Theresa Carle-Sanders

Summary: This cookbook (which started as a recipe blog) is a companion to the Outlander series of books. Specifically, this book presents recipes for food that is mentioned in one of the Outlander novels, along with the relevant quote and some history and commentary, if relevant.

Review: As I read (and re-read) the Outlander series, the food was not something that particularly stood out to me. Gabaldon's writing is descriptive but food is only very rarely the focus of a scene; mostly it show more exists as set dressing. What this means for this cookbook, though, is that in some places the recipes are pretty loose interpretations based on only a word or two in the book ("fried chicken" in the book morphs into a decidedly un-historical recipe for chicken that is brined in sweet tea before being fried, for example). The far extreme of this are places where the connection to the books is metaphorical at best - there's a quote from Dragonfly in Amber about Ian guarding Jamie's weaker side to preface a recipe for buttered leeks, which, while they sound tasty, and not out of keeping with a general Scottish-themed cuisine, are in here because they are "guarding the side" of your main dish. Actually, the *far* extreme of this is "Black Jack Randall's Dark Chocolate Lavender Fudge," which a) damn that's reaching, and b) I don't think I'll ever be making this, because c) fudge? for Black Jack Randall? Really?? Ew.

The recipes themselves run the gamut from being traditional recipes that have been adapted for the modern kitchen to more modern fare. There are fewer traditional Scottish recipes than I was expecting, which in retrospect shouldn't be that surprising, given the series's scope (although the classics - parritch, oatcakes, scotch eggs, etc. - are all present as well). This was somewhat disappointing as I was reading it, though, as I was hoping for more along the lines of the other literary cookbook I've read, Lobscouse & Spotted Dog, which made a point of locating authentic period recipes and then making them the original way, before interpreting them for a modern audience. I do get that that wasn't the particular goal of Carle-Sanders, though, and even when she uses historical sources for her recipes, the vast majority of the recipes seem to be reasonable for a modern cook, with minimal use of exotic or hard-to-find ingredients (although I still am probably going to continue to buy my puff pastry rather than make it by hand!) I haven't yet held an Outlander dinner party based on recipes from this book, but it's on my list to plan one, and there are also a number of recipes I'd like to try out just for their own sake. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: If you like the Outlander books and like to cook or bake, then this book is a fun addition to your cookbook shelf. If you only like one or the other of those things, then this book might still be of interest, but probably not particularly essential. show less

I only wish there were more recipes, and so novel many of them. Wonderful, with excerpts from the books and pictures. I'm interested in the adventure of snipping some young nettle leaves next spring for some Nettle Rolls!

I received this cookbook through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.

This is a cookbook that can be enjoyed on multiple levels. First of all, it's a cookbook with a diverse selection of recipes for food and drink, and many of them are period recipes written in a way to be accessible to the 21st century cook. For example, Drunken Mock-Turtle Soup uses oxtail along with a bottle of sherry. Baking soda and powder, 19th century inventions, are in bread recipes to allow for a good rise. show more Excerpts from the series accompany most of the recipes; an exception being Diana Gabaldon's personal recipe for Cheese Enchiladas. Most recipes feature a photograph, and the shots are quite well done.

I'm not a big Outlander fan; I have only read the first book. I don't mind spoilers in the slightest, though, and I quite enjoyed the excerpts with the recipes. They really showed Gabaldon's skill in scant paragraphs. I can imagine that hardcore fans will get a lot out of this book--it could well provoke a series re-read--and it would certainly be fun to host viewing parties for the TV show while dining on recipes from this book.

I have only had time to test one recipe so far, but it was wonderful. Ginger-Nut Biscuits, on page 274-275, ended up just as depicted in the picture: broad, cakey cookies with a lovely sugar-crackle top and a fresh ginger flavor within. This one is definitely worth making again! I made note of 10 recipes I want to try, including Crowdie cheese, millionaire shortbread, and two for scones.

The one complaint I have is the font used for the page numbers. The font is very curly. I kept confusing 1 and 4. This is a small issue, true, but an aggravation when you're trying to write down recipes by page number only to find out later that several are incorrect. show less

A big coffee table cookbook that is a culinary tour of Maine and each recipe is based on a character or book by King. Carle-Sanders created recipes such as "Dick Hallorann's Baked Beans" based on The Shining character of the Overlook's chef.
The author, with King's permission, created a character who introduces nearly each recipe. I'd wanted to read this one for a while and it didn't disappoint.