Reviews of cookbooks, food memoirs, and culinary fiction. Warm stories, great recipes, and sassy opinions.https://cheflalacookbooks.com/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/how-to-be-a-saint-feels-like-a-good-fit-for-readers-who-want-something-dependable/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/how-to-be-a-saint-feels-like-a-good-fit-for-readers-who-want-something-dependable/This sounds like a thoughtful humor and fiction pick for readers who want a clear recommendation without a sales pitch.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/how-to-be-a-saint-looks-like-the-kind-of-book-i-would-mention-to-a-friend-first/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/how-to-be-a-saint-looks-like-the-kind-of-book-i-would-mention-to-a-friend-first/How to Be a Saint gives off the kind of book-club-ready energy I tend to trust.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/why-do-not-disturb-feels-easy-to-recommend/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/why-do-not-disturb-feels-easy-to-recommend/Do Not Disturb sounds shaped for readers who want inviting recommendations with strong sensory appeal, especially when I want hand-sell confidence and shelf appeal.Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/what-makes-and-to-all-a-good-bite-sound-worth-passing-along/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/what-makes-and-to-all-a-good-bite-sound-worth-passing-along/I can already see the kind of reader I would hand And to All a Good Bite to, which is usually a good sign.Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/what-makes-psychopomp-circumstance-sound-worth-passing-along/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/what-makes-psychopomp-circumstance-sound-worth-passing-along/I can already see the kind of reader I would hand Psychopomp & Circumstance to, which is usually a good sign.Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/do-not-disturb-feels-like-a-good-fit-for-readers-who-want-something-dependable/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/do-not-disturb-feels-like-a-good-fit-for-readers-who-want-something-dependable/This sounds like a thoughtful mystery, crime & thriller pick for readers who want a clear recommendation without a sales pitch.Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/gaza-feels-like-a-good-fit-for-readers-who-want-something-dependable/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/gaza-feels-like-a-good-fit-for-readers-who-want-something-dependable/This sounds like a thoughtful books pick for readers who want a clear recommendation without a sales pitch.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/why-the-silver-book-feels-easy-to-recommend/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/why-the-silver-book-feels-easy-to-recommend/Books become easier to recommend when they sound specific about the experience they are offering, and this one does.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/sakuteiki-makes-sense-to-me-as-a-cookbook-adjacent-obsession/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/sakuteiki-makes-sense-to-me-as-a-cookbook-adjacent-obsession/I trust cooks who care about the room, the garden, the table, and the feeling around a meal, not only the recipe itself.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/to-catch-a-fish-sounds-like-food-writing-with-salt-on-it/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/to-catch-a-fish-sounds-like-food-writing-with-salt-on-it/I do not need every food-adjacent book to stay in the kitchen if it still understands appetite, patience, and what people do with what they catch.Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-illustrated-guide-to-the-zen-tea-ceremony-feels-like-a-good-reset/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-illustrated-guide-to-the-zen-tea-ceremony-feels-like-a-good-reset/I am drawn to food books that change the pace of a day, not just the menu.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-swedish-cookbook-sounds-like-a-book-for-cooks-who-hate-fuss/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-swedish-cookbook-sounds-like-a-book-for-cooks-who-hate-fuss/I have a soft spot for cookbooks that promise balance instead of theater.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-illustrated-dictionary-of-japanese-food-is-the-kind-of-book-i-like-to-keep-close/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-illustrated-dictionary-of-japanese-food-is-the-kind-of-book-i-like-to-keep-close/I like reference books that answer the question I actually have while I'm cooking, not the one a catalog copywriter imagined.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-art-and-craft-of-japanese-cooking-makes-me-want-to-cook-more-carefully/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-art-and-craft-of-japanese-cooking-makes-me-want-to-cook-more-carefully/Some cookbooks make me hungry. This one makes me slow down and pay attention to how a dish is built.Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/ever-wonder-how-to-get-my-book-reviewed/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/ever-wonder-how-to-get-my-book-reviewed/So you’ve completed your book. Its been edited and published, and now you’re trying to figure out how to get to your potential readers. While beginning your marketing campaign usually happens well before your book is completed, getting your first reviews can’t begin until your book is done or in ...Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-best-cookbooks-make-you-want-to-clear-the-counter/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-best-cookbooks-make-you-want-to-clear-the-counter/A good cookbook does more than photograph food beautifully. It gets you to set your phone down, make room, and actually start cooking.Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/i-love-a-recipe-headnote-that-actually-says-something/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/i-love-a-recipe-headnote-that-actually-says-something/A tiny bit of scene, context, or honesty goes a long way. Good headnotes make a cookbook feel inhabited instead of assembled.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-cookbooks-i-keep-near-the-stove-not-on-the-shelf/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-cookbooks-i-keep-near-the-stove-not-on-the-shelf/Some books live beautifully on a shelf. The real workhorses live close enough to catch steam.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-atmosphere-in-holler-whispers-is-half-the-fun/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-atmosphere-in-holler-whispers-is-half-the-fun/The flavor of a setting can carry a book, and Holler Whispers understands that.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/align-your-business-with-the-real-you-connect-with-yourself-create-what-matters-most-and-define-your-success-by-jennifer-musser/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/align-your-business-with-the-real-you-connect-with-yourself-create-what-matters-most-and-define-your-success-by-jennifer-musser/True leadership isn’t found in titles—it’s in how you show up when no one’s watching. Jennifer Musser’s Align Your Business with the Real You explores what it means to lead from within. Her years as a strategic CFO and business owner taught her this truth: alignment is your greatest asset. If you...Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:46:28 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-crush-of-wine-and-war-by-molly-fumia/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-crush-of-wine-and-war-by-molly-fumia/Summary: “Here is a book of exquisite honesty and profound depth… Along the way grief becomes a dance in the dark and suffering turns to love.” -Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Book of Longings, review of Molly Fumia’s Safe Passage Austria, 1938. Two Couples struggle with the terrifying prospect of ...Sat, 14 Dec 2024 13:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/tangles-a-cold-war-love-story-and-mystery-by-by-kay-smith-blum/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/tangles-a-cold-war-love-story-and-mystery-by-by-kay-smith-blum/Summary: “In a well-crafted debut, Smith-Blum provides the reader a ringside seat to the birth of the nuclear age…a beautifully written, important story…Tangles packs a punch and hits close to home.” –Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Tracy Crosswhite Series Oppenheimer was ...Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:00:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/here-lyeth-by-johanna-frank/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/here-lyeth-by-johanna-frank/Book Summary: In Here Lyeth, Lexxie, feeling angry and heartbroken, leaves her home after learning that her biological father lives in a village called Vereiteln Dorf. There, she becomes intrigued by an unconsecrated graveyard and tries to uncover the truth, despite the locals’ reluctance to shar...Sun, 08 Dec 2024 15:18:14 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/universe-of-lost-messages-the-charismites-by-janet-stilson/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/universe-of-lost-messages-the-charismites-by-janet-stilson/Story Summary What if your child has special powers and can get people to do almost anything? What happens if the child is abducted? Izzie and Tristan were never mere humans. They are Charismites, with almost god-like powers of magnetism. And they couldn’t be more different. Izzie is a reckless, ...Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:55:29 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/champagne-widows-by-rebecca-rosenberg/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/champagne-widows-by-rebecca-rosenberg/Summary: Sparkling Courage: Love, Loss, and the First Champagne Queen’s Daring Legacy France, 1800s. Young widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot possesses an extraordinary gift: Le Nez, an exquisite sense of smell required to craft the world’s finest champagne. Despite crippling grief and societal rules ag...Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:42:30 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/bones-of-the-apostle-by-john-amos/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/bones-of-the-apostle-by-john-amos/Story Summary: “Thomas, I’m bored. We need some excitement.” Back from their harrowing mission in the desert to recover a stolen statue of Aphrodite, detectives Flinders Petrie and Thomas Pettigrew have earned a reputation for success against all odds. Just as they are growing restless for anothe...Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:36:39 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-case-of-the-stolen-goddess-by-john-amos/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-case-of-the-stolen-goddess-by-john-amos/Story Summary: Flinders smiled. “Once more into the breach, my friend.” Now famous after their previous quest to find Cleopatra’s tomb, detectives Flinders Petrie and Thomas Pettigrew begin their next adventure in search of a stolen statue of Aphrodite. Their pursuit takes them from the bowels of...Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:57:36 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/prioritize-us-unlock-lasting-love-with-one-simple-proven-test-by-nick-brancato/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/prioritize-us-unlock-lasting-love-with-one-simple-proven-test-by-nick-brancato/Summary: What if the real reasons behind our arguments were hidden all along? The answer could change everything—starting today. Introducing Prioritize Us: Unlock Lasting Love with One Simple, Proven Test—a research-backed tool with the power to uncover what truly matters to you and your partner....Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:34:16 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/thought-choice-power-charting-the-course-of-liberty-in-modern-society-by-plebeius/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/thought-choice-power-charting-the-course-of-liberty-in-modern-society-by-plebeius/Summary: Thought Choice Power: Charting the Course of Liberty in Modern Society by Plebeius is a thought-provoking exploration of governance, civic responsibility, and the critical need for principled thinking in today’s complex sociopolitical landscape. In an era when superficial messaging and p...Sat, 30 Nov 2024 14:06:49 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/apricot-marmalade-and-the-edmondson-transmittal-by-lon-orey/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/apricot-marmalade-and-the-edmondson-transmittal-by-lon-orey/Summary: The war was not going well. The surprisingly effective Tet Offensive in late January 1968 had humbled and embarrassed the South Vietnamese and their American allies. It had sent a powerful message to the folks back home that this Vietnam thing was not going to be over anytime soon. The h...Fri, 29 Nov 2024 18:08:31 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/knot-bad-amigurumi-learn-crochet-stitches-and-techniques-to-create-cute-creatures-with-25-easy-patterns/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/knot-bad-amigurumi-learn-crochet-stitches-and-techniques-to-create-cute-creatures-with-25-easy-patterns/In a world where there are so many online links and published books about crochet generally and amigurumi specifically, Vincent Green-Hite’s book stands out. The basics of crochet, including choosing yarns and full-color stitch directions, start the book off similarly to others, but then it digre...Fri, 29 Nov 2024 16:19:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/bite-sized-french-pastries-for-the-beginner-baker/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/bite-sized-french-pastries-for-the-beginner-baker/Opening Bite-Sized French Pastries for the Beginner Baker is like opening the door to a world of marvelous, mouth-watering desserts. The first thing that caught my attention was the gorgeous color photos that accompany each recipe. As someone who loves to bake and has baked since childhood, Frenc...Thu, 28 Nov 2024 16:45:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/after-meat-the-case-for-an-amazing-meat-free-world/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/after-meat-the-case-for-an-amazing-meat-free-world/In After Meat: The Case for an Amazing, Meat-Free World, Karthik Sekar makes a strong case for the likelihood of humanity eschewing animal technology (i.e., the use of animals for food, clothing, medicine, or cosmetics) in the relatively near future. Rather than animal products, it will be possib...Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:47:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-neurodiversity-edge/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-neurodiversity-edge/“Harnessing the gifts of neurodiversity promises businesses in different industries a leading edge in innovative and creative problem-solving. Dismantling groupthink is especially important in an increasingly competitive economic landscape. Dunne shares a compelling case for sustaining inclusive,...Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:34:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/bad-jew-a-familys-quest-from-the-minsk-ghetto-to-netanyahus-israel/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/bad-jew-a-familys-quest-from-the-minsk-ghetto-to-netanyahus-israel/As a French journalist with Polish forbears, Piotr Smolar’s memoir details his peripatetic career, serving as a reporter for years in Moscow, in Washington, and as the Le Monde senior representative in Jerusalem. Most recently, he writes from Gaza, providing a forceful, emotional new introduction...Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:06:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-12-hour-art-expert-everything-you-need-to-know-about-art-in-a-dozen-masterpieces/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-12-hour-art-expert-everything-you-need-to-know-about-art-in-a-dozen-masterpieces/With its inviting title, I was looking forward to reading a condensed, hopefully enriched treatise on learning to appreciate and further understand art. Unfortunately, this sample is disappointing. In a conversational text style with lots of irritating but supposedly clever quips in the script, t...Fri, 22 Nov 2024 19:56:48 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/snoopys-beagle-scout-tales-peanuts-graphic-novels/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/snoopys-beagle-scout-tales-peanuts-graphic-novels/I’ve loved the Peanuts comic strip ever since I was a child, This graphic novel added laughter to my day as I remembered the shenanigans Snoopy and the Peanuts gang would get themselves into. Snoopy’s Beagle Scout Tales is a compilation of five stories plus four Classic Peanuts comic strips from ...Thu, 21 Nov 2024 19:03:12 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/rohan-murthy-has-a-plan-the-kids-in-mrs-zs-class-2/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/rohan-murthy-has-a-plan-the-kids-in-mrs-zs-class-2/In the second book in the delightful The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class series, we meet Rohan, another engaging third-grader with big dreams. When Mrs. Z announces a school fundraiser for a new garden, entrepreneurial Rohan sees his chance to launch a pet-sitting business. But there’s just one issue: he’...Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:01:50 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/buffalo-dreamer/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/buffalo-dreamer/Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan is a good book, but also kind of confusing to younger readers. A young Native American girl named Summer goes to spend her summer vacation with her mother’s family in Canada on the reservation. Along the way, she encounters an old woman and starts to have strange ...Wed, 20 Nov 2024 04:09:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/lizard-larson-and-the-time-keeper/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/lizard-larson-and-the-time-keeper/Action-packed, exciting, and full of surprises, Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper by Gary Natoli is an excellent book choice for middle school and early teenage readers. Told from the perspective of Elizabeth Larson, otherwise known as Lizard, readers are in for a memorable adventure through mult...Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:03:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/star-wars-tribute-to-star-wars/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/star-wars-tribute-to-star-wars/The perfect gift for any Star Wars fan, Star Wars: Tribute to Star Wars is a collection of beautiful pieces of art created by Japanese manga artists and illustrators. Each piece of art is accompanied by a description of it by the artist and tells why the artist chose to encapsulate that particula...Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:18:43 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-one-week-writing-workshop-7-days-to-spark-boost-or-revive-your-novel-by-karin-adams/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-one-week-writing-workshop-7-days-to-spark-boost-or-revive-your-novel-by-karin-adams/About the book: You’ve always wanted to write a novel and have been nurturing a great idea. Perhaps you’ve made a pile of notes—even written several chapters. But as you sit down alone with the blank page or your next scene, nothing happens. Or if the writing does start to flow, it soon dries up....Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:13:38 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/all-our-ordinary-stories/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/all-our-ordinary-stories/Nothing is ordinary about the narratives we encounter in All Our Ordinary Stories, the second graphic memoir by writer and illustrator Teresa Wong. When her mother appears to grow despondent and melancholy after suffering a stroke, Wong contemplates her family’s story of uprooting from Guangzhou,...Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:27:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/what-we-sacrifice-for-magic/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/what-we-sacrifice-for-magic/Elisabeth has just graduated but her future has already been mapped out as she is expected to take her grandmother’s place. The path she is meant to take is simple: become the head of her family, marry her high school boyfriend, and stay in town. But she wants more. She longs to understand why he...Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:36:50 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/pen-pal-special-limited-edition/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/pen-pal-special-limited-edition/A thirty-five minute ferry ride outside of Seattle sits Bainbridge Island and the quaint Queen Anne Victorian style home where Michael and Kayla have lived for the past six years. Their life is serene until a tragic boat accident changes everything. Now Kayla finds herself alone on the island, in...Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:06:50 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/buried-lies-a-novel/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/buried-lies-a-novel/Buried Lies is a well-written mystery novel that introduces retired detective and ex-traffic cop Davis Reed. Renting a cabin in Cruso, North Carolina, he ends up getting hired by a wealthy, eccentric couple to investigate a man’s death at a golf course. Prentiss Wells, a local attorney, was found...Mon, 11 Nov 2024 22:40:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/a-place-under-the-sun/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/a-place-under-the-sun/Henry works as a consultant at Anthony Freckleman, a leading management consulting company. He is well-paid and enjoys his profession, preferring it to accounting, which he found monotonous after working briefly in the finance industry. At work, Henry attempts to maintain friendly connections wit...Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:21:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/american-rapture/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/american-rapture/C.J. Leede is back after her disturbingly dark Maeve Fly with a book that goes hard and epic in American Rapture. Readers may be surprised by something quite different, but it is nevertheless engrossing and thrilling. Sophie is a good Catholic girl who has lived something far beyond a sheltered l...Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:26:02 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-crush-of-wine-and-war/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/the-crush-of-wine-and-war/The year is 1989 and Sivan Mayr has returned home after a prolonged absence. He is walking the streets of St. Jakob, Austria, and hears words that stir up resentment and anger at events going back to World War II. A man who is being heralded as a hero is nothing more than a rogue […]Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:35:00 GMThttps://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/as-you-like-it-play-on-shakespeare/https://cheflalacookbooks.com/posts/as-you-like-it-play-on-shakespeare/This reader is much prejudiced toward seeing a work as the writer intended; even if the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays remains questioned. The editor of AS YOU LIKE IT is the artistic director of the South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa. With those credentials, I am sure that he knows h...Wed, 06 Nov 2024 01:53:30 GMT