Book of Yum’s One-Year Anniversary Contest for Free Bette Hagman Book!
Today is our birthday, Yaaaaayyyyy! It was exactly one year ago today that I wrote my first blog post and went live with my gluten-free, mostly vegetarian Blog, the Book of Yum. For a walk down memory lane, check out My first post, a homage to Brussels Sprout. *sniff* How far we’ve come!
We’ve brought you gluten-free recipes from all over the globe, from China to Japan, Mexico (even dairy free!), India, and Europe. We’ve also taken you on our gluten-free adventures to Portland, Oregon, India, and Austria. It’s been quite a year and I can’t wait to see what culinary adventures we have over the next year!
To celebrate the gluten-free and mostly vegetarian Book of Yum’s One-Year-Anniversary, I am hosting a contest! To enter:
Please write a brief note about your favorite post this year in the comments here. Tell me why it was your favorite post. Include your name (pen name is fine), your place of residence and the URL of the Book of Yum post. Please tell me if you are gluten-free or have additional allergies or dietary preferences (vegetarian or vegan). The winner will receive a new paperback copy of ONE of their choice of the following Bette Hagman cookbooks:
More from the Gluten-free Gourmet: Delicious Dining Without Wheat
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy: Wheat-Free and Gluten-Free with Less Fuss and Less Fat
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread: More Than 200 Wheat-Free Recipes
*In the case of a non-gluten free winner, the winner will receive a copy of the vegetarian cookbook, Peanut Butter Planet: Around the World in 80 Recipes, from Starters to Main Dishes to Desserts
You must be a 21 year or older resident of the U.S. , Canada, or Japan to enter this contest. (If you are a younger reader, you are welcome to tell your parents about this contest!) Winner’s name will be selected out of a hat (or shoebox). Once winner is selected, the winner will be announced on this site and emailed. At this point I will need your address so I can send you your gift! If I am not contacted within one week of announcement and email, a new winner will be selected. Contest entries will be accepted until midnight of January 31st. Winner will be announced on February 1st, 2008 and we will have a roundup of the favorite posts. Wheee! Sound like fun? Enter by posting in the comments for this post.
*I am a real person and I would never, ever, ever do anything with your personal information. For your own security I recommend that you not post your full, real name or address on any internet site that is visible to the world.
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January 20th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
[...] Special Announcement: Today is Book of Yum’s One-Year-Anniversary! We’ll be having a special roundup of our most popular posts, as well as the unveiling of a brand-new look for the site in the coming week. To celebrate, I’m sponsoring a contest open to residents of the US, Canada, and Japan for a FREE Bette Hagman cookbook or copy of Peanut Butter Planet, one of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks. Click here for details on my Book-of-Yum-Contest. [...]
January 20th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I had just joined the sillyak group and found you there and asked the readers about Gluten free in Oregon as I was going to visit my daughter. Well you had just gone to Portland and had a wealth of information for me. I took that info and I ate with my daughter (we are both celiac) gluten free with no cross contact issues the entire week. I actually drove 1.5 hours one way each day to go to the little gluten free coffee shop. thats three hours a day but I was so impressed! I ate and ate and ate and never got sick which is unusual when you eat out all the time. I was in Heaven. I had so much fun that I literally did not want to travel back home where the rest of my family was waiting including my new baby. Your website was my first revelation to traveling and eating out. You also just went to germany which I printed out all the info on that and keeping it for this summer when my daughter is traveling there. thanks so much I enjoy your wealth of info. I don’t use a lot of your recipe’s as they are a little wild for me but I love your blogs so very much!!! the blog number in question to the oregon trip was 9-17-07 and your germany one is January 18, 2008. Thank you again.
January 20th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
This is my favoite of your posts, because I love indian food, especially things wrapped in dough!
I am gluten free, as well as dairy, soy, and sugar free. thanks so much for your wonderful website! I am from the Bay Area (California).
http://bookofyum.com/recipes/showrecipe.php?recipe=1018
January 20th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
My new favorite, as of tonight, is the Vegetarian Sesame Spinach Onigiri. The sauce you came up with is awesome!!! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow =)
Mary Frances
Alabama, United States
Gluten free and avoiding dairy
Vegetarian
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=988
January 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
I’m new to the site, and was so excited to see the post on Indian Buffets. I used to love Indian Buffets and this was a great article. Definition, my favorite in my short time as a member… the recipes are great too.
