November 2019 Cookbook Reviews

The Soup Book: 200 recipes, season by season by DK Publishing

I enjoy soup especially in the winter, but I tend to stick with the handful of soup recipes I cook over and over. So, I decided to check out The Soup Book to get some more soup ideas and recipes. I like that the recipes are organized by season as I do like to eat seasonally as much as I can. There is also a chapter on techniques like making your own stock, ways to thicken soup, etc. There is also a chapter with bread recipes since bread and soup go so well together. There are definitely some new soup recipes I'd like to try in here. Overall, a good soup cookbook that can help you open your soup horizons more.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: the New Frontier by Ree Drummond

I've always loved Ree Drummond and her show and recipes, but many of them are so high calorie that you would need to be working cattle all day to eat like that. However, in The New Frontier many of her recipes are healthier, lower-carb, etc. while still including more indulgent recipes as well. And as is her cookbook signature, all the recipes have tons of step-by-step photographs to go along with the instructions. There are definitely a few recipes I'd like to try. Overall, another great cookbook by The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond.

Seeking the South: finding inspired regional cuisines by Rob Newton

I love Southern food so I was excited to check out this cookbook. Author Rob Newton explains that while people think of Southern food as all the same there is a lot of variation between regions of the South. So, this cookbook is organized by region - Upper South, Deep South, Gulf Coast, Coastal Plains and Piedmont, and Lowcountry and Southeast Coast. Each region's recipes are divided into appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and dessert. The last chapter includes recipes for pantry basics like pickles, cornbread, salad dressings, etc. While I really liked how he broke the recipes down by region, there just weren't very many recipes I wanted to try. But there is a lot of great information about the different regions of the South and why they eat and cook the food they do in those areas.

Half Baked Harvest Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard

In Half Baked Harvest Super Simple Tieghan Gerard gives us even more delicious sounding recipes to drool over. In this cookbook she focuses on easier/more simple recipes with either few ingredients or that you can just throw in a crockpot and forget about until dinner. I really liked that in several recipes she gives several ways to make something - crockpot, instapot/pressure cooker, or stove top. That way depending on how much time you have or what kitchen tools you have you can make the recipe any one of three ways. There were quite a few recipes I want to try in here. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Gerard in the future.

South by Sean Brock

This is such a beautiful cookbook that I may end up buying this one. In the introduction Brock talks about his history in the South and how he got into cooking. He also explains about the microregions of the South and how the same ingredients can be used very differently in different regions, but it's all food of the South. He also talks about the importance of eating and cooking seasonally and sourcing heirloom ingredients. The recipes are organized traditionally by snacks, soups and salads, poultry and meat, vegetables and sides, etc. Brock also gives 5 different recipes for cornbread! Throughout the book Brock has sections with other tips/topics like caring for and seasoning cast iron and canning seasonal produce. Overall, there were LOTS of recipes I'd like to try and this looks like an amazing book.