The Essential Amish Cookbook by Lovina Eicher

Lovina Eicher's The Essential Amish Cookbook is a beautiful book. It is filled with gorgeous photography, showing various parts of the cooking process and the Amish community. The book has the standard categories one would expect in a cookbook (breads, soups and salads, meats and main dishes, etc) and also has some fun other categories like Amish Wedding Meals and Amish Church Meals. It was very interesting to look through when I first got it!

Now, some cookbooks are fun to look at but the real question is whether or not they will actually be pulled off the shelf and used in day to day life! I can honestly say that this cookbook will be used in my kitchen. The ingredients are ones that I already have in my kitchen or pantry, unlike so many cookbooks that have interesting recipes but require a trip to the grocery store before I can start cooking. The recipes in this cookbook are basic and simple but look so very delicious!

The recipes are clearly laid out and are easy to follow. Measurements are in cups, tbsp, tsp, etc. If you're looking for a new cookbook with recipes that your whole family will eat and enjoy, this is it!

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore

As a young Mennonite home-maker, I jumped on my chance to review Simply Delicious Amish Cooking.  I was not disappointed! 

Some things I appreciated:
- I recognized all the ingredients in the recipes, and most things were in my home already!
- Recipes are simple and well-written
- Interesting stories and snippets from Amish/Mennonite life in Sarasota, Florida
- Beautiful and colourful pictures (not nearly a picture for every recipe but there are a few groups of "picture pages" throughout the book
- Index of recipes (not all cookbooks have this!)
- Relevant "Tips" in each section (ie. how to brown butter, a guide to flours and how to substitute)

The copy that I received (I assume they're all the same) is also coil bound which is my preferred binding for cookbooks as they easily lay open while cooking for easy reference to the recipe.  I have a feeling this will be a cookbook that I turn to again and again for new recipes as well as old favourites!

If you are looking for a gourmet cookbook, that is not what this is.  If you are looking for exotic recipes with complex flavours, that's not necessarily what this is either.  But if you are looking for a cookbook full of delicious and "homecooked" meal ideas, this is a great option.  It would also be a wonderful wedding, bridal shower, or graduation gift for a new cook as everything is clearly laid out.

I received this book from Zondervan's Booksneeze blogger book review program but am under no obligation to provide a positive review (it's just that good)!

The Southern Foodie by Chris Chamberlain

The Southern Foodie is an interesting addition to any cookbook collection.  It would also be a fun book to have on hand while planning a vacation traveling across the states listed in the book! 

This book lists some noteworthy places to eat across 13 of the southern states.  The book is broken down by state.  Within each state is listed an average of a half dozen places to eat that are worth pulling off the freeway for.  Listed under each restaurant is the address, phone umber, email address, a brief description of what makes the place worth stopping at, a description of the cuisine and atmosphere, its specialties, and an insider tip (whether or not to make a reservation, etc).  Then, each restaurant has shared one or two recipes from their menu for you to try! 

As far as the recipes go, I found that many of them had ingredients that I'd either never heard of or don't ordinarily stock in my kitchen.  This was not a huge surprise to me as I stock a fairly simple, down-home kitchen with mostly just the basics and I know that.  But I'm not sure that I will get much practical cooking use out of this book without adapting the recipes to use ingredients that are either available in my town or that I already have on hand.  That said, there were some yummy looking dishes (from appetizers, main courses, and side dishes, to salads and desserts)!  I will be sure to try at least a few of these tasty treats in my own home!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze blogger book review program and am under no obligation to provide a positive review.