Free Kindle Cookbooks!

If you’ve downloaded your Kindle Apps and are ready to start downloading, there are some great cookbooks available today for FREE.  These will help you start your menu planning for the upcoming holidays and parties.  Here they are:

• Circle of Friends Cookbook – 25 Burger Recipes
• Heating Up the Kitchen: Recipes with Love from Lucky Harbor
• Dinners Made Easy by Stonyfield Farm
• Prevention Healthy Favorites: Chicken Recipes: 48 Easy and Delicious Meals! 

Remember, these may only be available for FREE today, so don’t wait.

FINE COOKING COMFORT FOOD

Serve up delicious, soul-satisfying food any night of the week with this new recipe collection from Fine Cooking. Among the 200 favorites are classics like meatloaf, beef stew, and macaroni and cheese as well as modern updates and ethnic specialties such as Thai curry, Moroccan vegetable ragout, and Brazilian chicken and shrimp. Cooks will gain confidence and get great results every time thanks to Fine Cooking's signature tips and secrets from the pros, step-by-step photos to help master techniques, ingredient profiles, shortcuts, and handy kitchen advice. Fine Cooking Comfort Food serves up one delicious cookbook.

Fine Cooking features friendly, hands-on advice written by America's culinary experts and provides reliable recipes, inspiration, and trusted advice for cooks of all skill levels.

• This collection includes 200 triple-tested recipes for main dishes like soups, stews, casseroles, and one-pot meals; sandwiches; breakfasts; desserts; and more from Fine Cooking's test kitchen.

• The no-fail tips and techniques from culinary professionals are illustrated with step-by-step photos.

• With its loyal following, Fine Cooking is consistently one of the top five best-selling cooking magazines at bookstores and newsstands everywhere.

 ***

For thousands of readers, Fine Cooking Magazine has been and continues to be their go-to source for inspiration when heading into the kitchen. No doubt you have a few tattered, clipped recipes of your own tucked away.  Finally. the editors have compiled the very best of the best comfort foods that are usually the backbone of every cook's repertoire.  No more searching the interweb for that perfect soup recipe.

Choosing only 200 from tens of thousands of recipes must have been a daunting task but one that I think the publishers over at Fine Cooking did admirably well. The selection criteria included not only great taste, but also had to stand up to Fine Cooking's high standards. You'll find old favorites such as beef stew, macaroni and cheese and chicken pot pie along side more contemporary recipes like baked potato and leek soup with cheddar and bacon.

Just like the magazine, this cook book has great illustrations and instructions. It is  great for people who love to cook and who really love to eat and know food. All of the recipes are well thought out and precise, yet not overly complicated. I find it much more "user friendly" then MANY of the other cook books out there, and trust me, I own a lot of them. Fine Cooking is the one I reach for most often.  It is worth savoring every last morsel...and then some.

All in all, this is a fabulous addition to the Fine Cooking catalogue by the folks at Taunton, who always manage to lure us with those luscious food cover photos as we exit the grocery store.

 ***

* I received an advance copy from the publisher for purposes of review. I was in no way obligated to write a review much less a favorable one. The opinions stated herein are all my own.

Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller

500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Calories or Less, for 5 Nights/Week at 5:00 PM

U.S.: $29.99 Canada: $34.99
ISBN: 9781449408459
Format: Paperback
On Sale: November 1, 2011 — Coming soon!  

***

It's 5:00 PM. Everyone's hungry. It's takeout or fakeout, meaning nuking a processed meal from the freezer. But there's a third option that doesn't include processed food or an unhealthy heap of calories and fat—Robin Takes 5.

Imagine quickly preparing delicious meals for yourself, your friends, and your family with just 5 fabulous ingredients. Does it get any better? Absolutely, with Robin Takes 5. The book features 500 recipes and each dish is a mouthwatering 500 calories or less. Two-color recipe text complements full-color photography inserts. In addition, helpful icons note ideal recipes for holidays and entertaining as well as recipes with less than 500 mg of sodium. That's not all—nutritional information is given for each recipe.

