an extra string of lights, or a discounted wreath, find the display of fall bulbs. I bet you'll find a few bags of beautiful tulip, daffodil and paperwhite bulbs, priced to sell. If you have a few extra minutes in the Christmas rush and crush, you Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-22342654837281225322011-12-14T07:00:00.002-05:002011-12-14T07:00:11.618-05:00Retro favorites, two sweet, one savory
Orange-pecan coconut candy Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Maybe it's because I love "Mad Men," or maybe it's the other way around, but the early 60s seem to have a hold on me. I can do without the floofy hair and the waist-whittling foundation garments, but everything else - pointy-toed heels, handbags and gloves; the Betty Crocker kitchen and the Corningware casseroles, I love. Maybe it's Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-80361588738155449292011-12-12T07:00:00.002-05:002011-12-12T07:00:05.916-05:00Snack on this: Two choices for savory treats
Snack mix. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
When you're busy baking cookies this week, it's nice to have a few recipes that the kidoodles can help put together, especially savory snacks that will balance out super-sweet cookie trays. Here are two of my favorites: snack mix and roasted nuts. The snack mix is fun to assemble with kids, in fact, if they're shopping with you, let them choose a fewLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-52922838111005666732011-12-09T07:00:00.003-05:002011-12-12T21:21:29.731-05:00Wrap it up for teachers
Wrapped loaf cakes. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Give those hard-working teachers something homemade this year, all wrapped up in a pretty ribbon. Loaf cakes and quick breads fill the bill - most recipes make at least two loaves, and if you use smaller pans, you can stretch the recipe further. Below are some of my favorites. Click on the name in the caption for the recipe.
Lemon tea Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-65912000051913502602011-12-08T07:00:00.015-05:002011-12-08T08:26:37.201-05:00Let the baking begin!
Miss Abbey's fruitcake cookies. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Each December, I pull down my Christmas baking books and decide on which cookies to turn out each year. There are the tried and true, like the 100 cookies and the shortbread with candied cherries. I will make a pan or two of tassies, because I'm a Southern gal, after all. And no Christmas is complete without Christmas cut-out Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-56601016516541412512011-12-07T11:55:00.001-05:002011-12-11T15:54:53.385-05:00Christmas tablescapes
Mickey Mouse holiday table. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
The Friday before Thanksgiving, before the busy-ness of the holidays takes over, the women of my church do a wonderful thing - it's called the Christmas Memories dinner. It's an opportunity for ladies to pull their beautiful holiday china out of the cabinets and create decorated tables and invite their friends for an early ChristmasLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-56279532865026399582011-12-05T15:05:00.001-05:002011-12-05T22:10:26.622-05:00My kind of Christmas shopping
Biscoff on Pfaltzgraff. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
In the midst of Christmas shopping this week, I decided to pop into my favorite thrift store. It couldn't hurt to just pop in and see what's new on the used housewares shelves, right? I walked past the worn '90s starter china sets, the discount Christmas decor, the once-lovely silver-rimmed Mikasa bone china obviously washed repeatedly Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-60779236751410406982011-12-03T22:34:00.001-05:002011-12-11T13:39:24.279-05:00Shortbread Cookies with Candied Cherries
Shortbread with candied cherries. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Fruitcake is not a tradition in my home, although my mom makes stellar "fruitcake cookies." (That recipe is hers and I hope to share it soon). I buy the candied cherries, however, to top Mom’s sandy, crispy, buttery shortbread. Shortbread is the easiest, most elemental cookie – butter, confectioner’s sugar, flour, salt andLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-17659256738833319452011-11-29T13:07:00.000-05:002011-11-29T13:07:46.802-05:00How to clean glassware
Clean stemware. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
As we prepare for holiday entertaining, I thought it might be useful to share the method that I use for cleaning my stemware and crystal. I know there are many who use their lovely things everyday, but with granite counters, hardwood floors, young children and a knack for breaking things, I keep the good stuff shelved and bring it out only for Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-37839526999292355212011-11-26T20:33:00.002-05:002011-11-27T14:50:20.121-05:00Thankful for leftovers
Thanksgiving essentials. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have to say, as much as we enjoy the big meal with family, we like the leftovers best. We always have a turkey carcass, and in the years when we host, Mr. A Cook will take all the meat off the bones, then boil up the carcass with some celery, carrots, turnips and potatoes for turkey soup (while I'm Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-7867397944185015502011-11-22T22:59:00.002-05:002011-11-23T08:37:49.903-05:00Thankful
Pumpkins. Copper Hill, Tennessee. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I wrote earlier this week that it's so much easier to be the guest versus the hostess at Thanksgiving. The pressure's off for me this year - I just need to bake a few pies and craft an appetizer and keep my girls busy. Doesn't sound too hard, does it?
