May 16, 2014

Tina Nordstrom's Scandinavian Cooking by Tina Nordstrom

Tina Nordström�s Scandinavian Cooking: Simple Recipes for Home-Style Scandinavian Cuisine
My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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I have never seen Tina Nordstom's cooking show, but when I was offered this book to review I jumped at the chance. I love cookbooks from around the world, and haven't had the opportunity to check out many from Scandinavia. The book is large, beautiful and full of color photos and scrumptious recipes. I recommend the Chanterelle and Ground Beef Pie, Chanterelle Topped Veal Patties (yes, I love mushrooms!), White Wine Poached Mussels with Fennel and Garlic, and the Flounder Fish 'n Chips is sure to be a hit with the kids! My almost-12-year-old daughter is actually a huge mussel and fennel fan, so the mussel recipe was about as perfect for her as you could get! The recipes are clear and typically easy to follow.

On the down side, when I pick up a book that touts itself as cooking from a specific place, I'm looking for their specific ethnic recipes. Even though this book is called "Scandinavian Cooking", there is recipes from all over the world. Greek Lamb Balls, French Chicken Stew, Tomato & Buffalo Mozzarella Salad and--the one that made me laugh out loud--American Pancakes! I wish she had stayed with Scandinavian cooking or named it something different so there wasn't the disappointment of finding an international cookbook instead, but that is my only issue with this book.

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

May 15, 2014

Haute Dogs by Russell Van Kraayenbert

Haute Dogs: Recipes for Delicious Hot Dogs, Buns, and Condiments
My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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What a fun book! As a mother with four kids, hot dogs are a fun part of life sometimes, especially during the summer. This book is full of fun facts, history and recipes for all aspects of hot dog cuisine. Learn to make your own buns, condiments and, yes, even hot dogs! How to make all your classic hot dogs from the Chicago Dog, to the Coney Dog, and even some fun international dogs! Some recipes were hits-Coney Island, Maxwell Street Polish to name a couple--and some fell more in the "Please don't make these because we won't touch them!" category such as the Swedish Shrimp Dog, The Vegan and the Columbian Pineapple Dog.

This is a great, fun cookbook for hot dog lovers everywhere. I recommend you pick it up and try it out!

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