A Book and A Drink: THE DREAM YOU MAKE by Christine Nolfi and A Naomi Blackburn Original THE PEACHY BELLE

Another WONDERFUL author friend of mine has a new release that is to die for! I love Christine's books, which are light and airy...just like the author. Christine hails from the wonderful state South Carolina that is famous for their peaches and Southern Belles. When I was developing her drink to celebrate her new release, THE DREAM YOU MAKE, I wanted to focus on the fruit the peach...not only because it is the fruit of her state, but because when I think of Christine the saying "She's just a peach" comes to mind. She is delightful, funny, warm and inviting! I couldn't forget Christine's bubbly side though...therefore, top off the Belle with a nice Pink Moscato because of its sweet and bubbly make-up.

So, on that note, let me introduce:

The Peachy Belle

A Naomi Blackburn Original

Ingredients:

1 peach cut up (no need to remove the skin) or 3 oz peach nectar

3 oz Peach Schnapps

1.5 oz Southern Comfort

PINK Moscato

Directions:

1) In a chilled metal shaker place cut up peach and meddle to extract juices

2) Add liquors and ice. Shake for 30 seconds

3) STRAIN into a CHILLED wine glass filled with ice.

4) Top with CHILLED PINK Moscato. Stir very gently...you don't want to break down the bubbles of the moscato!

5) If desired, garnish with fresh chopped peaches. I tend to find they just get in the way.

**Note: if you choose to use the nectar, simply start with step 2 including the nectar with the liquors and continue on!

While you are relaxing on the veranda enjoying your drink be sure to have Christine's new book, THE DREAM YOU MAKE, with you and enjoy your escape!

From Goodreads:

Each day Annie McDaniel’s dream of a brighter future slips further away.

After her nephew’s world is destroyed in a burst of gunfire, Annie receives temporary custody of five-year-old Dillon. Now the greenhouse she managed with her late father isn’t bringing in enough money. If she doesn’t get her financial house in order, a judge will allow a couple in Baltimore to adopt Dillon—and remove him from her life forever.

Desperate, she takes on a second job at Rowe Marketing. The instant attraction she shares with Michael Rowe is a circumstance Annie can’t risk. But should she walk away from a love sure to last a lifetime?

Fresh, heartwarming and inspiring, The Dream You Make reveals that hope always carries the promise of new beginnings.

Purchasing options:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/14eCQYt

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/14CPVd7

Chef Aaron McCargo Jr's Pulled Pork

OK, I LOVE me some Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr. For those of you unfamiliar with Chef McCargo, he has a show on Food Network called Big Daddy's House. He has also made appearances on Bar Rescue

I grabbed his new cookbook that came out a couple of years ago and found this recipe for Pulled Pork. Now, I know if it is this man cooking it that it is killer and this recipe did not disappoint! It takes a bit of time to prepare, but it is really simple to make.  We ended up getting 8 sandwiches out of this that were gone within 12 hours.
 

 














So, here we go!:

Ingredients:

1.5 T. KOSHER Salt (original recipe was for 3 T. but we really don't like salty stuff.)
2 T. Coarsely ground black pepper
2 T. smoked paprika
1 T. Granulated garlic powder
3 T. Canola or grape seed oil
3lb boness pork shoulder (mine had a bone in it and it worked fine)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves chopped or 3 t. jarred garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 T. tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2) In a small bowl mix salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.  Rub over roast thoroughly and let it sit for 20 minutes. In the meantime, heat oil in a dutch oven.

3) Sear the pork shoulder until crusty and nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4) Add the veggies and brown for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste stirring for 2 minutes. Add broth and Worcestershire sauce. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

5) Add the meat back into the pan and place in oven. Bake for 4 to 5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone and is fork tender/falling apart.

6) Shred the meat. Add drippings/sauce to the shredded meat. Stir well until covered.

7) Serve on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls. Serve with chips.

Mexican Sangria

Adapted: Design Sponge

In finding sangria recipes for Bette Lee Crosby's Words, Wit and Wisdom's Midweek Mixers I came across this recipe on Pinterest. I had done white wine sangria for the other selections and wanted a red wine based sangria for the last one of the series. The fact that this sangria was partnered with tequila made it a must made. As usual, FRESH SQUEEZED juices are a must!

This recipe was very different. In speaking with my husband (my official drink taste tester), both of us agreed that first drink, this drink had a very unusual taste. Then it took off and had a very nice balance to it. It wasn't the overly sweet sangria that you get with white sangrias which ended up making it very mellow. The fruit soaked up the yummy sangria.

