Month: November 2015

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

L’Art de la Table, is a gorgeous cookbook. Dreamy photos of the Mediterranean combined with succulent looking photos of most of the dishes are a feast for the soul. This book is definitely not just about feeding your soul, though! Page after page of delectable dishes make your mouth water and cry to be re-created in your own home.

I started with Berry and Cacao Nibs Breakfast Cake. I’ll be honest, it was a little hit or miss, but mostly just due to different personal tastes. My husband like the cake, but said the berry/chocolate mixture didn’t work for him and my youngest flat out didn’t like it. Most of the others liked it but weren’t overwhelmed. However, I don’t expect to love every single recipe I make out of a cookbook, so we moved on.

I’ve made three separate visits to Sicily over the years, and my all-time, absolute favorite “street food” is Arancini. Little fried rice balls with prosciutto and a young pecorino cheese inside, they are a little bit of heaven! These are slightly different using parmigiano instead of pecorino and no meat (thought it would be easy to add some meat and change the cheese), but are still amazing little bites sure to create fans everywhere. I like that they made them small, snack size. Arancini in Sicily are around the size of an orange (which they are named for!), but these are great for appetizers.

Tomato Carpaccio is just flat out amazing. We’ve done something similar for years, though I had never added the cheese. I’m not really sure why as I’m a complete cheeseaholic, but I will definitely add the cheese now! For my final dish, I made the Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Garlic. Wow! The dish is so simple to prepare, but the taste is amazing!! Lemon, garlic and thyme create a marriage of flavors completely infusing the chicken that takes is up a notch…or two. These were a huge hit with my family and I, and destined for our list of favorite dishes to be made repeatedly.

I am far from done cooking from L’Art de la Table! From Olive Oil Buns to Double Chocolate Panna Cotta, there are many, many dishes on my “have to try” list.

I am very impressed by this cookbook. From the nice weight in your hands to the quality binding, gorgeous photography and delectable food, this cookbook is a sure winner and has easily earned it’s place on my favorite cookbooks shelf. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from Aerial Media Company through Perseus Distribution for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

I love New England. It’s been a not-so-secret wish of mine for some time now to someday live in the area–preferably Maine. Until then, I love to soak up lovely cookbooks and food from the area. This beautiful book is right up my alley! I had a huge sweet craving right after receiving this book (which is unusual for me–normally I crave salty stuff), so I tried out the Farmhouse Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies. They immediately became a family favorite! I didn’t have maple sugar, so I just added a dollop of maple syrup and they were scrumptious!

We love authentic baked beans around here, so next up was Pop’s Baked Beans. I splurged awhile ago and bought a traditional bean pot that I love to use, so out it came. I was a little nervous with the amount of ketchup the recipe called for, especially as that’s all you smelled for the first hour or so, but they mellowed out and were very good. They were a little sweeter than I typically like, but I am definitely in the minority on that! That’s also an easy fix if you prefer more savory beans. Rustic Herb Potatoes and Herb-Roasted Chicken are scrumptious. Pair those with the Buttermilk Biscuits and you have a wonderful meal.

This cookbook isn’t just pretty with a few yummy-looking recipes, but something I will want to cook out of for a long time to come. Maple-Nut Fudge is on my list for holiday cooking this year. I can’t wait to try her Maine Lobster Stew and the Creamy Cheddar and Broccoli Soup as the days get colder and soups are the order of the day. We’re in the middle of a warm snap (it’s November and the windows are all open in the house as it’s a balmy 68 with a high of 73 today!!), so soups will wait a little longer.

I could go on and on listing recipes that I want to try or even recipes I want to make again, but suffice it to say that this is a great cookbook that I am happy to highly recommend! I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you will to. Let’s get cooking!

I received a copy of this book from Gibbs-Smith Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.