In Robin Takes 5 500 recipes highlight at least 10 different ethnic cuisines, and dishes range from soups, pizzas, and pastas, to chicken, beef, pork, seafood, side dishes, and desserts. Consider 70 recipes just for chicken, such as Cashew Crusted Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno-Mango Chutney, and 50 dessert recipes, such as Orange Marmalade Tart with Chocolate Covered Almonds. Consider yourself armed for mealtime. The next time the clock strikes 5:00 PM and you want both noshing and nourishment, check out Robin Takes 5.

***

My husband frequently likes to complain that I don't cook enough.  He says that we eat out too often and that he would appreciate some good old home cooking more often than "now and again".  Having said that I feel the need to mention that I love to cook. To prove the fact that, I am indeed an avid home cook,  I could invite you over to admire my impressive collection of cookbooks that I've read from cover to cover, over and over again...lost in the photographs and delectable dishes described between the glossy covers.  I could point out to you my well seasoned cast iron pots and pans (it is a proven fact that only serious cooks use cast iron), my well stocked pantry and my herb garden that supplies me with fresh herbs year round.  I could do all of this in my defense but alas...I don't really cook very often.  I want to, I long to.  I often fantasize about producing glorious tarts, amazing risottos, pear tartins with gorgonzola ice cream...When we were first dating I spent an entire two days crafting a beautiful Bolognese sauce for a romantic candle lit dinner replete with a fine Chianti.  He didn't eat two bites.  I was crest fallen.  The years have spun by since that first debacle.

I wonder if you, dear reader, have begun to suspect where my problems lies.  No, I'm not a horrible cook.  But the answer is quite simple.  My husband is not a tomato and goat cheese tart kind of guy.  Asparagus and shallot risotto does not make him come running into the kitchen salivating and giddy with anticipation.   He likes his meals simple and easily recognizable, pronounceable and familiar. 

Oh, I often cook for myself.  Hubby hovers about the various pots and tins admiring my talent, savoring the scents but nary a bite is taken.  I also occasionally cook for him, however when I do make something for him I don't refer to what I do in the kitchen as cooking.  It's more akin to assembling and heating.  Honestly, anyone can do that.  I'd rather read a book with that time. Hence the eating out.  Cooking, when not completely from scratch makes me feel dirty in some way.

Robin Takes Five is something that I've not encountered before.  It's quick to prepare foods that don't come from boxes and cans.  Much of it is elegant:  'Sage and Pear Pizza with Blue Cheese', is a decidedly grown up dish that highly appeals to me-rustic yet dressed up, unconventional yet familiar.  However,  there is much that appeals to the everyday guy (i.e. hubby) as well; Philly Cheesesteak Calzone (I'll just call it a hot pocket to him!), Pork Fried Rice, Buffalo Chicken Fingers etc.  This book addresses well the blended families-the foodies married to non-foodies, the foodies blessed with non-foody kids, foodies that need to cook for questionable dinner guests.  The five ingredient limit intrinsically makes each recipe frugal and isn't that perfect right now?  It also insures that each recipe cooks up quickly, perfect for time crunched people.  The paired down focus of the book means that I can easily cook one thing for me and something else for my darling husband without it costing us a fortune and costing me a fortune in time.  Perfect.  Beautiful satisfying meals, a minimum of ingredients, and a dish to please everyone.  Highly recommended.

***

Robin Miller

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Robin has been a food writer and a nutritionist since 1990. She is the author of the best-selling cookbook Quick Fix Meals. Her popular show Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller currently airs on the Food Network. Her primetime show Robin to the Rescue premiered on the Food Network in March 2007. Robin's recipes and nutrition features can be seen regularly in a variety of media outlets, including the Today show on NBC, The Early Show on CBS, Good Morning America on ABC, Live! with Regis & Kelly, Fox News Channel, Food Network, HGTV, Guideposts, Cooking Light, Health, Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's World, and Parade. Robin has a master's degree in food and nutrition from New York University.

