What Can I Bring? Cookbook (Cake Mix Doctor) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm a good cook and baker, but every time I have to bring something to a get-together, I end up obsessing over what to bring. I fall back on the same old things so much that I get bored, even though people seem to enjoy what I bring. Recently, I have been asked to bring food for various organizations/activities--probably at least once a month. This book, which is under $20.00, is well worth the price. It has more than 200 recipes, and there is a very good variety of recipes, including vegetarian ones or ones that could be easily made vegetarian/vegan. That's important to me because I have a vegetarian daughter. It is great that the author provides information on how to increase the amount of servings if practical, and provides a time-line of how long to expect to take to make the dish. Her notes on "how to tote" the dishes are helpful, since getting the dish there intact is important. There are some recipes at the end of the book for gift-giving and they will be wonderful for Christmas gifts. I like that the author did all my trial-and-error work for me--testing what goes over well at a pot-luck, is fairly simply to make, and travels well. I want to buy more of her books after purchasing this one, because her recipes are "real life, without too many exotic ingredients, and food that people would actually eat.

Click Here to see more reviews about: What Can I Bring Cookbook (Cake Mix Doctor)

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about What Can I Bring Cookbook (Cake Mix Doctor)

Read More...

Simply Vegetarian: Easy-To-Prepare Recipes for the Vegetarian Gourmet Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my favorite vegetarian cookbook. The recipes are incredibly easy, and they are hearty and satisfying enough for a very cold climate. Plus, you can make them in great big quantities if you like, sometimes all in one pot, so that you can spend less time cooking and more time... EATING! And the recipies are definitely worth relishing. This book has the best nut loaf recipe ever. The one drawback is that it's in the 1970s tradition of vegetarian cooking,which includes alot of dairy and eggs. Some of the recipes are vegan, and those are very tasty and hearty and warming, but in general this is probably not the best book for vegans. I'm noticing that I'm seeing it less & less in bookstores, and I hope they don't quit printing it, because it's great!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Simply Vegetarian: Easy-To-Prepare Recipes for the Vegetarian Gourmet

Gourmet, easy-to-prepare dishes that are actually tasty and nutritious! Reflecting many of themost current trends in gourmet cooking, Simply Vegetarian! is ideal both for those who aretransitioning into vegetarian eating and long-time vegetarians eager to discover some wonderfulnew recipes. This winning combination includes 50 main dishes as well as a complete selectionof soups, salads, and stunning deserts that make for a complete meal. Easy to follow directions,easy to find ingredients, and meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. SimplyVegetarian! is widely regarded as one of the classics.

Click here for more information about Simply Vegetarian: Easy-To-Prepare Recipes for the Vegetarian Gourmet

Read More...

The Grit Cookbook: World-Wise, Down-Home Recipes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I received this cookbook as a Christmas present from friends who are residents of Athens. I have only eaten at The Grit once, and so I am far from being an expert on their menu, and I didn't have any "favorites" that I was compelled to try first. So I opened it up and attempted the first recipe that caught my eye, the Cinnamon Raisin-Craisin Bread. Oh baby.... this is the good stuff. The recipe was well written and easy to follow, and the resulting bread was out of this world.
This was just the first of many. All of the recipes I have tried have been great, especially the brunch dishes and cakes, and I haven't missed the meat one bit. Bravo, and thanks to my friend for sending it since I never would have known about this gem without her!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Grit Cookbook: World-Wise, Down-Home Recipes

The Grit, located in the quintessential boho town of Athens, Georgia, is known far and wide as the touring musicians' restaurant of choice. This classic cookbook features 150 of The Grit's most requested recipes, including 20 new recipes to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this famous establishment. True to its Southern roots, this hip vegetarian eatery combines soul-food sensibility with meatless cuisine, and while there are plenty of Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern favorites to satisfy the well-traveled vegetarian, the heart of this cuisine maintains the down-home, soul-food feeling of simple foods and classic combinations that are guaranteed to please.

