BKD Cookbook Club....Celebrity Cookbook Review: The Pioneer Woman

It's time again for  Jo Tracey's BKD (Brookford Kitchen Diaries) Cookbook Club. I've followed Jo for awhile and have read several of her books, including one of her most recent which features a group of ladies who have a cookbook club. If you haven't read any of Jo's books, you should.

When I saw that this week was all about celebrity chefs, I knew exactly what books I was going to use. I already have FOUR of my chosen celebrity's books and knew I'd have fun sharing them and finding a recipe or two to make. I've also made two of her recipes in the past. You can find those recipes here and here. BBQ pulled pork and a yummy peach crisp with a maple glaze. 

Who is it you ask? Why, it's Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. I have followed Ree since before she became a household name because of her TV shows and a product line sold at Walmart. I started following her blog when I was searching for free Photoshop actions to edit photos many many years ago. She had some and I fell in love with her blog and life on their Oklahoma ranch. She calls herself an accidental country girl. Then she came out with a cookbook and I bought that...then she just kept coming out with more cookbooks and I've stayed a fan. I haven't watched her show in awhile, but maybe feeling the need to reconnect with it. 

She has 7 cookbooks and I own 4 of them. She also wrote a memoir, which I listened to on audiobook. What I love about these cookbooks is ALL the photos. I knew from her blog that her photos were amazing and the cookbooks didn't disappoint. 

The books are filled with photos of her family, pets and the ranch. 

The other thing I love is the photos that go with the recipes. I'm visual so I kind of like it, though I will admit if there are too many I have to really pay attention to the order. I'll take a cookbook with photos over one with absolutely none. I mean, if there's no photos what is it even supposed to look like. 

Anywho! I was hoping to make two recipes but time just got away from me and I only managed one. I may still try the other, which was her maple bacon scones from her Year of Holidays book. The recipe calls for using her sweet cream scones and the maple bacon comes by way of the glaze. As I skimmed through the books I realized that I really need to pull them out more often. There are some really good recipes. 

I decided to make her shrimp and grits out of her New Frontier Cookbook. The recipe is also on her blog here. We had been in Florida the previous week and I had some cheese grits as a side dish. This brought to mind the time I visited Florida and my aunt made us some shrimp and grits. That was the last time I had it. When I saw the recipe for easy shrimp and grits in her cookbook I knew I wanted to try it. It was easy. The most time consuming part was peeling the shrimp. 

Once I got the shrimp peeled the recipe pretty much came together quickly. 

I added a lot more cheese than the recipe called for, because can you really have too much cheese? Don't answer that if you don't agree. 

It had a slight kick of spice, but not overpowering. It as a winner. 

I hope you enjoyed my look at some of my favorite cookbooks by one of my favorite gals. I would love to visit Oklahoma and her Mercantile. She also has a little hotel, and a lodge on the ranch that I think you can stay in. That would be so fun. 

Next month we're focusing on comfort food. It's winter down under and even though it's summer in the PNW I think comfort food is year round. I can't wait to see what book I find or maybe I'll use one I already have. Stay tuned. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin