bucolicbookshelf's review
5.0
Warning - looking through this is going to make you hungry. Severely.
Life really does give us gifts sometimes, doesn’t it? I discovered and read this cookbook just as I was talking with my husband and teens about my desire to make apple cider doughnuts to celebrate Autumn and apples, and doughnuts of many varieties to celebrate carbs. Also, I wanted to read this because I grew up in NJ and lived there until 2008.
First - what a gorgeous cookbook this is. It’s beautiful, perfect white space interspersed with photos of glorious looking baked goods. Second - the recipes themselves. It’s rare that I find a cookbook where I want to make 90% of the offerings. This is one of those rare cookbooks.
October really just is the perfect time for a cookbook of baked good and I would definitely suggest this one if you like baking.
* Note to vegan friends - Most recipes look to be veganizeable (I know that’s not a word, but just go with it, okay?)
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.
Life really does give us gifts sometimes, doesn’t it? I discovered and read this cookbook just as I was talking with my husband and teens about my desire to make apple cider doughnuts to celebrate Autumn and apples, and doughnuts of many varieties to celebrate carbs. Also, I wanted to read this because I grew up in NJ and lived there until 2008.
First - what a gorgeous cookbook this is. It’s beautiful, perfect white space interspersed with photos of glorious looking baked goods. Second - the recipes themselves. It’s rare that I find a cookbook where I want to make 90% of the offerings. This is one of those rare cookbooks.
October really just is the perfect time for a cookbook of baked good and I would definitely suggest this one if you like baking.
* Note to vegan friends - Most recipes look to be veganizeable (I know that’s not a word, but just go with it, okay?)
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.
juanid001's review
3.0
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.
Will Run for Donuts was a pleasure to read but was definitely an eyesore. I did not like the bright turquoise colour on the white, it hurt my eyes to look at and to read. The cover was the same colour but I did appreciate the footprint details in the donut, resembling sprinkles :) I also wasn’t sure whether the book was a cookbook or not at first glance of the title.
Rachel tells plenty of stories throughout the book. It can be seen that although she has endured a lot of hardship, but she has come a long way. She also talks a lot about Covid which is very relatable for many. Rachel shares her family stories which I thought were very special.
Included is a comprehensive materials list, less is more. Her grandmother taught her this from a young age. Rachel also includes useful techniques, which are explained in depth. I really appreciate this as I’m sure many others do.
Each recipe begins with a story, making these stories far more special than a generic recipe. Rachel’s grandmother Mombo uses baking soda to stop a fire in one of the stories, a useful tip haha!
Many of the recipes included in the book are old-fashioned and passed down from friends and family while others were created by Rachel with a great story behind them to tell.
While the photographs are a nice touch and very candid, they seem to be all over the place. The food photography is very mediocre. Some of the photos are filtered and styled while others seem to be very amateur. There is nothing wrong with amateur photos but at least keep it consistent. The size of the photographs is also very inconsistent. Some photos are squeezed onto pages while others have entire dedicated pages. I liked the collage, it’s a good way of combining candid photos.
I loved that Rachel included variations to some recipes, making them versatile for all tastes. She also included sandwich ideas with her bread recipe! Awesome touch!!
Overall the book’s look is a little sloppy but the content is definitely there. I truly believe this book would be a lot better with some aesthetic tweaks. Rachel’s stories and writing is good but the layout and such of the book need work.
Will Run for Donuts was a pleasure to read but was definitely an eyesore. I did not like the bright turquoise colour on the white, it hurt my eyes to look at and to read. The cover was the same colour but I did appreciate the footprint details in the donut, resembling sprinkles :) I also wasn’t sure whether the book was a cookbook or not at first glance of the title.
Rachel tells plenty of stories throughout the book. It can be seen that although she has endured a lot of hardship, but she has come a long way. She also talks a lot about Covid which is very relatable for many. Rachel shares her family stories which I thought were very special.
Included is a comprehensive materials list, less is more. Her grandmother taught her this from a young age. Rachel also includes useful techniques, which are explained in depth. I really appreciate this as I’m sure many others do.
Each recipe begins with a story, making these stories far more special than a generic recipe. Rachel’s grandmother Mombo uses baking soda to stop a fire in one of the stories, a useful tip haha!
Many of the recipes included in the book are old-fashioned and passed down from friends and family while others were created by Rachel with a great story behind them to tell.
While the photographs are a nice touch and very candid, they seem to be all over the place. The food photography is very mediocre. Some of the photos are filtered and styled while others seem to be very amateur. There is nothing wrong with amateur photos but at least keep it consistent. The size of the photographs is also very inconsistent. Some photos are squeezed onto pages while others have entire dedicated pages. I liked the collage, it’s a good way of combining candid photos.
I loved that Rachel included variations to some recipes, making them versatile for all tastes. She also included sandwich ideas with her bread recipe! Awesome touch!!
Overall the book’s look is a little sloppy but the content is definitely there. I truly believe this book would be a lot better with some aesthetic tweaks. Rachel’s stories and writing is good but the layout and such of the book need work.
meaghanreadshfx's review
5.0
When I was a kid growing up, my grandmother used to make our entire family donuts for Christmas so I when I spotted this book I was super excited to take a peek. This cookbook really spotlights the recipes of the Montclair Bread Company and Rachel Wyman and while I didn't know much about them before I felt really at home reading this cookbook and was happy for the author's insights.
I feel like this isn't just a cookbook as much as it's a story of surviving during the time of Covid-19 and you really get that feel from this book. As a reader, you really feel the joy and love that comes with baking and as a person that loves to bake and also associates baking with happy memories this book was really heart-warming for me.
I feel like this isn't just a cookbook as much as it's a story of surviving during the time of Covid-19 and you really get that feel from this book. As a reader, you really feel the joy and love that comes with baking and as a person that loves to bake and also associates baking with happy memories this book was really heart-warming for me.
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