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about The Grit Cookbook: World-Wise, Down-Home Recipes

Read More...

Food That Says Welcome: Simple Recipes to Spark the Spirit of Hospitality Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a wonderful, practical cookbook for families who want to enjoy meals together, but don't have lots of time to spend in preparation. The recipes are straightforward, using easy-to-find ingredients and the meals are delicious to even the pickiest of children. There are also wonderful hints, suggestions and lessons on how to show love for our family, friends and others through hospitality. Lots of fun candid photos of Michael W. Smith & his family enjoying Barbara's food in their kitchen, too!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Food That Says Welcome: Simple Recipes to Spark the Spirit of Hospitality

Make Your Friends and Family Feel Welcome, One Meal at a Time."Welcome to my home as we share life and laughter around the table. It means sharing my life in such a way that there is always room for one more."–Barbara SmithSome people naturally have the gift of hospitality, instinctively creating inviting, mouth-watering meals and a warm environment that assures guests, "We're glad you're here." Fortunately, says food expert Barbara Smith, the rest of us have the same potential to make guests feel nurtured, and here she offers an unforgettable, not-to-be-missed treasury of recipes, tips, and how-to's for everyone with the spiritual gift of hospitality–and for all the rest of us who want to look like we do. In Food That Says Welcome you'll learn to:• Make "welcome" food that is healthy and easy to prepare.• Create an atmosphere that says to your guests, "You are special."• Make hospitality your ministry and service.The mother of Grammy Award winner Michael W. Smith, Barbara has cooked for and entertained numerous celebrities–extending to them the same warmth and exuberance as to her large family. Learn what makes Barbara Smith's meals and outreach so rave-worthy and discover how you can invoke the same spirit of hospitality in your own home and kitchen in Food That Says Welcome.

Click here for more information about Food That Says Welcome: Simple Recipes to Spark the Spirit of Hospitality

Read More...

Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When I ran into this book at Costco I was excited by the pictures and the recipes... then I realized, this book contained recipes to one of my favorite brunch places in downtown Portland. Really? She is sharing her recipes?
I was immediately compelled to add it to my cart - and bought another copy for the friend who introduced me to Mother's downtown in the first place - and let me say I am quite pleased.
I love how she gives tips throughout her cookbook - and the food is all tasting super yummy! Just had the chicken dumplings last night. My husband is not a big fan of chicken dumplings because they can be all goopy and slimey - but this recipe sold him immediately - the texture was perfect!
I also love how most of the ingredients can be found in a normal shopping store. So many cookbooks these days call for fancy items or hard to find items that even the store clerks can't tell you what they are. These are simple affordable yummy recipes that definitely are great for home cooking.
We just recently became parents of twins - adding our child count to 4. This number makes it a lot more tricky to head downtown for a nice meal... so I am very grateful that she is sharing her genious recipes with us.
If you are up for homecooking - this is the cookbook for you.
And you definitely will have to have the crunchy french toast. My favorite item in the world at Mother's. ENJOY!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again

Read More...

Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is so beautifully designed and photographed that it honestly could do double duty as a coffee table book. Having said that, and at the risk of sounding snobbish, the only thing separating this cookbook from your local community junior league cookbook is that this book has much better photography and does not come spiral bound. So, buy it for its looks or for the good cause it supports, but chances are you already have most of these recipes lurking in your cookbook collection.
I purchased this (rather expensive) book expecting to find it filled with exclusive recipes for fancy dishes served by the Park Avenue elite, but instead I found it to contain very approachable, common recipes, many of which I was already familiar with. That is not to say that the recipes aren't good: they are. The lemon & dijon chicken, the Paris iced tea, "Mexican" chocolate cake with a boiled chocolate icing and the "Aunt Janet's" beef recipe all turned out beautifully.
Bottom line: this book is filled with recipes by and for home cooks, whether your home's address happens to be on Park avenue or not.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses

Read More...

