It is not every day that I do something new for a book review. After so many years of posting weekly, I've pretty much read and reviewed just about every kind of book there is. That's what makes this review such a rarity. For the first time in the history of A Book A Week, I'm reviewing a cookbook! Now, anyone who knows me outside of the book blogging world knows that I'm actually an avid home chef. I love trying new recipes and spending time in the kitchen. I'm also a fan of home and lifestyle guru Joanna Gaines. I fell in love with her design and family while watching her hit HGTV show Fixer Upper. I've read her book about the founding of her company, and have enjoyed watching her turn her humble little Texas design shop into a full-on empire. Her first cookbook was a wonderful mix of family recipes, photos, and stories. When her publisher offered me a copy of her next cookbook Magnolia Table, Volume 2, I jumped at the chance to give it a read!At first, I struggled when trying to figure out how to review this one. Usually, I can just summarize the plot of the book and give a few reactionary shots. Somehow that didn't seem like the best approach for a cookbook. A book can look great and be aesthetically pleasing, but the recipes have to be cookable. I mean, if the food isn't any good, the book didn't really do its job. And so I did the only logical thing I could think of in this case. I dove into my kitchen and got to cooking.
A recent article said that the demand for yeast has grown around 647% since the COVID-19 outbreak. It seems that being forced to stay home has inspired us all to try our hand at bread baking. I'll be the first to admit that baking is not my strong suit, but I'm fortunate to have a boyfriend who is a master at all things baking. One perk of being forced to stay home is that my house has kept a steady supply of fresh baked goods. This week just so happened to have a loaf of home-baked brioche, the perfect base for trying out Gaines's French toast recipe. Armed with all of the proper ingredients, I set out to give this recipe a try.
One of the great things about the recipe, from the very start, is that the ingredients are all pretty much staples in most kitchens. With the exception of heavy cream, I had everything ready to go. While that's not necessarily the most important thing in judging the effectiveness of a recipe, it is certainly helpful right now. My local grocer has been pretty hit or miss when it comes to having even common food items in stock. The only thing I ended up omitting was the Strawberry Butter. I couldn't get my hands on Strawberries, so I used just regular butter instead. No one's ever complained about butter of any kind at my house anyway!From there the recipe was fairly straightforward. Gaines suggests keeping a wire rack on a sheet pan in a warmed oven to keep the French Toast warm. This was the kind of helpful hint I always appreciate in a cookbook. You could really tell that she tested this out in her kitchen with her family. The toast is cooked in batches, so this tip ensured the complete serving was hot at the end of cooking. I'm normally not a huge fan of sweets, but this French Toast recipe was a perfect balance. Crunchy on the outside, softer on the inside, well seasoned, picture-perfect. I was honestly most surprised at how pretty my plate looked. It was so appealing, in fact, that I almost didn't want to eat it. Almost.
Magnolia Table, Volume 2 serves as a wonderful companion to Gaines's first cookbook and is sure to inspire creativity and gathering with the recipes it contains. The French Toast recipe was simple to prepare but super tasty, the kind of recipe that I can easily foresee being added into the rotation of staples at our house. Something new to this installment is a brief guide to herbs and seasoning substitutions. This illustrated guide includes suggested parings and spice blend recipes that are informative and integral to having a basis for preparing recipes. Glancing through other recipes reveals that not only are they mostly minimal effort with the maximum end result, but they are also endlessly riff-able. I could see myself mixing and matching seasonings and sides to create more unique dishes. Whether you are an avid home cook like myself or a more novice chef, I think Magnolia Table, Volume 2 would make an excellent addition to any home kitchen.For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 20)
Gotta love a good cookbook! And I appreciate the ones that don't call for a lot of weird ingredients that I'm never going to buy. But then, Joanna Gaines seems like a very down-to-earth person. :)
ReplyDeleteShe does seem down to earth. I loved that these recipes were all so accessible.
DeleteI need to get this cookbook. 😊
ReplyDeleteYou do!
DeleteLove this post!! Now I'm craving French toast. I'm also a big fan of Joanna Gaines. Loved The Magnolia Story!
ReplyDeleteI really loved The Magnolia Story too. It is so cool to see how she has built this empire by staying true to her values and investing into her hometown!
DeleteEasily available ingredients is a plus right now lol
ReplyDeleteI think it was you who said, in a comment on my blog, that you broke your mixer from baking so much. I really need to get isolated with home chefs or a baker if this ever happens again. I can cook but it's a whole production and I get frazzled easily lol
Karen @ For What It's Worth
It was me haha. My replacement mixer came in this week, so we've been back to baking!
