From the category archives:

Cookbook Reviews

Vegetarian Recipe: Raw Hummus Romaine Roll-Ups!

by Joi on March 1, 2010

The vegetarian recipe below is from the wonderful cookbook you see pictured above – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian. I’ve already reviewed this book on Get Cooking, so I’ll spare you the details about how much you need your own copy (which you do!). You can find my review linked below the recipe. I’m even more impressed with this cookbook now that I’ve re-read it and tried out more of the recipes. There are more than just recipes, of course, there is a wealth of information for everyone – whether you are…

A vegetarian who hasn’t touched meat in years.
A new vegetarian.
A semi-vegetarian.
A fish, and chicken-lover who is trying to eat more vegetables and more vegetarian meals.
Eating a burger right this minute and wish I’d shut-up about veggies.

No matter what category you’re in, you’ll love this book. Personally, I’m a 4… a very happy 4 who is about to eat a fish sandwich for lunch.

Vegetarian Recipe: Raw Hummus Romaine Roll-Ups

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Serving Size: 1 Roll-up
1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans (or steamed)
1/2 cup tahini
1 cup olive oil
2 TBS fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 TBS tamari
Salt
Pinch cayenne
Water
Large romaine lettuce leaves (washed, patted dry)
Feta cheese, crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped

Place the garbanzo beans in a blender or a food processor. Add tahini, olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, tamari, salt, and cayenne, and blend until creamy.

Spread several tablespoons hummus onto 1 romaine leaf, and top with crumbled feta cheese, chopped tomato, and chopped cucumber. Roll and eat.

This makes an outstanding hummus – whether you bring the romaine lettuce to the party or not. I love this hummus served with raw vegetables and/or crackers.

From my own experience (this isn’t from the book), you can substitute creamy peanut butter for tahini and soy sauce for the tamari. Tahini can be pretty costly. It depends on the mood I’m in at the grocery store whether I buy it or just use peanut butter. I’m familiar with both and, honestly, can’t tell a discernible enough difference to recommend one over the other.

The wonderful recipe above is from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian by Frankie Avalon Wolfe, M.H., Ph.D. You can read my review of the cookbook and see if you’d be interested in a copy of your own. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, this really is an outstanding book.

Ronald Reagan’s Favorite Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

by Joi on February 14, 2010

One of my favorite human beings, let alone Presidents was President Ronald Reagan. He was one of a kind and I’m not sure there’ll ever be another like him. The country fell in love with him and for good reason. His charm, personality, and sense of humor made him a force to be reckoned with and they made him always appear to be larger than life.

The recipe below is reportedly a favorite of this great American and would be perfect for a President’s Day supper – or any day for that matter… it sounds delicious!

Ronald Regan’s Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Serves 4 as an entrée, or 6 to 8 as a side dish

1/2 pound macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg beaten
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of paprika

From White House Cookbook, Revised and Updated Centennial Edition by H. Haller and V. Aronson

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
Add macaroni to 2 quarts of boiling salted water and cook for 10 minutes.
Drain well in a colander. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Stir in butter and beaten egg. Add 2-1/2 cups of the grated cheese.
In a small bowl, combine milk with salt, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Spoon macaroni and cheese into the prepared casserole. Pour milk mixture over and sprinkle top with the remaining cheese.
Sprinkle with paprika. Bake on middle shelf of preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until macaroni is firm to the touch and the top is crusty and browned.
Serve at once, either as a light entree accompanied by a hot green vegetable and a crisp salad, or as a side dish with Hamburgers or Meat Loaf.

Nigella Lawson’s Roquamole Recipe from Nigella Express: In a Word, Divine!

by Joi on February 10, 2010

It’s been well-documented that Nigella Express is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks… and if there’s something I know inside/out it’s cookbooks. A collection numbering in the hundreds earns you the title expert.

A recipe I return to often is Nigella’s Roquamole. Like Nigella, I’m completely obsessed with avocados, so I thoroughly appreciate new and creative things to do with them. This recipe makes a throroughly modern Millie type of recipe that I know you’ll love.