Quick-Fix Vegan Healthy Homestyle Meals in 30 Minutes or Less by Robin Robertson

U.S.: $16.99 Canada: $19.99

ISBN: 9781449407858

Format: Paperback

On Sale: October 4, 2011 — Coming soon! 

Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegan provides 150 vegan recipes ranging from starters, snacks, salads, sauces, and sandwiches to stovetop suppers, pastas, soups, and desserts that can all be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Quick-Fix Vegan also features "Make-Ahead Bakes," convenient recipes that are assembled ahead of time (in less than 30 minutes) and then baked before serving.
Quick-Fix Vegan draws upon a myriad of ethnic influences including French, Mexican, Moroccan, Mediterranean, Greek, Cajun, East Asian, Italian, and Middle Eastern, and features recipes such as Spicy Black Bean Hummus with Orange, Korean Hotpot, Rotini with Creamy Avocado-Herb Sauce, Moroccan-Spiced Pumpkin Soup, BBQ Pinto-Portobello Sandwiches, Burmese Ginger Salad, Autumn Harvest Gratin, and Catalan-Style Créme Brûlée.
An introductory chapter provides the reader with basic information on how to maintain a "quick-fix" vegan kitchen, a complete pantry list, and kitchen tips, while an appendix includes recipes for optional ingredients such as homemade vegetable stock and seitan. Cooks of all skill levels will find that the recipes inside Quick-Fix Vegan are just as delectable and adaptable to the omnivore, as they are essential to the vegan lifestyle.
Quick-Fix Vegan is a companion volume of Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegetarian.

***

This is a very good cook book.  While I am not a full time vegan I occasionally go on vegan fasts and this book really helped out when boredom set in.  The recipes are easy to follow, tasty and contain common ingredients that could be found in an average supermarket.  Easy peasy.  There are no photos in the cookbook so you are left on your own as to how a dish is supposed to end up looking...and let's be honest here sometimes having that little bit of info can make the difference between a successful meal and a disaster.

***

Robin Robertson

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An experienced chef and consultant, Robin Robertson is a 25-year veteran restaurant chef, caterer, columnist, cooking teacher, food writer, and author of 19 vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. She writes "The Global Vegan" column for VegNews Magazine and was a contributing editor and columnist for Vegetarian Times. She has also written for Cooking Light, Natural Health, Better Nutrition, Health, Restaurant Business, and other magazines. She lives in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.  Visit her at globalvegankitchen.com or visit her blog HERE.

Treasured Amish & Mennonite Recipes

Publication Date 01 October 2011

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Whoopie Pies and Chow Chow - These Recipes are the Real Deal

New book includes AUTHENTIC Amish and Mennonite entrees, baked goods, jams, jellies and more

(LANCASTER, PA) From generations of women cloaked in dark, plain clothing comes a collection of country fare for your family - Treasured Amish & Mennonite Recipes (Fox Chapel Publishing, October 1, 2011).

The new edition of this cook book includes 600 delicious recipes from the kitchens of real Amish and Mennonite families, with 50 new to this version.

Dishes include country kitchen favorites, like chicken pot pie, apple butter, ham loaf, classic mashed potatoes and much more. There's endless appetizers, dips, soups, salads and dressings, casseroles, pickles, relishes, sauces, pies, tarts among other items that reflect the German heritage and agricultural roots of these notably peaceful people.

The recipes are easy to make and require no special ingredients. In fact, many of the items might be growing in your garden or on backyard trees. Readers will also be delighted by interesting facts, and fun stories about the recipes. Using this cook book in your kitchen will provide delicious meals and plenty of fun, family time at the table.

***

Cute cookbook that gives the reader a glimpse into the Amish and Mennonite worlds.  This book is packed with trusted and traditional recipes.  Casseroles, stews, soups, mains, salads, beverages it's all in here.  If you don't already have a basic go to cook book this could be a good choice for you.

