A Cookbook Made for a Home

I recently got hold of The Good Home Cookbook, and have finally had a chance to test it out. Honestly, I have to say I was more than pleased with this cookbook for a multitude of reasons.

To begin with, this is not an esoteric coffee table cookbook that will have you braising artichokes, or creating elaborate appertizers with ingredients you'll only find in your local black market. The recipes that comprise it's 500+ pages are comfort foods and reminders of home. It's as if every mom in America - from every Italian, Armernian, Spanish, Thai, Mexican, East Coast, Southern and every other family - got together and brought all their best recipes and compiled them into one cookbook.

You'll find meatloaf, clam chowder, chicken masala, fish tacos, spaghetti, chocolate cake, ceasar salad, and every other homey recipe you can think of that came out of grandma's old recipe box. The directions are clearly laid out and while there are no pictures, you find yourself lost. Plus, it's more than likely you've had every one of these dishes once before, so you have an idea of what the end product should be. Pictures in fact probably would have taken from the charm of this boo, as it's layout has a blue retro groove going for it which is uncluttered and pleasing to the eye.

Another bonus is that each section has a few helpful instruction pages. The seafood section for example has direction of shucking oysters, storing clams, buying and handling crabs, and so on. A definite bonus if you're encountering a new ingredient or cooking meathod.

The cookbook also boasts more than 1000 recipes, and while it's true, you'll find some basic repition. In the dessert section they give a recipe for buttercream frosting. Following it are recipes for mint frosting, and lemon frosting, which was just the original with the addition of a flavor component.

This cookbook in my opinion falls into the category of The Joy of Cooking, a tome perfect for the beginning or experienced cook. For anyone who is just learning to cook for the first time like a new college student, this book is a perfect starting place for them. The knife nicked hands of the experienced home chef will also find this as an invaluable resource as it will perfectly as a quick idea guide for a satisfying meal during the work week.

Another interesting aspect is that this book was tested out in a blog and sent to tons of people across the U.S. to test out the recipes. This helped ensure that all the recipes were easy, simple, and accessable.

Overall, has I not already been given a copy, I would have gone out and bought one for myself, and will probably purchase this as a housewarming gift for years on end.

The Good Home Cookbook website