The Hip Girl's Guide To Homemaking - Giveaway!

It's a very photogenic book.

This book giveaway is now closed! The winner will be posted in a few days!

I don't do a lot of giveaways over here, as you might have noticed. Only when there's something really worthwhile. And The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency--on a Budget! by Kate Payne is totally worthwhile.

I am a bit skeptical when it comes to books that claim to cover a lot of ground. So, when I cracked the lovely spine of this book, it was with a bit of my personal brand of Okay, show me what you got. (It's not my best characteristic, I'll have you know.) This is the kind of book that you can jump in the middle of, get wrapped up, and feel very satisfied. I love "sticky" books like that, meaning books that keep me reading. I wanted to wait to read the whole thing through to review this, but I kept getting sucked into certain chapters. For a light and charming read, it's a very dense book that's full of return. How does Kate Payne do it?

Being a homemaker myself, and in my opinion, a fairly accomplished one (that's where that voice comes from!), I found myself learning tons of things. It was mostly about things that I never pursued because I didn't find them that interesting. Like cleaning, for example. But Kate not only brings things together clearly and easily for you, but she makes it fun to read, and suddenly you think: totally! I am going to go turn the water off on my toilet so I can really give it a thorough cleaning!! (I actually thought this, but haven't done it yet. Step-by-step in the book!) I have, however, already cleaned my drains out with a goodly dose of vinegar and baking soda. A simple idea, one I've read in other places, but these little factoids drift in your head while more enticing things sit front and center. Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking actually made me want to do them!

I started with the introduction, which is thoughtful and smart and where you'll find that this book was a journey for Payne. You can see that in the research that she has done. She quotes from philosophical treatises on keeping a home, and eating well, to the basic bibles that we all grab for. This is not only a book with elbow grease, but a book with an artful brain. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of resources, both books and websites, that can deepen your quest for homey knowledge. But her knowledge is not just a rearrangement of other informations, it was her quest to find the best way to live, while doing so frugally. This book isn't looking to tell you to go out and buy this and buy that to make your life easier. Anybody can organize a house with a bunch of money. But it takes some ingenuity and creativity to make it work on a tight budget. I think everyone can relate with that.

There is so much in Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking, that it would be too much to list. But in a nutshell, the book covers the home, room-by-room, and all the things you need to know about to make your life worth living in that home. Like gardening, and basic DIY projects, cleaning, taking care of your linens, basic tool kit needs, cleaning, and of course, my personal faves, cooking, canning and entertaining.

If you were at all wondering if it is indeed "hip," you can rest assured that it is, in the very best way possible. One of the things I like best about The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking, is that it is totally green and eco-friendly without getting up on a soapbox. Everything is explained, in a not-condescending manner, that is: clearly, but with the awareness that you, the reader, also have a brain. Isn't that nice?

Okay, so you want this book, okay? If not for you, than someone in your life. I've already given it as a graduation present, which I highly recommend, but as I pointed out, this forty-one-year-old still found it very pertinent. Here's the giveaway deets:

Leave a comment here. Tell me what "impressive acts of domesticity"you want to learn more about! You MUST leave an email address in your comment if you don't have a blog that you are linking to. If you win and there is no way to contact you, I will re-draw. Blogger's comment format stinks, and I apologize for that, so if you have problems, please e-mail your comment to halfpintpreserves[at]gmail[dot]com, and I will accept that as an entry. You have until Sunday, June 19 at midnight EST to enter.


First prize: A copy of Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking by Kate Payne


*Prize Update*  Kate has graciously announced that the first prize winner will also receive a jar of her preserves from her own cupboard, sent personally from her!


Second prize: a sweet little jar of jam from yours truly


Please check out Kate's blog, The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking Or visit her Facebook page where you can see what new things she's up to, most recently a beautiful watermelon jelly she made. And if you are on the West coast, check out her tour, with stops in Portland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Seattle in the next few days. There's some great events, like cocktails with Kate, hosted by Meg from Grow and Resist!

