This review was prepared by Lori of Butter Me Up.
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When one loves to bake, who doesn’t appreciate a great book on cakes? When I found out I was going to be reviewing Nancie McDermott’s Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday CelebrationsI was thrilled to say the least. Being from Canada, I wasn’t too familiar with Southern cakes apart from the Lady Baltimore Cake and the Red Velvet Cake. When I think of the South I think of chess or sweet potato pies or bread pudding. Regardless of my limited exposure to Southern cakes in general, I was keen to learn more.

The book is beautifully laid out and the photography is luscious. As always, I wish there were more photographs because it’s the photo which will often sell me on the recipe. The only real criticism I must remark on is that the font is quite small. When you’re in your kitchen working away at a recipe, it’s beneficial to have the words easy to pick out when you glance at the page.

This review was prepared by Recipe Sleuth of Eye for a Recipe.
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The liner note for the cookbook ’wichcraft says it all: “This is not your mother’s sandwich.”

That’s for sure. With sandwich fillings ranging from Chicken Liver Pâté with Fried Onions and Radish Salad to Whipped Salt Cod with Roasted Peppers and Parsley, ’wichcraft is full of unusual and creative combinations.

Even those two universal favourites—PB&J and egg salad—get a makeover. The ’wichcraft version of PB&J mixes butter with the peanut butter to add richness and tops it with homemade rhubarb jelly. The egg salad includes caviar, crème fraiche and chervil.

Written by Tom Colicchio (of Top Chef and Craft Restaurant fame) and Sisha Ortúzar, the book includes recipes and techniques from the popular ’wichcraft sandwich shop the two chefs co-founded in 2003. Inspired by their shared vision that “a sandwich should be a portable meal sourced and crafted with the same intention and excitement as we brought to the food in our restaurants”, the two chefs opened a sandwich place that has now expanded to several locations in New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

This review was prepared by Lizanne Gosselin of of Bits 'n Bites.
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A while back, I jumped at the chance of reviewing a cookbook for Daring Kitchen after reading Ivonne’s offer preceding one of the challenges’ post. To my delight, I was given Diner Desserts, by Tish Boyle.

Published in 2000, Diner Desserts is an enjoyable baker's journey through one of America’s most cherished institution, the diner. A big fan of “triple-D”, I looked forward to trying true diner-style recipes. This soft cover book is packed with vintage photographs and diner lore. After flipping a few minutes through it, though, I was surprised to see no pictures of the recipes in the book, except for the cover photo of the chocolate cream pie. A little strange, I thought, for a cookbook.

This review was prepared by Bunnee of Anna+Food.
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This slim volume is as much a philosophy of life as a cookbook. The author, Alima Ravadi Quinn, has a restaurant in Richland, Washington. She brings her poetry, anecdotes and spiritual vision to each recipe, incorporating her love of family and appreciation for her customers. The photography is lovely, with orchid accents in many of the pictures.

There are about 50 recipes, along with a few more for sauces she uses regularly in her dishes. Many of them are very quick to prepare – a boon for people who want a meal without hours of prep. The cookbook also has a glossary of commonly used Thai ingredients, helpful for those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine.

This review was prepared by Jill of Jillicious Discoveries.
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There is nothing better than a dessert with fresh fruit that has been picked in its prime and is paired with quality ingredients that enhance the fruits flavor. As I excitedly looked through the newly released book, Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market by Deborah Madison, I immediately tagged several of the recipes to test.

This review was prepared by Ria of Ria's Collection.
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Good things come in small packages, don't they? If so, it is true with Elinor Klivans' Cookies, Brownies, and Bars too! As the cover page says, this book really has dozens of scrumptious recipes to bake and enjoy. The recipes range from the simplest Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches to the exotic French Macarons. The book is divdied into 6 sections: Drop cookies, Shaped cookies, Piped cookies, Rolled &cut cookies, Brownies &bars, Fillings& Coatings. They even have a section with instructions on how to ship baked goodies, which I think is really informative & necessary in every cookie book.

This review was prepared by Angela of Kitchenella.
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When the wonderful folks at The Daring Kitchen asked me to review a cookbook about biscuits, I was intrigued. Not being a Southern Grandmother, to me, biscuits were always what you got when you mixed Bisquik and milk. How wrong I was! As it turn out, biscuit-making is more of an art than a science. You can follow the recipe exactly, but unless you have “the touch”, you can still end up with hockey pucks.

This review was prepared by Lis of The Daring Kitchen.
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When I was first asked to read Promises to Keep, I had my doubts. I'm a pretty narrow-minded reader, to be truthful. I read one type of book and don't vary away from it often. And a "chick" book just isn't my type of book.

With that being said, I decided to agree to read the book because there was one truly interesting aspect of it - it held over 30 unique recipes. Yes, it's a novel, but it's also kind of a mini cookbook if you will.

I had never heard of Jane Green before being approached, so I had no idea what she writes about. I can honestly say, I'm quite happy to have been introduced to her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Truly. The story tugged at my heart, made me cry, made me laugh and I found some excellent recipes to boot!

The Daring Kitchen had the honour of asking Deborah Madison, author of the recently released Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market, some key questions about her new book, and baking with fruit in general. Here are her answers:

The Daring Kitchen: After having written so many incredible cookbooks, what made you decide to write a cookbook with fruit as the main subject?

Deborah Madison: I started out in desserts, I have worked as pastry chef in the past, I love desserts and I especially love fruit desserts. And I have always included desserts in my books,