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Focus: Cookbooks

AJ — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:25:04 +0000

I am a foodie. I was raised in the south by a mother and grandmother that loved to cook and I can spot a good restaurant a mile away. If I know anything, it’s food. Some say I’m a harsh critic when it comes to any dish, but we all know what a little extra attention and care can do for a recipe. You have to start somewhere though, and Lulu can help you make a cookbook full of your own favorite dishes or you can check out some of the really great ones we have to offer – from healthy eating to down-home comfort food.

Let’s start with what I know best: soul-food.

Comfort and Joy

by Callie Works-Leary

This soft-cover cookbook features large, high-quality color pictures and gives you the know-how to make a quick snack or a five-course meal right in your own kitchen. This book has the perfect mix of “stick-to-your-rib” delights like “Texas Slow-Cooked BBQ Brisket” as well as fun, light dishes like “Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Apricots.”

Comfort and Joy is a collection of recipes for the way that we really cook, eat, and entertain in our rapidly changing times. Most importantly, it is food that is comforting in its simplicity and depth of flavor, but joyous in its creativity and charm. It is perfect for every-day use or for hosting a party.

Licence to Cook

by Edward Biddulph

Every guy on Earth either thinks he’s James Bond or tries really hard to act like him. This cookbook makes it easier than ever to live like the dapper secret agent by showing you how to make recipes that were actually featured throughout all of Ian Fleming’s famous Bond novels. From Bond’s favorite meal, to how he takes his coffee, this cookbook lets you eat like James Bond for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just try not to drink so many martinis.

Hugh’s Who: The Name-Dropper’s Cookbook

by Hugh Millais

This cookbook is something completely different and very cool. Here, author Hugh Millais tells his life story in what turns out to be a mix between a memoir and a cookbook.

An adventurer in the classic sense, Hugh Millais has made a career of being in the right place at the right time. His cookbook is loaded with sprawling pictures, historical documents, and old keep-sakes intermingled with humorous and witty stories featuring real-life meetings with people like Salvidor Dali and Ernest Hemingway. Millais truly understands that food can be a direct tie to culture and to people. His book spans countless countries and has an outrageous anecdote for every dish, this cookbook is an ingenious look at the life and times of Hugh Millais and his notorious friends.

Oh No! Guests Are On Their Way, And You NEED Recipes NOW!

Carol — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:13:16 +0000

Ok, so you’ve waited til the last minute and decided to have guests over for an awesome Fourth of July BBQ. You sent the text messages, posted an announcement on your blog, emailed your home skillets and maybe even tweeted about. You have a bunch of confirmations, but no ideas on what to cook. Ack! Well, if that sounds like you, feel free to thank me at the end of this post for making your BBQ dreams come true. I have three TERRIFIC cookbooks to tell you about, and you don’t even need to wait for them to be shipped to your door. In fact, you can get them instantly through this mysterious network of tubes known as the INTERWEBS. Brilliant!

I must confess; I am the person at your BBQ who doesn’t eat meat. I know you are going to be nice to me until you realize you’ve invited a Veggie to “Rib fest 2008.” At that point you are going to run inside and begin panicking when you realize that even your baked beans have pork in them. But fear not! I say, embrace your vegetarian guests and enjoy delicious dishes with them!

Guide to Delicious: Masterminding this Vegan Cookout is the answer to your vegetarian BBQ woes. It has everything you will need to ensure that all your guests are satisfied and full. There are lots of great recipes, like vegan Apple Sage Sausages and Easy Spicy Tempeh Burgers. Even great drink recipes (mmmm Mint Juleps). This cookbook is chock full of great photos, too. These women make cooking actually look fun, which in my mind seems impossible. Gee, I wish these ladies were MY friends so they could invite me to THEIR cookouts!

Buy it now as a download for only $6 or if you want to wait two weeks, get the paperback for $16.

The next two cookbooks are omnivore approved! I asked my husband (affectionately referred to as Grillzilla) what he thought, and he LOVED these two books. Let me tell you why.

