Member Reviews
PUMPKIN COOKBOOK by DeeDee Stovel is a wonderful collection of recipes using fresh and canned pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. I am looking forward to trying several recipes including Kadu (Afghani sweet pumpkin), Chicken Pumpkin Tacos and Pumpkin-filled Ravioli. In this 2nd edition, Stovel spans a wide range of categories with chapter headings like starters, snacks and beverages, soups and salads, side dishes, and then main courses. Oh, don't forget desserts – slightly less than half the book (just under a 100 pages) offers ideas for breads, pies, cookies, cakes, and other delicious delicacies. Top of my list to try are Lemon Pumpkin Cranberry Scones, Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Bread and Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies (with apricot!). She includes sidebars with interesting information and absolutely beautiful photos, although every dish is not pictured. Pick this one up if you love pumpkins! There are many ideas from which to choose.
Disclaimer: I volunteered to review an advanced reader copy of this which I got from NetGalley and Storey Publishing, thank you to both.
This book was not just a book of recipes featuring pumpkins but a handbook on how to prepare various types of pumpkin dishes and other interesting facts about pumpkins. I mean who knew there was such a thing as Mexican Pumpkin Lasagna or Pumpkin Turkey Medley. I never knew there were this many ways to use pumpkin in cooking because to be honest, I'm more of a pumpkin dessert fan but when I saw the very enticing cover, I knew I would want to read through this book and review it. The photos of the dishes being prepared are awesome. I think I would like to see less filler photos of pumpkins themselves and more of the actual recipes being made but maybe that was something that was addressed in the final book.
Of course my favorite was the dessert section and yes, there are other ways to use pumpkin in pies along with the traditional method. Trust me, there are more than enough yummy pumpkin desserts in here to satisfy any pumpkin dessert lover's palate. I would say you probably wouldn't need another book with pumpkin recipes if you get this one, it seems very thorough.
I would like to thank Storey Publishing for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.
Okay, as you can guess by the score that I wasn’t such a fan of ‘The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition’ as I had hoped to be. I mean, I wouldn’t have requested it to review if I hadn’t thought it looked interesting. And please, don’t get me wrong, I can see this being just the right sort of pumpkin cook book for certain readers and cooks. I feel I am just the wrong person and that is probably due to the fact I cook and eat pumpkin near daily as it’s not a novelty item here in Australia, like it is in the USA and Canada. So, please realise the flaw causing my low score and less than glowing review comes from me the reader not being suited to the book, rather than ‘The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition’ being a bad book. It’s not, honest. It has a lot of potential - for the right audience… which wasn’t me.
Though I will also add, before getting into the positives, that I was actually surprised this was a Storey Publishing book as it doesn’t seem to have the usual sparkle they give their work. I mean, the layout was perfection as usual - simple, easy to follow recipes, well laid out formatting and all in all easy to read. What images there were, however, didn’t seem to have the usual Storey Publishing ‘glow’ to them. Oh, and although it doesn’t affect my way of cooking, some modern cooks may not like this book that much as their isn’t a glossy image to go with each and every recipe. Me? I don’t need it so not affected. People more used to the hand held, step by step, must have a picture to compare their work with it reader… they won’t be as happy with ‘The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition’ - sorry.
As for the recipes themselves… well, there were some really good ones, some really interesting ones and ones I just wouldn’t try. I am putting it mostly down to the cultural thing again, as in pumpkin isn’t a novelty ingredient here in Australia, it’s a staple. I also found there were just too many recipes that used pre-mades. Things like cereal, pretzels and - the most mind boggling one to me - canned pumpkin. Wasn’t this book all about learning to cook with fresh pumpkin? Again, I am blaming my cultural background on the canned pumpkin thing as I don’t even know if you can BUY canned pumpkin here… it’s fresh or nothing I think.
And, despite there being some attempts to use healthier ingredients, there was still too much refined sugar and the like for my wholefood, unrefined heart.
