Thank you Storey Publishing, LLC for a copy of The Pesto Cookbook by Olwen Woodier. I have always enjoyed traditional pesto and liked learning new combinations of ingredients to make new pesto flavors. The recipes were pretty easy to follow, mostly just throw everything in a food processor and process until smooth, but there were some hard to find ingredients included, like perilla. The cookbook had great pictures, which always make a cookbook better, but often the picture was located nowhere near the recipe (page numbers were given, but I like to read the recipe and see it at the same time).
The book has a really cute introduction and then discusses the tradition of pesto and how it varies around the world. There are four chapters on making pesto and other herb purees, and then seven chapters on different recipes that use the pesto recipes from earlier in the book. These seven chapters are divided up into the type of dish – salads and soups, meat and poultry, sweet surprises, etc. Most of the recipes have ingredient substitutions listed which makes the recipes very versatile and easy to adapt to different taste preferences.
Traditional basil, parmesan cheese, pine nut pesto is still my favorite, but I now like to mix it up with options such as spinach-arugula pesto, spicy tomato summer pesto, and goat cheese, yogurt, and lemon pesto. Some of my favorite recipes from the book are the stir fried veggies on the side, barley risotto with sweet pepper, onion, and chorizo; and white bean and orzo soup with spicy summer pesto. I also liked the recipe for avocado mayonnaise.
Overall it was a good cookbook that added some variety to my diet, but I did feel many of the recipes were similar (which in a cookbook on one subject would be expected) so it is one that I use today and then not again for a few weeks. But everything I tried was really tasty!

Beautiful photographs, and enticing recipes! I haven't tried any of the recipes, but the combinations look exciting and I can imagine the pleasure to the palate! A variety of herb combinations that will please varied tastes. From pesto's to mayonnaise, soups to meats with the sauces, a wide variety and imaginative and fresh combinations. Some familiar ingredients, and some new that I can't wait to try.

OK let's start off with some disclosure. I really do not like Storey Publishing book designs. I put this at the top of this review because I now just opened the ARC file and there is the cover which is just awful. Fortunately for people who are getting the finished book, the final cover is different from the one in front of me, but who is it at Storey who can't resist making a Table of Contents with 6 fonts in three colors with commas where they never should go and then writing the book's text in three others? The ARC is a design disaster.

Enough, enough, I know, what about the recipes.

The book is called "Pesto" but it is written about the many varied smashed or pureed seasoning sauces found around the world. For the 116 recipes in this book Ms Olwen collects all sorts of things including basil pestos, pestos made by swapping other herbs for the basil, chimichurri, pistou, aioli, and similar herb based purees. It's a bit too far for me, though, when a pesto made from fresh herbs that must be eaten immediately is equated with a salty curry paste made from fermented shrimp and dried spices that will keep for a year, but at least the word paste is accurate. But I'm sorry, herb butter on biscuits and flavored oils on salad are not pesto. Nor is green mayonnaise.

And I really would like to know the chemistry behind Ms Olwen's contention that butter keeps basil pesto from turning brown. Fat is fat and oil should have the same air exclusion or anti-oxidant or whatever power, and, golly, the pesto won't taste like butter.

Botanical note: In the sweets section is a note that lemon balm is not in the mint family. Sorry, the genus Mentha and the genus Melissa, along with 234 others, make up the mint family Lamiaceae.

As with most Storey cookbooks, the recipes seem tasty and well tested. I would rather use the web, though.

I received a review copy of "The Pesto Cookbook: 116 Recipes for Creative Herb Combinations and Dishes Bursting with Flavor" by Olwen Woodier (Storey) through NetGalley.com. The ARC has many awkward sentences that I trust were smoothed out in the final edit.

The book is great! It tells you how to make different Pesto and if you like pesto like me, you will probably love this book. I didn't try out all the recipes yet but I'm working on it.

This book was so interesting and an eye opener on different types of pesto you can make and the uses for it. I love the traditional basil pesto but have been making a variety since reading this. Might have to get myself the paper copy :)

This is absolutely a great cookbook!
I had no clue that there were this many different pesto recipes (to be honest I still believed that they only had pesto in Italy, oops).
At first, the sheer amount of recipes made me a little anxious. I only knew 2 ways to cook with pesto and I couldn't imagine that I would have a use for each of these new varieties. Thankfully the second half of the book is filled with recipes and all of those look absolutely delicious!
This is definitely a NetGalley find that I want on my cook bookshelf!

Colors and flavors indeed! This book was actually a LOT more than I expected! I tried out the Rosemary Pesto and WOW….I just wanted to sample it but then ended up serving it as an appetizer with crackers that day, it was so good!

Not only were there an amazing variety of pesto sauces, but this book also includes other recipes from salads and soups to fish and meats and even vegetarian dishes that can go with any of the pesto’s early on in the cooking book.

This cookbook gives some really fun and inspired ideas…and I’m gonna say it again…dipping sauces!