Nigella Lawson’s Roquamole Recipe

Yield: 4-6 Servings
1 cup crumbled Roquefort or Saint Agur blue cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup sliced pickled green jalapenos from a jar
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
1/4 tsp paprika
large bag of blue corn tortilla chips (the blue corn ones make a huge difference, I recommend them with this recipe)

Crumble or mash the blue cheese with the sour cream in a bowl
Mash in the avocados. If they are ripe, a fork should be all you need.
Roughly chop the jalapenos and stir them into the mixture along with the finely sliced scallions.
Arrange in the center of a plate or dish, dust with paprika, and surround with tortilla chips. Dive in.

Jamie Oliver Leads an American Revolution

by Joi on January 22, 2010

It’s certainly no secret that American eating habits have gotten out of hand. What’s worse, these habits are becoming increasingly unhealthy as more and more Americans rely too much on processed and fast food.

People are losing touch with the concept of integrating a balanced diet into their everyday routine, and this has become more evident as obesity, heart disease and diabetes threaten to create the first generation of children with shorter life expectancies than their parents. If you want to get a real sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, re-read that last sentence.

I was reading a few articles on one of my favorite websites this morning (Health.com). One article in particular stuck in my mind. Keep reading, but don’t expect that sick feeling to get any better.

From Health.com:

One in five teens in the U.S.—and more than 40% of obese teens—have abnormal cholesterol, whether it’s low HDL (good cholesterol); high LDL (bad cholesterol); or high levels of triglycerides, another type of blood fat, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read the entire article….

None of us want our young people to have serious health problems that could have been prevented. What’s more, we want to make their life expectancies greater than ours, not less! We HAVE to start setting better examples, cooking healthier meals, and do everything within our power to heal and mend the wounds that have been inflicted by poor choices.

Someone else feels this way and I believe you’ve heard of him. This fall, one of the most entertaining Food Network stars ever, British chef Jaime Oliver, began a campaign for an American Food Revolution in which he aims to change how Americans eat — by helping them learn to cook healthier meals and make better choices. Over the years, Jamie says that he’s “consistently observed the most radical, inspiring and completely emotional changes, simply through showing people how to cook a handful of meals.”

To spread the word and gain momentum, Jamie has created a petition, promoting healthy food for children, that he will present to the White House. I know you’ll want to lend your support, as I certainly will mine. You can find the petition here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition.

I love the fact that Jamie Oliver cares enough about the health and fitness of young people enough to take action. And what action – to the White House no less! You have to appreciate the irony as well – this time around, the American Revolution is being led by a British chef to help save young American lives. God willing, the British will win this time.

Jamie Oliver’s initiative is all about creating easy, fresh meals at home. In that vein, below are a few basic “Jam Jar” salad dressings which help make eating more salad and veggies a pleasure (for people of all ages).

French Dressing

Peel and finely chop ¼ of a clove of garlic • Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well

Yogurt Dressing

Put 1/3 cup of natural yogurt, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well

Balsamic Dressing

Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Put the lid on the jar and shake well

Credit: Recipes from Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals (Hyperion; October 2009)

Now, go sign that petition!

Recipe for Hawaiian Chicken Salad That’ll Leave You Speechless

by Joi on January 13, 2010

I’ve been trying out different recipes from an outstanding cookbook, Dining in Historic Kentucky: A Restaurant Guide With Recipes. So far, everything I’ve tried has been a rip roaring, plate-cleaning, lip-licking success.

I was blown away by a recipe for chicken salad… not just any chicken salad, mind you. This recipe was for deSHA’S Hawaiian Chicken Salad and you need to speed to your favorite grocery store for the ingredients right now. It is unbelievable.

deSha’s Hawaiian Chicken Salad Recipe

1 pound cooked white meat of chicken, cut bite-sized
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup canned chunky pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, mayonnaise, and green onion and mix well. Stir in pineapple and nuts.

How I colored outside of the lines: I cooked more chicken and added chopped celery along with the pineapple and pecans, so I also added a little more green onions and mayo. This chicken salad looked gorgeous with the pineapples and pecans all big and chunky, but I wanted to serve the chicken salad in pita pockets, so I cut the chunks into much smaller pieces and even chopped the pecans a little more.

