Sunday, February 17, 2013

Sunday Salon: The Alphabet And Chocolate


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Valentine’s Day has already come and gone but February is still the month of love.

Today’s Sunday Salon is the perfect time to share two things we can’t help but love - kids and chocolate. 

Today as we relax and discuss this week’s book selections, I have two books from unrelated genres to share. The first is a children’s book and the second is a cookbook devoted to luscious chocolate. So make way to that comfortable chair, make sure you have a full cup (or glass) of your favorite beverage, settle back, and let us talk books.


9781460200476_p0_v1_s260x420Teaching youngsters the alphabet should be a fun experience for them and you as well.

Author Linda Ann Jones assists in that task with her book, Meet The Capital Letters, the first installment in her Alphabet Anatomy series.

Bringing the letters to life are the charming illustrations by Branson Jones, teenage son of the author. Youngsters will delight in the quirky drawings. They will be laughing their way through the alphabet as they learn.

The author has used rhyming verses with each illustration to help youngsters better recognize the letter. In addition, youngsters are aided in how to write each letter through its anatomy. An example: ‘F, fit and fine, both arms straight to the right,….’

Meet The Capital Letters is a fun way to teach youngsters letter identification. It will also prove to be an entertaining way to encourage youngsters to learn writing without it seeming like a chore.

This will be a useful addition to a youngster’s library and prepare them for the next installment, Meet The Lower Case Letters.

Alphabet Anatomy: Meet The Capital Letters by Linda Ann Jones, Illustrated by Branson Jones, Friesen Press, @2012, ISBN: 978-1460200476, Paperback, 32 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of a promotion and it was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 

Who can resist tempting decadent chocolate recipes?

Fine Cooking Chocolate contains 150 recipes of mouth-watering treats9781600859588_p0_v1_s600 to satisfy any chocolate lover’s desires. The cookbook is sectioned into six categories: cookies, brownies & bars; cakes, breads & more; pies & tarts; puddings, mousses & more; ice creams & frozen treats; and fudge truffles & more. There is also a metric equivalent chart, an index, and a list of contributors to the book.

To add to the tempting recipes, there are some 175 beautiful, full color photographs. Many show the end result of the recipes, while others depict step-by-step techniques.

The recipes have been triple-tested by the Fine Cooking test kitchen staff. Additional bits of advice and tips are included throughout the book for extra assistance.

Whether you’re a pro in the kitchen or just beginning, Fine Cooking Chocolate has recipes to suit your needs. A quick favorite of mine is for ‘Coffee-Cocoa Snack Cake.’ It only uses 10 ingredients and can be prepared with little difficulty.

The recipes are easy to follow with detailed instructions. The only drawback I found with this delightful cookbook was the binding. It doesn’t lie flat for easy access when cooking. However, over time the binding will probably become more relaxed for easier use.

Fine Cooking Chocolate is a ‘must have’ cookbook for the chocolate lover’s kitchen. Be warned, it will be difficult to choose which recipe to begin with.

Fine Cooking Chocolate: 150 Delicious and Decadent Recipes by Editors of Fine Cooking, Taunton Press, @2013, ISBN: 978-1600859588, Paperback, 240 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 
Thanks so much for visiting here today. Do you have a favorite book you’ve discovered this week you’d like to share?

2 comments:

  1. I'd love to read these two books and have that cup of coffee too! Happy Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mason - What a great idea for pairing books that don't seem to have much in common. I'm a fan of anyone who gets children interested in books, and as for chocolate? It's a major food group as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for sharing these.

    ReplyDelete

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