Thursday, July 17, 2014

Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook {a BookLook review}

I've been on a bit of a cookbook kick lately.

So the opportunity to review Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook by Nancy Vienneau was one I had to take.  And it seemed I needed to post the review on a third Thursday too.

Intriguing idea, and a person can always use more recipes for a potluck, right?  The basic idea is on the third Thursday of the month, a bunch of folks get together, bringing something seasonal and fresh to share.  A couple ladies hosted this, inviting a diverse group of folks.

Let's read what the publisher says to describe this book:
This is not your grandma’s potluck.
The cliché is unavoidable. At the third Thursday potluck, you won’t find canned soup casseroles or whipped delite, as much as you may love them. What you will find instead is an array of dishes in sync with the season.
Each month offers up an appropriate menu. July is for tomatoes; August for figs; December for gifts from the kitchen; February for staying warm. Gouda Risotto with Fresh Peas, Cider-Braised Pork with Pears, Crab Mac-and-Cheese, or Brown Butter Honey Cake, they each appear in their seasons at this lively community potluck.
Hosted by a group of goodwill-wielding friends and strangers, the potluck’s beneficiaries have one thing in common: a love of good food. The premise is simple; on the third Thursday of every month bring a seasonal fresh dish for sharing. The result is gloriously rich: new friends, fun, and good eats.
Whether you’re looking for instructions on assembling your own potluck (the first clue: no rules), or recipes for imaginative, honest dishes, whether it’s for a group of six or thirty, the inspiration in this book will suit anyone who wants to celebrate good food and good neighbors.
What did I think?  Well, what was really fun about this book was to read the introduction, and the intros to each "month" of recipes.  Seeing how this potluck started and developed was a lot of fun.  Each month introduction talks a bit about the fresh food recipes featured in that chapter too.

The recipes themselves tend to be a bit fancier than anything I'd normally prepare.  I'm probably more comfortable with my grandma's potluck, though I can do without canned soup casseroles.  Most of the recipes sound amazing though, and I enjoyed reading through those as well.

I have not made anything in here, I'll confess.  But there are a few recipes I plan to try when I do have the ingredients on hand.  For instance, there is a ketchup recipe I plan to make the next time I get a box of Roma tomatoes (Ketchup for Real).  And when the zucchini comes in, I am most definitely making Maggie's Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles.

That is one thing I love about the book -- lots of produce ideas.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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