If I had had some grapes on hand, I would have chopped some on top of each pita-wich. But, alas, I am who I am and had given our grapes to a possum who was passing by. (She was most grateful and couldn’t have been cuter.)

If you made this chicken salad with chunky pineapples, large chunks of chicken, coarsely chopped pecans, green onions, and maybe even grapes, it would be delicious with or without bread. I could see eating this remarkable dish with crackers. Please do give it a try – you’ll be thrilled that you did.

About deSha’s:
deSha’s Restaurant is located on the northwest corner of Main and Broadway in historic Lexington, Kentucky. These two streets were vital to Lexington when it was laid out in 1780… and no, I wasn’t there.

On this northwest corner of the intersection stood the first Fayette County Courthouse, with a hut for a jail alongside. A hut!

Although the interior has been altered, a great effort was made to preserve the Victorian feeling. deSha’s has been described as a “Fun or casual place, with a lively atmosphere and upbeat music in the background.” Somehow they forgot to mention the best chicken salad in the universe.

Da Cajn Critter: The Lifestyles, The Rules, and Makin Groceries

by Joi on November 11, 2009

Da Cajn Critter by Pamela D. Lyles

Da Cajn Critter is one of the cutest, funnest cookbooks I’ve seen in ages. I fell in love with it when I first saw the title, but when I saw the actual cookbook, itself, I fell even harder.

I was sort of afraid to look inside – with so much going on for it on the outside, I was afraid it’d be like some great looking Hollywood stars, beautiful on the outside but shallow on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the real party didn’t actually start until you opened the too-cute-for-its-own-good cover.

Da Cajn Critter really is more than a cookbook, it’s sort of a handbook for completely enjoying food again – making it, serving it, and eating it.

Think about it, meals used to be a major part of everyone’s day. Everyone looked forward to the home cooked meal they’d enjoy at the end of the day just as much as the cook, herself/himself, looked forward to cooking it. Unfortunately, so many people have fallen into the fast food or meal in a box traps… pop it in the microwave, hit 6 minutes… voila! Supper! So many have forgotten the joy and fun of cooking and serving something you’ve really made with your own two hands. A while back, The Food Network helped to reawaken this love in one generation while instilling it in another. Everyone was talking about Emeril, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Jamie Oliver, and of course, Alton Brown.

However, things have cooled off a little bit. Not to get on my soapbox…. she says while stepping up on it…. Food Network has gotten a little off kilter. All of the food competitions and touring restaurants are fun, but they don’t exactly encourage generations of people to get in the kitchen and have fun with cooking. Hopefully, my beloved Food Network will get back to what made them a phenomenon in the first place. Celebrate the joy of cooking!

That is precisely what author Pamela D. Lyles does in her outstanding book, Da Cajn Critter. Pamela grew up in New Orleans and spent hours in her own family’s kitchen as well as her grandmother’s kitchen. She saw, firsthand, that cooking is something to be enjoyed and shared.

Personally, I think that if cooking seems like a chore, you’re doing it wrong!

Da Cajn Critter is the ideal book for any cook – old, new, reluctant… It would also make a perfect, perfect, perfect gift for the cooks on your Christmas list.

I think cooking is about so much more than preparing food. It’s about people relaxing, having fun, and connecting with one another. Every one of our lives is like an old family recipe. It is filled with different ingredients and experiences that over time create a unique and distinctive flavor. – Pamela D. Lyles, Da Cajn Critter Page 7

Some of the Recipes You’ll Find in Da Cajn Critter:

Tomato Bruschetta
Jalapeno Cheese
Oysters DiNapoli
Cool Crab Meat on Artichokes
Pumpkin Bread
Cheese Grits
Baked Potato Soup
Creole Egg Salad
Classic Tuna Salad
Barbecue Beef Ribs and Sauce
Classic Lasagna
Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Rolls
Honey-Glazed Pork Chops
Grilled Redfish Fillets
Crawfish Boil
Shrimp Po’ Boys
Shrimp Scampi
Jambalaya
Fried Trout
Baked Beans (with a vegetarian option)
Ice Cream with Homemade Fudge Sauce
Peppermint Shake
Buttermilk Pound Cake
Indoor Super S’mores
Red Velvet Cake
Cream Cheese Brownies
Caramel Brownies
Brownies with Double Chocolate Icing (Yes, please.)

