All You Knead is Bread by Jane Mason

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons
ggg

I love bread. So many people are addicted to sweets, chocolate (ok, I do love chocolate), etc, but give me a nice, crusty loaf of bread and I am one happy lady!! I think the favorite meal I've ever had was the first evening of my first trip to Sicily when I was given a couple of thick slices of good Italian bread, three kinds of cheese and a big glass of ice water. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven! My love for bread actually borders on addiction, so I couldn't WAIT to dive into this cookbook. I've been making bread for years, so I'm no novice, but I wouldn't necessarily call myself an expert, either.

I started with the Olive Oil Rolls. I love, love, LOVE Italian breads, so this was an easy choice. Oh, my! These were so easy to make, and a huge hit with my family. Next I went for the Bridge Rolls. Eh. Not so great. They were okay, but definitely not on my "Make these again!" list. I just made the Biovette. Yes, back to Italian breads. Unfortunately, they were another "Eh". I thought I might have made a mistake with the Bridge Rolls and accidentally added too much salt, but these were too salty as well. I did NOT like the method of looking at the dough like a clock and pulling pieces out until they were thin and gently lay them back on the main portion of dough. It seemed more work than necessary, and I didn't like they way the Biovette turned out doing that (I didn't bother with it on the first two breads). I've never heard of doing the dough that way, and don't plan on doing it that way ever again as I certainly didn't like the results.

I love the information given in the first part of the book; really breaking down all the ingredients and aspects of bread making. Unfortunately two of the first three recipes I made, I really wasn't impressed with the results. That coupled with so many of the breads needing special ingredients dropped my rating for it. This is not a book to go on my favorites shelf.

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

Homemade with Love by Jennifer Perillo

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
gggg

I love cooking from scratch. As a stay-at-home-mom, you could say it's my normal. Yes, it's nice to be able to grab a mix or something sometimes when you're in a hurry or something unexpected happens, but I love making a good home-cooked meal. This book is right up my alley as it's not only about cooking from scratch, but cooking healthy as well. This is not a vegetarian cookbook as some have stated, but there are great notations at the bottom of each recipe for 30 minutes or less, egg-free, vegetarian, vegan friendly, make ahead, dairy free, gluten free, under 1 hour, etc. I love the fact that it uses fresh, healthy ingredients, whole grains and more. I am trying to cook healthier for my family as my husband and I try to lose weight--not so easy when you review cookbooks!! He is doing great, I am slowly moving along. Cookbooks like this are so much fun for me, though. There's some great, healthy ideas for vegetables to go so nicely with the light, healthy proteins I've been cooking. You MUST try the slow-roasted tomatoes and easy roasted vegetables. I would never have thought of "Rosemary & Pecorino Popcorn", but it was quite yummy! I'm dying to make the Roasted Tomato Soup and Beef Spezzatino as well as many, many others. I'll be going back to this cookbook time and again!

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

"Cape Cod and the Islands" by Kathryn Kleekamp

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
gggg

What a beautiful, intriguing book! Filled with photos, sketches, and paintings to go along with history and some recipes scattered throughout. This is much more about the beauty and history of the Cape than about the food, but there is a nice scattering of recipes to tempt you. As a history and art book, this would be five stars easily--as a cookbook, not so much. There isn't an index or anything to help you find what you want recipe-wise. You just have to flip through the book to find them. This book is well worth it, though, for everything else that is included. This is a thoroughly fascinating book!!

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

"The Great Taste of Virginia Seafood" by Mary Reid Barrow

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
gggg

If you love all things seafood, then this just might be the book for you. If you're looking for lots of glorious photos of the food, then this might not be the book for you. A few color photos in the front of the book, and a very few black and white photos scattered throughout the book is all there is. There is a nice section in the back on buying, cleaning and cooking seafood as well as a glossary of terms and a good index.

As far as the recipes themselves, there is a huge variety. There is everything from classic recipes like "Coquille St. Jacque" and good chowders to southern gumbo and creole style dishes. There are over 100 recipes for hard-shell crab alone! Scallops, shrimp, oysters, blue-fish, flounder....the list goes on and on! None of the recipes seem overly complex or difficult, so this cookbook is good for all cooks.

