Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings

Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings

by Leela Cyd

    As someone who not only loves cooking and creating but also delights in hosting informal and more elabourate meals and gatherings, this book really grabbed my attention.

It always helps when the cover of a book, especially a cookbook, is appealing and Food With Friends has a delightful cover! The quality of photography continues throughout the book, making this cookbook yet another from the publisher worthy of an honoured place on a coffee table. That is, if it's not constantly in use in your kitchen! You are sure to be delighted by all the treats and tasty nibbles in this book. This book will provide everything you need for a lovely spring or summer tea or picnic as well as fall and winter gatherings. One thing I loved about this book is how the author and creator of the recipes took basic picnic/ party fare and made it unique. For example, French toast with lavender syrup or purple cauliflower hummus! Of course, these are just a couple of the many amazing recipes in this medium-sized cookbook. This is a must for the hostess; it would also make a splendid gift for a friend!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Small bites and treats to share

The best gatherings are simple, yet somehow special. They might begin with an impromptu picnic after shopping at the farmer’s market or a late lunch with neighbors that stretches into cocktails under the stars. Whatever the occasion, this picture-perfect cookbook shows how to turn any meal into a delectable affair. These effortless recipes for brunch, teatime, happy hours, picnics, potlucks, and dessert all include a whimsical twist: a few slices of French toast doused in lavender syrup, rainbow chard empanadas served with pistachio crema, or a vibrant purple cauliflower hummus. With tips on creating an inviting table, stocking a pantry to make last-minute nibbles, and packing delicious parting gifts for guests, Food with Friends will inspire any get-together, however large or small.  

Review of Malibu Farm Cookbook: Recipes from the California Coast by Helene Henderson, Martin Lof (Photographs)

Malibu Farm Cookbook: Recipes from the California Coast

by Helene Henderson, Martin Lof (Photographs)

This is a large, beautiful cookbook from a farm on the sunny coast of California. All 304 pages are filled with tempting recipes and beautiful photographs. As I looked through this cookbook, I found myself not only fascinated by the recipes and menu options but also drawn into the life and passions of the author and creator of the delicious recipes. The photographs are interesting and include not only views of the meals one can create using this book but also candids and portraits of the author and her farm. This entire cookbook really presents the feel of the surrounding area near the California coast where Malibu farm is located. I highly recommend this new book for anyone who loves California or the sunny splendor of the coast. The recipes are for the most part extremely healthy as well as seeming quite delicious! I can't wait to add this book to my collection of favourite cookbooks! Parsnip and potato Latkes, Ricotta and pea frittata, butterfly beef tenderloin, grilled (yes! you read that right!) chocolate cake with caramel sauce and many other amazing recipes fill this book. Disclaimer: at least the dessert recipes do include brown sugar and sugar and canola oil in the ingredients. However, the author likewise includes coconut milk, kefir and other good foods. Hopefully we healthier people can keep the good stuff and substitute better ingredients for the sugar and canola oil as needed! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks! 

Situated at the end of the pier, Malibu Farm is a restaurant beloved for its spectacular Pacific Ocean views, the freshly sourced ingredients on its ever-changing menu, and its warm vibe. Chef-owner Helene Henderson opened the space after the once-intimate dinners she hosted on the grounds of her home grew too large. Now, in Malibu Farm Cookbook, she invites you celebrate the coast and mountains of Southern California with dishes like Ricotta and Pea Frittata, Butterfly Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish, Seared Fava Beans, and Grilled Chocolate Cake with Caramel Sauce. Helene captures the spirit of her own farm with recipes using the morning’s fresh eggs, the catch of the day, the luscious vegetables that grow all around, honey harvested steps from where it’s enjoyed, and olive oil straight from her grove.  Punctuated with luscious, vibrant photography,Malibu Farm Cookbook is a stunning sensory experience that transports you right to the edge of the Pacific.

