Memories

Grill It, Braise It, Broil It by the American Heart Association is paperback cookbook jammed packed with healthy recipes that cover 12 techniques. Slow cooking, microwaving, blending, grilling, stir-frying, braising, stewing, steaming, poaching, broiling, roasting, and baking are the cooking methods that are used for the recipes. If you are in need of a new grill check out these helpful reviews of BBQ grills. With this being a cookbook that promotes good health, I really appreciate that they include the nutritional data. This book is completely black and white except for 3-4 page section with a few pictures. That doesn’t hinder my desire to cook from this book though, because the recipes sound easy and delicious!

I think this will become one of my go-to cookbooks, because the majority of the ingredients are ones that are not hard to find and I’m that familiar with. That is always an important aspect of a cookbook to me as well as the ‘cookability.’ These techniques can all be accomplished by beginner to intermediate level cooks. I’m adding the Southwestern Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooking chapter on p. 28, the Orange-Apricot Smoothies in the Blending chapter on p. 65, and the Green Beans in Spicy Sauce in the Stir-Frying section on p. 113 to my menu very soon! I think my husband will be anxious for me to try the Thai-Style Chicken Potstickers from the Steaming chapter on p. 163-164.

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon by Sara Forte is a book that celebrates “the bowl.” Yes, in this 225 page cookbook Sara shares recipes that all can be eaten in a bowl from Morning Bowls to Sweet Bowls there is a wide range of delicious recipes! There are lots of gorgeous pictures throughout the book that are really pleasing to the eye. The food pictures will have your mouth watering and your stomach growling!

In the Breakfast Bowl chapter, on p. 17 the Popeye Protein Bowl looks unlike your typical breakfast meal, but I’m curious to try it. On p. 98, Sara gives a template for how to make a bowl (grain, well-seasoned protein, greens, veggies, toppings, and sauce). I loved that she said you don’t have to have a recipe to have a good bowl! The Smoky Tortilla Soup on p. 149 looks delicious and would make a great lunch or dinner. In the Dessert Chapter, the Peach Derby Ice Cream on p. 182 looks scrumptious, for sure! While this cookbook has nice pics and a few of the recipes look delicious, I’m afraid that most of these recipes that just aren’t my cup of tea. Many of the recipes call for food items that I might have a hard time finding (i.e. persimmon, Asian pears, Cotija cheese.)

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Salsas and Moles by Deborah Schneider is a small 150 page book about these Mexican Salsas. This was such an insightful book that covered the myths of salsa to 10 essential chilies. The chapters are:
– Classic Table Salsas
– Hot Salsas
– Mole and Enchilada Sauces
– Salsas for Tacos
– Chunky Salsa and Botanas
The Chipotle-Garlic Salsa sounds right up my alley, while the Pineapple-Cucumber Salsa sounds intriguing enough to try.

This such a cute cookbook. The cover is so inviting and it has several pictures throughout the book that are beautiful and eye-catching. I love that many of the Hot Salsa recipes have a Heat rating. The Volcano Salsa is one that I hope to try soon. It has a heat rating of 6 on a scale of 1-10.

The Sweetapolita Bakebook by Rosie Alyea is a beautiful cookbook with 75 fancy-dancy cakes and cookies. It’s also fill with tips on how to make and decorate them. At the beginning of the book there’s a whole section on how to make homemade sprinkles. How cool is that!

I adore this creative collection of cakes and cookies. On p. 19, Rosie shares a recipe that is calling my name and perfect for valentines day; Pink Cherry Party Cupcakes. They are so cute! I’m anxious to get in the kitchen and make the Sprinkle-Me-Silly Pizza on p. 22-23. Recipes that will take me out of my comfort zone would be The Coney Island Cheesecake on p. 32-33, the Birthday Cake Milkshakes on p. 44-45, and the Pop Rock Robots on p. 47. Practically speaking though, I, personally, do not have the time or patience to make such amazing creations. However, I know there are people out there who eat this book up! Literally.

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Tosi recently published her 2nd cookbook Milk Bar Life: Recipes & Stories. Her first one was called Momofuku Milk Bar, which I have not read. After reading this book, I’m definitely going to have to get my hands on that one for sure! I love that the first chapter of this books is called “Hand-Me_Downs,” which are recipes from that have been passed down through her family, which covers a wide variety of recipes from Hanky-Pankies to Buckeyes. The next chapter is called A Cookie A Day and if this is any indication of what her first book was like, I’m going to love it! Mixed Nut Turtles on p. 51 and Citrus Cookies on p. 61 are two recipes that are calling my name. This cookbook is really like no other I’ve seen, at least no recently. Christina really shows her personality throughout this book with pictures of sitting on grocery cart at the beginning of her Supermarket chapter to her dressed like R. Kelly at the beginning of the Freakin’ Weekend Chapter.

I found this cookbook to be a refreshing change to the normalacy of the every day cookbook. From the aforementioned pictures and the cute chapter names, Christina really brings fun to this cookbook. I’m anxious to try several of her recipes, like the Overnight Chicken Soup on p. 152, the Banana Hammock Pizza on p. 235, and the Desperation Nachos on p. 132. Anyone looking for a fresh and fun cookbook should definitely check this on out!

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Cookie Love by Mindy Segal is a book after my own heart. I am a cookie lover so this book is totally written just for me (and all the cookie lovers out there.) This book has over 60 recipes that will have your mouth watering as well as techniques to take your cookies to the next level! There are pictures for about a third of the recipes. The Chocolate Pretzel Shortbread with Milk Chocolate Caramel on p. 93 look absolutely deletable and I need them now. I love that she included a recipe for dog biscuits on p. 173. There are so many heavenly recipes in this book that I’m dying to try.

