Favorite Books: Foodie Edition!

In 2010, I reclaimed my long lost reading habit and rediscovered my great love for books. Not only did I commit to feeding my mind, but I also resolved to feeding my body well. I didn't have to cultivate my foodie love….it's been with me forever! But I did have to refine it a bit. Good thing books and food go together very well! Here are five of my favorite cookbooks that have made their way onto my shelves and into my kitchen in the last year:

Reader's Digest Magic Foods by

Robert A. Barnett, Christine L. Pelkman, Ph.D. & Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D.

I was browsing the books at Sam's Club one day and this little baby caught my eye before quietly sneaking into my cart amongst my giant-sized food necessities. (That happens sometimes.) I'll be honest: what usually draws me to cookbooks is pictures. But in this case, it wasn't just the colorful pics of healthy, magical foods...or even the recipes...it was the INFORMATION... which for me, is about as addictive as food itself. The book starts with some solid health basics about blood sugar, heart disease, insulin-resistance, and why they've become a national crisis. Then it explains basic nutrition: good and bad fats, proteins, glycemic load, and why fad diets like no-carb aren't helping. It introduces the "magic foods": those that are nutritional powerhouses for our bodies, including current information, cooking tips, and a short index to recipes for those magical foods in the back of the book. They even had a short "Eat this, not that" type of section in the middle. I was highly impressed by the book's organization and good sound nutritional advice. It will continue to be a great reference tool among my favorite food books.

Heartwarming Soups 2010, by Taste of Home Magazine

It's kind of a tease to post this one, for two reasons: 1) It's not really a book....it's more like a magazine. But when the cover price is $9.99, I call it a BOOK! 2) Although I linked the handy little pic here to Amazon, it isn't available anymore. So sad! I suppose if you really like it, you can order it from Taste of Home or poke around on Ebay... sorry!

You will find this here "bookazine" on my shelf, crammed with post-it notes. It's just the perfect time of the year for Easy Beef Barley Soup, Sausage Tortellini Soup with Spinach, Mexican Shrimp Bisque, Hearty Cheese Soup, White Chicken Chili, and many many others. And because I am a *super* friend, I just linked up those yummy recipes so you can enjoy them too! If I haven't told you already, I am a die-hard long-time fan of Taste of Home. I'm talkin' 15 year subscribin', annual cookbook collectin', field-trip-to-Greendale-Wisconsin, recipe-toting Taste of Home JUNKIE!!!

Great Food Fast: 250 Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals All Year Long from Food Everyday, Martha Stewart Living

Now THIS is a book with pictures! Gorgeous mouth-watering pictures..... oh, and fantastic recipes too! Over 350 pages of simple, quick and fresh recipes that are organized according to seasons: asparagus and strawberries in the spring, barbecue and tomatoes and fresh herbs in the summer, apples and roasted squash in the fall, cranberries and hearty pot roast in the winter. Some of my personal faves: Favorite Turkey Burger (made with gruyere) on page 123, Flank Steak with Lime Marinade on page 131, and Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas on page 161.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois

I can't say another word without giving props to my good friend Jen over at imanimama.com for this awesome book! I am a baker.... there is just something that clicks in my spirit when I have a few quiet hours to gather my thoughts, mix something up, and make my house smell wonderful. I'm all about cookies, quick breads, pies, cakes, you name it...... but spending all afternoon accidentally killing yeast, covering the kitchen with flour, kneading and babysitting a blob of dough that will eventually become an ugly lump of crappy bread? FORGET IT! But when Jen raved about this book and explained that it only takes "Five Minutes a Day", I decided to give it a try. The subtitle says: "The discovery that revolutionizes home baking"..... and when I realized it came down to mixing ingredients in one bucket, ignoring it, and then making some pretty decent bread..... well, I decided it WAS pretty darn revolutionary! Check out the Artisan Bread in Five website for lots of great info.

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, edited by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine

This book has been around for a while and the recipes inside it have no doubt been in use for decades. When I started canning a couple of summers ago, I bought a thin beginner's book from Ball that was available right next to the canner I bought at Walmart. Having tried a number of those recipes already, I was ready for more variety this year and finally invested in the "big book". And BIG it is! Over 400 recipes..... and only a few pictures. This book is old school! Seriously though, if you're into home canning or just want to learn, this comprehensive book is worth the money . It had all the recipes from the beginner book that I bought, plus tons more. This year I made peach preserves (regular and sugar free), cherry jam, dill pickles, sweet pickle relish, applesauce, cranberry sauce, pomegranate jelly, and my new fave: wine jelly! (Which is phenomenal! I made Merlot & Pinot Grigio to give as Christmas presents, paired with Brie and crackers. YUM.)