WOW....a popover pan!!! Boy, do I need one of those and it's another thing on my List!! Actually, it's been on my list for over 2 years now!

The older bar books are the best! We have several from the 60s and 70s and I prefer them over the newer publications.

I love ramekins, any color, size or style! Can't have enough!

Love the selection Nina...you did a great job!

Michelle

Your popovers look spectacular! I love that you used the pan right away.

I'm so glad that everything arrived safely. You got the Fiesta colors right- cobalt, evergreen & scarlet. See, you're a natural! I like the ramekins because they're also good for prep bowls- plus they came in a set so I wasn't breaking the 3 item rule. But since I love Fiesta I wanted to send you some in colors that would work with your gorgeous kitchen (but that you could safely hide in the back of your cupboard if it wasn't your thing). Fiesta is oven & micro safe and it cleans up easily so you can bake in those ramekins without fear.

I had always turned my nose up at popover pans. I figured that I had a muffin pan and that was enough...until someone on the forum (I think it was Ann T) posted a pic of her popovers in their popover pan. There is no comparison to how nicely they come out & how delightfully high they rise when using a popover pan. Plus, they're easy!

The book- I know that you said you're not a big drinker but when you have the time to really look through it I think you'll find it useful. At least I hope so! This book is in almost constant use at our house and not (just) because we enjoy the occasional cocktail.

When my son was born my husband had a side job as an indexer and his first assignment was the index for this book. As he was making the index he kept copying down recipes until he had nearly the entire book written down. We decided that it would make more sense just to buy it once it was published.

The book was written by Nick Mautone, owner of the Grammercy Tavern in NY. The book has some nice appetizer recipes as well as drink recipes but the true treasures are Nick's recipes for off the shelf basics like sour mix, grenadine & maraschino cherries. The homemade version bears no resemblence to the storebought and turns a drink like a rum collins into something refreshing and tart rather than cloyingly sweet. We end up making the cherries every month or so because they're divine over ice cream or cake. My son eats them on their own and loves the "cherry juice" (basically sweetened red grape juice). But be warned, if you start making these things you can never go back to store bought. You'll be spoiled.

Some of Nick's drinks also call for esoteric liquers which is both good and bad. Good in that you can be introduced to new flavors or maybe just the "right" sherry. Bad for the same reason. Thanks to the book I discovered that a splash of Licor 43 (is has a vanilla and carmel flavor) can elevate the taste of everything from iced coffee to apple pie. Licor 43 is also around 30 bucks a bottle and tastes good over ice as well. Needless to say it doesn't get used just for baking.

I was very nervous about this since it was my first swap and really apprehensive when I saw the spectacular packages that were arriving. Eventually I just bit the bullet & sent mine out. These are truly some of my kitchen favorites and I hope that you enjoy them!

Nina

Hmmmmmm...Nick Mautone's book is available at Amazon, I might have to pick one up for Christmas.

Michelle

Those popovers look amazing! Great swap box, Nina.
Enjoy your gifts, Cloudswift!

wow, love that you put the pan to the test immediatly!! That bar book look really intersting, maybe Dave will get one for Christmas.

Great job Nina!

Very Nice stuff! Those popovers look amazing!

Those popovers are mouthwatering! I love the colour of the ramekins! And who couldn't love a book on creating bar drinks! Nice stuff!

Catherine

Those popovers are majorly impressive! Even more so becuase you've never made them before. I am definately going to have to get a popover pan now. Beatiful colours for the ramekins, and they can be used for a bazillion different things! Love that book, but love even more Sigh's descriptions. Makes you want to go out and buy it on the spot. Really great swap, hope you enjoy everything!

Shelley

oh nina, what a wonderful job you did. how amazing is it that one of the items was used so quickly after it's arrival? and the book, with its history is just wonderful.

cloud swift - i can see that you certainly enjoy the items that you received and will continue to use them for years to come. i too am a ramekin freak - all shapes, all sizes, all colors. one whole kitchen cabinet devoted to them. one day i'll take a picture so everyone knows just how O/C i am! LOL

nina, excellent job!

maryanne

Great gifts Nina! I've never made popovers and I can almost smell those. I love the colored ramekins.

Beverly

OH! The popovers look FANTASTIC!!! YUMMMMM! and I love "raising the bar" I'm going to have to look for it for DH! and what a great way to share fiesta-ware with someone who might not have any... I LOVE the ramekins...

A very good first swap, Sigh!!

Niiiiice! I'm very impressed with the clean clean clean oven ;-) Enjoy

Nina, This is a great package! I can tell that you studied up on your partner.

Oh boy, I LOVE popovers, RobinKate sent me a recipe for them along with her tomato marmalade. Yours look perfect.

I also like ramekins and small sized bowls, just right for a snack or a bit of something, and those are great colors.

The bar book is interesting. Could you post the recipe for maraschino cherries? Now THAT would be something not everyone makes....

Great swap package!

Annie

Beautiful! I love the Fiestaware. I have some, and I love the colors! Great favorites, Nina! I think you sent a spectacular swap box, nice going! and Cloud Swift already made the popovers that looks fantastic, I may have to get a pan, too! YUM! Enjoy your gifts!

Holy moly, Cloudswift! That is your VERY FIRST batch of popovers??? I gotta get me one of them popover pans!
Beau-ti-ful!

I love Fiestaware, and thos rami's are gorgeous! Yep, I wanna see some of the recipes from that book, too! Great job, Nina!

Linda

Nina, lovely swap package, you obviously did your homework:-) I have been admiring the ramekins that everyone seems to have these days, and I think it's time to break down and get some good ones. All I have are the clear Pyrex. The Fiestaware ones are beautiful. I like the Bar book, it will be indispensable for entertaining, and will make some interesting reading as well. Luscious looking popovers, Cloudswift! How long did it take for those to get eaten???