But I will say the dedication to making such a wide variety of interesting and different recipes where pumpkin was the key ingredient was impressive. Weird thing is the sweets section interested me more than the savoury. As, here, pumpkin is used in both sweet and savoury dishes, but more so in savoury ones.
All in all it looked to be a very interesting book that would help the adventurous try using pumpkin in ways they may not have done so in the past. But, again, I feel I must emphasise that I wasn’t the best reader for this book as I am simply in the wrong country. Storey Publishing is USA based and cater to the USA market - which is why the recipes are always only ever in imperial measurements. They were decent enough to allow me an ARC, but I simply wasn’t the best person to review it. Fault all mine.
Would I recommend this book to others?
Possibly. I mean, if any of my friends in the USA or Canada who wanted to do more with pumpkin all year round in all sorts of dishes - then yes. This is a book they should check out. People here in Australia or even over in the UK? No, not one I would recommend. Not the fault of the book - it is perfect for the market it is aimed at.
Would I buy this book for myself?
Yeah, we all know the answer to this, right? This is a great book, a perfect way to allow those in the USA to explore how to use delicious and versatile pumpkin in more meals… but not a book for me. Australia’s see and use pumpkin a lot differently, and that is something I have learned from this book and will remember next time I go looking at pumpkin cook books. ;-)
In summary - a cook book that truly allows those who see pumpkin as a novelty ingredient explore other options.
Recipes looked okay, many were not anything I would make. Not all recipes had photos either. Our library collection has a couple of other pumpkin cookbooks that I think are a little better than this one; I think we are going to pass on this one.
I was unable to send this to my Kindle, so I won't be able to read and review it.
Pumpkins, most of us have eaten them in various ways. We see them in coffee, cookies, and soups. I love Pumpkin in many recipes, cook with it often, and will readily admit Autumn is my favorite season. Food, cooking for others, is my love-language so I was beyond thrilled to get The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition, by DeeDee Stovel.
This is not a lightweight endeavor. The book is simply visually stunning, full of images that are bright, beautiful, evoking the ingredients, recipes, season. It's a big, colorful, book that spans a vast variety of offerings. From first read you realize this is THE Pumpkin Cookbook. DeeDee Stovel knows her subject, loves her craft, and conveys both in a way that is easily accessible to both experienced chefs and new cooks alike. The recipes are well presented and throughly explained in a thoughtful manner. The book is chock-full of practical informative advise on equivalencies from fresh to canned, how to prepare several ways, store, and freeze. All is easily accessible and referenced up front, not hidden within individual recipes. This is something I constantly hunt for, and I zeroed in on right away. Well done, and thank you!
There are sweet, savory, recipes you are hoping will be included, and recipes that are totally unexpected that you absolutely can not wait to try. From drinks to appetizers, soups to sides, main dishes to desserts, everything is covered! A few of my favorite recipes; Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Soup, Wild Mushroom Pumpkin Risotto, Apple Cranberry Pumpkin Stuffing, Creamy Fusilli Sausage and Pumpkin, and Pumpkin Panna Cotta. I can't wait to try more of these amazing recipes as I work my way through. If you buy one new cookbook this season I highly recommend The Pumpkin Cookbook by DeeDee Stovel. It's a wonderful addition to any kitchen as well as a great gift.
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from Storey Publishing through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.
Pumpkins: not just for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I had no idea there were so many ways to cook pumpkin! Pumpkin kebabs? Pumpkin brownies? Pumpkin soup? Yes. This recipe book features ways in which you can enjoy pumpkin literally all year round. Pumpkins for everyone!
Pumpkin was my favourite vegetable for its vibrant colour and creamy texture....... This book has numerous recipes from starter to dessert with this wonderful vegetable to try around the year......
t was interesting to learn that pumpkins have been cultivated for 9,000 years and that they can be grown on every continent except Antarctica!
