Hometown Recipes for the Holidays

October 29, 2007
The editors of American Profile magazine asked their readers to submit their favorite holiday recipe, taking the top 250 (of some 1,500 entries) for this compilation covering everything from Valentines Day, Cinco De Mayo and Passover to Groundhog Day, St. Patrick's Day and Easter. Organized by course (appetizer, dessert, side dish, etc.), submissions range from classics such as Spinach and Oyster Dressing to everyday dishes like Tortellini in Sundried Tomato Sauce to holiday-specific recipes, including a questionable concoction called Marcia Emig's Pumpkin Dip, comprised of cinnamon, nutmeg, two packages of cream cheese, a 16 oz bag of powdered sugar and a can of pumpkin ("Serve with gingersnaps"). Tellingly, the grand prize winner, Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce submitted by Phyllis Willink of Baldwin, Wisconsin, is simple, to the point, and cheerfully decadent. Though all the recipes have clear, concise instructions, some dishes-like the complicated but delicious Christmas Cinnamon Rolls-should probably be left to experienced bakers and cooks. That said, there is something for virtually all tastes and skill levels, ensuring that your next Flag Day will be a tasty one.

November 15, 2007
Here are two different approaches to holidays throughout the year. In their second cookbook, "Hometown Recipes for the Holidays" the editors of "American Profile"magazine present 250 recipes from readers, chosen from 1500 entries submitted for a recent contest. Organized by course, each recipe is marked with an icon that indicates the appropriate holiday, from New Year's Eve to Flag Day to Christmas (oddly, there are some Passover recipes but none for Hanukkah). The recipes are homey and mostly traditional, with the resulting collection being something of a national community cookbook. "American Profile"is a weekly supplement distributed through newspapers with a combined circulation of around nine million; buy for demand.

Kornfeld, who teaches at the Natural Gourmet Cooking School in Manhattan, is also the author of "The Voluptuous Vegan"and an earlier "Healthy Hedonist"cookbook. The holidays in her new book include Ramadan, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year, as well as the standards, and her recipes are drawn from a wide variety of cuisines. She provides an extensive menu for each holiday, giving readers a range of choices, and the menus are designed to be "flexitarian," including both a vegetarian main dish and one with fish or poultry. Adventurous cooks whose holiday guests include both vegetarians and meat eaters will find lots of new ideas here. For most collections.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.