good enough to eat

 

The recent popularity of the Netflix special, High on the Hog, has readers and foodies clamoring for Dr. Jessica B. Harris’s writings, as well as these cookbooks:

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin

The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty

Rice: A Savor the South Cookbook by Michael W. Twitty

Bress ‘n’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer by Matthew Riafor and Amy Paige Condon

Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy

Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen: Food and Family Lore from the Lowcountry by Sallie Ann Robinson

The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors by Deborah VanTrece

 

Love food, but not much for cooking?  Serve yourself one of these delicious novels!

 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

In Talia Hibbert’s newest rom-com, the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.                              

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer....

Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly

The insightful, audacious, and deeply romantic story of a woman whose life turns upside down after she meets an enigmatic chef on vacation in Italy.

A Phở Love Story by Loan Le

All's fair in love, war and noodles! This delicious debut is perfect for fans of teen romcoms like When Dimple Met Rishi and Jenny Han's To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning story of first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by a beautiful yet ruthless pirate. He will be spared, Mad Hannah Mabbot tells him, as long as he can conjure an exquisite meal every Sunday from the ship's meager supplies.

The Café by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

Funny and heartfelt, The Café by the Sea is a delightful summertime novel that puts a modern twist on the classic Seven Brides for Seven Brothers story.

The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison

New York Times bestselling author Beth Harbison whips together a witty and charming--and delicious--story about the secrets we keep, the friends we make, and the food we cook.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest.

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune by Roselle Lim

Lush and visual, chock-full of delicious recipes, Roselle Lim’s magical debut novel is about food, heritage, and finding family in the most unexpected places. 

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert

Three generations. Seven days. One big secret. The author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake unfolds a mother-daughter story told by three women whose time to reckon with a life-altering secret is running out.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco...

The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman

In The Recipe Box, beloved author Viola Shipman spins a tale about a lost young woman and the family recipe box that changes her life.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

From the author of Reese Witherspoon's Book Club pick The Scent Keeper comes a “heartbreakingly delicious” national bestseller about a chef, her students, and the evocative lessons that food teaches about life. 

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein bites into her mother's homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the slice. To her horror, she finds that her cheerful mother tastes of despair. Soon, she’s  privy to the secret knowledge that most families keep hidden

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it....

The Seaside Café by Rochelle Alers

Set on breathtaking Coates Island, off the coast of North Carolina, bestselling author Rochelle Alers’ new series debut brings together three book-loving women whose summer will offer a chance to rewrite their own stories . . .

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant

A disgraced chef rediscovers her passion for food and her roots in this stunning novel rich in culture and full of delectable recipes.

Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson

At thirty-three, talented chef Georgia Gray has everything a woman could want until a scathing restaurant review destroys her reputation. Brokenhearted, Georgia escapes to the Italian countryside, where she sharpens her skills at a trattoria run by a world-class chef who seems to have it all—a devoted lover, a magnificent villa, and most important, a kitchen of her own.

Simmer Down by Sarah Smith

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

A trio of second-born daughters sets out on a whirlwind journey through the lush Italian countryside to break the family curse that says they’ll never find love, by New York Times bestseller Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List.

A Taste of Sage by Yaffa S. Santos

From talented new writer, Yaffa S. Santos, comes this unforgettable, heartwarming, and hilarious rom-com about chefs, cooking, love, and self-discovery that is a cross between The Hating Game and Sweetbitter.

Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER Heather Webber's Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe is a captivating blend of magical realism, heartwarming romance, and small-town Southern charm.

The Wedding Thief by Mary Simses

Two sisters in love with the same man -- one engaged to him and the other about to sabotage the wedding -- struggle to reconcile in this delicious novel from the bestselling author of The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café.

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets.

 

 

cookbooks

Tonight, the Genre Reading Group met to discuss cookbooks, food, eating, and other culinary delights! Next month is one of our biannual Reader’s Choice Salons, which means there is no assigned topic, bring whatever you’d like to share!

The Taste of Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World by Lizzie Collingham

(amazon.com) In The Taste of Empire, acclaimed historian Lizzie Collingham tells the story of how the British Empire's quest for food shaped the modern world. Told through twenty meals over the course of 450 years, from the Far East to the New World, Collingham explains how Africans taught Americans how to grow rice, how the East India Company turned opium into tea, and how Americans became the best-fed people in the world. In The Taste of Empire, Collingham masterfully shows that only by examining the history of Great Britain's global food system, from sixteenth-century Newfoundland fisheries to our present-day eating habits, can we fully understand our capitalist economy and its role in making our modern diets.

