"cookout" news and stories

Eleni's Cookies has some of the loveliest, hand-decorated cookies that you're likely to find anywhere, but it seems like most people only think about having decorated cookies around some of the winter holidays, like Christmas and Valentine's Day. This is too bad because they're missing out on some of Eleni's more fun designs, like this Cookie Cookout box. It has cookies decorated like ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches,lemonade, watermelons, burgers, fries, hot dogs and even a grill and ice chest! There are a total of 19 cookies in the tin, so you may have to share. Eleni's also has a summer beach set, a Mexican fiesta and a stars and stripes collection, which would certainly be a huge hit at a summer party.

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When I first saw Mario Batali's new paperback Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style on Jessica's Biscuit, I thought it was a joke. I got my hands on a copy at a local bookstore today and, indeed, it's real. Apparently Mario likes NASCAR. At least, that's what the introduction lead me to believe, as he speaks of NASCAR fans in the first person plural. The recipes are a combination of American "cookout" food and some recycled items from Mario's previous books. Ham and cheese biscuits and "Mario's Kick Ass Barbecue Sauce" mingle with pork braciolona and grilled lobster with Limoncello. I just don't know about the logistics of stuffing, trussing and braising a pork shoulder in a tailgait environment. Still, I have to give the man credit for continuing to broaden the palate of the average joe. But with Mario's well-known penchant for using unusual meats, I'm a little surprised that I didn't see any roadkill cookery in here. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough.