Book Review: Food with Friends

I've been hemming and hawing about writing this review for  Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings by Leela Cyd.  Usually, when I get a new cookbook, I'm super excited and I pour over the pages like it's food porn.  Cookbooks are my thing.  There was something decidedly unexciting about this cookbook.  I hate to say that....I haven't cooked anything in it yet, so maybe everything is amazing.  But that's my point, it didn't make me want to run to the kitchen and cook.  

Some of it just seemed silly.   Spa waters?  That makes a great Pinterest photo, but in a cookbook? Bruleed Citrus...how do you even eat half a roasted orange?  Skin and all?  I don't get it.  There were an extraordinary amount of floral elements:  Candied Flowers, Lemon-Lavender French Toast, Rhubarb Rose Floats, Pistachio Rose Clouds, Orange Blossom Hagelslag on Toast, Blooming Flower Salad....is eating flowers a big thing now? 

I will say the South Indian-Style Veg Cutlets and Masala Corn looked interesting.  I'd even whip up a batch of vegan feta to try the Blood Orange & Feta Stacks.  There were a little of this and a little of that that looked like it might be worth trying, but I'm not really sold on this cookbook.  I'll try out some recipes and get back you.

IS IT VEGAN FRIENDLY:  Yes and no.  I got this book, because I thought I read she was a vegetarian once upon a time.  While it doesn't appear to be listed anywhere as a vegetarian cookbook, I don't believe I saw any meat in it.  My thought was I could veganize the recipes easily.  While these recipes don't have meat, they do have a lot of eggs and a ton of dairy...heavy cream, sour cream, butter, etc...all of which have easy vegan substitutes.  It's not that you couldn't veganize the recipes, I'm just not sure it'll be worth the trouble.

WOULD I BUY IT:  Probably not.  I want to say yes, because it is a pretty book and I'm sure Leela Cyd is a lovely woman. The truth is, this book just didn't make me feel inspired to cook.  Plus, I was very thrown off by all the rosewater and flowers and whatnot.  I'm not really into floral cooking.  I will try a few recipes in the next week or two, and I'll update you if I change my mind.

I received a free copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.  There was no obligation to give a positive review, and if you read my blog, you know I'm a tell-it-like it is kind of girl.  I mean what I say and say what I mean, that holds true for my review.