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How many cookbooks do you have? I don't know about anyone else but, I have a enough to take up the whole bottom shelf on my bookcase in the livingroom. A few are about the same topics but have different recipes. Then when you want to make something you have to go through several books searching for a recipe. I found some cookbooks that end that problem. These cookbooks have so many recipes in them you won't need any others!

The 750 Best Appetizers is a huge book, it has 600 pages filled with recipes. I really like the Pancetta Wrapped Scallops (recipe below). If your not into seafood no worries, there are more to choose from. Every category of appetizers is covered; dips, salsa, spreads and shooters. You can make the Spring Scallion and Tomato Shooter for a nice light start to a meal. Try making several appetizers at a time and have a tapas night during the big game. Grilled Vegetable Bruchetta, Spiced Rubbed Rack of Lamb and Mini Chocolate Chunk Banana Sandwiches sound like an excellent meal to me!

The perfect vegetable is the potato, you can prepare them in so many ways that you can't get tired of eating them. That is just my opinion. The 300 Best Potato Recipes has just that, 300 recipes. There are so many different types of potatoes and there are recipes for them all in this book. Soups, salads, side dishes, main courses, vegetarian main dishes, baked goods and desserts all here. You won't need another potato cookbook. Personally, I think everyone should try the Stilton Onion Potato Bake...heaven! Crisp Potato Wrapped Halibut sound delicious too. I haven't cooked it yet but it's definately on my list to try. If you like sweet potatoes make sure you try the Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Butter (recipe below). That would make a delicious Christmas morning breakfast.

My food nemesis use to be rice. I have tried and tried to cook rice. It sounds easy on the package, add rice and water, heat, remove from heat wait 20 minutes or so and it should be perfect. Unless your me. No matter how I tried it was always starchy.Then one day a while back I bought a rice cooker and that changed. The rice cooker is one of the best kitchen appliances you can buy, (make sure you get one that has different settings: regular cook, quick cook, a timer, etc). The 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes will have you cooking rice and risotto recipes like a master chef in no time. Make sure you make the Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto to impress your friends. Everyone will think you stood by the stove endlessly stirring the risotto. Rice cookers aren't just for rice and risotto anymore. You can make Moraccan Bean Dip, Southwestern Anasazi Bean Soup, chili, vegetables and desserts. Did you ever think you could cook custards in your rice cooker? If not, you need to try the Lemongrass Custards with Mango Glaze to change your mind. For a warm filling breakfast try the Berry Breakfast Risotto (recipe below), it's a nice change from oatmeal.

I am madly in love with my 3 cookbooks and will definately be cooking more recipes from them. With a total of 1,350 recipes it will take me a while to get through them!

Excerpted from 750 Best Appetizers by Judith Finlayson and Jordan Wagman © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Photo credit: Colin Erricson/www.robertrose.ca

                  Pancetta-Wrapped Scallops

Makes various amounts / Seafood / pg 337

The secret to making these is to ensure that you have enough pancetta to moisted the flavor of the scallops but not so much that you overwhelm their rich but delicate flavor. The pancetta is quite salty, so after the scallops are cooked add a good dash of lemon juice to balance the salt. It also complements the flavor of the scallops. A generous sprinkling of chives completes the dish.

Excerpted from 300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook's Guide by Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission.

Photo credit: Colin Erricson/www.robertrose.ca

    Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Butter 

 Makes 4 to 6 servings

Sweet potatoes are a natural for pancakes. They lend lightness and a lovely element of sweetness to the batter and are outstanding with the usual accoutrements of smoky bacon or sausages, not to mention maple syrup or butter.

*Preheat oven to 140°F (60°C)

*Cast-iron skillet

1 cup all-purpose flour (250 mL)

1 tbsp packed light brown sugar (15 mL)

1 tsp baking powder (5 mL)

1⁄2 tsp baking soda (2 mL)

1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon (2 mL)

1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg (2 mL)

1⁄4 tsp salt (1 mL)

1 large egg, beaten 

3⁄4 cup cooled dry-mashed sweet potatoes (175 mL)

3⁄4 cup whole milk (175 mL)

1⁄2 cup plain yogurt (125 mL)

2 tbsp butter, melted (30 mL)

Vegetable oil

Maple butter (see Tips)

Excerpted from 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

                     Berry Breakfast Risotto

Makes 4 to 6 servings

*Medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic only

1 cup Arborio rice (250 mL)

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar (125 mL)

2 cups water (500 mL)

1 cup half-and-half(10%)cream (250 mL)

2 tsp vanilla extract (10 mL)

1 cup raspberries (250 mL)

1 cup sliced strawberries (250 mL)

Fresh mint leaves

1. In the rice cooker bowl, combine rice, sugar, water, cream and vanilla. Set the rice cooker for the Porridge cycle. Stir thoroughly two or three times while the risotto is cooking.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, fold in raspberries and strawberries. Serve immediately, garnished with mint.

Arborio rice, an Italian short-grain rice, cooks into a warm, creamy risotto. Berries and mint add a refreshing flavor that will brighten up any morning meal.

Tip:

For even better flavor, macerate the strawberries and raspberries. Toss them with 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar and let stand for 1 hour.