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My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

It’s a cold and snowy day today. Just the kind of day to curl up with a fire in the fireplace, and soft throw and a good book. That’s the beauty of this cookbook as it’s not just a cookbook, but a sort of journal as well–just the thing for a day like today. The author has a way with words that draws you in and lets you “see” what she’s writing about. For instance, and Feb 27th she writes, “Wonder of wonders, a dry wind, which is like a balm after the humidity of the past few months, is blowing its way up the valley, whipping up a frenzy in the treetops and causing the palms to rattle their spikes like sabres.” or July 12th where she writes, “A friend has dropped in a big bunch of cavolo nero, which I love. Do you know it? The name translates from the Italian as ‘black cabbage’, although its leaves are more a lovely dark green with just a tinge of blue. They’re narrow and crinkly, and when you wash them they almost seem to be waterproof, as the drops slip off them, leaving silvery trails. We’ll have it for dinner tonight with some grilled polenta. Perfect.” which is then followed by the recipe for the dish.

I love the variety of recipes in this book. From her take on classics such as Roast Chicken With Oodles of Herbs, Crunchy Rosemary Potatoes (which I LOVE), or Golden Tomato, Yellow Capsicum (Australian for Bell Pepper) and Fresh Mozzarella Salad which is a lovely variation of the classic Caprese Salad, to interesting dishes such as Middle Eastern Double Lentil Soup, Roast Sweet Potato with Smoked Parika, Parsley & Macadamia Pesto or Coiled Mushroom, Hazelnut & Dill Strudel, there is a little bit of everything is this book.

We had a laid-back day yesterday, and so I decided to make the Saffron, Basil & Ricotta Tart for lunch. It had mixed reviews, but that was purely due to individual tastes. My youngest strongly disliked it, but she has an issue with certain textures in food that this dish definitely had a texture she never enjoys. My husband wasn’t a huge fan, but “frou-frou” dishes such as quiches and tarts aren’t really his thing. The rest of us thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fruit prices are definitely on the high side around here lately, so I was thrilled to find some blueberries on sale. I thought of treating my family to blueberry muffins, but then I found the recipe for Blueberry Pikelets (Aussie pancakes) and decided to try them. They were a HUGE hit. The batter makes a delicious pikelet/pancake on its own, and the blueberries just make it even more special. We will be making this dish often!

This is just an all-around, delightful cookbook. I have enjoyed reading it, cooking from it and eating the results. It is a great addition to my favorite cookbooks, and one that I am very happy to highly recommend.

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

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

What a charming book!! From the sweet stories and traditions to the delightful recipes, it is a treat to both read and cook from. It made our Christmas even more of a treat.

Maple Pecan Cookies are delicious little morsels that keep you coming back for more. The Decadent Mac ‘N Cheese has become a family favorite, and is truly decadent with gruyere and parmesan cheeses. Dishes such as Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Cheddar Chive Biscuits will liven up any family dinner, and treats such as Coffee Cream Puffs and Spicy Pecans will be a welcome addition to any party–holiday or otherwise. Your pets are not forgotten, either, with Peanut Butter Dog Treats, Minty Fresh Dog Treats and more for your furry friends.

From Cabin Food to Party Foods, Christmas Eve Brunch, Christmas All Day Long, The Next Day and more, your holiday season is covered here. This is a book sure to delight the Christmas lover in you.

I received a copy of this book from The Countryman Press for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

The first time I visited Sicily, I couldn’t wait to try the gelato. I decided on pistachio the first time, and never moved beyond it that first trip…it was just that good. My next trip I branched out and tried the Bacio, which is a dark chocolate and hazelnut blend. Heaven in a dish! It immediately became my favorite and though I would try bites of others’ choices–and even thoroughly enjoy them–pistachio and bacio became my favorite, go-to choices. Needless to say, I was absolutely delighted to find recipes for both in this darling cookbook. I started with the Bacio. Now this recipe is called Bacio con Bianchini e Nocciole meaning “Rich Chocolate Gelato with Meringues and Hazelnut”. I have a confession to make…I ditched the meringues! I’m somewhat of a purist at times, and it just wasn’t something I was interested in it cluttering up my Bacio gelato. Oh, my! It’s absolutely amazing! Feel free to add the meringues, but I can attest to the amazing flavor of this gelato without them.

