Rustic Joyful Food: My Heart’s Table by Danielle Kartes
Some cookbooks simply stand apart, and Rustic Joyful Food: My Heart’s Table by Danielle Kartes (Sourcebooks, September 2019) is just such a cookbook. It’s one you’ll want to read and keep on your shelf, with recipes your family and friends will love.
* Complimentary book received for review. This post may contain affiliate links.
This is a new edition of a version originally published in 2014, re-released with a new section in the Introduction in which the author talks about her life in the intervening years. Actually, “Rustic Joyful Food” is the name of Kartes’ business, and “My Heart’s Table” is just one of a series of “Rustic Joyful Food” cookbooks. So if you enjoy this one, you’ll be happy to know that others are scheduled for re-release, too.
My Heart’s Table is a very personal book with many stories about Kartes’ life, her family, her cooking, her faith, and more. But at its center this is a cookbook full of recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, with entrees, sides, and drinks, plus a section called “Simple and From Scratch” featuring recipes for basics like syrups and dressings, all with Kartes’ special touch.
The recipes are varied and rich, with nothing held back at the expense of flavor or texture. For example, the New-School Cinnamon Rolls are described as “tender and buttery,” and I have no doubt that’s true, since there’s a stick of butter in the dough, another for the pan, and yet another in the filling—definitely not diet food (and yes, I’ve got this recipe on my must-try list!). A less indulgent recipe I hope to make soon is the Brown Butter Carrots, with only 4 tablespoons of butter for 2 pounds of carrots, to satisfy without excess.
Here’s a sampling of some of the recipes that caught my eye:
• Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
• Beef Barcelona Stew (described as “definitely beef stew with an attitude”)
• Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Summer Veggies
• Cast-Iron Paprika Shrimp
• Quick Cashew Chicken
• Ginger Lemon Soda
• Banana Bread Made with Greek Yogurt & Pepitas
• Coconut Custard Macaroons
• Herbed Fresh Ricotta Cheese
Many of the recipes are accompanied by photographs that are sure to make your mouth water and to inspire you to get to the kitchen and get busy. If you’re not hungry when you start flipping through My Heart’s Table, you will be after seeing all those pictures of such luscious food!
I’d like to share something from the final chapter, Closing Thoughts, that I found very touching. Kartes writes: “It’s my hope that you will find something to love within these pages, that one of my recipes will become your own memorized specialty, that you’ll add or take away an ingredient or two to create your own perfect meal. And I hope that your meal will be enjoyed for years to come by people you love. I want you to feel amazing each time you make it.”
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