The Acadian Kitchen

The Acadian Kitchen: Recipes from Then and Now by Alain Bossé, 240 pages

A collection of recipes from eastern Canada's earliest settlers, The Acadian Kitchen is a wonderful mix of French-inspired cuisine and hearty home favorites. Just looking at the photos of stews, pies, biscuits, and more in this cookbook warms my bones and kick-starts my salivary glands. I was only able to try a couple of the recipes here, but they were fantastic, and I can completely see myself either checking this out again and again, or buying it so that I don't spill some tasty stew all over the pages of the library copy.

Cook it in cast iron

Cook it in cast iron: kitchen-tested recipes for the one pan that does it all / America's test kitchen editors 293 pgs.

I've had this book checked out for WEEKS because everything in here is so good. I did enjoy learning about how great cast iron is for keeping the heat and improving with age.  The photos and tips for each recipe are great for those of us with less kitchen confidence.  If you are looking for everything from meat main dishes to breads and desserts, take a look at this wonderful cookbook.

Icebox Cakes: Recipes for the Coolest Cakes in Town / Sagendorph, Jean, 128 pp.

• Pudding, most of it flavored with booze
• Cookies:  vanilla wafers, graham crackers, ladyfingers, or chocolate wafers
• Whipped cream, also with booze (duh)
• Fruit (oranges, blackberries, cherries) or candy (malted milk balls, chocolate)
• Is there any way this could not be good?