I love finding new recipes and I particularly love finding home cooking family recipes! Cooking shows have become quite a business with channels devoted to cooking 24/7, but are the recipes good?
I separate TV Show Cooks from Celebrity Cooks as cooks who became popular because of their TV show versus a celebrity introducing a cookbook as part of their brand.
Defining a good recipe is of course subjective, but some of the main components for me of a good recipe include: easy, real ingredients, affordable and authentic. I'll never forget one of the first recipes I tried from a TV show tasted wonderful; however it was one of the most time consuming recipes I have ever made with expensive ingredients I had to search the city to obtain. Easy and affordable it was not.
However, I am now a more seasoned cook and recipe evaluator and always love a 'good' cookbook. There is still nothing like a full size cookbook to give or receive; the internet is quick and convenient to find recipes, but is not the same experience of reading a cookbook.
There are a few TV Show Cookbooks I regularly visit and find the recipes promise as deliver. I also am a fan of their TV Show and regularly watch their shows.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood
Love these recipes! I am a fan of Trisha's family recipes. I also enjoy watching the cooking show with Trisha.
Home Cooking is full of family recipes made with recognizable ingredients, but with their family tweak on
the recipes.
Yummy southern cooking!
Fun snack recipe >>
Sweet And Saltines Recipe
In The Kitchen With David: Comfort Foods That Take You Home
David Venable is QVC's Foodie and cooking show host. I stumbled upon David's show and the show became a favorite as I love to look at the new kitchen gadgets; unfortunately for QVC I am a watcher not a buyer, but did purchase and
enjoy David's cookbook.
All recipes are easy and true comfort food.
When I am searching for an old or new comfort food recipe I turn to this cookbook for ideas.
David's classic recipe >>
Mashed Potatoes Three Ways
Pioneer Woman A Year Of Holidays
I am a fan of the Pioneer Woman. Real ingredients with no apologies. There is a place for real butter, real cream and all things comfort food (in moderation of course!)
What is nice about this cookbook is the organization by holiday.
A Year Of Holidays is a great resource for traditional and perhaps new ideas for your holiday menu.
All meals of a holiday are covered in each chapter which is so clever and reader friendly.
A favorite Pioneer Woman recipe >> Perfect Pot Roast Recipe
Any of these three cookbooks make a great gift for your favorite cook! Bon Appetit!
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Cookbooks never go out of style and are a truly invaluable resource for every kitchen. Today recipes are easy to obtain over the internet, but not as handy as having all the ingredients, cooking temperature, etc. right at your fingertips in a hold-in-your-hand cookbook. :) I could not cook at first (just ask my roommate between college & marriage as she gave me as a wedding present when i left our apartment to get married the "I Hate To Cook Book" by Peg Bracken. A step-by-step of basics for the newbie... LOL. Plus, cookbooks are just such fun to read. We got a Weber Gas Grill years ago and the Weber Cookbook for the grill. Hubby 'poured' over that cookbook all the time.... he LOVED finding new things to try on a grill. So I fully understand how much fun you've had with these TV Show Cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteI still love a good ole fashioned book! But the internet is a great source of recipes too! Will have to check out the Weber cookbook :)
DeleteI have that very same Pioneer Woman cookbook. The photos are as delicious as the recipes. I'm with you when it comes to meals that can be cooked with reasonable ingredients. I'm a no-fuss kind of cook.
ReplyDeleteNo fuss, easy ingredients are definitely a must!
ReplyDeleteIronically, I have never even looked at Trisha Yearwoods cookbook. Nor have I heard of David Venable. I said it is ironic because I seem to collect cookbooks. I love finding a cookbook that uses real ingredients (not jars or cans of pre-cooked items). I have a few recipes that take a long time and use a lot of ingredients, but they are worth it. Although, my favorite recipes are always the easy to prepare with easy to find ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI believe it was Diana (Renaissance Woman), our fellow contributor, that introduced me to the Pioneer Woman and her cookbook really is awesome!
Thank you for these recommendations. I am always looking for affordable gifts to add to my own gift list and cookbooks are right at the top of my own favorite gifts.
I just love Trisha Yearwoods show and her recipes. Same goes for the Pioneer Women. Although I have never seen David's show or his cookbook. I'll be looking for it now. What a great review Tracey, Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Trisha Yearwood's and Ree Drummond's cooking shows! I haven't watched David Venable in many years, but I love Trisha's and Ree's recipes. Great recommendations and great idea to include a sample recipe from each of these cookbook authors!
ReplyDeleteI think I just found some cookbooks to add to my collection. I love to try new things, but, must confess I'm not the greatest cook. Inspire me with these easy to make foods and I'm in there like a bear....
ReplyDeleteI find myself getting very slack in the cooking department lately, but you've peeked my lack-luster interest a little bit, especially interested in Trisha Yearwood's cookbook!
ReplyDelete