Category: Cookbook Reviews

Reviews of cookbooks and other food-related books.

Book Review: “Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook” by Allison Robicelli

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date December 4, 2020

Would you believe that it has been 35 years since Back to the Future first lit up the cinema screens? Food & travel writer Allison Robicelli and Insight Editions have teamed up to help you celebrate this milestone in a fun and tasty way. Introducing Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook.

Summary of Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook

The book’s tagline says it all: “Over 65 classic Hill Valley recipes from the past, present, and future!” Matt Robicelli developed the collection of recipes from the different time periods represented in the Back to the Future films and Allison Robicelli wrote the accompanying text that pulls the book together.

The book is filled with fun facts, promotional images from the films, and beautiful photography of the foods you can make. The recipes are organized by the years featured in the films:

1985
1955
2015
Alternate 1985
1885

There are even a few pages that give you suggestions for hosting a Back to the Future movie marathon.

What Worked for Me

The design and layout fit the year that the recipes are fun. This is a nice detail that I didn’t expect. Like the Wonder Woman cookbook, I reviewed before I enjoyed geeking out with the images from the three films. I also enjoyed the creativity evident in the recipe names:

From 1985: Battle of the Bands Cola Cake (Cola Cake)
From 1955: George McFly’s Blob from Outer Space (Live Gelatin with Pineapple)
From 2015: Self-Lacing Chocolate Bread (Chocolate Bread)
From Alternate 1985: Chicken Cordon Biff (Chicken Cordon Bleu)
From 1885: Seamus’s One-Shot Pot Rabbit Stew (Rabbit Stew)

I think I’m going to have a lot of fun whipping up recipes from this book!

What Didn’t Work for Me

I got nothing here. I really like the book — as both a book and a cookbook. My standard complaint about books that are hard to keep open doesn’t work here because this is more of a coffee-table book than a book you would regularly use in the kitchen.

My Recommendation for Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook

If you are a fan of the Back to the Future films and you love reading recipes (and, perhaps cooking them too), you can’t go wrong with Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook.

Rating for Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook
Author: Allison Robicelli
Format: Hardcover, 144 pages
Publisher: Insight Editions
ISBN-10: 168383965X
ISBN-13: 978-1-68383-965-1 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook” by Briana Volk

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date November 9, 2020

Have you ever wondered what they ate on Themyscira (once called Paradise Island)? Well wonder no longer, an Official cookbook dedicated to all things Wonder Woman is now here, thanks to writer, creative director, and restauranteur Briana Volk (with a little help from DC).

Summary of Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook

William Mouton Marston’s character Wonder Woman has captured the imagination of comic book readers and non-comic book readers alike for more than 75 years. I grew up watching the TV show starring Lynda Carter in the title role and really enjoyed the recent feature film starring Gal Gadot. So, when I was offered the opportunity to review this book, due out on November 17 (you can pre-order it now), I jumped at the chance.

This book presents more than 10 recipes inspired by Wonder Woman and her Mediterranean heritage. One more added twist: All the recipes are vegetarian in honor of Wonder Woman’s power to empathize with animals.

Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook is both a delightful Coffee Table book and a fun cookbook. Pictures from DC Comics — new and old — of Wonder Woman and her friends are sprinkled throughout and most recipes have a full-color picture photographed by Carla Choy. The recipes are organized into these four categories:

Battle-Ready Breakfasts
Amazonian Appetizers, Sides, and Snacks
Mighty Mains
Superhero Sweets

The book finishes up with “Party Time,” which presents suggestions for themed parties and the recipes you can use to bring them to life.

What Worked for Me

As a geek, I enjoyed thumbing through the book and looking at the pictures, especially the vintage images of Wonder Woman.

It was fun to read the descriptions, too. I think Volk had some fun with the prose. For example, “You don’t need the gift of prophecy to know that these zucchini fritters topped with a little sour cream and sprinkled with chives will get a hero’s welcome every time.”

And, included in the back, is a stencil you can use to put the Wonder Woman logo on a cake, pancake, and more.

What Didn’t Work for Me

There are cookbooks that are meant to be used in the kitchen and those that are meant to be perused. This cookbook is the latter. Yes, the recipes look great and I can’t wait to test some of them out, but it won’t be easy to make the book stay open. And if you’ve read any of my earlier cookbook reviews, you know I favor practically designed cookbooks. Of course, the intention of this book was probably more along the lines of Coffee Table book, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

My Recommendation for this Wonder Woman Cookbook

Are you a Wonder Woman fan? Then you gotta get this book! It is delightful to peruse and many of the recipes look really tasty. Besides, it’s always nice to read a book that you can tell the author enjoyed creating.

Rating for Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook
Author: Briana Volk
Format: 7″ x 8″ Hardcover, 136 pages
Publisher: Insight Editions
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1647220564
ISBN-13: 978-1647220563 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags vegetarian

Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “Deep Flavors” by Kenneth M. Horwitz

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date October 8, 2020

Do you love food? Are you curious about how to cook Kosher? Then you might want to check out Kenneth M. Horwitz’ award-winning cookbook Deep Flavors.

