You're Cookin' It Country: My Favorite Recipes and Memories

by Loretta Lynn, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Loretta Lynn was born in the coal mining country of Kentucky. She was the oldest of seven kids; raised in poverty, married at 13, and a mother of 4 by the time she was 17. Few would have expected this type of adolescence to produce a woman who was the winner of every music award imaginable, the author of two New York Times bestselling books and a 2003 Kennedy Center honoree, and whose life story was the subject of an Academy Award winning movie.

In You're Cookin' It Country, Loretta Lynn shares over 120 of her favorite recipes. From the dishes her mother cooked as she was growing up to the meals she has prepared for her family over the years. Also included are more than 35 stories relating to food as only Loretta can tell them. These include stories of her "Mommy" going out hunting for rabbit and possum to the more recent story of Jack White of the rock group The White Stripes flying to Nashville to have a dinner of chicken and dumplings with Loretta. There is also the story of her husband to be, Doolittle, buying a pie from her at an auction only to discover that Loretta had mistaken salt for the sugar when she baked it.

You're Cookin' It Country will be a must have purchase for the millions of fans Loretta has made all over the world.

Loretta's first book, Coal Miner's Daughter (1978) has sold more than one million copies. Her second book, Still Woman Enough (2002) has sold more than 200,000 copies. Both were New York Times bestsellers.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Loretta Lynn was an American country music singer-songwriter whose work spanned almost 60 years. She was the only woman to be named "Artist of the Decade" for the 1970s by the Academy of Country Music. Lynn was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988.

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a New Year's day drop-in brunch consisting only of recipes from this book. She has a recipe for baked possum that I substituted with rabbit, and it was fabulous. Her breakfast casserole was to die for. Her fruit ice was awesome, like making your own sorbet. It also has reminiscences about her family, Doo, and Patsy Cline.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve seen these recipes everywhere, so they weren’t anything special.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The down home recipes are comforting and familiar to those of us with poor southern roots...the glimpse of Loretta Lynn's life is touching...but Doolittle is such a $#&% that my feminist side is screaming in protest as I read this book!

[Teresa Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel like I got the saddest parts of Loretta Lynn’s autobiography here with her recipes along with lots of great candid photos.
I’m considering purchasing the book (borrowed initially from the library) so the recipes can be attempted at my leisure.
Some are pretty funny. Fried bologna sandwich (fry bologna and put it on bread.). And there are some I’ll never try or want to like Butcher Holler Possum.

[Melissa Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! The family stories peppered throughout are priceless. I got this from the library but I’m going to get my own copy to try out a few things - but sorry, Loretta, not the critter recipes.

[Sandy Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book mostly because of the stories with the recipes. The book “ Persian Pickle Club “ by Sandra Dallas talks about eating opossum but this is the first actual recipe I have seen!

What wonderful support was given in Washington state!

[Lisa Matheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty basic recipes.....not particularly healthy (Fried Baloney Sandwiches) fare (she was a spokesperson for Crisco), but dadgum, I enjoyed every word. My brain automatically read this in her voice.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the mixture of stories and recipes. Loretta is hilarious and no nonsense. You will find fairly standard southern fare in this cookbook, but the stories are what makes it special.

[Debbie Tollefson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I might try two of the recipes

[Ramona Russum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned how to cook with my favorite Country Singer

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up an autographed version of the cookbook seeing the Queen of Country Music in concert. The cookbook is VERY down-home and VERY country - just like the title states. The stories she includes with a lot of recipes are great, though. She talks a lot about the making of the movie and meeting the stars of it and actually cooking for and hosting so many members of Country Music's elite. A fun read with great recipes...that you can lighten a bit - as you need to! Enjoy.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As cookbooks go, it's okay. Her cute stories are nice to read. Kinda funny that a teenage girl who got married and couldn't cook with a darn now has a cookbook in print. Do realize however that this is backwoods country cooking. In other words, don't be surprised to find a recipe for possum, and shortening is used in many recipes.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite cook book it reminds me of my mommy who is also a coal miners daughter. I love the country sasuage gravy, chocolate gravy is so wonderful!!!! yeast bread, harvest soup, country fried cabbage, fried bologna sanwiches are fantastic.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book with interesting little short stories, which I immediately read upon receiving. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes. As a visual person, I love the design (colors, fonts, layouts) of the book.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disturbed to find that there's a recipe for possum, but overall a good mix of food and stories.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loretta's pie crust is the flakiest, thanks to good ol' Crisco. Her take on opossum is exceptional. Sweet potatoes! Who knew???

[Karen Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories are great and the recipies are easy...tried a few and they are pretty good.

[Rochelle]

got some good recipes from it and there are little stories in the book too about her life