My Favorite Cookbooks (and recipes)

The Fearless Baker / Review

2011-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Authors: Emily Luchetti

and Lisa Weiss

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (May 4, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0316074284

Book Description:

What could be more satisfying than presenting friends and family with a perfectly crafted homemade dessert, fresh out of the oven? Yet for many, the idea of baking is intimidating; rolling out pie dough or making a cake from scratch is akin to climbing Mount Everest.

THE FEARLESS BAKER is a beginner's baking guide written to empower home cooks with spot-on advice and a cache of go-to recipes. Renowned pastry chef Emily Luchetti guides novice bakers through her amazing recipes to troubleshoot their most common pitfalls. Charming color illustrations and photographs of real-life beginning bakers in action complete the instruction, turning even the most tentative baker into a fearless one.

My thoughts:

Written for the beginner-cook, The Fearless Baker is packed with easy, yummy recipes: cookies, bars, and bites; cakes; pies and tarts; fruit; no baking required; dessert sauces; and breakfast treats. I especially like the 3:00 PM Chocolate Pick-Me-Up Cookies that are made with chopped pecans and dark chocolate. Each recipe also comes with question and answers for the cook who may be just a bit lost in the kitchen setting. I definitely give this one 5 stars*****

(Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)

Clinton St. Baking Company / Review

2010-11-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

Author: DeDe Lahman & Neil Kleinberg

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

(November 8, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0316083372

Description:

The Clinton St. Baking Company is one of the hottest brunch spots in a city obsessed with brunch. A tiny thirty-two-seat eatery on Manhattan's trendy Lower East Side, the restaurant draws long lines of customers who come from far and wide to sample fresh-baked goods, hearty omelets, sugar-cured bacon, and light-as-air pancakes with maple butter.

In the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, owners DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg share more than 100 treasured recipes that have made their restaurant a sensation. Learn the secret to their house-made buttermilk biscuits and tomato jam, irresistible muffins and scones, delicious soups and sandwiches, and their decadent, eye-catching desserts. Helpful techniques, like Neil's patented omelet "flip and tuck," and gorgeous color photographs throughout will have readers cooking like pros in no time, and sharing the delicious results.

My Review:

This cookbook is fabulous! It has all the foods you would expect from your local bakery/coffee shop. The recipes are not complicated and look delicious in the colorful full-page photos.

I can't wait to try Smoked Salmon Scramble and the Scones!

This is one of those cookbooks we take off the shelf and use often for a simple and delicious breakfast or lunch meal. It is also perfect for gift giving.

(Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)

Pantry-Friendly Mexican Cooking

2010-05-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Author: LeAnn Bird
Paperback: 100 pages

Publisher: Outskirts Press (November 23, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1432740164

Book Description:
Mouthwatering Mexican Right from Your Pantry!

Even if you don’t think you know how to boil water, you can create mouthwatering, authentic Mexican dishes — in less time than it takes to order out! Pantry-Friendly Mexican Cooking collects nearly 100 delicious recipes, each with its own unique story. And it shows you how to save money by buying exactly the ingredients you need and storing them correctly to easily make dozens of dishes. There are no exotic ingredients to buy, no special stores to visit. Just authentic, delicious and quick meals perfect anytime! You’ll discover:- Delectable starters: Throw together LeAnn’s Shrimp Shooters with Gazpacho or Black Bean Cakes for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.- Unforgettable basics: From Cheese Enchiladas to Chicken Chimichangas and Spanish Rice, these are the recipes that you will make again and again.- Authentic cuisine: Impress your friends with Carnitas, Meat-Stuffed Chile Relenos, and White Chile Bean Soup, like they’re straight from a Mexican cocina.- Do the salsa: Make your own fresh-peach salsa, mango salsa, pico de gallo and more!

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Skinny Italian

2010-05-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

Author: Teresa Guidice

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401310354

Book Description:

Eat Spaghetti and Still Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans

To many of us, "diet" is a four-letter word. And rightfully so. Starving yourself thin or keeping track of each bite like pennies in your checkbook is no way to live. So what's a girl with skinny jean dreams supposed to do?