I love pesto, but I never knew about all these variations and uses! I will spend a long time trying these! The photos are beautiful and the recipes are inventive.

Thank you to Olwen Woodier, Storey Publishing, and Storey Publishing, LLC for this free honest reviewer copy of "The Pesto Cookbook: 116 Recipes for Creative Herb Combinations and Dishes Bursting with Flavor."

This cookbook does exactly what I love best in single-focus cooking books -- it starts out with a detailed reflection on how the author has used pesto in their life, and then delves into where all the ingredients of pesto originated from and what it's furthest researchable origins for the pesto is itself, too.

I madly adore the by-region sections about the pesto, the advice on hot grow herbs for pesto (even in the winter!), and even the introduction and focus on getting everyone into using a mortar and pestle on a common happenstance.

I can't wait for my hard copy of this to join my kitchen books!

In the first part of the book, the author discusses how she uses pesto and where certain pesto ingredients originated, even the Romans used a type of pesto using herbs, cheese and garlic called moretum. The word pesto cemes from the word pestare,which means “to pound or grind in a mortar with a pestle.”
The author even grows herbs during the winter inside using a hydroponic AeroGarden.
‪You will be treated to a regional section of information about where certain pesto ingredients are used, you may even have some of them in your own backyard!‬
‪You will also learn how to use garlic, oil and nuts to intensify the flavor of your pesto!‬
‪You can use either the traditional mortar and pestle or a food procesor to make your pesto.‬
‪There is a whole chapter on basil, which is the most popular type of pesto, there are focuses on recipes that use basil, cheese, nuts, tomatoes and garlic, along with some unique ingredients to challenge your palate. ‬
‪Other recipes use ingredients such as eggplant, beans, scallions, peppers, rosemary, mustard, ginger, peanuts, mint and pine nuts so that you can have a lot of variety on your plate. The Peanut-Cilantro recipe would be delicious over egg rolls or salad, and the Arugula Parsley Chimichurri would be a great marinade for meat, seafood, chicken or veggies!‬
‪There are even recipes for making herb-flavored butter, purees, mayonnaise and vinaigrettes.‬
‪There are recipes for steak and potatoes, chunky chickpea soup, herb biscuits, and sesame garlic fried rice with peanut - cilantro pesto. There are also couscous and risotto recipes, and a lot of pasta recipes to try.‬
‪There is even a section on vegetarian recipes that use mushrooms, tofu, spinach, and sweet potatoes as the main or extra ingredient.‬
‪There is even a desert section with recipes such as blueberry basil cream, a Haroseth paste that uses, dates, apricots, nuts and apples, and a compote with mint chocolate cream.‬
‪There is a recipe for every meal and mood - enjoy!
.

The variety of recipes offered was impressive. I fully recommend it, and can hardly wait until my hard copy arrives. I had to order it as a gift for my mom as she is a huge pesto fan.

Delicious recipes. The veriaty of ingredients to make different pesto is a great way to use up your produce.

This book is not about your granny's pesto recipe. It's chock-full of tasty recipes that tempt the pallate with a variety of ingredients.

I love pesto and before this cookbook, I never realized there were so many different ways to make pesto. This book has amazing recipes, not only pesto recipes but how to cook them with soups, salads, pasta, meat, seafood, etc. There are also ones for Herbed Oil Purees, Mayonnaises and Vinaigrettes. The Avocado Mayonnaise in a turkey sandwich.....delish! I'd only made pesto with what I thought was the traditional way but the Classic Genovese Pesto adds a little butter that helps keep the color bright! Who knew? The Tomatillo-Sunflower Salsa Verde is fantastic, and the Poblano and Fresh Oregano Puree is one I want to try next. I found the recipes to be fairly easy to make, especially the Flank Steak with Pesto and the Butterflied Pork Tenderloin, just to name a couple. Not only does this book have delicious recipes (there are still many yet to try), the photos are absolutely gorgeous. I received an advance digital ARC of The Pesto Cookbook via NetGalley but I might end up buying the paperback copy for my cookbook collection. If you enjoy cooking, I definitely recommend this cookbook!

So...little known factoid about me...I LOVE all things PESTO. I know, weird, right? I would throw pesto into everything I cook if I thought my family wouldn't mutiny (lol). So when I saw this cookbook up for review on NetGalley, I just had to request it.

This turned out to be a really great little cookbook. It is separated into twelve different chapters (including an introduction)...

~MAKING PESTOS, TRADITIONAL AND BEYOND~
-- A UNIVERSAL TRADITION
-- THE BASIL BASICS
-- EXPANDING THE HERBAL PALATE
-- PUSHING THE PESTO ENVELOPE
-- HERBED OIL PURÉES, MAYONNAISES & VINAIGRETTES

~COOKING WITH PESTOS~
-- SALADS AND SOUPS
-- SIDES AND SNACKS
-- PASTAS AND GRAINS
-- MEAT AND POULTRY
-- SEAFOOD DISHES
-- VEGETARIAN ENTREES
-- SWEET SURPRISES


Each chapter includes little bits of information and history. The recipes are well laid out and easy to follow. The graphics and photos make it a visual pleasure to browse through as well.

~HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE RECIPES YOU WILL FIND WITHIN~
-- CLASSIC GENOVESE PESTO
-- SPICY TOMATO SUMMER PESTO
-- BRAZILIAN TEMPERO PURÉE
-- GINGER-PEANUT PESTO
-- GOAT CHEESE, YOGURT, AND LEMON PESTO
-- FRESH GREEN HARISSA
-- GREEN MAYONNAISE
-- SPRING GREENS WITH SNAP PEAS, ASPARAGUS, AND MANGOS
-- ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
-- SPAETZLE
-- SPICY BEEF BURGERS
-- GROUND LAMB KABOBS
-- TUNA BURGERS WITH AIOLI
-- SAVORY SUPPER WAFFLES
-- COCONUT CITRUS COOKIES

So as you can see this one is jammed packed with good recipes. Not only for pestos, but mains, sides, and even desserts! This one definitely gets two thumbs up from yours truly.

I began to salivate as the long list of possible ingredients for pesto were listed on the first few introductory pages: mentally checking how many I had currently in the kitchen or garden; which I could get hold of in the shops now; which I will or should have in the garden later in the year (cue new planting regimes!), and which I may never get hold of (luckily not too many of those).
Next comes a whirlwind tour of classic pestos from around the world, starting with the well-known Pesto Genovese, dipping into France for pistou, Spain for romesco, South America for tempero, and chimichurri amongst others, Asia, … More salivating.
Then onto a more detailed list of the varieties of basic ingredients, and suggestions on how to prepare them (e.g. toasting nuts), and some comments on equipment. I did appreciate that the author mainly used a food processor, rather than the more cumbersome and time-consuming mortar and pestle. That all took me up to page 19 – by which time I had decided that I had to have a hard copy of this book – the free electronic ARC just was not going to be enough. This is before I had even gotten to the recipes!
As you might expect, the various pesto recipes come first – with suggestions on how to use them. The instructions are dead easy – generally: put everything in the food processor/blender and whizz. The lists of ingredients are seldom fixed – there are always ideas of substitutes or variations on the theme, most will suit vegetarians (many are vegan) as well as omnivores. My favourites here were the ‘Sundried tomato and Almond pesto’ (used as a pizza base, and on roasted mushrooms and aubergines), the ‘Anchovy-Basil Pesto’ (used on rigatoni, and on cooked chicken) and the ‘Spicy Tomato Summer Pesto’ (used on chickpeas and on pasta)
Following on from the pestos are short sections on herbed oils, mayonnaises and vinaigrettes (I highly recommend the ‘Mint, Miso and Shallot Vinaigrette’ which we used on salads, and on boiled potatoes).
In the Cooking with Pesto section there are recipes for salads (loved the ‘Fennel, Radish, Asian Pear and Radicchio’) and soups; sides & snacks (‘Zucchini Fritters’ tonight); pastas and grains; meat and poultry (the ‘Chicken Thighs with Peanut-Sesame Pesto’ and the ‘Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Pesto’ were both outstanding); seafood (‘Baked salmon with Pesto and Coconut Sauce’ and the ‘Shrimp with Ginger-Peanut Pesto’ were excellent); vegetarian entrees; and sweets. Basically, there was not a single recipe that I did not want to try. Once my garden is in full production mode (husband just sent out with a list of necessary seeds to buy), there will be no stopping me. The only potential problem I can see, is not having enough small pottles to freeze the excess pestos in – or room for all the pottles in the freezer!
The book has many beautiful photographs of the ingredients, particularly of the herbs, used in creating pestos, of the completed pestos, and of some of the main courses – but the herb photos are the real stars.
All the measurements are given in imperial measures, but luckily most in fractions of cups, so the ratios are easy to calculate. There is a US to metric measures conversion chart at the end of the book.
All round this is a really outstanding book that can be used as a marvellous springboard into a wealth of pesto / sauce / oils … recipes that will keep you busy and fed for life. I fully recommend it, and can hardly wait until my hard copy arrives.

Different varities of pestos with various combinations to make in your home........

A wonderful treat for the eye and palate. So many different pesto and oils to make. I like the variety of recipes, the ways to use them and the substitute options. The versatility makes this so useful, and one I can see myself going back to reference time and time again. Highly recommend this book and author.

Lots of creative and new ways to enjoy pesto. Definitely didn't realize that they could be made with really any combination of herbs. Will definitely use this knowledge in my future cooking

The Pesto Cookbook by Olwen Woodier is a fabulously written cookbook on Pesto that is great for both beginners and more experienced home cooks. I loved that each recipe provided a bit of information about the pesto alongside the ingredients list. The Pesto Cookbook includes international pestos, seasonal pestos, herb-filled pestos and more that the home cook can utilize in pasta, purees, soups, and sauces. If you're passionate about Pesto this is the cookbook for you.