A Holiday for Homicide

Cook-Off Mysteries Book 9

Author:    Devon Delaney

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781960511867

Beyond The Page Publishing

208 Pages

$14.00; $5.99 Amazon

September 17, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A televised cooking competition puts Sherry in the spotlight, especially when the final challenge calls for catching a killer...

Despite being a seasoned competitor, nothing could have prepared Sherry Oliveri for the thrill of being chosen for a three-day cooking challenge on national television.  She's dying to tell her friends, but she and everyone else involved in the contest has been sworn to secrecy until it airs.  Still, that's not stopping someone from penning cryptic notes about the show for the whole town to read, which has the production crew on edge -- right up until one of them is found dead.

Determined to root out the killer, Sherry suspects the truth lies with whoever's behind the mysterious notes -- which have now turned dark with menacing comments on the murder and suggestions of buried secrets.  Trying to unravel it all while focusing on her recipes, Sherry's stopped dead in her tracks when the cook-off host drops a bombshell.  With no time to spare, she'll have to unearth the one missing ingredient that will ensure the killer's cooked...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sherry Oliveri is a multiple-time winner of cook-offs, and enjoys creating new recipes while having fun at the same time.  She's been chosen for one that takes place in her small town of Augustin.  Unfortunately, though, she's not able to tell anyone, because this one is different in that it's a television program that's set to air on Labor Day, and it must be kept under wraps.

Meanwhile, she plays tennis most every morning with her friend Kat, who works for the mayor.  She also discovers that Kat knows a member of the production team; which becomes a problem when that person is murdered, and Kat becomes a suspect.  When both Kat and her mother ask for Sherry's help in finding a killer, she can't say no.  But who wanted the person dead?  Also, who's writing cryptic notes about the show on napkins?  And is Sherry in any danger of being killed next?...

I have read every book in this series and I have enjoyed them all quite a bit.  Ms. Delaney gives us characters that are believable, and even more so, likeable as well.  I do enjoy following Sherry's life and her cook-offs, mainly because I love to cook and bake myself.  (Although I have no interest in entering any contests!)

In this mystery, the notes allude to a secret that someone has which could turn the competition on its side.  But who is the subject?  No one seems to know, and no one seems to be the author.  Sherry is suspicious of someone on the production crew, and even Kat's new boyfriend, Garrett, who is a local journalist hired to document and film it all.  Tensions are running high, and barbs are being thrown, but when they go in every direction, Sherry knows she needs to focus on the three-day event if she has a chance of winning.

With accidents occurring and contestants being eliminated, Sherry hunkers down and does what she does best: focuses on what's in front of her at the time she needs to.  Which means the event comes first and finding a killer is next, if she can just concentrate enough...

I do like the fact that she shares what she knows with Detective Ray Bease, who values her input and doesn't dismiss her out of hand; it lends to a personal relationship as well (platonic), where their friendship doesn't interfere in his investigations.  Sherry also has a good support group, including her boyfriend Don, who doesn't try to change her or get mad at her for what she does.  (Even as he worries, which is normal).

When Sherry comes to the end of the competition, it is a surprise all around, including to me.  I was as stunned as she was.  It was decent, and didn't go for the 'oomph' view that television seems to go for these days.  When she discovers -- as we know she will -- the killer, it was a bit of a surprise, although I knew who is was a little earlier than Sherry; but we had the clues and only needed to put them together.  It was both sad and needless, but you can never get into the mind of a killer (nor would I want to -- I just love reading about them; ghoulish, I know!).

All in all, this was another winner for this author, and I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.  

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Homicide-Devon-Delaney-ebook/dp/B0DFD1G7NC/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6994046223

More on Devon Delaney's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/devon-delaney/

Southern Peach Pie and a Dead Guy (Poppy Peters Mysteries Book 1

Author:    A. Gardner

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798550073230

Independently Published

240 Pages

$12.99; $4.99 Amazon

September 9, 2020

⭐⭐

A sudden midlife crisis leads Poppy across the country to a charming, yet deadly, pastry school in the heart of southern Georgia.

Gathering the courage to follow in her grandmother's footsteps, Poppy tosses her fear of carbs and soggy pastry bottoms aside and dives head first into learning the art of pastry.  But she has her work cut out for her not only fitting in with her charming (and not-so-charming) classmates, but also proving her worth to her instructors after her first publicly humiliating attempt at making the school's famous peach pie.  And that's not all.  Amongst her peers is a thief...and a murderer.

