Sweet Mornings by Patty Pinner

Sweet Mornings: Breakfast and Brunch Desserts That Make Meals Special by Patty Pinner
My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

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I'll be honest, I can't really handle sweets in the morning, but my 14 year old daughter absolutely adores sweet breakfasts! She doesn't get them often, so you can imagine her excitement when she found out I received this book to review! She latched on it and I practically had to pry it out of her hands to read it myself! She was over the moon when I allowed her to make the Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes by herself. They didn't turn out perfectly, but the pancake batter is so nice that with the addition of a touch of sugar (the original recipe doesn't have sugar in the actual pancake batter as there is the swirl AND an icing for them), it's become my girls' go-to recipe for making pancakes from scratch themselves, and they turn out very nicely.

If you love sweets, this is perfect for you. You'll find everything from muffins, to cobblers, fruit breads, tea breads, granolas, French Toast Casserole, cinnamon rolls and so much more.

If you don't love sweets in the morning, there are some savory recipes as well including Mrs. Ruby's Table-Talk White Bread. My oldest daughter and I made this, and it turned out wonderfully. There is also a Bacon Quiche, Biscuits and more in the savory section.

This is a lovely cookbook. It's a quality cookbook that I'm giving to my daughter to keep as she grows up and moves away. I know it's something she can use for years and years to come. I'm very happy to highly recommend it.

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

Sorry I've been MIA!

I know I've been missing in action lately, but I've been dealing with a lovely abscessed tooth.  It's hard to cook and review cookbooks when you're unable to eat!! lol  I'm doing so much better and ready to dive back into the cookbooks to share with you.  Enjoy!

Anatolia by David Dale

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

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"Beautiful" is the first word that comes to mind when viewing this book. From the gorgeous, padded cloth cover, to the high quality binding (with two sewn-in ribbon bookmarks) to the lovely photographs and delectable recipes, this book is beautiful inside and out!

I've always loved Baklava, so it was a treat to try a new variation of it (I'm used to the Greek style with walnuts and heavily scented/flavored syrup). The Traditional Pistachio Baklava is fiddly to make, but worth it! Each crunchy morsel is a delight sure to impress and delight!

Looking for something new to cool you off on those hot days of summer coming up? Try the Basil Lemonade for a new twist on an old favorite. Need a new dish for breakfast? Spicy Sausage With Eggs is a treat! Buy sucuk sausage if you can find it, or make your own version with the included recipe.

You can find a little bit of everything is this book from a light Watermelon and Feta Salad to the ...interesting Sheep's Head Soup. Bring home a taste of Turkey to your house tonight with some delightful dishes from the beautiful cookbook Anatolia.

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

Pimentos and Piri Piri by Carla Azevedo

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

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Portuguese is a cuisine I have not had experience with, but this book is perfect to introduce someone to it. The recipes range from very easy to much more complex, and bits of history and information on culture and cooking techniques are included. The photos are gorgeous, though do not expect a photo for every recipe.

Make your own Quejio Fresco, a creamy fresh cheese traditionally spread on cornbread and served as a midday snack, or marinate your own olives. Try a lovely Fresh Tomato and Bread Soup, or the more complex Seafood Stew.

Portuguese Pulled Pork would make a lovely addition to your summer menu as would the Barbecue Chicken and Beef Skewers. Roasted Seasoned Potatoes will make a nice side dish as would Grilled Pineapple and Vegetables with Fresh Mint.

Pimentos & Piri Piri is a beautiful book filled with delightful recipes that will whisk you away to Portugal. Take a trip from the comfort of your own home with a mouthwatering menu from the beautiful country of Portugal.

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

Eating Appalachia by Darrin Nordahl

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons

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Eating Appalachia is not really a cookbook, but more a collection of writings with a few simple recipes scattered throughout. It begins with an introduction on American Ingredients and cuisine before moving on to chapters covering key places in Appalachia:

• Albany, Ohio
• Richwood, West Virginia
• Prestonsburg, Kentucky
• Cairo, West Virginia
• Cherokee, North Carolina
• Colfax, North Carolina

The book ends with an epilogue, Toward a New American Cuisine. Each chapter includes information about the area and the produce found there. For instance, the chapter on Albany, Ohio includes information, history and recipes about the pawpaw, while the chapter on Colfax, NC is all about the persimmon.

If you’re interested in Appalachia and the food there, you should enjoy this book. If you’re looking for a cookbook packed with Appalachian recipes, this is probably not for you. There is only about 23 total recipes in this book, and most are fairly simple. Overall, however, I enjoyed the book and recommend it provisionally to others.

I received a copy of this book from Chicago Review Press through the Lisa Ekus Group. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Royal Heritage Cookbook by The Hon. Sarah Macpherson

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

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I love cooking, but I love history as well, so this cookbook is a great match for me. I'll be honest, I was expecting a lot larger cookbook with more recipes, but the more I read this cookbook the more I liked it. The book includes conversion tables, menus options, recipes and history. I love that many of the recipes show a photo of the original recipe along with it re-typed out and updated for today's cooks.

There is such a variety of recipes in here from the classic Chicken, Cream & Leek Pie which was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and known to be made as far back as 1580 (and is still delicious today!) to Thirlestane Castle Curries from the mid 1800's and Rich Fruit Cake possibly created for the wedding of King George III in 1761.

If you're looking for slick, perfect, modern cookbook, this is not for you. If you love history, are an Anglophile or just love cookbooks in general, this is a great choice for you. It's a great cookbook that I'm happy to recommend.

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

Savor by Ilona Oppenheim

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons

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To begin with, this is just a beautiful book! From the front cover photography, to the quality hardcover, sewn binding, to the luscious interior photos (most of them taken by the author!) and lovely recipes, this is definitely a book to delight all the senses. To make it even better, this is not a trained chef doing spectacular things outside of the skill set of most everyday cooks, but a mother who loves to fish, forage and cook for her family and just wants to share this with others. Don’t feel you can’t use this book if you don’t have a place to forage from. Most ingredients can be sourced in stores as well.

There is so much to choose from, it was hard to make the decision of what to cook first. I finally decided on the 24 Hour Onion Soup. How nice to be able to make a full-bodied, lovely onion soup that takes so much time, but does most of the work on its own in the slow cooker! Served with the crusty bread with toasted Gruyere…what could be lovelier?

The Roasted Chicken recipe is packed full of flavor. Serve the chicken with Crispy Roasted Potatoes with a side salad for a meal sure to delight your family. The Ricotta recipe makes it so easy to make your own ricotta cheese at home. Use it to make the Ricotta and Roasted Fig Bruschetta.

I was in the mood for a dessert, so I made the Pine Nut Cookies next. I love that these cookies are not overly sweet and have a light, delicate flavor. The down side is that they’re very addicting! I have a feeling that most of the desserts in this book will be the same. Emphasis is placed on flavor instead of just loading it with sugar, and the results speak for themselves.

This is a great cookbook for anyone interested in flavorful, healthy food. If you’re interested in foraging or sourcing from the wild, that just makes it more appealing, but I think anyone could use and thoroughly enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

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