1 comments about Cooking the Gullah Way, Morning, Noon, and Night.

1. 
   Celebrity Chef Sallie Ann Robinson, a native of the famous Sea Island known as Daufuskie Island located just down the Savannah River between the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, has made guest appearances on numerous cooking shows and been profiled in such publications as the 2005 Old Farmer's Almanac, Southern Living, and National Geographic. In COOKING THE GULLAH WAY, MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT, her book of highly appealing regional recipes and personal memoir, Robinson goes beyond writing about her native Gullah culture to honoring, sharing, and preserving its customs and dialect with the kind of affectionate familiarity, and certainty of knowledge, that only a fifth-generation daughter of the island could possess.
   
   There are many levels on which to appreciate Cooking the Gullah Way. Lovers of exceptionally good food might justifiably desire to simply roam through its pages, pick out favorite recipes, and feast on their findings. Yet the recipes themselves often provide more than satisfying pleasures for the palate simply by virtue of names that reflect Robinson's coastal heritage sensibilities. Imagine, for example, a filling breakfast of the author's "Gullah Bacon Corn Muffin" with a side dish of "Sassy Strawberry Preserves"; a lunch featuring "Sallie's Seafood Spaghetti" with "Yondah Black-Eyed Pea Soup"; or a dinner of "Grilled Fresh Vegetables," "Local Sea Island Country Boil," and "Country Candied Yams with Raisins" all washed gently down by your choice of "Soothing Sassafras Tea," "Ol' Country Lemonade with Orange," or a homemade wine such as "`Fuskie Backyard Pear Wine." Such mouth-watering teasers defeat all attempts at resistance.
   
   However: a major special feature in Cooking the Gullah Way is Robinson's chapter on "Gullah Folk Beliefs and Home Remedies." As the author writes, "Those times living on Daufuskie without a television or radio to inform us about the weather made us wiser as we learned nature's ways."
   
   Chapter sections on "Living with Nature" and "Sea Island Folk Beliefs" offer notes of real interest for students of southern culture and history. Moreover, in these days of economically challenged households, the section on "'Fuskie Old-Fashioned Home Remedies" offers possible alternatives and/or supplements to medicines for the treatments of a variety of ills. Everything from asthma and earaches to high blood pressure and toothaches is covered with a note of caution to first, "learn about any remedy and be aware of the good and bad sides of it."
   
   If the winning recipes and folk remedies make Cooking the Gullah Way a homemaker's dream companion book, the down-to-earth wisdom and observations shared through the interwoven stories make it a delectable choice for the general reader as well. We smile with appreciation as Robinson's "Pop" explains that in the morning when he calls out, "Off and on it!" to his still sleeping family, the phrase means for every able body to "Get off ya backside and on ya feet." And we nod with humored enlightenment when he points out that, "A heap may see, but only a few knows"--meaning that seeing is not necessarily synonymous with understanding. With that in mind, what we need most to understand about Cooking the Gullah Way, Morning, Noon, and Night, is that this book delivers as much delicious nurturing for the soul as it does nourishment for the body.
   
   
   by Author-Poet Aberjhani
   author of The American Poet Who Went Home Again
   and Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)

5 comments about The Black Family Reunion Cookbook: Recipes and Food Memories.

1. I've owned this book for over five years, and it is best cookbook I own. Recipes are well-tested, don't cost very much to make, use readily available ingredients, and many are simple enough to make for weeknight suppers. I recommend the chicken gumbo, the Carter Hill barbeque ribs, the eggplant casserole, the yam pork chop skillet, the Jamaican bannana cake, and the honey crunch pecan pie. I recommend this cookbook as a gift for college students because the recipes are easy and delicious.



2. I have had this book for over 10 years, and I'm white. I bought this book when I was dating a black (african american) guy and wanted to cook him the foods that he liked. I still refer to it from time to time, but the best recipe is the macaroni and cheese. I get so many compliments when I make it for family dinners and potlucks, and everyone asks me for the recipe.



3. The Black Family Reunion Cookbook came just in time for my own family reunion this past weekend - July 4, 2005. It's an excellent choice for newcomers or oldheads like myself. It takes you back to the good days when your mother was in the kitchen whipping up a delicious peach cobbler or some tasty macaroni and cheese. I just loved this! Every single recipe took me back to my youth. It was funny running across dishes that I had forgotten about. Whether you're African American or Hispanic, you will love this cookbook!! Highly recommended to the world of book lovers
   
   Rolanda,
   Nothing BUT Page Turners Book Club



4. This is the best cookbook!!! I bought it for my mom and then ended up borrowing it so much I had to buy my own! The recipes are incredible!! I have not found a bad one yet. Mac & Cheese is amazing!!



