It has just occurred to us here at Cooking District HQ that we are officially into the second month of the year. And beginning to cook from the first of the about to be released 2013 cookbooks — some very exciting stuff coming. And yet we still haven't caught up on letting you know about all of the amazing books we found in 2012. For the next week or so, we will be rectifying that situation with a slew of reviews of some of our favorites.
First up,
In the Kitchen with David: QVC's Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home
by David Venable.
If you were asked to name the most influential people in the food world, Venable might not spring immediately to mind. But he probably should. His twice weekly program on QVC attracts an audience of 3.5 million viewers, sells up to 1,000 cookbooks a minute for the top tier tv chefs who come to visit, from Nigella Lawson to Rachael Ray and Paula Deen, and
In the Kitchen with David: QVC's Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home pre-sold an impressive 245,000 copies before it even launched. To put that in perspective, the industry considers a very well selling cookbook to be one that sells over 200,000 copies. A year.
Venable comes at cooking as a fan, not a pro. The youngest of three kids, he always gravitated towards the Southern kitchens of his mother and grandmother, and the recipes here reflect that kind of substantial and cozy cuisine. Waffles with warm mixed berry compote, an autumnal
Butternut squash soup with pumpkin butter, warm weather Summer squash fritters with garlic dipping sauce, marinated rib-eye steaks glossed with Gorgonzola butter,
meatloaf with mashed potato topping, a mac and cheese made with five types of cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, and eight ounces of cubed Velveeta, topped with six slices of smoky bacon. Bacon comes into play often in the book, or as Venable calls it "The Divine Swine." With accessible and well written and tested recipes,
In the Kitchen with David: QVC's Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home could earn a well worn spot in your own kitchen.