Book Club Friday Fun Edition: Let Me Feed You

My hope is that you’ll find recipes in this book as delicious and satisfying as they are straightforward and achievable. (3)

Cooking is a language that I speak fluently. Like Rosie Daykin, I use that language to say things to those around me. I want people to taste the effort, taste the love. And, part of being able to cook for someone isn’t about showing off the latest culinary technique or hard-to-find ingredient it’s all about making food that’s delicious and making people feel at ease. This is what Rosie Daykin’s newest book, Let Me Feed You, is all about. She’s expanded from her beginnings as a baker to include recipes which are better suited to causal, everyday cooking. As she says she can’t live on sweets alone and it is with this book that she aims to offer a variety of recipes suited to any occasion.

There is something fun about Rosie Daykin. I have never met her, but I find that a lot of her humour and wit shines through in the recipe head notes. There’s been a lot made lately about the writing and stories that accompany a recipe. Although, the complaints are directed more so at online recipe purveyors and bloggers, I think it’s that little extra that sets apart one recipe from another. I’ll make Rosie’s quiche because she’s had fun writing the recipe and notes — Quiche Me You Fool, the title before the recipe drew me in and her clever likening of a quiche to an accommodating friend was great. With so many cookbooks and so many recipes personality goes a long way. I’m not just making any quiche now, I’m making Rosie’s quiche (and, it’s here where I’ll highly recommend her leek, spinach, and gruyere combo). Throughout Let Me Feed You she also demonstrates her ability as a storyteller — I really appreciated her anecdotes and, at times, it feels like a friend or neighbour is sharing one of their go-to trusted recipes with you. Since we can’t all go to her Butter Bakery and Café in Vancouver, I feel like using this cookbook and enjoying the recipes is the next best thing.

Daykin entices the home cook through the gorgeous lifestyle and food pictures. Even on the cover it feels as though she’s set her table for the reader, inviting us to join her at her home. Since we can’t actually do that, she’s offering home cooks recipes that look and sound delicious. Her recipes are uncomplicated, and I think, offer any level of home cook opportunity for success. Part of making recipes accessible (or successful) is the ingredients that are used and, I’ve found that Daykin does a really great job of using everyday pantry staples in developing her recipes. These are recipes I find I’m familiar with as they’re ones I’ve grown up with and I really appreciate how she’s put her own personal touch on them (potato chips in the tuna sandwich!). Classic comfort foods with a twist!

All the recipes are organized into nine chapters: Breakfast, Bread Etc., Sandwiches, Soups, Salads, Dinner, Vegetables Etc., Condiments Etc., and Dessert. She also offers pantry and equipment tips and advice, as well as offering menu plans to suit weeknights, Friday night, and Sunday supper. As you know, I cook for my family of vegetarians, so I found that the book contained lots of recipes and inspiration to suit my needs. The recipes aren’t categorized by dietary need so if you’re looking for something specific — vegan, gluten-free, paleo, keto, etc. — you’ll need to search through and discover those recipes for yourself. Being an admirer of her first book, Butter Baked Goods, I was happy to see a few Butter-esque recipes — Party Scones and If Friday Were a Cake just to name a couple. There are also popular Butter Bakery and Café recipes included as well — Butter’s Granola and The Great Oat Loaf, for example. Recipes for the everyday.

But even the everyday can feel special. Recently my husband went out of town on business and my daughter and I turned to Let Me Feed You for inspiration on how to make our “girl’s weekend” feel a little more extra. After flipping through the book, we settled on the recipe for Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins. Sounding like the best of every possible choice brushed with butter and rolled in a classic mix of cinnamon and sugar we set to work baking. My helper helped me to dip two doughnut muffins before she had to hop off her stool to take a warm muffin to the table. Just between us, I’m surprised she lasted through two! The smell of these doughnut muffins is incredible! Considering it’s a long weekend here in Canada, I thought it be nice to offer a recipe from Let Me Feed You to try. Whether you’re entertaining many or just enjoying a quite long weekend I think these Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins would be the perfect thing to bake! Speaking from experience, this is also a great recipe to make with kids. I had my daughter brush butter into the cups of the muffin pan. She also adored pouring ingredients into the bowl too. I’m so grateful to Appetite for giving me permission to share this recipe with you!

Let Me Feed You offers a wide range of recipes that are (honest-to-goodness) easy to make no matter what your level of home cookery is. Daykin infuses this cookbook with fun — in my mind if you’re going to feel successful in the kitchen, having fun is half the battle. If you’re curious to see what I’ve been feeding my folks, then checkout my custom Instagram hashtag #letmefeedyoueatworthystuff or my dedicated Facebook post. I’ll keep updating these as I cook and try new recipes.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own