Sloppy Chinese Burgers (California, 1990s, adapted)

Sloppy Chinese Burgers are tasty weeknight sandwiches that pair Chinese flavors with American burger condiments.  This odd little recipe comes to me by way of Bless This Food, a community cookbook compiled by the Little White Chapel Christian Church in Burbank, California.  The recipe was submitted by one Carol L., who contributed dozens of other……

Chicken Pistachio Pasta Salad (California, 2006, adapted)

Chicken Pistachio Pasta Salad is a hearty entrée salad perfect for a warm summer evening.   This recipe comes to me by way of a community cookbook from the Mother Teresa Maternity Home in Placerville, CA, which serves as both a women’s shelter and a temporary home for pregnant women.   Unlike most community cookbooks, this one……

Instant Pot Russian Chicken (Oregon, 2008, adapted)

Instant Pot Russian Chicken is a recipe that hits close to home.  Quite literally.  Adapted from Recipes from the Heart, a community cookbook from my home congregation and submitted by a family I know and live, Instant Pot Russian Chicken is a homey, sweet, and simple weeknight dish for the harried homemaker.  It reflects a……

Cookbook Review: The Tastes of Home (Indiana, ca. 2005)

The Tastes of Home is an adorable little house-shaped spiralbound cookbook printed as promotional material for an Indiana real estate broker. I have a few friends in the real estate game and understand that self-promotion is critical to success; my own realtor still sends me yearly calendars and holiday cards nearly twenty years after buying…

Cookbook Review: Just One Pot (2007)

Just One Pot (2007) is a handsome, coffee table-style cookbook from the good folks at Readers’ Digest.  I am a sucker for pretty pictures and picked this one up at one of those cheap book warehouse emporiums.  My only cultural touchpoint for Readers’ Digest comes from the bookshelf in the bathroom of my childhood home.  …

Grill Every Day (2008)

Diane Morgan’s Grill Every Day (2008) isn’t technically a thrift store cookbook, at least not for me. I’m fuzzy on the exact time and place, but I bought my copy from Ms. Morgan herself. She did some sort of cooking demonstration, maybe at a work-related event, and offered signed copies of her book afterwards. I…

The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook (2003)

I’ve never been to Colonial Williamsburg. I’ve been to Virginia, and even to the College of William and Mary campus but somehow avoided probably the biggest tourist attraction in the area. By all accounts it’s like Disneyland for history buffs with a cast who cosplay as early American settlers. In my mind all I can…