Customer Reviews

The Book Lover's Cookbook

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would recommend "The Booklover's Cookbook" as a perfect present for a bookworm who happens to cook (but perhaps not for a cook who happens to read occasionally).

It features 170 recipes with excerpts from various books mentioning that specific food, as well as quotes from authors on writing and books. Some of it seems to be a stretch, but over all the authors did a great job compiling it into this lovely book.

It is very amusing, if anything just to flip through on a slow Saturday afternoon with your friends and reminisce about stories you all read once upon a time (you will definitely hear a lot of "Oh yeah, I remember that book! I read it years ago, when I was in elementary school/just after whats-his-name broke up with me/in college for that horrible lit class/etc, etc"...).

The authors feature a nice variety of different foods spanning eras and book genres - from Ichabod's Slapjacks (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) to Mr. Casabon's Chicken Noodle Soup (Middlemarch) and Tamales (Like Water for Chocolate). Two recipes I was especially tickled by were the Turkish Delight (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) and Not Violet, but Blueberry Pie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) - it brought me back to my frustration with Edmund's greediness and of course the excitement shared with Charlie.

"The Booklover's Cookbook" is indeed an endearing book, meant to be shared in order to be truly enjoyed.

This volume combines two of my greatest passions, cooking and reading. With contributions from many famous authors, these two talented women have assembled some great recipes as well as unforgettable descriptions of meals. ... My mouth waters at the descriptions and I am itching to try some of these wonderful recipes. This is a wonderful book to curl up with and then when so inspired, start getting out the pans and and recreating the feel as well as the taste of these wonderful meals.
This book is on my Christmas list to share with others who share my passions and want some good reading as well as eating!

Who would have thought that actually reading a cookbook could be so much fun? My personal preference leans toward cookbooks that offer more than a collection of recipes and this book delights both readers of the classics and contemporary literature, as well as the enthusiastic cookbook collector. I had the good fortune of meeting authors Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen in a live chat. I was taken by their lively sense of humor and the fun they expressed they had in assembling the recipes to match the excerpts and quotations used throughout the book.

You'll find plenty of comfort food to enjoy while you read some great stories, or revisit old favorites.

A book filled with recipes and the passages from the books that inspired their creation.

Shaunda Kennedy Wenger is a writer and food lover. Her work has appeared in numerous publications. Her first children's book is about to be published by Richard Owens Publishers. She is also currently writing her first novel, which also contains recipes. Although originally from New Hampshire, she currently resides in Utah with her husband and three children.

Janet Kay Jensen is a speech pathologist. She is a published writer and has won numerous awards. She lives in Utah with her husband and is the mother of three children. She is currently working on her first novel.

This book is filled with over 200 recipes, all inspired by passages in books. There are no photographs in this book, as all book lovers need is an imagination! Some of the exciting chapters contained within this book are: Breakfasts; Main and Side Dishes; Soups; Salads; Appetizers, Breads and Other Finger Foods; Desserts; and, Cookies and Other Sweets.

As a person who enjoys cooking first, and then reading, I found the recipes were mediocre. I think this was a difficult task for the authors, but some of the recipes, I didn't quite imagine that their interpretation of the passage equalled the resulting recipe. I feel like this book is really for, as the title indicates, a book lover's cookbook.

There are some interesting recipes, such as "A King's Bean Salad" inspired by "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder and "Pippi's Orange-Cranberry Muffins" inspired by "Pippi Longstocking" by Astrid Lindgren.

This is a good book that is an excellent gift idea for book lovers that love to cook.

Good books and good food are unadulterated comfort for many of us. The painstakingly-researched, kitchen-tested recipes drawn from the contents of books loved by so many readers, coupled with the beautiful phsyical presentation of this cookbook make it a must-have for all who appreciate good books, good food, or both! I've already shared the news of this publication with friends and received enthusiastic responses, many of which make reference to their gift lists for upcoming holidays.

This unique cookbook combines a passion for books and for cooking. Recipes from literature and related to recognized literary works for adults and children are organized by type (desserts, beverages,etc.) Excerpts that mention the type of food are included and are often familiar passages. In some cases, the author contributed the recipes; in others, it was originally included in the literary work being referenced or comes from elsewhere. It's entertaining to remember or be introduced to the passages, situations and feelings that give rise to the culinary references. And the recipes are practical and easy to make as well. This makes a great gift book.

Every page of this delightful book is interesting. Snippets of old favorites, new novels, children's stories, and classics are included, along with wonderful recipes from those passages---some of them from the authors themselves. Wonderful quotes about literature are interspersed along with delightful recipes for us foodies who also happen to love books. A perfect combination!

I received ths book as a gift and loved it at once. I'm 70+ and at this stage don't Really need another cook book, but this book is so original giving excerpts from novels and other works in which recipes are mentioned; then presenting the recipes for us to try.

Along the way, I found myself saying: Why haven't I ever prepare that dish or why is it I never got around to reading this or that book?

It will bring a smile to anyone who enjoys cooking and reading as do I.
My order was a gift to my daughter, a good cook and an avid reader as well.

I purchased this book for a friend who's favorite book is Tara Road. I was surprised to see an excerpt from the book in this recipe book so I had to order it. She received it for her birthday and is already anxious to get cooking on some of the recipes. I guess that means it was a good pick!

A book lover's cookbook ought to a) contain passages that make one want to eat particular foods, or b) be a handy reference to foods mentioned in books -- ideally both. I found this to be almost, but not quite, either of the above.

For example, when I read Moby Dick, I really wanted to find a recipe for chowder like they served the boarders at the inn. I am still looking; you won't find Moby Dick referenced in this book, or chowder. When I read about gruel in Oliver Twist, I may be curious to read a recipe for the thin, oat-based dish; I would never expect a recipe about "Plentiful Dreamy Fish Stew". Sadly, these are typical examples: really great books with moving passages about food are missing, and there is often poor correlation between the passages quoted and the recipes provided.

Happily, this is not always the case. You will find a recipe for tea cakes and Turkish delight with stories from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

A final point, I would hope a book with "book lover" in the title would talk about books I have read or want to read. While I found a number of those in this book, it overwhelming favors (IMHO) lesser-known volumes and (frankly) books I would probably never read. The non sequiturs, passages lacking, and low quality selections are enough to make one keep looking for a book lovers cookbook.