Category Archives: Cookbooks

Red Chile Bible by Kathleen Hansel and Audrey Jenkins

Cover of Red Chile Bible by Kathleen Hansel and Audrey Jenkins

I’ll tell you what. I made “the last entry”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/169-Green-Chile-Bible.html so short because I knew I had this one to make, and I was worried they’d sound rather similar. So I saved most of the good stuff for the second post.

Why? Well, that gets into “the good stuff”. Let’s start with the basics.

Go into any New Mexican restaurant that serves New Mexican (or some will say Mexican) food and you will hear the state question: “Red or green?” It is my impression that “green” wins most of the time, but if you overheard Bill and I with my parents, you’d hear them say, “Red”, Bill say, “Christmas” and me say, “Can I get both on the side, please?”

I know my order sounds a lot like “Christmas, on the side” but it is a little different.… Continue reading →

Green Chile Bible

Cover of Green Chile Bible

If you’re not a native New Mexican, you’re probably thinking I have this book because we’re issued it at birth. If you ARE a native New Mexican, you’re probably thinking, “Why wasn’t I issued that at birth?!?!” Even if you hate green chile, you’re probably wondering that.

You could argue that, in my case, it’s because I was born long before the book was published. That sounds like a convincing argument, I admit, but I’m sure it’s incorrect. Neither my sister nor Bill’s sister was given a copy for their children when they left the hospital years AFTER this cookbook was published.

Probably it’s just a little oversight on the part of the New Mexico government. No doubt it will be rectified soon.

Number of recipes in this book: 268 (Estimated)
Number of recipes we’ve made: 0

You can click the “green chile bible” tag below to see all the recipes we’ve made from this book.… Continue reading →

I’m Just Here for More Food by Alton Brown

Cover of I'm Just Here for More Food by Alton Brown

This book was a gift from my friend Corrine. I can’t remember exactly what prompted the gift1 (since it was long before this blog), but I’ve enjoyed reading the book since. Probably she was trying to get me to make bread.

Corrine is truly a great friend. She is loud, opinionated and boisterous, which really just means we’re well matched. She out-does me on all of those things, though. I gotta get on that. She’s amazingly generous, and has given me a lot of very necessary items and time in my life.

I was on her porch when I called my mother to tell her my ex-husband and I had decided to divorce. One of the two worst phone calls I’ve ever had to make; I was a wreck afterward.… Continue reading →

Better Homes and Gardens circa 1962

Cover of Better Homes and Gardens 15th Edition Cookbook

Okay, so this doesn’t link to the book I own. It links to the great grandbook (or so) of the cookbook I have1. This idea amuses me, because the book I have was given to me by my grandmother. She, like so many people I’m related to, was concerned I might starve to death when I moved out of my parents home.

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this here, but part of the collective terror was that I was stubborn and refused to ever live on campus (and thus have a meal plan). Oh, my mother tried to get me to live on campus, but it was not to be. Namely, I wasn’t having any of that crap, and while it briefly looked like she would manage to force me into it (what with them covering my expenses beyond my scholarships and all), my father intervened.… Continue reading →

Cooking with GAFCCA, Volume 1

No direct link for this cookbook, folks. Not even a link to a place where you can buy it directly, since I can’t find it. In honesty, part of what stalled me out on posting books was things like this. I want you to be able to see what books I’m using, and buy them yourself if they look good to you. That’s just not doable here. I really had the wrong perspective on it. I should have quietly been pleased that a little bit the work had been removed. There just isn’t a link to give you!

Well, that’s not totally true, and “I’ll give you what I can.”:http://gafcca.org/ (Warning: Music on opening that link.)

This cookbook was given to me by my Aunt Mary.… Continue reading →