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My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love international food, and I really love international street food!! I was so excited to get this book!! One of my favorite places is Italy, so I immediately went to see what treasures I could find there. I was expecting something like arancini, panelle fritters or some other classic Italian street food, so you can imagine my surprise when I found Spaghetti Carbonara and Aubergine Parmigiana! NOT exactly street food! I started digging and found that quite a few of the recipes aren’t exactly known for being street food. France had Quiche Lorraine, Spain had Piperrada Scrambled Eggs, Greece had Courgette & Feta Fritters which I could totally see as street food and Greek Salad–not so much.

On the bright side, this book is filled with delightful, fairly easy to cook dishes that kids and adults alike would enjoy cooking and eating. From curries to stews and Bobotie to Beachside Fish Fry, you’ll find a delicious array of dishes bringing the world to your kitchen. If the title left out “street”, I would have given it five stars, but while there are some great street food recipes, there are quite a few that don’t really fit the bill.

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

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thinking of heading to Paris or just want to immerse yourself from the comfort of your home? This book is for you. It is full of fascinating history and tidbits about the city of lights. Learn about places, people, and recipes that have influenced Parisian food.

Downie wanders through the streets of Paris and takes you along for the trip. The 10 parts follow the order of a meal, from Aperitif to Digestif using history to take you from course to course–a unique way to learn the history of this great city.

If you’re a Paris buff, you’re going to want to read this book. Fascinating history mixed with food–what more could you want?!

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve had some great Amish food in my time, so I was excited to review this cookbook. It’s full of traditional and contemporary foods from the Amish community. There are some positives and negatives, though.

On the up side, I grew up on what we called Fried Dried Apple Pies. Here they are called Half Moon Pies (because of their shape), but whatever the name, they are absolutely delicious! Another traditional dish is the Potato Cakes. Now, not everyone loves these (some of my kids were not impressed), but I grew up on them, and they are delightful with just some butter slathered on top or you can drizzle with honey or syrup.

On the down side was the recipe for Pecan Pie. I LOVE pecan pie!! It’s a staple in our house for Thanksgiving, so I happily prepared this version. Unfortunately, you couldn’t even really taste the pecans–there was just an overwhelming taste of molasses. As much as my family loves pecan pie, this one heartbreakingly went in the garbage.

There is so much more in this cookbook, and you’re sure to find plenty to enjoy. If you’re not a molasses fan, though, skip the pecan pie.

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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited to be given the opportunity to review this cookbook!! I do not have Lyme’s disease or any chronic inflammation diseases, but I have two sisters diagnosed with Lyme’s and know how they struggle with the disease, so I’m very happy to review this with them in mind. Now I cannot talk about how this has really helped me as I don’t have the disease, and haven’t been able to actually do the 10-week program. I can, however, talk about the food itself.

There is tons of information here–the recipes don’t start until page 73. Also, I like that the authors have thought about the little things. For instance, if a recipe calls for half a head of cauliflower, then another dish FROM THE SAME WEEK will call for the other half. That may sound like a small thing, but I hate when cookbooks like this that give you a menu to follow call for parts of ingredients, but no way to use the rest, so you end up going off plan or wasting food.

Let’s start with breakfast. Phase I has a lovely Herb Scrambled Eggs with Shiitake Mushrooms, or how about a smoothie to start your day right? For snacks there’s everything from Deviled Eggs to Savory Vegetable and Herb Biscotti (I haven’t tried these yet, but I can’t wait to make them!) and more. Entrees include such delectables as Brown and Wild Rice Cauliflower and Mushroom Curry or Sauteed Salmon Cakes. For that sweet tooth there is Berry Frozen Dessert (a Phase I version of ice cream using coconut milk) or Chewy Coconut Almond Clusters. All that is just Phase I which is the strictest!

I’m not going to fill pages with the recipes from the other three phases, but suffice it to say that they get better and better! To top it off, recipes for major ingredients are included. From broths to milks, Homemade baking powder, spicy rub, croutons, and more are included to make your cooking that much easier. Sauces and Condiments are included as well. Ditch the junk and make your own mayo, syrups, pasta sauces, dressings, ketchup, tartar sauce and so much more.

I think this is an amazing book that will not only help Lyme sufferers, but anyone trying to create a healthier lifestyle for themselves. I highly recommend it.

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

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Comfort food–what’s not to like? I was so excited to get this book. I’ve lived all across this great country of ours, so comfort food from around America was exciting to me! Some of this book I loved, some didn’t quite come up to par.

Fried Green Tomatoes are a southern classic that I grew up on and even though I don’t need a recipe to make them, this one is spot on. I love beef stew, so I was excited to try Ranch Stew. If you go by the recipe, expect an extremely bland stew. There is not a drop of salt called for in this recipe. The only seasoning is coffee, brown sugar (don’t try to leave it out as the coffee gives the stew a bitter taste without the sugar to counteract it!), oregano and chili powder–and it just calls for 1 t chili powder for a pot of stew with 1/2 lbs of stew meat!! I can’t help but wonder if anyone actually tried this recipe to catch omissions as there surely was something other than just salt omitted.

I grew up on Hoe Cakes, but my family would probably disown me if I added sugar to them! However, tons of people love sweet cornbread, so it’s easy to make these either way–with or without the sugar. Buttermilk Biscuits and Baking Powder Biscuits are two more that I grew up with and still make to this day!

A good portion of recipes in this book are good or look good (I haven’t gotten to cook all of them yet!), but some concern me. I’ve noticed several that don’t call for salt at all, especially some of the potato recipes. I realize some people try to keep the salt down in their diet, but this isn’t billed as “healthy comfort food”, so at least put it in as optional!!

