when the end justifies dessert.

I've never been very good at math. Or baking. But that doesn't mean a gal like myself can't appreciate eating pi. Get it? Anyways. How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics by Eugenia Cheng uses recipes as a metaphor for math and explores different math concepts (and yummy desserts) one chapter at a time. She also talks about herself, which brings a realness to the book and makes it more than just a collection of recipes or math lessons. If you want to know what a quadrilateral is, but also how to make homemade hollandaise sauce, this is the book for you.

If you don't care about what A + B equals (C, duh), well, a ton of smart kids ready to take on the world have graduated recently, give them this book at their graduation party, they'll think it's cute.

kombucha brewer's bible.

I am currently on Day 27 of my very first Whole30! I know, so exciting, for me more so than you. Once I got into the swing of things, I started to get more confident in spicing things up a bit. When I received The Big Book of Kombucha to review, I knew it was meant to be.

Whole30 guidelines state that kombuch is allowed, even encouraged if you are careful to read your labels. At $3-$6 a bottle retail, HI, I CAN JUST MAKE IT MYSELF because it's actually easier than you'd think if you have a detailed resource like this one. Kombucha is known for it's amazing health benefits, and can be used in your cooking as well as cocktails. Obviously I'll refrain from the cocktails for a few more days, but this book really does have everything.

We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine. - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine. - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine. - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine. - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine. - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine. - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

Kombucha: Read your labels
We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

Kombucha: Read your labels
We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

Kombucha: Read your labels
We like the probiotic benefits of ‘booch, and we think it makes a fine addition to your Whole30 menu. Just read your labels carefully—sugar listed in the ingredients generally means that it was added after fermentation, and that’s a no-go.  Some varieties, like GT Dave’s Enlightened flavors, have fruits and fruit juices added, which are just fine.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.OMntr6dj.dpuf

ramen for every occasion.

Every college student who has ever lived in a dorm room knows how to doctor up a bowl of ramen noodles, but apparently it's prisoners who have perfected the art. Prison Ramen by coauthors Gustavo “Goose” Alvarez and Clifton Collins Jr., is a collection of stories and ramen recipes from the author's friends and some big-name celebrities who have developed ramen delicacies behind bars. Yes, even Shia Labeouf had something to contribute. Prison Ramen would actually make a great graduation present, the chilling stories should keep your college bound kid out of trouble, and the recipes (there are sandwiches, soups and salads) are pretty inventive.

keeping meals colorful.

Everybody who knows remotely anything about me knows that Mexican food is my spirit animal. Since the start of the new year, I have been trying to clean up my diet a bit and would really like to add more meatless meals to the menu. Decolonize Your Diet: Plant-Based Mexican-American Recipes for Health and Healing by Luz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel is beyond perfect for me as it includes traditional and delicious Mexican recipes, without the meat. I mean, as long as I can still have tacos I'm good with pretty much anything. The recipes scale from homemade tortillas to Pumpkin Mole so there's really something for every skill level. A beautiful history is revealed throughout the pages and every recipe is fresh, colorful, and good for your body.

blog to book.

It's the week before the week of Christmas, and all you procrastinators really need to get it together. Amazon Prime has two-day shipping, so this week I will be reviewing some fabulous gift giving books!

First. Sally's Candy Addiction: Tasty Truffles, Fudges & Treats for Your Sweet-Tooth Fix by Sally McKenney (who also wrote Sally's Baking Addiction) is the PERFECT gift for the sweet toothed DIY lover in your life. It's pretty (like Sally), and there's a recipe for everything you find at those specialty chocolate shops. But you can make it at home. Chocolate covered potato chips. Peanut butter balls. Cake pops. Fudge. TRUFFLES. The recipes are super easy and look festive enough for every occasion.

southern roots.

I LOVE southern food. My mom and I travel to Myrtle Beach once a year, half for the beach, half for the food. Only God knows what would happen to me if I ate biscuits and gravy for breakfast every morning, but for a week? I'll risk it.

