Homemade with Love by Jennifer Perillo

I first heard of Jennifer Perillo from In Jennie's Kitchen while looking at another blog I check, Food Wishes.  I watched the video and instantly felt I had to know more.  More about her, the unexpected loss of her husband, in that instant becoming a single parent to two young daughters, and how food and family have helped her cope.  She's a recipe developer, and has the ability to see the finished product before all the ingredients are even picked out.  As I look through the cookbook, I'm finding that the title is the truth...it is absolutely homemade with love.  She focuses on scratch cooking, from her baking mix to her cashew butter, showing us along the way how we, too, can build a homemade pantry.  This is definitely a cookbook for those who want to learn to cook more natural foods.  She's realistic in that some things (a batch of crepes or the perfect poached egg) don't always work the first time.  Just because she's written a cookbook doesn't mean they've all worked the first time for her either.  Just don't give up.  Trial and error is a given in cooking, just keep going until you get it right.  She knows that not everyone eats the same, so has many egg, dairy, gluten and meat-free options in the book.  I'm not a vegetarian, but her meatless dishes look amazing.  Her Lentil Ricotta "Meatballs" (made with her Creamy Homemade Ricotta) look just as delicious as her Beef Spezzatino.  My biggest problem?  What to make first!  I've chosen 30+ recipes on my first time through the book!
It's not all about the recipe in this book.  There are certainly tips and tricks and suggestions.  Ways to make the best eggs.  How to freeze, make ahead, or make substitutions.  She talks about the best way to shop for seafood that is good for the consumer and the planet.  She takes the daunting task of canning and simplifies it for the beginner, then follows that up with recipes for jams, fruit butters, pickles and more.
Simple, upscale recipes for every cook, and stories about her life and her family.  Every word in this book is absolutely written with love.

I made the Secret Ingredient French Onion Soup, and...forgot to take a picture.  She has a great one here though.  I LOVE French Onion Soup, I don't know why I don't make it more often. I just never think of it, I guess.  Unless I'm at my favorite chain bakery/cafe that has the best I've found.  This one was easy and delicious, and I'll make it again in a heartbeat.  The only thing I did differently was substituting the sherry vinegar (which I couldn't find at my store) for regular sherry that I already had on hand mixed with a bit of red wine vinegar.  French Onion Soup is one of those things, in my opinion, that even onion-haters would love.  It doesn't taste like onion anymore after all that cooking. But I don't know any onion-haters that would be willing to try it.  Maybe finding one should be added to my to-do list!

 Update: I made the Creamy Homemade Ricotta (wow!)  to go in the Ricotta Lentil Meatballs ( which have no meat)  and was pleasantly surprised at how yummy they  were.  I love beef meatballs,  but these are now a top contender.   Paired with a little marinara and some pasta, I felt I could have eaten them all.   Lentils are good for me,  right?