Hot Dish Heaven: Classic Casseroles from Midwest Kitchens Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Contrary to the reviewer from Boxford, MA, I assert that this book is classic Minnesotan. As a native Minnesotan, I can attest to the authenticity of these recipe selections; indeed, all the hot dish classics are here: brunch casserole, tater tot hot dish, chicken and rice, tuna and noodles, and more. The aforementioned reviewer may have read past the definition of "hot dish" at the beginning of the book: "casserole-like food common in the Midwest; normally consists of a starch, a meat, and a vegetable mixed together with a sauce, often canned soup" (from _Dictionary of American Regional English_). Hot dishes are neither gourmet nor health food, but they are a comfort for us folks in the upper Midwest. This book could not have been compiled by a better expert: Ann Burckhardt was the former editor for the Taste section of the Star Tribune newspaper and the original Betty Crocker Cooky Book. If you want a classic Midwestern style cookbook full of recipes for your church potlucks or hearty family suppers, look no further.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hot Dish Heaven: Classic Casseroles from Midwest Kitchens

What do you get when you mix Tater Tots, ground beef, and cream of mushroom soup? Tater Tot Hot Dish, of course! Retired Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste section editor-the delightful auntie every discerning foodie wants to call their own-Ann Burckhardt brings back the comfy casseroles of the fifties and sixties with modern updates for busy families, swingin' singles, and twenty-first-century potluckers in Hot Dish Heaven.

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Hot Dish Heaven: Classic Casseroles from Midwest Kitchens

Read More...

The Casserole Queens Cookbook: Put Some Lovin' in Your Oven with 100 Easy One-Dish Recipes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Tried out the French Toast Casserole (as shown on the Today Show). Completely amazing and ridiculously easy. Can't wait to try out the rest!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Casserole Queens Cookbook: Put Some Lovin' in Your Oven with 100 Easy One-Dish Recipes

CrystalCook and Sandy Pollock make a mean Chicken Pot Pie, elevating the classic recipe with white wine and fresh tarragon. Their recipe won them such a following in Texas that Bobby Flay took notice and challenged them to a Throwdown. It turns out that the Casserole Queens, as the duo is known, are much more than one-hit wonders of the one-dish dinner. They have built an entire business around revamping the ultimate quick-fix dinner for modern tastes. In The CasseroleQueens Cookbook, they share their fresh, updated, from-scratch recipes for traditional dishes. Tuna Noodle is brought up a notch with a homemade cream sauce and a kick of cayenne pepper; Halibut Enchiladas with Salsa Verde are surprisingly light and vibrant; Mandarin Meatloaf has a sweet orange flavor that recharges a beloved weeknight staple. There are home-style desserts, like Gooey Apple Butter Cake, and great brunch dishes, such as Frenchy Toast Casserole. The Queens have thought of everything, providing advice on scaling and freezing casseroles so that anyone can stock the freezer with go-to dinners. With 16 pages of color photographs, plenty of expert tips, and lots of style, The Casserole Queens Cookbook is the home cook's handbook for making tasty meals any night of the week.

Get 39% OFF

Click here for more information about The Casserole Queens Cookbook: Put Some Lovin' in Your Oven with 100 Easy One-Dish Recipes

Read More...

Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Living in the Midwest, fall and winter brings all sorts of hardy vegetables, such as squash, rutabagas, beets, and parsnips. As a "part-time" vegetarian, I'm trying to expand my vegetable choices, beyond the standard carrots and broccoli. This year I swore I'd try something new, and this cookbook was a first step in that direction. The recipes look yummy and hearty, just the thing for cold weather meals. I made the "winter" minestrone, with carrots, kale, celery root, and other good things, and it was delicious. I'm already making plans for my next visit to Whole Foods to get some squash, and rutabagas, to try some of the other recipes. This is not a vegetarian cookbook (there are meat & poultry recipes), but it is vegetable-centric.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables


Nothing tastes better than the seasonal bounty of local farms. Everyone loves the spring-is-here excitement of peas and asparagus and the summer sweetness of tomatoes and corn. Now it's time to give the hearty, long-lasting bounty of the autumn garden its due. Whether these vegetables are eaten straight from the garden, out of a well-tended root cellar, or straight from the market, their flavors reward the home cook, and their nutritional benefits pack a powerful punch.

