Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a food lover's dream come true, May 29, 2009
In the tradition of Laurie Colwin and Ann Hodgman, Luisa Perkins serves up her own rich portions of entertaining prose and time-tested, delicious recipes in her new book, Comfortably Yum. Many (maybe all?) of these recipes can be found on Luisa's wonderful blog, Novembrance, but now they're here in one place and, much to my delight, on my kitchen counter.
Each recipe (whether reprinted, reinvented, or "reverse-engineered") reflects the writer's love of good food and generosity of spirit. Perkins is liberal (or, shall we say, progressive) with her use of heavy cream, butter, milk, and cheese. She has my unflagging affection for her description of eggs (pg. 143) as "Nature's perfect food."
There is wisdom in Luisa's approach to food: "Food is a blessing," she writes. "Don't worship it, but do savor it.... Share it with as many people as you can." Amen, Luisa, amen.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comfortably Yum is aptly named, June 1, 2009
I was extremely excited to find out that Ms. Perkins, a talented home chef, was putting out her own cookbook.
My excitement increased as I tore through my copy of "Comfortably Yum" and found that my all-time favorite food quote (the description of breakfast from Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Farmer Boy") was Ms. Perkins's pick for the intro. to her Breakfast section. I knew that my keen anticipation had not been in vain.
What I love about Ms. Perkins's philosophy about food is that it is a gift to be enjoyed, and that if people have "food issues" that's about other things and choices they make, not about recipes prepared well. She doesn't stint in the use of butter or sugar, and she has this marvelous story about her mother-in-law:
"Last Thanksgiving, my friend Tina Fairweather asked her (Luisa's mother-in-law) how to make it(cream of vegetable soup); my mother-in-law began giving instructions in response.When she came to the cup of milk and the cup of heavy cream, Tina asked, 'So you could use half-and-half, then?'
My mother-in-law replied in gracious but firm tones, 'Oh, no. I find there is no substitute for heavy cream.' Amen, Mother, amen."
Ms. Perkins also manages to convey her patience and kind heart via her writing: she presents an extremely useful ingredients/tools section at the beginning, which will certainly help in re-creating the recipes to their best advantage.
This book is actually a love letter to her family and friends, and she has beautiful commentary throughout, including humorous "Prelude" and "Postlude" sections. The Prelude concerns Ms. Perkins's personal history with food, and the Postlude contains some of her philosophy about food and enjoyment. Ms. Perkins is also an active member of her church, and she shares LDS traditions and philosophy along with her comments on family rituals and fun. Her comments are never heavy-handed or proselytizing, however - her views on these areas simply add to the points she's making about a particular recipe or section.
The recipes themselves are everything one could wish for - practical and delicious. Most of the recipes are fairly straightforward, but whether a recipe is as simple as her "Lynyrd Skynyrd" dip or is somewhat more complex, such as her Fondue recipe, her directions are crystal clear and feature humor and heart. Drinking peppermint tea is part of the Fondue ritual, for example, and listening to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs or The Gypsy Kings on low is a secret for making the Chicken Enchiladas the best they can be. While many of the recipes could define home-cooked "comfort food" - creamed tuna, a truly fabulous granola recipe, lemon squares, chocolate cake, and the previously mentioned enchiladas (which apparently elicited her wedding proposal), there are also a wonderful smattering of international recipes, especially Canadian (including poutine - for which I praise Luisa forever) and many Swiss recipes, reflecting her mother-in-law's heritage.
The sections themselves cover the gamut: breakfast, soups, main dishes, accompaniments, desserts and "snacks and pantry food".
I've had a tradition of giving Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" to newlyweds, college grads, and those who are just, plain starting new lives: for me, it is the modern version of "The Joy of Cooking". I love the book, but it's somewhat overwhelming, and there are some things that Bittman does far better than others (his bread section, for example, is fairly abysmal, IMHO). I've decided to switch, however, to "Comfortably Yum".
While it is on a smaller scale, "Comfortably Yum" is everything a new cook (or an experienced one) could wish for, and in addition to the fabulous culinary recipes, a wonderful recipe for living life with heart and humor is woven throughout. Who could ask for more?
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Cookbook as Warm and Delicious as the Recipes Shared Within, July 24, 2009
Previous reviewers have already said much of what I would say so I'll be brief. In Comfortably Yum we have been given a gift of such warmth and delight! Luisa Perkins' sweet and humorous personality all but leaps off the pages within, and the recipes, ah the recipes. I've tried several now and all have been raging successes. Here we are taught a keen appreciation for food and laughter and everything wonderful in between.
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