If Poppy is going to survive her culinary experience, she'll have to prove her innocence all while honing her baking skills to compete in the school's dessert competition for a coveted overseas internship.

Can Poppy prove she's one tough cookie?  Or is her life about to crumble?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Poppy Peters has decided to enter culinary school, but not everyone wants her there.  Still, she's met a nice guy named Cole who seems to be on her side, and even after a cooking fiasco, she's still willing to take the chance.  But then things are stolen and someone is killed, and she just might be suspected of murder.  Poppy has to clear her name while keeping away from the real murderer...

Oh, my.  There are so many things wrong with this book, the first beginning with the way it's written.  I absolutely detest first person as-they-are-doing-it, as I refer to it.  Such as: "I am going to the store now.  I am parking my car and entering the store.  I grab a cart and am putting tomatoes in it."  I just hate it.  I don't really care what the person is doing right now.  I don't care if they're going to the bathroom or washing their hands.  We know they do it; everyone does.  But if you write in first person, it's so much nicer to read: "I went to the store and picked up a few things."  So there's my rant on that.

Plus, has this person ever been to cooking school?  Or even watched a cooking competition on television?  You call anyone your superior 'chef.'  You bring your own tools.  You wear a uniform and a hat.  These are simple things that could have been discovered by watching the Food Network.  Do a little research and the book is better.

It got to the point that I could not finish the book, and I really didn't care who the murderer was.  I did skim to the end and found that they were all making desserts they'd grown up on.  Shouldn't competitions be making something new?  Just sayin'...

Anyway, I wasn't impressed by this book and probably won't read another because of the narration.  Sorry.

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Peach-Poppy-Peters-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B08HS9WVCL/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4711449149

More on A. Gardner's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/a-gardner/

BBQ Revolution (Innovative Barbecue Recipes from an All-Star Pitmaster)

Author:    Mitch Benjamin

Genre:     Cookbooks

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781592339952

Harvard Common Press

208 Pages

$27.00; $14.99 Amazon

July 6, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mitch Benjamin has helped open barbecue restaurants in Paris, has served his smoked meat to baseball legends at Yankee Stadium. and has taken home hardware from just about every major BBQ competition.  Now, the man behind Meat Mitch Barbecue and Char Bar Smoked Meats and Amusements throws open the doors to his kitchen and takes barbecue on a wild ride!  This book starts with his behind-the-scenes look at the world of competition BBQ then winds its way through chapter both classic and creative.

• Learn the secrets behind some of Mitch's award-winning recipes for sauces, rubs, and meats, from brisket and burnt ends to spare ribs and pork butt.
• Try your hand at smoking salmon, chicken nuggets, or bone marrow.  (And don't forget to make yourself a smoked cocktail while you're at it!)
• Discover fan favorites from the star chefs at Mitch's restaurant, like the epic Burnt Heaven sandwich and a smoky Roots and Fruits salad.
• Sample recipes from guest pitmasters Jess Pryles (Hardcore Carnivore), Matt Pittman (Meat Church), Paul Patterson, and Craig Verhage.

Whether you're relatively new to BBQ or a seasoned pitmaster, you're sure to find new ideas, techniques, and flavors if you hang around Mitch.  What are you waiting for?  Join the revolution!

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I love barbecue.  My father was from Texas, so it was natural that we'd be around it sooner or later.  Now I eat at BBQ restaurants every chance I get.  It helps that I love to cook and grill food.  So when I saw this book, I knew it had to be mine.  Let me first say that there isn't anything in this book that disappointed me, and it is written for both beginners and seasoned BBQ'rs alike.

Mitch starts off with the basics: (After, of course, showing us what makes him such a great barbecue pitmaster!)  the fundamentals of barbecue, the tools you need, and then...the rubs, sauces, and tools.  But then we get to the 'meat' of the book itself:  cooking the meat.