Navigating an Indian Buffet Banquet Meal with Allergies or Gluten Intolerance
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?m=200712
Lisa Vance
Orlando, FL
Gluten-Free
January 21st, 2008 at 11:47 am
Sea -
One year? NO way! That means I’ve been reading your lovely words, oogling those gorgeous photos and drooling over your recipes since the beginning of the Book of Yum?
I don’t have a favorite post… just love it all, to be honest. Your writing style is so easy to read, friendly and with such an obvious love of life and good food.
I just wanted to say Thank you for being such a great GF inspiration with your blog. You and your recipes have made my - and countless others - lives much easier and more adventurous!
=) Happy Anniversary!
-Kate
January 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I have to say thank you for your post on salad/summer rolls. I was somehow always too intimidated to try making them and your post inspired a little courage. I have yet to try your peanut sauce but I’m looking forward to it - I’m willing to bet that I’ll use it for more than just salad rolls!
Heidi
Toronto, Ontario
gluten free and (cow) dairy free
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=99
January 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
My favorite post was the PB quinoa cookies. My wedding anniversary is July 17th and I wanted to make cookies for my sweetie and me! the post came out a few days before and saved the day. you see, I can’t have gluten, but I also can’t have dairy, eggs, soy, yeast, corn (I subbed it), pb (I used almond) etc…a whole laundry list! And I don’t do well with a lot of sugar, either. So when I find a recipe that I CAN have, it’s cause for total shock, followed by great celebration. Thanks for having such a great blog with a fabulous variety of foods.
Cheryl
Alexandria, VA
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=552#comments
January 21st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Wow - one year already?!?! Congrats! I have been a lurker on your site - well and a recipe snatcher - since April when our 3 year-old was diagnosed with Celiac. I love coming on here and snooping for recipes either to fix all of us, or even for just DH and I. I have several favorite posts, most of them surrounding Chinese food, but I loved your post on Zucchini Szechuan Pepper Chili Fried Rice Recipe. This is something that my boys scarf down like candy and DH and I can dress up with something more.
Keep up all of your good (and yummy) work! I am thrilled to have found you and be a constant lurker on the book of yum.
Shelly
Southern California, USA
gluten-free kid and semi-gluten free family
January 21st, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Sea - Congratulations on your one year anniversary! I hope there are many more to come.
Sheltie Girl @ Gluten A Go Go
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:09 am
I haven’t been reading your blog for too long … but, I found it just in time. I was ready to spend the rest of my life at home because of having to eat gluten free but I realized that if Sea can travel to the ends of the earth (India and Austria) and still eat gluten free, surely I can live in a foreign country and do the same. Thanks!
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1301#comments
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:49 am
Hi Sea! Your blog was one of the original gluten free blogs I found when I began a gluten free lifestyle in August of this year! I like your site so much because it introduces people to real international cuisine! I love how you can so easily share the world’s unique and wonderful food cultures all wrapped up in this one site! My personal favorite post of yours this year is this one:
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1279
I chose this one because it was the first tofu dish that I have ever made that I enjoyed. You really opened my eyes up to vegetarian cooking in addition to being gluten free! You have really made this cooking journey an adventure for me and I always look forward to your new recipes! Thanks for having this great contest and your great blog!
Sincerely,
Carrie
http://www.gingerlemongirl.com
North Carolina
gluten free, semi-vegetarian, and trying to break my dairy habit
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Happy Birthday! Oh, my favourite post is probably obvious -
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=366
- the one where you gave me the pine nut ricotta recipe that has now graced my kitchen three times in the last 6 weeks. I made stuffed shells with it first, and was skeptical about it but took your word, and once again, you did not let me down! That stuff is amazing! I’ve made lasagna with it twice now too. I also loved following your blog on your trip to India, and have been inspired to try more India recipes, especially those filled idlis - they remind me of my much missed bao - so I’ll try them soon. I eat gluten free, mostly vegetarian although I do eat fish now and then. I had to cut out cheese, too, except for the very occasional goat cheese, which is why I love that ricotta.
Happy birthday!
Gaile
http://www.fidgetybudgie.typepad.com
Rainy Northwest Washington
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
[...] Don’t forget to Enter my Contest for a free Bette Hagman or vegetarian cookbook! [...]
January 24th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Congratulations! I absolutely love your blog. I find a lot of culinary inspiration here, and I enjoy reading about your travels.
My favorite post is the one from August about tomatoes: http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=864
I’m a big fan of eating locally and organically whenever possible. I grow my own tomatoes in the summer, but the squirrels take at least half of my fruit. Darn rodents.