Summary of Deep Flavors

Horwitz is a Southern Jew and this cookbook reflects that. Not only does it have traditional Jewish Kosher fare, but it also has popular recipes from other cultures reimagined as Kosher dishes. In addition to the recipes, the author includes tips for preparation, his wisdom for sourcing ingredients, and suggestions for prep work.

What I Like About Deep Flavors

The recipes’ ingredients lists are in a different font than the rest of the book, so they stand out. This makes it easy to locate them when you are planning your menu and its associated shopping list.

There are enough photographs to make the book interesting, but they take a backseat to the content, which is why I purchase a cookbook in the first place.

What Didn’t Work for Me

Call me a font snob, but I’m not a big fan of his font choice for the ingredients lists. I think it detracts from the overall design, which is soft and pleasant to look at.

I also would have appreciated different breaks within the copy. Having to turn the page in the middle of a thought can make an otherwise easy to follow recipe challenging.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

Other than fixing the breaks and closing another font of the ingredient lists, I think the book is fine as is. Time for Horwitz to move on to his next cookbook!

Recommendation

If you love to experiment with new ways of cooking and haven’t tried Kosher yet, this might be an excellent entry point for you. And, if you already enjoy Kosher cooking, but would like to experiment with non-Jewish dishes, this is also a good option for you.

Rating for Deep Flavors

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes for Foodies in a Kosher Style
Author: Kenneth M. Horwitz
Format: Hardcover, 360 pages
Publisher: Inspire On Purpose Book Publishing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1941782515
ISBN-13: 978-1941782514 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags kosher

Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “175 Best Instant Pot Recipes” by Marilyn Haugen

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date June 29, 2020

Instant Pots are one of the hottest small kitchen appliances on the market right now. While officially categorized as an electric pressure cooker, an Instant Pot is actually a programmable multicooker, with more than one function to help you prepare food with only one appliance. Because it is so versatile, you might not be aware of all you can do with it. That’s why a cookbook like 175 Best Instant Pot Recipes can be such a boon.

Summary of 175 Best Instant Pot Recipes

175 Best Instant Pot Recipes starts off with a short primer on “Instant Pot Basics,” so you will have a good idea of what your multicooker can do. Then it goes right into the recipes, organizing them in the following categories:

Breakfasts
Soups, Stews and Chilis
Main Courses
Side Dishes
Entertaining and Special Occasions
Esserts and Snacks

What Worked for Me

The recipes are easy to read and follow. The reader is given clear information about which function the recipe will use upfront, so they don’t have to read through the recipe to find that information.

The pictures are sufficient enough to get your mouth watering, but not so ubiquitous that it makes the book too stiff to use.

At the beginning of each section, the recipes are listed by which main function they’ll use: Pressure cooker or slow cooker.

This is a simple cookbook that is great for beginners.

What Didn’t Work for Me

I probably would have organized the recipes differently, and there’s not a lot of variety. Many of the recipes are just variations on a theme.

Who would benefit most from 175 Best Instant Pot Recipes?

The author suggests that college students would love having this book and a multicooker because it will help them save money while eating well at the same time. Why eat ramen, when you can have homemade mu shu pork (pg 84)?

Busy moms will benefit for the same reason. Here’s an appliance that will let you plan ahead (as you would for a slow cooker) and make something quickly when you didn’t have time to plan (using the pressure cooker function).

Whether you need to fix it in the morning and eat it at night or have a meal ready within an hour, you’ll be able to find the Instant Pot recipes you need in this book.

Recommendation

Rating for 175 Best Instant Pot Recipes

I’m giving this cookbook four chefs because of its utility. This is a very useful, if not creative, book.

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: 175 Best Instant Pot Recipes: For Your Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker
Author: Marilyn Haugen
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Robert Rose
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778805425
ISBN-13: 978-0778805427 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags instant pot, instapot, multicooker

Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “175 Best Air Fryer Recipes” by Camilla Saulsbury

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date June 8, 2020

Air-frying is a method of cooking that is healthier than traditional frying methods because it produces similar results with a lot less oil. With Camilla Saulsbury’s 175 Best Air Fryer Recipes, you can easily get started using an air-fryer a variety of fried foods with much less oil, as well as some other recipes you might not expect.

Summary of 175 Best Air Fryer Recipes

If you don’t the first thing about air frying, you’re in good hands with this book. It starts off with the basics: What air frying is, how to select and care for an air fryer and a guide to ingredients you’ll want in your pantry.

Then come the recipes, starting with the “Top 20 Fried Favorites” such as Classic French Fries, Onion Rings, and Buttermilk Fried Chicken. The rest of the book is organized much like other cookbooks:

Breakfast and Brunch
Appetizers and Snacks
Entrées
Vegetables and Sides
Desserts
Sauces, Dips and More

Because an air fryer is simple a self-contained convection oven, you can do a lot more than fry foods in it and Saulsbury gives you plenty of options, such as omelets, seafood, roasted vegetables, and even brownies.