This is a great cookbook to return to over and over throughout the years. Grab a copy and start cooking!

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

"Cooking in Alaska" by Pat Babcock

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
gggg

I lived in Alaska for a total of 10 years scattered from when I was 13 to age 26, so I was excited to get a copy of this book to review. If you're a stickler for photos of finished dishes, this is not the book for you. Sketches and photos (all black and white) are scattered throughout the book, but focus on Alaska and its cultures--not the food. There are bits and pieces of the history of Alaska as well as the Alaskan people from the pioneers to the different Native groups scattered throughout the book as well.

As far as the food goes, there's everything from Crab Dip to Moose Pot Roast to Eskimo Ice Cream (trust me, don't ask!). Some are definitely from the native culture (Jellied Moose Nose, for instance), but many are just good, basic dishes using local produce and meats. One of my favorite dishes when I was young was Deep Fried Halibut. They have a version with sweet and sour sauce, but I recommend you try it with Malibu Sauce (not in the cookbook. Just mix mustard and mayonnaise together. I know that may not sound appetizing, but it's really good!) as well.

Alaska is a melting pot of people from all over the world, and that is well reflected in this book. Everything from Italian Pot Roast to Norwegian Fiske Pudding and Russian Moose-Cabbage Soup is included. If you want a nice reflection of the diversity of Alaska, this would be a good cookbook for you.

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

"Patisserie at Home" by Will Torrent

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
gggg

Wow! What a mouth-wateringly gorgeous book! I admit, the photo of Tarte éxotique made me laugh. Dried leaves and berries still on the stem?!? Too funny. However, this book makes you want to just dive in. I have made some basic French pastries in the past, "Paris Brest", basic cream puffs, etc, so this really doesn't feel like it's too far above my reach to even try. Yes, some of the recipes are a little more intense than others, but there are great recipes in here for everyone. I love how the book starts with the absolute basics of the different pastry doughs and basic creams and ganache and builds from there. Tarte au citron--really what is there more to say? I'm pretty sure I put on 5 lbs just LOOKING at the Tarte au chocolat, and the Mango and passionfruit mini éclairs are seriously calling my name.

If you want to get into French pastries, I would recommend this book. Just start at the front and work your way through. Lovely, lovely book that I would definitely recommend.

I received a copy of this book from Ryland, Peters & Small for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Open Range" by Jay Bentley

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons
ggggg

This is a beautiful book!! Before you ever get to the recipes it is a feast for the eyes. Gorgeous photos of one of this nation's beautiful states and glorious food tempt you immediately. There is a history of the author's restaurant as well as a brief history of meat in Montana and an "Equipment and Essentials" section before diving into the food--and what food!! Everything from your basic comfort foods of Salisbury Steak and Meatloaf to the more interesting Bison Carpaccio (okay, let's be honest here. This is a dish I'm sure to avoid as I don't like raw or even rare meat, but some would love it!), Pan-Roasted Halibut with Beurre Blanc and Fresh Chanterelles, Plancha-Grilled Flank Steak, Argentine Style, and Dearborn Ranch Pheasant Wrapped in Bacon and Grape Leaves. There are plenty of great sides and starters as well. There isn't a photo for every dish, but a good portion of them are illustrated.

There are so many lovely recipes in this book. Truly, there's something for just about everyone. The Mint-Style Barbeque Shrimp is seriously calling my name!! The Polenta and Grilled Sausage is destined for my family's "please make this again!" pile, and the Butte Pasties as well as the Natchitoches Meat Pies are sure to be made often. I love that the Butte Pasties are baked making them a little healthier, and can be made ahead and frozen for months at a time.

I knew I would enjoy this book the moment I saw it, but honestly wasn't sure how many recipes I'd actually cook out of it. I was so pleasantly surprised! Many cookbooks like this use hard to find ingredients or mostly expensive cuts of meat that don't fit into our budget, or have such off the wall ingredient combinations that it doesn't even sound appealing. "Open Range", however, caught my interest from the get go and didn't let go. This is sure to go on my favorites shelf and I highly recommend it!

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

View all my reviews