“So Much To Celebrate” with Katie Jacobs

 

(Roberta Deen) Katie Jacobs’ new cookbook “So Much to Celebrate”,  subtitled “Entertaining The Ones You Love The Whole Year Through”, is as refreshing and welcome as an evening breeze on a Southern veranda. It is well worth seeking out.

Katie more than achieved her goal  to “create a book that is not only beautiful but also a guide to creating lifelong memories….to live a little more life together with the ones you love.”  The author dedicated her book to the women in her family, all with names reflecting the south: grandmother Honey Mama, her mother and her daughter Emmaline better known as Emma B.   Still,  Jacobs makes you, the reader, part of her family by gently leading you through creating engaging, comforting and easy moments with your own friends and loved ones.

The cookbook is divided into the four seasons with simple DYI decorations, recipes, locations (such as that veranda mentioned above), tips and stylish serving suggestions. Each season’s offering is accompanied and supported by Amy Cherry’s luscious richly-colored photographs.

Because my sister is celiac, I chose the Spring Menu with Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Katie developed the recipe for some visitors who had food issues, as “being aware of food allergies is part of being a gracious host” Southern or not. I promise you that your guests will never know they are G-F. These lovely, lemony, fluffy pancakes would fool anyone. The batter can be made the evening before, and refrigerated until you make a show of perfectly cooking them.

The seasonal berry garnish is simple, from golden to red raspberries in summer. I chose  blueberries. A drizzle of maple syrup finishes the presentation. My guests didn’t even use any butter. They just made yumming noises as they ate them as fast as I could cook them. There were a few words interspersed: “great,” “wow,” “lemony,”” fluffy,”” more.”

Ah. Utter gratification and beauty.

Staying with the gluten-free theme, I made Katie’s unique Bacon Jam. She uses it to garnish Deviled Eggs, a deep-south picnic favorite. But I had already used so many eggs in the other items, I decided to make this Bacon Jam into more of a star. The jam is easy to prep and make a joy to listen to, and enjoy the fragrance, as it simmers on the stove.

After the jam reduced to a deep mahogany hue, it is cooled to room temperature. I topped gluten-free crackers with a schmear of whipped cream cheese topped with Bacon Jam for a tasty appetizer. There were none left. We all thought that it would work just as  good on chicken or pork chops, too. Two home runs from Katie.

I wanted to try one of the Celebrate desserts, again with celiac limitations. I chose Katie’s Lemon Blueberry Tart without the tart crust. Her recipe was simple and straightforward to prepare. The wonderful lemony custard cooks quickly and cools to a lemon curd-like texture. I would caution you to measure the cornstarch carefully and level each spoonful. Too much cornstarch and you will have something reminiscent of jello shooters and, as I did, will have to start over.

The finished result, once assembled and garnished was met with oohs and ahhs. Not too sweet, not to tart, they are light with the unexpected addition of the sour cream-blueberry mixture topped with unsweetened whipped cream and a few berries.

So Much to Celebrate (Thomas Nelson, $29.99, ISBN: 9780718075187) is available from many sources. Katie Jacobs is a lifestyle guru. Katie’s food and lifestyle blog can be found at //www.stylingmy everyday.com.   It is no surprise that Katie has worked as a stylist, photographer, and content contributor featured in Martha Stewart Living, Southern Living Weddings, and Nashville Lifestyles.