Cookbook review: Sweeter off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season by Yossy Arefi

Sweeter off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season

by Yossy Arefi

I knew I would love this book as soon as I held it in my hands. It always amazes me just how many cookbooks I can fall in love with and add to my collection; I own so many yet every new beautiful one is welcomed into my library! This cookbook is not only lovely, it looks very useful and practical as well. With this cookbook, you can prepare and amaze loved ones with pies, cakes, tarts, ice cream, preserves and more! The delectable creations within the pages of this newly published book include raspberry pink peppercorn sorbet, blood orange donuts, and tangerine cream pie!
I especially loved how the author used her Iranian heritage and its wonderful array of flavours and spices to add to and perfect these dishes. This is definitely a one-of-a-kind cookbook which will please a variety of cooks and non-cooks alike!

And as a final note, although I would love to keep it I have actually made the sacrificial decision to give it as a wedding gift this spring! I know it will look beautiful in a basket of baking supplies! 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Love this new cookbook! The Indian Family Kitchen: Classic Dishes for a New Generation

The Indian Family Kitchen: Classic Dishes for a New Generation by Anjali Pathak

I cannot even count how many Indian recipe books I have collected over the years but I can assure you it is over 10. I love to cook and Indian cuisine has long held my admiration interest! Not only is the food typically delicious and full of distinct flavours, it is also healthy!

I was excited to read this new cookbook from one of my favourite cookbook publishers! And I was not disappointed! From the unusually beautiful cover to the finish, this cookbook awed and inspired me! The pictures are absolutely stunning and the recipes are amazingly delicious! Even though I have so many other Indian cookbooks, this one will become a favourite! The recipes implement all the favourite traditional flavours and foods but with just enough update that each recipe is unique and worth trying!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

My top 14 reads from 2014!

It is now time for me to share with you the top 14 books of 2014! Although I kept an organized list of all the books I completed during the year, and even highlighted my favourites from each month, it was very difficult to come up with just 14 favourites.

So I didn't. 

But I'm calling it the top 14 of the year.

Rules: All these books were NEW reads for me! 

Because I read so few rereads this year (sadly enough),
 I was able to tack them on at the end of the list.
As a bonus.
You're welcome.
Oh, and for those of you who don't know me, I assure you I am not boasting concerning what I've read and such.
If I wanted to boast, it would be about the fact that I remembered every author from my very own noggin without having to look them up. But I didn't remember every author so that would have to categorize as only half true.

Reading isn't too super-heroic for me and my kin (who all read constantly even before we had mastered the English language-or any language for that matter).
It's putting what I read into practice that's special.

Starting with fiction...
No. Starting with non-fiction:
They are in chronological (as read) order...

Six Days- Ken Ham

Apologetics
Read it!

Hitler's Cross- Erwin Lutzer

1940 history
Hitler's belief system
Read it!

Prophet on the Run- Baroz

Excellent study of the book of Jonah

Choosing Gratitude- Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Life-changing devotional-style book. Not just for ladies, guys!

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus- Nabeel Quereshi

Quite interesting. I love reading salvation stories.

Ex-Muslim- Naeem Fazal

Both these books were good. I can't remember which I preferred
 though. Sorry. Perhaps the first. yes.

Singled Out- Nikki Derouin

I appreciated a slightly different approach to the topic. Uplifting.

Spoken For- Robin Jones Gunn
 
Finding your identity in Christ.

Privilege of Persecution- Dr. Karl A Moeller

Wonderful picture of believers in other countries.
Read it!

Afro-Vegan- Bryant Terry

Full of delicious and healthy recipes!
Get it. 

The Nourished Kitchen- Jennifer McGruther

In the style of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon-
lots of recipes and techniques!

25 Ways to Communicate Respect to your husband- Jen Flanders

(I know: so practical, right? But then again, I hope to someday be able to put into practice the truths learnt from this book!)
Excellent for wives and those hoping to be.

Bible Revival- Kenneth Berding

Great stand for truth

The Knock at the Door- Margaret Ajemian Ahnert

Armenia 1915 genocides biography
Heart-rending and exciting semi auto-biography. See my link above however as there was stuff not all readers should read.

Secret Believers- Brother Andrew

Love the  stories of faith!

The Home Team- Clint Archer

Read it! It's an easy read, but full of foundational truths for the family!

Journey Through the Night- Anne DeVries

World War 2  Christian historical fiction...yes!
One of the top recommendations from 2014, I assure you!

Journey to the River Sea- Eva Ibbotson

Sweet and humorous children's adventure with the allure of fantasy.

