Recipe Weekend: Love Welcome Serve by Amy Nelson Hannon

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge,from Fathworks, Hachette Publishing,  for blog review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.


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With Thanksgiving around the corner, this is a lovely book to consider for holiday use, and giving, thanks to it's subtitle:

Recipes that Gather and Give



 Love Welcome Serve cover

Synopsis:

LOVE WELCOME SERVE is a cookbook of Southern comfort food from Amy Nelson Hannon, the owner of Euna Mae’s, a destination kitchen boutique in Northwest Arkansas.

Having been a preacher’s wife in the South for more than twenty years, Amy Hannon’s heart for hospitality was established, confirming her long-held belief that people who are cooked for feel cared for. Modeled after her grandmother, Euna Mae, Amy’s big-hearted lifestyle has become noticed by a disconnected world that is drawn to her mission of using food to love, welcome, and serve those around her. Amy encourages people to open their homes and their hearts, connecting with folks over food; and she offers home cooks simple, crowd-pleasing, comfort recipes, meals that can be prepared for whatever the hospitality affair. 

Recipes like Brown Sugar Chili over Cheese Grits, Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, and Sam’s Pulled Pork are perfect belly-fillers for gathering people in your home. And recipes like Comfort Chicken Pot Pie, Hello Dolly Brownies, and Layered Spaghetti Pie are ideal for giving to folks when they just need to feel loved. Combined with her refreshing enthusiasm and approachable recipes, Amy Hannon has ignited a passion in young cooks who are spreading their hospitality wings, and she has reignited that same passion in seasoned cooks who had forgotten how much joy comes from serving others. Love Welcome Serve, Amy’s first cookbook, will encourage you to embrace hospitality so you can enjoy the life that happens when you make and serve food for your people.

Review:

I would consider this book almost a Southern primer- it has all the basic comfort foods of the South, like grits and pot pie. and party favorites like cheese balls. It's a book that new cooks can learn from, and more capable cooks can say 'oh look, my favorite recipes in one book'. Many of Amy's family recipes are very similar to those that are in our family. She gives really great advice on setting up and stocking your pantry, and what kitchen tools you rally need. Add some great words of wisdom and this book is perfect for giving to newlyweds, as housewarming presents, and as hostess gifts this holiday season! 


WHITE CHICKEN CHILI WITH CILANTRO AND LIME

Recipe:

Oh my word. Y’all, it’s finally Fall! Fall is my favorite! If I had to list all the things I love about Fall in order of what I love best, it’d be nearly impossible. Football, crisp mornings, jeans and boots, apple everything, pumpkin everything, adding more blankets to the beds, and the anticipation of the holiday season! I mean, how’s a girl to choose?!

One other favorite of mine during this season is sturdy soups - a bowl full of earthy, warm goodness that gets at my soul. What’s the difference between regular soup and sturdy soup you might ask? Sturdy soups have girth. They are spoonfuls of hearty bites. And they fill bellies way up. You know, they’re sturdy. They can stand alone served with only a few fixins on top. Have I got a sturdy soup for you!

This recipe is an adaptation of one found in my church cookbook. Y'all know that if you can ever get your hands on a church cookbook, then it's a keeper. Church cookbook recipes are those tried-and-true, time-tested, crowd-pleasing dishes. I know, because I'm a pastor's wife, and I've been feeding people for more than 20 years. So you learn what's good, what people come back for, and what people request recipes for. And this White Chicken Chili meets the criteria for sure! It is so creamy and loaded with flavor, and the texture is divine with hearty bites of tender chicken and white beans. Sturdy. This recipe is the first soup that my family asks for when the weather officially turns cooler and there’s football on TV. Here’s to fall! And here’s to full bellies and full hearts! - Amy Nelson Hannon, author of Love Welcome Serve: Recipes that Gather and Give

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI WITH CILANTRO AND LIME
{serves 6-8}

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ - 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
3-4 cups chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine like Chardonnay (optional)
1 bay leaf, broken in half
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 cans white beans of your choice, drained
3 jalapeno peppers, minced
3 cups fresh grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Salt to taste
3 Tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped (plus more for topping)
The juice of 3 limes

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (around 5-6qts). Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until they're tender and just starting to get color. Add the garlic oregano, cumin, and ginger, cooking for one more minute. Stir continuously so the garlic doesn't burn! Add stock, wine (if using) and bay leaf. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes over medium heat until somewhat reduced. Add chicken, beans, and jalapenos. Simmer uncovered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Over low heat add a little cheese at a time, stirring until melted. Add pepper, and taste for salt; add if needed. Stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve! Garnish with fresh chopped tomatoes, green onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, or sliced avocado.


About the Author:

A reputation of hospitality and service paved the way for Amy Nelson Hannon to burst onto the scene in the fall of 2013. Amy gathered goods and treasures to create Euna Mae’s Heirloom Kitchen Boutique booth at a regional holiday shopping event. People responded overwhelmingly not only to her products but also to her warmth. She sold out of every item in less than two days and had a list of people who wanted to be contacted for more. Not only did Amy find a market for her carefully curated products, but she discovered there was a growing demand for them. From her store to her online presence, that message has ignited a passion in young cooks who are just learning how to be hospitable and has reignited the same passion in seasoned cooks who had forgotten how much joy comes from serving others. In a marketplace that swings from fancy and foraged to homegrown, Amy has settled on a perfect blend of family, friends and food. 

Her message that welcoming others into your home can be reasonable and lovely offers a refreshing voice in a conversation filled with complicated recipes, expensive ingredients and quite frankly a whole lot of work. For Amy it always goes back to the heart-a heart to love, welcome and serve.

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