Review by Debra Purdy Kong

Easy Recipes and a Personal Touch, May 27, 2009
By Debra Purdy Kong "mystery writer" (Port Moody, BC) - See all my reviews

When it comes to creating recipes, I have little imagination so I turn to cookbooks for ideas. My problem with many of them, though, is that the recipes are either too complicated or the ingredients too hard to find. So it was with great pleasure that I discovered Stir, Laugh, Repeat by Martha A. Cheves. Her straightforward recipes reflect her southern U.S. background and use simple, affordable ingredients. Cheves provides a number of money-saving tips which is greatly appreciated.

If you love cheese and white chocolate (not together) you'll love this book because the author's a fan of both and features these items in several recipes. As a bonus, Cheves also offers personal stories and a practical tip with each recipe, which gives the book a personal touch.

My only quibble is that it'll be hard to keep the book open when I try some of the recipes, which is why I usually prefer coil bound cookbooks. Also, there are a couple of ingredients such as Parker House rolls that aren't available here in Canada so I'll have to find a substitute. Meanwhile, I really need to start on that banana pudding recipe!