Debbie Moose leads a family cookbook workshop

You've got piles of old family recipes, you know you need to organize them and you'd love to put them together into a book for your friends or families. (And yes, I know you do -- most of you have asked me how do it.)

Here's an option for you. Raleigh cookbook author and food columnist Debbie Moose is leading a class on that very subject, "Cooking Up Family History," on April 14 at The Farm at Weathers Creek in Cleveland, N.C. (that's in Iredell County, Mecklenburg's neighbor to the north and about 35 miles from uptown Charlotte).

The workshop begins at 10 a.m. and ends around 3 p.m., it includes lunch and it costs $75. Moose plans to cover options for organizing your recipes, how to get recipes from family members, and how to write recipes in a way that's readable and useful to other cooks.

To get more details on the class, including requesting a registration form, go to the farm's web site, here.

In addition to her column in the Raleigh News & Observer and her books, including "Fan Fare" and "Deviled Eggs," Debbie blogs about food and cooking in her life at www.debbiemoose.com. And you can follow her on Twitter, @debbiemoose.

Confessions of a dangerous mind: Sean Brock's cookbook collection

If you know anything about Sean Brock, of McCrady's and Husk in Charleston, you know he's one of the most talented chefs working in the South these days. He's also got a demented way with discovering things that taste crazy-good, like fried chicken skin dipped in Tabasco and honey.

In a fascinating interview on Eater.com, Brock goes into depth about his obsession with cookbook collecting. Sure, he likes the modern, cutting-edge stuff - cheffy books like French Laundy and Eleven Madison Park and edgy Thai cookbooks. But what he really goes for are the very old Southern cookbooks, and books written long before he was born.

This is Brock on the Time-Life "Foods of the World" series: "Going back, looking at these books, people weren't afraid to cook then. You go to the Good Cook pork book and they're like deboning whole pigs and stuffing them and sewing them back up and cooking them and why are we scared to do that in books now? Because we want to sell books and we're afraid people aren't going to do that now. You look back on these books, though, and there's really complex stuff in there intended for home cooks. So I just love those books to death. Those are really inspiring and the photography is so cool in them."

Read about here. It's good thinking from a young man who is turning out seriously good food in a city not very far from our own. (One warning: Like a lot of young chefs, he doesn't always edit his language. C'est la vie.)

Photo: Husk.com.

10-Book List and a book giveaway

Chris Kimball, the quixotic editor of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, as well as way more than 10 cookbooks in his time, stuck out his bowtied neck this week and offered up his list of 10 books that have stood his test of time in the kitchen.

I've taken part in a few "best-cookbook" lists in my time and I know they are difficult. Honing it to 10 great books is particularly tough.

If you've read any of his magazines or seen his public TV show, you know that when Kimball mentions testing, it's the equivalent of Richard Petty listing which tires actually last. I've read and cooked from every book on this list, and I have to say there's not a clunker among them.

In honor of his No. 1 pick, the delightful "French Cooking in Ten Minutes" (a personal favorite), I'll give away a special book that's not on his list but has the makings of a classic. I've been hanging on to "French Feasts," by Stephane Reynaud, waiting for a chance to find it a home with someone who would appreciate it. It's an exhaustive collection of French cooking, mostly family-style, but it's also wonderfully quirky, with gorgeous pictures and touches like sheet music for old French songs. In the middle of winter, the pictures of simmering pots and braises will make you hope that winter lasts for months.

Here's Kimball's list. Post a comment with your own picks if you'd like. If you want to put your name in the cloche for "French Feasts," send an email with your contact information to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com.

Chris Kimball's Top 10 Cookbooks:

1. "French Cooking in Ten Minutes," by Edouard de Pomaine. "Written by a Frenchman of Polish extraction in 1930, it reflects de Pomaine's unique ability to make cooking appear simple enough that any oaf could walk into a kitchen and produce good results. His advice is as breezy and useful today as it was 80 years ago."

2. "The Breakfast Book," by Marion Cunningham. "Marion did for breakfast what Julia did for French cooking - she made it both interesting and approachable."

3. "Chez Panisse Vegetables," by Alice Waters. "This is a little gem of a book if you want to look at vegetable cookery in a whole new light."

4. "The Italian Country Table," by Lynne Rosetto Kasper. "This is the real deal: Italian farmhouse cooking with big flavors and a fresh point of view. . . . You'll never make a boring pesto again."

