Thursday, May 6, 2010

Cookbook Review: Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood


Home-Cooking with Trisha Yearwood is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've received this year! I was completely surprised when I opened up the book and saw the most beautiful pictures, gorgeous hand-written notes, and the most wonderful home cooking recipes. Nestled on the couch with my new book, I was ready for a new adventure in home cooking and this book did not disappoint. Page after page, this book was like a new adventure in good old southern-style home cooking. I was instantly enamored with this book, and it has spent lots of time by my side since I received it last week.

Armed with my pen and paper, I started writing down a list of all the recipes I wanted to try. Usually one piece of paper is more than enough to jot down all the recipes I'd like to try from one book. In this case, I needed two sheets of paper. The list just kept going and going. A wonderful sign of another fabulous cookbook! If you love to do home cooking, then you simply MUST BUY this book! In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you are going to have one home cooking book in your collection, this is THE ONE!


The book is broken down into nine chapters: Breakfast; Snacks and Appetizers; Soups and Salads; Beef and Pork; Chicken and Fish; Sides; Breads; Cakes and Pies; and Cookies, Candy, Etc. As mentioned earlier, gorgeous pictures and hand-written notes accompany almost every recipe. Some of the recipes I want to try are: Garth's Breakfast Bowl; Monkey Bread Muffins; Georgia Pate; Chicken Poppy Seed Salad; Cowboy Lasagna, made with pepperoni; Chicken Pizza; Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese; Cabbage Casserole; Spoon Rolls; Key Lime Cake; and Venita's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Of course, there are many more recipes that I'd like to tell you about, but then this post would be way too long!

For this review, I chose four recipes and all were delicious. From the Snacks and Appetizers chapter I made Trisha's family recipe for Sweet Tea. Iced Tea, with or without sugar is a favorite of mine. However, when the weather warms up, there is no better drink than sweet tea and this one does not disappoint. A combination of family-sized tea bags, water and sugar and you will be enjoying one fabulous, thirst-quenching glass of heavenly sweet tea! NOTE: Trisha adds a double dose of sugar to her tea, making it really sweet. Just the way I like it!


For dinner we enjoyed Trisha's Tennessee Jambalaya from the Soup and Salad Chapter. The jambalaya is dubbed Tennessee Jambalaya because the recipe comes from a friend in Tennessee and also because the jambalaya doesn't contain any seafood. Kielbasa, also called smoked sausage, is cooked in bacon drippings and then bathed in black beans, tomato sauce, green chiles, seasonings, and shredded carrots for 45 minutes until thickened. Served with rice and crumbled bacon bits, this is one hearty meal that is sure to please.



For a real treat, we baked up Trisha's Charleston Cheese Dip, also from the Snacks and Appetizers Chapter. Trisha obtained the recipe from a fan while on tour years ago. A tangy combination of cream cheese, monterey jack, cheddar, mayo, green onions, cayenne, crushed ritz crackers, and bacon this is one delicious treat! Trisha says that this dip serves 10, but I think it serves more like 2!! I'd like to think I had a reasonable portion. It was my husband that ate at least 3/4ths of the dip. At least that's what I'm telling myself;-)


Lastly I made Trisha's Strawberry Salad, from the Soups and Salads Chapter, which is one of the first recipes that stood out to me when I first went through the book. A crunchy topping is made from crushed ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, and sliced almonds. A combination of romaine lettuce and spinach is topped with sliced strawberries, Parmesan cheese, the crunchy topping; then drizzled with a gorgeous dressing made of red wine vinegar, canola oil, sugar, minced garlic, and paprika. Crunch, sweet, tangy, deliciousness! I could quite literally eat this salad every day!

I am submitting this Strawberry Salad to my friend Deb over at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup.

I highly recommend Trisha Yearwood's new book! It is definitely one of my top ten favorite cookbooks, earning a spot up there with the best of them. I see myself cooking from this book A LOT in the future and I know I will continue to page through it over and over again for it's wonderful stories, pictures, and hand-written notes.

It would make a wonderful Mother's Day present!!

28 comments:

  1. This book sounds awesome...and that cheese dip.....ummmmm, delish! Great recommendation...I'm sold :)

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  2. I saw an article about this book in a magazine. The article mentioned Garth's breakfast bowl and it seemed like something I'd like to try. The strawberry salad looks so pretty!

