Recently, I had the opportunity to check out a new cookbook, which will be hitting store shelves in early Sept. The cookbook is called, "Rustic Joyful Food: My Heart's Table," by Danielle Kartes.
(Available on Sept. 3rd)
"Rustic Joyful Food: My Heart's Table showcases rising Seattle food star Danielle Kartes's uniquely homey and delicious recipes. With a focus on hearth, home, family, and connecting with the people you love, Danielle's from-the-heart creations will help you build memories around the table that last a lifetime."
I was not aware of Danielle before hearing about and reading her cookbook. All I knew of her was the this highlights reel that was shared with me, while I waited for her cookbook to arrive.
If you watch the Rachel Ray Show, or Hallmark Home & Family, then you have probably seen Danielle, as she regularly appears on these shows. You can see from the video what she is all about, and see how relatable and fun she is. I like how she emphasizes using foods found in the pantry, and how you can cook up wholesome and tasty dishes for your family, without the need for fancy cooking tools or gadgets. Just watching the highlights reel, I can see why people love her so much. It made me want to get her cookbook just so that I could try out all her different recipes, and share them with my family.
It was a "happy mail" day the other day, as not only were there no bills in the mailbox, but I finally received my copy of Danielle's cookbook. Just like with any new cookbook I get, I grabbed a notepad, so that I could tear off little sheets of paper, and flag recipes in the book that I wanted to try. As I started to go through the cookbook, I loved how Danielle shared a personal story about each recipe. I found myself wishing I had her as a friend, as she was so much like me, and family is the most important thing in her life, and she loves providing them with dishes that will not only fill their bellies, but will also warm their hearts.
I have only had this cookbook for a few days, but I took full advantage of this past weekend, getting in the kitchen to whip up a few of her dishes.
Rustic Joyful Food is broken up into the following sections...
- Pantry Staples
- Appetizers
- Salads and Side Dishes
- Soup's On
- The Main Dish
- To Drink
- Sweets
- Simple and From Scratch
It was so hard to narrow down the list of recipes I would have time to cook up, as I had flagged almost every recipe in the book. :-) But, I ended up, with the help of my girls, who looked at the full-color pictures of each recipe, narrowed it down to four recipes to try out....
- Bread Pudding French Toast with Strawberry Syrup -- Usually my husband does "Pancake Sundays" with my girls, while I sleep in. But, today I surprised them by waking up before them and preparing this breakfast, which was even tastier at dinner, when we warmed up leftovers. My girls were the firs to wake as the smell of this french toast cooking, make the house smell amazing. I have to say, I am not a big french toast fan, but I really enjoyed this one, especially with the easy to make strawberry syrup. If you are looking for an easy to make breakfast or brunch dish for your family, you really have to try Danielle's bread pudding french toast recipe. It will leave you wanting more!
- Pistachio Orange Shortbread Cookies -- I ended up making these cookies for my husband, as he loves anything and everything pistachio. He isn't a big sweets person, but uses the weekends to cheat. So, I knew that if I wanted him to truly enjoy these melt in your mouth shortbread cookies, I would have to whip up a batch over the weekend. I ended up making these cookies yesterday before the humidity and heat rolled in. Just like with the french toast recipe, these cookies left the house smelling amazing. The combination of pistachio and orange had your mouth watering, and my girls kept going to the kitchen to take a peak through the oven door at the cookies baking up. My husband loved these cookies, and my girls even gave them a try, and found they tasted good dipped in a cold glass of milk. I was lucky enough to sneak a cookie before they were all gone, and found myself wishing I had made more...they were so delicious!
- Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Summer Veggies -- We get a weekly food share CSA box from a nearby farm, so I was looking for a recipe that I could incorporate some of the freshly picked veggies with. And, with my oldest being a picky eater, I was able to make a big batch of spaghetti, so she could have with her grated Parmesan cheese, and my husband, my youngest daughter and I could enjoy the summer veggies roasted up. Because of the abundance of veggies we received in our CSA share, I added a few more veggies that the recipe didn't call for, and it came out great. Now I have a new weeknight or Sunday dinner recipe to cook up, that is not only tasty, but uses veggies that come from local farmers. It is always great to support local farmers and businesses, especially when you can use their product to make a tasty meal your family can't stop talking about.
I can't wait for next weekend to arrive, as I have a few more recipes I want to try, including homemade salad dressings, and more sweets. :-) If you love cookbooks and read them like books, then you will want to check out Danielle's new cookbook, "Rustic Joyful Food."' You can follow Danielle's recipes to a T or omit or add in your own ingredients to make the dish your very own. However you choose to cook up these recipes, know they will be well received by family and friends who gather around the table, to enjoy the meal you cooked up especially for them.
As mentioned above, this cookbook doesn't come out until September, but you can pre-order it now, so you have it in time for the upcoming Thanksgiving and holiday season. She really does have a wonderful selection of side dishes that would be perfect additions to your family's holiday dinners. You can learn more about Danielle and her cookbook by visiting her personal website - http://www.rusticjoyfulfood.com/. Want to see her mouth watering recipes up close? Then, head on over to her Instagram page to see for yourself, what this cookbook has in store for you -- https://www.instagram.com/rusticjoyfulfood/.
Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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