5. "The Union Square Cafe Cookbook," by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano. "I am not often a fan of restaurant cookbooks, since the recipes rarely work well at home. But Danny Meyer and Michael Romano have produced recipes that do work if one is willing to put in the time and effort."

6. "Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet," by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. "One of the most gorgeous travel/cookbooks ever published, with stunning photos and well-researched recipes from Southeast Asia."

7. "Bistro Cooking at Home," by Gordon Hamersly. "His cooking is both solid and eye-opening, seducing diners with quality and execution rather than flights of fancy."

8. "Epitaph for a Peach," by David Masumoto. "If you want to understand the life of a farmer, this is the book to read."

9. "American Cookery," by James Beard. "If I want a good starting point for any recipe in the American repertoire, I always turn to Beard and American Cookery."

10. "The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook," by Jack Bishop. "The recipes work, they are straightforward, and they use the big earthy flavors of Italy to transform what are too often lackluster vegetable preparations."

Monday Giveaway: See the 'Light'

Ready for another cookbook giveaway? This time, we're offering "Cooking Light Way to Cook: The Complete Visual Guide to Everyday Cooking."

This one is filled with step-by-step photos, plenty of tips and useful stuff. Like most Cooking Light productions, the recipes are sort of healthy and sort of indulgent. Clocking in at almost 500 pages, this would be a great guide for an eager beginner or intermediate cook.

Enter your name in the comments here. Remember, if you're signed in as Anonymous, make sure you include a name we can recognize you by. Deadline is 9 a.m. Wednesday. We'll announce the winner Wednesday afternoon, so make sure you check back here.

Cookbook giveaway: Did you win?

You did if your name is Cheri, and you sent the message "Put my name in the (stock) pot." Cheri was drawn at random to get the copy of Sur La Table's new book "Tips Cooks Love."

Cheri, send your mailing address to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com, and I'll put the book in the mail.

Don't forget to check back next Monday, when we'll do another Monday Giveaway.

Monday Giveaway: "Tips Cooks Love"

Sur La Table branched out into publishing its own books a couple of years ago with 'Things Cooks Love." The latest installment is a small but handy collection of cooking tips and recipes compiled by Rick Rodgers.

Here's a taste, from the Meat chapter: "There's no need to add oil to the skillet when panfrying steaks or chops. Trim a piece of fat from the perimeter of the meat. As the skillet is heating, grasp the fat with tongs and rub it over the inside of the skillet, creating a thin coating of fat. That will be just enough to keep the meat from sticking."

(And here's an added tip, from me: When you're searing steaks, chops, chicken breast or fish and you want to know whether it has finished browning, nudge it with a pair of tongs or whatever tool you're using. Meat that hasn't finished browning will cling to the pan. Browned meat will "let go," so you'll know it's time to turn it.)

Now, here's something else from me: This week's cookbook giveaway. I've got a copy of "Tips Cooks Love." Add your name here in the comments and we'll announce the winner on Wednesday. If you sign in as Anonymous, remember to give me a name so I can identify you.

Speaking of identifying winners, I'm still waiting to here from Scott Sitton, who won "Simple Fresh Southern," by Matt and Ted Lee, and Michelle in Rock Hill, who won "The Golden Book of Baking." Scott and Michelle, send your mailing addresses to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com. My desk needs cleaning off.

Thursday night supper club

If your refrigerator is starting to get empty and the week is wearing you out, you could use a simple meal from stuff you probably have on hand.

I'm not a fan of Rachael Ray's too-cute lingo -- all that "yummo" leaves me yawn-o -- but her recipes are simple with solid flavors. I found this one in her newest book, "Rachael Ray's Book of 10" (Clarkson Potter, $20) and liked it because it's so adaptable. You could change the pasta, swap Canadian bacon for almost anything (bacon, proscuitto, slices of chicken sausage) or skip the meat all together, and trade out the Parmesan for any grated white cheese, such as part-skim mozzerella. Even the flat-leaf parsley is skippable.

Walnuts, Ham and Cheese
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 slices Canadian bacon or breakfast ham, cut into thin strips
2 large cloves garlic,. chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a little salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick. Set aside 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the walnuts and toast them for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the olive oil and the Canadian bacon, cooked 3 to 5 minutes or until it just starts to brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook until reduced by half. Add the drained pasta, toasted walnuts, lemon juice and parsley, tossing to coat the noodles with all the ingredients. Cook a couple of minutes, until the pasta has soaked up almost all the liquid.