This would be an incredible partner to Mexican food versus the standard margarita. I know I will be making this a whole lot more.

So here we go!:


Ingredients:

1 bottle red wine

1 cup SILVER/BLANCO tequila

1/2 cup FRESH SQUEEZED orange juice (I used Florida juice oranges)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup FRESH SQUEEZED lime juice

sliced fruits-I used apples, raspberries oranges and a lime

Directions:

VERY IMPORTANT #1!! 1) Place ingredient in the pitcher in the order given. Stir gently to dissolve the sugar.

VERY IMPORTANT #2!! 2) THIS SANGRIA MUST BE SERVED WELL, WELL CHILLED!!!!  (Have I stressed that it needs to be well chilled enough. Be sure to give a minimum of 4 hours prior to serving.)

3) When ready to serve, rim sangria glass with lime juice and brown sugar. Fill glass with ice and pour sangria over ice. Be sure to top with some of that awesome fruit!

Crustless Spinach and Mozzarella Crockpot Quiche

Source: Crockpot Ladies


I couldn't believe how simple this recipe was to make. It is 3 easy ingredients and cooks in the slow cooker for 2 hours. It was simply PERFECT! Served with a salad and rolls, it wasn't overkill for my meatless Monday meal. I will admit it didn't offer a whole lot. I got 3 servings out of it. If you have big eaters, you might want to double it.

So, here we go!:

Ingredients: 

6 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 9-11 oz Cream Spinach, thawed in refrigerator

Directions:

1) In bowl, beat eggs.

2) Add in cheese and package of cream spinach. Mix well.

3) Pour into your crock-pot that has been sprayed liberally with cooking spray.

4) Cook on HIGH for 2 hours to 2.5 hours. Eggs will be solid, but the white liquid of cheese and cream will be visible.

Baked Spicy Chicken Wings

This is another Sue Dyer recipe forwarded to me and it was a tasty one. A little bit softer and not as messy as my first Sue Dyer recipe, Caramelized Chicken Wings, these wing were a winner. I do have to admit that I did think that they would be spicier than what they were. I found that they were a tad sweeter. They were still pretty dang tasty and easy though. If a spicier wing is desired, I would add some more hot sauce. Don't go above an extra tablespoon though!

Do yourself a favor and line the pan with aluminum foil. This can be a really messy dish and why not make clean-up as easy as possible.

I know I will be making these again when sofa tailgating season comes along.

So, here we go!:


Ingredients:

3 lb chicken wings
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375° and line a pan with aluminum foil. 

2) In a large bowl, combine rest of the ingredients. Add chicken & toss.

3) Arrange wings and sauce in the pan.

4) Bake for about 1 hour until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Turn several times during the process to ensure complete covering of the wings with the sauce.

5) If the chicken starts to burn, turn the heat down a bit.

Chicken Lazone

I saw a picture for Chicken Lazone on Pinterest. When I went to find the recipe, it was nothing but the picture. Had to say that it looked so good that I had to go on a recipe search. I found this one on Food.com.

This recipe was really simple, different and tasty. I must admit though that if I was to make it again, I would double the sauce.  My family and I thought the recipe/rice was a bit too dry for our liking. All of us agreed with more sauce, it would be perfect.

I served with one of my huge salads.

So, here we go:

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter, divided  
1/2 cup heavy cream 

Directions:

1) Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts.

2) In large saute pan melt half of the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.


3) Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.

4) Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens then add the remaining butter.

5) When butter is melted place chicken breasts on four plates and top with the sauce.

Lucinda Scala Quinn's Classic French Dip

Sorry for the picture. It was dark and rainy in Burlington that day!

I had the opportunity to grab the opportunity to grab a GREAT cookbook called Mad Hungry Cravings by Lucinda Scala Quinn from my library. This cookbook was so rockin' that I ended up immediately purchasing it because I was targeting so many recipes to copy. It has been one of my smartest cookbook purchases in a very long time! I will be featuring a whole lotta recipes from this cookbook so be prepared!

One that made me drool immediately was the Classic French Dip. I was right to start drooling because it lived up to everything it promised. I was also surprised to see that the number of servings lived up to what it said it was going to be and that the sandwiches were still pretty hearty. Even though this was the case and much to my dismay, the Blackburn men devoured them and there were no leftovers!

Now, I have to admit that my family loves beef sandwiches, but I was tired of the prices. I was able to make this for the same cost as some of the commercial brands out there and the flavor was out of this world compared to that. 

This recipe looks complicated, but it is actually very simple.

