Cookbookaholic

Back to Hilton Head....With a Teenager

So, we had visited our favorite restaurants and thrift stores and said our “goodbyes” to Hilton Head Island. The real estate agent was secured and the condo was getting ready to go on the market.

Then the in-laws got a long-term visitor for the summer. Their teenage great-niece, Sarah, came to stay for a few weeks to help them get around and run errands. After a few weeks, my mother-in-law thought it would be a great idea for us to take Sarah to see Hilton Head Island.

Of course, we gladly agreed to take her! After all, her mother and father spent their honeymoon at the condo almost twenty years ago. What a nice treat to have Sarah get to visit as well.

And how to show Sarah the Hilton Head area? Hubby and I were on the same page: visit all the thrift stores AND get over to Savannah one more time!

Our first thrift store stop was The Church Mouse. I haven’t been there in a while because their cookbook selections are usually small. Just as they are again during this visit. But I did find this really cool shopping bag:

It’s made from leftover/remnant upholstery fabric and put together using sewing machines donated to the Allendale Correctional Institute. A volunteer at the prison wanted to start a quilting class for the inmates. The warden agreed and The Church Mouse donated the sewing machines and fabric. There are now more than thirty machines being used for making quilts and shopping bags. It was only a few dollars, it looks fantastic and it helps support a project that is changing lives while also providing a vocational skill.

Our next stop was the Osprey Thrift Store. The back left corner has all the books and I was able to find these two local cookbooks pretty quickly:

Presenting Belfair… (Belfair Community, Bluffton, SC) and Overtures & Encores: Symphony of Savories and Sweets (The League of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra).

Not bad, but I know we can do better.

We headed over to my new favorite thrift store on the island: St. Francis Thrift Store. And they did not disappoint!

She Speaks in Sauce (Michele Wilber), The Hali’imaile General Store Cookbook (Beverly Gannon with Bonnie Friedman), The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant Seafood Cookbook, and 150 Best Breakfast Sandwich Maker Recipes (Jennifer Williams).

Brennan’s New Orleans Cookbook (Hermann B. Deutsch), The New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook (Deidre Stanforth), A Kitchen Collection: Sconset Café a Village Café on Nantucket Island (Pamela A. McKinstry), and Cottage St. Bakery Cookbook (JoAnna Keeley).

Nice!!

On the way to Savannah the next day, I did drive by Cassandra’s Kitchen again but they didn’t appear to be open. Remember the two signed Ina Garten cookbooks I got? I didn’t even get the one I intended to buy when I was there! Oh well…maybe I can get them to ship it to me?

We hit River Street and got caught in the rain. We found a spot for lunch and dried off while filling up with amazing food. Hubby and I ate fried chicken, fried pork chops, collard greens…Sarah just ate mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. LOL!

After lunch, I was able to drive over to The Book Lady and check out their latest selections. I didn’t have to wait to get in this time…so yeah!

Usually, I walk out of this store with at least two bags or a heavy box. This time, I walked to the register with a relatively light load!

Nibbles & Scribbles (Martha Giddens Nesbit)—autographed! Mastering the Art of Southern Vegetables (Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart). Barefoot Contessa Family Style (Ina Garten)—remember the cookbook I wanted to get from Cassandra’s Kitchen? It was this one!! It’s not signed, but it is in great shape and it’s much less $$. Bress ‘n’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer (Matthew Raiford with Amy Paige Condon)—I snagged this as I was reaching the register to check out. I need to figure out how to get this one autographed….

Bayou Cuisine: Its Tradition and Transition (St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Indianola, Mississippi), Louisiana’s Fabulous Foods and How to Cook Them (compiled by Lady Helen Henriques Hardy and Raymond J. Martinez), Laura’s Quick Cajun & Creole Cookbook (Jeannine Walsh) and Apple Pie: An American Story (John T. Edge).

As a former member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, I’m a huge fan of John T. and all the work he does to help shepherd, collect and record the history of southern cooking as well as it’s continual evolution as the “South” absorbs more flavor via new groups/cultures calling the area “home.”

