southerncooker's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
117 books reviewed. Showing 101 to 117Sort by: Rating 
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Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen: An Indispensable Guide for Anybody Who Likes to Cook
By Tyler Florence
Clarkson Potter - 2003
This book has great color photos of many of the dishes. I enjoy watching
Tyler's Ultimate and some of the other shows he has had on the Food Network
and so naturally I had to have this book.
I only have one complaint about this book some recipes continue on the
following page so you often have to keep turning the page back and forth when
making a recipe. This is Tyler's first cookbook and at the time it was wrote
he was host of Food 911.
You'll find recipes for down home country type food such as meatloaf and
chicken pot pie. Also included is the less familiar to home cooks, things
such as Dim Sum and Sushi. Finally there are also recipes that many might
consider gourmet, such as Chilled Pea Shots with Spicy Crab and Roast Prime
Rib of Beef with Horseradish Crust and Wild Mushrooms. Seems there is
something for everyone no matter what type of things you're looking to cook.
For Mother's day one year, Sarita chose to make me the Blueberry Scones with Lemon
Glaze. Unfortunately the blueberries weren't ripe in NC and they were
extremely expensive at the local stores, so she substitute strawberries
instead. They were delicious with the lemon sauce and even good cold. Besides
having a warm one on Mother's Day I took one a day for my morning coffee break
until the rest were all gone. Of course I shared a few with Harold and Sarita
as well. Dexter doesn't like them.
Cooking From the Hip: Fast, Easy, Phenomenal Meals
By Cat Cora, Ann Krueger Spivack
Houghton Mifflin - 2007
This book is divided into five sections: Fast, Easy, Fun, Phenomenal, and Good
to Know. It also includes resources for hard to find ingredients, which some
people find really helpful. It has beautiful color photos and lots of notes
from Cat throughout the book.
Cat Cora is the Food Network's only female Iron Chef and I enjoy watching her
compete on that show.
I made the Two Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm and Blue Cheese and it was
great. It was so pretty layered in my glass pedestal serving bowl. I did have trouble
finding Sherry Vinegar so I used 1/2 red wine vinegar and 1/2 rice wine
vinegar. I also used black beans instead of kidney since I forgot to get more
kidney beans and had a couple cans of black beans already in the cabinet.
Dexter likes black beans better anyway. He also wants me to leave out the
chick peas and make this one again.
Cat encourages you to "cook from the hip" (hence the title of the book),
taking these recipes as guide lines. She suggests using what you have on hand
or your family enjoys and making substitutions if desired, which I did. This
is a beautiful, fun book to read, cook from and enjoy.
Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue
By Carla Fitzgerald Williams
- 2003
If you like rotisserie chicken and want some great recipes to use them in then this is the book for you. Most of the recipes are quick and easy. I got this one at the LA Times Book Festival several years ago and got it signed by the author. She was a very nice lady.
Jack Daniel's Old Time Barbecue Cookbook
By Vince Staten
The Sulgrave Press - 2001
Lots of good information about barbecuing in this one. Many of the recipes do use Jack Fun book to read as well as cook from.
Jack Daniel's Hometown Celebration Cookbook, Volume II
By Pat Mitchamore
Rutledge Hill Press - 1990
This is the seconed book by Pat Mitchamore and Lynne Tolley. It has some interesting information as well as some good sounding recipes, many using, of course, Jack Daniels.
Hala Food Fun and Laughter
By Linda D. Delgado
- 2005
Even though the target audience for this book is Muslim cooks, I think
cookbook collectors who are interested in or curious about other
cultures or religions would find this book to be a great addition to their
collections. If you like trying new recipes from around the world then
this is a great little book.
Passion for Potatoes
By Lydie Marshall
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1992
When I was growing up there were three things that were always on our table at supper time, one was some kind of meat, the 2nd was usually corn bread but occasionally biscuits, and the last and most important was potatoes, so naturally this was a book I had to add to my collection.
On the back of the book there are praises for the book from such famous people as Patricia Wells, and Alice Waters. Inside along with the recipes is a history of potatoes, how to store them, and potato folklore.
