A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches

A quick enjoyable cookbook, full of fun anecdotes, great pictures, and amazing recipes. I will admit upfront that I have not made any of the recipes (YET!) but I definitely want to try some of these delectable sandwiches. They are all wildly unique and involve ingredients that you don't normally think have any place on a sandwich (broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, etc.) and as such can require a little more prep than most people normally put into making a sandwich. Over half the recipes involve meat, but with some imagination it would be easy to substitute vegetarian replacements for a weirdo herbivore like me. The Shadiest One is the recipe I'm dying to try out the most, it involves avocado, ricotta cheese, lemon, bread, cheddar cheese, cucumber muchim, and fried shallots. Tell me that doesn't sound amazing?!?!? Some others that sound like heaven on earth are: The Battle of Shanghai (general tso's tofu, spaghetti squash salad, pickled ginger, shiso, mayo), Zucchini Parm (fried zucchini, fontina, onion puree, pickled jaleponos, bbq potato chips), Taken 2 (broccoli falafel, fennel puree, muchim pickles, tomatoes), among dozens others. Seriously, what an awesome cookbook from the owner of the No. 7 shops in New York.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Soul Food Love

Love encapsulates every page of this cookbook/family history. The first fourth of the book takes readers through five kitchens, through multiple generations, and many cooking styles. It is a wonderful tribute to their family. While the authors (a mother daughter duo) praise and venerate the previous generations they also realize how unhealthy some traditional soul food has become and spruce up old recipes and create some to fill the void. Kitchens are a place of solace and they don't want to remove the experience and pleasure for anyone so they created and tweaked recipes for the benefit of all. "In our family, and in many Southern families, the abundant kitchen has become an antidote for what pains and afflicts us. Somewhere along the way, abundance became excess. Then excess became illness."

There are literally dozens of recipes I can't wait to try: southern hummus, warm onion and rosemary salad, spicy roasted sweet potatoes with pomegranate, fiery green beans, and more. This book is not vegetarian based, but it is certainly very vegetarian friendly and a welcome addition to my bookshelf. The descriptions are mouthwatering, the pictures sumptuous, and the recipes fairly simple.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Verjuice in the Kitchen

It's no secret that I'm a novice in the kitchen. Thankfully this small collection of recipes is not rocket science, the food is wonderful and beautiful and actually achievable. The hardest ingredient to find is what the book is named after, the verjuice. After some searching I was able to find it in a health food store and I'll be damned if its not amazing. I'm having fun trying to incorporate it into the few dishes I'm comfortable making. I also tried a few recipes included in this book, the pumpkin soup (it's the right season!) and the potatoes. I loved how the verjuice complemented the potatoes and will most definitely be making it for thanksgiving. As a vegetarian about half of the recipes didn't apply to me, but I lent this book to my dad and he said he was dying to try the piri piri chicken and crab and clam chowder. So between the two of us we might actually get through the whole cookbook! The pictures accompanying each recipe are beautiful and the ingredients and recipes themselves are not that complicated. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook and is looking to branch out into other ingredients (namely verjuice). For more information and to purchase this cookbook (or Adam's other cookbook, Live to Eat: Meals Everyone Can Make) visit, www.adampittaway.co.uk/cookbooks.

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Big Gay Ice Cream

Perhaps one of the gayest books I have ever read. And I mean that as a compliment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's ridiculous illustrations, hilarious stories, and amazing ice cream recipes. At first I was doubtful that I would ever actually make any of the ice cream because, really, ain't nobody got time for that. But thankfully Bryan Petroff and Douglass Quint put together a fantastic collection of recipes, ranging from sinfully easy to mildly complex. I absolutely can't wait to try my hand at making the toasted curried coconut, awesomesauce, and extra virgin olive oil ice cream. That look and sound exquisite. The whole time I was reading this great collection, I wanted to eat massive amounts of ice cream. Granted, that should have prompted me to go to the store to buy the ingredients so I could put the recipes to use, but I was too lazy at 10pm. But soon! I can't wait! a must for any ice cream lover!!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Live to Eat: Meals Everyone Can Make

I'm a sucker for a good cookbook and I was soo pleased to find one that wasn't intimidating! There are twenty recipes in this cookbook which may not seem like a lot but each is easily molded or adapted to create new meals. There are four sections each highlighting a different "hero" ingredient: chili, verjuice, olive oil, and dark chocolate. Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photograph, a tantalizing description, and simple straightforward directions (something a kitchen klutz like myself greatly appreciates!).

While I haven't had time to try out all the recipes, I did try two of the simpler ones to start off with, the potatoes in verjuice and simple tomato salad (I love me some mozzarella!). They were easy, inexpensive to make, and HEAVENLY. Looking back I wish I would have taken a picture!

A great cookbook for beginner cooks and those wishing to try something new, quick, and healthy. Not recommended for vegetarians... unless you host a lot of dinners and cook with meat and seafood.

