The Jimtown Store Cookbook: Recipes from Sonoma County's Favorite Country Market

I LOVE this oookbook. I entertain a lot and am always in need of a new recipes that look or give the perception of "fancy" without killing me in the kitchen. This book is the one. For instance, many of the appetizer and hors d'oeuvre recipes serve 12. In addition, they have included stories about their suppliers, recommended menus for get togethers and little tips or stories before each recipe. If you are a cookbook "reader" this one is a nice one to curl up with and enjoy. I have about 300 cookbooks and the trouble with most of them is that mostly they serve only as inspiration because each book contains too few recipes to make them a staple. Not this one, it sits right in my kitchen. I'm making the Dried Apricots with Chutney CHeese & Pomegranate Seeds next, since the pos are everywhere. And the chutney cheese.. not scary, just goat cheese mixed with plum, or other fruit chutney. Simple, looks and sounds fancy! Just my style!

The recipes in this book have stood the test of time. They are not dated in the least and the combination of flavors is amazing. This is one book that will never end up at Goodwill.

This has quickly become the cookbook I turn to most often (and I have hundreds of them). Everything I've tried has been so flavorful and so easy to pull off. The roasted figs and Indian cashews are now a cocktail party staple (and I keep getting calls for the recipe). Same goes for the cheese and pecan crackers. The bourbon-marinaded steak has made me a much more frequent meat-eater. And just this past weekend I made the incredibly easy buttermilk pie, to much fanfare. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. It's OUTSTANDING.

From a small-town country store in the Northern California wine region, comes a great collection of recipes and entertaining ideas using a variety of seasonal products. Authors Carrie Brown and John Werner (with a wonderful assist from cookbook pro Michael McLaughlin) have compiled the very best of seasonal recipes and menu ideas used in the Jimtown Store and its catering business. The recipes are clear and easy to follow (though I wish that the publisher had worked harder to print the COMPLETE recipe on 1 or 2 facing pages--flipping the page in the middle of food prep is a real hassle!). Overall, though, it is a nicely written volume, which provides ideas for springtime suppers, autumn tailgate parties, Fourth of July barbecues, as well as holiday meals. There is an extensive chapter on salads of all sorts, plus another on sauces, condiments, and relishes, just to give us a few new twists on some old stand-by themes. There are some great weekend ideas in the chapter entitled Breakfast Baking. I've already made the maple-glazed meatloaf for dinner (leftovers make terrific sandwiches), and am now planning Grilled Steak with Backyard Bourbon Marinade as well as Apple-Buttermilk Slaw for some weekend lunch guests. Just in time for summer entertaining, this book is destined to become a year-round classic in my kitchen!

One of those unique cookbooks where you'll want to make every recipe, and where you'll actually be able to. Jimtown's style is unfussy, focused on flavor and experience. These recipes mix old and new, national and international cuisine with witty and informative writing. I'm busy working my way through making the recipes and haven't had a dud yet!