Review: The Chili Cookbook by Robb Walsh

Title: The Chili Cookbook: A History of the One-Pot Classic, with Cook-off Worthy Recipes from Three-Bean to Four-Alarm and Con Carne to Vegetarian
Author: Robb Walsh
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 29th 2015
Source: Ten Speed Press


Book Description:

A cookbook devoted to the family friendly, tailgate party classic--featuring more than 60 tried-and-true recipes--from veteran cookbook author and Americana expert Robb Walsh.

Chili is one of the most "all-American" foods around. It is universally loved and perfect for nearly every occasion--a church potluck, sports- or TV-viewing party, casual dinner with the family, or late-night dorm room snack. Despite the evergreen popularity of chili, there are surprisingly few books on the subject. Enter The Chili Cookbook, written by veteran author and Tex-Mex sage Robb Walsh. With its impeccable recipes, fascinating and unexpected historical anecdotes, affordable price, and whimsical package, The Chili Cookbook is sure to become an instant classic.

Review:

★★★

This is one of the few cookbooks I didn't get for me. My girlfriend absolutely loves chili. Her father makes an... Interesting take on chili. It's not very flavorful, and it's really watery. She's become bitter about that, and searches for better chilis to feed the void. So when I came across this cookbook, I figured I'd give it a go for her sake. All in all, I think it's a pretty basic but useful book.

I've never made chili, so this is not my strong suit by any means. That said, I think this makes a pretty good introduction to the dish. There's a lot of helpful information, a family tree of sorts, and tips on what ingredients ought to be used and when. There's some good tips, and the instructions are pretty easy to follow. There's history woven throughout the recipe pages, which I didn't care too much about admittedly, but I think it adds depth to the overall cookbook.

There's some pictures, but this is one of the few times that it didn't really help me much. Chili isn't that pretty of a dish- and it's not supposed to be. It's heavy and hearty and rustic and delicious. The pictures didn't do chili justice. Also, all chilis kind of look the same, so it isn't super helpful as a reference. This wasn't a huge deal to me, but it was worth noting.

Another downside is that some of the ingredients are kind of hard to find, at least around here. This could put a kink in a few of the recipes, should I chose to make them.

Some of the chilis that my girlfriend and I are most looking forward to having include Smoked Turkey Chili, Chicken Paprikash, and Greek Makaronia Me Kima.

I think this is a solid book that is aimed mostly for beginners like myself. It's easy to follow, and there's a wide range of recipes. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.