So, here we go:

Ingredients:

2 T. Olive Oil (plus extra for drizzling)
One 3 lb boneless chuck roast
1 T. coarse salt (I used 1/2 T. and it was fine)
1/2 t. coarse ground pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
20 baby carrots or 2 regular carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped or 2 t. jarred garlic
2 T. tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups chicken broth, divided
2 bay leaves
large french baguette or 6 french rolls
10 slices Swiss cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack on the lowest level.

2) Heat oil in a Dutch oven and add oil. Season the roast with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add the meat. Brown on both sides. Remove and transfer to a plate.

3) Add the Onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the oil and saute until softened (about 10 minutes).

4) Add tomato paste and stir into mixture until well blended.

5) Add wine. Bring to a boil making sure to scrape up all the browned bits.

6) Add 2 CUPS of the chicken broth and the bay leaves. Return the roast to the pan. Cover and bake for 3 hours or until the roast is falling apart.

7) Transfer the meat to a baking dish and shred it.

8) Strain the veggie mixture and return the juices to the dutch oven. Add the final cup of broth and simmer while preparing sandwiches.

9) Place open faced rolls on baking sheet and place some meat on the roll. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with 1.5 slices of Swiss cheese and bake for about 5 minutes. Lucinda recommended broiling but I opted to bake the sandwiches.

10) Ladle up some of the juices and serve with fries or chips.

Freeze and Easy: Fabulous Foods and New Ideas for Making the Most Out of Your Freezer by Sara Lewis

Book: Freeze and Easy: Fabulous Foods and New Ideas for Making the Most Out of Your Freezer
 
Author: Sara Lewis
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: From Goodreads.com:

By cooking in bulk and freezing gluts, cooks can cut down on the cost of ingredients and the time spent in the kitchen, and this book explains how. It is packed with 100 delicious recipes, including Lentil and Venison Sausage Stew; Thai Coconut Fish Curry; Garlicky Stilton and Dauphinoise; Pear, Saffron and Ginger Tarte Tatin; Easy Spiced Banana and Apricot Bread; and Peach and Mascarpone Crumble Cake. All the basic recipes a busy cook needs can be found right here; for example a ragù sauce that can be frozen and then turned into numerous dishes. There are also recipes perfectly suited to cooking in bulk—for instance, why cook one lasagna when you can fit three in your oven and freeze two of them? Every recipe features health and safety advice on freezing, defrosting, and reheating, and there are at-a-glance charts of ingredients to show which ones can be frozen and for how long. Includes dual measures 

My rating: 3 Stars
 
My opinion: There were a large number of unusual meats/fish recipes. The thing is that I am not sure how "popular" these recipes would be as they were meats such as lamb, game, rabbit, etc. There were little recipes dedicated to what I would call your traditional meats such as beef, chicken and pork. My favorites included the breads, fruits and veggie recipes, which were plentiful and included some basics as well as more unusual ones. 
 

Source: Netgalley for Pavilion/Anova

      

Would I recommend? : Check it out either as a Amazon sampler or a brick/mortar store first.
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

Chicago Chicken

I do a whole lot of hangin' out at Plain Chicken because she and I do a lot of similar foods. When I saw her recipe for Chicago Chicken I knew I was down for that bad boy. Boy, did she nail that recipe. This stuff was great! I served with one of my huge salads and a baked potato. Yummers! I could see this stuff being cut up and put into a Mexican style salad.

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno, chopped (remove the seeds and membranes if you don't want the heat)
Juice of 1 lemon (3 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp dried oregano
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions:

1) Combine first 5 ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until combined and jalapeno is finely diced.

2) Pour into a ziplock bag, add chicken. Toss to coat.

3) Let marinate in refrigerator overnight and then grill.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert

Source: Taste of Home

I have to admit that I love to spoil my husband. One of the biggest ways I do this is through his stomach. For Father's Day, I did a whole menu for him of nothing but his favorites. Because my man is such a peanut butter cup fanatic, this was dessert.

This dessert has a chocolate crust, creamy peanut butter layer and a wonderful cream chocolate topping. Can't forgot the chopped peanut butter cups in the center that really makes it pop. 

Now, I have to admit that I wish I would have given it more time to set. Once it did that, it was perfect. Pat ended up eating a pan of it in less than week.

Ingredients

20 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
15 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

Directions

1) Finely crush 16 cookies; toss with the butter. Press into an ungreased 9-in.
square dish; set aside.

2) In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup
confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped
topping. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups.

3) In another large bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and remaining
confectioners' sugar on low speed for 2 minutes Let stand for 2
minutes or until soft-set. Fold in remaining whipped topping.

4) Spread over peanut butter cups. 