I really found the “My Cookie Pantry” chapter near the end of the book quite useful. I appreciated how she explained some of the differences in cookie ingredients. Another chapter that I needed to read was “Tools of the Trade,” where Mindy explains many of the baking gadgets that I thought I really didn’t need. I have learned from this chapter that a dough docker and an immersion blender could prove quite useful in my kitchen. I think this book could be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys making cookies.

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I recently started watching Trisha Yearwood’s show on the Food Network, so when I saw her book listed as one I could review I was super pumped! Trisha’s Table; My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced Life is a cookbook where Trisha puts her 80/20 rule into place, by making good, healthy choices 80%, while still allowing her to splurge about 20% of the time. Even with her healthy choices, she still finds way keep her recipes quite tasty and mouth-watering. The chapters in the book include breakfast, pasta, desserts, and much more.

This is one cookbook that I think I could actually cook every recipe in the book. Trish keeps it real with everyday ingredients, but also has a section on many recipes called “Trisha’s Tips” where she give you tips on how to take make it even healthier. The Power Balls on p. 57 as well as the Raspberry Chicken on p. 114 are recipes that I find quite intriguing and just a bit outside of my cooking comfort zone. The Billi’s Houdini Chicken Salad on p. 78 and the No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares on p. 211 look to die for and I can’t wait to get in the kitchen to try these! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking and would make a great book for a new bride.

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Marc Vetri, an award chef, 3rd cookbook is called Mastering Pasta: The Art and Practice of Handmade Pasta, Gnocchi, and Risotto. I was really excited to see this book come out and that I was going to get to review it (Thanks to Blogging for Books). The first couple of chapters, Marc discusses the tradition as well as the innovation of pasta through the years. The 2nd chapter dives into a hot topic these days and that is Wheat Flour and Gluten that is in different types of flours. Fresh Pasta is the title of the 3rd chapter, where he explains the ingredients used in pasta as well as cooking techniques from cutting to boiling to saucing. In this third chapter, he starts sharing some of his recipes, which are all centered around Egg Yolk Dough. From there, his next seven chapters talk about other types of pasta from Stuffed pasta to risotto. He end the books with a chapter on stocks, sauces, and basic need to knows.
This book is full of beautiful pictures of pasta along with the hands that made it as well as picturesque scenes from Italy. Like I said early, I was eager to get my hands on this book. Being married to Italian and having making homemade pasta (Cavatelli) part of our lives, I was curious to see if the Marc included the type of pasta that’s been passed down through Rob’s grandmother’s family. Cavatelli was a recipe that Marc shared, however, it is quite different from the recipe that we use. I am anxious to try a few of the recipes, but I’m afraid that many of Marc’s recipes use ingredients that would either be hard to find or too expensive (i.e. octopus, lamb, pig foot). The Tomato Risotto (p. 227) and the Garganelli Alla Carbonara (p. 37) look amazing and I would like to try those one weekend. I think for the average person, this book is over the top and would be only suited for those with advanced cooking skills as well as those who are used to complicated ingredients.

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz is a book that really dives into how food effects our brain as well as our body. The 1st chapter called “Your Brain on Food” cover some important information about how food effects our memories, our stress levels, as well as other topics. The 2nd chapter called The Culinary Pharmacy, I found to be an information gold mine. It talks about how all of the ingredients that they use for their recipes help us. For example, did you know that one of the ingredients I use in nearly all my recipes, Onions, is known to help with our cognitive functioning, energy, focus, memory, neuronal health. WOW! I never realized onions were that good for you. The following chapters after that are the recipes, from Anytime Foods to Sweet Bites, Rebecca covers it all.

This book intrigued me when I first read about it. I was curious to see it compared to other books I’ve ready about eating for better health. This book has beautiful pics, although not too many of them. When I analyzed the recipes as well as the ingredients used, I’m not sure I would find myself using this book too often. I think I could easily adapt many of these recipes, however, I would be defeating the purpose of being healthy. I am really wanting to try the Southwestern Sweet Potato Soup as well as many of the vinaigrettes. The Slow-Roasted Spiced Peaches look to die for on p. 211.

I think people willing to spend extra time looking for a few of these less common ingredients and are extra motivated to improve their overall health will love this cookbook.

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

David Bez (blogger at Salad Pride) is an Art Director/Graphic Designer who wrote a book called Salad Love, where he shares 260 Salad recipes. In an effort to add veggies to his diet, he challenged himself to find ways to make salad exciting. I love the layout of this book and how the salad recipe pages are all organized the same with beautiful, mouthwatering pictures for each and every salad. The first 30 pages of the book, David describes the “Base” of the salad and then gives important details about dressings and other key knowledge needed to make these salads. The rest of the book is divided into 4 sections based on the Season of ingredients. Many people will find his labeling system also super helpful. He labels each recipe with one of these categories (Omnivore, Vegetarian, Raw, Vegan, Pescatarian).

I’m super in love with this book because of the way it’s organized and the pictures. However, when I look closely at the recipes and ingredients, when I’m truthful about it, I’m not sure how many of these salads I’d actually make and eat. On page 12, David shows you how to assemble your salad and I love this ‘template’ for making a salad. I could totally see myself using this in the future (Base, Veggies/Fruits, Protein, Toppings, Fresh herbs, Dressings & spices). I was getting used to the ProteinPromo salads being delivered, which are pretty good (ProteinPromo’s list of deals and offers) – but this seems like the key to making an amazing salad every time!

I am thankful for Blogging for Books who sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.