Our day in Savannah is done and we head back to the condo. I think Sarah bought something at every thrift store we visited! And it was nice to be able to show her around the island and over the bridge to Savannah. This summer has definitely been a multi-state adventure for her.

And I’m so glad to have been able to make the rounds at the Hilton Head thrift stores and the used book store in Savannah one more time! But the sad reality was setting in. The photographer was scheduled to take photos of the condo for the listing.

We did a lot of vacuuming, dusting and cleaning to get everything “photo ready.” It was another great weekend back in Hilton Head but as we closed the door as we left, we knew it meant the reality of the condo’s sale really was one step closer.

Last Trip to Hilton Head?

It’s an incredibly sad time to say good-bye to the in-laws’ Hilton Head Island condo.

We had (what we think) is our last trip during the end of my vacation week in June. The in-laws were also enjoying their last time there as well. It’s just sad to see the place get put on the market. That place has been the backdrop of so many great memories from the time I got married to our little boys growing up.

I was hoping to get in a quick trip to Savannah to visit my favorite used bookstore, but I don’t know. We’ve got a lot to do. There are closets to clear out, donations to drop off and a storage unit to rent and then fill!

My hope is to at least make it over the flyover bridge to Bluffton, SC. I’ve been saving a Facebook Marketplace listing for autographed Ina Garten cookbooks for almost a year now. I really hope I can find the time to scoot over there!

And don’t you know it. As soon as we’re relaxing in the condo on Thursday afternoon, Facebook Marketplace, which is still focused on Charlotte, shows me a Saturday morning yard sale filled with cookbooks. Of course, I would miss a great sale by being out of town. But, I actually reached out to the poster to see if he would put aside a few cookbooks for me to pick up on Monday….and he agreed! Yay!!!

Most of the nights during this trip had my husband staying up and talking with his parents until the early morning hours. So, on Friday morning, I woke up to a very quiet house and everyone else still sleeping. It was so quiet, that I decided to get ready and head out on my own!

First stop: St. Francis Thrift Store. Now that my favorite, Hospice Community Thrift, is no longer around this store has moved to the top spot for me. I went straight back to the book section and found a few cookbooks. Then, as I was walking around, I noticed they had two very busy workers trying to restock the bookshelves.

I asked one lady if she had any more cookbooks that were going to come out. She paused and asked if I wanted to come to the back room and take a look!

You know I always got to do that at Hospice Community Thrift! That’s why I loved that place so much!!!

Anyways, I went behind the curtain and was shown three stacks of cookbooks. I looked through and found a few more to add to the cart.

Here’s what I got….

Lee Bailey’s Cooking for Friends (Lee Bailey), Come on In! (Junior League of Jackson, Miss), The Sweetapolita Bakebook (Rosie Alyea) and Epic Vegan Instant Pot Cooking: Simple Oil-Free Vegan Instant Pot Recipes for Lazy F@cks (Derek & Hannah Howlett).

A Taste of New England (Junior League of Worscester), Angels’ Food (Lowcountry Presbyterian Church, Bluffton, SC), Conversational Cookery (The Clares of St. Francis College, Loretto, PA), World Famous Vidalia Sweet Onion Cookbook (Morris Farms), Islanders Cook Plain & Fancy (Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary) and Aquia Harbour Yacht Club Cookbook (Aquia, VA).

Brunch Entertaining (Williams-Sonoma), The TriBeca Cookbook (Mary Cleaver, Joy Simmen Hamburger and Mimi Shanley Taft), The El Paso Chile Company’s Sizzlin’ Suppers (W. Park Kerr) and Crème Brulee (Sara Lewis).

Whew! Nice way to start off the morning!!!

Next up….I’m trying my luck in Bluffton.

I had reached out earlier to the person with the Facebook Marketplace listing to see if those autographed Ina Garten cookbooks were still available. I mean, it’s been almost a year and they may have sold through all of them?!

Anyways, the lady responded pretty quickly. Her name is Kimberly and the signed Barefoot Contessa cookbooks are at her store, Cassandra’s Kitchen, in Bluffton. She does still have them and she’s open for a few afternoon hours.

