The Homesteader's Kitchen: Recipes from Farm to Table [Paperback]

i was excited about purchasing Homesteader's Kitchen, The: Recipes from Farm to Table a collection of recipes by a local chef, but oh how disappointed I am. My husband loves granola for breakfast and as an on-the-go snack, so I decided to make the enticingly titled "living Rise and Shine Granola". I had difficulty finding all the ingredients but finally located everything except the buckwheat. It was not until I was part way through the recipe that I then discovered that not only were the ingredients obsure, but even with my gadget filled kitchen, I did not have the means to "flake" the cereals in the recipe or to grind the flax seeds. I was asked to bring a salad to a pot luck lunch, so the next recipe I tried was the chunky guacamole salad. Again, many unusual ingredients which took me a while to locate. The recipe indicated it made 4-6 servings--but it was only enough for 2-3, not nearly enough for the potluck. It did taste good though. The next recipe I tried was the Amphora chocolate cake. The cake itself was kind of dry, but the chocolate frosting was to die for! Next was the Veggie Loaf--same problem as the salad: the size was off. The recipe supposedly makes two loaf pans. There was only enough for one loaf pan. And it didn't taste that great. But I think today's fiasco does it for me with this book. I made the date and nut bars. Even when I was making it, I was concerned about the huge amount of butter relative to the dry ingredients, but foolishly decided to go with the recipe as written. The "pastry" is just a sticky runny mess. All I can assume is that the proofing/testing of the recipes in this book was poorly done. On this I should have been forewarned, because a recipe that appeared in the local paper with the review of the book also had a major flaw. It was for an apple-raspberry crisp and there was no flour listed for the topping. In summary, in my experience the ingredients in the recipes are often difficult to find (and I live in Monterey, California area where the chef also is located), the implements needed are not what every cook has in his/her kitchen, and the recipes as published have not been property tested.

I am very please with this cookbook so far. I do agree with one reviewer who stated that it'd be nice if there was a photo for each recipe, but that being said, the recipes include good, fresh ingredients that I find easy to find and mostly already have on hand. This book isn't going to call for pre--packaged, processed foods that would come in a box, jar, or can (with the exception of a jar of spices). You will probably not find all the ingredients at the grocery store or Trader Joe's. You will need to go to the Farmer's Market and the Natural Food Stores to get some things like nutritional yeast or good rolled oats or other grains. For me, that's not a big deal and is where I do most of my shopping anyway. This is not a book that will allow you to remain in you old shopping and cooking ruts that are not healthy or good for you. This is a great book for those who are wanting to know how to cook real food from scratch, but don't know where or how to start. It's also a great book for those who are a bit more seasoned, like myself, who just want a few more fresher ideas.

The book includes short sections on "How to Get Started", "Basic Kitchen Equipment", and "Stocking the Larder" with a chart for dry goods and a chart for fresh produce. I love the sprouting chart and think I may have to scan that and post inside my kitchen cupboard. I didn't know lilacs are edible or what they tasted like; now I do because of the edible flowers list. I also have a resource now for making sourdough starter and many different kinds of breads from it, including pizza crust and English muffin bread. the author also includes many helpful tips throughout the book that I find, well, helpful; like the fact that dates contain tryptophan, and so make a good snack for kids to help calm them down. Dates are also included in a snack bar recipe which is the same page you'll find the tip.

I do recommend this book, but only if you are willing to go outside the "norm" when it comes to shopping and cooking for you and your family.

This is the cookbook for me: A refreshing cookbook filled with more than 100 recipes that get back to the basics of cooking and baking and making foods from scratch. And I don't just mean homemade pizzas or pies. That's one of the things I like best about The Homesteader's Kitchen.

While those kinds of entrees and recipes are included, Burnside digs deeper and provides recipes for making even the simplest of ingredients and pantry items from scratch, down to the gravy for your turkey, breads for your sandwiches, dressings for your salads or cheese for your pasta dishes. There are recipes for making your own mayonnaise, chai tea, tortillas, vegetable stock, crackers, sushi rolls, teriyaki sauce, as well as complete meals (vegetarian, meat and fish options) and desserts. Many of these simple recipes also offer a tasty twist on a familiar favorite, like a Kiwi Vinaigarette, Thai Cilantro Pesto or Hot Carob Cocoa.

And the recipes themselves are stocked with real and fresh ingredients. I didn't see one recipe that called for canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones, for instance. The cookbook is intended to be used as a resource for making use of your garden-grown fruits and veggies. She even includes guides for edible flowers or growing your own salad sprouts!

The only drawback I do have about this cookbook is that, more often than not, there aren't photos of the finished recipes, which is usually a priority for me in cookbook buying. But, the whole-food aspect and down-to-earth recipes more than makes up for that. (And, from a publishing point of view, I can only imagine how costly it can get to photograph every recipe.)

I love being able to have this sort of variety of recipes for making everyday foods from scratch compiled into one go-to resource!