Of course, now it was time for the Pistachio. Most pistachio ice cream or gelato that I’ve had in the States tastes like ice cream with pistachios in it. I remember my first bite in Agrigento, Sicily and how amazed I was at the deep flavor. It wasn’t just a pistachio flavor, but was like you were eating pistachios themselves only it was ice cream. I had high hopes for this recipe and let me just say I was NOT disappointed!! With the first bite I was transported back to that little street in Agrigento having my first taste of Sicilian gelato. I kid you not, it was that good!! The punch of pistachio is just amazing. I will admit, that I added more pistachios that called for as I added some whole, toasted pistachios while it was churning, but you still would have that amazing flavor without them.

I have only made the two recipes so far, but they have definitely sold me on this book! So many gelato recipes, so little time! My kids love different flavors, so they will keep me trying more and I still want to dive into the sorbets. This little book has definitely earned its way onto my favorites shelf! I am very happy to highly recommend it!

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

My rating: 2 of 5 spoons

As a homeschool mom who needs to get a little healthier and lose some weight while I’m at it, I was so excited to review this cookbook. I was much more disappointed once I got into it. While there are great looking recipes, so very many call for their specialty ingredients. While there is a section in the front of substitutions, some clearly state that you’re not going to get as good a result without using their special blend/ingredient. I can’t afford pricey specialty items for everyday dishes, and there were so MANY of them, so this cookbook turned into a great disappointment for me.

I received a copy of this book through the Blogging for Books program for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons

I love New England, and I absolutely adore seafood. I couldn’t wait to get into this cookbook. You’d think I’d dive right into a great seafood dish, but that didn’t happen. I received the book a day or two before my oldest daughter’s 16th birthday. She doesn’t care for cake, but she loves cheesecake, so I had given her the option this year of either buying her a classic New York Cheesecake, or we could make one together. She opted for the two of us to make one and this cookbook happened to have a recipe for Fancy New York Cheesecake. It had to stay in the oven longer than the recipe called for, but the results were more than worth it. It was amazing!! She’s already asked that we make it again next year for her birthday. Actually, I think it was more along the lines of every year until she leaves home!

So, surely the seafood came next! Nope. Though it was calling my name, it was time for holiday baking. With multiple neighbors to make plates of baked goods for, we had to get hopping. While browsing this book, I ran across the Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies. Ahhh! Hazelnuts are my favorite nut…well, they probably tie with pistachios. I knew I had to try them. These little gems are keepers!! Everyone who tried them loved them. It’s just going to make it that much harder on me that hazelnuts are only available around the holidays here. Sigh!

We also made the Dr. T’s Date & Bacon Appetizer, though we stuffed some of them with a whole almond, and some with a small stick of Asiago cheese. They are so delicious!

Okay, I’m going to make some seafood!! I decided to go with a classic…clam chowder. Unfortunately, things started to go downhill here. If you are a novice cook or have never made clam chowder before, I do NOT recommend you starting with this recipe! I don’t know if she was assuming people had made it before and so everything didn’t have to be listed or stated, but ingredients and steps in the recipe were just completely missing!! I had to posit from common sense and past experience to get a decent pot out of this. It didn’t end there. The more I looked through the book, the more issues I found. The picture for the Seafood Fettuccini (which is also one of the photos on the front cover) doesn’t match the recipe. It looks like the fish is coated with something, but there is nothing in the recipe about coating the fish. In fact, the directions for cooking the fish itself are fairly vague. It also shows chopped tomatoes in the photo, but they are nowhere in the recipe or ingredient list.

While this cookbook was not exactly everything I had hoped for, it is still a pretty good cookbook. It’s worth it for the cheesecake and Hazelnut Shortbread Cookie recipes!!

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

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons

French Country Cooking is such an interesting cookbook. It’s divided by region, not by recipe type, so if you’re looking for something specific, the index is your friend. The recipes reflect the “country” aspect with recipes such as Lamb’s Feet and Stomach Parcels (which has two recipes from two different regions), Beef Stew in Beer, Boulogne Fisherman’s Chowder, and Alsation One-Pot Baked Dinner where the ingredients (which include pigs feet and tails) are sealed into the earthenware casserole by a layer of dough around the rim which seals it well. You can also find more decadent recipes such as Fondue in a Fourme de Montbrison which is a fondue made from and in a whole 4 lb wheel of Fourme de Montbrison cheese, Gratin of White Asparagus or Filet Mignon with Brie.

