Books & Cooks Letter I: Italian Herb Blend

This year I’m going to be combining two of my passions – cooking and kid lit for Books & Cooks! I’ll be bringing you great recipes based on spices of the alphabet that pair perfectly with kid lit books! Next up? The letter I and comforting Italian herb blend!

Spice: Italian Herb Blend

Today, I’m cheating a little bit by not just sharing one spice. I’m sharing a blend of spices that when combined together make the most comforting aroma and add a little kick to all sorts of vegetables! There are all sorts of ingredients that you could add to an Italian Herb blend, but I’d suggest starting with basil, oregano, and garlic.

Book Review: Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola

I loved Tomie DePaola’s picture books as a child and as he recently passed away, I couldn’t ignore this wonderful tribute to Strega Nona. Strega Nona, or Grandma Witch helps her townspeople with cures and potions and a little magic. So when she enlists the help of Big Anthony to work around the house and yard he is automatically enthralled with her magical pasta pot.

But, when he tries his hand at Strega Nona’s magic, hijinks ensue and pasta threatens to take over the entire town! If you love Strega Nona, check out the other books in this series too! (Plus check out Bill & Pete a personal favorite!)

Recipe: Italian Herb Blend & Tomato Sauce

I’ve got two recipes for you today! What’s great about Italian Herb blend is that you can buy it pre-blended. But you probably have all the spices already at home and you can make your own! It’s a perfect seasoning blend that is quite versatile. Try it on grilled chicken and veggies, mix it with some olive oil for a dipping sauce for bread, or you can add it to a quick tomato sauce for pasta.

Check out this simple marinara sauce from Cookie + Kate. It’s simple for a reason, throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot and let it simmer. (Plus, it makes the house smell amazing!) I would replace the oregano and red pepper with the Italian herb blend from the recipe above to kick this recipe up a notch.

Make your favorite pasta and enjoy!

During the month of April, I’ll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2020. For my theme this year (Books & Cooks), I’ll be combing children’s books with cooking spices and including a recipe to bring the book into your very own kitchen! I love to cook and read, so I thought this would be a fun way to combine two of my passions. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! Let’s dig in! And if you want to see what I’ve done in the past, check out the past few years – 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019!