Casserole queens
Embrace your inner kitsch with coaching from Texans Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock. Their paperback, "The Casserole Queens Cookbook" (Clarkson Potter, 208 pages, $17.99), is a throwback to another era but with a modern twist.
It celebrates one-dish recipes such as Chicken Tetrazzini, Tuna Noodle Casserole and, of course, Mac and Cheese, which may evoke the 1950s. But who can resist a recipe dubbed Boo-yah Bouillabaisse? Or Corn Dog Casserole and Smokin' Strata.
And yes, the Chicken Divan calls for cream of mushroom soup, but the pair offers a DIY version. Red Snapper Veracruz, another mid-20th century classic, is served over fluffy quinoa.
The emphasis here is on comfort foods -- from brunch fare to potluck-ready entrees and desserts -- but just as helpful are tips for choosing pans, doubling recipes and freezing casseroles.
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The book is available at amazon.com.
Michelle B Collection
As Home Shopping Network fan have learned recently, acclaimed Miami chef Michelle Bernstein has launched her own Fagor product line. The Michelle B Collection includes cookware in red, blue or lemon-lime enameled cast iron and cast iron "lite" (50 percent less weight). Suggested retail for a 12-inch lite chef's pan with glass top is $69.99. There's cutlery, too; a four-piece paring-knife set in the same colors is $14.99.
Look for them at Macy's stores and online at Macy's, Amazon and HSN.
Ghostly recipes
If you have ever wished with regret that Grandma had not taken the recipe for her special sweet rolls to the grave with her, you will appreciate Mary Ann Winkowski's new book.
Winkowski's name may not be familiar to you, but you'll probably recognize her television alter ego, "The Ghost Whisperer." The series was loosely based on Winkowski's work as a real-life ghostbuster.
Over the years, she has amassed a box of recipes from the dearly departed and along with David Powers has compiled them in "Beyond Delicious: The Ghost Whisperer's Cookbook" ($17.95 softcover, Clerisy Press).
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Now, before you get any ideas, no, Winkowski cannot conjure up your late Aunt Mae to get her secret cookie recipe. She's not a medium who can contact spirits who have passed over. But she says she is able to see and communicate with spirits who are still on Earth.
Whether you believe in Winkowski's ability or are a confirmed skeptic, there's plenty of good eating to be found in the book and fun reading as well.
