Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen: Faith, Family, and Food-Bringing Our Home to Your Table, Paperback

This is a beautiful book. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it includes many scripture verses and lots of information and photos of Miss Kay's family. Honestly, there aren't many recipes I will be trying myself, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and am pleased to be adding it to my cookbook collection.

Miss Kay, the author of Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen, is the matriarch of the Robertson family. The Robertson's are the stars of the television show Duck Dynasty. I have never seen the show but I like cooking and baking so I couldn't wait to read through her cookbook. This cookbook has good, southern dishes that are easy to make. The more I read through this book , the more I enjoyed it as I learned about Miss Kay and her family.

This is not only a cookbook. Miss Kay writes about her family life. I came to like her and her family from the stories and memories that she shared about them. The Robertsons are Christians and it shows through as Miss Kay shares her recipes and about her family and their lives.

The recipes included in this cookbook are easy to make, nothing fussy. Most have common ingredients found in your pantry or at your local store, with the exception of the Wild Game Recipes. I don't know many people who are out shooting their own ducks or squirrels for a meal. Not every recipe has a picture but there is a nice blend of recipe pictures and shots of Miss Kay's family.

A lot of the recipes in this cookbook have Cajun seasoning in them; Miss Kay is from the south after all, so it's not surprising. Not every recipe is from scratch, some use pre-packaged ingredients. Overall, I think the recipes look like good, comforting foods that I would make for my family.

I tried out a few of the recipes. One I made is the Pinto Beans & Sausage, which my family enjoyed. I made a few minor changes by switching out a few ingredients, which is what cooking is all about. I also made the Buttermilk Biscuits. I have been looking for a good biscuit recipe and I found it with this recipe. They have a very good taste and a moist texture. The recipe follows:

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted and cooled

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the shortening and slowly stir in enough buttermilk (usually less than 2 cups) to make the dough into a ball.

Sprinkle the counter with flour and turn the dough out of the bowl. Roll the dough in the flour until you can manage it without it sticking to your hands. Add more flour on the surface if needed. With a rolling pin covered with flour, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick.

Stop here and put your pan in the oven with the vegetable oil. (This oil will be used to dip the biscuits in, making the tops crispy.)

Use a biscuit cutter or small round glass dipped in flour to cut biscuits.

Remove the pan from the oven. Dip the top of each biscuit in the oil, and then put the biscuit bottom side down on the pan. Repeat for all biscuits.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until they are golden.

Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen cookbook is a welcome addition to my ever growing cookbook collection.

I received a free copy of this book from Howard books and the Christian Manifesto in exchange for my honest review.

This cookbook is filled with wonderful simple but delicious recipes and... interesting tidbits from Miss Kay about her family and her life. It is obvious she wrote every word with her loving spirit and kindness shining through.