The author also tells which kinds of pumpkins are good for pies or making other delectable recipes - I did not know there were so many types of pumpkins!
The author also gives directions for cutting and peeling different types of pumpkins, a helpful skill for those who want to use as much of the pumpkin as possible!
There is also a handy chart for boiling, roasting, steaming, microwaving and grilling pumpkins along with directions for cooking them which will come in very handy!
This cookbook has it all - there are appetizers and snacks - from pumpkin chutney to pumpkin trail mix and pumpkin smoothies!
There are soups such as Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Soup, Split Pea Pumpkin Soup, and Thai Pumpkin Soup which sound scrumptious!
The author even uses pumpkin and pumpkin seeds to make dressings and salads!
There are side dishes such as Mashed Potato and Pumpkin, Grated Candied Pumpkin,
and Wild Mushroom Pumpkin Risotto.
Some main dishes are Pumpkin Pizza, Pumpkin Filled Ravioli with Wild Sage, and Cheddar Pumpkin Tart - I am getting hungry by just reading this book!
There is Almond Pumpkin Biscotti, Currant Pumpkin Oat Scones, and even Orange Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast choices.
The pie choices are grand - from Pumpkin Chess Pie to Spicy Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie.
There are even recipes for cookies - Jack O Lantern Cookies and Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies.
I was amazed at the variety of things you can make with pumpkins!
This cookbook is incredible. Stovel includes a plethora of delicious sounding recipes, and not just desserts. I can't wait to try some of these out. Included in this book are gorgeous photographs of some of the dishes and fall scenes. Stovel also provides some snippets of information on the versatile pumpkin, Halloween, and more.
The Pumpkin Cookbook - 139 Nutritious Recipes for Year-Round Enjoyment by DeeDee Stovel is a gem for those who love pumpkin and those who'd like to incorporate more pumpkin into their cooking and baking repertoire.
The Pumpkin Cookbook contains a tonne of recipes (139 in fact) in a variety of categories although I was surprised to find so many recipes calling for canned unsweetened pumpkin in their list of ingredients. Very interesting.
Some of my favourite recipes included:
- Roasted carrot and pumpkin soup
- Roasted corn pumpkin chowder
- Roasted potato pumpkin salad
- Golden pumpkin corn pudding
- Pumpkin cornbread
- Pumpkin doughnut muffins
- Traditional pumpkin pie
- Graham cracker pumpkin tannies
- Surprising pumpkin-orange cheesecake
- Pumpkin rice pudding
- Pumpkin panna cotta
- Pumpkin fudge
I'm a visual person and while there are a number of stunning photographs throughout the book, I would have preferred more photographs of the finished dishes in place of photos of pumpkins and autumn scenes. The fact that there's no photo to accompany the recipe for Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins seems an absolute tragedy to me.
The Pumpkin Cookbook was a delicious read and will be published on 25 July.
This book had lots of great information about pumpkins, besides the wonderful pumpkin recipes. I found a bunch of recipes I want to try. In the past I've only made a few pumpkin recipes so I really can't wait to make some of these. You can find recipes in here from appetizers to desserts. The main courses are the most interesting to me since you think pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie usually. If you love pumpkin, you should definitely take a look at this book!
Pumpkin EVERYTHING!!!!!!!
I love the fall when I start baking everything Pumpkin. This is the first time I heard of this book but I am so excited. The recipes are easy and look absolutely delicious. I cannot wait to start trying them.
I love anything pumpkin related. Great pictures with delicious recipes.
I love pumpkin. So I was thrilled when I ran across this book on netgalley and even more thrilled when they sent me a ARC copy. I will be making one of the pumpkin muffins in the morning for our Saturday morning breakfast. There are some super simple recipes in this book as well as some more advanced ones. But they all sound fantastic and before I am done I will probably end up making most of them. The book is easy to read. I love how the fist part of the book explains the different types of pumpkins, ways to peel ad cut, storage and more. I learned a lot from these tips and tricks. I love to cook and really love using fresh ingredients, the tips are very useful so I don't end up with waste.
