Date: Fri 22-Dec-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Illustration: C

Location: A-15

Quick Words:

Kingsley-cookbook-kitchen

Full Text:

(feature on Kathy Kingsley/Woman's Day Cookbook, 12/22/95)

Kathy Farrell-Kingsley Writes The Woman's Day Cookbook

(with photo, book cover, recipes)

By Kaaren Valenta

Kathy Farrell-Kingsley is a time-strapped modern American woman.

The mother of Emma, 2«, and two-month old Caroline, she operates her own

business, Food Media Services, from her home on Maltbie Road in Newtown, and,

in her spare time, writes cookbooks.

Her most recent book, The Woman's Day Cookbook , was written for Woman's Day ,

the No 1-selling single-copy woman's magazine in the United States, and was

published by Viking in October ($24.95/hardcover).

Subtitled "Great Recipes, Bright Ideas and Healthy Choices for Today's Cook,"

the big (720-page) book is a comprehensive kitchen handbook with an innovative

format designed to help the reader make fewer trips to the grocery store, eat

on a budget, prepare meals that are nutritious and taste good, and still have

time and energy for interests outside the kitchen.

It was Kathy's job to take the best concepts and recipes from the magazine,

along with recipes that have been rigorously tested in the Woman's Day

kitchen, and produce a book that would reflect how today's busy woman really

cooks.

"The magazine's theory - and I agree with it - is that during the week, women

want recipes that are good, nutritious and can be put on the table in as

little time as possible," Kathy said. "On weekends, they are willing to invest

more time in cooking."

Because of this, the book has a chapter on "Investment Cooking," in which, by

spending three to four hours in the kitchen, you can produce 44 to 56 servings

of six to seven different kinds of dishes to put into the freezer as well as

serve for dinner that night.

"This is a section that is run once a year in the magazine and is very well

received," Kathy said.

There is also a chapter entitled "Cook Once, Eat Twice" which provides one or

two additional quick recipes that can be prepared during the week using an

entree such as grilled London broil, roast pork loin or poached fish. For

example, oven-braise two lamb shanks, combining the first with white beans for

a hearty stew, then using the other the following week for a Greek Lamb and

Pasta Pie.

The book is divided into 18 chapters ranging from "Turkey and Chicken" and

"Pizzas and Breads" to "Desserts." Each recipe has bullets on top identifying

it as fitting into several categories: Easy, 30-minute, 60-minute, microwave,

low-fat, make-ahead, one-pot, classic and entertaining. There's also an index

at the beginning of each chapter identifying the recipes that fit into those

categories.

"If a recipe fits into the make-ahead category, it will always be accompanied

by a tip and information on how to store it," Kathy said.

A long-time food editor and author of several books including Chocolate Cakes

(Hyperion/1993), Kathy Farrell-Kingsley was the founder of the Great Cakes

Bakery in Westport and wrote feature articles for The Newtown Bee in the late

1980s. She has already started work on a follow-up, the Woman's Day Dessert

Cookbook, a book she envisions to be about half the size of the one she just

completed.

Both books are a collaborative effort with Jane Chestnut, the editor-in-chief

of Woman's Day , and Elizabeth Alston, the magazine's food editor. Long a

household name, Woman's Day has been a part of American lives for more than

half a century, dating back to 1931 when the A&P supermarket began printing a

menu guide to help shoppers. Just six years later, this cash register-giveaway

grew into a national magazine called Woman's Day . By 1950 its distribution

had expanded beyond A&P stores to virtually every supermarket and drugstore

chain in the United States.

"We only went back through the magazine about four years to get recipes for

the cookbook and most of these we still had to update to reduce the fat

content," Kathy Farrell-Kingsley said. "The book is really conscious of health

and good nutrition. It's amazing how much everything has changed in the past

four years.

The more than 700 recipes in the book have been rigorously tested in the

Woman's Day kitchens. The authors also used a bevy of recipe developers

including another Newtown resident, Susan Nierendorf, and other members of the

Connecticut Women's Culinary Alliance, to develop additional recipes as

needed.

The recipes include nutritional information and calorie counts, food-buying

tips, low-fat substitutions and money-saving ideas. Following the magazine's

original concept, the book also offers an answer to the dilemma of what to

cook for dinner: a year's worth of menus that include an easy recipe or tip

for each night. And "Celebrations," the chapter on holiday cooking, includes a

"count-down" timetable for shopping and preparing.

The book includes a wealth of information on food trivia, current scientific

studies and supermarket savvy. What are conchiglie, farfalle and pappardelle?

How are blue-veined cheeses made? What should you do to rescue over-salted

soups? How do you know if an egg is fresh?

Likewise, witty food-related sidebars like "carve me tender," "browning

points," "the lentil low-down," "an egg of any color," and "utterly Bulgar,"

are both entertaining and informative.

