Another Cookbooker Challenge!

Cookbooker.com has started another cookbook challenge!  The last one I did was back in September of 2011.  That challenge was to cook our way through the Barefoot Contessa's first cookbook.  I made quite a few dishes out of that book and even won a new Barefoot Contessa cookbook during the challenge!

So I'm up for the next one.  Summer has turned to fall and what's available at the farmer's market and grocery store is changing so what a great time to try out some new recipes.

This year's challenge is to cook from from the books (and NY Times website) of author Martha Rose Shulman.  I'll admit I've never heard of her before but according to the website she specializes in cooking for both health and flavor.  How bad can that be?  She also uses a lot of Mediterranean and Mexican spices which sound perfect for the fall season!

When I heard about the challenge I ordered the cookbook (love Amazon Prime!) and spent some time last night flipping through it.  My goal is going to be at least one recipe a week until the challenge is over on November 1.  I'm already behind other cooks as this challenge started on August 1.  Where was I?  Oh yea... new job...

I've picked out three to start with and weekend errands and other duties permitting I think I'm going to start with these three:

For a Saturday or Sunday afternoon appetizer or football game snack I'm going to make Tunisian Winter Squash Puree.  The squash is mixed with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, caraway, coriander, and cayenne!  This is served over with olives with lettuce leaves or warm flatbread for scooping or dipping.  Hmmm... maybe homemade flatbread is in the plan too?

There are still tons of tomatoes at Farmer's Market so the Baked Halibut with Tomato Caper Sauce also made the top of my "to try" list!  The recipe states that there will be two and a half cups more sauce than is needed for serving with the fish so I'll have left over to go over some of that homemade pasta I made a week or so ago!

Finally to get me going I'm going to make a side dish of Spicy South Indian Cauliflower!  The spice mix in this sounds delicious, ginger, toasted cumin, serrano chiles, toasted coriander, turmeric and cayenne!  It also calls for cilantro but I might just forget that ingredient.  Fresh tomatoes are roasted with the cauliflower so this is going to be a very pretty dish.

Well watch this space and see how I do!  If you've heard of Martha Rose Shulman and have a favorite recipe I'd love to hear about it!