She sends me the address and says it’s a little tricky to find. I followed the GPS and found it located on the back side of a professional business park. It may be on the back side, but it faces the water and has a great view.

But anyway, back to the store. It’s called Cassandra’s Kitchen and is a very nice, small but upscale specialty kitchen and dinnerware store with all things Ina Garten. Want Ina’s favorite pepper mill? Boom…they’ve got it. She has a bookcase featuring all of Ina’s Barefoot Contessa cookbooks….autographed!

I found two Ina Garten cookbooks and a fantastic Ateco spreading tool for icing cakes. Kimberly was super nice and even offered to retrieve copies from the back room that didn’t have pricing stickers on them. How awesome is that? Pristine copies of autographed Barefoot Contessa cookbooks!!!!

Modern Comfort Food (Ina Garten) and Cooking for Jeffrey (Ina Garten).

Amazing!

If you’re ever in the area and want to visit, it’s located at the following address:

Cassandra’s Kitchen

258 Red Cedar Street

#17

Bluffton, SC

843-815-3500

 

I didn’t see Barefoot Contessa Family Style…which has the French Toast on the cover. And I forgot to ask about it!

We didn’t get a chance to make it to Savannah. So no trip to The Book Lady for me. I’m sad about that, but I’m hoping we’ll find a way to visit again for quick overnight trips in the future.

And as we were on our way out the door, my in-laws gifted me the collection of cookbooks that were in the condo!

But more on that later…

And after a long drive back home on a Sunday evening, I’m back at work the next day. And if you’ll remember, I have some cookbooks to pick up!

I get the address and take my lunch hour driving over to pick up my “holds” from Saturday’s missed yard sale.

Market to Market (The Service League of Hickory, NC) is a First Printing! Yay! Minnie Pearl Cooks: Special Author’s Edition (Minnie Pearl) has almost lost its’ cover, but I’m okay with that. Catch of the Day: Southern Seafood Secrets (Ginny Lentz, Margaret Terrell editors and illustrations; cover design by Nancy Ricker Webb) is formerly Fripp Island Fare! And the title page is autographed by all involved!

And finally, Hors d’oeuvres (Mimosa Garden Club, Atlanta, GA). I love this little cookbook so much! Who can pass up recipes like “Burning Bush Balls”? LOL

Feels like I’m closing out a great weekend of sales! Hope we find another way to get down to Hilton Head again. I’m really going to miss that place and that little island, too.

 

Last Trip to The Book Lady?

It’s official. The in-laws are selling their Hilton Head Island condo.

We’re all incredibly sad. It’s been such an oasis for my family when we needed to get away.

Just like this trip! We found a great deal on a car for our youngest and it’s at a small dealership down in Savannah. We were able to drive down the night before, relax at the condo and then head out the next morning to test drive and purchase the car.

On the way back to the condo, Hubby and youngest son are driving together and decide to drive back to the island via Savannah downtown and backroads. And wouldn’t you know, since I’m driving all by myself, I decide to take a detour and visit my favorite used bookstore, The Book Lady.

I texted hubs to tell him my plan and then make my way over.

Luckily, I’m able to get in pretty quickly without having to wait for people to leave. I head back to my favorite corner and I get to pulling some really great finds…and several autographed ones, too!

North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by Time (Bob Garner)

Autographed!

Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey (John Currence) and Sister Schubert: Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters (Sister Schubert).

I grabbed the John Currence book because it has a forward by John T. Edge. That must mean it is fantastic! And the Sister Schubert cookbook? Inscribed…

Shrimp, Collards & Grits: Recipes, Stories and Art from the Creeks and Gardens of the Lowcountry (Pat Branning, select watercolor images by Nancy Ricker Rhett) and Headline Recipes: From Your State-Times and Morning Advocate (Pat Baldridge, Editor; Baton Rouge, LA).

The Shrimp, Collards & Grits cookbook is autographed by both Pat Ballard and one of the watercolor artists.