I’ve heard of Breton Apple Cake and couldn’t wait to try it. Unfortunately, it did NOT turn out well at all. It had to cook nearly twice as long as called for, and the texture was…interesting. I read the recipe repeatedly to make sure I had not missed any ingredients or steps, but I followed it perfectly. The Gougeres (Cheese Puffs), however, were amazing!! They were a huge hit with the entire family and they are clamoring for me to make them again soon!

There is much to love in this book, and some things that are interesting but will never be cooked. The fact that they’re at least interesting, though, says much about the book. If you’re looking for classic, French country cooking, I think this could be a good book for you.

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

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

Hartwood is as much a work of art as a cookbook. From the cover, all through the pages (about 300 of them!) the absolutely gorgeous photography draws you in. This is a book you can enjoy just curling up in a comfy chair and immerse yourself in. At some point, however, you want to start cooking. That is a little harder. Many ingredients are used that if you don’t have access to a well-stocked Latin American grocery could be a little harder to find, and there are no substitutions given. That said, there is so much in this book! Lots of information on building flavors, chiles, fruits, drying herbs and more start you off on the right foot, before heading into chapters titled The Larder, The Market, The Sea, The Land, Desserts, and Drinks.

Ultimately, Hartwood is a cookbook about a restaurant. These are the dishes you would eat there, and they’ve given you the gift to try to re-create them in your own home. That is quite a gift. If you’ve ever been to Hartwood, or if you long for the flavors of the Yucatan, this is definitely the book for you. If you want an armchair trip, this is not a bad choice, either. Give it a try!

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

I love to grill. I also love slow braised and roasted meats, and this book beautifully covers it all with some great foundations and finishes to boot. The title says a lot about this book. Do not expect to pop in the kitchen and deliver an amazing meal in an hour. This is all about SLOW fires…recipes that may be fairly simple, but they take time. For example, Seared Bay Scallops with Bagna Cauda and Vegetables may sound like a quick, easy dish, but you have to refrigerate the scallops, uncovered, for 3 hours, roast the sunchokes for about half an hour, make the bagna cauda…you get the idea. However, the results speak for themselves.

I like that there is a nice mix of everyday ingredients that most are familiar with as well as a few that you might have to go searching for. However, that just piques the interest and encourages you to go on a little food adventure.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book for absolute beginners. The directions are clear, but the sheer volume of work for many of the recipes could intimidate the novice cook. However, if you’ve been cooking awhile, I think this would be a great book for you.

I received a copy of this book from Clarkson Potter through the Blogging for Books program for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

Everything you ever wanted to know about enchiladas! From Mayan and Aztec, all the way to Tex-Mex, it’s all covered here. Classic recipes, history, information about the various ingredients and more fill the pages of this delightful cookbook. It’s sorted by main ingredient such as Pork, Beef, Cheese, Vegetable and more ending with Tex-Mex. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.

This is a gorgeous, heavy, well-made book. It would have benefited from more photos of the finished dishes, but it’s still a wonderful book! Why not try some authentic enchiladas to surprise and delight your family with?

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

Do you love seafood? Are you heading to…or missing the flavors of…New Orleans? If so, this is a great cookbook for you! Each two page spread covers one restaurant with a bit about the restaurant, where it’s located and a recipe for a dish there. The photos make you want to dive in and start eating!

Try the Trout Supreme from Sapphire, or the Seasonal Boiled Seafood Special from Pier 424 Seafood Market Restaurant or Seared Scallops in Beurre Blanc from Keith Young’s. It’s not too far to the Super Bowl, so why not try the Crawfish Nachos from Deanie’s Seafood? There’s even recipes with alligator and turtle!

This is such a fun cookbook. You’re sure to find something you like whether it’s a more upscale Flounder Crudo, or a down-home Crab Boil or Gumbo.

I received an F&G of this book from Pelican Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.