Teresa Giudice has the answer. In fact, she was born with it. The first-generation Italian-American mom of four and svelte star of The Real Housewives of New Jersey credits her knockout figure to her Old World upbringing. And now, in her fun, encouraging, and budget-friendly cookbook, she skewers the myth that looking fabulous has to be a chore.
In Skinny Italian, she reveals how to:
substitute tedious meal plans with simple, flavorful recipes
choose fresh, flavorful ingredients instead of counting calories
slow down and enjoy a faster metabolism
replace starvation with celebration by adopting an Italian attitude to cooking, eating, and entertaining
love food, love eating, and still love your body afterward.

Teresa shows how anyone can master the cornerstones of Italian cuisine. Learn how to make six different tomato sauces from scratch, how to choose and use the right olive oil, and how to prepare over sixty Giudice family recipes straight from Salerno. From Gorgeous Garlic Shrimp to Beautiful Biscotti, you'll want to make these sumptuous recipes again and again. Discover how easy and economical wholesome, homemade cooking can be.
Skinny Italian is not a diet book.

It's an "eat it and enjoy it" book. Join Teresa and discover how gorgeous can be a sumptuous side effect to living la bella vita.

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Secrets of a Skinny Chef

2010-03-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Author: Jennifer Iserloh

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Rodale Books;

Original edition (March 16, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1605295884

Book Description:

With recipes that deliver great taste without adding inches to the hips, Secrets of a Skinny Chef shows you how to indulge your comfort-food cravings without the guilt. In this collection of 100 recipes, America’s favorites get the "Skinny" treatment with scrumptious offerings such as Maple Apple Waffles for breakfast and 7-Minute Salmon and Scalloped Sweet Potatoes for dinner. Even for those who are dieting, desserts such as Tiramisu Parfait and Crustless Apple Pie stay on the menu.Iserloh understands that life’s demands mean one can’t always cook dinner, so to help readers fend for themselves in the real world, she provides simple swap-outs and cheat sheets.

My Review:

Now we can eat our comfort foods without quilt and Jennifer Iserloh shows us how. This cookbook offers practical, yet yummy foods from snacks to desserts and gives ways to enjoy life again without diets. Great cookbook!

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Stress Free Cooking / Review

2010-02-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

Author: Barbara Seelig Brown
Paperback: 168 pages
Publisher: Wimmer Cookbooks (August 24, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0971977607

Book Description:
Simple, colorful, and tasty healthy recipes. Inspired by author's students and readers of her food column, the recipes can make a novice a better cook. You will find a pantry list, equipment listed for each recipe, variations, and helpful cook's tip to guide you thru a successful, stress free cooking experience. You can learn to love cooking!

My Review:
I just received my copy of this cookbook and found so many recipes that I'm sure my family and friends will love. Each recipe is followed by Cook's Tips. It also offers suggestions for buying the right cookware. I can't wait to try the Apple Crunch Cake!

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

2009-12-15T10:09:00.001-08:00

Author: Stephanie O'dea

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Hyperion (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401310044

Book Description:

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow is the first cookbook from Stephanie O'Dea, the extremely popular slow cooking blogger: affordable, delicious, nutritious, and gluten-free recipes to delight the entire family.

In December 2007, Stephanie O'Dea made a New Year's resolution: she'd use her slow cooker every single day for an entire year, and write about it on her very popular blog. The result: more than three million visitors, and more than 300 fabulous, easy-to-make, family-pleasing recipes, including:
Breakfast Risotto
Vietnamese Roast Chicken
Tomatoes and Goat Cheese with Balsamic Cranberry Syrup
Falafel
Philly Cheesesteaks
Crème Brulee
--and much more.

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow is the perfect cookbook for easy, quick prep, inexpensive ingredients, and meals that taste like you spent hours at the stove.

My Review:

I am so thrilled with Make It Easy, Cook It Slow. I just received my copy and have already found at least 30 recipes that I want to try immediately. The recipes are uncomplicated, call for simple ingredients, and sound like something my family would like. I have lots of cookbooks on slow cooking, but this one has gone to the top of my lists of favorites.

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

THE WINNER IS.....

