A Simple Feast: A Year of Stories and Recipes to Savor and Share

by Diana Yen, The Jewels of New York

A real-life fairy tale of a cookbook with stories and recipes that celebrate the seasons, sharing food with friends, and bringing a sense of style to it all.

A beautiful cookbook destined to become an heirloom, A Simple Feast presents a year of life in food. Each chapter presents a story--apple picking, snow day, tea party, date night, rooftop barbeque, etc.--and recipes inspired by the whimsy that lies therein. The food here is simple and elegant, taking cues from the bounty of local markets and farms, embodying modern American cooking. This is a playful journey guided by the ever stylish Jewels of New York, who lead the reader through the seasons and the culinary adventures each has to offer.

Genres: Cookbooks

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 20, 2014

Reviews

[Jennifer Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive a copy of this through Goodreads giveaways. I collect cookbooks and this one is one of my new favorites. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and the recipes are very enticing & creative. The first one I am going to try is the fried hominy because it never crossed my mind to ever fry hominy, the Turkish eggs look so delicious & there are so many other recipes I want to try! I love how the book is separated into seasons and love the stories dispersed throughout the book. So happy to own this!

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the seasons! I love this book. So many tasty treats to try throughout the year. I have a garden I can pick my own to create these recipes! What I don't grow, I can get at farmers markets around my town! Love the cover photo of the tomatoes! Remind me of mine. I love the Raspberry Eton Mess and Heirloom Tomato with Burrata Salad! So yummy!

[Anne]

Most too fancy for just me but a lot sound interesting.

[Bookend Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

What perfect timing to run across this book, right when I'm preparing my Thanksgiving menu, but please don't limit this book just to this event. This book is filled with so many delectable edibles made with fresh healthy core foods. Just reading the Table of Contents can make anyone drool, but this book is not just about the recipes. This book is also filled with wonderful heart felt stories. The combination of which is striking and makes for a great edition to be added to any kitchen.

I do want to touch on a sampling of the recipes so that you get the proper idea. First the contents are split as Brown Lunch Bag, Treasure Hunt, Harvest Celebration, Winter Snow Day, Tapping the Maple Tree, Breakfast in Bed, Tea Party, Date Night, Rooftop BBQ, and the list goes on. You get the idea? Now the actual recipes (YUMMY!); here are some of my favorites, this is a micro list compared to what is contained within this book' Grilled Fennel and Watermelon Salad, Fried Hominy with Chile and Lime, Turkish-Style Eggs with Yogurt, Cumin Glazed Carrots, Pecan Pie with Salted Maple Ice Cream, Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries and Almonds, Spice-Rubbed Steak and Mango Chutney Crostini, Wild Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Leeks and again the list goes on and on. I highly recommend foodies go get this book now.

Review by: Stacy Palm
Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic cookbook, in fact it's more with all the beautiful photographs and narratives about trips to the markets and travels that revolve around food. The chapters revolve around the seasons with emphasis on fresh farmer's market foods. All the recipes appear to be simple to cook and the ingredients are easy to find. Going on my shelf for sure.

[Danielle Ruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because page #198: recipe for homemade Cherry Cola. Tea party section ain't none too shabby either.
Pretty pictures, interesting recipes, beautiful narrative.

[Ady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent cookbook based on seasonal awareness.