Chapters included are:
Appetizers; Soups; Potato Salads; Breads; Main Courses; Mashed Potatoes;
Baked,Sauteed, Braised and Roasted Potatoes; Fries; Gratins and Scalloped Potatoes; Potato Dumplings and Gnocchi; Potato Pancakes; and Desserts.
It only has a few pictures and they are black and white drawings, mostly of potatoes. I love the sidebars on each page. They tell something about
the recipe itself - such as where it came from, what to serve with the dish, or ideas, tips ect.
Bobby Flay's Throwdown!: More Than 100 Recipes from Food Network's Ultimate Cooking Challenge
By Bobby Flay, Stephanie Banyas, Miriam Garron
Clarkson Potter - 2010
Are you ready for a Throwdown? If you're a fan of Throwdown with Bobby Flay then you're familiar with that phrase. This book includes recipes from Throwdown seasons 1 through 7 and the pilot episode. For each episode you get the recipe from Bobby and the person he challenges. There are also favorite throwdown moments and behind the scenes peeks.
If you enjoy the show then you'll love this book. You can try some of the recipes and decide if the judges make the right picks. Even if you're not a fan of the show you might still enjoy this book as it's filled with regional favorites from across the USA.
Semi-Homemade Money-Saving Slow-Cooking: 128 Quick-to-Cook Meals
By Sandra Lee
Wiley - 2009
I got this one recently from Paper Back Swap. I enjoy using my slow cooker, especially during the week when I can put things in the cooker before I leave for work and return to a nice hot meal. Since I'm always on a budget being money saving meals helped me to place this book on my wish list.
In the beginning of the book Sandra gives you hints, tips, and information about cooking in a slow cooker, as well as how to choose the best one for the job you want to do. She tells you about cuts of meats, flavor enhancers, cooking with wine, even baking, and sizes of slow cookers.
I know many people think of mixes, cans and prepackaged foods when they hear Sandra Lee's name but she uses lots of fresh and frozen ingredients in many of these recipes. She does use shortcuts and often some mixes, cans or prepackaged items in addition to the fresh ingredients.
There is a beautiful photo for every recipe. After the name of the recipe at the top she gives you prep time, cook time, slow cooker setting (high, Low), standing time, and makes (how many servings).
I have picked out several recipes to try including some calling for frozen seasoning blend. I wasn't sure what that was so I went to one of the web sites listed in her book, www.sandralee.com or www.semihomemade.com and searched around there a bit. When I didn't find what I was looking for I clicked on contact and asked. I received an answer in a couple days that it's a combination of frozen vegetables. There are two brands she suggests Pictsweet Seasoning Blend or McKenzie Seasoning Blend.
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
I won this one from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms. The book is autographed by the author, she wrote: "Make life sweeter... eat dessert First! Joanne Chang"
I only have one complaint about this book the print is a little small in the ingredients listing. It's also a bit light there and in the directions. The information included with each recipe is in much bigger and darker print. The instructions are bigger type but still a bit light and hard on older eyes.
The book begins with a few in depth informational chapters to help your baking projects turn out their best. Chapters there include: an Introduction, Techniques, Equipment, Ingredients, and Joanne's Top 12 Baking Tips. The next chapters get to the goodies: Breakfast Treats, Cookies, Cakes, Pies + Tarts, Other Sweets, and Bread. At the end of the book you get Acknowledgments, the Index, and Table of Equivalents.
There is some interesting reading before each recipe about how it came to be on the menu, where she came up with the idea or some memory from the author. She gives both weights and measures for many of the ingredients. She also includes tips with some of the recipes she calls Baker's Bites. With some of the recipes at the end she gives you an option to change the recipe a bit and calls this Same recipe, different flavors.
