Customer Reviews

Fall, Family & Friends Cookbook (Gooseberry Patch)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love these cookbooks and quite frankly, REALLY wanted this one because of the cover. Silly, I know, but it's true! Anyway, got a coupon from a local fabric shop so I got this one for a great price and I'm SO glad! I still haven't stopped using it. The breakfast recipes in this book are nothing short of FABULOUS! These are serious, down-on-the-farm, feed all the boys recipes! You certainly won't walk away hungry after eating any of them. There are wonderful casseroles for breakfast, gingerbread pancakes, and wonderful breads. This cookbook has now become my favorite for more thn just the cover. It's just wonderful. Highly, highly recommend!

I am an avid collector of Gooseberry Patch books. I love them all. My less than stellar review of this book centers on one basic problem. Repeating recipes! This book has recipes that already appear in other Gooseberry Patch volumes. The different name does not a different recipe make. In fact, one recipe in the book appear in no less than two of their other books. I wish they would develop a better screening process for what recipes go into the books.

Since receiving this cookbook 2 weeks ago I have made over 10 dishes from it. For me that's nearly a miracle! Most cookbooks I own only offer a few recipes that are appealing to me or sound good enough to put in the effort that's required for it. Fall, Family & Friends is filled to the brim with recipes that don't only sound delicious but are simple and straight foward. I haven't seen an ingredient yet that I couldn't find at any grocery store across the country. That means no trips across town to a speciality super market for some crazy spice or fruit that's only available 3 weeks out of the year.
Obviously these aren't culinary masterpieces or gastromincal deliciacies but they are what your average suburban woman/man craves during the crisp Fall months (and beyond). It's the food equivilant of a cozy blanket or fuzzy socks, familiar and comforting.

Some of my favorites so far are the Hot Bacon Swiss Dip on page 61, Sugary Cinnamon Roll-ups on page 36, Instant Coffee Bars on page 52, Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole on page 92, Autumn Spice Bread on page 118, Chicken Netti on page 155, and Pumpkin Bread Puddin' on page 196.

The book is divided into 8 sections:
Favorite Fall Sippers
Farm-Fresh Breakfasts
Hay-Day Appetizers
Farmstand-Fresh Sides and Salads
Country Style Soups and Breads
Slowly Simmered Flavors of Fall
A Thankful Heart:Harvest Main Dishes
Autumn Treats

The crafts, decorations, and presentation ideas at the bottom of each page are cute, fun and even helpful. I like the recommendation of coating the edges of a jack-o-latern with petroleum jelly to keep them looking "fresh" longer.

This cookbook really captures the bucolic essence of Autumn. I'm looking foward to some chilly night in late October and curling up with a cup of the Smoked Sausage Potato Soup (page 126) and reading this cookbook again!

What I find most interesting in looking at a new cookbook, is finding new recipies that you know will taste good because they are something close to what you already have in your bag of standards.

For instance, on page 57 of this book they have a recipie for 'Oh-So-Cheesy Chili Dip'. I've made something very similar to this, but used a different set of cheeses. Now I'm waiting for another excuse to go try this. I do find in looking at a recipie like this that I will have in irresistible urge to modify it. The chili dip, for instance calls out for some more spices to make it a bit hotter. And it didn't say that you should use chili without beans. Hmmmm! Maybe I should try it once with chili with beans.

This is a homespun looking cookbook, kind of like what you'd expect from your local church. The recipies have been contributed by people from all over the country. They are printed in a lay-flat binding so it won't flop over in the middle of preparing something.

Are the recipies what you'd like, there's no way I can tell without listing each and every one. Let's just say that there's a wide variety of everything from appetizers to desserts. If there's a single thing that I'd say about these recipies is that most of them are very simple, few strange spices, no complex procedures. Good things to do with your kid as a joint project.

I am a big fan of gooseberry cookbooks and I really enjoyed this one. The recipes are easy to make. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who likes to cook.

I just love the Gooseberry Cookbooks and have several of them. This one is definitely a winner and I can highly recommend it. It lives up to its' title, as it is filled with great recipes for get-togethers, especially for Fall and comfort food at its' best.

I bought this cookbook and was pleasantly surprised with the recipes. There is something for everyone in this cook book, and the recipes are simple and cover many different things. The recipes are definitely Fall/comfort-food themed.

So many times the emphasis in these types of books is on meals that will appeal to smaller children. So if you're past the age of twelve, your tastebuds will be cringing at all the sugar and bland combinations. This book includes many more receipes for a palate that enjoys spices, less usualcombinations of foods--yet still doable and family friendly. Several good brunch ideas--including clever breads and make-aheads. This is a good go-to book for feeding families without making too many demands on the cook or embarassing adults who are used to more sophisticated fare.