And for once, I get to enjoy the cooking and not worry about the cleaning Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-35417724487526927032011-11-15T05:57:00.003-05:002011-11-15T08:59:45.390-05:00Homemade applesauce recipe (microwave version)
Homemade applesauce. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
This time of year, I end up with a glut of apples, from friends, grocery store sales and trips to North Georgia apple barns. Homemade applesauce is an easy and kid-friendly recipe to help use up these beautiful apples. My favorite recipe uses a microwave for the heavy lifting - easier than risking burning on the cook-top. Forgive the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-22191467752728455102011-11-14T08:47:00.000-05:002011-11-14T08:47:13.390-05:00Unbelievably delicious and tasty apple dumplings
Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
My evil twin will try anything once. Krispy Kreme donuts topped with whipped cream and bacon bits, and now apple dumplings made with a can of soda as the sauce. This recipe comes by way of my friend Julie, who served up this unbelievably delicious panful of apple dumplings and revealed that the secret was a can of Mountain Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-3029616665880109822011-11-12T21:48:00.002-05:002011-12-08T09:48:54.118-05:00Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books
Cookbooks needing company. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Chronicle Books has been one of my favorite publishers since the days of "Griffin & Sabine," and their volumes continue to fill my bookshelves. In addition to fiction, art and children's books, they just so happen to produce some of the loveliest cookbooks around, and well, I have a thing for cookbooks.
Again this year, Chronicle Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-74877649959127487212011-11-10T07:00:00.002-05:002011-11-10T07:00:05.794-05:00Apple blondie, aka German apple cake
German apple cake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Throughout November, I'm highlighting recipes with apples - probably my favorite fruit to bake with, (ok, I love lemon, too, so it's a toss-up between lemons and apples). The fresh apples of autumn are a baker's best friend. Here's a recipe for a German Apple Cake from Atlanta blogger Lisa Kuebler. It's rather like an apple-stuffed blondie Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-90523995055795141602011-11-08T07:00:00.003-05:002011-11-09T09:59:30.732-05:00Old-fashioned apple dumplings
Classic apple dumplings. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Apple dumplings just sound good. Ever since coming across a picture of apple dumplings in a 1970s Southern Living cookbook, I've wanted to bake them - warm fruit, filled with spices and nuts or candy (like Red Hots), encased in a sweet pastry, baked to golden goodness and topped with cream.
Making apple dumplings with delicious Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-2501437011953253012011-11-04T07:00:00.001-04:002011-11-04T07:00:11.652-04:00Can she bake an apple pie? Of course!
Pair of apples. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
It's Apple time here at A Cook and Her Books, where I'm celebrating one of the most valuable crops to my home state of Georgia - apples. What dish could express your cooking ability more than pie, and what is the ultimate expression of pie? Apple pie, of course!
I've made this apple cheddar pie several times this year - it came to me from Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-60280524535783203052011-11-03T07:00:00.004-04:002011-11-06T19:57:37.120-05:00The easiest apple pie...
Thin crust French apple tart. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
...is a tart. Just sweetened fruit on a crust. To quote a certain contessa, "How easy is that?"
I make this puff pastry tart often and it disappears soon after I pull it out of the oven. It's a simple afternoon snack, an elegant dessert, or a breakfast treat. Puff pastry is a wonderful thing to keep in your freezer "pantry" - Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-43237380537485810292011-11-02T07:00:00.002-04:002011-11-02T11:23:29.320-04:00Cozy, Comforting Apple Crisp
Limbertwig and Macintosh apples. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Autumn cooking and baking are all about apples, especially here in Georgia, where the weekly CSA box is loaded with luscious organic apples each week. And no October is complete without a trip to Blue Ridge, in the North Georgia mountains, where a visit to Mercier's Apple Barn is a must. We load up on bags of baking apples andLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-37609580741921886802011-11-01T10:00:00.003-04:002011-11-02T11:11:51.150-04:00An apple a day
Apple signs at Mercier's Orchard, Blue Ridge, Georgia. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Our lovely North Georgia mountains, the foothills of the Appalachians that stretch up the Eastern seaboard, are blessed with stunning fall color and the apple harvest. We take a family trip one weekend each autumn to Blue Ridge, an idyllic town with apple barns nearby.
Blue Ridge train station. Lucy Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-90596041704733585792011-10-31T14:02:00.003-04:002011-11-01T06:10:01.970-04:00Catching up with Richard Blais & Jared Lee Pyles @HD1
Chefs Richard Blais and Jared Lee Pyles of HD1 Restaurant.