Cowgirl Cuisine: Rustic Recipes and Cowgirl Adventures from a Texas Ranch
By Paula Disbrowe
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2007
I belong to a wonderful cookbook collectors group on yahoo called CookbooksEtCetera and I got this one in a state of the art swap from Anne in Texas in that group. It's wonderful read. It has a beautiful story weaved through the book and the author manages to connect the recipes to the chapters in her story of moving from NY to her ranch in TX. She shares the journey of her and her boyfriend, now husband and how city slickers became a cowboy and cowgirl. You get romance, adventure and comedy as well as some delicious recipes when you read this book.
Upon first glance at this book I marked several recipes to try; Greens with Red Chili Sauce, Garlic greens, Smoked Turkey wraps, Scorpion Tails with Sauce, Banana Bread with almonds and orange essence, Shiner Bock Beans with epazote and Chocolate Pecan Squares. I have already made the Garlic Greens (we loved them), Smoked turkey Wraps (amazing) and the choco Pecan Squares.
The only complaint I have about this book is the fact you have to turn the page to see all of some recipes, but the information she included with the recipes make this a minor complaint.
This is a fun read and I'm enjoying cooking from it and look forward to many delicious meals from it.
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery)
By Moosewood Collective
Fireside - 1990
This is a nice thick book with 734 pages. It includes a helpful chapter on a guide to ingredients, techniques and equipment. There is also a chapter on menu planning and one called "What we mean when we say one medium onion", as well as a suggested reading list if you want to know more about a particular cuisine.
I love trying new recipes from different cuisines and I enjoy the other Moosewood books that I have, so this was a welcome addition to my Moosewood collection.
If you don't already know or haven't already guessed Moosewood is a Vegetarian restaurant located in Ithaca, NY. It is collectively owned and operated by the same group who puts out the cookbooks. In the introduction they explain Sundays at Moosewood are different from the rest of the week. Sunday night is Ethnic night.
If you enjoy vegetarian cooking, experimenting with different cuisines, or are looking for some interesting recipes then this is a great book. Bits of info are included with most recipes so this is a fun one to read as well.
Coyote Cafe
By Mark Miller
Ten Speed Press - 2002
This is a wonderful book and I've enjoyed reading it so much. It is
filled with recipes made at The Coyote Cafe in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Sounds like a wonderful place to eat. Before each recipe is a very
interesting blurb about the recipe from the author which describes the orgin of
the recipe or an anecdote connected with it.
Sprinkled throughout the book are great tips and hints, as well as how
to step by step photos and lots of great Native American art work, as
well as interesting Coyote stories. For instance, stories like "How
Coyote Brought the Chilies" and How the Coyote Got His Cunning". There are
also a few American Indian Poems. The introduction was a delightful
read about how the restaurant came to be and his previous work in other
restraunts including him working with Alice Waters.
Before each chapter is a couple pages of interesting information from
the author, often about his travels and experiences. The Coyote's Bag of
Tricks chapter includes dishes said to make you howl with delight. Some
interesting recipes included in this book are Texas Blue Crab Cakes,
Desert Prickly Pear Sauce, Blue Corn Bread, Cowboy Steak with Red Chile
Onion Rings, Pork Tacos with Wild Mushrooms and Tamarind Chipotle Sauce,
Orange Cumin Bread, and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Poblano Chilies.
If you love cooking and eating southwestern cusine or just reading
about it this is a wonderfully interesting book and I highly reccomend it.
dori sanders country cooking
By Dori Sanders
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill - 1995
I read this one from cover to cover in no time. It's one of those kinds of books
you can't put down until you've finished the last page. Then when you get to the
last page you don't want it to end. So many of these recipe are like ones I grew
up on.... good old fashioned, down home, country, Southern cooking, with a few
surprises thrown in for good measure. So many of the chapters and stories
brought back pleasant childhood memories for me. Like Dori, I always enjoyed
hog-killing time with my family -- Mom, Dad, grands, aunts, uncles, siblings and
cousins.. I love helping prepare the hams to cure and making liver mush,
sausage, pork skins and rendering the fat for lard.