DeleteI'm glad the recipe was a good one.
ReplyDeleteMe too. We have another loaf of brioche, so I'm thinking more French Toast this weekend!
DeleteThis sounds like a good cookbook! I love it when a cookbook uses common ingredients in the recipes. There is nothing worse than having to run to the store to make whatever has caught your eye. Your pictures of the french toast you made are making me hungry!
ReplyDeleteEasy access to ingredients is a must. The french toast was incredible!
DeleteI love the Gaines..and a practical cookbook with family tested recipes and easy ingredients sounds wonderful. I like the helpful tips. We have a double oven and being able to keep one on warm as I cook large batches of anything is a plus..never thought about the rack on a cookie sheet for pancakes or french toast!
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great set of recipes to share with your family! My mind was blown when I read that tip about keeping your batches warm.
DeleteYour kitchen looks great! It's always fun to have a little sneak peek in other people's homes. I always do that when I go for a walk as well...
ReplyDeleteLOVE the French Toast recipe, we ate that frequently when I was younger.
Thanks. We've finally got the house looking presentable after we moved in in march! French toast is always a winner in my house!
DeleteI do love Joanna Gaines' style, but I didn't know she had recipes. The French toast looks and sounds delicious! Your kitchen looks beautiful, too. Fab review, Ethan! :)
ReplyDeleteBoth volumes of her cookbooks are worth a look. Thanks for the compliments on our kitchen. It is one of my favorite rooms in the house!
DeleteWow! Two cooks in one home. Your dinner parties must be slammin'. A big THANK YOU for including pictures. I need to see the food, it's just who I am, and it looked amazing. Glad you enjoyed cooking with Joanna.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome. He's the baker and I'm the cook, so we make for a pretty great team!
DeleteI have never reviewed a cookbook, but you make me want to try :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun challenge. I will definitely try to do more of it in the future!
Delete... can i come stay with you guys? Totally not for the constant source of baked goods, of course. Never. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou'd be welcome any time lol. Plus we could use the help eating all this food haha
DeleteI have only the vaguest idea who Joanna Gaines is but that doesn't even matter because I just enjoyed reading your review so much! I love that you took the time to actually try a recipe and share photos. (The photos look like something right out of a magazine, btw). Great post, Ethan!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! It was a lot of fun to try something different and to share my kitchen with all of you!
DeleteI make homemade rolls for the big holidays and I could not find yeast anywhere at Eastertime. Luckily, I had some old yeast in my fridge. Luckily, it worked like a dream. My family might not have survived with homemade rolls for Easter :)
ReplyDeleteI do like recipes that are down-to-Earth. I don't want to have to search the grocery store for exotic ingredients just to make dinner. I might have to check this cookbook out. Glad it worked well for you.
It was a great recipe. I'm eager to try out some more!
DeleteLike you, I learned about the Gaines family from watching them on HGTV, and while it's neat to see her calm, soothing nature, I find myself more drawn to the wild antics of her husband Chip, who despite making me laugh is actually quite skilled. I learned that she cooked when she cooked on the Food Network a little while ago. I love to watch cooking programs and try new recipes, but my kitchen is not nearly as beautiful as yours is.(lol) I'm hooked on Chopped, Top Chef, Master Chef, Food Paradise and a lot more, and I've been a collector of cookbooks for years. I really love some of the older ones from the 60's and 70's too. Kudos to you for doing such an awesome job of reviewing your first cookbook. As always, your reviewing skills are pretty amazing. Air Hugs and hope you are well! RO
ReplyDeleteAww thanks so much for the kind words, Ro! I definitely relate more to Chip as well. My boyfriend always says if you want to know about our relationship just look and Chip and Jo. I'm the Chip and he's the Joanna lol.
DeleteSince your boyfriend is good with the baking, I think Eleanor and I should get to test this out. We will take a few loaves of bread and some cinnamon rolls, please - lots of icing! Do you deliver?? :)
ReplyDeleteNext time you're in Texas we can work out a deal haha.
DeleteSounds good to me!
Delete:)
DeleteI love that you like to cook and your boyfriend is into baking. Sounds like you have food covered in your place. Thanks for sharing your review, and for testing out a recipe for us!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
We make a pretty great combo in the kitchen!
Delete