Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor by Ann Bryn

Several years ago I bought this cookbook on a whim, and tonight when I was looking for a way to "doctor" up a boxed cake mix I bought at the market today, I immediately grabbed this book! Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor is a great go-to cookbook, loaded with recipes, tips and tricks to take any boxed cake mix from mundane to magnificent with very little effort.

In the front you'll find a few pages with pictures of each recipe, along with the page number. The rest of the book is divided into sections:

1. Chocolate Cake Mix 101
2. Luscious Layers
3. Chocolate Pound Cake
4. Sheet Cakes
5. Cheesecakes, Pudding Cakes, and So Much More
6. Chocolate Angel Food and Chiffon Cakes
7. Muffins, Cupcakes, and Little Cakes
8. Cookies, Bars, and Brownies,
9. Frostings
20. Conversion Table
11. Chocolate Cake Glossary

We've made the Old-Fashioned Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting so many times that the page is not just wrinkled and *gasp* dog-eared, but there are chocolate smudges all over it, too! Another favorite is the German Chocolate Cake recipe, and just tonight I found the Upside Down German Chocolate Cake recipe. I have no idea how that one escaped my notice!

Anyway, I can't recommend this book highly enough - it doesn't get easier than this!

Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

Normally, I do not stalk people in grocery stores.

I confess to the occasional practice of supermarket voyeurism. But who doesn’t sometimes notice the curious collections of fellow shoppers, then contemplate what they may reveal about them?

 
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is not your typical cookbook, and not at all what I expected. It took me some time to get into the memoir-esque beginning where we learn what led Kathleen Flinn to decide to teach cooking and technique to the everyday chef – meaning people who are cooking for themselves and their families. As she tells us, it all began late, on an otherwise average Tuesday afternoon….

Late on an otherwise average Tuesday afternoon, a sight near the canned tuna stopped me dead in my tracks. The cart sat as if abandoned in the middle of the aisle. It contained two dozen haphazardly piled boxes of dehydrated mixes for pasta, casseroles, rice, and stuffing and dubious jars of gravy. Despite being half full, the cart contained no real food. As I stood contemplating its contents, a heavyset woman in her late thirties, casually attired in an eggplant colored fleece, claimed the cart. Her preteen daughter twirled impatiently around her, quietly singing a Lady Gaga song under her breath.

Would it be wrong if I followed her to find out what else she might buy?

To be honest, I found myself giggling as I imagined this playing out, and the subsequent meet-and-greet that took place when Kathleen introduced herself to said ‘heavyset woman in her late thirties’ and then proceeded to teach her how to shop better, cheaper and healthier. I’ve found myself doing similar things while shopping in bookstores and watching people walk right past some of the best books on the shelves! How can anyone pass by the historical romances, or the romantic suspense books and not even take a look! It’s appalling… I mean, the covers alone are worth taking a gander at with those hot chests and sexy chins – and why on earth do the photographers stop before they get to the eyes?? Honestly!

But I digress…

I enjoyed the beginning and getting to know a bit about Kathleen and what makes her tick. It was fun, there's a lot of humor in this book, but as I read on and it was more and more of the same, I found myself skimming and wanting to get to “the good stuff” – the recipes, cooking lessons, and the tip and tricks.

And when I finally found them? I love them! Great tip after tip on making stock, ways to add flavor to just about anything, how to avoid kitchen disasters... The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is a veritable smorgasbord of information that every cook, professional or novice, should have at their fingertips. The only problem I have with this book is that I like being able to flip right to a page and find what I'm looking for. I love lots of photos and to have everything spelled out for me, because I'm not a confident cook, and having to go through the chapters to find what I need didn't work for me. Yes, there was an index, but it just isn't the layout I like in my cookbooks, but that's just my opinion.

The bottom line - The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is not just a great reference guide, it's an enjoyable story. If you're looking for something more than your average cut and dry cookbook, this might just be perfect for you!

Fine Cooking Comfort Food by Fine Cooking Magazine

I do believe I’ve just found a new “go-to” cookbook!