Sweet winter squashes, robust hardy greens, jewel-toned root vegetables, and potatoes of every variety are the staples that make eating locally so delicious and satisfying during the cold months of late autumn and winter.

These cold-weather treasures work wonderfully well in soups (Celery Root Bisque, Creamy Leek and Root Vegetable Soup, Portuguese Kale Soup) and baked entrees (White Lasagna with Winter Squash, Chicken Pot Pie with Root Vegetables, Winter Vegetable Pot Roast), but they also shine in winter salads. Warm Goat Cheese and Beet Salad; Endive, Pear, and Walnut Salad; and Thai Cabbage Salad can be the centerpieces of light winter dinners or delicious preludes to the main event.

With this collection of more than 250 recipes, veteran cookbook author and gardening enthusiast Andrea Chesman deliciously demonstrates how locavores in all parts of North America can eat seasonal produce year-round. Whether they're eaten in soups or salads, side dishes or entrees, root-cellar vegetables can be a delicious part of every cooks winter kitchen.

Recipes include:

Split Pea Soup with Winter Vegetables Roasted Beet and Blue Cheese Salad Deep-Fried Root Vegetable Chips with Garlic Aioli Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries Cashew Carrots Braised Collards with Bacon Deep-Fried Onion Rings Root Vegetable Bread Pudding White Lasagna with Winter Squash Ravioli with Smoky Greens Winter Vegetable Lamb Stew Red-Cooked Pork and Cabbage Chicken Stew with Root Vegetables, and hundreds more.

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables

Read More...

Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food: 65 Everyday Meal Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with Over 150 Great-Tasting, Down-Home Recipes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is one of the top five cookbooks I plan on rescuing in case of house fire. Just kidding, but I would immediately go out and get it again! Buy this book -- it's worth it just for the mac and cheeze, orange chick'n, and buffalo bites recipes. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Did I mention the mac and cheeze? It's not a nutritional yeast sauce! It's incredible!
This book has a good range of simple idea-type recipes -- as in, recipes you can really put together quickly and throw in your own substitutions -- plus more still-easy-but-complex-in-flavor recipes for the scratch cook. Oh and I can't say enough about the barbecue sauce, too. I'm picky picky picky about BBQ sauce and the one in this book plus the one in Veganomicon are to live for.
This is my first attempt to start reviewing some of the zillions of cookbooks I own. Happy cooking!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food: 65 Everyday Meal Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with Over 150 Great-Tasting, Down-Home Recipes

A born food-lover, raised in California on 'the best Mexican food in the country" and her father's 'traditional Southern soul food," Alicia C. Simpson couldn't imagine giving up her favorite dishes to become vegan. Animal-free food might be healthier, but could it match the tastes of home-like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, or a bowl of chili? Three years after Alicia took the vegan plunge, Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food answers that question with a resounding 'yes!"Here is the essential cookbook for any of America's more than 6 million vegans who miss the down-home tastes they remember (or want to try), or for vegetarians and even meat-eaters who want to add more plant-based foods to their diets, but don't know where to start. Comfort-seeking cooks will find:
Easy-to-prepare, animal-free versions of classics like Spicy Buffalo Bites, Ultimate Nachos, Baked Ziti and more
65 delicious combinations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with flavors from around the world, like 'Chinese Take-In" or 'Tijuana Torpedo"
Everything you need to know to start your vegan pantry, and why being vegan is easier, less expensive, and more delicious than you might think.
With spirit and style, Alicia shows just how easy-yes, and comforting-vegan food can be.