After the recipes, there’s a very enjoyable bonus section. There are tips, tidbits, and a lot of things you just wouldn’t expect. I don’t want to give away the fun, because I honestly want you to enjoy your own copy.

Dawlin’, this is one fantastic cookbook and you need to order a copy pronto. Click the following link to read more – then order a few copies right away. Sweet Potato Casserole, Dirty Rice Dressing, Spinach Noodle Bake, Pecan Pie, Cajun Fried Turkey – all of these recipes are perfect for Thanksgiving! There’s even a recipe for “After Thanksgiving Gumbo!”

As for Christmas, Red Velvet Cake, Jack’s Fudge, Pomegranate Salad, Peppermint Shakes, Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing, Spiced Tea, and Toni and Eddie’s Ham are ready to rock around the Christmas Tree, and Cheese Grits would be the perfect Christmas morning breakfast. You need this ~~cookbook~~ celebration of cooking: Da Cajn Critter

B. Smith Cooks Southern Style: On Shelves Now!

by Joi on November 4, 2009

B. Smith Cooks Southern Style Cookbook

Lifestyle guru, TV personality and restaurateur B. Smith debuts her first comprehensive cookbook filled with 200 recipes she has mastered throughout her amazing career this week. With her trademark casual yet elegant approach, B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style explores the cuisines of the American South (which includes Cajun, Creole, Soul Food, and at least one hundred and one ways to use smoked pig.)

From beginning to end, B. Smith takes the reader on a trip through a culturally rich and diverse history of ingredients, flavors and textures of Southern cuisine—all while lightening up traditional southern dishes and in true B. Smith style, giving tips on how to entertain like a pro.

Not your average “meat and potatoes” guide, with delicious recipes like BBQ Root Beer Pulled Pork, Spicy Tomato Shrimp Grits, Grilled Okra and Roasted Tomato Salad, Sweet Bourbon Corn Pudding, Oven Baked Buttermilk Chicken, Coconut Pecan Cake and even Country Style Alligator Sausage Patties & Gravy, Smith’s recipes are a perfect blend of tradition and innovation.

B’s book is available now at national retailers such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders.

You can watch B. Smith demonstrate one of her new recipes on NBC’s “Today Show” on Thursday, November 5th!

Praise for B. Smith Cooks Southern Style:

“Really simple delicious recipes that will bring out the South in you.” – Emeril Lagasse

“I know a great recipe when I see it and this book is full of them. B. Smith has really captured the heart of delicious, yet healthy, Southern cooking.” – Patti LaBelle

“Southern Cooking both contemporary and traditional – may be having its moment. Throughout Smith remains an affordable host, keeping the proceedings accessible and fun.” – Publisher’s Weekly

To read my own review of this particular cookbook (I love it!), please click the following link: B. Smith Cooks Southern Style: A Cookbook Review!

Order B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style on Amazon – grab several for the cooking enthusiasts on your Christmas list…. just be sure you grab one for yourself as well!

The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook by Barbara Seeig-Brown

by Joi on October 15, 2009

The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook

October is National Seafood Month, so what better time to tell you about a great cookbook featuring delicious seafood recipes. The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook: Fresh, Healthy, Low-Fat Cooking by Barbara Seelig-Brown is chock-full of recipes you’ll want to cook again and again, whether you or a loved one is diabetic or not. As a matter of fact, we’d all be a lot better off if we started eating more healthy foods such as the ones in this cookbook. Then, perhaps we’ll never have to hear a doctor tell us we’re diabetic. Words none of us ever want to hear.

