Friends of the Library Sale Day 2/#4 ~ Art Smith Collection: Back to the Table and Kitchen Life

Back to the Table: A Reunion of Food and Family, published in 2001. Slim volume filled with 150+ recipes encouraging healthy eating and sit down family meals.

Setting the Table is filled with a variety of dishes ~ cheese straws, pickles, apple butter, salsa, homemade mayo and buttermilk dressing, plus punch, lemonade and cider, while in Bless the Table the author offers up a few prayers for meal time. Breaking Bread is all about biscuits, challah, rolls and naan.

Family Meals is broken down into the three main daily meals ~ Breakfast with frittatas, stratas, waffles, pancakes, granola and muffins, while Lunch gives us soups and gumbos, plus fresh salads and Dinner offers up crab cakes, stew, burgers, ribs, a few chicken dishes, brisket, chili, pasta, crab cakes and many side dishes (veggies, rice, etc.). In Family Traditions, the emphasis is on keepsake recipes ~ ravioli with homemade dough, handmade tamales, paella, fried chicken, deviled eggs, pot roast. roasted chicken and roasted turkey, pizza, a 7 layer salad and a few desserts.

Food as Love is filled with comfort food: soups, chocolate cake with chocolate pecan frosting, lasagne and macaroni and cheese, while Family Celebrations is all about sweets ~ coconut cake, pound cake, hummingbird cakes, red velvet cake, a 12 layer cake, pralines & brittle, plus fudge and cookies. The last chapter has a few suggested menus for notable occasions.

Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families, published in 2004.  A basic primer on meal preparation and menu planning, plus recipes! The book begins with a short quiz on cooking in order to identify the type of cook the reader may be and then offers menu suggestions.

The first chapter highlights letters from readers (most were obtained from Oprah.com) and the author's responses to cooking solutions and dilemmas. Chapter two is all about getting organized ~ from simplifying equipment, using leftovers, to a list of the top five items for the pantry, freezer, etc., while chapter three delves into shopping styles & secrets which basically extols the use of a shopping list, know the store layout and having recipes handy and placing items in the cart by category (for easier bagging). There are also chapters on time management and eating right (discusses portions, snacks, etc.) before the recipes start on chapter eight.

Up first are Snacks, Sandwiches and Beverages ~ spiced nuts, popcorn, salsa, hummus, BBQ sandwiches, plus smoothies and shakes, followed by Soups for Supper with the usual choices of chicken, bean, etc. In Salads for Dinner, there are a multitude of options ranging from vegetables only to pasta, couscous, and salads made with chicken, pork, shrimp and salmon.

Meat Main Courses gives us roasts, stews, chili, meat loaf, a stir fry or two, plus ribs, chops and leg of lamb, while Perfect Poultry has roasted chicken, many ways to prepare chicken breasts (with pasta, veggies, etc.), a few choices for preparing wings and dishes made with Cornish hen and turkey. From the Sea has seafood/fish tacos and a few baked entrees, while New Old Fashioned Casseroles & Pasta Dishes offers up gnocchi, pesto, Chinese noodles, tostadas, pot pies and Shepard's pie.

In On the Side, there is corn pudding and bread pudding, pilafs and dishes made with kale and potatoes, and finally Outrageous Desserts is filled a few sweets ~ puddings, custards, cookies & bars and cupcakes!