Kindle / Audiobook and Book Reviews by Audiothing

99 Favorite Amish Soups and Stews

Thursday, 23 June 2016

Author: Georgia Varozza
source: NetGalley ARC
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Publication Date: 1st July 2016

Kindle
ASIN: B01EBNW6DU

Summary excerpt:

Dish Out Some Simple GoodnessGeorgia Varozza, author of 99 Favorite Amish Recipes and The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook, presents 99 Favorite Amish Soups and Stews. This little cookbook is packed with recipes for delicious soups and hearty stews, along with tasty side dishes to round out your meal.All you need are a few basic ingredients and some savory spices to make appealing meals that are sure to become family favorites

My Thoughts

If you are looking for tasty, nourishing home cooked meals made from simple ingredients then this book should fit the bill.

There is a slight drawback though, some of the American food names are unfamiliar to those of us who live in other parts of the world, “hamburger” for example. No, it doesn’t refer to a meat patty in a bun, it is minced beef! A quick internet search will help with the unfamiliar terms and also with ingredient substitutions if necessary.

Here is a recipe from the book, it was easy to make and very tasty,:

I’ve converted the measurement to metric and ingredients to Australian

SPICY CHICKEN CHILI

2 Tablespoons oil

800 grams of chopped boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breast

100 grams chopped onion - I just used 1 small onion

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 cans chopped tomatoes - about 900 grams in total

2 cans pinto beans (couldn’t find any so I used kidney beans)

1 can of enchilada sauce - you can find jars where the Mexican food is, or make your own, very easy

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ground cumin

Brown the meat, add everything else, cover pot and simmer until meat is tender.

serve it up in bowls and garnish with corn chips, sour cream, chopped cilantro (coriander), fresh lime juice and shredded Cheddar cheese - I used Colby because it melts nicely and I also added chopped jalapeños. The recipe does say to use what sounds good.

This was plenty for four adult meals, served with rice, it would be a very economical dinner.

The recipes are well laid out and easy to follow.

I think there is something for everyone in this book, personally I’m not attracted to the squirrel stew, but somebody might be!

.www dot harvesthousepublishers dot com Used by Permission.

A Taste of Beirut. Kindle Edition

Sunday, 1 May 2016

Author: Joumana Accad

Edition: NetGalley ARC

5 STARS

About the author:

Joumana Accad, creator of the blog TasteOfBeirutdotcom is a native Lebanese, a trained pastry chef, and professional caterer. In her debut cookbook, the The Taste of Beirut, she shares her heritage through exquisite food and anecdotes, teaching anyone from newbies to foodies how to master traditional Lebanese cuisine. With over 150 recipes inspired by her Teta (grandmother) in their family's kitchen, Accad captures the fabulous flavors of the Middle East and makes them completely accessible to home cooks. Each recipe features step-by-step instructions, Accad's warm teaching style, and breathtaking color photographs that will make mouths water

My Thoughts:

Like many, I do love browsing through a cookbook but I need more than just recipes. Apart from having food I might like to cook and eat, I want logically sequenced chapters, regional information, little anecdotes, clear instructions and beautiful photographs. Not much to ask for is it?
This little gem has it all, and, as the author is native Lebanese I have faith in its authenticity. I was first introduced to Lebanese food years ago by a friend, he too came from Beirut. He missed his mothers cooking, and after he'd 'phoned home he would, almost tearfully, describe what his mother was preparing for dinner! He couldn't cook, so my introduction was more by way of detailed descriptions of the family dinners he was missing.
No excuses for me now, Joumana Accad makes things easy, this is what she has to say about cooking:

My philosophy about cooking exemplifies what I believe is a common thread for Lebanese culinary artists: striving to reach the highest flavor quotient with the smallest number of basic ingredients. Lebanese cuisine is not for the sophisticate; it is for the person who values conviviality above all else.

