Edible Gift Ideas

December 14, 2023. Updated March 13, 2024.

by Bridget O’Donnell

Just before Thanksgiving, I brought home two quince. For those unfamiliar with the fruit, it is an aromatic gold or yellow fruit, similar in appearance to an apple or pear. Their flavor profile is usually tart. While they can be eaten raw they are most frequently made into marmalades or jams.

Although curious about the enigmatic fruit, I only took half of the optional bonus unit offered by our local CSA. This decision could have been partially influenced by time constraints. However, to be honest, while I might recognize quince by sight, I had no idea what could tastefully be done with the fruit. In the weeks following, after reprioritizing my responsibilities to help sustain our busy schedules, prepare for the holidays, and allow time to decompress, I did what should have been done when the novelty fruit was introduced to our kitchen counter. I posted a picture on social media and asked for suggestions. My knowledgeable (but surprisingly, only male) friends indirectly led me to a more impromptu method of narrowing down and choosing which recipes to reference from Google. With their help, on my next day off and with marginal hesitation, I set myself up for what would turn into hours in the kitchen.

**Food for thought: remember to read through the entire recipe numerous times before you begin.

Title of Cookbook: The Tree Forager: 40 Extraordinary Trees & What to Do With Them

Author of Cookbook: Adele Nozedar

What prompted you to check out this cookbook?

Disclaimer: this isn’t a cookbook. According to the Dewey Decimal System, The Tree Forager is classified within the sciences. (The call number used at the Adriance Memorial Library is 582.16 Noz, FYI.) This book does, however, include a basic recipe that most closely resembles the Quince Jelly recipe I followed.

What did you like about this cookbook?

The brief summary about quince was an interesting and quick read. More importantly, the recipe didn’t require many ingredients or complicated cooking techniques.

A candy thermometer was called for by Simplyrecipes.com, but they also suggested an alternative method to determine if the jelly was done. Fortunately for us, the temperature on our digital instant read food thermometer went high enough to work.

What didn’t you like about this cookbook?

This title only includes one recipe for quince (alas, it’s not a cookbook).

Favorite recipes (that you tried from the cookbook/website):

Membrillo or Quince Jelly (pg. 154).

I actually followed the "Quince Jelly" recipe provided by Simplyrecipes.com and saved the pulp (in case I misread the instructions). After successfully canning the jelly, I re-[and re- and re-] read the recipe suggested by TheSpruceEats.com and processed the remaining strained pulp into "Quince Paste."

*Bonus: As if I hadn’t already stood in the kitchen long enough, on my next day off I processed and then canned apple butter that I left simmering overnight in the slow cooker.

Each recipe required at least an hour of stirring/simmering, but in the end produced little waste. Taking on three recipes that required stirring the contents of a vessel for over an hour was either a subconscious attempt to challenge myself or encouragement to create a potentially lovely DIY gift.

Did you alter the recipe or make any substitutions?

As usual, I reduced the total servings for everything I made.

Out of necessity, recipes that called for quince had to be reduced because we lost a good amount of the fruit I brought home to over ripening. No additional spices were added because aside from sampling a small piece of raw quince, I was unfamiliar with the fruit’s flavor profile. If I make paste again, I would consider using something other than coconut oil to lightly grease the dish. Once it was removed from the dish, the set paste had white speckles around the edges, which didn’t seem to affect the taste, just the appearance.

The jelly and butter were canned to prolong their shelf-life. The quince paste was wrapped in wax paper and then cellophane; it can be refrigerated for three months.

Would you recommend this cookbook/recipe?

To date, we haven’t tasted everything I made but I would recommend trying the recipes suggested in this post at least once as well as some of the recipes from other DIY holiday gift cookbooks. **Note to self: next year save or buy more mason jars for gifting.

Happy Holidays!

Quince Mash

Quince Jelly, Canned

Quince Paste

Apple Butter

Compote

Puree

References:

Books -

The Allergy-Free Pantry: Make Your Own Staples, Snacks, and More Without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts / Colette Martin. - (Apple Butter, pg. 79. Ingredients: 2 ¾ cups applesauce, …)

Fruit / Nancie McDermott. - (Quince Compote, pg. 126. Ingredients: 3lbs quince, …)

The Fly Creek Cider Mill Cookbook: More Than 100 Delicious Apple Recipes / Brenda Michaels. - (Apple Butter, p. 33. Ingredients: 8lbs apples, …)

Gifts From the Kitchen: 100 Irresistible Homemade Presents for Every Occasion / Annie Rigg.