Officer of the Grill. The title alone demands respect, and that’s what you’ll get when you use this book at your BBQ. If you are uneasy about being behind the grill or if it is your first time hosting a cookout, then you need this book. This book is geared towards the amateur grillmaster in that it provides history, concrete common sense on how to grill, and insight into the mind of a true Grillmaster. Complete with amazingly unique recipes like Beer Butt Chicken, and many more for marinades, side dishes and drinks, your BBQ is sure to be the one that all future BBQs are judged against. This book has everything you need for your friends to deem you a Grilling Deity.

Get it instantly as a download for $12.50 or wait a week or two for your paperback to arrive ($17.00)

Uncle Lee’s Guide to Grilling is probably the meatiest grilling book I have ever laid my eyes on! It’s a whopping 500 pages, so if you don’t find something that will please everyone, kick that person out of your backyard cause nothin’ gonna make them happy. This book has over 500 hundred recipes (seriously) AND has tips and tricks on how to grill safely. Aside from that, if you are new to grilling have no fear, this book is perfect for all levels of grill mastery. Gas or charcoal? Briquettes or Weber Firestarters? When to marinade? What to do if a flare-up on the grill occurs? How to tell if a fish is still fresh? Even incredible recipes like Anchovy-Grilled Salmon Steaks and Grilled Tomato & Goat Cheese Rounds (and recipes for Vegetarians too)! All this and more are contained in this book.

Buy it now for $12.49 or get the Paperback for $23.85.

Ok, now you can thank me for saving your July Fourth cookout, and thank the authors, too, for sharing their recipes and techniques with the world. I wish you all a wonderful Independence Day!

Lulu On the Newsstand!

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:25:03 +0000

So you’re standing at the local newsstand or the periodicals section, you’ve got your Writer’s Magazine, Blender, a gossip mag and you’re on your way to check out… WAIT! Don’t skip over Every Day with Rachael Ray or you might miss out on her calling Lulu.com “The Real Deal”!

Featured in the May 2008 issue, your very own Lulu is highlighted as a way to publish a “Book of Love” for Mother’s Day. So thumb to the “Yum!” section and check us out.

Lulu Offers Sweet Surprises for Valentine's Day

admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:44:38 +0000

Hi, my name is Shannon. A recent Lulu addition, I’m serving as an intern in the area of Public Relations. Part of my job here at Lulu is to find some of the really interesting and unique creators on Lulu. As you can imagine, I spend a good bit of time perusing our site checking out the hottest new items on our marketplace.

With that in mind, I would like to pass along some of these finds to those of you still searching for that perfect gift for your special someone this Valentine’s Day. Lulu’s marketplace is a wealth of great gift possibilities that you can purchase or use as a model to get your creative juices flowing. For example, 50 Reasons Why You Should Marry Me and 51 Reasons Why I Should Marry You is a photo book created by Lulu user Cameron Kelly to propose to his girlfriend. Photo books, which are like scrapbooks minus the glue and the time-consuming process, are very quick and easy to make so that your gift doesn’t appear last minute.

Another way to surprise your sweetie this 14th is to compile a collection of your favorite recipes to cook together. Your personalized “couple’s cookbook” is sure to make your Valentine swoon. Seal the deal by cooking an entree or two from your new publication.

A final gift suggestion is to publish the story of how you and your significant other met. Use illustrations, clip art or photos to add special details such as what color they were wearing on the first date. This sweet gift can be a meaningful keepsake that will last much longer than any flowers or candy.

Still stumped? Take a look at Beyond the Roses and Chocolates: How to WOW Your Sweetheart on Valentine’s Day by Buffy Johannsen for more gift ideas.

Also, be sure to check out some of our other fun Valentine’s-themed goodies to get in (or out) of the holiday spirit this week!

Spread love while giving hope to others by purchasing Love Is What We Do, a compilation of poetry on love. All proceeds are donated to the American Red Cross.
Sarah Meadow’s I Shot the Cherub is a single woman’s survival guide for Valentine’s Day that offers craft ideas, delicious recipes and theme-party ideas to help non-attached females get through that often dreaded day of the year.

Feel free to post any other fun Valentine’s Day items you find on our site in the comments section.

Shannon