Cooking Magazines and
Recipe Cookbooks

Here's where you will find some of my favorite cooking magazines and books. All great party planners need to have a few in these in their arsenal for great party food ideas.

In addition to having many shelves of cookbooks, I also keep a back-issues library of several of the magazines you see below. I can spend literally hours thumbing through these cooking magazines and cookbooks especially when I am planning theme parties (ask my husband!). Love, love, love them.

Party Food Ideas - Favorite Cooking Magazines

Taste of Home Cooking Magazines can not be beaten for great seasonal recipes that are easy to make. I absolutely love getting it in the mail and read it cover to cover. I keep them all so have accumulated quite a nice little section of these cooking magazines on my cookbook shelf that I refer to regularly.

Southern Living Cooking Magazine is one of those cooking magazines that makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over. It has the most beautiful layouts and pictures throughout the magazine and some of the best comfort food recipes around that your family is sure to love.

Paula Deen is one of my favorite Food Network stars, so I was thrilled when she came out with Cooking with Paula Deen. This cooking magazine is full of her down to Earth, homestyle recipes. If it's a Paula Deen recipe, I know it is a good one.

When I first started watching The Food Network, I got hooked on Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals" show and from then on, I have been buying her cookbooks and most recently, her Everyday with Rachael Ray cooking magazines. Several of my party food ideas come from this well done cooking magazine.

Gourmet editors review the best restaurants from around the world and provide expert travel advice for those in search of the ultimate epicurean experience. Each issue features refreshing, easy-to-prepare and delicious recipes that come complete with top recommended wines.

Food and Wine Magazine is a very helpful resource because wine suggestions are given with the recipes. I am no wine expert so this magazine not only gives me easy-to-make recipes but helps me to choose the best complementary wines. It also has reviews on travel destinations, including great wineries to visit. I would use this magazine to get party food ideas for more formal, sit down dinners.

Party Food Ideas - Favorite Recipe Cookbooks

If you haven't yet found "Taste of Home" you are in for a treat. I found this company in 2002 after my Aunt Betty died and I was going through her cookbooks. Among her collection, was a "Taste of Home" hardcover cookbook called 2001 "Annual Recipes" and I immediately fell in love.

Every recipe is so simple and has a picture which every cook loves. In my opinion, these colorful, easy to read books are some of the best cookbooks ever! When I am planning an event, I always find several party food ideas in my Taste of Home cookbooks. Always.

I have been watching Ina Garten on The Food Network for years so when I found "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook", I was so happy to have so many of her great recipes in one book. An added bonus is that Martha Stewart co-wrote this recipe cookbook with Ina. A couple years ago I was garage saling and found a copy of this book for about Ū.00 bucks I think and I love it!

I have given the "The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook Set" as a gift several times. Within these two books, you will find some of Paula Deen's best recipes.

Several of the recipes are accompanied by Paula's personal stories which make this cookbook especially interesting. From her Barbecue Meatloaf" which I just made last weekend, to her "Lady and Sons Onion-Cheese Bread" you are sure to find several party food ideas in these two recipe cookbooks.

If you have seen Sandra Lee on The Food Network, you know that her recipes are very easy to make and straight forward, usually made with ingredients that most people have in their own pantry. She has a whole series of cookbooks, but I chose "Semi-Homemade Cooking 3" to be on my recommended list. It is beautiful to look at and has some simple party food ideas that work for all types of get-togethers, formal or casual.

I received "To Serve With Love" for Christmas from my daughter and I can't wait for you to see it. It's written by Carnie Wilson (daughter of Beach Boy Brian Wilson). I immediately found a bunch of new recipes I want to try.

Her writing style is catchy and fun and I enjoyed reading about her development as a young cook in her Grandmother's kitchen.

From her "You Say Potato, I Say Frittata" to her "Fall to Your Knees Mac and Cheese" which has five cheeses in it!, you are sure to find at least a dozen keepers in this great cookbook.