September 2017 Cookbooks

Can It & Ferment It by Stephanie Thurow

Stephanie Thurow briefly explains how she got into canning and fermenting food, then explains the differences between canning and fermenting (and how they both preserve food). She also gives an overview of waterbath canning, but as I say with every canning cookbook - please take a class or learn from someone experienced like Thurow did - don't try to can for the first time just based on a book. It is easier than you think, but taking a class really equips you to do this right. The rest of the book is recipes divided into seasons - Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter because it's best to can whatever is in season and is freshest. There were definitely a few recipes I'd like to try and I really liked that the recipes are designed for small batches so you know if you like something before committing to a huge batch.

Real Food Heals by Seamus Mullen

I knew who Seamus Mullen was from the Food Network and I had read an article a few years ago about how he overhauled his diet and basically healed his rheumatoid arthritis. So, I was excited to check out this book. The first chapter of the book tells his story with health and how he was able to really overhaul his whole life through diet. He also goes over the tenants he follows with this diet and how he made some major changes. Then it gets into the recipes. At the very end there is a 21 day diet challenge to help jump start or incorporate his eating suggestions. Basically the eating "plan" is paleo, but he does still eat cheese and some dairy. There were definitely some recipes I want to try and his story is definitely very inspiring. While I don't want to cut out carbs completely, he has obviously had really good results eating this way. Overall, definitely one to check out.

Ham: a Savor the South cookbook by Damon Lee Fowler

I love the Savor the South cookbook series and the Ham cookbook does not disappoint. As Fowler says in the Introduction, "Southerners and Ham: a Love Story" and that is the truth. You almost can't talk about Southern cooking without talking about ham and it's history in Southern food. Fowler gives a good introduction to ham and it's history and also how it's made today. I knew from growing up in the South that soup is not worth making if you don't have a hambone to season it, but as Fowler says in the introduction to the Appetizers and Soups section, "...ham is to soup what gin is to martinis: You can make one without it, but in our estimation it's going to be a thin shadow of what it might have been." (p. 21) There are definitely a few recipes I'd like to try and I never thought about making a ham broth to flavor soups or greens before this cookbook - I had always tried to have hambones or chunks on hand in the freezer, but I like this idea a lot. Overall, another great Savor the South cookbook!

Half Baked Harvest Cookbook by Tieghan Gerard

Tieghan Gerard took over the cooking in her household because it took way too long for her father to get home from work and start cooking. As one of seven kids Gerard knew that in order to make sure she could eat when she wanted she needed to learn how to cook for herself. In taking over the family cooking she found her calling in food. She created a blog to share recipes and that's what led to this cookbook. Full of recipes using seasonal, fresh ingredients there is bound to be something in here for almost anyone. Lots of beautiful pictures go along with the recipes. Definitely one worth checking out.

From Freezer to Table by Rachel Tiemeyer and Polly Conner

Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer started a blog called Thriving Home about how they made their homes run smoothly and a big part of that for both was freezing cooking. Freezer cooking is cooking in bulk and freezing things to make it easier to have dinner on the table every day - whether it's a whole meal like a cassarole or just individual components that can quickly be put together for a meal. They explain how to have a Freezer Cooking party or start a Freezer Cooking club, but the recipes can also just stand alone as well. While I'm not personally interested in starting a freezer cooking club, I did find a lot of recipes I'd like to try. Overall, definitely a good cookbook for anyone who's busy and wants some quick and easy recipes to get dinner on the table.

The Farmhouse Chef by Jamie DeMent

Jamie DeMent and her partner run Coon Rock Farm and Piedmont restaurant in Durham, NC. This book is all the recipes inspired by their farm and local food restaurant. I don't think I realized they were from North Carolina when I requested this book, but that made it even better for me. Their story is interspersed throughout the recipes and there were definitely a few recipes I'd like to try. Overall, a great NC cookbook.

Beekman 1802: A Seat at the Table by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell

I think I've checked out all the Beekman 1802 cookbooks from my library, so of course I wanted to check this one out too. I liked how they highlighted other artisans throughout the book and there were some recipes I want to try. But, I didn't like this one as much as I remember liking previous ones. It's not bad, just not as many of my kind of recipes. It's still a beautiful cookbook with lots of photographs of the farm and recipes.

A quote featured in the book I really liked:

"While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many." - Lady Bird Johnson