Speaking of being risky, The Southerner's Cookbook: Recipes, Wisdom, and Stories is sitting on my kitchen counter right now. Instructions on how to make biscuits and gravy AND fried chicken right in my home? That is dangerous. I can't really stomach the whole pork situation yet, but I have loved attempting the baked goods and fried pickle chips. There's an entire section devoted to chicken that has my name all over it. But as a girl who loves to read (yes, even though I'm a Yankee), the essays are what make this cookbook special.

something familiar mixed with something new.

Since my mama became a first-time grandmama last week (and me a first time auntie!), I thought it was appropriate to finally get my review of Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories by Jocelyn Delk Adams published. My baking skills are seriously lacking, so Jocelyn's book was pretty much made for me. She introduces readers to baking tricks and techniques right at the beginning, giving advice on kitchen equipment as well (I have none). I love how Jocelyn combines her stories from Big Mama’s kitchen with her delicious recipes from pound cakes to shortcakes. So many delicious cakes. Grandbaby Cakes includes beautiful photographs and Jocelyn truly reaches her goal of inspiring families to reconnect.

food and books, my favorite things.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I love EVERYTHING about Cara Nicoletti's Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books. I love books more than I love pretty much every person I have ever met, and then Cara goes out and pairs delicious recipes with some of my very favorite novels. Bah, it's so magical. Especially To Kill a Mockingbird's Biscuits with Molasses butter's recipe. I mean, I named my cat Atticus, so you can image. Just think of all of the classic books you've read and enjoyed in your life. A few of them are bound to have made it into Voracious. The Secret Garden? Charlotte's Web? Anne of Green Gables (another one of my favorites) paired with a Salted Chocolate Caramels recipe. And of course stories from Cara's childhood were icing on her poppy-seed cake.

all the gluten intolerant ladies, all the gluten intolerant ladies.

Apparently what is old is new again because einkorn is a natural wheat that has been around for centuries and only recently became popular again due to it's flavor, nutrients, and realization that it can be eaten symptom-free. No mood swings, no belly aches, no backlash. Wheat is back in and I couldn't be happier.

Einkorn: Recipes for Nature's Original Wheat by Carla Bartolucci is filled with all of the foods those with a gluten-intolerant have been missing. Not that einkorn doesn't contain gluten, it does, but a very tolerable amount (that's all explained in the book). But now you can make crackers, pasta, BREAD. Einkorn is like a dream come true and really easy to bake with. All of the recipes have very simple ingredients and many are dairy free. Win, win, win.

authentic mexican.

I LOVE Mexican food. I could literally write songs about enchiladas and quesadillas. Although I create very Americanized versions of the famous dishes, I have learned how to be a bit more Mexican about it after reading, Eat Mexico: Recipes from Mexico City's Streets, Markets & Fondas by journalist Lesley Tellez. Who wouldn't want to become fluent in Mexican cooking? By sharing the spices, chiles, and easy to make salsas (love the taco stand style) and tortillas, that's what this recipe book is alllll about. Every recipe is fresh and easy to follow, the narratives are incredibly interesting, and the photographs are gorgeous.

tell me about your day.

Growing up we always ate dinner together as a family. At the dinner table. No television, no cell phones (because we didn't have any), just the six of us talking about our day, or fighting about something, but whatever. Until we reached middle/high school age and away games got in the way. So we switched it to breakfast. Until college, we all ate breakfast as a family before we went off to our various schools/jobs. And now that we are all adults, we still have family dinner once a week at my grandma's house. It's important, and if you're not doing it, you may want to pick up a copy of Home for Dinner: Mixing Food, Fun, and Conversation for a Happier Family and Healthier Kids by Anne K. Fishel, Ph.D. who is a professor at Harvard Medical School and a mother, so she knows how important family dinners are.

Home for Dinner is not only filled with healthy and easy to make recipes, there is also a major focus on how to initiate meaningful conversations and multiple ways to connect with your kids at any age...during dinner. Fishel does go a little psychologist on us, but when there is evidence showing that family dinners enhance children's intellectual functioning, promote mental health and improve physical health, why wouldn't she share it?


