October 15, 2021
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
As you know, I adore cooking and creating yummy concoctions in the kitchen with my family. I believe that more memories are made in the kitchen than anywhere else in the house. I will tell you that the weeknight dinner grind does zero for me. However, while I despise fast cooking and rushed meals, I live for Sunday dinners, holiday meals, and creative baking, especially if my family is involved. My son and I just had a wonderful night cooking something from the new cookbook, Nailed It!: A Family Cookbook by The Creators of The NETFLIX show. Let’s take a look at why this book is a must-have addition to your cookbook shelves.
Have you seen NETFLIX’s show Nailed It!? It is wicked cute and perfect for the whole family to watch. The show is co-hosted by world-renowned pastry chef Jacques Torres (Mr. Chocolate) and comic Nicole Byer. Three contestants come on each week and re-create a variety of edible masterpieces for a chance to win the golden baker’s cap and $10,000. How fun is that? This show is beyond entertaining with its less than skillful competitors. We are currently watching season six and enjoying all of the kitchen mishaps and disasters.
“At its core, Nailed It! is about the joy of the process. Because let’s be honest, doing anything with tons of butter and sugar and sprinkles is a good time. And whether you build a wedding cake worthy of Sylvia Weinstock or the Leaning Tower of Pastry, because of all that butter and sugar and sprinkles, the end result is going to taste amazing.”
My son and I took on one of the easier items, a double-layer chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream covered with decorative fondant for the win. We made the cake and icing with ease. The tricky part was working with the fondant. Fondant is kind of like edible playdoh in my opinion. It’s very pliable, easy to roll out, and fun to cut decorations out of. The sky’s the limit with this stuff making decorating feel like an art form. It is very tricky to make it look SEAMLESS, but my son did an excellent job if I do say so myself. Fondant is edible, but I prefer to pull it off my piece and just enjoy what is underneath. Next up for us is something a bit more challenging…I can’t wait! I believe with all my heart and soul that we would have won the $10,000 for our cake…just saying.
Nailed It! is overflowing with step-by-step baking activities. From cakes to pies, cookies to donuts, there is no shortage of delectable treats. This book offers tips and tricks along the way to help perfect your creations. If you have a panic moment…there are little red boxes throughout the book with solutions to the most common dilemmas that will save you. It even has a section on how to host your very own Nailed It! Party and what recipes work best for different ages and party sizes. And with the holidays right around the corner, there is even a Nailed It! Holiday chapter to get you in the spirit.
I can not recommend this book enough for some family fun in the kitchen. Happy baking!
Your Biggest Fan,
Kelly
P.S. Look what I just found at Walmart. A Nailed It! Alien Cupcake Kit.
***Dear Mr. Hemingway, LLC has proudly PARTNERED with Abrams Books and will be sharing their Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 Food & Beverage books as part of the #ABRAMSDINNERPARTY.
