Trim Healthy Mama

I have never heard of Trim Healthy Mama, or THM, as it is often referred to in the cookbook. I am interested in finding healthful meals for my family so I found the title of the book interesting. However, I immediately felt like I had joined a group of people that had been together for years and didn't quite get their inside jokes. There was no introduction to the authors and the book immediately jumped to serving sizes, portions, and knowing the plan. There is also a list of ingredients to round up, like mineral salt, integral collagen, pristine whey protein, and suggestions for fake sugar. I love to cook and make dinner every night and quite often make desserts and treats, but this book made my head swim trying to figure out how I could make some of these recipes using all-purpose flour and traditional sugar. All of this is to say I don't think this book was written for me since I am not interested in the Trim Healthy Mama Plan. 
However, this is a huge cookbook and I was able to find quite a few meals that my family would like with only a little tweaking. The pictures are beautiful and the book is filled with family stories of how the sisters developed the recipes and how their family enjoys them. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books, but the opinions are my own. 

If you are interested in knowing more about the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, you can buy the book here Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook

Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season

Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season is a great book for the home cook who loves to cook seasonally. I enjoyed Michael Symon's easy style of writing and the pictures are simple and delicious-looking. The chapters are divided into Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Holidays. I skipped immediately to "Fall" and found several meals that I could make right away and that my whole family would like. 

Spring: I love that Symon included two recipes for ramps. They have a great, delicate flavor, but I never know what to do with them. There are so many fresh meals with seasonal vegetables, meat, and seafood. 

Summer: This chapter wasn't of much interest to me at this time (it is the end of the summer), but the section is filled with grilled recipes that are great for the summer and eating dinner in the hot weather. 

Fall: There are also two recipes for kohlrabi, which I have never eaten, but am interested in trying. I also saw several meals that I want to try right away, like Rigatoni with Mushrooms & Sage and Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Shallots. The recipes use few ingredients, but look flavorful. 

Winter: Symon utilizes root vegetables and one pan meals without being too heavy. The recipes are fresh and light and use seasonal fruits and vegetables. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review, but all opinions are my own. You can pre-order/purchase the book here: 5 in 5 For Every Season

The Broad Fork

I love trying new vegetables and attempting to eat fruits and vegetables in season, but don't always know what to do with sunchokes or morels. The Broad Fork by Hugh Acheson is inspirational and accessible. This book has four sections for the four seasons and is chock full with ideas for using ingredients you don't often use. It is not a vegetarian book, as I was afraid, and includes recipes that everyone will love.