5. What a disappointment!
   
   I was expecting real food and soul food, and what I got was a book of recipes that women generally inflict on each other at pot-luck affairs.
   
   In the history of the World no real food has ever been cooked or served for a pot-luck meal. What happens is the woman has to contribute something so she looks thru her cupboard for stuff no one in her family will eat. Like canned lima beans and pickled beets and anchovies. So she tosses everything into one pot, boils it, pours the goo into a casserole, and takes it to the pot-luck. The book oughta be called Pot Luck Recipes to Inflict On Your Work Associates.

5 comments about Cooking at the Kasbah: Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen.

1. Kitty Morse is probably the primary Moroccan cook book author and well deserved. She still has a home in Morocco and leads a cooking tour once a year. The book contains all types of recipes to have a true diffa (feast) and uses ingredients generally available (you should make preserved lemons). The instructions are excellent and the tastes are remarkable. My wife and I have done a number of dinners, including the breads and our guests uniformly agree they are superior dinner parties. A great wine to serve with the bastila is either a spat lase or aus lase. This book is a standard. Monte K. and Anne R. Marshall of Sarasota, FL



2. I bought this book after a surf trip to Morocco. Everywhere I went I had great food. I especially liked the tajines at little beach side restaurants. For instance, I connected with some Brits and rode up from Taghazout (north of Agadir) to Imessouane, where there is a great right that lines up just off a jetty protecting the landing of a little fishing village.
   
   The first thing we did when we hit town was go to one of the little restaurants and order a seafood Tajine. We gave the restaurant folks some money so they could go to the fish market and score some fresh fish (Morocco has one of the most productive fisheries in the world and the variety of fish caught daily is incredible). Afte a couple of hours of surfing we met up at the restaurant and tucked into an incredible lunch. I liked the lunch so much that I came back a few days later when the surf was flat and hung out in the kitchen whiled the tajine was made.
   
   My gripe with this book ( and Moroccan Modern) is that the author does not trust the reader enough to suppose that they could use the same cooking methods as Moroccans. The result is that the recipes for the tajines are overly complicated and use a variety of cooking methods, none of which utilize the traditional ceramic tajine, much less one of the iron ones Le Creuset makes. And in the end, they don't have the sublimely blended flavors of a slow cooked tajine.
   
   Jacques, Julia and even Martin Yan figure you can find the proper utensils and ingredients. Why not Kitty Morse?



3. hi, i am a moroccan from casablanca but i live in the united states, when i first saw this book and read the reviews, i thought i found the perfect cook book, but when i got it, i was not too happy with it, first off, there are only a few recipes, some of them are traditional , well this book is perfect for someone who had never tried the real moroccan food and is a beginner, but for someone who knows moroccan food and what it is suppose to taste like should try to find another, i personaly was iffy about getting a moroccan cookbook from a non moroccan author, but some of the FEW recipes are good but i would rather get one that is writting by a moroccan author. i give the book a 2-3 star but it is not EXCELLENT, and i want EXCELLENT.



4. Without knowing anything about Moroccan cooking, I opened Cooking at the Kasbah with a bit of trepidation and a lot of curiosity. Well, within seconds my trepidation turned into awe, and my taste buds begged me to attempt the recipes. I am not a great cook- or an even an average cook. But the recipes and directions were clear and easy to follow. The end result was delighful, delicious and delovely. I have since used many of the receipes and given this book as a gift. It is always well received and appreciated- and then the real gratitude kicks in when my friends use the fabulous receipes. This cookbook, it's clear instructions and beautiful pictures is a great addition to any and all kitchen bookshelves



5. Having recently returned from a tour of Morocco, I can say without reservation that this is a very authentic Moroccan cookbook. Really enjoyed the recipes and the fabulous photos. Brings back very good memories of the cuisine and spice souks of Marrakesh and Fes.

5 comments about The New Soul Food Cookbook for People With Diabetes.

1. This book is very helpful, because it teaches a person to cook with flavor. Most times the foods that we (diabetics) eat are so bland. This is a well written book. The exchanges are a plus.



2. I love to cook and eat. It's wonderful that I can now prepare healthy and traditional fare for my family without worry over fat and salt. Thanks ladies!



