Reviews

The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table by Rick Bragg

jmrprice's review against another edition

5.0

I enjoy Rick Bragg's columns in Southern Living, so this was on my 'must read' list.

My library had the audiobook, so my son and I jumped right in on the way home, the night we checked it out. And BONUS! - Rick Bragg read his work.

It's not often that a 12 year old boy and his mom enjoy something like this together, but let me share my son's reaction: "Mom - please don't listen to this without me."

We had some great discussions about so many things covered in Bragg's memoir. My son frequently said that the recipes made him hungry just listening.

Thank you Rick Bragg for sharing those tales from your momma's table.

mjhj888's review against another edition

funny inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

This was a great book to read through the beginning of my maternity leave. The chapters and stories were easy to pick up and leave off again when needed. I loved the stories that went with each recipe and the love and humor that Rick Bragg shows with each one. I also listened to some of it on audio, which I highly recommend.

summerjohnson521's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

3.75

imbricata's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

You know how recipes on blogs always start with a little story that you skip over and get to the recipe? This is the opposite of that. These are the stories you want to read with the recipe at the end, and it's amazing. I'm the opposite of everything that the familly's intended cooking is for, being a yankee and a vegetarian, but the cast of characters in the family are so well written, I literally couldn't wait to read more, and then when the book was over, I was sorry that I didn't have more to read.

Brilliant writing, delicious sounding recipes, and a book that is worth buying and keeping forever. Five stars.

quiltmom14's review against another edition

4.0

Bragg has written a love story for his mother, his grandmother and his people by sharing folklore, true (maybe) family stories and recipes with his - IMHO - unmatched writing. Even though I probably won’t make any of the recipes (read the book and understand I”m a Philistine), I would make (and eat) them if I could have Bragg sitting next to me telling me a story. This book is the next best thing.

queenholly's review against another edition

5.0

Absolutely delightful story telling. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, and throughly enjoyed hearing him relate his family heritage through food.

emilyhybart's review against another edition

4.0

Almost every recipe was familiar. His mama cooked the foods that my Mama, Granny, and Mema cooked for us my entire life. The stories even felt familiar, although we never stole figs and, to my knowledge, never killed anyone…..but then you don’t spread that information around.

oisin175's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.0

Not a bad cookbook, but not for me. I'm not really interested in most of the recipes as they really just aren't my kind of regular food. If you like old school southern food then you might like it. Reads like a book version of the websites where you have to scroll for a few minutes to actually get to the recipe. Stories were fine but not great and just read like stereotypical stories from the poor southern white genre. 

nomer15's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars.

beccersboo's review against another edition

5.0

The prologue alone was beautiful enough to stand on its own. The rest was extra gravy on hot, fresh biscuits.