A Southern Collection: Then and Now (The Junior League of Columbus, GA), Manna from Savannah: Recipes from St. Peter’s family and friends (St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Skidaway Island, GA) and The Gingerbread House Cookbook (Mary Flanagan Bazemore and Janet Perkins Galloway).

I love when I can find great local cookbooks from Savannah! For some reason, I feel like this Gingerbread House cookbook is a great find. After doing a little research, I find out that this place is still in business today and is actually a leading location for events and weddings in the area.

And when I check out, the guy behind the plexiglass shield remarks on how many autographed cookbooks are in my stack. I tell him that his bookstore has always been a great resource for me to find  signed/inscribed cookbooks.

I hope this isn’t the last visit to The Book Lady. I would miss it so much!

Savannah Trip/October 2020: Birthday Cookbooks

I will tell you that during all of this Covid mess, I kept my butt at home. But, when a chance to head to the in-law’s condo on Hilton Head around my birthday, I went.

To be honest, we spent most of the time in the condo watching TV. I finally got to watch Stranger Things and start on Yellowstone. So, I got a lot accomplished.

We did give ourselves a daytrip over to Savannah. And, of course, I had to hit my favorite used book store!

Their Covid protocols were pretty strict; small store footprint = limited number of people allowed inside.

Masks, a given. Plus, there were gloves and/or hand sanitizer for you once you entered.

I did have to wait a few seconds for another customer to leave…but not very long. As you probably guessed, I went straight back to my back corner and started going through each shelf.

Here’s what I found:

Forever Summer (Nigella Lawson) and Roland Mesnier’s Basic to Beautiful Cakes (Roland Mesnier and Lauren Chattman). This cake book was here during my previous visit and I regretted not picking it up. So glad to see it was still there!

What’s Cooking’ at the Corner of Henry & Waters (Asbury Memorial UMC) and Barbecue: The History of an American Institution (Robert F. Moss).

Uncle Bubba’s Savannah Seafood (Earl Hiers with Polly Powers Stramm), Louisiana Entertains (The Rapides Symphony Guild) and Grand Strand Seafood Cookery (William Marjenhoff, editor).

And this: Blueberry Hill Menu Cookbook (Elsie Masterton)…first edition!

I’m feeling pretty great at the finds and consider this a perfect birthday present to myself!

 

Quick Trip to Savannah

So, we’ve been looking for a more reliable car for our youngest. Do you know how hard it is to find a good used car nowadays? Anyways, we ended up down in Port Wentworth just outside of Savannah and found a car he liked.

After doing all the paperwork, hubby and youngest wanted to drive back to the in-law’s condo in Hilton Head—but not on I-95. It looked less stressful and shorter to take the back roads from Savannah.

While they made their way their way over to the bridge out of the city, I made my way over to my favorite used book store.

Covid protocols were still in place. So, when the store is full, you have to wait outside.

After I parked the car and started my way towards the store, I realized my phone was still in the car. I quickly turned around to retrieve it…only to see the two girls who were behind me were now in front of me….and heading inside the book store.

So, I’m left waiting on the street. A couple of people try to walk past me, but then I have to act like the defacto guard. “Oh, I’m next in line….we have to wait for someone to leave before going inside.”

Ugh

After a few minutes, the two girls exit the store. They were so chatty about how “cute” the store was. Cute? I’m trying to buy some awesome cookbooks here and I had to wait while they shuffled through the “cute” bookstore at their leisure? Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, I got inside and went straight to my corner. Went through every shelf and found some really great selections!

Jamie Deen’s Good Food, The New Southern Cook (John Martin Taylor), My Mother’s Southern Kitchen (James Villas) and Beans, Greens and Sweet Georgia Peaches (Damon Lee Fowler).

Sarabeth’s Bakery (Sarabeth Levine) and Seductions of Rice (Jeffrey Arnold & Naomi Duguid).

Duff Bakes (Duff Goldman and Sara Gonzales), Baking with Mary Berry and Monica’s Kitchen (Monica Sheridan).

The small one, Monica’s Kitchen, is from an Irish chef who had her own cooking show! The date of this one is 1963. I wonder if she’s the Betty Feezor of Ireland?

