Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Back from Jamaica with a Cookbook Giveaway!

So I'm back to business here at 28Cooks. And during my absence, I actually took a much-needed vacation to Jamaica. It was absolutely incredible! We stayed at a newer resort in Runaway Bay, the Gran Bahia Principe, which I highly recommend. It was huge with over 860 rooms, but it never felt crowded. The food was actually pretty good, considering it was an all-inclusive, and we only stood in 1 line for about 5 minutes for dinner one night. We also got the chance to climb the Dunn's River Waterfalls, which were beautiful and amazing, as well as take a Jeep tour down through a few towns and then up into the mountains. All in all, it was a fantastic trip.

And when I returned, I found a box of cookbooks awaiting me. A publishing company had offered to send me 1, but actually sent me 6! So their mistake is your gain! I'm giving away 5 copies of Baking Unplugged.

Baking


This book is specifically taking baking back to the basics and starting from scratch. There are plenty of good old recipes, such as Sour Cream Crumb Cake, Blueberry Muffins, and Moist Vanilla Pound Cake.

And all you have to do is simply leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite baked good is, whether it is to bake it or to eat it. That's it! Simply leave your comment by March 14th and I'll pick a winner at random and post on the 15th.

Good Luck! And now I'm off to adjust to the cold weather...

79 comments:

p.murray said...

Caramelized ginger scones. Two foods that normally receive a raised eyebrow combine and all of a sudden it's two hours later and I have a pound of scone in my tummy.

kimabroad said...

Baklava. So light and crispy and just enough sweetness!

Laura said...

Banana bread with mini chocolate chips. It's the ultimate comfort food to bake (who doesn't love smashing bananas with their fingers) and to eat.

Maryum said...

gosh! there are so many! brownies cookies, cakes, you name it! i love to bake!

Carrie said...

Cinnamon buns! I like to make them because they seem extra special, but they're not that difficult. And they taste so gooey and good.

Anonymous said...

Oh, what excellent timing! I've actually been scouring used book stores for vintage cookbooks for this exact function.

That said, my favourite is coconut cream pie. YUM!

Rebekah said...

Welcome back!

My favorite to eat is good ol' fashioned chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

rachel! said...

Favorite to eat is Hobee's blueberry coffee cake, mmm! Favorite to make myself is probably banana bread, with walnuts and coconut -- though I love making cakes too, and pies, and cookies, muffins, brownies... I have a major sweet tooth.

Unknown said...

Glad you're back! My favorite is the oh so simple but oh so delicious chocolate chip cookie. Preferably warm and soft and gooey. YUM.

Anonymous said...

haha! nice mistake! glad you had a wonderful vacation... i'm currently planning our vacation... we want a warm beach... :) I like to make and eat brownies the most I think... I can't get enough of them!

Dorothy said...

I really love to eat my dad's perfect cakes. They're by far the best. #1 I think is the carrot cake he made me a few years ago for my birthday.

leslie said...

so jealous, i am dying to go to jamaica!

my fave baked good is this thing my brother makes called monster bars. they are basically brownies topped with drizzled chocolate, marshmallows, m&ms, smashed up snickers, and probably some other stuff that i'm not remembering.

Anonymous said...

I'll say chocolate cake for today. I love to bake in general, but especially love eating chocolate cake!

NWJR said...

Chocolate cake. Deep, dark, rich chocolate cake.

OMG I'm hungry.

amberle said...

Any kind of chocolate cake, but lately it's been a vegan chocolate cake recipe from Moosewood that I love to make.

Keegan said...

Peanut butter and chocolate chip blondies with extra chocolate chips :) All gooey right out of the oven. Topped with ice cream. Mmmmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

I would have to say nothing beats a nice, dense, fudgey BROWNIE!

Faith
fsplvan@syr.edu

vijita said...

Blueberry chocolate chip lavender scones!

jenny said...

i just baked up some oatmeal blueberry muffins, and i'm fairly certain they migh become my favorite baked-good...

however, since i haven't tried them yet, carrot cake (without coconut!) with cream cheese frosting. forever and ever and ever (or at least until i try my muffins!)

check my blog later if you want a recipe! =)

Unknown said...

warm brownies...yum :)

Danielle said...

I love making scones -- mmmmm...

kickpleat said...

I'm so envious of your trip! I want to go some place hot. as for baking? a coconut and raspberry jam bar. mmm.

Bridge said...

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies - from the recipe on the Quaker Oats box, subbing dark chocolate chips for raisins. So. Very. Good.

Kirby! said...

I am hoping to travel in Jamaica this summer!! Glad to hear that it was so awesome.

My favorite baked good is probably peanut butter cookies! Or red velvet cake... or breakfast bars... or blondies... or chocolate chip muffins....

Anonymous said...

Nothing beats a quick loaf of Irish soda bread on a cold wintery night after work. There are plenty of more creative, more involved things I love to make, but soda bread's the tops for guaranteed satisfaction in my book!

