America’s Favorite Cookbook Ladies
Discover Michigan’s Favorite Recipes!
(Brandon, MS) Back in 1996, cookbook editors Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley set out to find the best food and recipes in Michigan and published the first Best of the Best from Michigan Cookbook which sold over 40,000 copies!
Michigan had so much to offer the first time around that the cookbook ladies returned and have just released a completely new edition of Best of the Best from Michigan Cookbook: Selected Recipes from Michigan’s Favorite Cookbooks (Quail Ridge Press; 2008).
With more than 18,000 recipes from 60 of Michigan’s most popular cookbooks to choose from, McKee and Moseley spent countless hours carefully testing, editing, and selecting over 350 new recipes to include in this brand-new edition.
Barbara Moseley said, “Recipes were chosen first and foremost on taste and had to be creative and uncomplicated for home cooks to prepare with easy-to-find ingredients”.
From Lori's Easy Magic Shell Ice Cream Dessert, Grilled Zucchini Boats with Cheese, Oven-Fried Fish Sticks, Country Tomato Pie, and Cherry Cheese Brownie Bars, this cookbook is filled with ethnic treats and classic American comfort foods that are down-to-earth and downright delicious!
Michigan cookbooks that contributed to this new edition of Best of the Best from Michigan includes not only 4 of Michigan Magazine's top sellers but also community and church cookbooks that rarely gain recognition beyond their own communities, as well as contributions by popular Junior League cookbooks, renowned chefs and restaurants. Many of these cookbooks have had limited print runs or are no longer available. Recording these “best” recipes before they are lost fulfills the editors’ mission to preserve America’s food heritage and the rich history of Michigan.
In addition to this collection of time-tested and perfected family recipes that capture the flavor of Michigan, this cookbook also contains:
• Photographs, illustrations, along with fun-to-read historical facts and trivia that convey the uniqueness of the state (famous Michiganians, timeline, etc.)
• Valuable information on the leading tourist attractions and festivals, plus a complete listing of all the parks in the state.
• A section that lists the contributing cookbooks with a description and ordering information for each. This feature is particularly popular with cookbook collectors.
Quail Ridge Press was started in 1978 when Barney McKee, then director of the University Press of Mississippi, brought home a cookbook manuscript that the University Press couldn't publish. His wife, Gwen McKee, thought The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookbook was too cute and clever to pass up. It was then Quail Ridge Press was born, literally on the dining room table of their home on Quail Ridge Drive in Brandon, Mississippi.
Publishing mostly cookbooks in the early years, Gwen became known as "The Cookbook Lady" and was frequently asked which book was her favorite. "An impossible decision," said McKee. "I began to list all my favorite cookbooks in Mississippi. Then Barney suggested creating a cookbook that highlighted all the best recipes from all the best cookbooks within the state. Best of the Best from Mississippi soon became a reality and the beginning of a very successful series of state cookbooks–Quail Ridge Press’ acclaimed Best of the Best State Cookbook Series. After the Mississippi book, Gwen enlisted the help of her good friend and golf-partner, Barbara Moseley. Barbara is a country girl who was raised on a dairy farm, and Gwen is a city gal with Cajun roots. Both love to cook and have families that love to eat, so reading and trying recipes was a natural for both of them. The two have been traveling the country gathering the best cookbooks from each state for nearly three decades. The series now covers all fifty states.
Michigan Magazine Television is proud to be a contributor to this lastest release. (17 of Michigan Magazine's Favorite Recipes Are Included)
Lori's Easy Magic Shell Ice Cream Dessert
12 ice cream sandwiches
2 (8-ounce) containers Cool Whip, thawed
1 large jar marshmallow fluff
2 boxes Heath Klondike Ice Cream Bars
2 bottles Magic Shell chocolate or fudge topping
Chopped nuts, M&M's, or toffee chips for topping
In a 9x13-inch pan, place ice cream sandwiches,cutting to fit edges (probably won't use them all). Mix Cool Whip and marshmallow fluff together. Cover sandwiches with half the mixture. Put layer of Heath Klondike Bars on top and cover with remaining Cool Whip mixture. Shake Magic Shell and pour over Cool Whip layer. Sprinkle nuts or whatever topping you prefer over top quickly before shell hardens. Place in freezer for several hours before serving. Serves 10–12.
Grilled Zucchini Boats with Cheese 4 (1x6-inch) zucchini, ends trimmed
Vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
4 ounces any type cheese, grated
Black pepper
Heat grill to medium heat. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; remove seeds and scoop out center of each, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add zucchini and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until tender. Drain zucchini and pat dry. Brush all sides of zucchini with oil. In a small bowl, combine garlic, sage, cheese, and pepper. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill zucchini, cut side down, about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Put zucchini on a serving plate, cut side up, and fill each boat with the cheese mixture. Return boats to grill, cut sides up. Grill, covered, until bottoms are browned and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately. Makes 4.
Oven-Fried Fish Sticks
1 pound cod
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Move oven rack to position slightly above middle of oven. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut cod into 1x3-inch pieces. Mix cornmeal and bread crumbs together in small dish. Dip fish into milk, then coat with cornmeal-bread crumb mixture. Place in ungreased baking pan. Spray vegetable oil cooking spray over fish. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pickle relish. Refrigerate until ready to serve with fish. Makes 4 servings.
Country Tomato Pie
This is very good served with sausages for a brunch or as a simple supper dish with a pretty green salad.
2–3 large tomatoes
1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4–1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel tomatoes by dipping in boiling water for 10 seconds or so, to split skins. Thickly slice tomatoes, then layer in baked and cooled pie shell, sprinkling each layer with green onions, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Combine mayonnaise and cheese, and spread over tomatoes. Bake 30 minutes. Serves 4–6.
Cherry Cheese Brownie Bars
1 (16-ounce) package fudge brownie mix
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling
Prepare brownie mix as directed on package, except bake only 20 minutes. Beat vanilla, egg, milk, and cream cheese until smooth and pour over baked brownie mix. Bake until topping is set, about 25 minutes. Cool. Spread cherry pie filling on top.