This is what a soft opening is all about - I drove past HD1 Restaurant in Poncey Highlands twice before I realized it was the place I was supposed to be for lunch. (Of course, that could be a statement about my driving and directional abilities and the fact that these days it's a bit of a deal for me to drive anywhere other than the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-25827843007296732132011-10-28T07:00:00.001-04:002011-10-28T07:00:13.432-04:00Preserving the harvest: Muscadine jam
Muscadines. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Recognize these plump grapes? They're Muscadines, a grape native to the Southeast that has been cultivated for more than 400 years. They appear briefly in Southern supermarkets from late August to September, and even into October, usually alongside their green-skinned cousins, the Scuppernong. These native grapes are distinguished by thick skins andLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-38197099835693981782011-10-26T07:00:00.079-04:002011-10-28T06:10:23.506-04:00Wild grapes of autumn
Muscadine sorbet. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
The muscadine season in Georgia lasts just a couple of months in autumn, but like it is with the sweetest watermelons of June or the juiciest heirloom tomatoes of August, it’s worth the wait. Paulk Family Vineyards in Wray, in middle Georgia, is the country’s largest grower of muscadines, a wild but cultivated grape. Muscadines are considered Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-54464128191222593602011-10-21T09:37:00.004-04:002011-10-23T08:15:05.283-04:00Honoring a fallen hero
Photo by Lucy Mercer
This story isn't about food or books, but just a glimpse into the town and times I live in. I brought my camera along yesterday as our county honored a fallen hero.
My small town was covered up in the American flag Thursday. It was not the 4th of July, not Labor Day, Memorial Day or Veterans Day, or any of the traditional days when there might be a parade downtown and folksLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-35240922318988078012011-10-19T11:29:00.000-04:002011-10-19T11:29:30.762-04:00A fresh experience: PMA Fresh Summit
Rambutan. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
This is the rambutan, the "hairy cherry" found throughout Southeast Asia. I discovered it in the Georgia World Congress Center, in the Frieda's specialty produce display on the floor of the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit. On Monday, I joined about 100 "influencers" for a breakfast and tour of this impressive convention, one of the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-47928031641783526062011-10-16T21:34:00.002-04:002011-11-02T11:44:19.552-04:00Asters, daisies, cosmos and mums
Asters. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Just three little flowers are lighting up my flower bed this October. The mass of asters brightens the corner and pleases the bees. The cosmos are left from the summer, flopped over, but still brilliant.
Cosmos. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Daisies and asters. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Yellow mums. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-9031848753606774652011-10-15T07:00:00.009-04:002011-10-15T09:53:15.688-04:00The Baker's Rack
Baker's rack. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
We have a routine the first Friday of every month, at least for the past few months: when my husband gets home from work, we gather up the girls to head out to our favorite barbecue place. On the way over, we'll stop off at a nearby auction house and check out the sale preview -- all the night's auction items are on display until 7 p.m.
ThisLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-3361776252648458402011-10-13T23:19:00.000-04:002011-10-13T23:19:14.079-04:00Halloween Cakes Past
Glass pumpkins from Atlanta Botanical Garden. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I've made a few Halloween cakes in years past, mostly for Fall Festival cakewalks and class parties, and I managed to find a few pictures of some of my favorites. These are a few years old and the quality isn't great, but they do give a good idea of how I made the cakes.
The one I wish I had a picture of, but Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-84702715411080544442011-10-10T14:36:00.003-04:002011-10-11T07:51:03.795-04:00Junkin' at Scott Antiques MarketI love old stuff. Nothing wrong with new stuff, but if given the choice, I'd rather have dishes with a story behind them than plates without a past. Once a month, the Scott Antique Market vendors set up their booths south of Atlanta. They bill themselves as the World's Largest Indoor Antique Shows.There's old stuff and new stuff there, and an outside as well as inside. Here's a few pictures from Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-15144995312339821442011-10-05T07:00:00.005-04:002011-10-05T08:41:49.583-04:00The icy side of coffee
Coffee beans. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
More than a few years ago, B.K. (before kids), my husband and I were free-wheeling adults given to do crazy things like shop for groceries late at night. In the nearly empty Kroger store at 10 p.m. (hey, it was late for us, I didn't say we were night owls), we would scoot along, filling up our buggy and dancing along to the oldies played over the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-31091322800319335212011-10-02T22:39:00.006-04:002011-10-03T12:03:32.753-04:00Think pink...and green for the Salad that Men Love
Green salad with raspberries, toasted pecans, Vermont cheddar, raspberries and raspberry vinaigrette.
Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I'm thinking pink and green this month, for women's health and for the men in our lives. For California Giant Berries' Think Pink promotion for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I created a salad using healthful, anti-oxidant- rich pink raspberries, thoseLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-15790934191193080292011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:002011-09-29T07:50:45.970-04:00Candy Corn
Brach's Autumn Mix by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I opened my first bag of Halloween candy today - Brach's Autumn Mix. I like candy when it's around, but I don't crave it. I like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (you know you're in the South when folks call them "Ree-Cees") and Tootsie Rolls and a few handfuls of candy corn.How about you, what's your favorite candy of the season? Leave a Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-72256312456852822362011-09-27T07:00:00.002-04:002011-09-27T07:00:09.861-04:00The Amazing and True Adventures of Squash and Pumpkin
Squash and Pumpkin do some light cleaning. Susan Loper/Thoughtful Consumption
My friend and blogging buddy Susan has a whimsical wit and a CSA subscription. Some folks open up their produce boxes and see supper on the hoof (so to speak); Susan sees comic opportunity. Last fall, she took the weekly cucurbitae and had a little fun, with a post called “More Fun with Squash and Pumpkin.”
Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-58878322658646622102011-09-23T11:47:00.002-04:002011-09-25T13:15:16.863-04:00Book Booty
Cookbooks from the closing of Borders. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Nearly four years ago, when I was casting about for a name for this blog, I had two criteria. The title must begin with an "A" so that it would land near the top of alphabetical blogrolls, and it must express my love of two things: cooking and books. You see, I've spent too many years in bookstores, both as an Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-73913665144109171052011-09-19T07:52:00.002-04:002011-10-14T11:23:28.863-04:00Blue Ribbon Dreams Redux
It's late September and time again for the North Georgia State Fair, always an event for our family. From the petting zoo to the smoked turkey legs to the kiddie rides, we have a blast. Last year, I caught blue ribbon fever with my first entry into the baking categories. My Morning Glory Muffins took the honor, but my entries in the cookie and pound cake categories didn't place.
Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-76744191921002738282011-09-16T08:58:00.002-04:002011-09-16T08:58:44.234-04:00Sweet tea peach scones
Scones with tea-soaked peaches by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Summer in the South means sweet tea and peaches, at least for this Georgia girl. But two weeks past Labor Day means that the peaches are fading fast. One way to keep the sweet, floral peach flavor in my baked goods is to use dried peaches. I chopped up a package, soaked them in the table wine of the South - sweet tea, andLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-47165510371201733732011-09-14T08:23:00.000-04:002011-09-14T08:23:02.726-04:00Easy ice cream, vegan and gluten-free
Banana soft-serve ice cream. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Looking for a simple frozen dessert recipe? One that will please vegans, the gluten-free crowd, the lactose intolerant, diabetics and kids big or small? Try this one-ingredient frozen dessert that doesn’t even require an ice cream maker – banana soft serve.
It’s a tasty and frugal dessert that can be whipped up in just a few hoursLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-32375094639945314512011-09-11T09:38:00.003-04:002011-09-11T22:04:27.638-04:00Remembering 9/11: A bulwark never failing
Yellow Daisies. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
On this sacred day, the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, my memories and my loss mean so little against what so many have lost. I didn't lose a spouse, a relative, friend or acquaintance. It seems so minior to say that I lost that easy sense of security that I had in 2001, when my first daughter had just turned three and I was Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-13279739780421932132011-09-10T14:36:00.002-04:002011-09-30T09:18:11.229-04:00Denouement for a bookseller
Borders press pass lanyard and earpiece. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
This weekend, I’ll pull my last shift as a bookseller, and if God is with me, my last retail shift ever. My Borders store hasn’t flatlined yet, but it’s just a matter of days, and I’ve decided to hang up my lanyard and radio earpiece a few days early. I'm worn out and worn down by the customers, most of which are Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-9809226314918833042011-09-08T07:00:00.002-04:002011-09-08T07:00:12.247-04:00Pear and Gorgonzola Crostini from "400 Best Sandwich Recipes"
Pear, gorgonzola and walnut crostini from "400 Best Sandwich Recipes" by Alison Lewis.
Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
The versatile sandwich can be elegant or casual, like a little black dress. It is also a perfect expression of seasonal ingredients. This snappy little number from Alison Lewis’ "400 Best Sandwich Recipes" (Robert Rose, 2011) speaks of late summer to early fall, when the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-75546495767670633692011-09-06T07:00:00.015-04:002011-09-06T22:06:10.240-04:00400 Best Sandwich Recipes, including Lunchbox Sushi
Lunchbox Sushi from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis.
Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Reading through Alison Lewis’ “400 Best Sandwich Recipes” (Robert Rose, 2011), I can’t help but think how lucky her kids are. Lewis is a nationally known recipe developer, accomplished cook and writer, a veteran of Southern Living magazine, and her book brims over with family-friendly recipes. She’s Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-88669411517706855552011-08-30T07:00:00.106-04:002011-08-31T12:20:22.525-04:00Something from Nothing: Stuffed Pumpkin Blossoms
Tempura goat cheese and ricotta stuffed pumpkin blossoms
by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
If you ever talk to someone who lived through the Great Depression, you may hear the phrase, spoken with respect, "And my mama/daddy/grandma knew how to make something from nothing." The notion of creating treasure from someone else's trash can be found everywhere from art - Georgia's ownLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-62667105938526103062011-08-23T07:00:00.003-04:002011-08-23T07:42:41.121-04:00Jeff's bruschetta
Jeff's bruschetta by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
My neighbor Jeff is a foodie. A man who truly enjoys getting in the kitchen and creating. One of the best things about being neighbors with and his family is that they will invite us over for dinner and feed us well. A second perk is that he shares recipes. He couldn't wait to tell me this one and when he did, I couldn't wait to Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-6981860123294931252011-08-22T12:14:00.001-04:002011-08-22T13:09:09.795-04:007 Things to Bring to a Borders Liquidation Sale (and 5 Things to Leave at Home)
Borders Books by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Some history on Borders and me: I’ve worked as a part-time bookseller at Borders for close to three years. These weren't the glory years, to be sure, but as a passionate reader, being able to share my knowledge of books with customers has been a source of joy to me. There are a lot of reasons why Borders is closing, and all I have to say onLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-56782615836533137632011-08-18T07:00:00.025-04:002011-08-18T07:00:08.929-04:00Splendid Ice Cream with Cherries (!)
