Book Review: Share The Bounty by Benita Long

Share The Bounty: Finding God's Grace through the Spirit of Hospitality by Benita Long is a beautifully illustrated cookbook. The photographs themselves are truly enticing. I love my cookbooks to have photos of the recipes so I can see how mine should look.

However, Share the Bounty is more than a cookbook--it is inspiration to host a gathering. Scripture, prayers and quotes are scattered among the recipes.  These little snippets offer uplifting thoughts and encouragement as you open your home to others to share meals and the love of Christ.

The recipes themselves are encompassed in complete menus. If you have trouble putting a complete meal together, this takes all of the guesswork out of accompaniments.The book also shares ideas for ways to celebrate certain life events such as baptisms as well as holiday gatherings and informal get-togethers. Included in the book are recipes for Fireside Soup, Easy Brunswick Stew, Grilled Chicken and Wild Rice Salad, Aunt Emma's Tea Cakes, Country Apple Pie and strawberry rhubarb bread. Many of the recipes sound easy to make and something that I would serve in the Midwest. However, a few recipes were more Southern in their flair like Cajun Shrimp and Grits Casserole and Baked Crayfish Dip. I wouldn't make these things where I live because I don't have access to fresh sea food, which would make these dishes best, in my opinion. Still, there were enough recipes in the book, along with the hospitality encouragement and beautiful pictures to make it useful for most any cook in any location.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson through their Booksneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review.