Homestyle Kitchen: Fresh and Timeless Comfort Food for Sharing

Rutland (The Christmas Movie Cookbook) shares what she considers classic recipes with a focus on fresh ingredients in this wide-ranging collection. Divided by type of dish, the recipes include breakfast treats, party-ready appetizers, sides and salads, hearty main dishes and casseroles, and desserts. Popular favorites such as Parker House rolls and chicken and dumplings appear alongside midcentury offerings such as Cobb salad, wacky cake, and baked tomatoes Rockefeller, plus a smattering of unique treats, such as cookies made with benne seeds. The recipes do not include a separate listing for preparation and cooking time, but the information is listed in the step-by-step cooking instructions, as are substitutions to make the dish less spicy or vegetarian, where applicable. Most recipes include a nicely styled color photograph of the finished dish. There aren’t any unusual ingredients or high-end techniques here, just straightforward home cooking with a slight emphasis on hearty Midwestern and Southern American favorites.