Goat cheese ice cream with roasted cherries by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
An artist’s eye and confectioner’s soul have led Jeni Britton Bauer to create rich, flavorful ice creams that tempt the palate. Bauer is the founder of “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams” with 10 stores in her native Ohio and now expanding into Tennessee. Her revolutionary flavors and ice cream bases are tailored to Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-24991976374072902622011-08-17T07:00:00.005-04:002011-08-17T21:40:31.034-04:00A peanut butter pie for Mikey
Peanut butter pie with Reese's Pieces for Mikey by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
This may not be one of the prettiest pies I’ve ever made, but it may be one of the most important. This Peanut Butter Pie is for Mikey and all those little “I’ll do it tomorrow’s” I say to my family as I try to get done just what I need to get done today.
I’m not sure when it happened, but sometime Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-88307546777277349442011-08-16T10:00:00.003-04:002011-08-16T20:51:29.288-04:00Kid-friendly sushi idea
Barbara Beery knows how to throw a party. The author of 12 cookbooks, including her latest, “The Pink Princess Party Cookbook,” (Simon & Schuster, 2011), has more than two decades experience entertaining children with creative theme parties in her hometown of Austin, Texas.
Barbara Beery, author of "The Pink Princess Party Cookbook" (Simon & Schuster, 2011)
She hosted her first Pink Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-21490010097358231062011-08-15T11:09:00.003-04:002011-09-24T23:13:57.505-04:00Think pink for birthday parties
Pink Princess Punch by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
It seems like every little girl dreams of a pink princess birthday party, at least for the few years, between Elmo and Phineas & Ferb. Kids Cooking Shop owner and cookbook author Barbara Beery knows this because for 20 years, she has produced countless Pink Princess Parties for families in Austin, Texas.
Simon and Schuster just Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-11761279732043927372011-08-03T07:00:00.003-04:002011-08-03T13:35:17.189-04:00Scenes from Sweet Auburn Curb Market
Sweet Auburn Curb Market/Photo by Atlanta Culinary Tours
by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour Atlanta's oldest farmer's market, the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, which has been feeding Atlantans since 1918. My new friends at Atlanta Culinary Tours, Beth and David, guided a group of about a dozen culinary tourists through the market, admiring Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-72378424109196893522011-07-31T13:32:00.000-04:002011-07-31T13:32:06.397-04:00Gad Zukes! It's Time for Zucchini Bread!
Zucchini by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
When life gives you zucchini, you don't have much time to muck about. You can make zuke soup, Mollie Katzen's ZuCanoes, ratatouille, and zucchini bread, but you better be fast because fresh zucchini only lasts a few days before shriveling to primordial ooziness. Here's a zucchini bread that yielded two loaves, one big, one small. The large one made Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-14690394725909721682011-07-24T07:00:00.002-04:002011-07-31T22:46:03.088-04:00Pimento Cheese is the new gravy
Pimento cheese and crackers by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
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Raspberry buttermilk scones by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
My buttermilk scone recipe is like gesso on a blank canvas, ready for whatever fruits I fancy. In the winter, raisins and dried cranberries get their turn, folded into the sweet, buttery dough. In summer, fresh, ripe berries take a tumble in the biscuits. I wrote at length about the blueberry version, Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-13367486228904573412011-07-22T07:00:00.000-04:002011-07-22T07:00:14.842-04:00No such thing as too much tabbouleh
Tabbouleh, or Bulgur Salad by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Hearty grain salads are not only healthy, they're handy to keep on hand for cool lunches on hot summer days. I've discovered the joys of quinoa this summer, and have now returned to an old favorite, tabbouleh, made with bulgur wheat.