Handmade Food Gifts / Taste of Home.

Handmade Gifts / Dorling Kindersley, Inc.

The Tree Forager: 40 Extraordinary Trees & What to Do With Them / Adele Nozedar. - (Membrillo or Quince Jelly, pg. 154. Ingredients: 4lbs 8oz quince, …)

Websites -

Bauer, Elise. “Quince Jelly.” Simply Recipes, 7 October 2022, https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quince_jelly/. - (Ingredients: 3 ½ lbs quince, …)

Meredith, Leda. “Quince Paste.” The Spruce Eats, 10 November 2023, https://www.thespruceeats.com/quince-paste-fruit-preserve-1327577. - (Ingredients: 3 ½ lbs quince or, about 4 large fruit, …)

Mullins, Brittany. “Healthy Apple Butter.” Eating Bird Food, 16 January 2022, https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/healthy-homemade-apple-butter/. - (Ingredients: 6 medium apples, ...)

Roomberg, Allie. “Homemade Apple Butter Recipe.” Baking A Moment, 1 June 2023, https://bakingamoment.com/homemade-apple-butter/. - (Ingredients: 4 lbs of Apples or, about 9 medium-sized apples, … *Also refer to Notes about canning at the bottom of the recipe.)

Terri, All Recipes Test Kitchen Staff. “All-Day Apple Butter.” Allrecipes, 16 November 2023, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21205/all-day-apple-butter/. - (Ingredients: 5 ½ lbs apples, … Could be referred to as a simple base recipe.)

Quick Subject/Concept links to the Discover (formerly, Vega) Online Library catalog:

Canning and Preserving

Cooking (Fruit)

Food–Preservation

To get your creative gifting juices going you could certainly search for “gifts” , “DIY gifts” , “edible gifts” or, “edible DIY gifts” but you might find that most of them fall under the Concept: Handicraft.

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Honestly, I can’t believe it actually worked!!Any-Fruit Clafoutis (with black-, blue- and rasp-berries)Healthy Blueberry Muffin (with Spreadable Honey) References:Books - The Everything Low-Cholesterol Cookbook / Laura Livesey. (Blueberry Almond Muffins, pg. 238 - I was interested in making this but didn't have all the ingredients. Livesey notes that ‘dark berries have up to 50% more antioxidants than lighter colored berries. This includes black-, blue-, cran-, elder- and, boysenberries.’) Rise & Run: Recipes, Rituals, and Runs to Fuel Your Day / Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky. (Superhero Smash Muffins, pg. 100 - I borrowed the idea of mixing oat and almond flours and, adding ground flax.) Websites -Bellis, Mary. The History of the Refrigerator - and Freezer, theinventors.org/library/inventors/blrefrigerator.htm. Accessed 15 August 2024. Longley, Lisa. “Healthy Blueberry Muffins.” Simple Joy, 29 May 2024, www.simplejoy.com/healthy-blueberry-muffins/. Miquel, Julien. “How to Pronounce Clafoutis? (CORRECTLY).” Youtube, 1 July 2020, www.google.com/search?q=how+to+pronounce+clafoutis&rlz=1C1CHMO_enUS673US674&oq=how+to+pronounce+clafoutis&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDU4MDZqMGoxqAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a49dce47,vid:iiaqzbnMDls,st:0. Accessed 15 August 2024. - (00:52 minute video) “Poughkeepsie Farm Project Online Store.” PFP Farm Store, pfpfarmstore.com/. Accessed 15 August 2024. Saladino, Emily, and Anna Stockwell. “How to Make Clafoutis, with (Almost) Any Kind of Fruit.” Epicurious, 21 May 2024, www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-make-clafoutis-with-any-kind-of-fruit-article. Sharma, Nik. “Blueberry-Ginger Clafoutis.” The New York Times, 13 May 2021, cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022224-blueberry-ginger-clafoutis. - (You will need a subscription to see this recipe.) Shulman, Martha Rose. “Berry Clafoutis.” The New York Times, 20 May 2014, cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016382-berry-clafoutis. “Welcome to the Greig Farm: Pick Your Own.” Greig Farm, www.thegreigfarm.com/. Accessed 15 August 2024. Quick Subject/Concept links to the Discover Online Library catalog:Cooking (Berries) - (Results narrowed by Age group: Adult ; Literary Form: Non-Fiction)Berries. - (Results narrowed by Age group: Adult ; Literary Form: Non-Fiction ; Concepts/Subjects/Themes: Desserts, Cooking (Natural foods), Baking, Gardening, Fruit, Berries, Health, Container gardening, Nutrition, Smoothies (Beverages), Fruit-culture)...