My favourite parts of the book are "the dos and donts of Lebanese cooking" which includes a nifty way of always having the essential onions always at the ready. Chapter 5 entitled: Mezzes: Dips, Finger Foods, Salads, and Sides is probably my favourite. Best of all, there's a glossary, this, for me is an essential element of any cookbook, especially one that uses ingredients with unfamiliar names.
Highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley and HCI books who provided this review copy in return for an honest review

Murder on a Silver Platter KINDLE

Saturday, 12 March 2016

Arc version NetGalley

Print Length: 276 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1943390576

Publisher: Henery Press (February 23, 2016)

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

A Culinary Cozy Mystery

5 Star Rating

Outline

It didn't take me long to get hooked into this fast paced mystery, Penelope is a caterer with her own business, she also acts as Personal Chef to a film star, Arlena. Arlena has a dog with the wonderful name of Zazoo who, being quite smart, took advantage of a power cut to escape through the electric doggie door and out into the freezing snowy night. With only a torch for light Arlena and Penelope set out to find him .... and discover a body in the snow.
Strange things happen, life gets dangerous for Arlena but because this is a relatively short story of 276 pages, there's not too much I can reveal for fear of spoilers

Review

This was quite a fast read, not just because of page length but because I couldn't put it down, it's that entertaining! I enjoyed the characters, Penelope is a strong and determined young woman, quite capably running her own business. I found the film setting quite interesting too, it's a bit different to the usual culinary cozy it's good to get out of the bakery kitchen, the film set brought a freshness to the genre. The author must be quite knowledgeable about film sets because it has the ring of authenticity, not that I would know otherwise.

There's some romance, but the focus of the story is the mystery. In my opinion the author makes it difficult for the reader to solve it, but I don't mind that, and I'm sure some budding sleuths will read it and come up with the answer, they will have to think hard though.

I'd recommend this book to those who enjoy a culinary mystery but want something a bit different

An enjoyable read and a good start to a new series from Shawn Reilly Simmons

ARC kindly supplied by NetGalley and Henery Press in return for an honest review

The Girl in the Ice

Monday, 15 February 2016

Publisher: Bookouture (February 12, 2016)
Publication Date: February 12, 2016
Sold by: Amazon
Language: English
ASIN: B019G6DSDE
ISBN 9781910751763
3 Star review
Excerpt from publishers summary:
"When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.
The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London."
My Review
I don't like to disagree with everyone else, but I was asked for an honest review in return for my Netgalley ARC and this is it.
The prologue, written from the victims point of view, seemed promising, full of intrigue and tension, and the anticipation of getting a good read hooked me. Sorry to say it, but for me it all went downhill from there on, my disillusionment began with Erika. Erika is the lead character and, like so many fictional female detectives, is emotionally damaged and socially inept. She resents authority and goes her own way against all orders and common sense. She is hell bent on her own theory and won't cooperate with anyone else. That her presence will engender resentment from her new colleagues pretty much goes without saying. I'm not even sure she should even have been placed in that particular setting. Would the Metropolitan Police Force, with all their resources really bring in an officer from another territory to investigate a murder? Would the officers really act in the manner portrayed? I don't think it likely, not these days but then, I'm sure the author would have used the services of a police media advisor.
There were far too many stereotypical characters for my liking, even the old prostitute is a dirty, foul mouthed, ill mannered, drug addicted woman with crooked brown teeth. The working classes and criminals are portrayed as arrogant and ill mannered because they are poor, and the are rich portrayed as arrogant and ill mannered because they are privileged.
I thought it was a real shame because the actual plot itself is quite good and that is what earns it the 3rd star. It failed for me though because the whole story ran along predictable lines, including the usual part where the protagonist finds herself facing almost certain death (and that's not a spoiler because we know it's a serial). Having said that, judging by the number of 5 stars and the gushing comments, this style of writing must be exactly what many people want to read, I'm just not one of them.
ARC provided by Netgalley and Bookouture in return for an honest review.