Made. by Lia, Everyday Craft Baking by Lia Holter, Reviewed

Growing up in a suburb of St. Louis, I’ve always had a soft spot for local gems, so discovering Made. by Lia, Everyday Craft Baking by Lia Holter, the heart and soul behind the adorable Made. by Lia bakery, felt like a homecoming. As someone who doesn’t consider herself to be a master baker (though I dabble), I was drawn to this book not just for its recipes but for the warmth and nostalgia Lia pours into every page. Her story, rooted in family, community, and a triumphant win on “Next Great Baker" resonates deeply, especially since her bakery is in the very suburb where I spent my childhood.

What I love most about this book is how approachable it feels. The recipes, from crowd-pleasing Lemon Blueberry Scones to the indulgent Chocolate Cherry Birthday Cake, are written with such clear, concise instructions that even a baking novice like me feels confident tackling them. The Birthday Cake Scones? Adorable and drool-worthy. The Butter Biscuits? They’re on my to-bake list this week, and just looking at the photos makes my mouth water. Lia’s ability to balance simple and complex recipes ensures there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out.

The book’s design is a thoughtful touch, especially for someone like me who appreciates readability as I get older. The sans-serif font is large, clear, and easy on the eyes—perfect for flipping through while covered in flour. I was also thrilled to see vegan and gluten-free options, making this a cookbook that truly welcomes all bakers. The chapters on scones and cakes stole my heart, particularly the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, which had me practically licking the page.

Lia’s passion for baking as a craft shines through, and her professional tips make you feel like she’s right there in the kitchen with you. This book isn’t just about recipes; it’s about creating memories, sharing love through food, and embracing the joy of baking. It’s become a staple in my kitchen, and I can’t wait to pass these recipes on to my own family.

 You can order a copy here.

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 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ready Press Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olives

 

I’ve been trying to eat healthier while still satisfying my snacky cravings, so I decided to do away with the ranch dip that I generally use with crackers and crudités, and replace it with this creamy and nutritious cannellini bean dip. It is so super simple to throw together that I find myself making it every week. The recipe can be doubled, if like me, you find yourself craving it.Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olives

 1 large clove garlic

1 15.5-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

10 small pitted black olives

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

 Throw all ingredients into a mini food processor and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld for a minimum of 4 hours.

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Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm

 

A colorful salad is welcome at any meal, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with something different from the norm. This vegetable-laden artichoke salad fills the bill. It is colorful, fresh, and delicious. It’s beautiful in a bowl or on individual plates, and always garners favorable comments from guests. The vinaigrette dressing gives it a pleasing tang. This salad keeps well so you can easily make it the day ahead of serving.Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm

 1 14.75-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 14.5 oz. jar Melissa’s Hearts of Palm, drained, and sliced

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 11.6-oz. jar mixed pitted olives

½ c. diced Melissa’s fire roasted red peppers

½ c. diced yellow bell pepper

2 T. minced fresh parsley

 Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

 Vinaigrette

1/3 c. cider vinegar

½ t. kosher salt

1½ t. sugar

¼ t. dry mustard

Pinch of oregano

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. garlic salt

½ c. vegetable oil

 Place all ingredients into the bottom of a medium size mixing bowl and whisk together until blended.

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Portobello Mushroom Broth

 

I like a good sipping broth, and mushroom is one of my favorites. When I’m in the mood for something savory by way of a snack, nothing beats it. Soothing and warm, it is packed with both flavor and nutrition. This past week I spent a good bit of time working with portobello mushrooms, and was wondering how mushroom stock made strictly with portobello mushrooms, both fresh and dried, would taste. It surpassed my expectations! The beauty of portobello mushroom stock is that it has a very beefy taste, as a consequence it can be used as a satisfying replacement for beef stock in any recipe that you have calling for same, making the conversion of some beefy tasting recipes to vegetarian far easier.Portobello Mushroom Broth

 2 large onions, peeled

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

3 extra large Melissa’s shallots

3 Melissa’s portobello mushrooms

6 celery stalks, scraped and coarsely chopped

6 large carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped

4 0.5-oz. pkgs. Melissa's dried portobello mushrooms

5 bay leaves

1 T. dried thyme leaves

1 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 T. black peppercorns

Fine sea salt

 Cut the onions in half crosswise. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil ripples and the pan begins to smoke, place onions, cut side down. Reduce the heat to medium-high and brown the onions for 4 to 5 minutes undisturbed.

 Place the browned onions and remaining ingredients, except the salt, in a 16-quart stockpot. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 40 minutes, skimming off any foamy impurities.

 Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

 Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with two layers of cheesecloth. Season with salt to taste and allow to cool.

 Makes approximately 9 quarts. Recipe may be halved.

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Fresh Corn Salsa

 

With all of the fresh vegetables available both in your garden and at local farm stands, now is the time to make this salsa when it will be the freshest it can possibly be. Not only does this make a wonderful salsa, but it also makes an excellent side dish. When you have a meal that looks a bit bland color wise, say fish and chips, shrimp and chips, or grilled chicken and baked potato, a side dish of this looks beautiful, and is wonderful with almost any meat. If you’re fond of salmon, grill some and top it with this colorful condiment. It’s super simple, but it makes you look like quite the chef.

Fresh Corn Salsa

 2 c. fresh corn, stripped from the cob

½ c. finely chopped red onion or scallions

½ c. finely chopped red, yellow or orange pepper

1 seeded jalapeño, minced

Juice of ½ lime

½ c. minced fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

½ t. salt, to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (2 to 3 is better) to allow flavors to meld. Serve in a colorful bowl with tortilla chips, as a side dish, or an accompaniment to fish. Adds zest to any meal.

Black Bean Hummus

 

I love hummus! What I don’t particularly care for is tahini, generally one of the main ingredients in hummus. I’m not wild about the flavor or the price, or the fact that it seems to only come in large jars that ultimately end up getting shoved to the back of the fridge after I have it used it only once or twice — one or two tablespoons per use — where it mocks me every time I open the refrigerator door, and ultimately goes bad. That’s why this recipe is so appealing. No tahini! Made with fairly common pantry ingredients, this is an excellent snack, a great thing to serve when you have surprise guests (or guests that you’ve actually invited), and healthy to boot.

Black Bean Hummus

1 15-oz.can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small clove garlic

1 scallion, both white and green parts

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1½ T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. champagne vinegar

½ t. ground cumin

½ t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Place all ingredients into the work bowl of a high-speed mini food processor. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate for one hour to allow flavors to meld before serving.

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Minestrone Soup (Olive Garden Copycat…Almost)

 

I have often mentioned that once September hits I enter “soup mode,” but when October hits, that really intensifies. Last week I made three different kinds of soup, each one quite different from the other, and all delicious! I enjoy having soup alongside a piece of cheesy bread as a meal, but I also appreciate a cup with half a sandwich. Fill your freezer full of delicious soups, and you will be able to eat as well at home as you would have had you chosen to have lunch out. Plus, it’s cozier, you don’t have to put on make up, and it’s far less expensive.

Minestrone Soup (Olive Garden Copycat…Almost)

 1 T. olive oil

2 small zucchini, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

6 celery sticks, diced

½ large onion, diced

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 32-oz. container vegetable broth

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 T. dried basil

½ c. small shell pasta

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained

1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic

2 c. water

2-3 handfuls fresh baby spinach

 Heat olive oil until shimmering in a medium stockpot; add zucchini, carrots, celery and onions. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until vegetables soften. Add tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, and basil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

 Add pasta, kidney and Great Northern beans, garlic, and water. Simmer for about 10 additional minutes.

 Add baby spinach and let it simmer until it wilts. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm with a crusty roll.

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Lemon Olive Pesto

I don’t know what’s happening at your house, but it is pesto season at mine. The basil that I planted in the spring has grown by leaps and bounds and is ready for harvest. I have a lot of new pesto recipes to try, but thought I would start with this one. It is adapted from one that I saw on the Melissa's website. I’ve never made pesto without including Parmesan cheese, so was curious as to whether or not this would be as rich and delicious as other pesto that I’ve made. It was! The citrus juice and peel gives it a wonderful brightness, the olives a magnificent, buttery depth. If you like olives as much as I do, you may want to make a double batch.

Lemon Olive Pesto

 8 oz. Castelvetrano olives, pitted

½ c. fresh basil leaves

½ c. flat-leaf Italian parsley

½ c. walnut halves

1 T. organic capers, rinsed

1 lemon, juiced and zested*

¼ t. kosher salt

½ t. red pepper flakes

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

 Place all ingredients EXCEPT oil into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until combined. With motor running, slowly add oil until combined and desired texture is reached.

 *Zest before juicing

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Andalusian Gazpacho

Do you ever have recipes that you seem to favor over others, and that you make again and again? That’s how it used to be with gazpacho and me. I have always been an avid grower of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, and there is nothing better when you’re overloaded with this kind of produce than a bowl of gazpacho. Over the last number of years, for whatever reason, I stopped making it. It wasn’t until I was paging through the lovely (and free) My French Country Home online magazine that I was introduced to it again, Andalusian style. I have always considered gazpacho to be a spoonful of summer, and with this recipe I have once again been proved right.