The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook by Paula Wolfert

(amazon.com) From one of the leading lights of contemporary gastronomy comes an irresistible collection of slow-cooked, flavor-drenched dishes from the cuisines of the Mediterranean
Who can resist the sensuous delights of a slow-simmered stew, salmon fillet slow-roasted until it is soft as silk, or leg of lamb braised until it is meltingly tender? Slow cooking is the hottest new trend in food, and no one better captures the art of sumptuous, unhurried cooking than renowned food writer Paula Wolfert. In The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, she returns to her favorite culinary regions and shares an enticing treasure trove of more than 150 authentic recipes that wend their way from North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean to Italy, Spain, and the South of France. With her trademark passion for detail and curiosity about cultural traditions and innovations, she offers loyal fans and new converts the secrets to simmering, slow roasting, braising, poaching, and marinating their way to flavor-drenched dishes that capture the enchanting tastes and aromas of the Mediterranean table. Perfect for anyone who loves to cook, this rich resource is a must-have for the bookshelf of everyone who is serious about food.

Paula Wolfert (Sonoma, CA) is widely acknowledged to be the premier food writer in America. Her writing has received many awards, including the Julia Child Award, the M.F.K. Fisher Award, and the James Beard Award. She has a regular column in Food & Wine magazine, and her articles have appeared in such major publications as the New York Times, Saveur, Bon Appetit, and Cook's Illustrated. She is the author of six other cookbooks, including Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, Mediterranean Cooking, and The Cooking of South-West France.

River Road Recipes: The Textbook of Louisiana Cuisine by the Junior League of Baton Rouge

(amazon.com) River Road Recipes is the nation's #1 best-selling community cookbook series. This cookbook features classic creole and cajun cuisine. These 650 recipes include the basics like How to Make a Roux. This is the Textbook of Louisiana cooking.

More Gems from Many Kitchens 1891: Athens, Georgia America’s First Garden Club

(http://gardenclub.uga.edu/pdfs/history.pdf )Part of the proceeds from the sale of this cookbook and from Runa Ware's "All Those in Favor" were designated to air-condition the historic State Headquarters.

Tout de Suite a la Microwave: A Gourmet’s Cookbook of French, Acadian, and Creole Recipes by Jean Durkee

(amazon.com) Home economist and author Jean K Durkee has adapted for microwave cooking the best of the French, Acadian and Creole recipes for which the South Louisiana "Cajun Country" has become justly famous. Learn how to cook a Roux and Gumbo, Crabmeat Mornay, Bananas Foster and more.

Big Vegan: More than 350 Recipes, No Meat, No Dairy, All Delicious by Robin Asbell

(amazon.com) Veganism has been steadily moving toward the mainstream as more and more people become aware of its many benefits. Even burger-loving omnivores are realizing that adding more plant-based foods to their diet is good for their health and the environment. Big Vegan satisfies both the casual meat eater and the dedicated herbivore with more than 350 delicious, easy-to-prepare vegan recipes covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Highlighting the plentiful flavors that abound in natural foods, this comprehensive cookbook includes the fundamentals for adopting a meat-free, dairy-free lifestyle, plus a resource guide and glossary that readers can refer to time and again. Eat your veggies and go vegan!

Fannie Flagg’s Original Whistle Stop Café Cookbook:Featuring Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Barbeque, Banana Split Cake, and Many Other Great Recipes by Fannie Flagg

After the tremendous success of her novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and the beloved movie that followed, author Fannie Flagg received thousands of requests from all over the world asking for recipes from the little cafe of her Alabama childhood that was the model for the cafe in her novel. Now, she joyfully shares those recipes, in what may well be the first cookbook ever written by a satisfied customer rather than a cook! Inside you'll find wonderful recipes for:

* Skinless Fried Chicken * Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes * Baked Ham and Pineapple Rings * Baked Turkey with Traditional Cornbread Dressing * Black-eyed Peas * Fried Okra * Creamed Onions * Broccoli Casserole * Southern Cream Gravy * Fried Catfish * Scalloped Oysters * Down Home Crab Cakes * Beaten Biscuits * Corn Pones * Lemon Ice Box Pie * Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie * And much more!

The recipes in Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook are all for delicious hearty happy food that comes with all sorts of things, from gravies to hot sauces (very often the secret's in the sauce). But most of all this food, and this book, comes with love.

"If you liked her novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and if you liked the movie they made from that novel, you'll like this cookbook....It's funny, just like Flagg."

Beloved Family Recipes: Family Recipes and Experiences from Travels Around the World by John Krontiras

(https://www.otmj.com/a-tale-of-two-cultures/) It’s filled with Greek and Italian recipes and with tips, such as the kind of feta cheese he prefers and how to tell when the oil is hot enough to cook fresh smelts or anchovies.

