Review
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Title: The Lion House Cookbook: More Than 500 Favorite Recipes
Authors: Temple Square Hospitality Corporation
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Non-Fiction
Year Published: 2016
Number of Pages: 394
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN13: 978-1-62972-173-6
Price: $27.99
Reviewed By Trudy Thompson for the Association For Mormon Letters
I love to collect and read cookbooks. I also love to cook and create new dishes at home. So, it goes without saying that I also love to eat — at home and in restaurants. The minute I got my hands on this attractive and large volume, I was eagerly flipping through the pages, reading recipe titles, and nearly drooling over the exquisite full color page size photos of many of the recipes.
The Lion House is the iconic and well known home of former church president Brigham Young in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. From 1856 to the present, the Lion House has been making a wide variety of food for the enjoyment of all those who used to live or visit there. This tradition lives on today in the Lion House Pantry, known for its cafeteria style served meals, consisting of hot entrees, sides, soups, salads, breads, rolls, and mouth watering desserts.
When Brigham Young’s family resided there, cooking and baking went on almost around the clock. An average of seventy-five people needed to be fed three meals a day at that time, and there was only one wood-burning stove to cook everything. Brigham Young’s many wives became very skilled at making the best food of that day.
With the help of Executive Chef David Bench, this cookbook includes well known offerings of the Lion House Pantry, such as Lion House Rolls, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Sarah’s salad. There are also unique and unusual recipes, such as Chilled Banana Bisque, Carrot Apple Bisque, Bavarian Mints, Kettle Corn, Pavlova, Hot Turkey Salad Supreme, Aloha Bread, and Nutmeg Spinach Souffle, among many others.
The recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu, one of my favorites, is surprisingly simple. The crispy coating is created by simply dipping the chicken in melted butter, then rolling it in crushed corn flake crumbs. The sauce is an easy blend of cream of chicken soup, sour cream and fresh lemon juice.
Fish lovers will most certainly enjoy the recipes for Clam Chowder, Lion House Oyster Stew, Shrimp Bisque, Crab Bisque, Salmon Chowder and Gumbo Soup with Shrimp.
The chapter on breads includes the well known in Utah recipe for Jessie Evans Smith’s 90 Minute Bread, Lion House Rolls, both white and wheat, Johnny Cakes (Cornmeal Muffins), and lesser known offerings such as Dilly Casserole Bread, Crunchy Onion Loaf, and Applesauce Fruit Loaf, to name just a few.
The main dish section includes recipes for many different dishes using chicken, turkey, beef of all kinds, pork and fish. I was delighted to see a recipe for Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, which I have not been able to make in years due to the fact that I lost my recipe.
Other chapters include Appetizers, Salads, Vegetables and Sides, and Desserts. The Desserts easily comprise half of the book. From cookies, cakes, bars, brulee, mousse, ice creams, sherbets, and candies, this section will have something for every taste.
As an avid cookbook collector, I can emphatically state that this cookbook is a true bargain at its retail price. I have paid that much and more for cookbooks half that size and with fewer recipes, pictures and delectable offerings!
For the dedicated home cook, recipe lover, or anyone who enjoys good food that is easy to prepare, this book is for you. There is something for any appetite – and any level of home cook. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and this would be a thoughtful and beautiful gift-for any woman in your life.