Being someone who loves to cook and try new things, but has no specialized training, I appreciate cookbooks that not only provide the recipes, but also give us tips and tricks for making the dishes turn out as tasty and beautiful as those you find in restaurants. The recipes collected in Fine Cooking Comfort Food: 200 Recipes for Soups, Stews, Casseroles & More are for the home cook who wants to bring something special to the table without having to take lessons or spend a lot of time fussing over procedures and techniques. Most of the ingredients are readily available in your grocery store and along with the easy to follow instructions and the absolutely mouthwatering pictures, you’re sure to create dishes that will impress your family and friends without making you a wreck before you even get them to the table.

With basics like Tomato Soup and French Farmer’s Soup to the more exotic recipes like Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup, I was pleased with the number and wide variety of soup recipes offered. I absolutely love the cooler Fall and Winter months, and even early Spring when there’s still a chill in the air. With the house closed up and a pot of my favorite soup simmering on the stove, nothing says “home” better. The recipes are all so delicious sounding that the only problem I can foresee is deciding which ones to make!

Then I got to the pasta section… Being the starch addict that I am, I had to stop and pay homage to the traditional Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe on page eighty-one, which I promptly decided to make this week. I had a mental grocery list all made up and was ready to head to the market but then I discovered the Pulled-Pork Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Four Cheeses recipe, and well… Just tell me that doesn’t sound to-die-for!

And the Breakfast and Brunch section? Who doesn’t love starting their day with a hot, fluffy omelet or waffles drenched in syrup? What a wonderful assortment of easy to make, sure to become favorites recipes.

Well, I could go on and on, but if you’re not convinced by now, there’s just no hope for you.  So just go on with your silly self and head to McDonald’s where they’ve got a  piece of deep fried cardboard on a stale bun with your name on it. The rest of us will be planning our meals around the recipes found in this book. Soups, stews, casseroles, sandwiches and much, much more – yes, like I said, I do believe I’ve found a new “go-to” cookbook!

This ebook was provided to me by netgalley.com in behalf of Taunton Press. This had no influence on my rating or review.

Just Tacos by Shelley Wiseman

I’m a huge fan of Mexican food, a truth to which my hips and posterior can bear witness, so when I say that this cookbook is both a blessing and a curse, surely you understand!

Just Tacos is just that – a cookbook devoted to tacos; those tasty little servings of flavorful goodness, all wrapped up in a homemade tortilla. I had no idea tacos could come in so many shapes and sizes and flavors, but this book is filled with recipes and easy to follow instructions for making not only the taco filling, but a wide variety of homemade tortillas. Everything from the traditional corn and flour tortillas to cilantro flavored, black bean flavored and even hibiscus flavored tortillas!

In addition to that there are salsa recipes and recipes for fillings like mushroom tacos, fried avocado tacos… the list goes on and on! Who knew there could be so much diversity in something as simple as a taco? And the pictures! Just another way to tempt and torture me!

Needless to say, this cookbook will be used again and again in my house.

Junior's Dessert Cookbook

I’ll just start by saying that I consider myself a fairly good cook – when I don’t have to follow instructions, that is. With a pinch of this and a dash of that I can do meats, poultry, casseroles, soups and stews, and they almost always turn out great! But when it comes to making desserts, all bets are off! The best I can hope for is to make a Betty Crocker cake from the box and not burn it, but even that’s a crap shoot! But, I’m a big fan of Junior’s Cheesecakes and when I saw this book I decided I’d give it a shot. What did I have to lose, right?

After perusing the index, my daughter and I decided to try the Happy Birthday Cake and the Lemon Meringue Tartlets. The cake was less intimidating than the tarlets, mostly because of the meringue, but that’s a “me” thing and has nothing to do with the recipe itself. Both desserts turned out great and I’m feeling inclined to take up cake decorating now because the cake was so delicious that I’d love to make and serve it for birthday parties, but I’d want it to look as amazing as it tastes.

Next, we’re planning to try the Grandma’s Recipe Lemon Loaf and the Famous Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Strawberry Sauce. And after that, if I’m still able to fit through the front door, I might just go to the market and get the ingredients to try my hand at making a cheesecake, too!

So, if you’re like me and don’t feel overly confident in the dessert baking department, you might want to give this book a try. These recipes are so much easier than I had thought they would be and if I can make a dessert from scratch and have people raving over it, so can you!