Pulled pork, brisket, burnt ends...yum!  But there's so much more: seafood, salads, muffins; things you never knew you could 'cue.  Also added are extra yummy sauce recipes and items from the kitchen that are perfect as sides and desserts.  This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to barbecue, and even gives the seasoned griller and smoker something new to look forward to.  This is a book worth having.

https://www.amazon.com/BBQ-Revolution-Innovative-Barbecue-Pitmaster-ebook/dp/B092STNCPM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4156692941

The Complete Book of Healthy Smoothies (115 Smoothie Recipes to Nourish, Heal, and Energize)

Author:    Andrea Mathis, MA, RDN, LD

Genre:     Cookbooks

⭐⭐⭐

When you need a nutritious breakfast on-the-go or a midday snack, it doesn't get any easier than a smoothie.  This book offers more than 100 tried-and-true recipes packed with fruits and veggies, superfoods, plant- or animal-based proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.

Enjoy them at any time of day for a range of health and wellness benefits, including a morning energy boost or an afternoon pick-me-up; healthy skin, hair, and nails; weight management and balanced eating; and more.  With helpful tips and tricks for making the most of your blends, and nutritional information included with every recipes, you can add a nourishing routine into your daily life in the form of a fast, easy, and refreshing drink.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First of all, let me state that I love smoothies.  Where I live it's warm pretty much most of the year, and it's a lot easier to grab things out of the freezer and fridge (where I keep plenty of fruits and vegetables), and throw them into the Ninja instead of cooking a full meal (since it's only my husband and myself, this works pretty much well).

Anyway, I found this book interesting in that the author managed to throw nuts and seeds into almost every smoothie, so those allergic to nuts might want to pass this one on by (which is the reason for the star rating).  Also, and this is personal preference, I refuse to drink any 'nut' or 'oat' milk; so the substitutions I made probably changed the taste.  

However, even with my own substitutions, the smoothies I did make came out tasting pretty good.  So I guess that the end result is the fact that if you want to use the recipes as written, they will probably be very good smoothies; but a lot of people won't have these ingredients on hand and may even have to go to specialty stores to find them.  Other than that, the recipes are pretty decent, but I can't see making all of them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1648766994

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4051767514

Smokin' Southern BBQ (Recipes & Techniques from Around the South)

Author:    Glenn Connaughton

Genre:     Cookbooks

Softcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781647398323

Rockridge Press

184 Pages

$14.99; $6.99 Amazon

May 4, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plate up your own savory Southern barbecue!  This cookbook and smoking guide covers a range of regional styles and teaches you essential techniques for barbecue mastery.  Learn how to choose the right tools and work with different cuts of meat.  Master brines, marinades, rubs, and sauces that take your barbecue to new heights.

Whether you're a backyard barbecue expert or trying it out for the first time, Smokin' Southern BBQ provides recipes for any skill level and smoker type, so you can bring the famous flavors of the South to your table. 

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, let me say that this book is all about smokers, not just barbecuing in your backyard.  If you don't own one, then you'd better buy one to use this book.  The cover of the book does not tell you this, so I am.

Having said that, I will say that there are some very good recipes inside.  Having my dad from Texas, we ate a lot of BBQ growing up, and I'm still fond of it today.  But not just any chain restaurant; it needs to be made well.  Therefore, the only way to do this is either find a little out of the way smokehouse, or do it yourself.  This book carries many of those recipes that you thought you couldn't do at home, and it shows you how.  

There's a lot of different meats cooked for many regions of the USA, all known for great BBQ: Texas brisket, Kansas City burnt ends, St. Louis ribs, Memphis pulled pork -- well, you get the idea.  But the main thing is you need to find a decent smoker, and this book tells you also what wood to use and how to process it all.  For that, this is a really good book.  I've found a lot of recipes to get out this summer, and I hope you do, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Smokin-Southern-BBQ-Barbecue-Techniques/dp/1647398320/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4013997276

Pies That Inspire (50 Recipes for Creative and Modern Flavor Combinations)

Author:  Saura Kline

Genre:   Cookbooks

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781647399931

Rockridge Press

154 Pages

$14.99; $6.99 Amazon

December 22, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's no better way to sweeten a celebration than with a heavenly slice of homemade pie.  This book modernizes tried-and-true flavors with recipes like Maple-Apple Pie with Bacon Streusel, transforming the average slice into a mouthwatering masterpiece.