Frank Stitt’s Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill by Frank Stitt

(amazon.com) R. W. Apple, Jr., of The New York Times credits third-generation Alabamian Frank Stitt with turning Birmingham into a "sophisticated, easygoing showplace of enticing, southern-accented cooking." His southern peers think his cooking may have a more profound sense of place than any of theirs. His food is rustic and homey, but sophisticated in method.

Now, Alabama's favorite son has written a long-awaited cookbook that features his enticing Provençal-influenced southern food. More than 150 recipes range from the traditional--Spicy Green Tomato and Peach Relish, Spoonbread, and Pickled Shrimp--to the inspired--Slow-Roasted Black Grouper with Ham and Pumpkin Pirlau and Pork Loin with Corn Pudding and Grilled Eggplant. Desserts such as Bourbon Panna Cotta and Sweet Potato Tart with Coconut Crust and Pecan Streusel elevate the best of the South for cooks everywhere.

Treasured Alabama Recipes by Kathryn Tucker Windham

(vintagecookbook.com) Windham was a local history buff and an accomplished storyteller. Those skills helped her to make this cookbook much more than a cookbook. She features recipes from Alabama’s Coast, the Piney Woods, the Wiregrass, the Black Belt, the Tennessee Valley, the Appalachians, and the cities. Sprinkled through the recipes are bits of local history and funny stories from each region of Alabama, all with lovely sketches by Diane Hamilton Sampson.

Al Hasa Saudi Arabia Cookbook by Karen Stiltner

(amazon.com) Al-Hasa is the former geographical title of a portion of the present Eastern Province, the region along the Arabian Gulf of Saudi Arabia where the oil fields are located. Through the combined efforts of women's groups in the area, the best recipes are presented for all to enjoy. The book has some Middle-Eastern recipes, but most recipes are American in origin because the authors in many cases were wives of Americans in working in Saudi Arabia for oil the companies.

food and friendship

The next Genre Reading Group meeting will be Tuesday, November 29^th at 6:30pm and the topic up for discussion will be Academy Award-winning films.  The display on the second floor currently contains Best Picture winners, but it can be a film that has won an Academy Award in ANY category from Best Directory to Best Visual Effects…whatever, you get to pick!  Last week, GRG discussed cookbooks. My thanks go out to Amanda for handling the meeting while I was under the weather!

The Farmette Cookbook: Recipes and Adventures from My Life on an Irish Farm by Imen McDonnell

American city girl marries Irish dairy farmer; cooking, growing, foraging, fishing, preserving, and baking ensue: 150 delightful classic Irish recipes updated for the modern home cook. 

The Farmette Cookbook documents Imen McDonnell's extraordinary Irish country cooking journey, which began the moment she fell in love with an Irish farmer and moved across the Atlantic to County Limerick. This book's collection of 150 recipes and colorful stories chronicles nearly a decade-long adventure of learning to feed a family (and several hungry farmers) while adjusting to her new home (and nursing a bit of homesickness). Along the way she teaches us foundational kitchen skills and time-honored Irish traditions, sharing wisdom from her mother-in-law and other doyennes of Irish cooking. We learn the ritual of Sunday lunch, pudding, and tea. We go along with her on wild crafting walks--the country version of foraging for wild edibles. We visit her local fishmonger to see what we can create with his daily catch from the sea. Along the way we see how she's deviated from classic Irish recipes to add contemporary or American twists. 

The Farmette Cookbook is a compilation of tried-and-true recipes with an emphasis on local, fresh ingredients and traditional Irish kitchen skills, which for Imen have healed homesickness and forged new friendships.

Big Vegan: More than 350 Recipes,No Meat/No Dairy All Delicious by Robin Asbell

Veganism has been steadily moving toward the mainstream as more and more people become aware of its many benefits. Even burger-loving omnivores are realizing that adding more plant-based foods to their diet is good for their health and the environment. Big Vegan satisfies both the casual meat eater and the dedicated herbivore with more than 350 delicious, easy-to-prepare vegan recipes covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Highlighting the plentiful flavors that abound in natural foods, this comprehensive cookbook includes the fundamentals for adopting a meat-free, dairy-free lifestyle, plus a resource guide and glossary that readers can refer to time and again. Eat your veggies and go vegan!

Birmingham’s Best Bites: Favorite Recipes from Restaurants, Bars, and Food Trucks Around the Magic City by Martie Duncan

You'll find some of your all-time favorite restaurant recipes in Birmingham's Best Bites. Both old and new are featured and an easy to use format. Inspired photograph's make this a pleasing book for any kitchen.

Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen: Faith, Family, and Food – Bringing Our Home to Your Table by Kay Robertson

The sassy, country-cookin’ matriarch of the Robertson clan and star of A&E®'s Duck Dynasty® dishes up her fabulous recipes and stories in this irresistible family cookbook.

Writing a cookbook for people who love good food has been a lifelong dream for me—and I’m so happy to be sharing some of our family’s favorite recipes with you! In this book you’ll find everything from Jase’s Favorite Sweet Potato Pie to Phil’s own special recipes, like his scrumptious Crawfish Fettuccine. There’s “girly” food for a gathering of your best girlfriends, like Aunt Judy’s Cranberry Salad, as well as dishes straight from the hunt like Boiled Squirrel and Dumplings. 

In addition to more than one hundred specially chosen recipes, I’ve included old family snapshots of the days before the Duck Dynasty® series on A&E® and stories of our family and how we live. The dinner table has long been one of our favorite places for telling stories, and there’s always competition to see who can dish out the wildest story. We believe that food and cooking bring people together—it’s brought our family together for generations, and it can do the same for yours. Gather your family around the table and serve up delicious home-cooked meals with recipes like . . . 

• Willie’s Famous Chicken Strips 
• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Biscuits 
• Cheesy Corn Casserole 
• Fresh Strawberry Pie 
• Best Brisket Ever 
• Crawfish Balls 
• Creamy Green Grape Salad 
• Papaw Phil’s Homemade Ice Cream 

Join with our family as we create lasting family traditions that will warm the hearts and bellies of those you love. Let’s do it together.

The Good Housekeeping Cookbook by the editors of Good Housekeeping Magazine

In honor of the magazine's 125th anniversary, here is the revised and expanded edition of Good Housekeeping's trusty cook's companion! Filled with 1,275 delicious recipes, this indispensable kitchen reference also offers dependable information on cooking techniques, tools, ingredients, food handling, and nutrition.

In addition to popular favorites like Southern Fried Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake, there are 168 new recipes attuned to today's lifestyles, all-new chapters devoted to Canning and Freezing, ideas for holiday celebrations, and mouthwatering new photography.
And, as always, every recipe has been triple-tested and perfected for ease, reliability, and great taste in the famed Good Housekeeping Test Kitchens.

Frank Stitt’s Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill by Frank Stitt

R. W. Apple, Jr., of The New York Times credits third-generation Alabamian Frank Stitt with turning Birmingham into a "sophisticated, easygoing showplace of enticing, southern-accented cooking." His southern peers think his cooking may have a more profound sense of place than any of theirs. His food is rustic and homey, but sophisticated in method.

Now, Alabama's favorite son has written a long-awaited cookbook that features his enticing Provençal-influenced southern food. More than 150 recipes range from the traditional--Spicy Green Tomato and Peach Relish, Spoonbread, and Pickled Shrimp--to the inspired--Slow-Roasted Black Grouper with Ham and Pumpkin Pirlau and Pork Loin with Corn Pudding and Grilled Eggplant. Desserts such as Bourbon Panna Cotta and Sweet Potato Tart with Coconut Crust and Pecan Streusel elevate the best of the South for cooks everywhere.

Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Family, and Traditions by Chris and Idie Hastings

“Seasonality is the cornerstone to our menu-planning success,” says Chef Chris Hastings. The Hot and Hot Fish Club Restaurant is one of the best in the South because it only uses the finest and freshest ingredients in their recipes. From the fresh-caught Pacific seafood flown in from Osprey Seafood in San Francisco to the blackberries and Vidalia onions from local Garfrerick Farms of Alpine, Alabama, Hot and Hot goes to great lengths to make sure that what goes into every dish is always fresh and in season.

The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook contains more than 200 creative and delicious recipes that are organized to reflect the seasonal nature of local ingredients. It features profiles of dozens purveyors who supply the restaurant with the freshest ingredients. With more than 50 full-color photographs, lifestyle menus complete with wine and beer pairings, and a sourcing section, The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook is your guide to preparing exquisite, fresh cuisine from the hottest restaurant in the South.

Treasured Alabama Recipes by Kathryn Tucker Windham

Windham’s book is divided into regions: Coast, Piney Woods, Wiregrass, Black Belt, Tennessee Valley, Appalachians, and Cities.  Recipes mentioned include pulled mints, pot licker dumplings, eggplant and okra.  Windham is a noted storyteller so tales and stories about food and family abound, including a humdinger about paper vs monogrammed linen napkins!