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.
I am unable to open the download of the book, and therefore unable to review unfortunately.
I thought this was over all a good cookbook. All of the recipes do have pumpkin or squash. I am a vegetarian, so I would be skipping a lot of recipes, but there are some I can alter, and a few I wouldn't have to. It has every category of pumpkin from appetizers, main dishes, to desserts. Many pumpkin preparation techniques are discussed, which could lead to ,asking your own pumpkin recipes as well.
It looks like Storey Publishing seems to have hired a new art director. "The Pumpkin Cookbook" is much prettier than other of their cookbooks I have reviewed, with balanced colours and photos that are in focus. Still too many typefaces and font colours and funky oversized graphics that go poorly with the elegant photos, though.
Unfortunately, the editing has not much improved. Ms Stover's enthusiasm for pumpkin is clear, but her prose is not. Mushy sentences trying to explain the difference between pumpkins and winter squash (there isn't any botanical difference) while trying to sort out the summer squashes too.
Ms Stover's research for the book seems not to have been extensive. She does not know the microwave trick to peel pumpkins. (Put as much of the pumpkin that will fit into the microwave for 3 minutes and peeling is easy.) She likes seedless pumpkin seeds (who doesn't?) but does not seem to know that most of these seeds are from varieties of pumpkin that have been bred for naked seeds. There are industrial pumpkin seed hullers too, and, as I just saw on YouTube, you can even buy a hand watermelon seed cracker although it seems a lot of work for what you get. She does not seem to have tested the various ways people use to extract the seeds they get from their pumpkins. I don't bother, myself. She might know, but she did not include along with the obligatory and not too bothersome nutritional rave, that pumpkin seeds are used as anti-helmenthics in some cultures.
On page 17 of the book is the strangest list. Ms Stover wants you to know which of the recipes is made with pumpkin in what form, the kind of info that is commonly in a well-made index. But given that all pumpkin is originally raw, and that canned pumpkin purée is puréed cooked pumpkin, what is the logic of this list which is divided into: Roasted pumpkin; Steamed or microwaved pumpkin; Canned, unsweetened pumpkin or purée; Raw pumpkin; and Pepitas?
Thai Curried Pumpkin in Phyllo Cups is listed as a raw pumpkin dish, but the pumpkin is boiled (BTW there is no discussion of reasons to choose steamed over boiled or microwaved pumpkin chunks in particular recipes. Also, FYI, Thais in Thailand do not use green curry with pumpkin, only red curry and they do not garnish green curry with peanuts with green curry. She does it again with Thai Pumpkin Poup, which is a dish never seen in Thailand.) Likewise, Pumpkin Chutney is in the raw section but is cooked. As a matter of fact, I don't see a raw pumpkin dish in the book. Salads include cooked pumpkin cubes, purée in the dressing, or pepitas for crunch. Much more useful would be a section explaining how to concentrate or dry out home-made purée which is often much looser than canned.
Leaving the clunky text aside, the recipes are inviting and I think they are well tested. It's just that old Storey Publishing editing mediocrity that keeps this book from rising to a higher level.
Two last complaints. One of the recipes is Kadu (Afghani Sweet Pumpkin).Technically speaking, the people of Afghanistan are called "Afghans" and their currency is called "Afghani", and, if you are going to include Afghan pumpkin recipes, Bolonee Kadho (basically baked or fried pumpkin calzone), is miles better. Afghans make leek, cheese, and potato versions too.
I received a review copy of "The Pumpkin Cookbook: Second Edition" by DeeDee Stover (Storey) through NetGalley.com.
A beautifully presented and illustrated guide to making the most out of pumpkin. Usually pumpkin is regulated to halloween or thanksgiving but this book really broadens the scope of cooking with pumpkin. There are so many delicious recipes to try out, and they are laid out in an easy to follow manner even for a complete beginner like me