COOKBOOK REVIEW: The Peached Tortilla by Eric Silverstein

I was surprised by how much I liked this cookbook. Going in I thought it would be full of pretty looking but impossible to cook at home restaurant food. There were some involved recipes, but there were a lot of attainable ones too.

I also loved reading Silverstein’s story. Growing up as an American in Asia, then moving back to America having never actually lived there was an interesting way to develop a palate. I also appreciated his realizations that his career as a lawyer was killing his soul, and was glad he shared his first few years of floundering as a food truck operator. We can all use a reminder that hip restaurants and gorgeous cookbooks don’t just get awarded because you’re a nice person.

One night after work last week I whipped up some Chinese BBQ sauce and the Bacon Jam Brussels Sprouts to go with a ham dinner. Both were delicious. Next I’d love to try my hand at making some of the street tacos and cocktails from this book.

Messy weeknight kitchen

Visiting Austin has been on my travel bucket list for a few years now, and when I go visiting The Peached Tortilla is high on my list of things to do.

COOKBOOK REVIEW: Spiced by America's Test Kitchen

One of my goals this year is to read and cook from twenty new to me cookbooks. My first of the year was Spiced, a book I had really high hopes for because it’s from America’s Test Kitchen.

And this book did not let me down. I loved the look of all the recipes and really liked how they included many sauces, spice mixes, and dips since that’s what most of my cooking consists of these days.

There were many things I would have loved to cook, but the only recipe I had everything on hand for was the Sriracha salt. It was very easy to make, and smelled amazing. I can’t wait to try it on popcorn and scrambled eggs.

Even though I really enjoyed flipping through this book I probably won’t buy my own copy. I would need to buy so many specialty spices and new pieces of equipment that it’s just not practical.

Reading cookbooks

I love to curl up and read a good cookbook. Some people think this is weird, but a good cookbook can read like a memoir. Here are some of my favorites.

You can click on any of the images above to see a description on amazon.com.

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[REVIEW] A New Way To Dinner by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs

I recently had the pleasure of curling up and reading A New Way To Dinner by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. This gorgeous cookbook by the brains behind Food52 is a collection of amazing recipes that are also family friendly. Best of all they are organized to knock out a week's worth of cooking in one afternoon!

After an hour or so of reading and drooling over the recipes and color photographs I was inspired to get in the kitchen and cook. Not only did I prep for a week's worth of bag lunches for my family, I made the Thai Steak Salad from this book. We loved it, and I can't wait to do a more organized session of a week's worth of meals.

Buy this book for yourself, and buy a copy as a Christmas present for your best friend. you both will thank me later!

Note: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Blogging For Books.

REVIEW: A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches by Tyler Kord

I have never laughed so hard when reading about sandwiches. Amazing. Even if you are on a carb free gluten free paleo diet get this cookbook right away and read it cover to cover. All of the recipes, descriptions, even the index have little notes, and bits of sarcasm that just make you smile.

The recipes sound good too. There are normal meaty sandwiches, but there are also interesting vegetarian ones that involve broccoli. Apparently these are all served at the author's restaurant in New York, and I have never wanted to eat at a restaurant so much as I have after reading this cookbook. The food sounds good, but if the place is half the fun of this book I will never want to leave.

This isn't just a cookbook. It's a conversation starter, or something you would leave on your coffee table.  It would make a great gift for a Secret Santa or your quirky cousin.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a honest review.

The Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook

I've been hunting around for kid's cook books at my local library, and I really like what I see in this Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook.  The recipes are fun without being too out there -- although I was surprised that their recipe for Roast Beast used chicken instead of beef.

This book would also be great for birthday party food.

Have you tried anything from this book?  Do your kids have a favorite cook book?

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The best cookbooks for freezer cooking

Cooking in summer isn't always fun, but still the people who live here want to eat every day. I tend to rely on freezer cooking or batch cooking to get us through until the humidity falls back below 50%. There are tons of freezer cooking options online, but of course my most trusted resources are books.

Click on any of the book covers below to go to the description on amazon.com.

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REVIEW: Home Cooked by Anya Fernald with Jessica Battilana

Home Cooked is the kind of cookbook that you just want to curl up and read. The recipes are great, but the stories and background information are just as great. Home Cooked focuses on the foods many of us don't usually take the time to cook, but don't mind spending a Saturday afternoon reading about how to cook them - lard, sausages, condiments, the list goes on.

My husband saw me reading this book, and demanded to know when I would be cooking something from it. I decided on "The Greatest Pork Spareribs" and they were amazing! Everyone in my family loved the flavor, and there was nothing complicated about the recipe at all. I made the rub and put it on the meat early in the morning, went to the water park all day with my kids, came home exhausted, and threw them in the oven for a few hours. This is a recipe we'll enjoy again and again this summer.

Get this book if you love cookbooks you can cuddle up with. It would also make a great gift for someone who really takes food seriously.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a honest review.

Linked to Wake Up Wednesday

REVIEW: Everyone is Italian on Sunday

If you love vegetables and Italian food this book is for you. For anyone who is stuck on the 30 minute gimmick and the cutesy sayings Rachel Ray is known for, put those aside and get ready to cook from this book all summer long.

This is not your usual spaghetti, meatballs, and chicken parm Italian cookbook. You'll find those things, but you'll also find dozens of recipes for eggplant, a whole chapter on using up garden veggies, and no less than three variations of mashed potatoes. (There's also a whole chapter devoted to cocktails, and some pretty damn good looking desserts.)

I read this book right after my herb garden started producing, so the first recipe I made was Savory Fennel, Rosemary, and Honey Oatmeal. It was amazing! The oatmeal was just the right mix of hearty food and tasty flavor. I can't wait to request this book again once the full garden starts producing, and cook through the vegetable section.

Other cookbooks that make you want to eat all your veggies:

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REVIEW: 100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways To Make The True Essentials by America's Test Kitchen

If you need simple, tasty food that your kids will actually eat may I suggest 100 Recipes from America's Test Kitchen? I've looked at books like this before, and have been disappointed by lists of crazy ingredients or fancy twists on basic food. This book isn't like that. It contains basic recipes that use the best ingredients cooked in the best way.

A real sign of how basic these ingredients are: I was reading this book in the car on the way home from a hike, and saw a recipe for Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts. I decided it looked good, and was able to cook it from things I had on hand. That never happens to me due to the small children who live in my house and eat through all available ingredients as if they were a swarm of locusts.

I've never been tempted to cook through a cookbook before, but this book might just get me to do it. It seems as if it can get me to rise above the daily beat down caused by my lack of time combined with my suspicious of anything that is not pasta kids - at least once or twice a week.

I got this book from the library, but I'm planning on buying my own copy using cash money from the bookstore. That's saying something.

If you too are beaten down by life, here are some more cookbooks that might bring you back from the dark side:

REVIEW: The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook

I came across The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook by Debra Ponzek when I was looking for something else at the library. The title brings to mind one of those books that tells you how to survive the apocalypse or a terrorist attack. Dinnertime has invaded us, and it is something we must survive. The book isn't like that though. These aren't quick let's throw something on the table type recipes. They're hey, you have to eat anyway, so why not make it fresh and delicious type recipes.

Just because this isn't a quick cooking cook book doesn't mean that the recipes are complicated. Most have just a handful of ingredients, but they are good and flavorful ingredients. I made the Baked Mac And Cheese the day I brought this cookbook home, and my whole family loved it.

If you're in a cooking rut, struggling with wanting to serve whole foods to your family but need ideas, or want to give a great cookbook as a gift I'd recommend this one!

Other Great Cook Books For Busy Families:

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