Go Green!

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Title of cookbook/website: Love & Lemons Author of Recipe: Jeanine Donofrio What prompted you to check out this recipe?Last Saturday was a busy day… After working outside in the summer heat for a few hours, I [went for a jog,] cleaned the herbs that I picked from the farm then rendered an overripe avocado into guacamole for lunch. With that project ‘cleaned up,’ I steeped a batch of Tulsi basil (aka: Holy basil) tea and a smaller batch of mint tea. (Thank You for the mint, Moira! And, I can't wait to try Asian mint in my eggs, Grace!) Moving briskly through Saturday's itinerary, I crossed a few non-edible things off my to-do list then switched gears to start making dinner. In summary, dinner prompted me to check out this recipe. On my drive to the farm that morning I remember thinking basil pesto would make dinner more interesting for a couple nights. Although I make pesto regularly during the summer months, I wanted a quick reference for measurements; this recipe is a classic. 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Walnuts or almonds are what I'd usually use as a substitute for pine nuts but we only had pecans and pistachios. So, I made myself comfortable and shelled a little over half a cup of pistachios (because I ate a few) but, you can use almost any nut you have or like. Would you recommend this recipe?Pesto dishes always make me feel healthy and energized! For dinner I spread the pesto on top of white fish, like Natalie Perry's recipe and, as a transfer of learning, on top of chicken tenderloins. Both dishes were baked simultaneously at 350°F. The proteins were served over thin pasta tossed with the remaining pesto and a side salad. Guacamole on Sourdough Toast (aka, Avocado Toast), Skinnytaste.com - recipe reduced for 1 avocado, cilantro omitted.Basil Pistachio Pesto References:Books - An Avocado A Day: More Than 70 Recipes for Enjoying Nature's Most Delicious Superfood / Lara Ferroni. - ("Gaby's Famous Guacamole" pg. 27)Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide to Growing and Harvesting Flavorful Teas in Your Backyard / Jodi Helmer.H2Oh!: Infused Waters for Health and Hydration / Mimi Kirk.The Pesto Cookbook: Dozens of Surprising Flavor Combinations from Fresh Herbs and Greens / Olwen Woodier. - (This cookbook has a “Classic Genovese Pesto” on pg. 24 that's similar to the recipe highlighted in this post; I've never made pesto with butter, though.)Websites - Donofrio, Jeanine. “Basil Pesto Recipe.” Love & Lemons, 16 May 2024, www.loveandlemons.com/pesto-recipe/.“Eat Your Way to Better Health: Why Leafy Greens Are Your Magic Weapon.” Summa Health, www.summahealth.org/flourish/entries/2024/03/eat-your-way-to-better-health-why-leafy-greens-are-your-magic-weapon#:~:text=The%20health%20benefits%20of%20leafy%20greens&text=Minerals%20like%20calcium%2C%20potassium%2C%20magnesium,can%20reduce%20inflammation%20and%20bloating. Accessed 18 July 2024.Homolka, Gina. “The Best Guacamole Recipe.” Skinnytaste, 28 April 2024, www.skinnytaste.com/guacamole-recipe/.“Low-Glycemic Index Diet: What’s Behind the Claims?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2 November 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/low-glycemic-index-diet/art-20048478. Marr, Bernard. “15 Amazing Real-World Applications of AI Everyone Should Know About.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 February 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/05/10/15-amazing-real-world-applications-of-ai-everyone-should-know-about/.Perry, Natalie. “Baked Cod with Pesto.” Perry’s Plate, 18 June 2024, www.perrysplate.com/2014/03/baked-fish-lemon-basil-pesto-two-sides.html.Streed, Joel. “Eat the Rainbow for Good Health.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 21 July 2022, newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/eat-the-rainbow-for-good-health/.Tsang Barrett, Teri. “11 Best Pine Nut Substitutes for Pesto.” The Pioneer Woman, www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/g36791977/pine-nut-substitute/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_pw_md_pmx_hybd_mix_us_18891731492&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwhvi0BhA4EiwAX25uj1inDdzLcON4N0Q0d_J5X4_78pwl8OO8fDfRszBE-wAe9IEdqTPYwhoCF6UQAvD_BwE. Accessed 22 July 2024.WebMD Editorial Contributors, and Zilpah Sheikh. “Health Benefits of Basil.” WebMD, www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-basil. Accessed 18 July 2024.WebMD Editorial Contributors, and Christine Mikstas. “What Are Low Glycemic Foods?” Web, www.webmd.com/diet/what-are-low-glycemic-foods. Accessed 18 July 2024.“What Is Generative Ai? An Easy-to-Understand Video with Example.” YouTube, Kotwel, 14 July 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n2ZmTWg7fI.Quick Subject/Concept links to the Discover Online Library catalog:Cooking (Herbs)Cooking (Vegetables) - (Results narrowed by Literary Form: Non-Fiction)...