3. "Authors Gaines and Weaver show the reader how much of the hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes plaguing the African-American population can be avoided by making easy changes to traditional soul food recipes without losing too much of the flavor. The basics of healthy food preparation and menu planning are incorporated with suggestions for cooking with traditional herbs and spices, along with advice for reducing fat, calories and sodium. Portion sizes are given to aid in blood sugar control and weight loss, as well as complete nutritional information and official ADA exchanges.
   Now you can experience palate-pleasing soul food recipes such as Barbecue Pulled Pork, Hoppin' John, Hoe Cake, Soul Slaw, Collards with Smoked Turkey, Chicken and Dumplings, Key Lime Pie, Rice Pudding, Sweet Potato Pound Cake and more in The New Soul Food Cookbook." (review from the National Federation of the Blind website, Marilyn Helton reviewer)



4. I have tried several recipes from this book and was pleasantly surprised that the dishes were delicious.



5. The recipes in this book are a help to me in trying to maintain a healthier eating lifestyle even though I am not a diabetic. The tips and stories were interesting and very informative.

5 comments about Mama Dip's Kitchen.

1. The book itself is lovely, and Ms. Council's story is charming, but I finally got rid of the book after too many disappointing recipes.



2. Nice story. But the recipes are too simple and seem incomplete. I've made too many bad recipes from this book and am tossing it.
   
   The chicken and dumplings recipe tasted bland. There were no spices listed or mention of salt and pepper. No mention of onions, carrots, etc. The "best ever" six flavor pound cake was heavy and not that great because there was no baking soda or powder listed. And I refuse to cook with a bottle of ketchup, cans of cream of chicken soup, and cake mixes, so a lot of these recipes weren't appetizing to me. Oh well.



3. This is a great cookbook.REAL recipes for REAL southern cooking.
   The recipes are easy to follow, no complicated ingredients and create
   inexpensive meals.I highly recommend this book for anyone who
   has a family and needs to satisfy a family of hungry people who
   desire southern recipes.Don't hesitate to purchase this book.



4. Down home, nothing fancy, just good tasting food. I found a recipe for a tuna cassarole in the book that I remember as a child. I know that's not too important or a much sought after type recipe, but I remember it fondly as a child. It's in this book, along with a drop dead good corn cassarole recipe. I haven't gotten to the desserts yet, but the practicality of this cookbook is very good. Lots of times cookbooks are good for desserts only, this one is a good common sense cookbook. I love it.



5. What a wonderful cookbook. Lots of good country cooking, easy to follow. I go to this cookbook often. Definitely more than worth the money if you are looking to add to your southern cooking skills. This and the two "Sylvia's Soul Food" cookbooks are a must for your cookbook collection.

5 comments about Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.

1. I bought this book for my American girl friends who are interested in learning about Moroccan cooking. It is all one needs to really cook the traditional and authentic Moroccan meals. If you buy this book you don t need your sister in law neither your mother in law keep them as guests. An advice from a Moroccan girlfriend



2. I have developed a passion for Moroccan food and as a result, a curiosity for the history of its preparation. I purchased this book for exactly that reason - And loved it. I read it cover to cover, comparing how the many dishes were prepared from the author's perspective and how thirty-five years later I, in the United States, prepare many of the same dishes.
   
   Paula Wolfert's passion and excitement for Moroccan cooking and its' people is infectious. It was interesting to read how the various dishes were prepared over thirty years ago, marveling at how many of the ingredients are almost commonplace in the U.S. today.
   
   Although this cookbook is thirty-five years old and many of the recipes have been updated by more recent cookbooks, I still recommend this book highly. It is one of over a dozen books I have on Moroccan cooking and still has a place in the library of anyone who has a passion for Moroccan food.



3. Great book, several recipes are pretty easy. However, mostly for the advanced cook. Well worth it.



4. I never use this book because it contains unnecessarily complicated recipes. I am not looking for recipes adapted to mainstream American tastes and am happy to seek out and use exotic ingredients, but these recipes are just not remotely practical and I wind up searching for tagine recipes elsewhere. Maybe an update would be in order, especially as the author seems to have the resources for a broad scope of Moroccan recipes. However, there do seem to be multiple other cookbooks on the subject that are simpler to use.



5. I grew up reading Paula's books which filled my parents kitchen shelves. Paula's stories of Morocco (and other areas such as the south of France) between the tasty recipes captured my imagination, and when an opportunity arose, I snatched it to experience Morocco myself (where I am writing this review from at the moment). Her writing and the road map she created in writing this book for making incredible food is the primary factor of my decision to come here.
   
