Customer Reviews

New Soul Cooking: Updating a Cuisine Rich in Flavor and Tradition (Melting Pot)

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

 

 

I am a novice who was given this book as a gift. I have to say, this book is perfect for beginners like me, as well as cooks that are more experienced. As someone who is intimidated by most cookbooks, I'll tell you why this book put me at ease:

Beautiful color photography! I don't know why some cookbooks either have no pictures, or bad illustrations. I like seeing what my goal is. And frankly, the pics look so tasty, it
was quite motivating.

Short list of ingredients. This was key for making me feel like the brown sugar and pineapple glazed ribs are obtainable. Let me tell you, they SO are!! And, I didn't have to search high and low for the ingredients. Whole Paycheck had everything I needed.

Anyway, this cookbook put me as ease, and the result has been several dinner parties where my friend's jaws clearly dropped below the dinner table.

Thank you, Tanya Holland, for inspiring me to cook more, and taking my flavors to an entirely new level!!

This book is fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in expanding their repertoire to one of the most accessible yet distinctive and richly flavorful cuisines. The author is a highly accomplished chef and writes in a lively and engaging manner. More importantly, the recipes are easy to follow. I was able to pick it up and put together a menu for guests that was a great success. Hurray! Also, another reviewer commented about the price. I think it's well worth the value. Most cookbooks are black and white and don't have pictures for everything. This one is beautiful to look at and you will really want to execute the dishes because you can see what the finished product looks like.

An exciting, intelligent, fresh and innovative book, which is long overdue. The recipes are easy to follow, wholesome and flavorful. Tanya Holland is a woman with vision, style and finesse. Kudos!!

Brilliant, Beautiful and Bold. I know it sounds like a soap opera, but those are really the best words to describe Tanya's New Soul Cooking. It's a must - have for all food enthusiasts. Her passion is infectious--don't even attempt to read this book without a fully stocked pantry. You'll want to get cooking immediately!

Delicious, beautifully photographed, to die for food. This book raises the standard for soul food cooking to another level. Fine dining and comfort food have joined together in a marriage of gourmet love.

I got this book to cook a traditional Christmas dinner for my family and friends, and I was so disappointed. I would not recommend this book. The recipes were not great. The photographs can be very deceptive. The banana pudding was mere mush.The 'yassa' chicken was disappointing and not to mention demoralizing. As a black woman, I am trying to get away from the 'yess sah' notion. Go elsewhere for true Southern cooking. No wonder there are so many of her books in the 'used' section for under $6.

I ordered this book through a bookclub and returned it. It was terrible! Tanya Holland is a beautiful Black woman, but I feel has gone too far out of the way to create "innovative and different" recipes so much that they are not appealing and certainly should not be categorized as soul food. The price is outrageous for the handful of recipes that were chosen for this cookbook. I collect african american/soul food cookbooks among others. If you are really into soul food cookbooks and what they really represent, your money would be better spent on "Essence Brings you Great Cooking" by Jonell Nash, "The Ebony Cookbook" by Freida DeKnight or "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" by the The National Council of Negro Women. If you are interested in healthier soul food try, "The New Ebony Cookbook" by Charlotte Lyons or "The Family Dinner Quilt Cookbook" by The National Council of Negro Women. If you are interested in diverse, cultural flavors, I would recommend Vertamae Grosvenor's cookbooks or "Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons" by Jessica B. Harris. I have collected over 50 african american soul food cookbooks. They cover the gamut. That is why I can give an honest opinion on Tanya Holland's book. I just wish that she would publish an african american cookbook that the average African American can relate to. One that would be useful to families in their everyday cooking.

go for Frank Stitt's Southern Table which is what a real Southern cooking book should be. This book is very pretty, but not well written. It's simply kitschy, and the recipes are not good at all. I made several things from this book, and they did not work. I would not advise buying this book. I'm sorry, but Tanya Holland is not a 'real' chef, maybe one of those many people who write cookbooks and put in pretty pictures to sell it. Just my personal opinion.

Nice recipes ideas, but don't think half of them are worth actually trying to make.