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  3. Kim, you make me want to run out and buy this book right now! I have so many old cookbooks in my collection, not a lot of new ones, so I've added this to my Amazon "wish list". Thanks for a great review!

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  4. I have this book and was going to try the strawberry salad on my mom and the ladies coming over for Mother's Day. I thought the book was lovely as well and each recipe is simple yet sounds incredible. You beat me to it with the Charleston dip and I have my eye on the spicy corn dip...ugh, there are so many I need to try so I look forward to reading your reviews as well.
    I loved the whole fact that it was done by a family. It really had that family feel to it as well and really drew you in with comfort.
    Glad you are enjoying it too.

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  5. Oh I am sold! Hmmm Mother's day is just around the corner. HaHaHa

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  6. I've seen Trish on television promoting her book and I didn't give it a second thought until I saw your great review. The Charleston Cheese Dip is enough to make me click over to Amazon and order her book. Thanks for the review.
    Sam

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  7. I have passed her cookbook on numerous occasions and never thought much about it. Now, that I read your post, I am going to check this book out next time.

    As always Kim, you do a great review.

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  8. That list of yours and these delicious looking dishes surely prove what a great book it is! The strawberry salad looks very good right now! It's kind of different - in a good way.

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  9. So THIS is why my amazon.com wishlist is bordering on a hundred items. It's lovely reviews like yours! All of the food looks awesome Kim. If I ever write a cookbook...you are SO reviewing it.

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  10. you could seriously get a job selling cookbooks. i always want to run and buy whatever cookbook you review. this looks like such a good one, and i love what you made out of it!

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  11. Impressive...great review and fabulous food photos

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  12. Wow...these look and sound fabulous! Thank goodness for amazon! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. Oh dear! Another cookbook for my wishlist! What would we do without Amazon?
    This one looks amazing! Love the recipes you chose to make; The Charleston Cheese Dip is a winner!

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  14. Wow, thats quite a review. I will look out for this book next time I'm ni america.
    Have a lovely weekend and a happy mother's day.
    *kisses* HH

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  15. I do that too....I make my own index w/ page numbers of recipes I am going to make!
    Great minds think alike!
    This is not really a Yankee cookbook, but it looks nice!

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  16. If ever I write a book I want you to be my reviewer. You did such a nice job with this that I'm heading to the library to get a better look at it. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  17. What a great review. Ritz crackers in a cheese dip - yes please! I've had my eye on this one for a while and will now have to get it. Then again if I keep checking your blog I'll end up drowning in cookbooks:)

    Thanks for the wonderful recipes and thorough review and have a great weekend!

    http://meatandpotatoesfoodie.blogspot.com/

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  18. Love the review!This book is on my to-buy list!!!!

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  19. What a great review and great recipies. I passed by this book recently, without giving it a second glance, my mistake.
    Mimi

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  20. Great review--everything looks delicious! I love strawberry salads (thanks for sending it to Souper Sundays!) and that jambalaya looks pretty delicious too.

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  21. I've been hearing great things about this book; your dishes look great. Love that cheese dip!

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  22. Wow! All of these recipes look great, and the extensive list tells me that there are a bunch of enticing recipes to look forward to. I'm especially partial to the strawberry salad, I love fresh strawberries. Great review!

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  23. I never would have thought that a country music star would create a fabulous cookbook. So fun to read the review.

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  24. I didn't know she had a cookbook. It looks excellent! I'll have to get my hands on one! The salad is right up my alley! Yum!

    Happy Mother's Day!

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  25. I prefer the salad, if I may, I'm looking forward to spring & salads - and spring does not want to arrive in Paris!

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  26. A great review and you selected some terrific recipes. Those strawberries are calling my name.

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  27. This is the second review of this book I've seen recently in blog land, and the other was just as glowing. Aaaaahhhhh...Do I really NEED another cookbook??????

    And who is this woman, anyway? I have never heard of her until I saw the book reviews.

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  28. Wow--never knew Trisha had a cookbook. So cool! Thanks for the awesome review, I just might have to get my hands on a copy sometime soon!

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