Andalusian Gazpacho

 6 ripe red tomatoes

2 small red peppers

1 cucumber

2 scallions

1 garlic clove

Generous ½ c. olive oil, extra 4 T. for serving

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 small glass water

2 drops Tabasco

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 slices toasted bread, rubbed with fresh garlic

 Peel and seed tomatoes and peppers, saving one of the tomatoes and half of a bell pepper to decorate.

 Peel the cucumber saving a 2½” portion for later.

 Remove the roots from the scallions and set aside; peel the garlic.

 Place all of the ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Continue to pulse until desired texture is reached. Chill for one hour.

 In the meantime, dice the tomato, pepper half, remaining scallion, and cucumber chunk. After gazpacho has sufficiently chilled, ladle it into soup bowls, top it with the chopped vegetables, and serve with the garlic bread.

 Serves 4-6

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Grilled Zucchini

I have gone absolutely wild using my grill this season. I have already used it more this summer than I have in the past three years. I know nothing about grilling, but I am learning fast with various forms of experimentation. Week before last I grilled cauliflower steaks. This week I’m grilling zucchini. There is absolutely nothing to this, and I find that thicker slices keep the zucchini from going limp as it often does on the grill if the slices are too thin. Make dinner easy on yourself by doing as much as you possibly can outdoors. Keep that kitchen cool!

Grilled Zucchini

1 to 2 Melissa’s organic zucchini, sliced diagonally ½” thick
¼ c. your favorite Italian salad dressing
½ t. dried parsley
½ t. dried basil
Few gratings freshly ground black pepper
Garlic salt

Slice zucchini and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate for 15 to 30 minutes while you are preparing the grill. In a medium to large bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, parsley, basil, and pepper. Place drained zucchini into the dressing tossing to coat. Place it on the grill at medium/high heat and close the cover. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with garlic salt. Serve immediately.

Grilled Cauliflower

I am one of those people who love cauliflower, and always have done ever since I was a child. I will eat it cooked, I will eat it raw, and I will eat it crumbled into a salad. Whatever way that you would like to serve it to me, I will happily consume it. (Unless, of course, cauliflower is used in a way in which nature did not intend. Cauliflower, for example, is not rice, nor is it pizza crust. I’m just saying.) One way that I had not tried, however, was on the grill.

After two years of sitting idle, this year I decided to clean and fire up my grill, and on days when it isn’t so blisteringly hot (UGH!), I am having a marvelous time! Yesterday I grilled a couple of burgers (beefy perfection!), and decided that I would do a cauliflower steak at the same time. There is absolutely nothing to making these, and I found it to be a wonderfully enjoyable way to eat cauliflower.

 Grilled Cauliflower
As seen on allrecipes.com

1 head cauliflower, cut into thick slices*
1 T. olive oil
1 T. brown sugar
2 t. seasoned salt

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat and spray the grate with PAM olive oil cooking spray (or the grill spray of your choice).

Sprinkle cauliflower slices on both sides with olive oil, brown sugar, and seasoned salt.

Cook cauliflower steaks on the grill until char marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a grill safe pan with a lid (I covered mine with foil), cover, and continue cooking on the grill until tender, about 20 minutes.

 

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High Energy Spinach Salad

 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot resist a sale. When I learned that my son was going to be shopping at a grocery store where they had a wonderful sale on organic baby spinach I asked him to pick up a container for me. When he got to the store he alerted me to the fact that both baby spinach and mixed greens were on sale, and asked me which I wanted. Both, was my response. Are you sure? He asked me. Of course, I assured him.

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 Do all of you know how much 16 ounces of baby spinach is? How about 16 ounces of mixed greens? I have enough greens to fill a pleasure boat. So, I have a lot of salads ahead of me beginning with this one. This was inspired by a salad that I found online somewhere, don’t ask me where. Essentially I replicated the salad ingredients, but tweaked the dressing to be more to my liking. 

High Energy Spinach Salad

Salad:
5 oz. fresh spinach
¾ c. chopped celery
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried cranberries
1 15-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1 large apple
2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ c. pecans
½ c. cooked orecchiette pasta

Dressing:
¼ c. olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 t. white sugar
1 T. honey mustard
1/8 t. paprika
1/8 t. onion powder
1 T. poppy seeds

Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Place all dressing ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until emulsified. I like to use a mini high-speed blender for this because once it is emulsified, it stays emulsified. Serve immediately. Makes 6 1-cup servings.

 

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