The Sunday Salon and What's Cooking?!... or 4 Cookbooks to Get You Back in the Mood to Cook!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon and The Sunday Post! It's that day of the week bloggers from all over the internet get together virtually in a large gathering place called The Sunday Salon and talk books!  And at The Sunday Post, which is a weekly meme hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, in which more bloggers share their bookish news!

Good morning everyone! Yes, we earned an extra hour of sleep this morning, the sun is shining brightly at 8am, but it's cold! Fall weather is settling quickly in Connecticut. We've gone from 80 degrees to 50 in a matter of a week or so. And with the change of seasons I think about getting the sweaters and gloves out, and think about stirring up some cold weather cooking in the form of hearty soups and homemade bread. Which then makes me think about cookbooks... and then about what new cookbooks have come out that may tempt my tastebuds and make me want to try something new. See all that logical progression?! There have been so many new cookbooks published recently, I thought we'd talk cookbooks...

First cookbook today is The Pollan Family Table by Corky, Lori, Dana and Traci Pollan. Yes, that Traci Pollan! And if that weren't enough, Michael Pollan, the guy who writes all those great books on food, is the brother (and son) to these women. Corky is the Mom to Lori, Dana and Traci and as evidence, this cookbook shows how they all grew up to appreciate good cooking. I met these ladies at a book signing and talk held at Bethel Library (one of the local libraries) and courtesy of the efforts of Byrd's Books of Bethel. It was a nice evening and you could tell how close these ladies were and how cooking was a big part of their family. The recipes in their cookbook are simple, well explained, and with ingredients we can find without any problems. I'll be reviewing this soon, but suffice it to say that it's a winner. Oh and the photographs in the book are gorgeous!

Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook... For America’s bestselling cookbook author Ina Garten there is no greater pleasure than cooking for the people she loves—and particularly for her husband, Jeffrey. She has been cooking for him ever since they were married forty-eight years ago, and the comforting, delicious meals they shared became the basis for her extraordinary career in food. Ina’s most personal cookbook yet, Cooking for Jeffrey is filled with the recipes Jeffrey and their friends request most often as well as charming stories from Ina and Jeffrey’s many years together. There are traditional dishes that she’s updated... and new favorites.

I just love Ina Garten. Her recipes have never failed me. They are always simple and delicious. I haven' looked through this cookbook, but it's been on my wishlist ever since I heard it was coming.

Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain... Appetites, his first cookbook in more than ten years, boils down forty-plus years of professional cooking and globe-trotting to a tight repertoire of personal favorites—dishes that everyone should (at least in Mr. Bourdain’s opinion) know how to cook. Once the supposed "bad boy" of cooking, Mr. Bourdain has, in recent years, become the father of a little girl—a role he has embraced with enthusiasm. After years of traveling more than 200 days a year, he now enjoys entertaining at home. Years of prep lists and the hyper-organization necessary for a restaurant kitchen, however, have caused him, in his words, to have "morphed into a psychotic, anally retentive, bad-tempered Ina Garten." The result is a home-cooking, home-entertaining cookbook like no other, with personal favorites from his own kitchen and from his travels, translated into an effective battle plan that will help you terrify your guests with your breathtaking efficiency.

Years ago I read Anthony Bourdain's, Kitchen Confidential and loved it. But I never really followed any of his other endeavors. Whenever I ran across his TV shows, I just thought he was too arrogant for my liking and turned him off. But, I ran across this cookbook recently and was fascinated. And after reading a few of the recipes shared in a sample I wanted to see more. He still has that same kind of arrogance (and he uses some expletives in some of his recipe anecdotes), but he really shares some great tips, techniques and good recipes. On my wishlist too!

Alton Brown: Everyday Cook by Alton Brown...  My name is Alton Brown, and I wrote this book. It’s my first in a few years because I’ve been a little busy with TV stuff and interwebs stuff and live stage show stuff. Sure, I’ve been cooking, but it’s been mostly to feed myself and people in my immediate vicinity—which is really what a cook is supposed to do, right? Well, one day I was sitting around trying to organize my recipes, and I realized that I should put them into a personal collection. One thing led to another, and here’s EveryDayCook. There’s still plenty of science and hopefully some humor in here (my agent says that’s my “wheelhouse”), but unlike in my other books, a lot of attention went into the photos, which were all taken on my iPhone (take that, Instagram) and are suitable for framing. As for the recipes, which are arranged by time of day, they’re pretty darned tasty.

It must be the year of the cookbook comebacks, because here we have another chef, Alton Brown, who hasn't written a cookbook in years, coming out with a new cookbook too. I'm happy though, because Alton Brown is another favorite chef of mine. He always teaches me something. In his very first cookbook he taught me the muffin method, and I haven't looked back since. His recipes never fail me either, although they tend to be more "complicated" sometimes because of the science you're learning behind it. This cookbook looks to be a winner too and it's on my wishlist!

Does the Change in Seasons mean a Change in Your Cooking?

I love cookbooks. I have way too many, but sometimes can't resist adding one to the shelves. With the internet now, so many recipes can be found online, but I still love opening one up and setting it on the counter with my measuring spoons and measuring cups.  Do you still use cookbooks? 

I hope today's post has inspired you to make something delicious! And I hope you've found something interesting too!

Happy reading... Suzanne