Discover everything you need to know about baking up delightfully inventive pies:  tools of the pie-making trade, rolling and decorating techniques, and fundamental ingredients.  Refresh your knowledge on handling dough and blind baking, and avoid pie-making pitfalls with troubleshooting tips.  Get rolling with recipes for flaky, foolproof crusts.  Then, try your hand at deliciously innovative pies such as Chocolate and Potato Chip Pie and Beer Cheese Hand Pies.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I wanted to get this book because both my husband and myself are 'pie people.'  (There are cake people and pie people, those who will eat both but prefer one over the other).  I've baked many a pie over the years, and have no problem trying new ones.

Indeed, this book is filled with pies that have their own twist on old standards, as one will find by reading it.  I especially like the Blueberry-Mint Pie with Lemon-Ricotta Whipped Cream, and the Black-Bottom Pecan Pie.  There are also quite a few hand pies I will try, and even a new recipe for pizza dough that sounds appetizing.

However, to me there are also those that sound unappetizing as well.  A pie with cereal or caramel corn toppings?  A hard pass for me.  They seem too much like, 'what do I have in the pantry that I can throw on top?' and I will never make them.  But then again, someone besides the author might do so, so it is your choice.

There are also several crusts, including a gluten-free one, which is nicely added; chapters on baking must-haves and troubleshooting.  These are always nice to see in a cookbook, for both new and seasoned bakers.  I will definitely say that the author has done quite a bit to enhance the standards of pie, as I call them, and has given them a new twist.  

But, and this is a big BUT, a lot of these pies are time-consuming and don't use ingredients you'd have on hand.  There are very few that will take a short time to create.  I would say that if you're a new baker, give this book a pass unless you have the time and patience to create a pie with a lot of steps and a lot of ingredients.  You won't find that here.

https://www.amazon.com/Pies-That-Inspire-Creative-Combinations/dp/1647399939/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3771371675

More on Saura Kline's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/Saura-Kline/e/B07YCPZ248/ref

Finished Off in Fondant (A Courtney Archer Mystery #2)

Author:  Rosemarie Ross

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496722775

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$7.99; $7.59 Amazon

December 1, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Despite a few early hiccups, Courtney is thrilled with her starring role on The American Baking Battle, filmed at a grand resort in the Pocono Mountains.  The icing on the cake?  The new season has a wedding theme -- complete with formal wear.  But the first day on the set, the producer seems to care more about profits than pastry -- and the topper comes when her cohost Skylar falls ill.  Little does she know things are about to end in tiers...

When a barely coherent, blood-covered Skylar is discovered at the doorway of his room, Courtney is horrified to walk inside and find a towering wedding cake -- thoroughly smashed by the body of a woman in a bridal gown.  Now suspicion is filling the studio and falling on Skylar, and Courtney has to look at coworkers and contestants, working through layers of deception to find the real culprit...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Courtney Archer, host of the television show Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter, decides to come clean with her fans about her real background she knows it might change her career or get her cancelled.  But that stress isn't even in comparison to the stress surrounding her appearance as cohost of the show The American Baking Battle, now in its second season.  The show went over budget last time because of a murder, so the producer is on hand and making everyone miserable with his changes and demands.  To make things worse, she's been assigned a bodyguard from the security company - a woman who seems to have a personal interest in Courtney's own producer Eric - and it's thrown her into a tizzy wondering what's going on inside her. 

But then she and Shannon, one of the judges on the show, find Skylar, Courtney's cohost, incoherent in his room and covered in blood.  When she discovers a dead woman on top of a cake, questions abound about what happened.  One thing Courtney knows for sure is that no matter where the evidence leads, Skylar would not have killed the woman.  But the question remains: who did?  

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it quite as much as the first.  The characters' dialogue is witty and fun, they care about each other and are pleased to be working with one another.  Courtney, while trying to do her job, has an innate curiosity that wants to get to the bottom of things.  But of course being fought in every direction by the sheriff and the security team, she needs to keep her questions to herself and find answers wherever she can.  Unfortunately, it also puts her front and center as the next victim.

While I knew who the murderer was early on, it never took away from anything going on within the story.  Honestly, with all the other action -- especially the filming of the show -- it kept things moving right along and I got caught up in wondering who would be sent home next.  I also loved the description of many of the recipes (oh, how I wish some of them were added so I could try them - I love to cook and bake - but I digress).  At any rate, we get to see how busy Courtney is, and not only is she trying to find out who framed Skylar, but she has two shows to film - and who knows how long either of them will be around - so we have that question going on along with the murder.

