Tamales by Alice Guadalupe Tapp

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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I've wanted to learn how to make tamales for ages, but never really had the opportunity, so when I saw this book I knew it was finally time to give it a try. I wanted some fairly simple flavors for my first attempt, and something that my kids would potentially like, so I settled on the Refried Beans and Chorizo Tamales. The masa was a little tricky to make and it never did float in cold water like the book said, so I just went with the thick, paste-like texture it called for and prayed it would work. Next came the filling. Oh, my!! I could just sit down with a bowl of the filling alone! Simple, but so delicious!

Now comes the fun part. I soaked the corn husks for the allotted time and set out to attempt my first tamale. The wrapping went much easier than I expected, but I did the simple fold over, so that could be part of it. Confession time--I didn't refrigerate it over night. I somehow missed that step until I had already made the masa and filling, and that was my plan for supper, so I went ahead with the steaming and hoped for the best.

Sooooo, the BEST is absolutely what I got!! Oh, my! These are amazing! I will definitely be making these again!

If you love tamales or just love Mexican food and want to try your hand at tamales, I highly recommend this book!

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

Raw Energy in a Glas by Stephanie L. Tourles

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons
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This is a great little cookbook for anyone wanting to boost their health and/or energy. A lot of books like this rely heavily on bananas, and that is a problem for me. I get that bananas are very healthy, but I really dislike them. Thankfully, there are some great recipes here such as Tropical Berry Sunset Frappe (with citrus, strawberries, raspberries and mango), various yogurt drinks and protein shakes. This book is worth it for the first section alone! In "The Basics" if covers all kinds of information on juicing, blending, energy, getting the most out of your food and more. My favorite section is the Superfood Dictionary that breaks down exactly what is in each ingredient and what it is best for. It is divided into sections (Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and more) which makes it easy to find what you're looking for.

This is a really great cookbook to get your new year started right. I'm not making big New Year's Resolutions to lose weight, exercise more etc., but I AM trying to get healthier this year. This book gives me a great start!

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

Best of Bridge Holiday Classics

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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Classic, nostalgic recipes fill this cookbook. The hardcover, spiral binding is a nice touch. Enjoy classics like Artichoke Dip, Green Goddess Salad, Poached Salmon, Christmas Cheese Balls, Shortbread, Ceasar Salad, Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. Whether you are cooking for a Holiday Brunch, Cocktail Party, Buffet, Potluck, Sit-Down Dinner or just using up leftovers, you are sure to find something here. I used the Cranberry Muffin recipe substituting milk for the orange juice and Chopped strawberries for the cranberries. My kids demolished them! The cookbook ends with a section on Food Gifts. This is a lovely chapter of Candied Almonds, Spiced Pecans, Cranberry Pistachio Bark, Toffee, Marmalade, Chutney and more. The "Novel Nuts" were a huge hit at the family Christmas dinner!

This is a great, nostalgic cook that is great fun to read through and to cook from.

I received a copy of this cookbook from Robert Rose, Inc. for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

French Bistro by Maria Zihammou

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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With cold weather hanging around, what better time to curl up with a lovely cookbook and head off to a distant land. For this trip I chose France with the lovely "French Bistro" by Maria Zihammou. I could tell it was going to be special right off the bat. My husband LOVES olives, so the different types of marinated olives will be a big hit with him, and the Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley are so scrumptious! You don't even need the crackers or bread--a fork works just fine! From there we moved to "In a Minute", quick recipes for busy times. "Minute Steak with French Herbs and Salad" is delightful and Mussels Three Ways will make me and one of my daughters extremely happy! (For some reason, only the two of us like mussels. Ah, well. It just means there's more for us!)

Now we move on to "From the Oven". Mmmm! Lemon-Roasted Whole Chicken is a favorite way of mine to roast chicken, though I sometimes use a combination of lemon and orange, and I like garlic with it, too. Oven Baked Pork Roast is definitely a keeper!

Rustic. Ah! The name says it all! Onion Soup, Chicken Stew with Clear Broth and Vegetables (my favorite way to have chicken soup!), Springtime Lamb Stew--can we just say, "Scrumptious!"?

A Marriage of Flavors offers classic French combinations such as Sole with Butter Sauce and Butter-Fried Capers (what's not to like in this marriage?!?), Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Apple and Rack of Lamb with Basil Sauce among others.

Okay, now we move on to Daring Flavors! I'm pretty sure I won't really be cooking from this section, but that's just me. Snails with Garlic and Parley, Sweetbreads with Madeira Sauce, Stew with Pork Loin Marinated in Red Wine (which didn't sound daring until I read that it's thickened with pig's blood!) aren't exactly my cup of tea.

Finally, we come to Sweets. Lemon Tart. Enough said. Probably one of my favorite desserts ever! Oh, my! Heaven on my taste buds! Creme Brulee--did she read my favorite desserts list when she put this book together?! There's more, but I haven't made it past my two favorites yet!