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food: 65 Everyday Meal Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with Over 150 Great-Tasting, Down-Home Recipes

Read More...

Soup Makes the Meal: 150 Soul-Satisfying Recipes for Soups, Salads and Breads (Non) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I cook often, but I own very few cookbooks. I get tired of buying cookbooks and finding only a few recipes worth making. This book is definitely an exception. Every recipe I've tried has been terrific, and there are so many others I'd like to try, I've decided to give the library back their copy and purchase my own. The biggest plus for me is that the recipes are all very healthy and the menus are well-balanced. Yes, he uses butter and cream in some recipes, but he balances them with amazing whole grain breads and large amounts of vegetables and fruits in the soups as well as the salads. What impresses me the most is that his whole grain breads taste so terrific - you'll wonder why you ever ate white bread! Best of all, the recipes make enough for leftovers, but not so much that you're eating soup all week. Best Bets: the Split Pea soup menu is my favorite - the bread is terrific and the split pea soup is the best I've ever tasted.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Soup Makes the Meal: 150 Soul-Satisfying Recipes for Soups, Salads and Breads (Non)

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Soup Makes the Meal: 150 Soul-Satisfying Recipes for Soups, Salads and Breads (Non)

Read More...

New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation's Best Purveyor of Fine Soup Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had high hopes for this book. My boyfriend and I have visited the New England Soup Factory frequently and have always been impressed by the array of interesting soups and the fact that we have yet to try one we didn't like. However, I wasn't sure how this would translate into a cookbook as sometimes recipes invented for large scale production don't taste the same when you pair back the yield to something more appropriate for the average home cook like myself. I also wondered if they would leave out some of their more interesting recipes. Thankfully, neither of my fears were founded. The recipes I have tried to date taste just as good as anything I have had in their restaurant and are just as interesting.
The thing that sets this book apart from others I have tried is the sheer variety of interesting recipes. Sure most books cover the basics, but this also includes some very inventive combinations. My personal favorite is the author's take on spanakopita in soup form. It's rich and delicious and quite unlike any soup I've ever had. The eggplant parm soup is also unbelievable. I first tried it in the restaurant and the cookbook version is identical. I also quite enjoyed the Roasted Beet and Pear Soup with Blue Cheese. I'm not normally a huge beet fan but this soup won me over. Overall, you get a breadth of recipes that not only sound good on paper, but work out perfectly when you cook them at home.
The ingredients used are also very easy to find in the average supermarket so you shouldn't run into the problem of wanting to make a delicious soup but having no access to the raw materials. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to expand their soup repetoire beyond the usual standards.

Click Here to see more reviews about: New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation's Best Purveyor of Fine Soup


More than 100 of the best soup recipes Boston has to offer accompanied by fun stories and beautiful full-color photography.

Marjorie Druker is passionate about soups. She fell in love with soups when she first heard the story Stone Soup. After attending Johnston & Whales, Marjorie created the menu for the popular Boston Market restaurant chain, and soups were always her favorite. "My niche is taking what people like to eat and turning it into a soup," she says.
The New England Soup Factory restaurant has won the Best of Boston award four times. People skip school to eat their soups. A pregnant in labor stopped by the restaurant on the way to the hospitalto satisfy a last-minute craving.New England Soup Factory soups are like no other soups. And now you can recreate these delicious soups in your own home. The New England Soup Factory Cookbook contains 100 of Boston's best-tasting traditional and creative soup recipes. The book also includesa chapter on sandwiches and salads to accompany such soups as . . .

New England Clam Chowder
Wild Mushroom and Barley Soup
Curried Crab and Coconut Soup
Raspberry-Nectarine Gazpacho
Cucumber-Buttermilk Soup

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation's Best Purveyor of Fine Soup

Read More...