Pretty but nothing I want to try. ( )

Even if none of the recipes in this book appeal (unlikely), it's worth checking out for the front matter alone: her "Rules of the Potluck" (for hosts/organizers and for guests) are pretty smart, and there are some notes on food safety too, which are good to keep in mind.

What makes for a great potluck dish?
1. It will hold up on a buffet table.
2. It has three components, max.
3. It's crowd pleasing with just a hint of edge.

What hosts & organizers should know:
1. Control your inner control freak.
2. Keep your guests in the loop about dietary restrictions.
3. Pick a theme, or don't. (e.g. grandmother's favorite, seasonal, spicy, local, etc.)
4. Think about the flow and label the food. (Line tables with butcher paper and write on it!)
5. Remember plates, cups, utensils, etc.
6. Clean your kitchen.
7. Stock the bar.
8. If you're hosting offsite (not at your house), find out what's available.

What guests should know:
1. Ask in advance about using the oven or stove for prep.
2. Think about how you'll transport your food.
3. Ask about dietary restrictions.
4. If you sign up to bring something, bring it!
5. Bring serving utensils.
6. Take your dishes home.

Recipes I'd try:
Buttery whole wheat crackers (p. 32)
Harissa-roasted chickpeas (p. 47)
Pumpkin beer and turkey chili (p. 102-104)
Smoky squash mac & cheese (p. 119)
Roasted/grilled vegetables (p. 158--)
"Roasted or grilled vegetables are a great addition to any potluck because you can make them in advance and they are delicious at room temperature."
Chocolate cherry millet cookies (p. 214)
Potato chip-crusted magic bars (p. 217)
Salt and pepper candied cashews (p. 220)

I love cookbooks and this one did not disappoint in its presentation. It has beautiful photographs of dishes and of the community gatherings. My only complaint would be that the recipes seem very adventurous and involved for a potluck gathering. These recipes seemed more for impressing a very intimate group of people rather than your everyday potluck. The recipes are set for larger groups 10 to 12 people, so that you can gather enough ingredients for a large group. Even though many of the dishes seem a bit "out of my league," I still hope to try a few at some point in the future.
I received a complimentary copy via Goodreads giveaway program. ( )

I saw the word Potluck and thought this would have an excellent selection of recipes. It does in fact have many recipes as well as wonderful glossy photos. The statement to give people "foolproof, crowd-pleasing" recipes fell short for me and my household in regard to taste preferences. I see many 4 and 5 star reviews and honestly, I am happy for those folks that this book was a success for them.

For me, the word Potluck inspires casseroles and easy to prepare foods that you know almost everyone wants to sample. You arrive with “the dish” and people say, yesssssssss….I love that or can’t wait to try it!

This wasn’t the mental image that came to mind as I turned page after page trying to find something I would cook. Something we would make over and over. In my opinion, this book is for people who are extremely passionate and adventurous regarding some out of the ordinary ingredients and combinations. An asparagus quiche sounds good but I’m not sure about the rye crust.

Tuna, capers and slow roasted tomatoes would work for me as would the deviled eggs. But I don’t need a cookbook to assist with deviled eggs or to come up with creative combinations to give them some zing. Same goes for the potato salad.

This book is well organized into sections for snacks, dips, drinks, main dishes, etc. Also it caters to a wide variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan. There are many recipes for meat eaters too.

It’s a pretty book, it’s just not for me so I will donate this book to the library. ( )

I love cooking and have a special place in my heart for cooks who aren’t afraid to try new things, so I fell in love with Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share by Kristin Donnelly. I have a cooking blog and love to come up with something new and different that works. Somehow, reading these recipes, I picture Donnelly standing at the open fridge, as I do, with a piece of fruit or a vegetable in her hand and thinking, now what might work with this. Her recipes made me feel like I had met a flavor soul mate.

Modern Potluck is organized by the types of things you might offer to bring to a potluck, the snacks, the room temperature main dishes, the slow cooked dishes, the big pans of food, the salads, and the desserts. Reading it, I imagined volunteering for a potluck, saying “I’ll bring mac and cheese.” and then showing up with the Smoky Squash Mac & Cheese. Folks will be expect meh and be getting “Oh Yeah!”

Donnelly is not a dogmatic cookbook author. For example, instead of saying you should roast asparagus, onions and mushrooms, she gives you and A to Z of vegetables that you can roast with directions for each. She also explains how different choices in roasting, such as whether you use the center or bottom rack or whether or not you add a pan of water, will affect your roasted veggies. In her section on salads, she covers the many different grains that can be used in salads with the clear understanding that you have absolute permission to choose.

But what excites me most are the recipes. When I saw the first recipe, for a carament popcorn and nuts snack that is so not Cracker Jacks™, I considered whether I could just make it right then and there before I even looked at the second recipe. Sadly, I had no corn syrup. After a shopping trip, I am definitely make it. I want to make nearly every recipe, even the ones I can’t because I am allergic. I will have to figure out how to adapt them.

There are also some great recipes for making some staples, such as seasoned salts and for zaatar, things that might make great and inexpensive presents. There’s recipes for several sauces, salsas, and chutneys.

This cookbook is so great that I showed it to my best friend and she was picking out so many things she wants to make. Top on her list is the roast lamb with a spiced date barbecue sauce. It is one of those recipes that you just know will be special, one of those recipes that you will be known for and asked to bring to potlucks.

I love this cookbook. The pictures are beautiful, the food is fresh and unique, with bold, bright flavors and an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and healthy grains. It is everything I like about cooking. There are a few problems with it, though, and not one is about the writing or the recipes, so I am still giving it five stars just for being so everything I want.

So what are the problems? It’s all about the design. The worst is that the ingredients are printed in all caps. Not even small caps! It makes it hard to read the ingredients. There are notes and preparation tips in a larger lightweight serif font. The weight is so thing that it seems almost as though it’s a medium gray instead of black, again hard to read. The directions are in another font, a nice solid serif, but smaller. Nonetheless, even though it’s the smallest it is the easiest to read. To add to the confusion, with the more complex recipes, some break out different parts of the recipe with bold first sentences such as “Prepare the celery root noodles…” This helps make it more clear. But others do not, leaving one long narrative of instruction, and again, making it less clear than it should be. These are design and layout problems that do not affect the recipes.

Any cookbook can give us recipes that we can make. A great cookbook, though, will inspire us to take risks, make our own choices and experiment within the parameters of the recipe, using the ratios with a change her or there. This is that kind of cookbook.

Modern Potluck will be released tomorrow, July 26th.

I received a promotional copy of Modern Potluck from Blogging for Books.

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/modern-potluck-by-kristin... ( )