Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of author Toni Tipton-Martin and publisher Clarkson Potter. I received a complimentary book for the purpose of review, but all opinions are honest and they are my own. No additional compensation for this post was provided; this page may contain affiliate links. Today, Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin* is available for sale to the public. I have had the privilege of exploring, reading, and cooking from this book over the course of the past few weeks, after publisher Clarkson Potter sent me a copy to review. I will share that I've tried over half a dozen recipes and had a tough time deciding which recipe to share with you. Tipton-Martin is a culinary historian, journalist, community activist, and author of the James Beard Award-winning  The Jemima Code . She also has a blog of the same name,  The Jemima Code , and is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, t...

I've followed the blog Manu's Menu for several years. So, when Manu posted that she was looking for a few bloggers to test recipes and post a review of her upcoming cookbook, I was definitely game. She grew up in Italy and I've always found her recipes like a homecoming of sorts. I miss Rome, especially when I visit local farmers' markets and make homemade pasta. The first recipe I tried was her Prawn and Zucchini sauce. It was so easy, delicate, and delicious. But, as it was a weeknight, I didn't have time to try one of her pasta recipes. This past weekend, on a leisurely afternoon, I decided to make the same sauce and use it with one of her hand-rolled pastas.  D and I had just gone to a farmers' market and picked up fresh summer squash and fresh squash blossoms. You can read all about that adventure here . I emailed Manu and told her I was thrilled to have a gluten-free pasta recipe to try. She cautioned that the gluten-free dough is...

I have had a copy of this cookbook from  Quirk Books  -  The Jersey Shore Cookbook: Fresh Summer Flavors from the Boardwalk and Beyond  by Deborah Smith* - in my 'to-review' stack for a couple of weeks now as it was just released last month. Since 2007,  Jersey Bites has been a go-to resource for New Jersey foodies. In this cookbook, Jersey Bites founder/editor Deborah Smith pulls from her extensive knowledge of the New Jersey food scene to share a collection of fifty recipes from the most renowned restaurants along the shore. As much a travel guide as it is a cookbook, Smith includes profiles of popular Jersey shore locales. And while I'm a huge fan of fresh, locally-sourced seafood, I'm on the wrong coast to get tilefish, skate, and bluefish. However, I was inspired to try the preparations with my local left coast fishes! Inside the book you'll find recipes such as Grilled Jersey Peaches with Yogurt and Granola from Normandy Beach’s Lasola...

When BenBella Books  invited me to join the book tour for  It's All Greek to Me -- Transform Your Health the Mediterranean Way with my Family's Century-Old Recipes  from Debbie Matenopoulos, I was excited. First, I love Greek food. Second, though I have reviewed many cookbooks, a virtual book tour is new to me. Many thanks to Rook No. 17 for sending them my way. What fun this is! photo courtesy BenBella Books We all love Greek food. And when I write that, I mean that when our local Greek Festival runs for three days over Labor Day weekend each year, we typically find an excuse to eat there on all three days. All. Three. Days. Here are a few photos from previous years' events. In Debbie's warm and authentic style, she weaves incredible family recipes, anecdotal storytelling, and stunning photography that will transport the reader to the Greek family table, and delight their taste buds with the flavorful, heart-healthy delicacies of the Mediterranean...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of  Quirk Book s .  I received a complimentary book for the purpose of review, but all opinions are honest and they are my own. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. I picked up our mail from vacation hold yesterday and found this cookbook from  Quirk Books  -  Haute Dogs: Recipes for Delicious Hot Dogs, Buns, and Condiments  by Russell Van Kraayenburg.* The man loves his hot dogs...and knows a lot about them. A lot. A. Lot. For me a good cookbook doesn't just have great recipes. It has compelling stories. Van Kraayenburg delivers on both fronts. While he can't peg exactly when the hot dog came to be, he does know that smoked sausages were mentioned in texts as old as Homer's Odyssey . I found his account of the hot dog's transition from snack to meal during the Depression Era fascinating. And, then, the hot dog's journey to a global eat...