This could be your mailbox!

eBook Giveaway: Hitchhiking to Heaven Prizewinning Recipes 2010

There’s a really nice story that I like to remind myself of whenever I wonder why I write this blog. My virtual existential angst usually dissipates when I remember it. Basically, it’s a story about how I have met some incredible people that I probably would have never otherwise met. Like Shae.

It’s nice to know that there’s someone out there who wants to hear you expound on the crisis of a ruined batch of jam. It seems petty or ridiculous, but crap, if you had just let it go for a few more minutes the gel would have set so much better, and jeez, should I reprocess it? Or just call it syrup? Or that someone is totally with you when you gleefully make a new jelly that is just stellar. You just know it is. It’s amazing! Shae cares. Really!

You've probably been to Hitchhiking to Heaven, Shae’s blog. Did you seen all the amazing jam-making resources she has on her sidebar? Did you know how detailed and top-notch every recipe is? (She even has a post to help you find other words than amazing to use!) She is so detailed and thorough. It’s actually generous. So, when I saw her new e-book sitting in my gmail inbox, Hitchhiking to Heaven Prizewinning Recipes 2010, I knew it would be more than just recipes. I am always amazed by her tenacity to make a recipe over and over to get it just perfect. I am the complete and total opposite. I'm not apologizing, but it's true. When you use follow one of Shae's recipes, you can be sure of it. And you can be sure it's going to be delicious.

Case in point: Meyer lemon marmalade. When I tasted her marmalade it was so transcendent that I flew back in time to a seven-years-old me in Los Angeles tasting my aunt’s fresh from the tree Meyer lemonade. The marmalade was so bright and fresh, the sugar never cloying, the gel perfect and soft, just barely holding together the thinly sliced rinds.

If you don't believe me you can ask the Marin County Fair judges. These are prizewinning jams! The Meyer lemon marmalade is in the eBook, among other delicious ones, and loads of wonderfully helpful information. Luckily for me, and you, I get to give away a copy of Shae’s eBook! So: leave me a comment below and tell me what your favorite jam or jelly is, and why it’s transcendent for you. I really, really want to know! And I really really want one of you to win this great little collection of amazing recipes and thoughtful, artful, humorous commentary. You have until next week: Wednesday, November 10 by midnight EST. Go!

A Winner, and more Fig Jam!

Hey! It took me a few days (due to a blasted cold that just. won't. quit!) but I finally got out the trusty random number generator and found a winner of Food Heroes by Georgia Pellegrini: Christine from Fresh Local and Best! Congratulations, Christine! Big thanks to all who participated. I can't tell you how engaged I was by all of the comments. Being the chatty person I am, I really had to restrain myself from responding to every single one of them. Not only did I glean some good reading ideas from all of the comments, but it also made me think about my food heroes.

There are many, but the first ones that come to mind, and the first ones who made an imprint on my mind, and continue to be my food heroes, are my parents. From day one, I was by my mother's side, cooking, baking, gardening and discovering. She made breakfast, lunch and dinner, almost every day without fail, and had the energy to discover how to make croissants, grow currants and make jelly from them, all the while teaching me endlessly, while continuing to be curious and open to new things. My father, though at work during the week, would cook on the weekends, and alongside him I learned the art of a fine gravy, how to make pasta, and that sitting down to dinner was one of the most important times of the day.

One of the greatest things I learned from my parents about cooking is being creative. They consulted cook books but didn't hover over them. Working with what you have on hand is how some of the best meals have come about. The other day, I had a few figs leftover from my big haul. They weren't in a condition to eat out of hand but certainly not out of service. I threw together a quick compote, and it was amazing on a pork tenderloin the other night. What I love about this one, is that there is no sugar in it. Leave it in the fridge, and it should last a month.

Pint of fresh figs, stemmed and halved

Put in a small pan and almost cover the figs with apple cider. Add a small handful of golden sultana raisins, a half of a handful of crystallized ginger (mine was in slices). Bring to a simmer and keep it there for about ten minutes, or until desired consistency. Store in fridge.