This book has much to recommend it, but some down sides as well that kept me from giving it a higher rating. I don’t hate it, but it won’t make my favorites shelf.

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

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love sausage of any shape or kind. On a recent trip to Botswana I had a ball trying all different kinds of sausages. I loved the boerewors, so was thrilled to find a recipe for it in this book!! My husband loves mortadella, which is also included!! From andouille to chorizo, braunschweiger to Sai Krok Isan (Thai sour sausage), you can find it all here–and we haven’t even moved on from the pork section yet!! There is also sections for Beef, Lamb and Veal Sausages, Combination Sausages, Game Sausages, Poultry Sausages, Seafood Sausages and, yes, there is even Vegetarian Sausages!

Part three (part one is Sausage 101 and Essential Techniques) is all about cooking with sausages. Sausage for Breakfast or Brunch, Sausage Starters and Sausage for Lunch or Dinner. I think the book is worth it for the history and recipes even if you’re not planning on making your own sausages!! Try a Sausage and Pepper Quiche, Toad-in-the-Hole, Scotch Quail Eggs, Mini Corn Dogs and more. There are also recipes for Essential Sidekicks such as pickles, chutneys, sauces and more.

Lunch and Dinner recipes are even better with pizza recipes (Sausage, Ricotta and Fennel as well as Greek Pizza), Sausage-Filled Piroshki, Chicken and Sausage Cacciatore, Chicken Sausage Tandoori and so much more.

This is a great cookbook for sausage lovers everywhere. There’s something for everyone–from the person who just wants to cook with great sausage to the one who wants to be in there from the beginning, creating their own masterpieces and even the vegetarian that doesn’t want to give up sausage, you can find it all here.

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

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“What a gorgeous cookbook!” That was my first thought upon seeing this cookbook. I love the cover, and the photos inside the book are gorgeous! There is a lovely variety of recipes in this cookbook separated into chapters that make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Chapters are:

• Ingredients for Thai Cooking
• Must-have Herbs & Spices
• Snacks & Finger Foods
• Salads
• Roast, Grill & Stir-fry
• Fish & Seafood
• Curries & Soups
• Rice, Noodles & Sides
• Desserts & Drinks
• Basics
• Menu Planner

The menu planner is especially nice as, rather than a dry list of recipes, each menu is a row of photos of each dish on the menu.

I wanted to start simple, so I decided on the Chicken Satay with Turmeric & Ginger. I was unable to find the tamarind paste, but I decided to go ahead without it. I have a serious skin sensitivity to peppers, so I double gloved and prayed. Hmmm. Not sure what happened with the peppers as I bought what I was supposed to, but there was basically no heat at all. I didn’t want to blow the back of our heads off, but I did want SOME heat. As a result of non-spicy peppers and no tamarind paste, the results were a little bland, but good. While the flavors were subtle, if you paid attention, they were nice. Let me be clear–this is NOT the recipe’s fault! I don’t know if someone mis-labeled the peppers or what, but they clearly didn’t work like they should, and I’ve seen tamarind paste in the store before, but they were out and I didn’t want to wait. With the tamarind and peppers that are actually hot I think it would have been a great dish. I actually made jasmine rice substituting coconut milk for part of the water, and it was very good.

Another simple, but excellent dish is the Thai Fried Rice. It calls for chicken and shrimp, but I think you can easily use one or the other by itself and still have a great dish. It’s easy to make and very delicious.

There’s so much more to try in this book, but I didn’t want you to have to wait longer for a review. Take a leap into some homemade Thai food. I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy it!

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

   My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everything you ever wanted to know about chocolate can be right at your fingertips. If you’re expecting a lot of recipes, though, you might be disappointed.

Bean to Bar covers the origins, history and makers of chocolate around the world. It is full of fascinating facts and gorgeous photos. If you’re looking for in depth history or information about the world of chocolate making, this is the book for you!! There’s great information on tempering chocolate and techniques for making bon bons, etc.

When it comes to recipes, this book was somewhat lacking for me. They do span from easy to advanced, but there’s only around 22 recipes in the book, and several of those are for various types of drinking chocolate.

The Truffle Torte reminds me of a Torta Caprese, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Definitely give the Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies a try as well!!

Overall, if you’re looking for great chocolate recipes, I don’t know if this book will be enough for you. If you are a chocoholic looking for all things chocolate, you’ll probably love it!!

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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The holidays are upon us, so my thoughts turn to baking!! We like to do plates of baked good for our neighbors during the holidays, so I’m always on the lookout for good cookies and baked goods to include. They need to be fairly easy to make, and preferably something my daughters can make on their own so I don’t have to do all the work. Many hands make light work!! My 15-year-old daughter loves to bake, so I turned this book over to her to see how it worked out. She is a beginner cook, and I wanted to see if these were good for beginners. Well, the book passed with flying colors!!

She started with the recipe for sugar cookies–a nice, basic cookie. They were everything a sugar cookie should be, and she went a step further making the icing and decorating them as well. They turned out great!

Next, my oldest daughter requested the Danish Butter Wreaths. My daughter that did the baking would be a sugar addict if I let her, and she wasn’t impressed with them. The rest of us couldn’t stop eating them!! They are seriously addicting with a nice, subtle flavor that keeps you reaching for another and another and…well, you get the picture. I’m pretty sure these will be on our gift plates this year!!

I’m very impressed with this book, and it has easily earned its place on my shelf. I know we’ll be reaching for it again and again over the years. Give it a try! Your family and friends will thank you!!

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

 

Look what I just picked up!!  I found this here in Botswana and it’s going home with me!  I can’t wait to start cooking out of it.  I’ll be cooking and reviewing soon, so keep your eyes peeled!