                                                           

for cooks young and old.

A comic ITALIAN cookbook? Dreams really do come true in The Silver Spoon Kitchen's, Chop Sizzle Wow: The Silver Spoon Comic Cookbook which includes 50 classic Italian recipes that are easy enough for the little ones to help make. Every recipe is impressively illustrated step-by-step in comic book style, which makes everything extra fun. The Silver Spoon Kitchen leaves nothing out, sharing recipes like bruschetta, pizza margherita, and tiramisu. My favorite? The gnocchi hands down.

middle eastern cuisine.

I WISH I would have known of Honey & Co. the restaurant when I traveled to London back in 2012 when the restaurant opened. I love Middle Eastern food, it's just entirely out of my element to cook it myself. After reading Honey & Co.: The Cookbook by Israel-born couple Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, I still think that cooking Middle Eastern food is out of my league, but these two (I'm assuming mostly Sarit as she's the organized one) have definitely given me the courage to try some of the spreads and salads. And since summer is here, it's the perfect time to throw together their Watermelon & Feta Salad. Light, easy, and perfect!

I haven't heard a lot of buzz about this cookbook which came out last month, but I assure you, if Middle Eastern spices are your thing, you will get A LOT out of these recipes, especially the meatballs.

okay, so i loved this.

If you love the gays, entrepreneurship, and ice cream then Big Gay Ice Cream: Saucy Stories & Frozen Treats: Going All the Way with Ice Cream by partners and partners Bryan Petroff and Douglass Quint is definitely your next kick ass read. These two reinvented the ice cream truck when they decided to rent their own and do their own thing, which included a pretty standout name, fun toppings and unique sundaes spicing up the streets of New York City. I loved reading their story, almost as much as I loved the frozen treat recipes they shared. I'll take one salty pimp, please. And WHY HAVE I NEVER THOUGHT OF LINING MY CONE WITH PEANUT BUTTER! Fricken genius boys.

if you're looking for results, Heller's got them.

Marla Heller's The Dash Diet Younger You will transform your body, leaving you twenty years younger and twenty pounds lighter in just ten weeks. Well, I don't want to be nine years old again, and twenty pounds is a little much, but I still got A LOT out of this book, which builds on the success of Heller's popular DASH diet, it's simply designed for a younger looking inside and outside. I am in it for my mildly high blood pressure, honestly, and so far so good.

The Dash Diet Younger You includes a 14-day meal plan with breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner specified for each day. HELLO. You can do anything for 14 days. There are 75 recipes in all, and they are followed by a section on a healthier lifestyle, and on managing the aging process. Very easy to follow, and no one's asking you to do anything outrageous. Eat more plant-based foods and eliminate those sugars and processed goodies. The testimonials are super encouraging, so if you are someone looking to reverse time a bit, this diet is definitely for you.

i've never met a soup i didn't like, still true.

I love soup! I have come to love it even more during this HORRIFIC winter Western New York has been through. And I think its supposed snow in two days, but let's not think of that now. Let's think of warmer things. Like soup. Soup of the Day: 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year by Kate McMillan is amazing! 365 soup recipes, now that is something I can get behind. I'm so cold.

This recipe book follows the days of the year, beginning with New Years Day all through New Years Eve. There are recipes for the staples like French onion soup, chicken noodle, stews, chowders, and chili, but there are more unique and delicious ones in between. Many of the recipes are vegetarian friendly because what's more vegetarian than soup? Am I right? Some of the recipes only have like 7 ingredients, one of them being salt, which is great for people like me who refuse to even look at a recipe that includes more than 10 ingredients. I literally skip those. Ain't nobody got time for that. These recipes are diverse, seasonal, and easy to make, packed with fresh ingredients. The tomato bisque is my favorite right now.