   The recipes are magical (though I heard a rumor once that William and Sonoma were going to create a Paula Wolfert package with an assortment of spices typically not as available in the states). We, my family, however, never had trouble finding what was needed to make the delicious dishes, and having just had home made couscous in a traditional house in the town of Fes, the dishes you can make with her recipes are as good as traditional Moroccan cooking (which is amazing, by the way)!
   
   If you love moroccan food, you must do two things. First, buy this book. Then, come to Morocco.
   
   The only disappointment is that no one gets rid of her books, and so I can never find a copy in used book stores.

5 comments about The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa.

1. I collect historical cookbooks and cultural cookbooks. This book is both! There is a ton of information about Africa. Samuelsson has divided its cuisine into four regions. Outside of Moroccan, I know nothing about African cuisine, so I found this book extremely helpful. The beautiful photography and personal stories really bring the dishes to life.
   
   The book is divided into the following sections:
   - Ingredients
   - Spice Blends & Rubs: 11 recipes
   - Condiments, Sauces & Dips: 13 recipes
   - Salads & Sides: 9 recipes
   - Breads & Sandwiches: 11 recipes
   - Vegetables: 12 recipes
   - Fish & Seafood: 10 recipes
   - Poultry & Meat: 19 recipes
   - Desserts & Drinks: 10 recipes
   
   My favorite sections are the spice blends and condiments chapters. They add variety to simple stuff like grilled chicken breasts.
   
   The U.S. has fully embraced cuisines from many parts of the world. Indian cookery seems to be our latest fascination. I applaud Samuelsson for pushing the envelope futher with the favorites of Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern Africa. As we explore more with our taste buds, these flavors will become just as welcomed to use as hot and sour soup.



2. I just made a meal for 10 people from Marcus Samuelsson's new cookbook. 6 of them kept strict kosher, 3 of them were vegetarian, one was allergic to the entire nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant), and another to hard cheese and chocolate. I still managed to produce a great meal with more than enough to eat for everyone and to introduce myself and my friends and family to flavors they might not otherwise have experienced.
   
   The book is impressive both as an exploration of African culture through a Western culinary lens and as a source of widely varied, great, flavorful, and simple recipes. Marcus' perspective is intriguing because he grew up a European but was born an Ethiopian - he clearly feels a deep connection to Africa (especially Ethiopia) and somehow simultaneously commands the perspective of an insider and an outsider. A great read. I very highly recommend it.



3. I am obsessed with this cookbook, especially now that I have had a chance to make some of the recipes. If you are looking for new flavors and interesting and challenging new foods to cook then I highly recommend you buy this book. Unlike some other reviewers, I did not buy this book for the travelogue aspect. I wasn't looking for an in depth encyclopedic knowledge of any specific country's cuisine. I was just looking for something new and different and delicious. I'm a cook and a foodie and I love ethnic cooking. This book is a great introduction to the trendiest new food in the US. My favorite so far has been the Crab Burgers, which feature easy black bean crab burgers topped with pickled cabbage and chili mayonnaise. I can still taste how unique and delicious they were. Everyone who tried them was blown away by their flavor, which can't really be imagined before you take a bite. While making all the components was a bit time consuming (but really not that bad) none of the recipes were terribly difficult. But I would say this book is geared more to more experienced home cooks and adventuresome eaters. Those with mundane palates probably should stay away.
   
   In response to an earlier critique, I think that reviewer missed the gist of the book. The idea was to take the cuisine of various African countries and get the basic idea of it but then to expand that idea to something bigger. So the recipes keep a common ingredient but fix it in a unique way or use a technique with a unique combination of ingredients. I love this about the book. Samuelsson keeps techniques, such using a morter and pestle, that can't be matched with modern methods but uses modern technology, such as the mandoline, when it performs the needed task more easily, and in this case if your knife skills are lacking, with better results. I do agree, however, that the photographs that go with the recipes can be misleading. I'm still not sure what the Stir Fry Beef Stew is supposed to look like. The pictures on the pages with the recipe are vastly different and not labeled but both could be the stew in question.
   
   All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cooking and ethnic foods. The flavors are out of this world and the recipes are highly inspiring.



4. I really had high hopes for this book, and there is little else out there dealing with this region. It is a nice introduction to the ingredients but the recipes are lacking in detail, I am able to fill in the blanks but without a solid knowledge of cooking most recipes would be difficult to complete with complete success. And do not be fooled by its size, most of the pages are half full and although the book is well designed there are a lot of pictures - which means less talk of food and recipes. So think of it as training wheels, but it is not the bible of African cooking



5. Great presentation of the diversity of African cuisine. Flavors differ from north to south and within ethnic groups. Great book for both recipes and history/derivation of spices and cooking techniques. Highly recommend it for the culinary adventurer.

