Monday, December 18, 2006

Bon CAL Cookbook

I think I'm going to try the "Rocks" today. Those are actually oatmeal cookies with lots of brown sugar and a generous amount of cinnamon. The explanation below the recipe says, "These 'Rocks' were made during WWI and shipped to the troops overseas. They have a marvelous keeping ability and are excellent for dunking."

The Rocks recipe is found on page 328 in the recently released recipe book Savoring Sandpoint: Recipes across the Long Bridge. From the looks of this book, coordinated by the Community Assistance League aka CAL, I'd guess they may be selling like hotcakes. And, speaking of which, there is a good recipe on page 66 for German Apple Oven Pancakes for breakfast or dinner guaranteed to be a hit with kids.

I purchased a CAL cookbook at Friday's museum open house for a friend. I'm turning the pages ever so gently and thinking I'd better get a copy of my own. This is not only a cookbook, but it's a visual treat taking its owners on a trip around this place we call God's country with its full color scenics and transporting folks down memory lane with its array of historical photos.

I was excited as I thumbed backwards through the pages to find an exquisite photo of Ardis Racicot at the very beginning----circa 1900s. My dad rented a room from Ardis and her husband Fats for a number of years before he married my mother. So, I knew Ardis when she was well past 50. She was an elegantly pretty lady right up to the end of her 101 years.

In this cookbook portrait, she could give any Miss America a run for her money. My mother attended Ardis' 100th birthday. We joked that the two of them sat there talking to each other, probably not hearing a word the other said. Both had long lost most of their hearing, but they probably knew that at least every tenth word had something to do with a horse, so they always had plenty to talk about.

The Community Assistance ladies and their troop of helpers have outdone themselves with this book. It's tastefully done----which should be a staple in a cookbook. It's reader friendly with its extending tabs for appetizers, breads and breakfast, soups, salads, etc. There's even a tab for recipes from local restaurants.

How about that wonderful pecan chicken salad with goat cheese, pickled red onions and apple cider vinaigrette from Cafe Trinity? I'll testify to that one (cut the goat cheese and red onions for my sensitive tummy). I order it every time I go to Trinity---right Rose Marie? We've got to set that lunch date.

Or, there's Sugo Contadina from Ivano's Ristorante and Cafe. Hill's Resort staffers shared their Huckleberry Daiquiri secret, while if you're in to Wild Mushroom Cannelloni with three cheese sauce, Hope's Floating Restaurant has supplied the information.

I think the recipe book is definitely a keeper, as is CAL. This group of nearly 200 go-getters gets things done in Sandpoint. They even recently established a store in Ponderay where they sell high-quality second hand items---clothes, dishes, appliances, knicknacks, etc. That's where they're selling the cookbook too.

When folks buy Savoring Sandpoint, they're indirectly supporting a myriad of projects for a myriad of groups and individuals in our area----college scholarships, special educational projects, donations to civic needs such as Hospice, youth centers, fire departments, etc. The list is really endless, as is the community enthusiasm within CAL. I've seen 'em in action, so I can vouch for that.

Enough talk about CAL; let's talk CALories. There's plenty of caloric delights available in this cookbook, such as Greek Style Spinach Turnovers, Chicken Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo or Chocolate Peanut Ice Cream Dessert among the nearly 400 pages of photos and recipes. Twenty-five dollars will get you this collection, and your twenty-five dollars will help keep good things happening in Sandpoint.

So, give it a try: Community Assistance League
P.O. Box 1361
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

In the meantime, I'm off to bake my Rocks.

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