And what exactly is bulgur? Thank you for asking - it's durum wheat with just a bit of the bran Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-39797120947868266932011-07-21T09:49:00.001-04:002011-08-03T15:08:04.168-04:00Not-so-plain Vanilla Ice Cream
Vanilla ice cream by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Sometimes, I get so distracted by trying to something new that I forget that the classics are classics for a reason - they never let you down. My most recent example: my baby girl turned 13 last week, thir-teen! and she requested a rich chocolate birthday cake. Not my go-to chocolate pound cake, but something a little fancier. I found a Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-14461526051234141742011-07-19T07:00:00.000-04:002011-07-19T07:00:11.204-04:00VBS: Very Busy Summer (or Vacation Bible School)
Fish with grapes and squeezy cheese by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Summer began with a roaring start this year with a weeklong Vacation Bible School, VBS to those in the know. This is a ministry for my church, and it takes a lot of volunteers to pull it off to make a successful program for the 200 children attending. A core group of volunteer and church staff begin planning in December Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-40180652302476362102011-07-17T23:12:00.001-04:002011-07-18T08:50:17.582-04:00Cow girls: Feelin' bovine and lookin' fine
Cow girls by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Filling up a summer is sometimes a daunting responsibility. We started off the summer break with a week of vacation, so that was easy. Vacation Bible School and its preparations took another couple weeks. Independence Day and a few essential family birthdays kept us busy in early July. Thank goodness for Cow Appreciation Day, July 9, Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-57233293884159790812011-07-09T07:00:00.069-04:002011-07-18T09:08:53.255-04:00Pound Cake Dessert Sandwiches
Pound Cake Dessert Sandwich with Strawberries by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
We all know about sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and supper, now meet a dessert sandwich - juicy strawberries dripping over whole milk ricotta, between two slices of buttery pound cake. This inspired and summery dessert comes from Susan Russo's delightful new cookbook, "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes,Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-10223375549512874422011-07-08T07:00:00.003-04:002011-07-18T09:10:49.059-04:00The Jucy LucyReading through Susan Russo's new cookbook, "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches," (Quirk, 2011) something familiar caught my eye - my name. Not in reference to Lucille Ball and the Golden Era of Television, not a mention of Lucy Van Pelt pulling the football out from Charlie Brown's feet, and no reference to the Notorious Woman of her generation, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd.
The Jucy Lucy by LucyLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-61809609178809891492011-07-07T07:00:00.003-04:002011-07-07T09:23:24.073-04:00Chicken Salad Sandwich
Chicken salad on croissant by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Sandwiches get us through the day – from the ubiquitous fast food offering of a breakfast sandwich, to ham and cheese at lunch and meatball subs for supper, whatever meal you’re preparing, there’s a sandwich for it.
Susan Russo, author of the new "Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes, History and Trivia for Everything Between SlicedLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-37823527870345065592011-07-06T07:00:00.003-04:002012-01-08T16:32:58.614-05:00Buttermilk scones for breakfast
Brown-sugar topped buttermilk scones by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I've made some lovely scones lately, blueberry- and raspberry-filled gems, luscious apricot pastries, another version with ginger and pineapple. These sweet biscuits are always appreciated around my house, but there are times when I don't need 16 buttery treats sitting on my counter, waiting for someone to devour Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-53975632287126537702011-07-05T10:54:00.000-04:002011-07-05T10:54:51.647-04:00Adventures in scone-making: Cream cheese apricot scones
Cream cheese apricot scones by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
On this fifth day of July, I'll celebrate our great country and the English language by creating a new word: scone-making. Probably not that earth-shattering a notion, but scone-making has taken up a fair bit of my baking time lately. It all started with a refinement of my everyday buttermilk scones, which have been gussied-up Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-15145935615125010652011-07-03T23:51:00.003-04:002011-07-04T08:20:10.950-04:00Small Town 4th of July
The Parade begins with the Color Guard by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I hope you're having a great Fourth of July, enjoying the best of summer and the blessings of family. Our Independence Day begins with a parade and ends with fireworks. In between, there's barbecue and ice cream and leftover birthday cake. These are pictures from last year's parade.
Cap'n Herb's vintage cop car Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-22092153476758777042011-06-30T22:03:00.000-04:002011-06-30T22:03:59.742-04:00Sparkling strawberry lemonade
Sparkling strawberry lemonade by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Here's a cooling taste of summer for a Fourth of July holiday weekend: Fill a tall glass pitcher with Fizzy Strawberry Lemonade, easily assembled from ingredients from your freezer and pantry.
Fizzy Strawberry Lemonade
• 1 pound bag frozen strawberries, slightly thawed
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen lemonade concentrate
•Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-18519337568660800772011-06-29T21:45:00.001-04:002011-06-29T21:51:12.000-04:00Keen on quinoaSuddenly, I'm crazy for quinoa...
Quinoa salad with chickpeas, lemon and mint by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
This week, I made a light-tasting, but filling quinoa salad with a refreshing hit of mint, dressed with lemon. No oil, and I didn't miss it. This salad is adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s “Splendid Table” newsletter. Do you listen to Lynne? I try and catch her program when the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-71906001149636174522011-06-20T19:00:00.001-04:002011-06-20T19:00:02.912-04:00Lemon love affair continues: Lemon Ice cream
Lemon Ginger Ice Cream by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
If you're a regular reader of A Cook and Her Books, then you've already seen this ice cream - it's the melting blob in the puddle of Blackberry Doobie, a delicious old-fashioned and very Southern dessert. (Preserve a bit of Southern history and make it with the fresh blackberries in the markets now.)
Blackberry Doobie with Lemon Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-50931660507429846352011-06-19T19:00:00.001-04:002011-06-19T19:00:03.351-04:00Lemon Glazed Cookies
Lemon Glazed Lemon Cookies by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
It's easier to bake in the summer than the colder months. I know that sounds strange, but with the busy-ness of the school year, baking projects tend to be rushed and compartmentalized, without the spontaneous "gee, I think I'll bake cookies today" moments that I love. So, even though it heats up the house, we're baking cookiesLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-13676701744916962082011-06-16T19:00:00.002-04:002011-09-23T09:35:15.009-04:00Mulligatawny: Indian-spiced chicken soup
Mulligatawny by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Mulligatawny, the richly flavored Indian-Anglo soup is so much fun to say, it's almost disappointing to find out the mellifluous name just means "pepper water" in Tamil. It still means delicious.
