This cheery cookbook celebrates the timeless appeal of homemade chicken and chocolate cake on the kitchen table. Torey, owner of the Magnolia Bakery and author of The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
and More from Magnolia
, has built her culinary career on simple, classic recipes. Here the focus moves away from cookies and cupcakes (recently namedropped in a Saturday Night Live
sketch) to the dishes she makes in her own home in upstate New York. Colorful photographs depict Torey, her partner and collie dogs in their country-style house amid vintage textiles and tableware. Torey is a believer in fresh, seasonal eating. Her homey, elemental dishes span the seasons, from light summery Eggplant with Red and Yellow Cherry Tomato Sauce to an autumnal Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Onion. Dinners are divided up into no-fuss "weekday" and more complicated "weekend" categories. She's also included the formulas for two of her famous cupcakes: Chocolate with Butterscotch Frosting and Orange Vanilla. Torey goes easy on the text, offering minimal instruction, but these are straightforward recipes to follow, and the result is a tasty blend of nostalgia and innovation. (Oct.)