When things start coming together, we see that Courtney is a woman who can think on her feet, which I really like, and while she doesn't deliberately put herself in danger, once she's there she immediately tries to find a way out of it.  But I absolutely loved the ending.  However, I will add one caveat:  these books should be read in order, because in this one the author does mention details of the murder in the first one several times.

The author has given us a new series with a (hopefully) bright promise and I really wish I could delve into the next book right now.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Finished-Fondant-Courtney-Archer-Mystery/dp/1496722779/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3654800019

More on Rosemarie Ross's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/rosemarie-ross/

Death of a Kitchen Diva (Hayley Powell Mysteries #1)

Author:  Lee Hollis
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book; Audiobook
ISBN #:  9781410448873; 9780758267375;9780758267375
Kensington Publishing
304 Pages
Various; Various; $7.99; $5.99 Amazon
March 1, 2012

✮✮

Welcome to Bar Harbor, Maine, one of New England's most idyllic coastal towns.  But as new food writer Hayley Powell is about to find out, the occasional murder can take a bite out of seaside bliss...

Single mom Hayley Powell is barely keeping her leaking roof over her head when her boss at the Island Times gives her a new assignment - taking over the paper's food column.  Hayley's not sure she has the chops--she's an office manager, not a writer, even if her friends clamor for her mouth-watering potluck dishes.  But the extra income is tempting, and Hayley's chatty first column is suddenly on everyone's menu - with one exception.

When rival food writer Karen Appelbaum is found face-down in a bowl of Hayley's creamy clam chowder, all signs point to Hayley.  To clear her name, she'll have to enlist some help, including her BFFs, a perpetually pregnant lobster woman, and glamorous real estate agent.  As she whips up a list of suspects, Hayley discovers a juicy secret about the victim - and finds herself in a dangerous mix with a cold-blooded killer.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hayley Powell is a single mother of two who works as an office manager at a small newspaper.  When she realizes she barely has enough to get by, she digs in her heels and asks her editor for a raise.  While he tells her there just isn't any money, he offers her a new job:  If she'll take over the food column he'll give her $25 for each one published.  Since she really has no alternative, she accepts the job.

For her first column she offers a recipe that everyone seems to love except one person - Karen Appelbaum, food columnist at a rival paper.  Karen first accuses her of stealing recipes, then when they have a slight collision in the supermarket, Karen ends up with Hayley's mother's recipe for clam chowder and publishes it before Hayley has a chance.  Now everyone thinks Karen is the genius who came up with the recipe and really do think Hayley stole it.

But it's a nasty encounter at a bake sale that causes the most trouble, and Hayley threatens Karen.  So when Karen is found dead that evening and Hayley is at the scene, she's considered the main suspect.  In fact, she's considered the only suspect.  Hayley realizes if she doesn't want to spend her life behind bars, she has to find out who set her up to take the fall...

This sounded like a great premise to me: a single mother who takes a shot at writing a food column.  But oh, my, I had no idea that Hayley was too stupid to live.  She's flighty and honestly, seems not to be very bright at all, and neither are her friends.  I mean, she goes out with them and Mona, who has her own lobstering business, is telling her that she's pregnant for the sixth time, and upset with her husband because of it.  Excuse me, but has this woman heard of birth control?  There are many different options to keep from getting pregnant, and she could use any of them.  Perhaps Liddy and Hayley could have a sit down with Mona and explain it to her.  She'll probably need it in the future.

Then, Hayley goes to a bake sale where Karen happens to be, and Karen squirts whipped cream on Hayley's backside.  After asking Karen if she's back in third grade, Hayley rubs a brownie into Karen's sweater.  Say what?   Which starts a food fight.  Between adult females.  A LOT of adult females.  And people are sooo amused by this they just shell out money because it was so hilarious.  Um, no.  They'd probably be embarrassed and leave instead of staying at this disaster.

