The Church Supper Cookbook: A Special Collection of Over 375 Potluck Recipes from Families and Churches Across the Country [Hardcover]

David Joachim (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2001

As Americans rediscover their connection to food, some of our most treasured family recipes are making their way back to the table. These are not recipes that you can find in any standard cookbook. These recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, picking up the unique touch of each family member that has made them. Traditionally, these recipes are hard to come by. Only the most trusted friends and relatives are privy to them.

To find these treasured morsels, The Church Supper Cookbook went straight to the local legends of community cooking: America's small-town cooks. We asked nicely (pleaded in some cases!) and were graced with the good fortune of more than 375 delicious, time-honored dishes from our country's best cooks.

The Church Supper Cookbook is meant for home cooks who appreciate the value of the hard-to-find recipe served by a neighbor at a potluck or brought to a holiday gathering by a family member. Every recipe has a special flavor twist or clever cooking technique that makes it unique. Most recipes also include a heartwarming note from the cook.

This is the book to turn to when you need to bring a fabulous dish to a family get-together or community function. Almost every recipe can be made ahead and taken along. These dishes are perfect for holidays, Sunday dinners, and weeknights, too. They come together quickly, and the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen. With this book, you're sure to find plenty of new and tasty ways to feed your family. From brunch to dessert, The Church Supper Cookbook has it covered. Among the special features:

* Family-size recipes that serve 6 to 8 people
* Useful table of cooking equivalents
* Recipes to feed a crowd of 15 or 100
* Ingenious cooking shortcuts
* Perfect potluck dishes
* Over 150 cakes, cookies, pies, and puddings

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While slick television cooking shows and high-profile celebrity cookbooks are all the rage these days, The Church Supper Cookbook takes us back to a simpler time when potluck suppers would inspire each guest to bring their specialty dish to the table, whether it was that "fabulous lemon pie you make" or lasagna or ham loaf. We love these types of dishes because they remind us of childhood, of home, of "the good old days," but sadly, it seems, we can never quite duplicate them at home using a standard cookbook. The Church Supper Cookbook sets out to rectify that situation by presenting 375 of those homespun favorites, collected from parish members of churches across the country.

Filled with quiches and casseroles, pasta salads and potato salads, hearty breads and upside-down cakes, this book will surely transport readers to the potluck dinners of their past. These sorts of dishes--such as Spaghetti Pie, Chicken Sour Cream Bake, and cheesy Spinach Squares--are treasured not only because they are tasty, but also because they're easy to prepare, inexpensive, and hearty enough to feed a crowd. As such, the recipes, as you might expect, rely heavily on canned goods, pre-made sauces and frozen vegetables, and sour cream, bacon, cheese, and butter for flavor. So, if you're on a diet or prefer your meals to be made with fresh ingredients or from scratch, steer clear of this cookbook. But if you are drawn to kitschy Americana, or yearn for Pineapple Upside-Down Ham Loaf, The Church Supper Cookbook certainly fits the bill. --Robin Donovan

From the Inside Flap

The Church Supper Cookbook

As Americans rediscover their connection to food, some of our most treasured family recipes are making their way back to the table. These are not recipes that you can find in any standard cookbook. These recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, picking up the unique touch of each family member that has made them. Traditionally, these recipes are hard to come by. Only the most trusted friends and relatives are privy to them.

To find these treasured morsels, The Church Supper Cookbook went straight to the local legends of community cooking: America's small-town cooks. We asked nicely (pleaded in some cases!) and were graced with the good fortune of more than 375 delicious, time-honored dishes from our country's best cooks.

The Church Supper Cookbook is meant for home cooks who appreciate the value of the hard-to-find recipe served by a neighbor at a potluck or brought to a holiday gathering by a family member. Every recipe has a special flavor twist or clever cooking technique that makes it unique. Most recipes also include a heartwarming note from the cook.

This is the book to turn to when you need to bring a fabulous dish to a family get-together or community function. Almost every recipe can be made ahead and taken along. These dishes are perfect for holidays, Sunday dinners, and weeknights, too. They come together quickly, and the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen. With this book, you're sure to find plenty of new and tasty ways to feed your family. From brunch to dessert, The Church Supper Cookbook has it covered. Among the special features:

* Family-size recipes that serve 6 to 8 people
* Useful table of cooking equivalents
* Recipes to feed a crowd of 15 or 100
* Ingenious cooking shortcuts
* Perfect potluck dishes
* Over 150 cakes, cookies, pies, and puddings

David Joachim has edited more than 15 cookbooks, including the bestselling Prevention's The Healthy Cook and the award-winning Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin Cooking. He is the author of Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks and has appeared widely on national television and radio, including the Discovery Channel, Television Food Network, QVC, and National Public Radio. He cooks and gardens in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Yankee Books (October 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579545475
• ISBN-13: 978-1579545475
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Joachim has authored, edited, or collaborated on more than 35 cookbooks, including the IACP award-winning The Food Substitutions Bible and the New York Times bestsellers A Man, a Can, a Grill and Mastering the Grill, co-authored with Andrew Schloss. His 'A Man, a Can' series of books has sold more than 1 million copies. His latest book is Fire It Up, co-authored with Andrew Schloss. His website is www.davejoachim.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Advertisements Misleading, February 23, 2008

By 

Daizy (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Church Supper Cookbook: A Special Collection of Over 400 Potluck Recipes from Families and Churches Across the Country (Hardcover)

I bought the Church Supper Cookbook after seeing the ad that came in the mail with beautiful looking pictures. I also tried the Barbara's Peachy Chicken & it was delicious! However, once I received the book, I found out that there are absolutely NO pictures in the book at all. With all the pictures in the ad, it led me to believe there would be pictures in the book.
I must admit that I am one of those non-professional every-day cooks that wants to see how it looks before I attempt to try it. So I was very disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Home Cooking, July 14, 2008

By 

L. Spivey "food for thought" (Atlanta,Ga) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Church Supper Cookbook: A Special Collection of Over 375 Potluck Recipes from Families and Churches across the Country (Paperback)

This book is well worth the cost. I have tried several recipes and have found all are easy to prepare and the book gives great instructions. Most of the recipes are from northern states but easily fit into any regional church dinner. When I serve recipes from this book to guests at my home I always get compliments and requests for copies of the recipes. Makes a great addition to any cookbook collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect cookbook when you are having company, February 2, 2009

By 

Emma Price "Emmapv" (Brooklyn NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Church Supper Cookbook: A Special Collection of Over 375 Potluck Recipes from Families and Churches across the Country (Paperback)

I love this book. When you are having company, you do not want to be bending over a stove as your guests arrive. With these casserole type recipes, you put them in the oven well befoe the guests come, and smoothly take them out when you're ready to eat.

Also, guests love this food! It may be simple and old fashioned, but it is delicious. I just served a dinner party with macaroni and cheese, spinach squares, cole slaw and pineapple upside down cake. Sophisticated guests (I live in NYC) and they all went back for seconds.

I also find that these are very reliable recipes. They are simple, easy to follow, and if you cook them the first time for guests, you can have confidence. I really never use any other cookbook when people are coming over. (It is one of several I use for everyday cooking, because it doesn't use enough fresh ingredients for every meal in our health conscious age.)