The New Southwest: Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff

We're pleased to announce that Hippocrene Books is sponsoring a food-blogger cook-off of The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi. Some of you may remember Heather of Girlichef.com, who hosted Muy Bueno's cook-off last year. She was such a pleasure to work with that we decided to reach out to her again for The New Southwest cook-off. Alongside Heather, 14 other food-bloggers will explore this modern take on southwestern cuisine.

In week one, the bloggers will test one recipe chosen by Heather. Week two, each blogger has the chance to try out a recipe of their choice. In week three, each blogger will share their review of The New Southwest. At the end of the cook-off, all of the participating bloggers will be doing a giveaway!

Here are the participating bloggers:
1. Heather -- Girlichef
2. Joanne -- Eats Well With Others
3. Beate -- The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
4. Jennifer -- Juanita's Cocina
5. Gerry -- Foodness Gracious
6. Vianney -- Sweet Life
7. Kim -- Stirring the Pot
8. Liz --That Skinny Chick Can Bake
9. Danielle -- Cooking for my Peace of Mind
10. Deb -- Kahakai Kitchen
11. Susan -- The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
12. Desi -- SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl
13. Erica -- My Columbian Recipes
14. Pam -- Blueberries and Blessings
15. Sue -- The View from the Great Island

The fun starts next week, so be sure to check back weekly to find links to individual posts from each blogger, and for a chance to win your own copy of The New Southwest! You can find more information about the author on her blog Scarletta Bakes.

Recap: Yvette with Mrs. Obama and Mamiverse Contributors

The conversation between the First Lady with these Mamiverse contributors and Latina moms, moderated by CNN analyst Maria Cardona, delved into diverse issues including nutrition and the Let's Move initiative, education, healthcare, and passing on traditions and values. The round table held in Miami went by very quickly, but each woman was able to share her own story and ask questions. 


Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, one of the authors of MUY BUENO (available October 1st) and mother of two, brought up the growing problem of childhood obesity and diabetes. Mrs. Obama suggested using  family dinner time to connect and foster healthy eating habits, saying "at 6:30, whenever [the President's] not traveling and we're all together, we have family dinner. You do much more than just eat together."


Watch the video and share your comments. What are your favorite recipes to get the family to the table?