 

5) Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle. Add additional chopped peanut butter cups if desired.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip

Dianne, one of my friends and fellow moderators on Sisterhood of the Traveling Book, posts recipes on our Facebook page. I was looking for something different to take to my live book club versus the same cookies and cupcakes and this fit that perfectly. This was a huge hit. I received compliments days after I made it.

Now, I made the full fat recipe, but am sure that the whole fat cream cheese could be substituted with a low-fat version. Be sure to give this a good amount of time to chill. I could definitely taste the difference.

The original source for this recipe is: The Girlfriend Life Newsletter

So, here we go.:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stίck) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanίlla extract
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup confectίoner's sugar
3/4 cup semίsweet MINI chocolate chίps

Directions:

1) Ίn a small saucepan, melt the butter wίth the brown sugar over medίum heat. Stίr contίnuously, untίl the brown sugar dίssolves. 

2) Remove from heat, whίsk ίn vanίlla extract and set asίde to cool.

3) Beat the cream cheese and confectίoner’s sugar for 1 mίnute. 

4) Slowly beat ίn the cooled butter mίxture and beat agaίn for another mίnute. Stίr ίn the chocolate chίps.

5) Pour ίnto a servίng bowl and refrίgerate. I let mine set for 3 hours.

6) Garnίsh wίth addίtίonal chίps and serve wίth Nίlla wafers.

Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup by Maggie Stuckey

Book: Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup
 
Author: Maggie Stuckey
 
Narrator (if applicable): N/A

Release date (if applicable): October 22, 2013

Synopsis: Ms. Stuckey presents cooks with a nice collection and stories of entertaining with soup. Recipes aren't limited to soup, though! She gives excellent recipes for partnering dishes and desserts. Recipes include such greats as:

• Red Beans and Rice Soup
• Red Pozole
• Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup
• Nana Mac's Nova Scotia Oatmeal Bread
• Molded Cranberry Salad with Lemon Mayonaise
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookes
• Surprise Beef Stew

 Recipes were also separated into seasons for soup all year long. 
 

My rating: 4 Stars
 
My opinion: What a fun cookbook and delightful concept of "soup nights".  Soup recipes with tasty dishes to partner them with. The book offered many examples of families/friends hosting soup nights as something different.

I like that another reviewer called it a delightful little cook book, but its not just that. it's also a guide on building community and relationships through food. 
 

Source: Storey Publishing

       

Would I recommend? : Yes
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

Caramelized Baked Chicken Wings

Original source: http://www.fosterfarms.com/recipes/details.asp?recipeid=8614

I have a buddy by the name of Sue Dyer. Now, Sue loves to cook as much as I do and belongs to numerous recipe groups. One is Yahoo Weekends. She frequently forwards me recipes. When it was wing weekend, I was in! I got a whole lotta new wing recipes that I am chomping at the bit to try, but knew this was going to be my first one. Now, what was really rockin' about these is that they are BAKED! The sauce on them was finger lickin' good.

A hint: Line your pan with aluminum foil otherwise it would be a pain in the rear to clean the pan.

So, here we go:

Ingredients: 

3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup honey
1/2 t. jarred garlic (or 1 clove chopped)
salt and pepper -- to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the oil, soy
sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.

3. Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized. Turn chicken several times during the cooking process to ensure excellent coverage.

How simple is that?!?!

Baked Pancakes

Of course I found this recipe where? On Pinterest, of course. Big Red Kitchen  had a really nice variety of baked pancakes that were simple to prepare and were really tasty. I went for this plain one. I partnered with bacon (of course) and Paula Deen's Perfect Scramble Eggs.

Now, I have to admit with the size of my family, I wish I would have doubled the recipe. I wanted some leftovers of these tasty morsels and there wasn't a one!

A note: be very, very careful not to over stir this batter.

So, here we go:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 T. melted butter
1 large egg
1 T. sugar
1 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2) In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in.

3) Stir in the baking powder and salt.

4) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Honey Beer Chicken Breasts

This recipe proves that beer isn't just for drinking anymore! Not only was this recipe simple; it was delicious! It was prepared in about half an hour so it is easy enough for a weeknight meal. I served the sauce with rice and my family just couldn't get enough.

This recipe originally came from Cooking Light magazine, but I found it on So, How's It Taste. I must admit that the original recipe would not have fed my family so I had to increase it. What I loved most about this recipe? A ton of favor with only 4.5 grams of fat and 245 calories.

