The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

 

This charming cookbook is such a lovely piece of work. It reads a little bit like a novel—telling the author’s story of a city girl falling in love with a cowboy, marrying, and moving to a ranch.

     While basically full of recipes, the book is interspersed with lovely pictures of nature and animals on the ranch. There are also really sweet anecdotes of family members, ranch hands, and acquaintances. The recipes are well organized and contain ingredients that are familiar to people in our region. There are lots of delicious cuts of meat, also pasta, Mexican, and sweets.
      Ree has honed her cooking skills to feed hungry men and children alike, These foods are not low in calories, but are delicious. The recipes are beautifully pictured and clearly explained step by step. It is easy to see why this book has been a #1 New York Times Bestseller.