In addition to being gluten-free, I am a vegetarian. Luckily I have no other restrictions.
Julie
Alexandria, VA
January 24th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Congrats! My fave was the Mexican soup with corn dumplings, but that was hard for me to pick. Anything you do with greens is of interest to me too!
Natalie
Raleigh, NC
January 24th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Gosh! You guys are all making me blush over here. I didn’t really expect all these nice comments, I’m not sure why. I was just thinking it would be fun to see what kind of posts were most interesting to you all, so I could keep it in mind over the coming year! lol. I just wanted to say I really appreciate all your compliments, and I will try to think of a good response for the roundup. *blush* Shucks, guys, thanks for reading! *hugs*
-Sea
January 29th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Happy Birthday Sea (or should I say Sea’s Blog)! Your blog is one of the few I check regularly. I love that you are inspired by international foods, esp Japanese. Which brings me to my favorite post of yours. Have you guessed it? Yep! Okonomiyaki!!!
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/category/pancake
My family and I had such a great time making them together. I would never have made them if it weren’t for your blog. Thanks for inspiring my cooking.
BTW, did I ever tell you? We have a cat named Aineko? My dd named him that years ago because he pretty much demands to be loved at all times. LOL
Marcey
In the western country of Maryland where a traffic jam is usually the result of farm equipment on the road.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Wow! I’ve been reading the Book of Yum for a year?!? It’s gone by so fast. I love reading about all your food adventures. Your chebe experiments made me decide to try it myself - and we loved it! http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/the-best-gluten-free-veggie-pizza-recipe-ever-658.html
But, I also loved your posts about Brussel Sprouts. http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/category/brussels-sprouts
Until I read them, we only bought the frozen kind, and ate them rarely. Now, we roast up a batch of fresh ‘Barbie cabbages’ once a week. Super Yum. The Maple ones are my favourite - but we also roast them with a drizzle of honey.
I also loved reading about your recent travel adventures. I’ll probably never get there myself, but it’s fun to drool over the pictures!
~Adeena
Queen of a gluten-free house in Ontario, Canada
January 29th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Hi, Sea.
I have to tell you that I don’t really have a favourite. I come to your blog for inspiration, and because of that, I have learned to make more Indian style dishes. We have discovered as a family that we love curry! And lentils - go figure!
My daughter (Adeena) pointed me in your direction, and she’s the one who tries all of the recipes and makes me try them. After cooking with wheat for most of my life (I am over 50 - shhhh, don’t tell!) it was hard for me to tackle baking. It was much easier to eliminate wheat and keep cooking the same way I always did. But I have to say that I have tried baking bread, and it finally has started to turn out fairly light and definitely tasty.
So, instead of naming one particular blog post, I will state that your blog is my favourite gluten-free spot out in cyberspace…I love the information that I can get from the Book of Yum!
January 29th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I forgot to say, I am the Grand Pooh Ma of a gluten-free dynasty. I have 12 kids, and 14 grandkids, and all of us are gluten-free! We are in Ontario, Canada…hence my spelling of favourite!
January 29th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Congratulations, SuperSea! I have to say I’m shocked that your blog is only one year old. I thought you had been around much longer (I mean that in the best way). I’m having my 1st blog anniversary in just a few days too, go figure!
Thanks for all the great inspiration and energy you bring to all your posts. I don’t have the name of the post, but the one about Southern Fried Tofu prompted me to try a similar recipe with great success, around Christmas time. Since everyone here in Japan was eating chicken, I was able to enter into to spirit of the celebration and stick to my vegetarian diet.
Thanks again for a great blog and all the time and energy you put into helping to feed us.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Hi Sea,
I can’t believe a year has gone by since you started your blog!! I have copied and tried several of your recipes. I especially like the roasted veggies!! You and the Gluten Free Goddess turned me on to them!! I’m not a vegetarian, but have tried quite a few recipes if they don’t have soy. I’m a “Silly Yak” too. I also appreciate your hints when you post in the Silly Yak site. I’ve tried several of Bette’s bread recipes with your recommendation. You usually are right on when you say that you like a certain recipe, so I usually can trust your opinion. We must have similar tastes.
Donna in Chiloquin, OR
January 31st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Since my odds of winning here are FAR higher than my odds of winning PowerBall,
I’m going to enter your contest. Happy Birthday to your blog, by the way. You are
a blessing to the GF Community as a whole!