Avory said...

Red velvet cake all the way! I was tickled pink when the whole red velvet trend started, since I've been eating it as a kid. Hard to find that perfect recipe, but I've got a family one that I adore.

Avory said...

Red velvet cake all the way! I was tickled pink when the whole red velvet trend started, since I've been eating it as a kid. Hard to find that perfect recipe, but I've got a family one that I adore.

Shonna said...

Simply, chocolate cake. Yum. I like to eat it... need further exploration in baking it.

Jan Scholl said...

Bread-any color or flavor. I can live on bread, hot cold or dried out. Off to my pantry-I need bread.

Anonymous said...

Wow--welcome back!

My favorite baked good?! Man, that is tough! I think it would be a toss up between cookies and brownies (to eat, not to bake)...yummm...

Courtney

Di said...

i love to bake. but being that it's only my husband and i at home, i tend to have to pick and choose carefully when i have baking splurges.

my favorite things to bake are cupcakes and baklava (and i just saw a cupcake that has baklava in it so i will have to try my hand at that now too :) ).

i'm always looking for a new recipe and would greatly appreciate this cookbook. :)

Anonymous said...

I'd have to say home made bread. Nothing like the smell of the kitchen as it bakes. An hour after it cools, that first slice, the first bite, it is like my first kiss

malisa said...

profiteroles filled with a chocolate hazelnut gelato, drizzled with kahlua chocolate sauce, and served with a handful of mixed fresh berries. They are so easy to make and always impressive to serve.

Al said...

Although the topping makes it awesome, I love doing pavlova. I do it once a year for a birthday and I find a homemade base is so much better than a bought one.

Leanne said...

I love freshly baked cookies - any kind, as long as they're warm!

Anonymous said...

I guess my favorite baked good would have to be a muffin. Usualy a bran muffin or a dark chocolate one.

Thank you for the giveaway, your blog is great.

tamar at meser dot net

Special Sauce said...

Fresh focaccia bread- although I do have a soft spot for lemon sponge bars too. :) WELCOME BACK!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE Old Black Joe Cake, when growing up my mother made this often, with a variety of icings, cream cheese, butter, peanut butter. mmmm. Wonderful!

steph-a-ronie said...

I love to bake chocolate chip cookies :)

love it.

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing to bake would have to be scones. and eating them is definitely the best! especially with some clotted cream, jam, a piping hot cup of tea - and a romantic movie (pride and prejudice for example :p )

jessy morse 5 at yahoo
dot
com

Anonymous said...

Luv Croquembouche! Filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce, as well as cream filled and stacked beautifully tall with caramel (our wedding cake). I've tried to make so many times, to no avail...never as yummy :(

Unknown said...

Moist, savory quickbreads. Mmmmm.

IHeartQuilting said...

Blueberry muffins with a little sugar sprinkled on top before cooking, and banana bread. Nothing fills up the house with appealing aroma better!

Betsy said...

My favorite baked good is the most unhealthy thing on the menu. The good old Methodist recipe for Dump Cake. How do you make it you may inquire. Its Simple, Just Dump everything in a dish! One can cherry filling, one can pineapple in a 9x 13 baking dish. One bag yellow cake mix sprinkled on top. One stick of butter cut into 10+/- pieces and placed methodically on top. Put in 350 deg oven till brown.

Tell me your arteries are not just craving it!

Barney Google said...

dark chocolate raspberry brownies or ANYTHING lemon or lime. Found a delightful, from scratch, simple glazed lime cake on Epicurious - fantastic!

Am making a lot more from scratch these days, even all my bread -- and loving it!

Rogue Cook said...

No knead bread--the easiest homemade bread ever. Love to bake and eat it.

Anonymous said...

I like most baked goods, but probably my favorite is coffeecake, of any kind!

Kana said...

My most favorite thing to bake is carrot cake, but that might be because my fiance likes it so much!

Richelle said...

I love any kind of cupcake!!!!

Anonymous said...

Double Chocolate cookies from Baking with Julia.

Anonymous said...

Favorite to bake is probably a simple scone - warm and yummy with butter melting. New favorite to eat is heresa - made with cream of wheat (farina), yogurt, butter, milk. Pour over a syrup made with lemon juice and orange flower water. Like baklava only not flaky!

The Allotment Cat said...

I love making banana bread to treat my friends with - always a hit! I add white chocolate chips but if my boyfriend gets to the mix first then it has sultanas instead :-) x

Anonymous said...

I love just about anything sweet, but I particularly like pie. Dee -- sheepish56(at)aol(dot)com

Christina said...

Believe it or not, the simple pumpkin bar with cream cheese frosting is my latest fave baked good to make. Now, when will we get to put our name in the pot for a vacation to Jamaica? Hee hee

Anonymous said...