What Worked for Me

175 Best Air Fryer Recipes is meant to be used. The recipes are well organized and in a larger font. The cover and pages are soft enough that most pages stay open, and the color photography, which is printed on thicker, less flexible paper, is kept to a minimum.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

Not everyone can afford — or has the space for — an air fryer, but these recipes look so good. It would be nice to either have alternative methods for each recipe, or at least a section on how to translate the recipe to use a more traditional oven. Research showed me that getting the same results as an air fryer can be possible with other, more common kitchen appliances.

Recommendation

If you have — or are planning to get — an air fryer, this is an excellent cookbook to get you started. I’d be willing to bet that all the recipes you had in mind for your air fryer, are in here. And the book is easy to use, so beginners can use it effectively.

Rating for 175 Best Air Fryer Recipes

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: 175 Best Air Fryer Recipes
Author: Camilla V. Saulsbury
Format: 288 pages
Publisher: Robert Rose
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778805514
ISBN-13: 978-0778805519 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags air fryer

Cookbook Reviews

Cookook Review: “The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese & Ice Cream Recipes” by Marie Laforêt

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 25, 2020

The best pesto I’ve ever tasted was vegan. And I have enjoyed vegan mayo. Therefore, although I’m not vegan, I can appreciate that vegan recipes can be quite tasty. When the opportunity to review Marie Laforêt’s book, The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes, came across my desk, I said, “Yes!”

Summary of The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes

Being deprived of the joys of dairy can be a terrible thing. Whether you’re vegan or just want (or need) to go dairy-free, do you have to live a life bereft of ice cream and cheese? Not if Ms. Laforêt has anything to say about it. Her cookbook is filled with vegan versions of cheeses and ice creams.

Part One covers vegan cheese, first giving you an overview of the basics and then diving into the recipes. With this book in hand, you can make vegan Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, feta, ricotta and more. And that’s just the classics. She also has recipes for fermented cheeses such as Cashew Cheese and Kombucha Cheese; and specialty cheeses such as Nacho Cheese Sauce and Kimcheese.

Part One covers vegan ice cream. Again, she provides an overview of key ingredients and essential tools, as well as a recipe for making vegan ice cream cones. The recipes are organized by “Ice Cream and Sorbet,” “Ice Pops, Bars and Cones,” and “Delicious Frozen Desserts.” The recipes I’m looking forward to trying out the most include Pistachio Ice Cream, Banana Blueberry Milkshake Pops and Vanilla Pear Hazelnut Biscuit Log.

What Worked for Me

The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes is a beautiful cookbook. The photography is mouthwatering and the design is pleasing to the eye. The recipes are easy to follow and provide both standard and metric measurements.

The organization is clear and it is fairly easy to find the recipe you want either by going to the appropriate section or using the index. The content makes bringing vegan recipes to life engaging and inviting.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This is my standard complaint. The book is printed on thick paper and is perfect bound, which means keeping a page open is like performing an acrobatic routine.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see a more flexible binding that made the book usable, rather than something you merely flip through for the pictures. Barring that, why not provide the recipes for download so readers can print out the recipe they want to follow. These could easily be provided in a membership site accessible only to those who have the book.

Recommendation

If you are vegan or dairy sensitive and have been missing the tang of good cheddar cheese or the creaminess of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then get a copy of this book. You may have to fight to keep the book open, but the results just might be worth the effort. No one should be denied an ice cream sundae!

Rating for The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes
Author: Marie Laforêt
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Robert Rose
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778805433
ISBN-13: 978-0778805434 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags non-dairy, vegan

Cookbook Reviews

Cookook Review: “A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food” by David Barratt and I. Wayan Budiasa

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 21, 2020

More than just a cookbook, A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food takes you on a journey through the tropical island of Bali via way of food sold by street vendors. This book is a love letter to the food and culture of Bali, written by a many-times visitor and a local Bali-Hindu cultural guide.

Summary of A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food

Part traveler’s guide, part cookbook and part cultural primer, A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food provides you with some basic information about Bali and its unique street cuisine, as well as recipes for the most common dishes served by street vendors. The book is filled with candid photography taken by David Barratt on his many travels to the island.

What Worked for Me

The recipes are in large type and easy to read. I also like the travel photos that show Balinese people doing what they do in regards to food. All are smiling, so it makes Bali look like a friendly place.

What Didn’t Work for Me

There is no table of contents, which makes it hard to understand the organization without flipping through all the pages. However, there is a limited index, so I guess you’ll be able to find what you want.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

A table of contents and a clearer organization.

Recommendation

If you’ve been to Bali, A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food could be a fun walk down memory lane. If you haven’t, it could be an introduction to a new favorite cuisine.

Rating for A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

[one_half]

Specs

Full Title: A Traveler’s Guide to Balinese Street Food
Author: David Barratt and I. Wayan Budiasa
Format: Paperback, 94 pages
Publisher: Xlibris
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1503509737
ISBN-13: 978-1503509733 [/one_half]
[one_half_last] [/one_half_last]

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags Bali, street food, travel