The books ends with Drinks, which doesn't do much for me as there's only three and they're all alcoholic. There is also menu suggestions at the end, which is nice.

This is a truly delightful book that I am happy to recommend. Some of the recipes aren't as clear as they could be, but I was able to manage just fine.

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

The Sushi Lover's Cookbook by Yumi Umemura

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons
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I will be honest up front and tell you that I am NOT a sushi lover. It may seem strange for me to review a cookbook on sushi, but I have a daughter that LOVES sushi! I wanted some sushi cookbooks to make a lovely birthday dinner for her next birthday. I was interested to see what I could find that she would love and the rest of us could at least eat and possibly even enjoy. This cookbook was a bit of a mixed bag. There were some interesting recipes such as Flower Rolls, Easy Smoked Salmon Sushi and more, and then there were some that, frankly, turned my stomach. As much as I don't care for sushi, if I have to eat it I at least want it to be fairly authentic. I couldn't believe that the Two-Cheese Tuna Salad Rolls are actually wrapped in American cheese!! Ew! As for Sushi Pizza, I think I'll pass.

There are some interesting recipes that I think will work fine for my daughter's birthday, but this cookbook over all did not impress me.

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

To Cook is to Love by John Verlinden

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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My husband knows me well! My favorite Christmas gift this year was a beautiful 6 qt enameled cast iron Dutch oven I've been wanting for ages. Of course, then I HAD to find something wonderful to cook in it! I found the perfect thing in this lovely cookbook. Chicken Fricassee sounds so simple, but I had all the ingredients at hand, so I dove right in. The recipe is clear and easy to follow and was very easy to make. I wasn't sure how my kids would react, but I was excited to see how it turned out. Let's just say three of the four kids have BEGGED me to be sure and make this again often! The cumin adds that lovely, Latin flavor your normal chicken fricassee doesn't have, and I definitely plan on making this again!

My family and I spent a week in Miami a few years ago and had the fortune to eat at a Cuban restaurant. Our host family had to translate for us as they spoke no English, but the food was divine!! I've had a soft spot for Cuban food ever since and was thrilled to have a chance to review this cookbook. From plantain to flan, there is a lovely array of Cuban dishes with the added advantage of being made lighter and healthier. The book is seasoned with stories and photos, though not, unfortunately, of the dishes. That is my only issue with this book. I wish there were at least some photos of the finished dishes.

If you like Latin food at all, I highly recommend this cookbook. It is a joy to both read and cook from!

I received a copy of this book from Langdon St Press through Lisa Ekus Group for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do-Ahead Christmas by James Ramsden

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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I realize it may seem funny to be reviewing a cookbook all about pre-cooking for Christmas, but I only received the book a couple of days before Christmas. Between holidays and a four day health crisis, I wasn't able to review it before.

I was really excited to get this book as I always end up rushed and frazzled when trying to cook a big meal for Christmas. It was a bit of a let down that the first thing in the book was a slew of alcoholic drinks with only a couple of non-alcoholic choices. (Just because I don't drink alcohol I can't have a nice variety of interesting drinks, too?) Things started looking up after getting into Chilli Nuts and Polenta Chips and a nice array of other finger foods. From there we moved into Christmas Eve and the book definitely showed its British roots! Not many people of my acquaintance eat pickled herring--I'm not even sure where I could buy herring! I actually have a leg of lamb in my freezer, so I'm looking forward to the Herb-Stuffed Leg of Lamb. I don't know if I can find the watercress it calls for in the sauce, but I'm going to give it a shot!

We move on to Christmas Day with a variety of interesting dishes from Gravlax on Rye Crispbread, Turkey three ways (my family brined it this year and it was wonderful!), Roast Goose (on my 'to make' list before I die!), Salmon en Croute with Hollandaise Sauce, Figgy Pudding with Brandy Butter (my girls would love this just for the name!), Christmas Trifle and more.

Now we have a whole section on sides. It starts with Roast Potatoes. I'm a newcomer to parboiling my potatoes before roasting, but it is so worth it!! Crispy, crunchy on the outside with a silky smooth inside. Sigh! I could eat a whole pan! There's four recipes for Brussels Sprouts, which is exciting for me. I've learned to love them and a couple of these are very new ideas for me. I can't wait to try them out! Stuffing, cranberry sauce and more vegetables follow.

Now we get to dessert!! Cake and Other Treats has everything from Fruit Cake to Stollen, Mince Pies, Panettone, Yule Log and more.

From sweets we move to Leftovers--interesting ways to use all those Christmas leftovers from Turkey Pho, to Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding among others.

We finish with Edible Presents. Eight recipes from Piccalilli to Chocolate Covered Orange Peel for friends and family.

This was a very enjoyable cookbook and, even though it didn't really come in time for me to use this year, I can definitely see myself turning to it during the next holiday season!

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