To the person who wrote this review, THANK YOU!
I have no way of knowing who wrote the following review for my book on Amazon. But in case they can see this, I want to express my sincere gratitude - you made my day!
not your typical cookbook (amazon.com)
“I'm not sure if I knew what to expect when I first paged through Judson Carroll's cooking book. The title definitely intrigued me! What I discovered was that this is not a typical cookbook. Rather, I discovered it's as the title promises, it's a guide to home cooking.
The book begins with the author's journey into learning how to cook. The techniques he learned draw deeply from his family and cultural heritage. The style he developed finds inspiration from that heritage, and also from a wide diversity of fresh, seasonally grown regional food.
The section on essential equipment offers a good discussion of the tools the cook will need, along with options to consider. Everything is basic and economical. The section on cooking techniques clarifies the terms and techniques used in the book. Historical tidbits make this section really interesting reading.
Next, we're on to ingredients and recipes. But the recipes are not what you'd expect. Rather than lists of ingredients, amounts, and steps to follow, the reader is treated to wonderfully descriptive narratives. A wide variety of foods are discussed, along with interesting descriptions of how to prepare them.
Some of the classics include chicken fried steak, beef tips in wine, jambalaya, chicken fricassee, croquettes, duck confit, fried catfish, oyster stew, bean salad, borscht, creamed corn, tamales, fried mushrooms, potato salad, green fried tomatoes, rice pilaf, no-knead bread, roux; I could go on and on.
You'll find many unique recipes too, such as scrapple, pimento cheese, headcheese, guinea fowl, opossum, groundhog, turtle, alligator, kvass, boiled peanuts, ramps, poke greens, pickled sausages, fermented catsup, and persimmon bread, to name a few.
Of his cookbook, author Judson Carroll says, "My goal is not to instruct you how to cook like me. My goal has been to encourage you to cook like you! Cook with creativity and eat with joy." He reminds the reader that cooking is not a formula, but an art that reflects a way of life. Because of that, this book is not a typical cookbook! It's a book of cooking inspiration. If you like good food, if you like cooking, if you like cookbooks, then this book is for you.”