Remove from heat, add the butter and grated cheese and toss until the butter is melted. Serve with extra grated cheese on the side.

"Lee Brothers" book giveaway: We have a winner

Congratulations to Scott Sitton, who wins a copy of "Simple, Fresh, Southern" by Matt and Tedd Lee. Scott, send your mailing address to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com (don't post it here, for all the Web to see) and I'll put the book in the mail for you.

I'm still waiting to hear from mpierce, Michelle in Rock Hill, who was the winner of "The Golden Book of Baking." Michelle, same drill: send your mailing address to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com and I'll send you the book.

Thanks for playing, and for all the enthusiastic entries. In case you're wondering how we pick winners, I number the entries as they come in, then use the Web site www.random.org to generate the winning number.

Check back on Monday, when we'll give away a small book packed with tons of information that would make a great Christmas gift for a cook.

Monday Giveaway: It's the Lees, Peanut

Ever since Matt and Ted Lee stitched up a brown paper catalog on an old sewing machine and went into business selling mail-order boiled peanuts, they've been attracting attention. These days, they divide their time between Charleston and New York, while they write books that combine simple techniques with classic Southern ingredients.

They're still attracting attention, and they'll have plenty of chances in Charlotte this fall. They're making three stops here with their new book, "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern," a collection of recipes such as Shrimp Pate and Sweet Potato and Okra Fritters.

Their schedule here:

Noon to 2 p.m. Friday, they'll do a cooking demonstration and sign books at Williams-Sonoma, 6401 Morrison Blvd.

3 p.m. Nov. 22, they'll sign books at a fundraiser at Park Road Books at Park Road Shopping Center. Proceeds will go to the Women's National Book Association and First Book, which gets new books to kids who need them. The store also will serve samples of the Lee Brothers' recipes.

7 p.m. Dec. 10, the brothers will speak about their food writing careers at Friends of the Library at Queens University, in Sykes Auditorium, 1900 Selwyn Ave. (I've heard them speak several times, so I'm sure this will be fun. Picture a cross between Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Ira Glass.) Reservations are required, and Park Road Books will sell books there, too. Call 704-607-6548.

OK, now you know whens and wheres, here's your chance at the what: I have a copy of the new book to give away. Post your name here in the comments (if you sign in as anonymous, give me a name you'll recognize if I pick your entry at random.) Deadline is 9 a.m. Thursday. We'll announce the winner later that day, so don't forget to check back.

Cook Giveaway: We have a winner

Mpierce -- Michelle of Rock Hill -- you're the winner of "The Golden Book of Baking." Contact me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com with your mailing address and I'll send you the book.

And thanks to all of you for playing. Check back on Monday, when we'll have a new book up for grabs.

Giveaway winner: Bonnie Blanton, come on down

Bonnie Blanton is the winner of a copy of the cookbook "Momofuku," by David Chang. Bonnie, if you'll send your address to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com (don't post it here where the whole world will see it), I'll mail you your book. After I sneak over to the copier and swipe a copy of his recipe for his red-eye "gravy" made with srirachi. It's wicked good.

And for the rest of you, thanks for playing and come back next Monday, when we'll have a book that will make the bakers happy.

Cooking the books

It must be fall. The new cookbooks are burying my desk thicker than fallen pin-oak leaves. I can't read them all, but here are a few that are worth getting excited about:

"The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion," by the late Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst (Barron's, $29.99). Herbst's indispensable little paperback, "The Food Lover's Companion," has finally gotten the star treatment. Gilded page edges, hardcover, a ribbon for marking pages. Sharon is gone, but her book is getting new life. Hurrah for that.

"The Visual Food Lover's Guide" (Wiley, $16.95). In the spirit of "The Food Lover's Companion," this is a small-but-beefy guide with pictures and drawings of pretty much everything. Want to know if what you've got is a winter melon or a bitter melon? Page 48.

"Sweet Carolina: Favorite Desserts and Candies from The Old North State," by Foy Allen Adelman (UNC Press, $25). Edelman visited N.C. families in their kitchens to gather these 200 recipes, covering black walnut pound cake to butter mints. Give it for Christmas presents or better yet - use it to make Christmas presents.