From the Introduction:
We all know that we should incorporate more fish into our diet. It is low in fat, high in protein, and contains valuable vitamins and minerals, as well as omega-3 oils, which are polyunsaturated. The type of fat we consume is relevant for a heart-healthy diet, that being less than 30 percent of all calories from fat with less than 10 percent coming from saturated fats. Studies have been done showing that a healthy diet featuring a variety of foods, including fish, can actually decrease the risk for coronary disease and certain cancers, as well as increase longevity. Since people with diabetes are also at risk for heart disease, fish is an important component.

The introduction also includes a handy table which tells you which fish are high in mercury and which are low in mercury. You, of course, want to avoid fish with high mercury (thankfully my beloved sharks are high in mercury… so dont’ eat them!) Swordfish are also high in mercury.

Recipes inThe Diabetes Seafood Cookbook: Fresh, Healthy, Low-Fat Cooking include:

Crab and Artichoke Dip (calls for yogurt as opposed to sour cream – has to be better for you)
Garlic Shrimp on a Cucumber Flower
Shrimp Stromboli (I have a date with this one this weekend!)
Smoked Salmon and Hearts of Palm on Endive
Italian Fish Soup
Tortellini Soup with Seafood Medley (see the recipe below!)
White Bean Soup
Lemony Poached Salmon with a Fennel, Onion, and Olive Salad
Salmon with Sweet Potato Crust (YUMMMM!!! The author calls this recipe one of her personal favorites. She points out that it has “a spicy and flavorful crunch with added coolness from the sauce.”)
Salmon with Black Bean Salsa
Warm Shrimp and Bean Salad
Fillet with Tomatillo Salsa
Grilled Sea Bass with Vegetables
Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Shrimp, Baby Spinach and Pignoli
Cilantro and Sunflower Seed Pesto (the author recommends serving this pesto with the Shrimp Quesadilla, also in the book)
Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake
Pesto (one of my daughters has developed an intense allergy to tomatoes, soI plan on trying this recipe on pasta)

That’s just the tip of the iceberg lettuce, as we say in cooking circles. The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook: Fresh, Healthy, Low-Fat Cooking is filled with beautiful, delicious, and (most importantly) healthy recipes.

If you’re one of the clever individuals who is trying to replace red meat, pork, and chicken with as much seafood as possible – this book is a necessity. It’s the best investment in your health you could ever make for less than $20.00.

If you are incredibly committed to eating more seafood and less meat – you’ll find many elegant recipes in this cookbook that could easily replace a Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas Ham. There isn’t a holiday table in the world that woudn’t look deliciously beautiful with Grilled Tuna Over Baby Greens, Braised Baby Artichokes, or any one of the elegant Salmon recipes.

Recipe: Tortellini Soup with Seafood Medley
1TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz. no-salt-added chicken stock
32 oz. no-salt-added vegetable stock
28 oz no-sat-added diced tomatoes
12 oz. water
1 cup fresh bail, chopped
1/2 cup fresh oregano, roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach
10 oz cheese tortellini
10 oz sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
1 (16) oz bag frozen seafood medley

Heat olive oil and garlic in soup pot over medium heat until garlic is fragrant.
Add chicken and vegetable stock, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil
Add basil, oregano, spinach, tortellini, and mushrooms. Cook until tortellini is almost done, approximately 6 minutes. Add seafood medley and cook for 3 minutes more. More water or stock can be added to achieve desired consistency.

Author’s Notes: “Make this Tortellini Soup with Seafood Medley on a moment’s notice. It can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.”

Cook’s Tip: Make this a pantry and freezer dish by keeping all the ingredients on hand for spur-of-the-moment cooking or unexpected company.

Exchanges/Choices: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 lean meat

Calories: 225 Calories from fat: 55

Total Fat: 6 G Saturated Fat : 1.8 G Trans Fat: 0 G

Cholesterol: 110 MG Sodium: 440 MG Total Carbohydrate: 26 G

Dietary Fiber: 3 G Sugars: 6 G Protein: 18 G

As the above recipe indicates, one of my favorite things about The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook: Fresh, Healthy, Low-Fat Cooking by Barbara Seelig-Brown is the fact that she’s with you on each page – giving you tips, advice, her personal experience, and healthful information you’ll very much need if you or someone you love is diabetic.

She’s looking after you!