Daisies Are Forever- Liz Tolsma

World War 2 fiction
This is the best Christian romance I've read. Like a movie.
Wouldn't recommend for young readers though.

I am David- Anne Holmes

WWII historical fiction
Sweet and wonderful story!
Good for all ages.

Just 18 Summers- Rene Gutteridge and Michelle Cox

Loved this contemporary fictional book.
I guess it's inspirational fiction. We got a lot of laughs out of it. And inspiration.

The Heretic- Henry Vyner-Brooks

This ends up being such an exciting story! But see my review...there were some things...that weren't very conservative or tasteful. And it's hard to read aloud, so I don't know what your family is going to do! It's not a book you'll die if you don't read. Like with Robert Louis Stevenson's books. But it was good. Actually, what's odd is that it can't compare to Robert Louis Stevenson's adventures yet the salvation message in The Heretic was excellent!

The favourite re-reads of the year: 

The Hiding Place

By Far Euphrates

The Scarlet Pimpernel

God's Smuggler
If you haven't read these, DO!

No, I am not going to share the worst books I read in 2014!

Check out my Goodreads page if you're curious.
And connect with me on Goodreads; it's a great place to share book ideas!

The 40th anniversary Moosewood Cookbook....a review

The Moosewood Cookbook

40th Anniversary Edition

Written by Mollie Katzen

   For forty years, thousands of cooks and families have been enjoying Mollie Katzen's delicious and healthy recipes in her Moosewood cookbook! It was with delight that I received this beautiful anniversary edition of the cookbook that has been a staple in our kitchen for as long as I can remember. It seems that every page in our copy of this vegetarian cookbook is stained and worn, revealing hours of delightful food preparation and hinting at hundreds of healthy meals!
We have both the first edition of the Moosewood cookbook, as well the updated one. This hardcover edition is also the updated one, with the fine-tuned, fat-conscious recipes.
It is fun to see this household staple in a hardcover version, with its beautiful light brown cover with the same graphics as the original paperbacks, but embossed in dark blue.

   The pages are smooth and creamy, making me excited to cook every recipe from this book all over again!
   Favourite recipes include light cream of celery soup, Cauliflower-Cheese Soup (the only version we ever make because it is so good!),Vichyssoise (also our favourite recipe for this famous soup), Gingered Carrot soup (a pleasantly-unusual flavor!), Lentil-Bulgar salad,
Waldorf salad, Balkan cucumber salad, Pesto, and Lentil Walnut burgers.
 You really haven't tried anything until you've made her version of Spanokopita! Although we have several traditional cookbooks from Greece, Mollie Katzen's version of this Greek dish is the best ever! Also, don't neglect to make the Ukrainian poppy seed cake, as well as the No-fault Pumpkin Pie (my favourite version of this Autumn dessert since it uses honey and molasses instead of sugar!).
Our family doesn't eat entirely vegetarian, but we love this cookbook! This, as well as The Enchanted Broccoli Forest have been favourites in our family for years. Don't forget to obtain a copy for yourself, as well as for those dear to you! This new edition will make a much lovelier gift than the previous paperback versions.
  Have fun cooking healthily, with Mollie Katzen and the 40th anniversary Moosewood Cookbook!

The Moosewood Cookbook has inspired generations to cook simple, healthy, and seasonal food. A classic listed as one of the top ten best-selling cookbooks of all time by the New York Times, this 40th anniversary edition of Mollie Katzen's seminal book will be a treasured addition to the cookbook libraries of fans young and old. 

In 1974, Mollie Katzen hand-wrote, illustrated, and locally published a spiral-bound notebook of recipes for vegetarian dishes inspired by those she and fellow cooks served at their small restaurant co-op in Ithaca, NY. Several iterations and millions of copies later, the Moosewood Cookbook has become one of the most influential and beloved cookbooks of all time—listed by the New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbooks in history, inducted into the James Beard Award Cookbook Hall of Fame, and coined a Cookbook Classic by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Mollie’s Moosewood Cookbook has inspired generations to fall in love with plant-based home cooking, and, on the fortieth anniversary of that initial booklet, continues to be a seminal, timely, and wholly personal work. With a new introduction by Mollie, this commemorative edition will be a cornerstone for any cookbook collection that long-time fans and those just discovering Moosewood will treasure.