And now for the really cool part! Four of these were signed!

Worth the wait? Oh yeah!!

Thanksgiving on HHI

This year, my family—including both boys!—was able to spend Thanksgiving on Hilton Head Island with the in-laws. It was such a nice treat.

What was not a treat was the splitting migraine that developed just as we planned to hit the thrift stores. Ugh!

Five of us load up in my car and head out for more thrift store adventures. Both boys and my father-in-law are along for the ride. We first make it to The Bargain Box and I feel a migraine coming on strong. This couldn’t happen at a worse time…

As we pulled into the parking lot, the pain really started to intensify. Luckily as I walked through the door, I saw a plastic box on the floor with a sign on it that read: “All spiral bound cookbooks .25”

I went through the box and the cookbook section and selected these:

 

All Hilton Head Island cookbooks! And they only cost a grand total of 0.75. I’d call that a great Black Friday deal!

As for the rest of the afternoon? It was a combination of a Goody powder and several naps in the car while the others shopped and ate lunch.

Two Years Since Hilton Head?

I can’t believe it’s been over 2 years since I’ve traveled to Hilton Head for some time off. With the expenses of the move into the new house, I didn’t feel that I could justify the cost. Also, the in-law’s condo has been on and off the market periodically and could’ve been sold if the right buyer came along.

But by mid-September of last year I was feeling the need to take some time and get away. My new boss was in place…and awesome. Work worries were fading fast and I could sense a break was needed.

I was very excited to revisit my favorite thrift stores and try my luck in their cookbook section. I’ve written about them before and how much I love going to Hospice Community Thrift. But this time was not to be. As Scott and I pulled into the parking lot, it was empty…as was the building. Gone was my very favorite thrift store in the entire world!

What in the world has happened? 

We moved on to another amazing thrift store a little further down the road, St. Francis Thrift. The parking lot was packed, but I found that they were having a buy one, get one sale on books. Gosh…I’ll just have to make sure I buy an even number of cookbooks!

Here’s what I ended up finding:

We backtrack up to The Bargain Box and I’m able to pick up these three:

Then we’re off for a quick afternoon trip to Savannah and my favorite spot, The Book Lady. 

I find a few great bargains this time around, including a selection by John T. Edge. Usually, I’m walking out of there with a sizable stack. But since I only have a few, I decide to look for something specific to Savannah. I find some that are near at the front of the store and decide on an autographed copy of Savannah Entertains by Martha Giddens Nesbit.

Nice visit! I’m hoping it won’t be so long before I come back again.

After Easter

So this Easter we did our usual trip up to Winston-Salem. During last year’s trip, I pinched something in my back and didn’t move out of the bed. Got a lot of sleep…but not much in the way of getting out.

This year had an added layer of excitement. Nephew Chaz, also known as the Reverend Chaz, was chosen to lead the annual Moravian Sunrise Service. We ended up spending a lot of time with family and I didn’t get to branch out on my own for cookbook shopping.

A few weeks after Easter, I was able to spend a few hours back in Winston-Salem on my own. I was meeting up to buy a Bob Timberlake print and afterwards I made sure to visit the Moravian Book & Gift Shop in Old Salem. Their downstairs section always has church cookbooks and a few local choices as well. 

Only this time, I discover that the downstairs section is now a quilting shop. I take a few laps around the main floor and find one cookbook:

Southern Breads: Recipes, Stories and Traditions by Marilyn Markel and Chris Holaday. 

From biscuits to cobblers, hush puppies to cornbread, I think this looks really interesting. Lots of recipes and looks like a brief history section that I can’t wait to read.

A section near the end lists out cookbooks that inspired the recipes in the book. Of course, there’s the Charleston Receipts from the Junior League of Charleston. Another one featured is Gardeners’ Gourmet from the Montgomery Federation of Garden Clubs in Alabama. 

I think I’ve seen this one before, but I don’t believe I have it in my collection.

A couple of weeks searching and I finally see one online. Perfect condition! I buy it and after a few days it arrives….with the plastic spiral spine broken. Argh! Oh well.