Again, this is a fantastic cookbook whether you are diabetic or not.

Scales (sorry, I coudn’t resist) of 1 -10, I give this one a 10, easily.

B. Smith Cooks Southern Style – And You’re Going to Love It

by Joi on July 24, 2009

B Smith

I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style. The actual cookbook will be available later this year – November 3 to be exact. The timing couldn’t be better, because there are countless recipes in this wonderful cookbook that you’ll want to make during the holidays – PLUS it will make the ultimate gift for anyone on your Christmas list.

You might want to bake a few Sweet Potato Pies With Brown Sugar Pecan Topping (page 285). While you can use store-bought pie shells, you’ll never buy one again once you try her Butter Pie Dough (page 286).

Other recipes you’ll embrace during Autumn and Winter:

Pumpkin-Pecan Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting
Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Candy Apple Grits Creme Brulee (!!!)
Yeast Rolls
Sweet Potato Spoon Bread
Whole-Wheat Potato Rolls
Hoppin’ John
Macaroni and a Plethora of Cheese (features mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack, Swiss, and Parmigiano-Reggiano)
Cinnamon-Spiced Carrots
Southern Spiced Catfish Roulade with Black-Eyed Pea Gravy
Ham Steak with Red Eye Gravy
Roasted Capon (or roasting chicken) with Sausage-Apple-Pear Dressing
Chicken Fried Steak
Cajun Fried Pork Chops (OMG – these sound amazing)
Many, many, many more…

Of course, the recipes will serve you year round – I just happen to have Thanksgiving and Christmas on my mind. Truth be told, I often have the holidays somewhere in mind, if not in the front of my brain – they’re always lurking in the back, all decked out in their glittery colors and smelling like Heaven.

Other Recipes you’re going to love are:

Root Beer Barbecued Pulled Pork
Blackened Tilapia
New Orleans Barbecued Shrmip
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Coconut Curry Sauce
Succotash
Green Tomato Relish
Grilled Okra and Tomato Salad
Fifties-Style Lobster Salad
Corn Fritters
Down-Home Cornbread

There are many, many, many more recipes – but I wanted you to get a good feel for the “heart and spirit” behind this cookbook and behind Barbara Smith. If you aren’t yet familiar with B. Smith, it’s time to familiarize yourself! If you love Paula Deen and Nigella Lawson, you’ll love B. Smith. She has the warmth, charm, beauty, and cooking talent of Paula and Nigella and her cooking (to me, anyway) reminds me of what you’d get if Paula Deen and Nigella Lawson put their heads together for a meal. However, it’s EVEN better because B. Smith brings something to the table that only she can bring – herself.

B. Smith’s recipes are completely unique and utterly fascinating. Her recipes will be a wake up call to your kitchen as well as to your taste buds. Your pots and pans will be talking about these dishes for years to come. If cooking and meal-planning have become mundane, uninspiring, and boring or if you find yourself making the same things over and over – B. Smith Cooks Southern Style will be a dream come true. Cooking will be fun again and your meals will be more delicious than ever.

As I’ve said before, I collect cookbooks – in fact, my cookbook collection is one of my greatest prides and joys. I spend a lot of time with my cookbooks and can tell you which book any particular recipe is in. It’s a feat and a half considering that my collection is in the hundreds!

I only mention this because I want to point out one thing: I don’t recommend a lot of different cookbooks – simply because, with all the ones I get, if I recommended every single one the truly magical ones wouldn’t stand out. It’d be like, “Oh, Joi wants me to buy another cookbook… surprise, surprise.“ On the other hand, if I (the High Priestess of Cookbooks) only recommend the ones that flat out blow me away and make my kitchen come alive – then you’ll know that you need to hustle your buns to your nearest bookstore or save the bun motion and grab a copy on Amazon (B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style). If you click the link now, you can actually pre-order a copy on Amazon now – and they’ll rush it to you as soon as it’s ready to roll.

You. Will. Want. This. Cookbook. It’s sassy, fun, original, spirited, and filled with recipes you WILL NOT find anywhere else. That can’t be said about a lot of cookbooks, you know. Trust the High Priestess on that one.