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Welcome back to my blog! I realize it’s been awhile since I posted. It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 years since I last posted! My husband walked out on us forcing the girls and I to relocate. It was an interesting couple of years. We found jobs, a house, went through a pandemic while working at a hospital (that keeps life interesting!) and are settled into our new lives. My oldest daughter got married last fall, and I’m dating a wonderful man. Life is crazy, but we’re happy and now I’m getting back to my love of food, cookbooks and cooking!! Come along this journey with me as I dive back into the wonderful world of cookbooks!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amish Friends Christmas Cookbook is a cute little cookbook that was interesting to look through. I hadn’t made fresh bread for awhile, so I decided to try Homemade Bread. This is a simple recipe that makes three loaves, but don’t let that put you off. It tastes wonderful and you’ll have no trouble finding someone to help you eat it!

There are some great from scratch recipes like the bread, but some have multiple ingredients that are pre-processed foods. I left those alone and still found plenty to keep me interested! From a great start to your day with a dish like Gold Rush Brunch, to a light lunch like Oriental Chicken Salad, a hearty supper like Potato Soup–only it’s truly loaded with yumminess!–and sweet delights such as Black Midnight Cake, a myriad of fudges or classic Buckeyes, there is a multitude of dishes to choose from.

If you are a seasoned cook that doesn’t like shortcuts, this may not be the first cookbook you’d reach for, but if you are a beginner, or just like to keep recipes around that are quick to put together, you’re sure to love this cute cookbook!

I received a copy from Barbour Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, what a jewel of a book!! I spent the longest time just reading through and soaking up this book. Forget running to the store for every little thing–start making your own!! From ghee to Fragrant Dried Stock, All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix, Preserved Lemons, Ricotta, Cordials and more, the recipes are here for you to go truly…homemade.

With the quarantine right now, everyone is going crazy making all kinds of homemade breads. I definitely recommend the No Knead Oat Flour Bread! Herb-Flecked Pizza Dough will bring a new depth to your homemade pizza nights!

From hummus to vinaigrette and tomato sauce to berry syrup, there’s a wealth of recipes to be found in this little book. Hey, we’re not even done yet!! There’s even a section on Beauty and Wellbeing (think essential oil blends, balms, face masks, cleansers, natural deodorants and more) and one on For the Home (soy candles, air fresheners, wool dryer balls and dishwashing powder to name a few).

This is a delightful book that is even more timely for our world right now. I’m happy to highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books through IPG for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where do I start with this amazing cookbook? I have an 11-year-old daughter wanting to learn how to cook more, so I couldn’t wait to get this cookbook! I let her start slow with the Very, Very, Very Slow Grilled Cheese. The first time she made them, she didn’t turn the stove all the way to the lowest setting, so it burnt, but it came out fine the second time.

Getting a touch more complicated, next she made Pancakes. I’ve lost count how many times she’s made these now! They are probably her favorite recipe in this book!!

She wasn’t quite 11 when we got the cookbook, and she was going through saying all the things she wanted to make. One of these was Butter Chicken. She LOVES butter chicken, and was so excited that she could make it! One of her birthday presents, we bought her a masala dabba and I made Butter Chicken with her. I cut up the chicken and took care of putting the chicken under the broiler and removing it (we have a gas oven, so the broiler is the bottom drawer, and it was a little tricky getting the large cookie sheet in and out), but otherwise, she did most of it herself. She was so excited to eat when it was done, and it was delicious!!

This is a great cookbook for teaching kids to cook! My daughter loves it and says she’s going to keep it forever and ever and hand it down to her kids. (She’s a little dramatic, but we love her!) It’s fun and informative and perfect for kids. I highly recommend it!!

I received a copy of this book from Familius for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love cooking dished from countries around the world, and I have enjoyed Spanish food many times, so I was definitely looking forward to cooking some food for Andalusia!

We started with Pollo Empanao & Tomato Salad. We had some thin pork chops, so actually substituted them for the chicken. It is very possible that it is just the meat difference, but the pork soaked up so much of the marinade, that it had such a wine flavor to it that the family didn’t care for it. It would probably be better with chicken. Otherwise, it was good.

The Orange and Oregano Salad is so simple, but so good. I love doing the same thing with tomatoes as well. Pipirrana is such a light, gorgeous dish for summer months!

My 17-year-old was excited to find the Churros recipe. It took a couple of tries to get the oil temperature right (too hot and they don’t cook through!), but she did a great job and we loved eating the results!

There are a lot of good recipes in this book. If you’re looking for a taste of this beautiful region, this is a great place to start!

I received a copy of this book from Hardie Grant Publishing through Chronicle Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love sourdough. Growing up, my mom often had sourdough and made the most delicious biscuits and bread (I’m talking real, southern sourdough biscuits, not the odd triangles in the book!). I was thrilled to get this book and give it a try myself. I definitely learned some things. First, use the size jar they say. I tried to make do with what I had and it was too large at the bottom. It’s winter here in South Dakota, so I had it on a heating pad, and it just dried out eventually instead of fermenting nicely. Had to go back to the drawing board and get the proper jar. Trust me, it makes a difference!

The bread recipes are great. Try the tortillas and the boule if nothing else. Honestly, I can’t bring myself to try the “biscuits”. Those look more like scones at best. I’ll just use sourdough starter and my personal biscuit recipe! On top of the bread recipes, there are some lovely recipes to use with the bread. Definitely give the Fried Paneer a try, but if you can find a recipe to make your own paneer, definitely go for it! Turkey and Provolone Panini with Pistachio Tapenade? Delicious whether you’re using sourdough or not!