5 comments about Sweets: Soul Food Desserts and Memories.

1. I have had this cookbook for approximately 1 year, and I bought it for its beauty and nostalgia. This Thanksgiving, however, I wanted to try a new recipe for Sweet Potato Pie, and I used this one.
   This was, HANDS DOWN, the BEST sweet potato pie that I have EVER made.
   It was WONDERFUL, and I am going to pass this recipe, and this book, down to MY daughter.
   God bless you for sharing the good food and the memories.



2. I just got this book today having loved Sweety Pies -- this book is a fantastic read, great family photos and delicious and wonderful sounding recipes.



3. This book is full of wonderful recipes and stories. I read it cover to cover I couldn't put it down!! I made My My's strawberry cake the day I received the book. This book is a keeper.



4. This is a delightful book. I loved learning about her family, the pictures were a treasure, but the people are what touches your heart. And of course, the recipes. . . an added bonus! I intend to give this book as a gift to many, and treasure my own copy.



5. I am a reader and collector of cookbooks and I try at least one recipe from each book I keep in my collection. This book, I know, will become my holiday "go to" for my desserts. This book was also a great read. I am now looking for other cookbooks by this author. Loved the family history which goes along with each recipe. Because after all, food, tastes, and smells, provide memories.

5 comments about Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco.

1. Years ago, while visiting an uncle living in Morocco, I was literally transported by the food. I was also struck by the atmosphere in the market in the old Medina in Casablanca; the aromas of spices and their startling beauty have been unforgetable.
   
   Making tagine, a Morrocan every day basic, is now available for anyone willing to try a delicious and surprisingly simple choice of dishes. All you need to start is a tagine maker and this book. The degree of choices of ingredients coupled with the amount of time you have are up to you. Some dishes cook in 15 minutes, others require more time. But once you have everything combined in your clay tagine maker, time is labor free. I suggest you buy authentic spices without substitutions in order to attain the full impact of this delicious healthful way of cooking. This book could have told us even more but it's ideal to start out with. I was given the book and a clay tagine pot as a Christmas present.



2. This slim book is full of easy recipes that don't need a lot of fiddly prepearation nor several exotic ingedients. The food is wonderfully tasty, and not overpoweringly spicey unless you make it so. The recipes work well in a tagine but also in a crock pot or regular casserole dish. Highly reccomended



3. I "tweaked" the Tagine of Monfish, Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes Recipe for chicken------absolutely wonderful! I am not a great cook, but love to eat at tasty restaurants so that is what I make my comparison to! The only question is----I think I was using cumin, but the spice was gifted to me so I am not absolutely sure. I will definitely be trying other recipes in this very inviting book.



4. I stumbled onto this book and the cuisine. The recipes looked so healthy and delicious that I even ordered the tagine, pickled lemons, and spices. Tagine gives you a delicious stew of "protein," vegetables and fruit, mildly spiced, that is also healthy. It is perfect when serving guests something unusual but not "foreign." The recipes in this book are easy to cook.



5. What an awesome little book!I use my Tunisian LeSouk Tagine more than ever now and it's a great gift for friends who are new to slow or mediterranian cooking. For a relatively small book, I find its format as savory as the dishes within its cover!

5 comments about Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine.

1. Love this book. Authentic and creative. A unique presentation that captures how food is part of our art and culture and that advances mindfulness and health in African diasporic culture. And the food is GOOD!



2. So far I have tried at least half the recipes in this book and I have loved them all. My family and I are not vegan or even vegetarian, but I am always looking for healthful and yummy recipes for us. I heard the author on NPR and it sounded like good stuff. I was not disappointed. Not only are the recipes delicious, but he is great at using all of what you get. From pickled watermelon rinds, to mushroom stock made with leftover mushroom stems collected in the freezer; he helps make eating well more affordable as well as sustainable. I love this cookbook.



3. I checked this book out from the library to see how I liked it before buying it. I've tried nine recipes, with mixed (but mostly positive) results.
   
   The first three recipes were outstanding. I made a meal out of the collard greens, mashed potatoes with cumin and caramelized onions, and rosemary tofu cubes. They were all very straightforward, easy-to-follow recipes (in a world in which vegan cookbooks seem to be taking a turn toward the futzy). I especially liked the collard greens -- the raisins were a nice addition, but I'm not sure the orange juice added anything. Nevertheless, it's my new favorite way to enjoy collard greens. The tofu was great, and really simple to make after the initial investment of dealing with fresh rosemary. The mashed potatoes were delicious (especially with the tofu), although next time I might try throwing a bunch of garlic in there.
   