Complete with 80-full color photographs, guides to herbs and spices, cooking

terms, coffee, tea and wine, and extensive conversion charts, the book

promises to become a staple in kitchens across America.

The Woman's Day Cookbook is available at bookstores or by calling toll-free

800-879-4700 and ask for Dept F1175.

Following are some recipes for a Christmas buffet for 12 or 24.

Ham With

Apple-Mustard Glaze

« cup (6 oz) apple jelly

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs bourbon (optional)

1« tsp lemon juice

Ô tsp ground cloves

1 (7-9 lb) shank-portion spiral-cut ham

Fresh pineapple wedges for garnish (optional)

Make the glaze: Melt the jelly in a small saucepan or in microwave. Remove the

pan from the heat. Whisk in the mustard, bourbon, lemon juice and cloves until

well blended. Cool to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Stand the ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan (this seals in moisture and

keeps slices from separating during heating). Bake for about 1 hour (8 minutes

per pound). Remove the ham from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 450

degrees F. Brush the ham with the glaze and return to the oven for 5 to 7

minutes more, or until glazed. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10

minutes before serving.

To serve, place the ham on its side on a serving platter. Gently fan the

slices out from the bone. Surround with pineapple wedges.

Serves 12, with leftovers. For 24, buy a 14-18 pound whole ham, double the

glaze recipe and increase the baking time by 8 minutes per pound.

Per serving: 163 calories, 18 gram protein, 11 grams carbohydrate, 45 mg

cholesterol, 1,058 mg sodium.

Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

3« lbs baking potatoes, peeled and sliced Ô-inch thick (10 cups)

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

« cup sliced scallions

1 tsp salt

« tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish.

Layer half the potatoes over the bottom of the prepared dish. Sprinkle with

half the cheese, half the scallions, half the salt and pepper. Cover with the

remaining potatoes.

Put the flour in a small bowl. Whisk in the milk until blended. Pour the

mixture evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese,

scallions, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hr 10 minutes or until the potatoes are very

tender and the top layer is lightly browned.

Makes 12 servings. For 24 servings, double the recipe and bake in two dishes.

Per serving: 155 calories, 6 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams

fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 278 mg sodium.

Marinated Sesame Vegetables

This is one of the easiest and prettiest ways to serve vegetables for a party.

The sesame dressing gives them an Asian essence.

1« bunches (about 1‹ lbs) broccoli, cut into florets and stems cut into

bite-size pieces

8 lg carrots, cut diagonally into thin slices

Sesame Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil

« cup red wine vinegar

cup Dijon mustard

¬ cup dark Asian sesame oil

1« Tbs minced fresh garlic

1« tsp salt

‹ tsp granulated sugar

‹ tsp ground black pepper

2 med (1 lb) summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin

slices (4« cups)

2 med (1 lb) red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and boil for 5 to 6

minutes, or until crisp-tender. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and plunge into

cold water. Drain very well. Repeat the procedure in the same boiling water

with the carrots, cooking them for 7 to 8 minutes.

Make the dressing: In a large serving bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar,

mustard, sesame oil, garlic, salt, sugar and pepper until well blended.

Add the vegetables, except the broccoli, and toss to mix and coat well. Cover

and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring every few hours.

Just before serving, stir in the broccoli.

Serves 12. For 24 servings, double the recipe. Per serving: 269 calories, 3

grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrate, 23 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 469 mg

sodium.

English Trifle

A decadent combination of custard, sponge cake, fruit and sherry, all topped

with whipped cream, makes a traditional and dreamy finish to the buffet.

Custard

« cup sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch

¬ tsp salt

1 lg egg, lightly beaten

2 cups milk

1« tsp pure vanilla extract

1 small sponge cake layer, angel food cake or poundcake (about 11 oz), cut

into «-inch slices

« cup cream sherry wine, or orange juice

1 pint fresh raspberries, or 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen raspberries in syrup

3 cups lightly sweetened whipped cream

Make the custard: In a medium-size saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and

salt. Stir in the egg, then slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over

medium heat, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove the

pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool to warm.

To assemble the trifle, line the bottom and sides of a 2-qt clear-glass trifle

dish or bowl with half the cake slices. Sprinkle with ¬ cup of the sherry and

half the raspberries if using fresh, all if using frozen. Pour the warm

custard over the berries. Top with the remaining cake. Sprinkle with the

remaining sherry. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

To serve, top with the whipped cream and sprinkle with the remaining fresh

berries.

Serves 12. For 24 servings, double the recipe and serve in two dishes. Per

serving with sponge cake: 256 calories with fresh raspberries, 270 with

frozen, 4 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrate with fresh berries, 37 with

frozen; 12 grams fat, 83 mg cholestrol, 145 mg sodium.