Jamie travels through Italy and writes of his journey - placing you in the front seat as he meets locals, takes photos, cooks and eats. He succeeds at capturing the feel of Italy from a local perspective. The recipes are simple in preparation (for the most part), but complex in flavor over 120 are included that range from antipasti through to dessert. The chapter on Street Food & Pizza really makes you want to experience some of his travels.

I am cooking my way through the book, and, so far, I have truly enjoyed the Pasta with Chickpeas, which is included as a soup but could be substantial enough to be a pasta dish. Hearty, warming and quick to prepare; it will quickly become a weeknight comfort dish in your home.

A recipe that caught my attention as being somewhat unusual was The Best Tuna Meatballs. Prepared and served just like traditional meatballs, these are prepared with fresh diced tuna and are absolutely delicious served with tomato sauce over spaghetti.

The other night I was looking for a way to use a cut up chicken and wanted something substantial for a cold night but that I could set up and forget. I found Hunter’s Chicken Stew. I have made other Hunter’s stews, but the recipes were sometimes overly complicated; this one was straight forward and baked in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. The aroma was divine! The combination of tomatoes, olives, anchovies and wine was sublime.

I highly recommend this book. The recipes and stories take you on a journey through Italy; one that you will truly enjoy.

Jamie’s Italy is currently listed on Amazon.co.uk at £16.50 and on Amazon.com for $23.07. 

Note: This book was provided by the publisher for Paper Palate to review.

I have to admit that I have not been disappointed by this book but it is not exactly what I expected. Bon Appetit calls its recipes �a sophisticated twist on a beloved classic� and that is definitely true. I have made a few of the recipes so far and have enjoyed all of them. Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Basil turned out juicy and moist with a lot of flavor. Salmon with Arugula, Tomato and Caper sauce was complex in flavor but easy to prepare. The Potato Gratin with Mustard and Cheddar Cheese was sophisticated comfort food with the mustard adding a unique flavor.

I found myself drawn to the desserts in this book which is very unusual for me. I am not a dessert person but I found some of these recipes drew me into preparing them. I first made the Black and White Cupcakes with my two sous chefs, ages 8 and 5. They were very good but my son didn�t take to the homemade vanilla frosting. Next up was the White Chocolate Mousse Torte with Oreo Cookie Crust. I served this for a dinner party to rave reviews. My favorite recipe by far has been the Lemon Crumb Cake. Crumbly in texture with fresh lemon juice and peel, the lemon flavor just shines through. My husband and I couldn�t stop eating it!

I said earlier that this book was not exactly what I expected. I thought this would be the kind of book that one would turn to when looking for a classic recipe but it really does �twist� the recipes into something else. The Gourmet cookbook and the Bon Appetit cookbook work great together. Turn to Gourmet for the classic and then check out Bon Appetit for something unique.

I was intrigued when I came across Debra Ponzek’s book, “The Family Kitchen”. Ponzek is the chef and owner of a specialty food chain in Connecticut and is the mother of three children. She wrote the book for “moms and dads who like to cook, who want to teach their kids proficiency in the kitchen, and who want to eat well” I thought I fell into all of those categories so I rushed out and purchased the book and I have to say, I haven’t been disappointed. The recipes are approachable but yet different enough to appeal to adult tastes. Each recipe includes a section called Call the Kids which lists the parts of the recipe that can be tackled by your helpers like measuring and grating cheese but also lists a judgment section which has more complicated tasks like stirring hot sauces and using the food processor.

The recipes are grouped by meals but also include chapters for snow days and summer picnics. While my kids have enjoyed making and eating the Individual Cheese Pizzas and Turkey Meatloaf, they have turned their noses up at Lemon Sole with Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms and Teriyaki Grilled Salmon. There are plenty of other recipes that I am planning on trying. One aspect of the book that I like is that many of the recipes have meat grilled or pan-seared but are served with a sauce along side. This allows the children to have their meal somewhat plain (how they like it) but the adults can have the recipe prepared as written. One example is Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Green-Apple Compote.

I am enjoying having my kids help in the kitchen. Both of my children like to cook but it is sometimes hard to figure out what steps they can complete on their own but “The Family Kitchen“ makes it a snap.

If you are looking for some interesting and tasty recipes that appeal to the whole family, pick up “The Family Kitchen”; you’ll be glad you did.

Mexican Everyday is an excellent cookbook with approachable recipes that can be mostly made with ingredients on hand. Yet, the recipes are not your typical standard fare Mexican. Recipes run the gamut from Salads and Dressings, Main Dish Salads and Soups to Quick Meals from the Grill and a short chapter on desserts. Bayless includes a chapter on enchiladas and tacos but most of them have a twist. Two that I really enjoyed were Swiss Chard Tacos with Caramelized Onion, Fresh Cheese and Red Chile and Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms. While I am not a vegetarian by any means, these dishes were hearty enough to be satisfying and delicious as main courses.

The book really shines in the chapter on Seafood, Poultry and Meat Main Dishes. Highlights include Seared Salmon with Spinach and Creamy Roasted Peppers, Snapper with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo and Pork Tenderloin a la Mexicana. A great dish to make on a cold night is the Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Jalapenos. This was the first dish I prepared from this book because I had everything on hand. The combination of tangy vinegar with pickled jalapenos (an ingredient that appears many times in the book), carrots, onions, chicken breasts and garlic is absolutely delicious.

An indispensable part of this book is the chapter on Pantry Basics. Bayless goes into great detail describing unknown ingredients and where to find them.

Mexican Everyday will give you a new appreciation of Mexican cooking and Rick Bayless presents it in a way that you too can create delicious and quick Mexican meals.

Rating - 9

Written for the French home cook, this book has 1300 recipes, some of which span pages providing details on prepping and cooking technique. Madame Saint-Ange teaches you the technique behind the recipe. It is a wonderment how she “speaks” to the reader making the recipes even more interesting to read. I find myself reading and rereading the recipes to learn more details. I was repeatedly amazed by the relevance of the information and the timelessness of the recipes. I had to keep reminding myself that this book was written almost 80 years ago.

Madame starts off with equipment, cooking vocabulary and techniques, before proceeding to the essential jus and sauce chapter, which any French-minded cook will refer to again and again. The remainder of the book is set up traditionally - from fish to dessert and pastries and concludes with a list of seasonal menus. There is a detailed index plus an index of French recipe titles.

Every serious cook should add this book to their collection but don’t let it just sit there. This book demands to be read and put to frequent use. My copy is quickly becoming worn!