Now, about your blog and how I came to pick which is my favorite…
I picked one that I’m sure my children would touch. I’m sure ALL of your recipes
are scrumptious, but I cook for people with single digit ages. Their palates?
Well, let’s just say they’re not touching ANYTHING with sprouts or sesame or
weird green wiggly things.
So, my favorite blog post, the one I’m most likely to successfully make and
feed to people with single digit ages is:
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/gluten-free-banana-muffin-recipe-made-with-pamelas-baking-mix-1433.html
I think I’ll pick up a pack of Pamela’s and make some for Saturday morning when
I’m the “Treatmaster” for a meeting I’ll be attending. If I don’t tell people
that the treats are GF, they will snarf them down and look for more. I’m sure
that the banana muffins fall in that category. And this is people with double-
digit ages I’m talking about who’ll be attending this meeting!
Blessings on you and gratitude for your creativity, dedication, willingness to
share, Esther P in Rhode Island
ps - please spare me the indignity of making the same mistake and tell me why
I shouldn’t try agave syrup in something. I have a jar of it in my cupboard. I
don’t know why. I don’t know what to do with it, either.
Esther
January 31st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Sea,
You are my inspiration girl. I don’t know what I would have done this past year without your online advice and your blogsite. I have tried many of your recipes and while some of them are too much for this hack of a cook, the majority of them are both tasty and not too difficult or time consuming. It is hard to pinpoint a favorite, but I must say that finding a good gluten free, vegetarian burger for summer cook outs was tough until you offered your recipe in the August 25 entry. I am celiac and vegetarian and have a son with celiac as well.
Thanks for all the work you put into this site! and Keep cooking
January 31st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Happy Anniversary of your Blog’s Birth!
Have loved reading your blog from the beginning of finding SillyYaks with YOU as a member. We are b&b disgnosed celiacs. . . FOUR of us. I am dairy intolerant and soy causes problems also. . have found Rice Dream, now gluten free, a great substitute in recipes. Please keep whetting our appetites with your travels and recipes. Thanks so much.
Jaye from Pacific North West
January 31st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
SeaMaiden! Your website and blog ROCK my gf-world! Thank you + thank you + thank you for a year of delicious thriving! My favorite of your postings was the Vietnamese wraps - I took them on a trip - they were fantastic! Thank you! =)
xo
January 31st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
B, A year already?…so exciting! I love the roasted veggies and your 4th of July (cuz it’s my favourite US holiday!) post but my favourite so far has been http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/gluten-free-vegetarian-delicious-peanut-tofu-recipe-with-coconut-rice-recipe-1279.html.
Thank you from a fellow GF bay area-er.
C-
January 31st, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I thourghly enjoy all your different and unique recipes and marvel at your energy and amount of time you must spend in the kitchen. I appreciated learning about spring rolls from your posts and have saved many of your recipes. Congratulations on a year and please keep up the recipes.
Diana
January 31st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Wow, A year already?! I love your blog, I think its one of the best, thanks for the great recipes and fun read!!
Best to you and yours!!
Betty
January 31st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Hi Sea-
I remember when I first joined SillyYaks I got excited to see that someone else was from the Bay Area (I’m in Antioch). So many of your recipes look delicious, but I think my favorite one is for your Fish Cheese Crackers. My 3 year old son is the celiac in our house, although all family meals are gluten free. The one thing he misses that I couldn’t find a substitute for was Goldfish crackers. Once I find a fish cookie cutter I am going to make these, and I know he will be thrilled to eat “fishies” again. Thanks!
Keri
http://www.bookofyum.com/recipes/showrecipes.php?recipe=1121
January 31st, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I can’t recall when I first discovered your blogspot. I loved your blogs name, Book of Yum, sounded fun & I thought it would help me to feed my large family in a way I never knew I’d be cooking. I have to admit, some of your recipes were a bit…different than this Texas gal was use to eating, but this diet has taught me to not judge a dish by its name but to pony up & do it.
But I have to say my favorite blog by you, was the tribute to Bette Hagman. I never knew this precious lady, but because of her, I am able to love my family with some fabulous gluten free food and I worried in the beginning that that was not going to ever happen. She was the true Captain Kirk, going where no man (woman) had gone before, and spreading her love and knowledge the world over. Her passing touched my heart, and your tribute gave me an opportunity to express to her my eternal gratitude. So that would have to be my favorite post by you. Your recipes are amazing, the pictures are fantastic, but your heart shown through that day and I thank you.