BookLook Bloggers gave me a copy of The Loving Kitchen to review. The Loving Kitchen is a Southern food cookbook, written by popular food blogger, LeAnn Rice.

The tone of the book is very folksy and down-home, similar to Paula Deen. LeAnn shares her take on many Southern classics, like fried chicken, grits, BBQ, and sweet potatoes.

Most of her recipes are not suitable for the Jewish kitchen. There is way too much pork and meat/cheese combos. Those aren’t things I want to make, but I would adapt her basic recipes to suit my own tastes, if possible.

Another thing I didn’t care for was the high level of fat. Her version of spaghetti squash contains an entire stick of butter! That’s simply outrageous. My version contains none. I think the food would be good for a special occasion, but this shouldn’t be daily fare for anyone concerned with healthy eating.

I did enjoy her section on desserts. For a treat, any of them would be wonderful! Her take on peanut butter pie, banana pudding, and something called “Elvis Cupcakes” look especially tasty.

While I may not agree with LeAnn’s “calories be damned” attitude, I loved her ideas on using food to build bridges. Giving food to someone who’s hurting or experiencing stress is always a blessing—both for the giver and receiver. If someone you know is sick, or unemployed, or getting divorced, bring them a little something! It won’t go unappreciated.

I give The Loving Kitchen 5 stars for attitude, 3 stars for recipes, and 1 star for nutrition.