Spring Break in Hilton Head

For the first time ever, we’ve been able to spend part of the boys’ Spring Break in Hilton Head. Usually, we get to come down for July 4^th and New Year but, for some reason, that didn’t work out this past Holiday season. So, I’m really thrilled to get opportunity to give the guys a Spring Break vacation.

On our first full day on the island I was able to get out and visit my favorite thrift stores. Not quite the door buster, but I was able to get to St. Francis Thrift Store a few minutes after it opened. The parking lot was packed! Of course, there’s a new Dunkin Donuts next door—but still, it was hard trying to find a parking space. Once I got in the store, I was able to find a nice little stack.

True Grits: Tall Tales and Recipes from the New South (The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.), A Taste of Enchantment (The Junior League of Albuquerque, NM), New Southern Cooking (Nathalie Dupree) and Cooking with a Beat (Longview Washington Civic Symphony Auxiliary).

The Nathalie Dupree cookbook is autographed!

The next stop was the nearby Goodwill store but I came up empty on cookbooks. I did find a super cool Christmas tree Bundt pan and decided to pick that up.

And now for my favorite thrift store in the whole world! I pulled up to the Hospice Community Thrift with about fifteen minutes to spare before they opened. And then I see that they’re already open. Okay! I was amazed at the selection I found.

There’s a reason this is my favorite spot and here’s why:

A Touch of Atlanta (Marist Parents’ Club, Marist School, Atlanta, GA), Ursula’s Cookbook (Ursula Knaeusel, Ursula’s Cooking School, Atlanta, GA), Tullie’s Receipts: Nineteenth Century Plantation Plain Style Southern Cooking and Living (Kitchen Guild of the Tullie Smith House Restoration, Atlanta Historical Society, Inc., Atlanta, GA), Christmas Gems for Holiday Entertaining (The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.), Atlanta Natives’ Favorite Recipes (Frances Arrington Elyea, Atlanta, GA), What’s Cooking at Rock Spring (Rock Spring Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA), Atlanta Cooks for Company (Junior Associates of The Atlanta Music Club), Plains Pot-Pourri (Plains Jr. Woman’s Club, Plains, GA) and Charleston Receipts (The Junior League of Charleston, SC).

I probably need to do some research on ole Ursula and find out more about her and any influence she may have had in the Atlanta area...but her cookbook is also autographed!

And here is the rest of the haul:

Southern Sideboards (Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi), Yuletide on Hilton Head: A Heritage of Island Flavors (Edited by Dotti Trivision, Marion Conlin, Mary Murray and Phyllis White), Three Rivers Cookbook II (Child Health Association of Sewickley, Sewickley, PA), Temptations (Junior Service League of Rome, Inc., Rome, GA), Trader Vic’s Tiki Party (Steve Siegelman), Southern Delights: Recipes from Williamson County (Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Franklin, TN), Famous Recipes from Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House in Historic Savannah (Sema Wilkes, Savannah, GA), Country Days and Nights (Fox Chapel Country Day School, Fox Chapel, PA), Culinary Treasures: Hilton Head Island (The Avid Gardeners, Hilton Head Plantation, Hilton Head Island, SC), Old Mission San Juan Capistrano Cook Book (Catholic Women’s Club of “Old Mission” San Juan Capistrano, CA) and I’ve Got a Cook in Kalamazoo (Service Club of Kalamazoo, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI).

I’ve got some time until The Bargain Box opens up later in the afternoon. But I see some people waiting on the front porch of the building. I pull up and ask them if the Bargain Box crew has started to give out admission numbers. They said “no,” but there were about five boxes that were out front with the label “Free Stuff.” I spot a Better Homes & Garden cookbook sitting on top of one. I park the car and go through all the boxes. After going through the boxes, I get a nice stack:

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, Ladies’ Home Journal Dessert Cookbook (Edited by Carol Truax), The Great Cooks Cookbook: A Good Cooking School Cookbook, Appetizing Dips & Spreads, Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Craig Claiborne’s Gourmet Diet, Potomac Area Newcomers Recipe Book (Potomac Area Newcomers Club, Maryland) and Famous Native Recipes of the Virgin Islands (Gathered by Dea Murray).

