My Family Table -A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking

John Besh
November 2011
Non-Fiction- Cookbook
ISBN:    9781449407872
Hardcover
Pages 272
List Price: $35

John Besh's book My Family Table -A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking is the perfect book to bring a busy family back to the table for meals. As a home cook you can find a cookbook on almost any type of food, technique, or by almost any chef.  We buy books because we find a recipe that catches our eye, we want to try a new technique or style of cooking, or we are a fan of the celebrity chef gracing the cover.  Then life gets busy and we look for what is fast, easy and the family will eat.  I am guilty of having celebrity chefs gracing the cover of some of my cookbooks, but none of them are books I have enjoyed more than My Family Table and Besh's previous book My New Orleans. 

"Please take my preaching with a grain of (sea) salt as I am a self-proclaimed, or rather a self-confessed, hypocrite who has in many ways prospered from the food/television relationship.  But I openly admit that this contradiction has helped me see the errors of my ways.  At one time, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina had crippled the restaurants of New Orleans, putting suppliers and farmers  and growers of all kinds out of business, I gladly took part in cooking competitions on TV because I believed my appearance could help communicate to people across this country that it was okay, even urgent, to return to New Orleans, to visit or live. ...I also realized that by doing that kind of TV, I might actually be hurting the same local food culture and family involvement I was seeking to protect."

My Family Table is not just page after page of recipes and a few pictures here and there, Besh tells a story with each chapter and eat dish.  He tells stories about his wife, Jenifer; and his boys, Brendan,  Jack, Luke and Andrew; they make you feel like you are part of their family. His passion for his heritage, his community and his family come through on every  page and in every picture.  I cannot wait to to have the actual book in my hands.  The photography, by Maura McEvoy and her daughter Oona, brings you into every moment of the story.  The team of people who brought this book together have created a book that not only will be used in my kitchen, but also placed on my coffee table because it is of its beautiful photographs.  

After reading the chapter Sunday Supper I want to be at John Besh's house on Sundays!  John describes Sunday suppers at the Besh house; it truly is a family affair.  Having his boys involved helps them identify their heritage by what they eat.  Bringing the family back together for meals isn't just gathering around the table and eating, it is actively participating. Participating includes making the meals, having conversations and creating memories.  The recipes in My Family Table are not complicate or time consuming.  They do not include a bunch of specialized ingredients that you spend money on and only use once in a small amount; they are ingredients you might already have in your pantry and you will use in other recipes.  I have tested a variety of the recipes in Besh's new book including the Cauliflower Mac & Cheese, Beef Noodles, Slow-Cooked Beef Chuck Roast, Fried Eggplant Salad, and the Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake.  I look forward to continuing to make recipes from My Family Table for my family and friends.

In addition to recipes, Besh includes tips on staple items to have in your pantry, simple techniques for how to cook an egg, and even how to fillet a fish.  He also list resources for products he uses.

John Besh is a James Beard Award winning chef from southern Louisiana.  He is the owner of six restaurants: August, Luck, Besh Steak, La Provance, and Domenica. He has appeared on shows such as The Next Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters.

Food Trucks - Dispatches and Recipes from the Best on Wheels

I never thought when I went to dinner in Kansas City, MO that I would come across an event called "First Fridays".  It is a local art crawl that happens in the various areas of Kansas City; we were in the Mid-town area. Amongst the crowds of musicians and local artist was author, Heather Shouse, signing her book Food Trucks - Dispatches and Recipes from the Best on Wheels.


Food trucks have been around for decades, but have become more popular because it eliminates the overhead of having a full restaurant.  Heather found owners who invested $20,000 to $50,000 to start their food trucks verses $400,000 to open a restaurant.  Even the U.S. government has added a page on their small business website titled "Tips for Starting You Own Street Food Business".

Shouse's book travels the country in search of local food trucks.  She even visited Oahu, Hawaii and talks about Giovanni's which my parents make a stop at when they visit Oahu.  I cannot wait to share the rest of the Hawaii section with them for their next visit.

Minneapolis is represented in the book by Chef Shack started by Carrie Summer and Lisa Carlson in 2007.

The book not only tells the story of these rolling restaurants, but also includes recipes of some of their tasty creations. I am excited to try the food trucks as I travel and the recipes when I am at home.

Now Eat This! by Rocco Dispirito

One of my favorite cooks books is Now Eat This! by Rocco Dispirito.  Rocco takes traditional comfort foods and reduces them to less than 350 per serving.  He uses ingredients such as Greek yogurt, whole-wheat pasta, and cauliflower to cut calories.  I must admit because of this book I was turned onto Greek yogurt.  I now use it often as a substitute for heavy cream.

I have several favorite recipes including: Chicken Marsala, Marinara Sauce, Better than Mashed Potatoes, Mac N'Cheese.  The Marinara sauce makes 6 cups, however it can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.

The recipes are not over complicated and the flavors are wonderful.  Most of the recipes are four servings which makes it nice for a single person because there are not a lot of leftovers and what is left holds up well for additional meals.

Tomorrow the next book comes out -Now Eat This! Diet: Lose Up to 10 Pounds in Just 2 Weeks Eating 6 Meals a Day! I am trying something new, I have it being downloaded to my Nook. Watch for further reviews on this book.