Customer Reviews

Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book contains a considerable number of tasty recipes of the southern comfort food variety. My one complaint about this book is the quantity of recipes that calls for Emeril's proprietary products such as Emeril's Original Essenence, Emeril's Southwest Essence, etc. Now here's the kicker: I went to the web site that contains a good number of Emeril's recipes and found among the various recipes there the recipes for these proprietary "Essences." So I now have taped in my own cookbook the recipes for Original Essence, Creole Essence, Soutwest Essence, etc. These steps, however, should not have been necessary. This cookbook should have contained all these recipes right off the bat.

I've always hated potluck occasions because I never knew what to bring. I've been to too many such occasions where the menu ended up being mostly deserts. So being a fan of Emeril's, I decided to give this book a try, and man, I'm glad I did. Everything I've made from it has been wonderful and well-praised. My husband's and my favorite recipe has to be the antipasto pasta salad. It whips up quick, so we often eat it for dinner. I spent several hours on Christmas Eve putting together a Breakfast caserolle for Christmas morning, and despite the prep time, I was still glad I made it because it was wonderful, and I learned to do something new.

Some reviewers might have a problem with Emeril using his spice blends in his recipes, but I find that a rather ridiculous conceit on their part. He developed these recipes, he uses these spice-blends in his cooking often, and it shouldn't come as a surprise to the buyer that they may appear in his books.

Anyway, this is my most frequently used cookbook and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Reading this cookbook from cover to cover was a pleasure. It reads like a family history. For any Emeril fan, his descriptions and tips read just as he talks. As to be expected, he also uses onions, bell pepper, and garlic in nearly all his recipes. Many of these we have seen before in various cookbooks, but Emeril updates them, adding his own flair, thus making the new versions seem fresh.



What works for me about this particular cookbook:



*All the handy tips that are given about various food items
*If an item is difficult to find, a substitute is given - and there aren't many of these.
*The majority of the recipes are ones that can be used in my own kitchen
*All seasons are covered


What doesn't work for me is one thing only. As much as I like Emeril, I would really have liked to have seen more pictures of the finished dishes rather than all of them be him.



As a collector of cookbooks, this is my first one by Emeril, but it certainly won't be my last! Great job.

He always wants to help those who like food and cooking and want to kick it up notches. He provides us foodies with an excellent source for that dish one wants to contribute to a feast of cuisine with family, friends and dining functions.

There is a considerable variety of all the components of a great potluck feast: drinks, appetizers, salads, soups, casseroles, gumbos, sides, breads, desserts. There is nice section are starters like stocks and mayonnaise,etc., plus sources and restaurants.

As he relates it so well, food is about sharing and so Emeril shares some of his favorites here in the category of what he calls: comfort food kicked up as Emeril does. Many he just gives us classics and others he kicks up. Sampling the several hundred of recipes yield all kinds of ones to try and share: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie; Oysters Rockefeller Soup; Kicked-Up Spinach and Artichoke Dip; Milk Shakes For Grown Ups; Courtney's Kicked-Up Fiesta Loaf; Paul's Make the Whole Crew Happy Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy; Chicken Chili With Cornbread Topping; Cowboy Chicken Casserole; Retro Ambrosia.

There is something great for everyone's tastes and culinary skills to make and serve and share at all kinds of eating events. This is great potluck collection, not difficult at all in techniques or ingredients. Many will be blessed using this.

This is one of my all time favorite cookbooks, I am an avid cookbook collector and I don't make too many recipes more than once. This book is wonderful, I use it over and over again ( I have a large family). I make everything ahead of time, and get the most compliments from these recipes...the macaroni and four cheeses, spinach and artichole dip and the brisket are some of my favorites. I cannot say enought about this wonderful book!!!

I enjoyed many recipes from this book - threy were all tasty but with readily available ingredients. I'm always looking for new recipes to bring to our get-to-gethers. Thaks, Emeril

I've always been a fan of Emeril. This book has some great recipes. Keep in mind they are for a crowd. All the recipes I have tried so far were a huge hit.

What is 'kicked-up comfort food'? It's what chef Emeril LaGasse specializes in producing - and what Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food With A Kicked-Up Attitude so innovatively covers. This is a party cookbook for those invited to 'potluck' who wish to bring something flavorful, simple, and widely appealing. Dishes such as Aldain's Grandmother's Meat and Potato Casserole or a classic Country Captain Chicken dish are presented with the mark of Lagasse's recommendation and family experiences with the dish. While most will sound familiar, having a host of comfort foods tried and tested under one cover makes Emeril's Potluck appealing and special.

The thing I love about this book is that there are many classic recipes such as green bean casserole and lemon squares that are just so much better than the old recipes.This book is also good for company and large families(of which I am a representative).There are no bland recipes here.They are all to die for.If I had to choose one of my many cookbooks to rescue from a fire,this would definitely be it.

Excellent book. Easy to follow recipes that make comfort foods a pleasure to prepare; and of course to eat.