These are some pretty decent cookbooks! If these are the books they’re giving away for free, I wonder what they’ve got still left on the shelves inside? Definitely coming back this afternoon.

I head back to the condo and have lunch and try to talk the whole family into going with me…but no luck. I arrive and have to park in the side auxiliary lot. They have limited capacity inside the store and only allow a certain number of customers inside. And while I’m the only one in line—I still have to wait for someone to leave.

When I finally get to go inside, there’s a long line that I have to get around to get to the cookbook shelf. And at first glance, the shelf looks untouched, maybe one or two spaces where a book may have been removed. I don’t really see much that grabs my attention. Maybe I got the good stuff in their free box a few hours ago?

I guess I’d feel better about what’s in front of me, if I could actually get to the cookbooks in front of me. There’s some woman just standing there reading through one of the cookbooks. She’s just standing there. Hello?! I’m trying to look at the selection—could you move?

Thankfully, her friend came over and they decided to get in the checkout line. Finally, a chance to get a proper look at the selection. Here’s what I find:

The Greens Cook Book (Deborah Madison with Edward Espe Brown), Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (James Peterson), The Trellis Cookbook: Expanded Edition (Marcel Desaulniers), Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked (Karen Adler & Judith M. Fertig) and Great Meals for Busy Days (Nathalie Dupree).

Now this Nathalie Dupree cookbook isn't autographed...but the fish one is:

Now that’s the way to start off Spring Break! I’m thinking that with all these great finds, I can finally relax and enjoy the rest of the week…

Review: Tony Luke’s Philly Cheesesteak

As part of my job, I get to travel up to some great cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. I’ve always heard amazing things about the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich but never really had much in the way of anything authentic. Unless Steak-Umms are authentic? Maybe not.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Of course, I’ve made a point of getting a Philly cheesesteak sandwich before. In fact, I ate my first “real” one at a restaurant inside the Philadelphia airport…but I was not impressed.

I’d heard that Tony Luke’s was a local favorite and I was definitely willing to give it a try. During a trip to Philadelphia this past summer, I finally made my way over to Tony Luke’s Old Philly Style Sandwiches. It was after 2pm, I was starving and ready to get the real deal Philly Cheesesteak.

Tony Luke’s Old Philly Style Sandwiches at 39 E. Oregon Avenue is a not your usual sit down eatery. You walk up to the window, place your order, pay and wait under the metallic roof/awning for your name to be called. And I do mean called loudly!

I opted for the Original without onions and slathered with Cheez Whiz.

A handmade sign advertised Chipotle BBQ Fries for a limited time. I took a chance and ordered them as my side. When my order was ready, I was amazed at how delicious the simple combination of bread, steak and cheese could be.

 

The bread was so soft and tasted like a cross between an Italian loaf and a biscuit. I honestly think half of the amazing taste experience is from the roll itself! I saw a delivery truck from Liscios Bakery dropping off a ton of rolls earlier; I bet this was fresh off the truck.

The steak and Cheez Whiz was a perfect blend of meat, cheese and saltiness. The Cheez Whiz is warm and melty and runs down your arm as you take a bite of the sandwich. Seriously, who would’ve ever thought you’d chase the Cheez Whiz to lick it off your hand? For someone who was ready for the real cheesesteak experience, Tony Luke’s did not disappoint. Why can’t they all taste this good?

Remember those Chipotle BBQ Fries? Amazing. Imagine the sweet, salty, smoky flavor of your favorite BBQ potato chips. Now, imagine it on a hot french fry. Mmmhmm…Yummy goodness. I know that sign said they were for a limited time only, but I think I’d go ahead and make Chipotle BBQ french fries a permanent selection to the menu.

I’ve had the opportunity to get back to Philadelphia a couple more times this fall. Luckily, every trip has also included a trip to Tony Luke’s. And come to think of it, I don’t think I need to bother with any other Philly cheesesteak joint. I’m good with Tony Luke’s.