Here is how I did it:

Ingredients:

2 tsp. canola oil
6 (6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
2 shallots, chopped
3/4 cup beer
3 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1.5 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1.5 tbsp. honey

Directions:


1) Place a heavy skillet over medium to high heat. Add oil.
2) Salt and pepper the chicken breasts to taste and place in skillet
3) Fry breasts for 5 minutes each side and set aside in a warmed oven.
4) Add shallots to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.
5) In a bowl, mix beer, soy sauce, mustard and honey.
6) Pour mix to the skillet, and bring to a boil while constantly stirring.
7) Return breasts to pan and simmer for 15 minutes. I added the juices back into the pan as well.

Citrus Sangria

As many of my followers know, The Pub and Grub Forum's drink recipes make appearances on Bette Lee Crosby's Words, Wit and Wisdom in a spotlight series called Midweek Mixers. This series consists of interesting recipes I find and "Naomi Blackburn Originals". I have a whole lot of fun with this series because it allows my mixology creativity to really come out. June is Sangria month and I have been testing sangria recipes and developing some of my own. This one is a bit sweeter than most sangria recipes so it is great  for kicking back on the porch. The big thing...make sure it is well chilled and allow the fruit to really sit. Don't be in a huge rush to serve this!

This drink calls for ORANGE BRANDY. I use:

I periodically use this in my Margaritas too.

So, here we go:

Ingredients:

3 oranges, halved and sliced
1 lime, halved and sliced
1 lemon, halved and sliced
2 ounces ORANGE BRANDY
1 bottle Riesling
12 ounces lemon lime soda

Directions:

1) In a pitcher add fruit and brandy. Muddle well. Add wine and allow to chill in refrigerator for no less than 8 hours.

2) When ready to serve, add lemon lime soda and stir gently.

3) Pour into prepared ice filled glasses. Spoon some fresh fruit into the glasses.

The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home by Nick Zukin, Michael Zusman

**BE SURE TO WATCH THE PUB AND GRUB FORUM FOR RECIPES FROM THIS COOKBOOK**

Book: The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home
 
Author: Nick Zukin, Michael Zusman
 
Narrator (if applicable):n/a

Release date (if applicable): September 13, 2013

Synopsis: Mr. Zukin and Mr. Zusman present a fun cookbook featured in Jewish delis across the United States. Recipes include yummy favorites such as blintzes, bagels, latkes, keegal and can't forget the Matzo ball soup. I am salivating as I am writing this review.
 
My rating: 5 Stars
 
My opinion: I LOVED this fun cookbook. Although I would skip the fish recipes, the better chunk of recipes were awesome looking and unique. The book included recipes for some awesome bread recipes, blintzes, bagels, briskets, soups. Simply awesome. The pictures complimented the book perfectly.

A couple of my favorite points were the list of recommended Jewish delis in the US. They also gave locations/websites to purchase some of the more difficult ingredients. Although I must ask...no good Jewish delis in Chicago?

Some may be a bit more difficult for novice cooks, so maybe figure out a way to take a look at it from a brick/mortar store or a library prior to purchasing.

A special note on the publisher of this cookbook. I have yet to give cookbooks produced by Andrews McMeel Publishers less than 4 stars. I have ended up purchasing each of the books I have reviewed. This book will also head into my Amazon cart. 
 

Source:  Netgalley forAndrews McMeel Publishers

     

Would I recommend? : Yes
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

**BE SURE TO WATCH THE PUB AND GRUB FORUM FOR RECIPES FROM THIS COOKBOOK**

Amish Cooks Across America: Recipes and Traditions from Maine to Montana by Lovinia Eicher, Kevin Williams

** Be sure to check out The Pub and Grub Forum for recipes from this cookbook!**

 

Book: Amish Cooks Across America: Recipes and Traditions from Maine to Montana
 
Author: Lovinia Eicher, Kevin Williams
 
Narrator (if applicable): n/a

Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: A tasty collection of Amish recipes from different regions of the United States. 
 
My rating: 4 Stars
 
My opinion: Looking at regional lifestyles and foods of Amish, this book was interesting. Not only were the foods interesting because they were a whole lot regional foods, such as quesadillas in the southwest and buffalo/moose in the west, the author wrote about how the Amish utilize prepared foods, such as rice krispies and Cool Whip,into their cooking. I had always assumed this was a huge NO-NO! 

Recipes were laid out well and used very easy to find ingredients. Most were simple to prepare for even the most novice chef. 
 

Source: Netgalley for Andrews McMeel Publishing

       

Would I recommend? : Yes, I thought this had some great down home recipes in it and a number of really kid friendly recipes. I can't say that I would recommend this as an entertainment cookbook unless for picnics and barbeques. 
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

** Be sure to check out The Pub and Grub Forum for recipes from this cookbook!**