This curry-spiced soup is loaded with vegetables like carrots, celery, red pepper and onion and makes a convenient weeknight meal. The apple may seemLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-8998642033001744932011-06-15T19:00:00.010-04:002011-07-21T21:23:50.114-04:00Blueberry and Lemon Buttermilk Scones
Blueberry and lemon buttermilk scones by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I was asked last week how I relieved stress and I replied "bubble baths." I really should have said "fantasizing about blueberries," because that's what I do. Not in the "Why Violet, you're turning violet!" way from "Willy Wonka," but in the "when I retire from this rat race, I'm going all Lisa Douglas and I'm going to Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-66189056737507029922011-06-14T19:00:00.001-04:002011-06-14T19:00:04.009-04:00My favorite banana bread
Banana Bread by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Banana bread is a humble but reliable creation, and because it uses dead-ripe bananas, it's the frugal baker's best friend. There are hundreds of variations of this basic quick bread, probably the first baking project most young cooks will try at home. I'm not the most accomplished baker, but after 30 years in the kitchen, I still make banana Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-18283569171600265852011-06-13T21:01:00.001-04:002011-06-14T09:28:42.556-04:00Cumin-kissed sweet potato soup
Sweet Potato Bisque with Cumin by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
It’s hotter than H-E-double hockey sticks outside, and I’m in the mood for soup. Since the highs are in the upper 90s with Code Orange smog alerts, we venture out in the early mornings and evenings and soak up chilled, conditioned indoor air through the heat of the day. It may not be cool enough indoors for a sweater, but Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-72176649004753491692011-06-11T21:56:00.001-04:002011-06-12T14:47:26.542-04:00Summer Squash Soup
Summer Squash Soup with Thyme by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
They're here! I waited patiently through January's snowstorms and April's terrifying thunderstorms and now the lazy, hazy days of summer are finally here. Well, with two active kids, we're not really lazy, but we're certainly more relaxed. No setting of alarms to get us out of bed before the sun rises, no afternoon carpool lines Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-52691602303858811952011-06-01T19:00:00.001-04:002011-06-01T19:00:05.979-04:00Blonde Faith, Garden & Gun
I spent the day getting beautiful, not in Miss Truvy's House of Hair, but Miss Tracy's big chair for hair. I'm now blonder than I've ever been in my life, with a shorter, bouncier layered bob. Whenever I'm in Miss Tracy's shop, either for my self or my girls' haircuts, I pick up a magazine and I love that there's usually a copy of Garden & Gun around. I've read this magazine since the premiere Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-53247671461822449862011-05-31T22:54:00.002-04:002011-06-10T19:30:33.830-04:00Rock this guac
Guacamole with chips by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I love the way supermarkets are designed for impulse buyers. From the glistening red ripe strawberries just inside the door, to the cartoon character cereal at kid eye-level, to the intoxicating scent of roasting chicken wafting from the deli at 5 p.m., it's all there to make me shove my shopping list to the bottom of the Vera and give Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-91669834209651867282011-05-30T11:49:00.001-04:002011-05-30T11:51:49.993-04:00Remembering soldiers and sailors on Memorial DayMy house has a long hallway from the breezeway door into the dining room and kitchen. It's the utilitarian side of the house, a blank wall on one side and a laundry room on the other. Just right for pictures of family and the girls. Somewhere along the way, it became the family history wall, I guess because I'm the only daughter and have become the repository for the photographs of my ancestors -Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-50974478592938297682011-05-28T10:14:00.001-04:002011-05-29T10:08:28.112-04:00Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake
Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Thursday was the last day of preschool for my baby girl. And unless I’m a grandmother before my time, it was my last day as a preschool mom for a very long while. These September babies get nearly an extra year before they start kindergarten, a spare year that from the moment I knew my due date, I dreaded a little (or maybe a lotLucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-48168604891273290292011-05-26T14:40:00.002-04:002011-05-30T21:20:28.885-04:00Blackberry winter
Blackberry Doobie with Lemon Ginger Ice Cream by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Spring comes early in Georgia, and like the best dinner guest, knows when to leave. We can spend Easter afternoon in flip-flops and shorts and Mother’s Day poolside, but every now and then we get a taste of what the old-timers call blackberry winter, a cold snap just as the wild blackberries come into fruit. Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-22746708058278088322011-05-18T19:26:00.001-04:002011-06-14T15:39:12.391-04:00Atlanta Food Blogger's Bake Sale + Lemon Glazed Cookie Recipe
I'm very proud to have participated in this past weekend's Great American Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength. This amazing organization has the goal of eliminating childhood hunger in America by 2015. The Great American Bake Sale takes place across the country on the same day - all bake sales, all committed to helping families and communities.
