Written by Hannah of Rise and Shine.

I have been given the awesome opportunity to review a cookbook...from an actual TV show...this week! As someone with no TV, I'd never seen the show Recipe Rehab, so I really went into this with no preconceived notions. I quickly gathered that the premise of the show is to take not-so-healthy family style recipes and "rehab" them to be a healthier meal option. The show started on YouTube, and is now showing on most ABC stations on Saturday mornings. On each episode, they take one family recipe submitted by an audience member and two accomplished chefs compete in an effort to recreate the best healthier version of the dish. Recipe Rehab (the book) is the first book that has been written in conjunction with the show. The 175-page cookbook includes 80 recipes and lots of color photos. There are recipes for every meal of the day and at first glance the book includes no recipes that sound unappetizing (I don't always feel this way when scanning a cookbook) though I wasn't drooling over it either. Until I got to the Creamy Kale and Artichoke Dip with Garlic Toasts, but I'll get to that. Most of the book's recipes are about a page long and while they're family-style dishes that you may serve at home, some are also kind of fancied up for foodies. The book also includes text boxes of "chef tips," which are always nice in a cookbook.

This cookbook was reviewed by Shelley C of C Mom Cook.

If you want to learn about a culture, if you want to really get to know about and bond with the people, learn about the food. This is the lesson that was learned by Faith Gorsky when she married into a traditional Middle Eastern family. Living in Syria for the first six months of her marriage, Ms. Gorsky learned directly from a true expert on Middle Eastern food - her new mother-in-law. Speaking the language of food, they grew to understand one another, and from this understanding, a passion was sparked and An Edible Mosaic was born.

In this beautifully presented and thoughtfully arranged cookbook, Ms. Gorsky shares the results of her new-found passion. Between the stunning photography, the clear explanations of the different tools and ingredients, and the delicious recipes, An Edible Mosaic is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to learn about the culture, traditions and food of the Middle East.

When I received the cookbook, I had no idea where to start. With only the barest of experience with true Middle Eastern cuisine, everything looked absolutely delicious, but just exotic enough to make me nervous. But I trusted the author and decided to jump right in, and I am so pleased that I did.

This cookbook was reviewed by Carol a staff member of The Daring Kitchen. Carol also interviewed Chef Brian Polcyn. The interview can be found directly following the book review.

The food culture in America is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Consumers are demanding a better selection of fresh, pesticide free, organic, free-range, grass fed natural products. Farmers’ markets and community supported agricultural organizations (CSAs) have grown dramatically over the last decade as more Americans seek to engage with farmers for the foodstuffs to feed their families. The push may have started with restaurant chefs and local 100-Mile Clubs, groups that seek to prepare meals using ingredients sourced “locally” within 100 miles, but it is slowly moving into the mainstream. The growing online internet food blogger phenomena has contributed to this as has the recession, which sent home chefs returning to managing food budgets with cheaper cuts of meat and a return to comfort foods such as homey stews with local meats and vegetables.

It is against this backdrop, that Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn realized that American households were one generation away from losing their ability to preserve meat as their fathers did and as a result decided to collaborate and write about how to do exactly that – Charcuterie: The Salting, Smoking and Curing of Meat published in 2005 by W.W. Norton. I had an opportunity to interview Brian Polcyn, one of the co-authors. Polcyn told me that originally the book was turned down by five publishers as being too niche until it was finally accepted by Norton Publishers– the fair turnaround is that the book continues to be in print today with over 120,000 copies sold.

This cookbook was reviewed by Ruth of Makey-Cakey.

This is the part four of six part review of the Hamlyn Quick Cook series which I have been lucky enough to be sent to review for the Daring Kitchen. I started off by reviewing the Desserts book then moved on to the Low Fat book, followed by the Family Meals. This time I'm reviewing "Budget Meals" leaving me "Vegetarian", and "Pasta" still to go.

Before I get to the recipes, I should quickly explain the concept behind the series. The tag line on the front of each book is “Every dish, three ways - you choose! 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 10 minutes” and for each recipe there are three options depending how quickly you need to get dinner on the table. They all explore the same flavours or concept, and vary ingredients, techniques and time saving short-cuts depending on which you choose. Although small format, the book squeezes in a lot of content and diversity - with 360 recipes covering Soups and Snacks, Veggie Delights, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood and Something Sweet. There is a full page colour photograph for each trio of recipes, making it colourful and appetising to browse through too.

This cookbook was reviewed by Ruth of Makey-Cakey.

This is the part three of a whopping six part review series - yep you read that correctly! I have been lucky enough to be sent all six titles in the Hamlyn Quick Cook series to review for the Daring Kitchen. I started off by reviewing the Desserts book then moved on to the Low Fat book. This time I've tackled "Family Meals" leaving me "Vegetarian", "Budget Meals" and "Pasta" still to go.