Book Giveaway: Food Heroes by Georgia Pellegrini

Last year, I began a quest for local quinces. They had to be out there. I was sure of it. I asked a local expert for leads, knowing that he owned some trees. "There's one out on Libertyville Road," he said, cryptically. No dice. I did some internet searching. It didn't yield local quinces, but it did garner me a proper jar of local quince butter.

In my internet search, I happened upon Georgia Pellegrini's blog, in particular, a post about her family's quince trees. I commented giddily on her post, and an exchange ensued, first in words and then in preserves. She offered me a jar of her family's quince butter, and I sent her a jar of my earl grey tea jelly. Since then, I've kept tuned in to what she's up to.

Cooking is at the top of the list, as is hunting, foraging, and all the other correspondent good things. In the end, I didn't find my local quinces, but I found something better. A like-minded soul. And one who has found many other like-minded souls in her quest for the tradition and ritual inherent in great food, and the beautiful stories that come with finding passionate people who keep these foods alive.

Food Heroes: 16 Culinary Artisans Preserving Tradition, by Georgia Pellegrini, is a book that profiles sixteen such individuals. One of the best things about this food book is that it's about people. People who care deeply about the food they are preserving, whether it's olive oil, or beer, or butter, or figs. And Georgia seems to, in turn, care deeply about these people.

Not only is this a topic worth your time, but it's a great read, too. It's clear and well-written, and not without its artistic charm. I'm a big fan of short stories, and each one of these artisan's stories is a tidy package of literary prose, painting a beautiful scene, here the south of France, there the Puget Sound. And to top it all off, each story ends with a few lovely recipes!

One of which was Lemon Clouds Cheesecake, which I could not resist making. It's just about the simplest, most decadent little pie you've ever met. You must make this for a special dinner or make sure you have pie-eating people around, otherwise you'll eat the whole thing. Unless your diet requires you to eat a good deal of cream and eggs. Then, by all means, eat the whole thing. A simple mixture of lemon curd, cream cheese, and heavy whipped cream folded and turned into a graham cracker crust seemed so innocent at first...Good thing I have wonderful neighbors to help me out in situations like this.

So, why don't you leave me a comment telling me who your personal food heroes are, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Food Heroes by Georgia Pellegrini. The end date will be Wednesday, September 29 at midnight (EST). Please make sure to leave an e-mail address if you aren't linked to a blog, so I can contact you if you win!

And the winner is....

Jordan! (via The True Random Number Generator) Who didn't leave an address, and I can't seem to link to his page! I really want Jordan to have this! Jordan, would you please leave me an e-mail to reach you at? Thank you!

And I want to thank everyone who participated in this little giveaway. All of your comments are amazing! From breads to fruit butters, pickles to pears, there were a lot of foodstuffs that you people are spending time on. And I think it's wonderful. Blanching is very time consuming, as is peeling. It takes forever, but then you have that little jar of summer waiting for you in February, and how nice is that? And what can compare to a fresh, hot loaf of bread you made yourself? (Or that someone else made for you!) Or how about some tomato confit (slow roasted tomatoes) or making your own alcohol? Fermenting, home-made pasta, marmalade, olives, bacon, watermelon peeling and tomato paste. Whew! It all sounds amazing.

FYI, to Keira who asked about freezing and canning later: just freeze it and use it later! This is in reference to fruit, I'm not sure about tomatoes. However, tomatoes freeze beautifully, and you may want to consider doing that if you have the freezer space. The Joy of Cooking or the Ball books have detailed freezing instructions, as do many online resources like the National Center for Home Preservation.

My most laborious and inconvenient task this summer was processing 100 pounds of fruit in a few days. Just the other day I bought 75 pounds of peaches, plums and nectarines. Plus the pears I picked with Local Kitchen the other day were on the verge of exploding. I needed to move on these fruits! So, I hustled and froze a LOT of it, because I can make jam another day when it's nice and cold, as I've noted. And I juiced a lot, because most of the fruit was super small (hence the good deal I got on it). I made pear and apple sauce which will become butters. What's great about juicing is that after draining off the juice, you often have pulp leftover, which can be puree, sauce or butter, depending on how you want to roll.