Atlanta's Food Blogger Bake Sale was Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-81769114356705630372011-04-28T14:22:00.002-04:002011-04-29T07:19:50.029-04:00Dessert fit for a princess
Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I’m surrounded by princesses. Decked out in plastic tiaras and shiny, synthetic ball gowns, my little girls are princesses to a T. Or is that tea? We occasionally have dress-up teas in our house – pulling out the china tea cups and plates, serving up a bit of cake or cookies, and tea. Filling up the sugar and creamer, because it doesn’t matter if the tea is Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-79478848490394328242011-04-25T10:00:00.013-04:002011-08-10T19:04:41.705-04:00Kim Severson on Spoon Fed, food and storytelling
Kim Severson of the New York Times
The first time I saw Kim Severson, she held an audience of food bloggers and photographers in the palm of her hand, critiquing story ideas and acting like the editor we all needed. She even told one brave writer, after dismissing her story idea, “I’m tearing you down to build you up.”
That was in January at the FoodBlog South conference at Woodrow Hall Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-7227400294512957292011-04-23T22:00:00.002-04:002011-04-24T18:05:28.576-04:00Gumbo Z'herbes and faith
Gumbo Z'herbes and Rice by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I'm cooking from "Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life," New York Times food writer Kim Severson's memoir. In deciding on a recipe to accompany the interview, I lighted on the Gumbo Z’herbes, the recipe included with the chapter on Leah Chase, owner of Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans. The profile of Leah Chase is one of the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-16100122802957771182011-04-19T08:20:00.002-04:002011-04-19T10:31:51.855-04:00More cheese, please
Cheese board by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I had the opportunity last week to meet Liz Thorpe of Murray's Cheese for lunch at Holeman & Finch. Liz is the author of "The Cheese Chronicles: A Journey Through the Making and Selling of Cheese in America, From Field to Farm to Table," (Ecco, 2009), an exploration of the vast world of artisanal cheese. Murray's Cheese Shops are in six Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-90868814948239092762011-04-17T22:44:00.002-04:002011-05-25T16:17:19.344-04:00Time for tea, and lemon
Lemon Tea Loaves by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
I have a long-standing love for lemon, as witnessed by my recipes for Lemon Pound Cake and food-of-the-gods Lemon Pudding. When I was a little girl in pigtails, scooter skirts and Keds, I loved Sunshine lemon cookies, the kind with the powdered sugar that would leave white chalky sugar dust at the corners of my mouth. I would pull out Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-43391224276362188662011-04-08T19:00:00.002-04:002011-04-12T07:58:39.259-04:00Rice Pudding, for Cheryl
Rice pudding with cinnamon by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
More than a few months ago, in the last days of summer, I had a hankering for rice pudding, and because I get kind of lonely in my kitchen, I posted on Facebook "The heart wants what the heart wants, and that's why I'm making rice pudding." My friend Cheryl, who loves rice pudding like I do and has yet to find the perfect recipe, Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-37453400558600641572011-04-07T19:00:00.004-04:002011-04-07T23:05:32.212-04:00The Big Tahini Hunt
Butterbean hummus and crudites by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Remember the Berenstain Bears' book "The Big Honey Hunt?" Somewhere in my stack of childhood books lies the vintage tale of Papa Bear and Brother Bear in search of honey. I needed the bears this week when I went in search of tahini, the used-to-be uncommon, now flat-out difficult-to-find ingredient essential to making the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-54565002686022679412011-04-06T20:15:00.008-04:002011-12-11T13:37:36.816-05:00A Southern Favorite: Buttermilk Chess Pie
Buttermilk Chess Pie by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Pie is the new cupcake. Did you know that? That's why I've spent the last month turning out my favorite pies for my family - from Pie Lab's Apple Cheddar Pie to my favorite Sweet Potato Custard Pie - it's so nice to be able to announce that there is pie for dessert. Here's a buttermilk chess pie that I love, and each time I make it, I Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-75178614236980783602011-04-05T20:13:00.002-04:002011-07-20T21:50:44.921-04:00Baked Potato Soup with Cheese and Bacon
Baked Potato Soup by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
There are a few recipes that every cook should have in her hip pocket, so to speak, recipes like lemon pepper roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, perfect brownies. The kinds of belly-filling foods that are greeted with relief from the kids and spousal unit (no weird vegetables tonight!). Baked potato soup is just such a recipe - Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3688483667102653332.post-6623820486402711202011-03-31T22:26:00.001-04:002011-08-09T14:28:09.462-04:00Don't Bother Me, I'm on Vacation: April Fools!
Ice Cream Sand Castle by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books
Oh, girls, guess where we’re going for spring break? The sandy beaches of Florida, where you can dip your toesies in the warm Gulf waters and frolic in the sand. You can build sand castles all day long, instead of staying at home in Georgia, watching the cherry blossoms fall.
April Fools!
Instead of digging our feet into the Lucy Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14299698303317728938noreply@blogger.com2