***

About the Author: 

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) works alongside local churches and communities in more than 50 countries, including Canada and the United States, to carry out disaster relief, sustainable community development, justice and peace-building work in the name of Christ. MCC also seeks to build bridges to connect people and ideas across cultural, political and economic divides.

* I received a free copy from the publisher for purposes of review. I was in no way obligated to write a review much less a favorable one. The opinions stated herein are all my own.

The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates, Linda Schatz

ISBN #9781401935436

If you’re experiencing discomfort, fatigue, or other symptoms that won’t go away no matter what you do or how many doctors you see, chances are you’re one of the millions unknowingly suffering from a systemic fungal/yeast infection, “the hidden invader.” The result of an imbalance starting in your internal ecosystem, this can be a key factor in headaches, joint and muscle pain, depression, cancer, food allergies, digestive problems, autism, and other immune-related disorders.  

     The Body Ecology Diet reveals how to restore and maintain the “inner ecology” your body needs to function properly, and eliminate or control the symptoms that rob you of the joy of living. Tens of thousands of people have already benefited from the Body Ecology way of life—Donna Gates shows you, step-by-step, how to eat your way to better health and well-being . . . deliciously, easily, and inexpensively!

     In this book, you will learn how to: use seven basic universal principles as tools to gain mastery over every health challenge you may encounter; focus on your inner ecology to create ideal digestive balance; conquer cravings with strategies for satisfying snacking and for dining away from home; and plan meals with dozens of delectable recipes, an array of menus, and detailed shopping lists.

 ***

I was absolutely thrilled to finally be reading the Body Ecology by Donna Gates.  This book is packed with loads of information so it should be said that, although I read it in one day, I will definitely be rereading it again.  And then probably again.  Her thesis is that modern humans are plagued by chronic yeast infections and I think she makes a compelling argument for it in her book.  Granted some of the assumptions she makes are not necessarily backed up through rigorous scientific study but then again most health gurus' claims rarely are.  

Throughout the first half of the book Ms. Gates details the whys and hows of the diet, mentioning various products and recipes along the way without any real clarification on those particular items.  For instance she mentions fermented vegetables quite a bit and kefir but she didn't really explain what they were until fairly late in the book.  I was also dismayed to realize that she also spent much of the book advocating her brand of this or that...saying things like (and I'm paraphrasing here) 'it's very difficult to find authentic such and such anywhere so luckily I sell it on my website...'.  This is disconcerting to say the least and I felt as if I was reading through an infomercial.

The Body Ecology diet is quite popular and many people assert that this way of eating and living has greatly benefited them.  After reading the book I feel dubious yet I admit there might be something here worth understanding.  There is a sense of rightness about a lot of Ms. Gates assumptions and assertions that rang true to me.  The diet itself just doesn't appeal to me.  It feels gimmicky and even downright exclusivistic with its core components being available primarily through her website (as opposed to being readily found at any local grocer), or labor intensive to prepare.  In my heart I don't believe that healing foods are hard to come by nor are they hard to make.  I believe that God has given us all the perfect food we need to eat.  It is us, man, that has corrupted that food into something hideous that is harming every one of us.  It is our intervention and corruption of that perfect diet that has led us all down the path of ill health.  I just don't agree that the path to healing lies in the miracle of a mysterious fermented drink, a powder, or even baby coconuts.  But then again I'm no expert.

***

About the Author

Donna Gates, a nutritional consultant, author, and lecturer, has helped thousands of people overcome candidiasis and other immune-system disorders. Drawing on the best of modern medical science, ancient Chinese medicine, and naturopathy—combined with years of firsthand experience counseling clients—she created Body Ecology, her own system of health and healing. Donna regularly appears on radio shows and conducts workshops to educate the public on medicinal foods.

* I received an advance copy from the publisher for purposes of review. I was in no way obligated to write a review much less a favorable one. The opinions stated herein are all my own.