   The next meal I made was quinoa cornbread and succotash soup. I made the cornbread with whole-wheat pastry flour instead of the expensive quinoa flour that was called for, and it came out nice, although I definitely prefer maple-sweetened cornbread as opposed to agave-sweetened. The recipe was adapted from the amaranth cornbread recipe in The Voluptuous Vegan, and the original recipe will remain my go-to cornbread recipe. However, I did like Terry's idea to include toasted quinoa in the batter, and I think my future cornbread will benefit from this addition as it's the first time I had an enjoyable experience eating quinoa. I made the succotash soup to go with the bread (instead of making the cornbread croutons that the soup recipe called for). It was delicious but next time I'll only puree half of it, as I like a chunkier texture to my soup.
   
   I was disappointed that the banana-corn-pecan mini-muffins didn't include instructions for those of us who neither own nor desire mini-muffin pans. I was able to make 15 regular-sized muffins with the recipe, which I cooked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. The result was a very dense but tasty muffin. While it didn't turn out to be my personal favorite banana-nut muffin recipe, the person I share my food with thought this was the superior muffin.
   
   The penultimate recipe I prepared was the citrus broccoli salad, which tasted like steamed broccoli with orange juice poured on top, plus a hit of basil. I had mixed feelings about it -- it wasn't exactly bad, but it did seem like way too much effort considering the end product. Then again, I liked steamed broccoli just fine on its own.
   
   The last recipe I tried was the chocolate pecan pie. It was a huge disappointment, as the 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the filling caused an overpowering and extremely unpleasant aftertaste. I have since discovered that the recipe suffered from a typo -- in future print runs, the recipe will call for 1/4 cup coconut oil. I might try it again, taking into account this new information, but I am still a little gunshy.
   
   I think there were enough good recipes in here to redeem the cookbook as a whole. I would like to find an errata for it, though, but couldn't locate one on the publisher's website. There are still recipes I'd like to try (potato salad, Jamaican vegetable patties, and the sweet-potato fries), but after the pie experience I'm concerned that there might be other food-ruining typos. I think I will eventually buy this, but I'll wait until the next print run when any other typos might have been corrected.



4. have probably over 30 vegan cookbooks, but this one is going right to the top of the stack. Most of these recipes are very different from the "old standards" you see in a lot of vegan cookbooks. This is southern cooking with a gourmet twist and it's all easy to make. I like that Bryant Terry uses fresh whole foods in his recipes and the things that are processed, are minimally so. And he uses mostly everyday ingredients that you don't have to hunt down in a health food store.
   
   Cooking should be fun so with each recipe there is a suggestion of a soundtrack to accompany the assembling of the dish. Some of them even have suggestions of art to go with your creation. Is that cool or what? For example, with the Pan-Fried Grit Cakes with Caramelized Spring Onions, Garlic and Thyme he suggests "Green Onions" by Booker T and the MG's from the Green Onions album. Or with the REd-Rocket Salad with Watermelon-Basil Vinaigrette he suggests "Rocket Love" by Stevie Wonder from Hotter Than July.
   
   Some of my favorite recipes are Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Ginger-peanut Dipping Sauce, Cumin-Cayenne Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, Jamaican Veggie Patties and Sweet Coconut-Ginger Creamed Corn. Now I know some of these don't sound exactly like diet food but most of the recipes are pretty healthy. Just leaving out the meat and dairy products gets rid of the cholesterol and most of the dishes that have added oil use olive oil.
   
   If you like southern food cooking I think you'll like this book and even if you just want to try it, this is a good introduction and I think everyone can find a few dishes to their liking. It's an entertaining and fun cookbook. Oh yeah, and don't miss the Molasses-Vanilla Ice-Cream with Candied Walnuts. I made it using the Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker, White that I ordered a couple weeks ago and it turned out great.



5. i don't generally like to purchase cookbooks, because i'm not sure if i'll use them or not, and i don't want to waste the money. i was certain, though, when i got this book in the mail that it was going to be off the shelf most of the time. there are, like, a MILLION recipe's inside, along with tips and tricks to help you along. my boyfriend is a BIG meat eater, and even he thinks everything i've made from it are delish. i highly recommend getting it, even for omnivores looking to add healthy side dishes to a meal.