Customer Reviews

You're Cookin' It Country: My Favorite Recipes and Memories

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

 

 

I wasn't sure what to expect from this cookbook. I've always liked Loretta Lynn's homespun "Mayberry" wisdom; and her anecdotes and narratives, while seemingly disconnected and random, are nevertheless charming and succinct. In her recollections, we meet Johnny and June Carter Cash, and, of course, Patsy Cline. We learn that Cline loved rabbit and that Loretta served fried rabbit the last time she saw Cline before her untimely death in March of 1963. I was prepared not to like this cookbook at first glance...Others, like Naomi Judd's, produce consistently disappointing results, but every recipe we've tried from this book has been, frankly--to my surprise--outstanding. The breakfast casserole is superb, and we served it on Christmas morning, with champagne, to rave reviews. The sausage pinwheels and BLT dip were served with cocktails on New Year's Eve, and everyone asked for the recipes. From the desserts...The fudge pie is excellent! The recipes are easy to cook and don't require any alterations or tampering like some cookbook recipes do. I'm a little squeamish about some of the included recipes, like Kentucky frog legs and possum--her daddy's favorite dish (Loretta tells us that possum meat is tough, and must be cooked slowly and for a long time, and oily)--but these are regional dishes and give the book an historical context. These recipes are on par with what I think are the best cookbooks anywhere--church cookbooks that represent real tried and true recipes from Americans. There's nothing fancy here. Just a collection of recipes that have produced some good eats.

Reading this book,one gets the feeling that they are visiting the Lynns in their home while fixin'supper. The book is a very light hearted read and you get to see how they had to use lots of love and ingenuity feeding all the family. Things may have been tough,but so were the people;and even when the variety may have been not what we are used to today; nobody ever went hungry. As a matter of fact ,the old saying that "We didn't even know we were poor,'cause everyone else was the same". I think it was Dolly Parton who said something to the effect , "You're never poor unless you think you are poor".
As time goes on, and Loretta's musical career skyrockets,we see their tastes really don't change. There are lots of recipes in the book that will bring back many fond memories of that great home cooking we enjoyed from our mothers and grandmothers;and even with all the cook books that get published;basic,simple home cooking is still the best.
Growing up in the Maritimes,our food was much the same except for a few of those Southern dishes like Possum,Squirrel and Grits.Of course, we had our Cod,Deer Meat and Dulse. But when the Cornbread and Molasses appeared on the table ,the feast was about to begin. As they say in Newfoundland; "Seal flippers and onions makes a hell of a meal". Don't try to order that in Tennennsee;but then you're not likely to find Possum stew on the menu in Newfoundland.
A wonderful read and we're going to cook up some of these great recipes;real soon ya'hear!

what fun, even if I never make the recipes, the stories were a treat. Rent Coal Miner's daughter to make the stories even better.

I haven't made the recipes yet but thoroughly enjoyed the stories. My grandfather & his family before him grew up much the same as they were from WV so it was nice to hear stories of someone who lived similarly. I originally bought the book hoping to get biscuits close to what my great aunt from WV makes. The recipe looks pretty close to the vague description she can give me, none of those women did much measuring and Loretta says in the beginning not to hold it against her because she never does either, she's given measurements to the best of her ability. I couldn't imagine my cupboard without this cookbook. It's not the impersonal kind like a better homes & gardens, these are tried & true, down home, quality ingredient recipes. She makes the same fresh green beans & new potatoes that my grandfather did with a hog jowl in it, my grandfather usually used a ham hock most of the time though. I know without making this one that's its great. I recommend this to anyone & everyone who likes to cook!

This book succeeds pretty well on 3 fronts: as cookbook, fodder for LL fans, and cultural artifact. Many of the recipes are for high fat and cholesterol treats -- in other words, delicious, but best indulged in by people who burn a lot of calories. The homespun anecdotes from LL occasionally seem a bit strained -- one expects she was told to supply them in cases where there really wasn't much of a story -- but it all sounds sincere. The reproduced snapshots, many of them from the Lynn's domestic life going back to the 1950s, are interesting for LL fans. This book is widely remaindered and can be found for considerably less than you see here.

I just got the cookbook yesterday and I haven't been able to put it down. I keep reading the recipes making notes of which ones I want to make. Loretta makes some classic southern things such as Wilted Lettuce and Chocolate Gravy. There are recipes for every meal and she includes plenty of stories and pictures to go along with many of the recipes. The recipes have easy ingredients. Things that you can find in the store and many in your own kitchen. The directions are also easy to follow. Nothing that a novice cook couldn't do. I think that real Loretta fans will love this cookbook the most. I don't think that someone who heard "Coalminer's Daughter" once twenty years ago will get the full effect of this book. I love Loretta, so if you're like me, you won't go wrong with this book.

I haven't made any of the recipes in this book yet, but it is so enjoyable just to look through and read. I love the pictures and Loretta's stories. I highly recommend this cookbook!

I can't boil water but I think this is the best, and only, cookbook I've ever bought.

I stopped cooking shortly after seeing my hotdog burst in the microwave as a child. Shocked and confused, I gave up cooking forever. Until now that is.

I actually bought this for Christal Rodgers. She is a big Loretta Lynn fan and she really seemed to enjoy reading this book as much as any human can enjoy reading a cookbook.

This book is a must have for any Loretta Lynn fan. I hope George Jones writes a book called "Fun in the kitchen with beer and whiskey" or something of that nature.

This was given as a Christmas gift to my sister-in-law who lives in East Tennessee and is big Loretta Lynn fan,she loves this book! The stories told were a big thrill to her and these recipes brought back memories as well.

That is what my husband said when I was finally able to make the brown gravy his mother made for him during his childhood. This cookbook is full of the comfort food our mothers made for us. This was actually his purchase. He may even cook with this book (not holding my breath, but it was a nice idea).