I received this book free from the author, in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

The Portlandia Cookbook

Disclaimer: I've only watched about three episodes of the show, but I was still easily able to recognize characters and their quirky mannerisms in the book. If I had never seen the show I would definitely been a lot more lost. While there are recipes (this is a cookbook after all), there are also many anecdotal sidebars, tips, and stories that refer back to the show and characters. I was hoping that there would be more vegan or vegetarian options, but alas, I believe there was only two or three vegan recipes, not including drinks (but plenty of vegetarian options). I actually was impressed with how good some of the recipes sound. I thought this would be mainly a humorous book, with cooking thrown in as a joke, but there are some pretty damn legit recipes in here. I have bookmarked: kale and quinoa bowl with tofu and mushrooms, tomatoes and snap peas with roasted corn chile dressing, and the tortilla espanola. The pictures looked heavenly and the recipes didn't look overly complicated so I think they are definitely worth a try.


After reading this book, I definitely want to start watching the show again, this book was laugh out loud funny! Unfortunately, only fans of the show or people who live in Portland will really get all the jokes, but as long as you're one of those two you will definitely love this humorous cookbook!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Vegan Holiday Cooking

This book made me so very hungry. The pictures were exquisite, the captions, mouthwatering, and the selection superb!. If you have meat eating friends who are skeptical of the vegan lifestyle, then this is the book to convince them otherwise! Make them a recipe or two from here and, while they may not convert, they will definitely understand that plant based meals can be tasty, satisfying, and totally worthwhile!

I knew the book was going to be a winner when I opened it and saw that there was a forward from Alicia Silverstone and Woody Harrelson in the beginning. If they were fans, how could I not be!? Since I live no where near New York, I can't go visit one of the Candle Cafe locations to sample the food so I'll have to rely on this handy cookbook to give me a good taste of what is offered in their kitchen. Each chapter focuses on a different holiday (Valentine's Day, Superbowl, Sedar, Thanksgiving, etc.) and has several different, drinks, appetizers, main courses, and desserts to choose from. Not all of them are cheap, and many of them are seasonal (depending on what fresh fruits and veggies are available), but even so, there is plenty to choose from! I have bookmarked the scallion pancakes with homemade kimchi and wasabi aioli (it's a little labor intensive but looks and sounds soo delicious!), rosemary portabello steaks with celeriac puree, cabernet reduction, and brussels sprouts (the picture was literally mouthwatering, I even had a dream about it!), chile-crusted corn (I plan on trying this one tomorrow!), and roasted squash soup with almond cream and spiced pumpkin seeds.

This isn't a cookbook for beginners so I plan on starting small. It is however, easily a staple for any vegan kitchen. I can't wait to get started on these recipes!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Brassicas

I'll admit, what first drew me to this book was the amazing photography. It was just so pretty! Thankfully, the content of the book matched up perfectly with the quality of the pictures. This is a fantastic cookbook of leafy greens (ie brassicas). There are eighty recipes on how to cook the world's healthiest vegetables as well as short essays from renowned doctors and nutritionists on the importance of these veggies. There are also great summaries on the preparation, cutting, cleaning, and cooking of these sometimes obscure greens.

Some of the vegetables included in this cookbook are: kale, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, horseradish, and many more. Some of these vegetables sound intimidating or even bland but the author does a fantastic job of dispelling any rumors or bad thoughts on these misunderstood vegetables. The recipes included sound soo soo delightful. I grew up eating one, rooty mash. It is a fantastic mix of sweet potatoes (in my case regular potatoes) and kohlrabi that elevates mashed potatoes to something heavenly. Some other recipes I plan on trying soon are: colcannon with brussels sprout leaves, spicy kale fried rice, and roasted cabbage wedges.

All the recipes in this cookbook are gluten free and most are vegan or vegetarian, some include meat but there is almost always alternative ingredients listed to fit different dietary needs. This book is a great addition to any kitchen.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Vegan Ice Cream

Just to clarify, I am not a vegan, just a lowly vegetarian. That being said I can still enjoy the amazingness of regular ice cream, but... I still want to eat every dang recipe in this book. The original title of this book was called "Vice Cream," how clever?!?! This book isn't too horribly complicated, some recipes have a lot more steps than others, but some only have two ingredients! TWO! I will admit I haven't made any of the ice creams myself yet, I need to invest in a good blender and ice cream maker. But the second I do, I will be tackling some of these amazing flavors: pumpkin, jalapeno heaven, peanut butter, black forest, raw strawberry rhubarb, banana almond, veggnog, pina colado, etc. There are over 90 recipes in this book some are gluten free, nut free, all are vegan, some are raw. There is literally something for everyone.  The author also includes cheats, so if you're feeling extra lazy and don't want to make your own coconut milk or vanilla you can take the easy way (that's my kind of cookbook!). Overall this is the perfect addition to any vegan cookbook collection. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Everyday Confetti

I'm not going to lie this was a pretty adorable book. I initially thought that there were just recipes in here, but there is soo soo much more. There are lots of ideas on how to celebrate the little things in life and start new traditions.

This book is mainly for Christian families (i.e. mothers and grandmothers) but never fear there is something for everyone in here. Someday far in the future when I have kids I would love to implement some of the "family traditions" she outlines (scavenger hunts on Christmas, random acts of kindness, half birthday celebrations, etc).

The recipes included also sound delightful. I really want to try out the Christmas Pistachio-Cherry Muffins, Eggnog Stuffed French Toast and Creamy Gratin of Winter Root Vegetables. They all sound so good! Each section has three or four recipes (there's probably around 50 in the book, maybe more).

Like I said this isn't just a cookbook. It's a guide for bringing families closer together and closer to God through traditions, religion, and good cooking.

I received this book for free from Revell Books in return for my honest unbiased opinion.