As if that wasn't enough, at Karen's funeral Hayley's friend Liddy notices that her antique brooch is on the dead woman's outfit.  So she tells Hayley she needs to go get it, because she's not having it buried with the body.  Sooo....with everyone looking, Hayley rips it off the outfit.  She doesn't bother unpinning it, just yanks, and her 'friend' Liddy doesn't offer to run interference - by I don't know, distracting the minister maybe while Hayley surreptitiously removes it - nooo...she stays put and allows Hayley to look like she's stealing it.  She doesn't even 'fess up and say it belonged to her.  She just allows Hayley to take all the heat; but then again, 1) what was Liddy doing lending an antique brooch to Hayley? and 2) what was Hayley doing lending out a brooch that didn't even belong to her?????  Who does that?  It didn't make any sense, especially because she didn't even like Karen.  I certainly don't go around borrowing stuff and then lending it out to other people - and if I did, I wouldn't lend it to someone I didn't like.  Hayley the doormat, I guess.

I have to admit after this ridiculous scenario (and ridiculous it was) I pretty much lost interest in the book, and skimmed a lot, especially since I had already discovered the murderer.  (Hayley gave us a pretty big clue).  Still, I wanted to see if this woman-who-act-like-an-idiot was as stupid as she first appears, and yup, she was:  She's running with her dog and someone is shooting at her.  She mentions she's next to the car that was following her, the driver's door is open and the engine running; then a shot rings out and hits one of the mirrors...and she doesn't get in and drive away.  I think under the circumstances, the police wouldn't consider it a stolen car.  Why would they?  She's got the mirror for proof - all she had to do was get in the car and leave.  The killer would be stranded, and the police would know who owned the car.  (She couldn't remember a single detail about it when asked, though). 

Unfortunately, situations that could have been hilarious just came off as totally insane.  Hayley is a sad woman who really needs someone to help her sort out her life because she's not doing a very good job of it.  She acts more like an awkward teenager who hasn't found their feet yet in the world. 

Since this is the first in the series, I usually give the author a pass in the hope that the second will be better, and I would like to say that this is true (although I haven't as yet read the second), but this just wasn't believable, and unfortunately, the murder investigation took second place to Hayley's antics, which just got in the way.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Kitchen-Hayley-Powell-Mystery/dp/0758267371/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2265999644

More on Lee Hollis's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/lee-hollis/

The Chili Cookbook

Author:  Robb Walsh
Genre:  Cookbooks

Hardcover; Ebook
ISBN#:  9781607747956
Ten Speed Press
200 Pages
$10.79; $11.99 Amazon
September 29, 2015

Four Stars

Americans love chili.  Whether served as a hearty family dinner, at a potluck with friends, or as the main dish at a football-watching party, chili is a crowd-pleaser.  It's slathered over tamales in San Antonio, hot dogs in Detroit, and hamburgers in Los Angeles.  It's ladled over spaghetti in Cincinnati, hash browns in St. Louis, and Fritos corn chips in Santa Fe.

In The Chili Cookbook, award-winning author Robb Walsh digs deep into the fascinating history of this quintessential American dish.  Who knew the cooking technique traces its history to the ancient Aztecs, or that Hungarian goulash inspired the invention of chili powder?

Fans in every region of the country boast the "one true recipe," and Robb Walsh recreates them all - 60 mouth-watering chilis from easy slow-cooker suppers to stunning braised meat creations.  There are beef, venison, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, and shrimp chilis to choose from - there is even an entire chapter on vegetarian chili.  The Chili Cookbook is sure to satisfy all your chili cravings.

********

Who doesn't like chili?  For myself, (not counting this book) I probably have close to fifty or more recipes for chili.  Since I love to cook, it's only natural that I'd have plenty of them.  So when I saw this new book, I couldn't wait to see what was in it.

For the most part, I wasn't disappointed.  Mr. Walsh begins with explaining the ingredients used in chili and even includes a recipe for homemade chili powder.  There's even a recipe for homemade tortillas.  The rest of the book, as expected, is recipes for chilis and its variations across the world.  He accompanies each of these with origins and stories.  There is one recipe, however, that bothered me a little.  It reads to add 'several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped.'  Excuse me, but that doesn't tell me how many tomatoes are needed.  One cup?  Two?  Are we supposed to just guess?

Other than that, while you probably won't make every recipe in the book (unless you really like chili), you'll find a few that you enjoy.  Recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Chili-Cookbook-Three-Bean-Four-Alarm-Vegetarian/dp/1607747952/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1505806729

More on Robb Walsh's books:  http://www.amazon.com/Robb-Walsh/e/B001JS2RQW/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1