Sugar. Oh, honey, honey

Sugar. Oh, Honey, Honey… July 5, 2024. by Bridget O’Donnell Routine bloodwork brought our attention to a few numbers that have slowly encroached on borderline to moderately elevated, with cholesterol and glucose in the forefront. Despite a lifestyle of predominately clean eating and regular exercise, I’ve tentatively watched my numbers continue to rise a nominal amount for the last two years. Now that we both needed to make a more concerted effort, I felt the time spent reading about how we might begin to do this was overdue. Total cholesterol - Glucose (aka: Sugar) - Charts provided by: healthline.com Current government websites generated from a google search seem to gloss over how someone might begin to reverse the anomaly and improve their numbers. By suggesting a handful of foods to eat or avoid, and encouraging daily but light exercise, resources like the American Heart Association and Dietary Guidelines (.gov) can speak to a wider audience. Unfortunately, (or to be honest, fortunately), people have different bodies, heredities, lifestyles and goals. We all have limitations, but try to be thankful for the abilities and good health you do have. Authoritative print resources pertaining to cholesterol appear to be more heavily published between the late 1990s to about 2017. As is often the case, research shifts over time. Subsequent publications that contain the word cholesterol also seem to address the phenomenon of comorbidity, suggesting that high cholesterol has a close relationship with other health issues. The antiquated argument that people developed this condition solely by eating foods containing cholesterol and saturated fats has been replaced with cholesterol's relation to other conditions and chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and inflammation. Thankfully, diet and lifestyle changes made to counter the aforementioned also aid in lowering cholesterol. Stress, aging and a few other factors could also be considered, but I recently read that children can have high cholesterol too(!!!). To help avoid medications, I came across suggestions for intermittent fasting and following the DASH, South Beach, Mediterranean, and Keto diets. [The Keto diet would never be one that I would rely on personally.] Additional recommendations include avoiding an overconsumption of starches, carbohydrates and ultimately, sugar, while adding more fiber and foods with a low glycemic index/load to your diet. With more books checked out than I can feasibly read from cover to cover before leaving to attend a conference, I’ve only scratched the surface. To be continued... **Talk to your doctor about how your diet might affect personal health issues and/or ask for a referral to discuss them with a specialist like a dietician** So now what? Sugar seems to be the culprit of many aliments, so that’s where we’re starting. Because our numbers are borderline and we're more or less asymptomatic, I feel there's a little less urgency to reinvent the wheel. We’re not going to throw away everything we already have containing starch, carbohydrates or sugar. but we will be more conscious about how often (and how much) we consume them. We will also try to be more aware of what we buy in the future. Working in our favor, we’ve already cut out most foods with processed sugar. Our meals are balanced and plant forward--especially during the CSA vegetable season which, for us, covers most of the year. (During this period I don't get many colds; Popeye may have been on to something.) Moving forward, we can look for more foods that have a lower glycemic index, like strawberries, but to be fair we will still occasionally have gelato or full fat ice cream. Hopefully our efforts are enough to curb pre-diabetes and collectively lower our cholesterol without medication. Tangentially, while writing this blog entry I came across an email from the Walkway over the Hudson that referred to June's full moon as the "strawberry moon." According to Nasa, this name refers to the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries in the north-eastern United States. Serendipitously, for the 2024 season I had the foresight to purchase a berry share from a local farm working cooperatively with my CSA. The first few weeks they’ve had strawberries. Strawberry Shortcake any everyone? The second and third week I had to freeze a large portion of the 'berries to arrest ripening. Those will be perfect for smoothies. Their short harvesting season does make me wonder where the groceries stores are sourcing the 'berries they sell all year long. Using 1 cup of fresh strawberries I revisited the strawberry-rhubarb pairing (suggested in PPLD's What’s Cooking Blog for “All-Season Mocktails, Spritzers, Syrups and Shrubs”) and made a "Naturally Sweet Strawberry and Rhubarb Compote.” -- Add less honey for a lower sugar version, which I did, or substitute agave for a vegetarian/vegan version. Canning & Preserving has another recipe on page 57 that you might also want to try. ....Serve over angel food cake with whipped cream (as shown in the photo at the top of this post), over pancakes or waffles, ice cream or gelato, on toast with or without your choice of nut butter, in parfait or yogurt with or without granola... You get the idea. Whatever you decide to put it on, Enjoy!! If you can tolerate a little more sugar you might consider giving the following recipe a try. One of our Librarians, Kayleigh H. found a recipe for this street food on TikTok then created a batch in our staff kitchen for a Teen program. It may not be low-sugar per se but it is made with fruit, strawberries work well. Tanghulu is probably a little healthier than some of the snacks sold at the convenience store, too. Title of cookbook/website: Aubrey's Kitchen Author of Recipe: Aubrey ... What prompted you to check out this recipe? Checked out the recipe because of videos on TikTok. What did you like about this recipe? This recipe was really easy to make! All you need is sugar and water in a 2:1 ratio and fruit. History: Tanghulu is a popular northern Chinese street food traditionally made with hawthorn fruit, but you can use strawberries, grapes, blueberries, clementines- whatever fruit you desire, but fruit with an enclosed skin works best. What didn’t you like about this recipe? [Nothing] Favorite recipes (that you tried from the cookbook/website): Tanghulu! Did you alter the recipe or make any substitutions? Nope! Would you recommend this cookbook? Yes. References: Books - American Heart Association Healthy Fats, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook: Delicious Recipes to Help Reduce Bad Fats and Lower Your Cholesterol. Canning & Preserving: 80+ Simple, Small-Batch Recipes / Good Housekeeping. Cholesterol: the Essential Guide / Sara Kirkham. The Dash Diet Action Plan: Proven to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol without Medication / Marla Heller. Diabetes & Heart Healthy Cookbook: More than 160 Delicious Recipes for Everything from Snacks to Desserts / American Heart Association. Eating For Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love / Catherine Jones with Elaine Trujillo. The Fiber Fueled Cookbook: Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health / Will Bulsiewicz, recipes by Alexandra Caspero. The Glycemic Load Diet Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Help You Lose Weight and Reverse Insulin Resistance / Rob Thompson & Dana Carpender. The Great Cholesterol Myth. Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease--and the Statin-Free Plan That Will / Johnny Bowden. Perfect Cholesterol In Just Three Weeks (Without Drugs!): The Answer to High Cholesterol / Dr. David M. Vitko. Websites - “The Archies - Sugar Sugar.” YouTube, 14 Feb. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcLObPhKdDk. Aubry. “Tanghulu.” Aubrey’s Kitchen, 10 Sept. 2020, aubreyskitchen.com/tanghulu/. “Cholesterol - Search Results.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, search.nih.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=nhlbi_nhlbi_prod&query=cholesterol&commit=Search. Accessed 5 July 2024. “Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).” Poughkeepsie Farm Project, www.farmproject.org/csa. Accessed 5 July 2024. Goldman, Rena, et al. “The Recommended Cholesterol Levels By Age.” Healthline, Healthline Media, www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/levels-by-age#adults. Accessed 5 July 2024. Hartnett, Kayleigh. “Tanghulu.” Canva, https://www.canva.com/design/DAGHfDtWWNM/N9WC_HcJ8_BQuMKenjDVSA/edit. Accessed 5 July 2024. - Link to sheets w/recipe and instructions Hoskins, Mike, and Stacy Sampson. “Blood Sugar Level Chart Based on Age.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 24 Mar. 2023, www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/blood-sugar-levels-chart-by-age#glucose-by-age. Johnston, Gordon. “The Next Full Moon Is the Strawberry Moon - NASA Science.” NASA, 13 June 2024, science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/the-next-full-moon-is-the-strawberry-moon-2/. Mansour, Donna. “Naturally Sweetened Strawberry Rhubarb Compote.” Whole Food Bellies, 4 June 2019, www.wholefoodbellies.com/strawberry-rhubarb-compote/. Quick Subject/Concept links to the Discover Online Library catalog: Canning and preserving Cholesterol Natural Sugar* - (Results narrowed by Format: Book; Literary Form: Non-fiction; Concepts: Nutrition, Cooking (Natural foods), Sugar-free diet, Desserts, Baking, Reducing diets, Detoxification (Health)) Sugar-Free Diet ...

