The Merry Gourmet the cookbook shelf: savory sweet life by alice currah (a giveaway!)

the cookbook shelf: savory sweet life by alice currah (a giveaway!)

posted on July 10, 2012 by Merry-Jennifer

I’m happy to announce a new recurring series, The Cookbook Shelf. In this column, I will review a cookbook that has landed on my desk, found its way into my kitchen, and taken up prime residence on my cookbook shelf.

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The Book

Today’s cookbook is Savory Sweet Life: 100 Simply Delicious Recipes for Every Family Occasion.

The Brainchild

Alice Currah is a pretty amazing woman. She began the wonderful food blog, Savory Sweet Life, in February 2009. On SSL, she shares family recipes along with stories and photographs that tell of her everyday life. I feel fortunate to have met Alice in Seattle at the first food blog conference I ever attended. She was – and is – just as sweet as I imagined she would be. You can connect with Alice on Twitter or Facebook.

This Book is Best For…

Alice’s cookbook is great for all home cooks. Through the headnotes of each recipe, it’s as if Alice is talking to you. The recipes use common, easy-to-find ingredients, and the recipes are organized around typical events in a family’s life – Sunday Mornings, Father’s Day, Game Day, and so on.

Attention-Getting Recipes

Dad’s Carrot Cake immediately caught my attention, and it was the first thing I baked when I returned from our California trip last week. I’ve also got my eye on the Smoky Corn Chowder and her Watermelon Feta Salad, especially since it is prime sweet corn and watermelon season here in northern Florida. And since Alice lives in Seattle, maybe the best location for fresh salmon, I believe her Sesame Ginger King Salmon Fillets will win over my entire family.

The Bottom Line

The Savory Sweet Life cookbook is a beautiful and practical addition to the cookbook shelf. Written with a family in mind, Alice shares her favorite kid-friendly, family-friendly, and company-worthy dishes for all occasions. My copy is already dog-eared.

Stock Your Bookshelf

You can buy Savory Sweet Life through Amazon by clicking through that link. You can also find through local, independent booksellers near you.

Or, you can win a copy here, courtesy of the publisher, William Morrow.

Here’s how…Alice has a section on Potlucks in her cookbook. To enter the giveaway for a copy of her book, leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite dish to bring — or to eat — at potlucks?

Fine Print:

I’ll choose the winner at random on July 19, 2012. Comments are open until July 18 at 6pm EST (i.e, New York time). And please, only one comment per person!

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Full Disclosure: I received a free review copy of said cookbook from the publisher, with no obligation on my part. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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And, the time is up! The winner of the book giveaway is…