Apr. 16--KUTTAWA, Ky. -- -- Paula Cunningham and the women at McClanahan Publishing are known throughout Kentucky as The Cookbook Ladies.
Since 1999, Cunningham, owner of McClanahan Publishing House, has written cooking columns culled from her personal recipe collection and from the cookbooks published at McClanahan for Kentucky Monthly magazine. Now, she her staff at and McClanahan Publishing have combined their recipes for "Another Serving: The Kentucky Monthly 10th Anniversary Cookbook."
The soft-cover book contains recipes, ranging from appealing appetizers to delectable desserts, and full-color food photographs. She also included dishes for the grill and ideas for entertaining.
Besides celebrating the 10th anniversary of the cooking columns in Kentucky Monthly, the cookbook also notes this is the 25th anniversary for McClanahan Publishing, a company Cunningham started on her kitchen table in 1983.
"They're all easy," Cunningham said. "Nobody has time to cook. Our readers appreciate it when they can find ingredients in their pantry and don't have to go out to the store. As I told Sharon Thompson at the Lexington Herald-Leader, the recipes are embarrassingly easy. The Tiger Butter is a no-brainer."
Cunningham is traveling this week and demonstrating recipes from the cookbook, including the Tiger Butter, which includes almond bark, peanut butter and chocolate morsels all melted and mixed together.
Louisville photographer Wales Hunter took the photographs of the food prepared by students and chefs at Sullivan University in Louisville.
"Another Serving" sells for $21.95 and is available by phoning 1-800-544-6959.
McClanahan also released "Derby Entertaining: Traditional Kentucky Recipes" on Monday. The 136-page cookbook features dishes designed for any Kentucky Derby party. It sells for $24.95.
In May, the publishing house will release "Room at the Table: A Collection of Recipes from the Premier Bed and Breakfasts of Kentucky." The 128-page book will retail for $24.95.
Below are recipes to stimulate the appetite from "Another Serving."
Derby day biscuits with
country ham filling
Biscuits:
2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup half-and-half
Country ham filling:
1 cup Kentucky country ham, cooked and ground
4 tablespoons butter, softened
Combine flour and shortening in a large mixing bowl. Hand-mix with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles little peas. Add half-and-half and stir lightly.
Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place biscuits on an ungreased pan. Bake in pre-heated 450-degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
To prepare filling: Combine the ham and butter in a small bowl. Split hot bite-size biscuits in half. Use about 1 tablespoon filling for each biscuit. Makes 12 large or 36 bite-size biscuits
Scalloped pineapple
4 cups bread crumbs, fresh French or sourdough chunks
20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
3 eggs, beaten
11/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
Combine the bread crumbs and pineapple in a 9-by-13-inch greased baking dish. Combine the eggs, sugar and butter and pour over the pineapple. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8.
White chocolate strawberry cheesecake
12 whole chocolate graham crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons margarine, melted
Nine 2-ounce squares of almond flavored bark
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup Splenda or sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
Topping:
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup Splenda
Combine the graham cracker crumbs with margarine. Pat into the bottom and 11/2 inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes and remove from oven to cool.
Melt the almond bark in a glass bowl in the microwave or over a pan of boiling water, stirring until melted.
Combine the cream cheese and sour cream using an electric mixer or food processor. Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the Splenda, vanilla extract and melted almond bark and mix. Stir in the sliced strawberries.
Pour the mixture into the graham-cracker crust and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door slightly and leave the cheesecake in for another 30 minutes. The center will firm up after refrigeration. Chill uncovered overnight. Run a knife around the pan and lift off the side of the springform pan when ready to serve.
Combine the strawberries and Splenda. Arrange on top of cake. Serves 12.
Leigh Landini Wright can be contacted at 575-8658.
*
-----
To see more of The Paducah Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.paducahsun.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Paducah Sun, Ky.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.