Pastel de Tres Leches

Pastel de Tres Leches y... May 10, 2024. by Bridget O’Donnell Last May PPLD's What’s Cooking Blog offered belated holiday blessings with Mexican-Inspired Fish Tacos, Two-ways. As suggested in that post, there’s no need to limit the celebration to a single recipe. In addition to fish tacos made any number of ways, there’s enough traditional fare to observe Cinco de Mayo until the next holiday. Enjoy tamales, chalupas, enchiladas, taquitos, guacamole, salsa [verde], carnitas, empanadas, street corn, fajitas and burritos, to list a few(!). Burritos used to be a regular part of my diet and, as I continued working on this blog entry the more I tried to remember the last time I had one, the bigger my craving got. Boil, mash and season your own refried beans to regulate the amount of salt (and cumin). Or, for a quick plant-forward lunch packed with fiber, protein, essential vitamins and minerals, opt for a can of organic low-sodium refried beans. …Reheat the beans then add a few small scoops to a street sized taco wrap with a shredded cheese blend and un poquito de salsa. Estimated assembly time: minutes and, dos burritos were filling enough to get me through the day without feeling like I had to take a siesta. Helping to maintain balance between savory and sweet, this month una usuaria de la biblioteca suggested a recipe for “Pastel de Tres Leches con Chocolate” or "Three Milks Cake with Chocolate." This popular Mexican dessert is a light sponge cake that's been soaked in a mixture of three milks - sweetened condensed milk, whole milk or heavy cream and evaporated milk. It also happens to be another dish traditionally served during holidays like Christmas, birthday parties and... Cinco de Mayo(!). Title of cookbook: Los Mejores Postres Paso A Paso Author of Recipe: Kiwilimón What prompted you to check out this recipe? A library patron submitted this dulce recipe suggestion and photograph to my coworker after being introduced to the What’s Cooking Blog. What did you like about this recipe? The cookbook is still checked out so I haven’t actually seen this recipe but, it must have been mucho bien. Gracias, I love seeing other perspectives from la cocina! What didn’t you like about this recipe? Based on a few recipes that I found online, Pastel de Tres Leches may have more sugar than I can tolerate without feeling like I have to jog a 5K or half marathon. Maybe I can repurpose some of my leftover refried beans into a "Korean Chapssaltteok" or "Chinese Sticky Rice Cake." Food fusion? Favorite recipes (that you tried from the cookbook/website): Pastel de Tres Leches con Chocolate. Did you alter the recipe or make any substitutions? You could say I altered the recipe, that I turned it into a simple bean burrito (hahah…) but, I’d definitely try a small bite of el pastel. Would you recommend this cookbook? Based on the excerpts shown in Amazon's listing, this cookbook looks muy tasteful. The photos are hermosas and the text gives me practice translating Spanish because an English edition doesn’t seem to be available. Guess which one is for dessert? Pastel de Tres Leches con Chocolate References: Books - Los Mejores Postres Paso A Paso / Kiwilimón. Websites - Clark, Julie. “Chocolate Tres Leches Cake.” The Best Cake Recipes, 4 June 2023, https://thebestcakerecipes.com/chocolate-tres-leches-cake/. Esposito, Shaylyn. “What to Really Eat on Cinco de Mayo: Put Down the Margaritas and Tacos, and Pick Up a Chalupa.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Institution, 3 May 2013, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-to-really-eat-on-cinco-de-mayo-50767054/. Linares, Krista. “Are Refried Beans Healthy? Latina Dietitian Explains the Benefits.” Nutritionconsabor.com, 23 April 2024, https://nutritionconsabor.com/refried-beans-healthy/#:~:text=Refried%20beans%20are%20a%20nutrient%20rich%20food!,healthy%20diet%20with%20minimal%20problem.. Lowder, Camille. “51 Mexican-Inspired Party Ideas Perfect For Cinco de Mayo: Let’s Party (Respectfully! No Sombreros Allowed).” Delish.Com, 4 April 2024, https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/cinco-de-mayo/g652/mexican-party-menu-recipes/. Orozco-Moore, Isabel. “Chocolate Tres Leches Cake.” Isabel Eats, 18 April 2024, https://www.isabeleats.com/chocolate-tres-leches-cake/. Orozco-Moore, Isabel. “42 Cinco de Mayo Recipes.” Isabel Eats, 22 April 2024, https://www.isabeleats.com/cinco-de-mayo-recipes/. Quick Subject/Concept links to the Discover Online Library catalog: Cook* - (Results narrowed down by Literary Form: Non-fiction; Language: Spanish) ...

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