All in all, great job Nina, you're now a swap pro! Enjoy it all Cloud!
DONNA

I have one of those popover pans, you have motivated me to finally use it. Thanks for putting your gift into action and sharing.

Cathy

The popovers look wonderful. I think I may have to make some tomorrow instead of the biscuits I was planning. Love the ramekins. But I REALLY want the recipes for the homemade maraschino cherries! And it's really cool that your husband worked on the book.

I have often been frustrated by the indexes in some of my cookbooks. I think it's probably an art form. Does your husband still do it?

What a great swap box. Pat, I love how you put your new popover pan to quick use. And such perfect popovers too. And I love the colours of your new ramekins.

Well done Nina.

Ann

Those popovers look wonderful. You can use the colorful ramekins for the molten lava cakes...and mix up a drink while they are baking!
Nice job, Nina and it looks like you are already enjoying everything, Pat.

Love the popover pan, I have never seen one. And the popovers themselves look great too! I use ramekins for all kinds of things. They are very handy to have. And everyone can use an up to date drink book. Nice haul! LOL
Clare

Well, I am definitely impressed with the popovers. My first ones did not look that perfect. Great choices, Sigh!
Teresa

Riverrat, funny thing about the clean oven - I usually only clean the oven a couple of times a year. Its self-cleaning so its not much trouble but I still don't get around to it very often and really try to avoid it in the summer. We have a gas grill outside that is usually used instead of broiling. Last weekend I was making baby food for my granddaughter and the yams being roasted dripped on the oven floor so I decided to run self-clean - just in time for pictures. There is a bit of corn meal on the oven floor from the sour dough bread I baked before the popovers.

Thanks for all the compliments on the popovers. I've made souffles before and I've been making sponge cakes for nearly 40 years so the popover recipe was no problem. Yesterday I was out of town for the day on business and my son made a batch with a Joy of cooking recipe. That used less butter and a higher baking time so they came out more crusty. Joy of Cooking said to prick the sides with a knife to let the steam out. They stayed puffed up as they cooled probably partly due to the pricking but maybe also because of being crusty. Nina's recipe is very tender. Both styles are yummy.

I'm going to try adding some flavoring ingredients next - maybe some herbs and a bit of cheese for savory ones or some sweet spices.

Marigene - yup, MLCs will have to be made soon now that I have ramekins.

Nina, I've been browsing the Fiestaware now that I see how well it goes with my dishes.

WOW SWAP SISTER, I LOVE THE POPOVER PAN!!! I must find one of those. I really need that pan, and I need the recipe too!!! Hint Hint!!! You did a great job putting that package together. I think Cloudswift will enjoy your package for years to come. Way to go Nina !!! Diana55

Great swap box, Nina. Your popovers look really, really good Pat. The fiesta ware looks great with your gorgeous countertop.

Brenda

You know, it just dawned on me yesterday that Pat's popovers look far and away nicer than the ones pictured on the popover pan box. And I never thought to check Joy for a popover recipe...guess what I'll be making this weekend?
I agree about the clean oven too, btw.

If you've been bitten by the Fiesta bug (I feel like a drug pusher!) many stores like Macy's, Kohls, Boscovs & Dillards carry it so that you can see the colors in real life. I'm thinking that Peacock might be perfect with your dishes.

Granjan- my husband did about three books and then the firm stopped calling him. I know that the freelance work was slowing down but it's been a few years. I know that he enjoyed it and would do it again in a heartbeat. Personally I thought that his indexes were great and I always half jokingly compliment him on Raising the Bar because I, too, would always complain about the indexes in cookbooks and how bad they were. The one in RtB is ideal! It's like he took all of my complaints to heart. So of course every time I have to look something up in the index I go "wow, this index is fantastic" but I really do mean it.

Diana- the only thing that would make me happier than sending you the recipe would be sending you the popovers themselves but I'm afraid they'd be pretty stale by the time they got to you so the recipe it shall be.

I'm so happy that my partner likes her stuff! And Pat kindly posted the recipe for the Maraschino cherries over in discussions. It's time for a new batch in our house as well.

Nina

HA! So true, Nina, the real ones look better than the picture on the box!

Pretty impressive, Pat (the popovers, clean oven, and quick use of the pan)

Very nice package, Nina.

I thought it was funny that the picture on the popover pan box is definitely not a popover - it's some kind of pull apart roll. The photographer must not have had a popover recipe. Or perhaps they wanted something more stable so they could photograph it at leisure.

Nina, it might be like a drug. If I get bold about the Fiestaware, I was thinking plum or heather might fit in too. My dishes only had the shallow wide rim bowls and I like a deeper bowl for cereal and only a couple of serving pieces. I have white Corelle to fill it out but that isn't ideal and they break more easily than china. Fiesta has lots of nice bowl shapes and sizes so I could fill out with it.

Wonderful package -- and so neat that Pat put the popover pan right into use! And the book looks really intriguing.

Good job, Nina!

Wow-- 3 great items-- and sure sounds like Nina's favorite things are fast becoming yours Pat. Gotta get me one of those popover pans--

Nice job! I am loving every item in that package. I can't even decide on a favorite.

Enjoy!

AM

Popover pans...if I could find a way to make Yorkshire puddings 'kosher' style, I'd get one!

Nice package there, ain't swap addictions grand?

Jessy- I've been told that Whole Foods sells a vegetable suet. Maybe, just maybe if you melt the suet to approximate meat drippings (which we know is just yummy fat anyway)?

Nina