I don't know, maybe you're stuck in a soup rut, maybe you're feeling a little wild and want to make a soup you've never tried before, if that's the case, McMillan has got you.

dessert made with wholesome ingredients.

I had the absolute best time in Oahu! I never realized that Hawaiian's were such foodies. I ate my weight in Kuala pork, red velvet pancakes, and garlic fries, and I don't regret a thing. Which leads me to my next review. Getting back on track eating wise has been super hard! Chocolate Covered Katie: Over 80 Delicious Recipes That Are Secretly Good For You by (blogger) Katie Higgins has helped a lot, thanks girl. First of all, the title is amaze, and secondly, the recipes are even more so. Like, get in my mouth immediately good. Every diet in the world is telling you eat less of the sweet stuff, except if you're French or Katie, who is super slim, and over here like EAT CHOCOLATE. I love her. Her book also gives you everything you need to work with. Appliances, flours, healthy sweeteners, etc. so that you can get right to the good stuff, like eating chocolate. Katie also includes nutritional information with all of her recipes, because math is hard. The flourless chocolate cookies are my spirit animal, but they are the only thing I have tried so far. I am looking forward to trying out everything. And since my husband is a health nut, buying natural and weird things like coconut flour for a million dollars doesn't really phase me anymore. Organic and all natural is worth every penny when you can eat Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Pie and not give a what. Seriously.

the new cake decorating bible.

I do have a bestie who doubles as a baker/cake decorator. And honestly, she's been a life savor for many an event. She makes my little brother's birthday cake every year, whatever he wants. Last year it was Frozen themed, he turned 26, whatever. But sooner or later, she's going to get married, have her babies, and she may not have time to give us the gift of beautiful cakes for all of our special events. That's where Artisan Cake Company's Visual Guide to Cake Decorating by Elizabeth Marek comes in. I do have the prerequisite of cake decorating class at summer camp 15 years ago, so I am totally ready for this guide to take me to the next level. Marek includes delicious cake recipes that do not come out of the box, along with the basics on creating, chilling, assembling that many decorating books leave out. There are examples upon examples, and as a visual learner, I appreciated all the photographs, especially the ones of what the batter should look like. I mean, how am I supposed to know that batter has a look? Anyways, this is a cake decorating guide for everyone, there is always something new to learn, and Marek will make sure you learn it. 5+ stars.

make hosting as enoyable as possible.

I adore Martina McBride, but I mean, who doesn't?  Like most female country music stars, she seems so genuine and sweet because she IS genuine and sweet. She shares her sweetness and her passion for entertaining with us in her very first book titled Around the Table: Recipe and Inspiration for Gatherings Throughout the Year where readers are invited to make themselves at home right in her kitchen as she shares her family traditions.

In another life, Martina says she would be a party planner. Well, that's pretty obvious in the beautiful themed gatherings, delicious recipes, and menu planning advice she inspires readers with, and the photographs are just gorgeous. I for one am going to take a whack at the Spring Brunch Outdoors once the weather improves, and maybe even throw together a Mistletoe and Martinis during this wonderful time of the year. Her themed nights are festive, fun and organized in such a way that it will be no trouble at all pulling them off.

NYC restaurant style cooking.

Marc Forgione is one of the Iron Chefs competing on Food Network's Iron Chef America and owner of restaurant Marc Forgione in New York City. Chef Forgione came out with his very first cookbook tilted (shockingly) Marc Forgione: Recipes and Stories from the Acclaimed Chef and Restaurant which is filled with 170 recipes including his signature favorites. Along with the recipes are beautiful photographs and his personal story of how he came to be one of America's Top Chefs.

Reasons why YOU should buy this book:

1. Chef Forgione shares the best notes and guidelines I've ever seen in a cookbook. They are super helpful and will ensure the perfect dish.
2. The signature Chili Lobster recipe.
3. The step-by-step instructions on how to debone a whole fish (with pictures).
4. The recipes aren't too intimidating and will be super impressive to dinner guests.
5. His story and writing which is inspiring and hospitable, just like him.