Bon Jour French Onion and Mushroom Soup is on my to make list, and the Havarti Tuna Melt with Sliced Tomato looks delicious! Why have a boring sandwich when you can have such a delightful lunch with just a tiny bit more work?!

Sourdough on the Rise is a great book introducing sourdough to people. It has delightful recipes sure to please.

I received a copy of this book from Sasquatch Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

   My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve loved the ocean since we lived near the beach while living in Alaska years ago. That is also where I learned to love seafood. Captain’s Dinner drew me in, not just due to the delicious recipes included inside, but the gorgeous photography and fascinating vignettes of a myriad of fisherman from around the world.

The book is divided into sections according to the seas: North Sea & Elbe, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The captains are from The Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey, France, Iceland, England, Sicily, Greece, Croatia and more. Each captain has a five page spread containing their story and photos, and then their recipes–typically two recipes per person.

This book is completely worth it for the stories and the photography alone, but the recipes just elevate it that much more. I love mussels, so I started with the recipe from Aurelien Sorin from France. They were absolutely delicious!! As with many of the recipes in this book, they are simply made with few, but excellent ingredients.

As the weather turned colder here, I turned to Plokkfiskur, and Icelandic fish stew from Orvar Marteinsson. Simple ingredients, simply cooked, but the flavor was amazing!

Sicily is a place close to my heart, so I eagerly turned to Antonio Russo’s story. I don’t have access to cuttlefish which made me unable to make one of his recipes, but the other is Fritto di Pesce, a dish that I have actually had in Sicily. Delicious!!

Captain’s Dinner is a feast for the eyes as well as the belly. The photography pulls you in, making you wish you could meet some of the hearty men of the sea and visit their shores, and the recipes are a delight to the palate. I have loved my journey, and plan on taking more journeys in the pages of this book. Get a copy for yourself and have an adventure!

I received a copy of this book from teNeues for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

© Captain’s Dinner – A life on the sea & authentic recipes from real fishermen – Paul Pflüger, published by teNeues, $45, www.teneues.com

Photo © 2018 Paul Pflüger. All rights reserved. @thecaptainsdinner

https://teneues-books.us/captain-s-dinner-english-version-2

Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen by Adeena Sussman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Israel is high on the list of places my family would love to visit, so I was very excited to dig into this book! The beautiful photos draw you right in, making your mouth water and your hands itch to get cooking–so I did!

We first made Lachuch–Yemenite Crumpet Pancakes. My girls decided that while honey and/or butter on top was good, blackberry jam spread on top was the absolute best way to eat them.

From there, my daughters made the Roasted Sheet Pan Cherry Tomatoes and used them to make Roasted Tomato and Labaneh Pappardelle. Time restrictions did not allow for making our own labaneh, but using the Greek yogurt as suggested was delicious!

I made the Hummus next, but it was a little too full-on chickpea flavor for me. I think I’m going to whiz in some roasted red peppers to take the edge off.

There is so much more I want to make out of this cookbook from Challah Bread, Harissa-Honey Pargiyot (Boneless Chicken Thighs), Shabakia (a delightful looking dessert!) and more. This cookbook comfortably remains on my shelf to be pulled down and used for many years to come.

I received a copy of this book from Avery Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Living in South Dakota now, I knew my girls would love this book, getting ideas for a “western” Christmas. They were not disappointed! From decorating ideas, cute stories and easy recipes, they were delighted from the start.

The first recipe we tried was the Overnight French Toast. Oh. my. word. The ONLY thing I would change about this is the second time we made it, we added chopped pecans. It was absolutely delicious the first time around. The second time we made it, it was out of this world!

Shortly after making the French Toast, I was looking for a quick, easy supper for my 17-year-old to make as she would be the only one home to cook that night. I decided on Bunkhouse Stew. I’ll be honest, no one was really excited about it, but she made it anyway. It’s really good!! Everyone ended up loving it. It is nice and hearty with a really good flavor. I thought it needed a touch of salt, but otherwise it was excellent.

There are some nice treats and sweets we will probably try closer to Christmas. This is definitely not geared towards expert cooks–chicken casserole using Rice-A-Roni, Beefy Gnocchi using packaged skillet gnocchi, etc–but the recipes are simple, filling dishes you can serve to your family and friends any time.

I received a copy of this book from Rowman & Littlefield for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I never got further east in Africa than Botswana, so I was fascinated to see this cookbook covering Madagascar, Mauritius and the other islands in the Indian Ocean. It’s a beautiful cookbook filled with exotic flavors that, to me, combine the taste of Africa and India into a delightful fusion. From curries to seafood, lentils to goat, there is a wonderful array of dishes to charm and fill you.

I made Creamy Lentils with Thyme & Tumeric for lunch yesterday. My family are not really big on lentils, but they even said it has a really good flavor. While the lentils were good, they did not quite get the raves that Sesame Coconut Flatbreads received! Whether they had just a slather of butter or a drizzle of honey, the flavor was delicious and the crunchy outside combined with the light, fluffy inside made it a textural delight!

I wish I had access to goat meat where I am. The Fragrant Goat Cooked in Masala Spices looks wonderful, and I know goat meat is incredibly tasty!! There is much to love in this cookbook. Try some classic street food with Potato and Pea Samosas, or go a different direction with Fish Biryani. I’ve had lamb and chicken biryani and loved both. Now I need to go make the fish version!

Whether you want to recreate flavors you’ve had before, or you want to branch out and try something new, this book is sure to have a little something for everyone.

I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.