Making Molasses was also lots of work but fun too. My uncle owned a boiler and
let family and friends use it. Most times it was used on weekends and would
start very early in the morning each day and go till way in the night. We would
roast marshmallows and hot dogs in the fire beneath the boiler and chill drinks
and watermelons in the creek. After the molasses were finished we always had a
cane stick to sop the boiler with.
If you like books with stories among and about the recipes then I know you'll enjoy this one. I have had this book for some time and recently got it autographed by Ms. Sanders at our local library. She is a very gracious southern lady.
Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day
By Padma Lakshmi
Weinstein Books - 2007
This book is filled with beautiful color photos, as well as interesting sounding recipes from around the world. Also included are personal essays about Padma's connection to food and cooking. I enjoyed reading the notes she included with each recipe, usually where the recipe came from or a bit about it.
One problem I found with this book is that many of the recipes call for hard to find ingredients. I'm listing some of them to give you an idea: Yuzu Juice, black cumin powder, sumac powder, za'atar powder and Labneh goat cheese to name a few. If you're lucky enough to live in an area that has many different ethnic grocery stores then this might not be a problem for you, as it is for me.
Despite the fact that some ingredients are hard for me to find there are several recipe I want to try that I wouldn't have that problem with. I started with the Chicken for the Bold recipe, which was very spicy and we really enjoyed.
I have enjoyed reading this one since I got it from paper back swap. I put it on my wish list there after making the Mexican Mac and Cheese (which was fantastic), for one of my Leite's Culinaria test recipes a few months ago. I was really surprised to get it so quickly since it is a fairly new book.
This book would be well suited to those that enjoy trying new and different dishes. It's a feast for the eyes as well, if you enjoy beautiful color photos in your cookbooks.
Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals: What to Keep on Hand, What to Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals
By Rachael Ray
Clarkson Potter - 2006
We like Rachael Ray's recipes and have tried many we've saw on her show. This is the first cookbook of hers that I added to my collection. I got it by sending in Nabisco points and paying for shipping.
It's had handy shopping lists in the back of the book. This one is supposed to be for busy cooks to zip in the grocery store, pick up a few items and hit the express lane and get home and cooking.
The Vegetarian Option
By Simon Hopkinson, Jason Lowe
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
his is the book I won from Serious Eats. It is filled with wonderful color photographs. The author is from London and is noted on the back cover as one of the UK's finest food writers. He has two other books, Roast Chicken and Other Stories and Second Helpings of Roast Chicken. You can tell by how some of the book is worded that it isn't an American Cookbook. I still enjoy reading the little blurbs included with each recipe and the recipes themselves.
The book is divided into the following sections: Vegetables, Herbs, Pasta, Legumes & Grains, Rice, Eggs, and finally, Fruit. There is one recipe from Mario Batali included in the book, almond and jalapeno relish. Before the recipe the author writes about his first trip to NY and meeting Mario at a party at Babbo. They share mutual friends.
Some of the recipes look and sound very inviting and I really enjoyed the tomato recipe I made recently for the ingredient contest, Tomato Salad with Basil Cream Dressing and Olive Oil. One problem with this book for me though is that quiet a few of the recipes call for ingredients that are either hard for me to find or too expensive for my budget. Some of those things are saffron, agar flakes, sunflower oil, Amontillado Sherry, Chervil, and carnaroli rice. I do occasionally purchase saffron but if you made several of the recipes that call for it, it could push up those numbers on the cash register considerably. He also uses Maldon Sea Salt in many of his recipes and white pepper. He says he prefers white over black pepper but you can use whatever you like.
There probably aren't a lot of recipes in this one I will make but it's a fun read and the photos are very easy on the eyes. Sarita does want to borrow this one and make the cauliflower with cheese and I can't wait for cooler weather to try the Lima Beans with Sage, Olive Oil and Dried Chili and the Thyme, Onion and Gruyere Tart sounds like one I'd make as well. I think I'll try the macaroni and cheese with tomatoes soon, with some of our garden tomatoes. So even though there are recipes I know I wouldn't make there are also some I will. I guess that is probably true of most of our cookbooks. I probably wouldn't have bought this one for myself but I'm sure glad I won a copy.