The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
256 pages, William Morrow Cookbooks. $27.50
Reviewed By Stephanie Attebery
Pioneer Woman Cooks. Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl. was a gift from my father-in-law on my first trip to Oklahoma this past Thanksgiving. I am no country girl, and my husband is definitely not a cowboy, so it might seem strange that I love this cookbook. Of course, Mrs. Drummond was nearly a city girl herself. She met her husband by chance during what was supposed to be a quick pit stop to see the family in Oklahoma on the way to bigger and better things in Chicago. Needless to say, she never left the countryside again and lives happily with her cowboy husband and their four children on a working ranch.
The recipes certainly aren't fancy as Drummond herself comes clean about in the introduction. Being the wife in a ranching family means you must prepare regular meals that everyone will eat and fill up on. Energy is the key, and the cookbook’s three main sections are appropriately titled: Breakfast, Dinner ( or “lunch” as it is better known by her family) and Supper (or “dinner”). One of the best things about the book are the many pictures that accompany every meal. A few years ago Drummond started a cooking blog and took many step by step photographs of the meal preparation. Readers of her blog and this book are spared a lot of guesswork by these very well-executed instructional pictures. In fact there is gorgeous photography throughout the book of Drummond’s family and their ranch, (most photographs taken by Drummond herself) and many personal stories and anecdotes, regarding the origin of the meals. All of the recipes came from family or close friends, Drummond’s ability to share this makes this a most intimate cooking experience.
So far I've made the Enchiladas, the Penne Pasta a la Betsy (Betsy being her kid sister), the Olive Cheese Bread, and the Simple, Perfect Chili. All were met with rave reviews. And I had fun making them! Next up Fried Chicken and Peach Crisp with maple cream sauce!! If you’re looking for simple comfort food, I suggest picking up a copy for yourself!