Next week I will elaborate on a few of these recipes, but for now I'm heading to the beach for two days before the cold sets in! Congrats to Jordan, and congrats to people who are cooking real food!

The Lost Art of Real Cooking - Give Away!

A while back, I received this special little book in the mail, The Lost Art of Real Cooking by Ken Albala and Rosanna Nafziger. I was immediately taken with it, and since then, it's been moving around the house with me, sitting on my night stand and taking up residence in the kitchen. I intended to read it thoroughly before writing this, but due to the nature of the book, I wandered a little. I got carried away. I picked it up and put it down. I don't think the authors would mind this a bit. I think this book wants you to open it up and just delve into it. It doesn't necessarily need a read through. And it can be revisited over and over.

Eclectic, esoteric, irreverent were some of the words used to describe this book of sometimes "laborious and inconvenient" things to make. It's not so much a book of recipes, as it is a book of cooking ideas. Take the pretension out of many of the delicacies that you find being peddled at fancy food establishments, and a good deal of the time you'll find food that folks like you and me have been making for hundreds of years.

There are many sections to get lost in, from fermented vegetables to fermented beverages, bread making, meat curing, fresh pasta, grains and desserts. And don't forget jams! There is a good sense of humor, from both writers, who take turns explaining their respective topics. Albala is a professor of history (and author of many books), so you'll get some interesting information on say, a medieval pig recipe. Nafziger is a chef and editor who hails from West Virginia, and likes to reference her homespun West Virginian upbringing.

Some of the things that fascinated me was learning about Koji mold and utilizing wild yeasts for your bread making. I wanted to follow the recipe for a gallon of beer, but I haven't yet gotten there. Talk about inconvenient food, Albala tells you how to make and grind your own malt. Apparently, the purist home brewers he talked to scoffed at this idea, and he went ahead and did it anyway. I applaud this gumption, but go read the description on how to grind malt! (But then again, I have no problem taking days to make a jam or jelly.)

The book itself is formatted like an old-timey cookbook, which if you're like me, and have piles of cookbooks spilling out of your bookshelves, you know all about. Vaguely cryptic and sometimes insufficient in detail, these kinds of books have recipes like little pieces of flash fiction, all of a paragraph long. In The Lost Art of Real Cooking, the narrative is the route taken on most of these, and I'll be honest, it flusters me sometimes. Although I like to wing it, and make things my own, I do like bullet points and clarity. But it teaches a great lesson: get in there and just do it, all ready! Stop shilly-shallying and make the goshdarn fermented pickles already!

So, I'll admit it. I've made a great deal of cucumber pickles in my life, but never fermented them! Gadzooks! Please don't think less of me. I've jumped this hurdle, and made it safely on the other side. Why, you ask? Oh, I don't know. I've fermented other things, but cucumbers just didn't make the list. This book nudged me. It said: come on, just put some cucumbers in some water, salt, spices and vinegar and just do it already. It's one of the nicest parts of this book. It's encouragement makes you feel like you made the decision yourself, when in fact they were nudging you all along.

The Pickles:

I packed my garden's cucumbers into a sterilized half-gallon mason jar. I put in two garlic cloves, and some pickling spices, a bay leaf, and a dried hot pepper. I covered it in a brine made of 1/2 cup of kosher salt mixed with 8 cups of water. I stuck a glass in the jar (which I saw being done on a blog, but I can't remember which one! What a great idea!) to weigh the cucumbers down, keeping them submerged under the liquid. I put the jar in the basement, and almost three weeks later, I had the most incredible, crunchy, salty, sour pickles I have ever had. And I've had some good pickles.

P.S. Check out Ken Albala's blog at http://kenalbala.blogspot.com/

and Rosanna Nafziger can be found blogging here: http://www.paprikahead.com/

To win a free copy of this liberating book, leave me a comment below and tell me what inconvenient and laborious foods you've been making this summer! You have until midnight, Wednesday, August 25 when the winner will be picked by the random-number generator. Please make sure to leave an e-mail address if you don't have a blog linked to your comment, so I can find you if you win!