Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen by Linda Maria Steele

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons

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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.

French Country Cooking by Francoise Branget

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons

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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.

Hartwood by Eric Werner & Mya Henry

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

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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!

Slow Fires by Justin Smillie

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

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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.

Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex by Cappy Lawton

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

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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.

New Orleans' Best Seafood Restaurants by Ann Benoit

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

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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.

Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

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I've used Todd Wilbur's cookbooks before, so I couldn't wait to get hold of this one. There was only one problem...I could barely pry it out of my teenage daughters' hands!! I love that this edition has step by step photography instead of little sketches. A lot of these recipes I would feel totally comfortable turning them over to my daughters to cook as the recipes are so easy to understand and follow.

I've seen fairly ridiculous prices for a small box of mix to make Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, but you can make them here quickly and easily...and pretty cheaply! Make your own Olive Garden salad with dressing (this dressing is sooo good!!), or KFC's Grilled Chicken! Who wouldn't want to be able to make their own Cracker Barrel Chicken Fried Steak or Chili's Grilled Baby Back Ribs? All these and so many more are found in the pages of this delightful book.

Some of the recipes do require specialty items such as liquid nitrogen for Dippin' Dots or a special pan to make Twinkies or a special cutter for curly fries, but most are made with items many people typically have or are easily accessible.

This is a fun cookbook. Instead of going out to eat, why not get together as a family and make some of your favorite "eat out" foods at home!

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Random House for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.