Banana bread is easily my number one favorite but pumpkin pie is definitely a close second.

Baking-Doctor said...

My favorite baked good to eat would be lemon bars. But a close second and my favorite to bake is Banana bread. I try a new recipe every time and often find myself buying bananas not to eat but to let get good and black for baking!

Ashacado said...

Brownies!!!
ashli(underscore)hayes(at)hotmail(dot)com

Michelle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

My favorite thing to bake is carrot cake...or any baked good where I can sneak vegetables! Also, m&m sugar cookies (sans vegetables)!

Anonymous said...

My favorite baked good is bread, because you can make all different kinds: sweet, sour, nutty, fruity, and the list goes on forever. I especially like to get my hands into the dough, knead it, and shape it into something beautiful and delicious! My friend says, "There is a lot of religion in a well-made loaf of bread!"

DS said...

My favorite baked dessert is Rhubarb Crunch from the Mennonite Cook Book.

chefgrace said...

Mexican Wedding Cakes are my current favorite. I'm trying to perfect a chocolate version.

I LOVE Jamaica, too!

Anonymous said...

Good old banana bread is probably my favorite- both to bake and eat. But I love baking for friends more than I like eating baked goods.

Anonymous said...

Cream cheese cake with cream cheese icing and pecans. It's my birthday cake every year, and as I get older, it makes the birthdays bearable.

Joan said...

Cheesecake---any kind, any style

Anonymous said...

My favorite baked good is a crunchy digestive cookie that I can coat with honey, sandwich together with another cookie and than dunk in hot tea and very quickly put in my mouth.

pklaw said...

Any kind of nut bread! Just the right amount of sweetness with some crunch! Good for any meal! Easy to freeze(if they last that long!)
klaws1 at comcast dot net

take_the_responsibility said...

It’s a Fact, Chef Tom Colicchio, despises and has total disdain towards Chef Grant Achatz and everything he has worked so hard to build, namely his restaurant Alinea and his original style of Molecular Gastronomy.

Moving forward, what is even more distaining is the fact that by virtue of his actions, he also has now shown disrespect and loathing toward other great Chef’s namely: Juan Roca, Feran Adrian, Heston Blumenthal, Anthony Flinn, Willie Dufresne, Thomas Keller, but also to these resuarants and all their hard working staff El Bulli, Mugaritz, Moto, WD-50, The Fat Duck, Pierre Gagnaire, Arzak, Alkimia, Martin Berasategui, Akelarre to name a few.

So what are these factual actions I speak of???
When someone does a TV commercial and generates income from their involvement as a spokesperson and as a person of so called deemed authority in which millions of Americans will watch and offers negativity… they should be responsible for their actions. I believe Americans of late have had enough of this “all care but no responsibility” attitude (look at the banks and CEO’s).
And before Tom’s PR Peeps try to gloss over this as a mere fun campaign for Diet Coke…. Too late … The damage has been done. And you have overstepped your mark !!!

View this situation here:
http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/02/tom-colicchios-diet-coke-commercial-video/

A full apology from you “Chef Tom Colocchio” and Coca Cola is eagerly awaited by the worldwide chef community.

take_the_responsibility@yahoo.com

Mandy said...

Lately I've been really getting into baking bread and I just made a lovely peasant boule from The Weekend Baker last week that I will definitely make again!
mandy.heuermann [at] gmail [dot] com

Anonymous said...

mm, brownies.

rokh said...

my favourite baked good is biscotti! just because i love to eat this delicious treat, it is so easy to make (apart from breaking a spatula once trying to stir the sticky mess) but cost a bomb outside here in Malaysia, it is perfect for breakfast/snack and to top it off, it is guilt free!

haley said...

i love my mom's banana nut bread... it's killer.

Maggie said...

Nothing puts smiles on faces like chocolate chip cookies--mine almost always have pecans too. They're my very favorite thing to bake!

Unknown said...

Toffee ticklers, hands down! Jamaica sounds like fun. ;)

Paula said...

I love love love Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Butter Cream.
A cake made from the same batter just isn't quite the same as the cupcake in fulfilling that craving.

I did see a comment at the beginning about caramelized ginger scones. I will have to find a recipe and make those.

I'd love a copy of this cookbook to help teach my foster kids the basics of baking from scratch.

Thanks, Paula

Tiffany said...

My favorite baked good is brownies. I love making them from scratch!

Miss M said...

My mom and I used to bake a crust-less Ricotta cheesecake with raspberry topping for this hippie restaurant in the 80's. Still to this day I love making this cake more than anything. The raw macaroons with rose and lime oils are a close second though :)

Rumela said...

Great recipe!! The combination is truly fascinating. banana bread with mini chocolate chips all are nutritious and good for health. So a both combination is likely to be tasty and healthy alike. thank you for shearing your post.

Amanda said...

I love eating cake from the grocery store. Seriously cant get enough of the buttercream frosting they make!