Is it Weird to Have a Recipe Styles?

This weekend I dipped into my collection of Everyday Foods from Martha Stewart mini-magazines, which I've been hoarding since the early 2000s, looking for some simple veggie recipes. (I don't think we're eating enough veg lately.) Anyway, it got me thinking about how much I loved this now-defunct recipe magazine and how it's odd to have recipes that feel are in "my style."

Do recipes or cookbooks go after a certain style? I'm not aware if they do. Sure, there's a theme and focus, but food doesn't traditionally follow a style, right? But I'm starting to think it does.

Similar to how J.Crew is my clothing style and Express or Loft is not. Everyday Foods is my food style, as Ina Garten and Jaime Oliver (oh how I love them both) are not my style of food. I try to make their recipes, but I don't generally love the taste, or some of the ingredients or how they prepare things.

Does that even make sense?

My Treasure of Everyday Foods
(When we moved to Illinois I weeded down my collection and I seriously lament all those recipes I tossed and never made to this day.)

The Homemade Pantry: This Picture
Does Not Accurately Represent
How Used This Book Is
All this cookbook love got me excited about Alana Chernila's new cookbook, which I've preordered and am counting down the days to receive.

Just one more week!!

Her first book, The Homemade Pantry, is my absolute go-to for advice and yummy, simple recipes. Totally my food style. Her granola bar recipe is a huge hit in my house. And I've made her lasagna several times.

She's inspiring and oh so helpful. I love that she lives in one of my favorite places, the Berkshires, and has two growing girls just like me. If we ever met, we'd be besties.

Since I found this book three years ago, I've purchased at least five additional copies to give to friends and relatives.

Her new cookbook, The Homemade Kitchen, looks like it will deliver more of her scrumptious, from-scratch simple cooking that will inspire me to get back into my kitchen. I can't wait to crack it open and cook something new.



Related posts:
More cookbook reviews
All the book posts

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