My Top Three Favorite Cookbooks

*WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED "FAB FIVE FRIDAY FOTO(S) TO BRING YOU AN INSTALLMENT FROM "RANDOM DOMESTICITIES". "FFFF" WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK AS SCHEDULED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION.*

This has been a particularly odd week, for a couple of reasons:

1) I have been staying up until midnight (AT LEAST) every single night thus far. Why, oh why, oh WHY, OH WHY do I continue to make such idiotic decisions concerning my sleep?? Now, because I have been staying up so late, I am just sorta drifting through each day in a bit of a domestic trance. Wow. DOMESTIC TRANCE. I bet those are two words you never, ever would have associated together. During the day, I can make it to about 3:00 pm; then suddenly, I am dyin'. Just dyin' here, folks. BUT THEN...we have dinner, we put the blessed babes to bed, and then ZING!!! I am sailing the adrenaline seas with a fury, and then I lose my mind, try to conquer the world in 2.5 hours flat, fail as usual, and then kick myself all the way up the stairs to bed at a most grotesque hour. It's quite a sight!

2) See reason #1.

And so, my dear friends; because I am lacking the simplest of comprehension skills at this moment, I shall keep this fairly simple and share three life-changing cookbooks with you. My absolute, all-time favorite, TOP THREE FAVORITE COOKBOOKS, to be excruciatingly precise!!!!

Ahem.

Feast your eyes upon...THIS!

The Motherlode.

Favorite #1: "A Homemade Life: stories and recipes from my kitchen table", by Molly Wizenberg. If you have read more than two entries of my blog, you know by now that this book has a very, very prominent place in my kitchen, in my heart, and in my LIFE. Well, I might be getting a little carried away. Nevertheless!! I reach for this often, whether I'm in the mood for Ms. Wizenberg's scones or banana bread, and I never fail to get lost in one of the wonderful chapters whilst the aforementioned goodies are baking. Go buy this. NOW. That is all I can say.

Note on the scones: I use dried currants and orange zest in lieu of the candied ginger and chopped pistachios. Sometimes you just can't mess with tradition! Note on the banana bread: I do not use the chopped candied ginger. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm not a huge fan of candied ginger. The texture...it's just...it's like...just...WEIRD. Now after that incredibly deep and descriptive confession...

Favorite #2: "MAD Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys", by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

I like sub-titles. Just so you know.

Wow. Where do I even begin with this glorious, marvelous tome? This...this...MASTERPIECE is indispensable. If I had to pick a winner out of my top three, it is quite possible Mad Hungry would win by a nose. Now, look here. I have three boys. The author has three boys. I can relate to her tremendously. Not only is this book chock-full of outstanding recipes, but there are pages and pages of sage advice concerning issues such as: what constitutes a boy-friendly pantry, the importance of teaching your boys to cook for themselves (and actually cook, not just heating up a hotdog in the microwave), a list of simple skills and recipes to teach your guys before they leave the nest, the importance of establishing the comforts of home for your guys, and much, much more. It's extraordinarily practical, and I reach for it time and time again. I love cookbooks that double as excellent reading material! I will even go so far as to say that even a family full of girls would benefit from the sheer practicality of all of the delightful recipes. And...(just one more thing)...this book is ADORABLE. The graphics make me smile- and often. :-)

And now..

This...this formidable volume. Such voluminousness in this volume. "The Whole Foods Market Cookbook: A Guide To Natural Foods with 350 Recipes", by Steve Petusevsky and Whole Foods Market Team Members. Once again, we have a most sensible combination of education and deliciousness. This is one of those cookbooks that will take you a lifetime to cook through, and you might never actually cook through the entire beast. But no matter. Preparing ANY of these recipes is an eye-opening experience in that it makes you realize how simple great food really can be. I turn to this volume when I feel like we need to "clean up" our diet a bit, and stick to some seriously fresh and simple recipes. The kids and Steve have loved everything I've tried so far, which just goes to show you that healthy doesn't mean yuck. I have really enjoyed learning more about the world of whole foods, grains, and legumes through this cookbook, and while I realize that this confession makes me sound like a completely hopeless nerd, I am quite okay with that, and I shall continue to expand my culinary horizons. Note: The Chicken Piccata a la Florentine is to DIE FOR!! Unfortunately, I am having serious trouble finding the link for this glorious concoction, but I promise I will post the recipe at a later juncture.

So there you have it. Deliciousness abounding!! You can try to find these at your local library (although Mad Hungry is fairly new; I'm not exactly sure how that works), or just take the plunge and *gasp* buy them! Now it's your turn, dear readers! You tell me: What is your favorite cookbook(s), and why? I'm listening! :)

Note: As the Pioneer Woman says,"This ain't no paid advertisement!!" The above authors have in no way, shape, or form contacted me to promote their cookbooks, and LISTEN UP, BLOGGER. IF YOU DARE DELETE THIS POST BECAUSE YOU THINK I'M ADVERTISING, WE WILL HAVE WORDS BEYOND WORDS ABOUT IT. DON'T. EVEN. THINK. ABOUT. IT. This is not a paid advertisement, this is not a paid advertisement, this is not a paid advertisement, and OH YEAH, THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT. Have I made myself clear? Okay.

On that cheery note, have a wonderful Fourth of July! Stay tuned for more adventures!