Before I get to the recipes, I should quickly explain the concept behind the series. The tag line on the front of each book is “Every dish, three ways - you choose! 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 10 minutes” and for each recipe there are three options depending how quickly you need to get dinner on the table. They all explore the same flavours or concept, and vary ingredients, techniques and time saving short-cuts depending on which you choose. Although small format, the book squeezes in a lot of content and diversity - with 360 recipes covering Snacks Starters and Light Bites, Meaty Suppers, Fab Fish, Fast and Veggie and Fuss-Free Family Desserts. There is a full page colour photograph for each trio of recipes, making it colourful and appetising to browse through too.

This book was reviewed by Todd of A Cooking Dad.

I love cookbooks so I might have been a little disappointed when I was asked to review a non-cookbook. I mean this was like actual homework and I didn't get to cook anything. When I saw the title "How to Cook like a Man" I think I know why I was asked to review this book, a little gender-profiling maybe?

Daniel Duane was a journalist, surfer, and rock climber. Everything he did he went all in. When he faced fatherhood he decided to learn to cook. His wife's great-grandfather built four top hotels and restaurants across the country when he immigrated to the United States and her family was full of gourmands and foodies. His family was the opposite. He knew how to cook pasta, stir-fry, and burritos and that was about it.

Daniel did have one food relation. He grew up in Berkeley and his pre-school teacher was Alice Waters, now Executive Chef and owner of Chez Panisse. The first thing Daniel decides to do to get into cooking is to go head first into the Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbook. And he doesn't just wade in, he dives right in. At one point he has a dinner party where he serves potato pasta, potato gratin, sautéed potato slices, and roasted fingerling potatoes.

This cookbook was reviewed by Ruth of Makey-Cakey.

This is the second installment of a six part review series - yep you read that correctly! I have been lucky enough to be sent all six titles in the Hamlyn Quick Cook series to review for the Daring Kitchen. I started off by reviewing the Desserts book and despite promises of Family Meals next, I ended up having a last minute switch to 'Low Fat' thanks to a proliferation of courgette and peppers in the fridge which lent themselves well to a particular dish.

I'm getting ahead of myself with talk of courgettes and peppers - before I get to the recipes, I’d better explain the concept behind the series. The tag line on the front of each book is “Every dish, three ways - you choose! 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 10 minutes” For each recipe there are three options, depending on how much time you have available. They all capture the same concept or flavours, and make use of different ingredients, cooking techniques and short-cuts depending on which you choose. The book certainly packs a punch in terms of volume and diversity of recipes - there are 360 recipes covering starters, mains, desserts, snacks, meat, fish, vegetarian and whole host of world cuisines, and there's also a full page colour photograph for one of each trio of recipes, making it easy on the eye for armchair cooking too!

This cookbook was reviewed by Ruth of Makey-Cakey.

This is the first of a six part review series - yep you read that correctly! Imagine my excitement when instead of the one cookbook I was expecting to be sent for review, I discovered I’d been sent all six titles in the Hamlyn Quick Cook series. It certainly made the trip to the delivery office to collect them worthwhile, and explained why they wouldn’t fit through the letter box.

First up is Desserts, but before I get to the recipes, I’d better explain the concept behind the series. The tag line on the front of each book is “Every dish, three ways - you choose! 30 minutes | 20 minutes | 10 minutes” For each recipe there are three options, depending on how much time you have available. They all capture the same concept or flavours, and make use of different ingredients, cooking techniques and short-cuts depending on which you choose. I found it a very well thought out concept - I’ve seen cookbooks before with 10, 20 and 30 minute recipes, but none presenting the same dish three ways.

This cookbook was reviewed by Hannah of Rise and Shine.

While definitely very excited at the idea of reviewing a cookbook, I had to pause when I heard the title "Famous Chefs & Fabulous Recipes." It seems that famous chefs are absolutely everywhere. On the restaurant marquee, the television, the store shelves...even as far reaching as the gossip columns. I likely would have passed this book up on the shelf. But I took a seat and gave it look. I need to take that approach more often, I've decided! One quick flip through this wonderful book by Lisa Abraham and I found myself parked in that seat until I'd read the entire book from cover to cover.

This is a cookbook for readers. It will hook you on the history and introduction in chapter one and it's packed with not only recipes but also biographies of fascinating people that have either been born into a world of food or have grown into it. Their stories all lead them in one way or another to The Western Reserve School of Cooking in Hudson, Ohio.

This cookbook was reviewed by Carol – a non-blogging member from Canada.

I love reading cookbooks! Reading recipes can transport me on an armchair food journey ending in salivating taste buds and is often punctuated with a resounding “YUM.” My tastes have evolved and changed in many facets of my life including cookbook styles. Thankfully, this has been aptly matched by a growing trend in cookbook publishing. No longer are cookbooks simply volumes of recipes interspersed with close-ups of food and a few glossy pictures.

Today’s modern cookbook is evolving into more prose-like missive, complete with explanations as to why the recipe is important to the author or what technique can be honed from a particular preparation. This is one reason why I enjoyed Michael Ruhlman’s Twenty so much as he takes this one step further. In Twenty, Ruhlman puts forth a manifesto of the most essential twenty techniques needed in the kitchen to make you a better cook. This is an educational experience indeed! Even the look and feel of Twenty mimics the size and page weight of scores of textbooks familiar to students all around the world.