2009-12-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

The winner of Chocolate: A Love Story is Sandy M. CONGRATULATIONS! Please email your address to me so I can send your new cookbook. Enjoy!

Thanks to all who entered. Watch for more reviews and giveaways to come.

Jack Daniel's Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook

2009-11-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

Author: Lynne Tolley and Pat Mitchamore

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Nelsonword Publishing Group (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595553010

My Review:

The Jack Daniel’s Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook by Lynne Tolley and Pat Mitchamore is not only a cookbook, but a trip down memory lane, as well. As a native Tennessean, I enjoyed reading about the old fashioned ways of my forefathers, much of which I remember as a child. Pastimes like spinning good-natured stories; raising Tennessee Walking Horses; hunting; breeding hound dogs; hog killing time; farmer’s markets; mule trading; mountain music; folk singing; whittling; and boarding house meals are talked about, and were all a part of my youth.

The cookbook also tells about the history of Tennessee and the famous Jack Daniel’s Whiskey brand. It offers many wonderful Southern recipes like: Pecan Pie; Bowl Game Punch; Traditional Southern Fried Chicken; Hushpuppies; Down in the Hollow French Toast; German Apple Pancake; Mr. Jack’s Spoon Bread; Country-Style Steak and Gravy; Tipsy Sweet Potatoes; and Jack Daniel’s Brownies and Glaze. I especially liked the Holidate Bars for Christmas.

Jack Daniel’s Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook is a unique blend of recipes, folksy history, Southern hospitality, and numerous regional photographs. The book is also user-friendly.
I highly recommend it for the home-cook or as a gift for the person who likes a little spirit in their food. I love my copy!

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson for my review copy.)

The Blackberry Farm Cookbook

2009-11-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

Author: Sam Beall

Hardcover: 300 pages
Publisher: Clarkson Potter (October 20, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307407713

Book Description:

This is a gorgeous cookbook. Chef Beall (son of the founder of the restaurant-chain Ruby Tuesday) takes readers to the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee to his family's Blackberry Inn. Through color photos, stories, and over 100 recipes, the spirit of this special place and the people involved is conveyed through its beautiful pages.

My Review:

What a big, beautiful, magnificent collector's cookbook! I could easily say this is one of the most gorgeous in my large collection. It is filled with full-page color photos of one of my favorite places on earth, East Tennessee. Reading it makes me feel like I've been on a trip back home. The recipes are also indicative of that region of the country. These recipes are included: Blackberry Cobbler; Autumn Lamb Roast; Skillet Apple Crisp; Bourbon Apple Fried Pies; Sweet Potato Pie; Deep Fried Turkey; Cider-Basted Venison; and much more. If you want to give a beautiful gift for the holidays, this is it. I love my copy!

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Chocolate Cookbook Giveaway

2009-11-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

Title: Chocolate: A Love Story
Author: Max Brenner
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (November 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316056626

Hello friends!

Come on in. The cookbooks are sitting on the sideboard and lined around the walls. Fresh coffee is in the pot, and nice big mugs are on the kitchen table. Let's sit and chat about our favorite subject: food.

Today I'm launching my newest blog, My Favorite Cookbooks. I'm also giving away one brand new copy of "Chocolate: A Love Story, 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes From Max Brenner's Private Collection." I think the winner will love it.

Here's a description:

With gigantic vats of churning chocolate, desserts like their famous chocolate pizza, and 12 varieties of hot chocolate served in custom mugs, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man has turned their line of hip, colorful themed restaurants into an international sensation.. Chocolate: A Love Story is a vibrant new cookbook that includes 65 original recipes narrated in the quirky, captivating voice of Max Brenner, the restaurant's visionary founder and "bald man." Bold, original illustrations, inspired by Art Deco poster graphics, full-color photographs, easy-to-follow, delicious recipes, and a serving of Max's unique vision for spreading "chocolate culture" around the world make this book a must for every chocolate lover.

This is how to enter:

***Become a follower, tell us about your favorite chocolate treat, and leave your email address. That's all there is to it! Winner will be announced here on December 1st.

Thanks, friends, for dropping by today! Let's get together often. And oh yes, good luck with the contest!

Blessings, Barbara

(Thank you to Hachette Book Group for this copy.)