Taste of the Town

By Todd Blackledge

 

Reviewed by: Nicole

 

Note:  Hachette Book Group  supplied me with one bag each of  for review.  No other compensation was received.  The review in this post is honest and my own.

 

Gift Guide Age Recommendation:­  14+

 

Review

 

I would be lying if I told you I am a huge fan of college football.  I’m not.  I don’t have my DVR set to record the next big game and I certainly don’t pay extra on my TV bill every month to get an all access pass to college sports.  But, I am a fan.  I always root for my alma mater (go Louisville Cards!) and I will always root for University of Kentucky to lose no matter who they are playing.  I follow the game fairly well, thanks in part to my husband’s love of playing Madden on our Play Station.

 

That being said, I really enjoyed this cookbook.  It was really neat to read about the eateries associated with some of the biggest teams in college football.  The book is filled with stories and told in such a way that you almost forget you are reading a cookbook.  I like that Blackledge tells you about restaurants even if a recipe is not featured.  In that way, the book is part cookbook and part travel guide.  I’ve already made a note to visit Ye Old Steakhouse next time I am in Knoxville, TN.  But, until then, I have a lot of recipes to try out in my own kitchen!

 

I chose to make Chandler’s Meat Loaf from Chandler’s Deli in  Knoxville, TN.  As I prepared the dish, I was glad to have some background on who created it and where it originated.  The meatloaf reminded me of a dish my mom used to make when I was a little girl; it was delightful!  I can’t wait to try out other recipes from this fabulous collection.  I think Ursula’s Catering’s Chicken Etouffee is next in line…

 

Who would like this gift?

I would recommend this book to any fan of Mr. Blackledge’s Taste of the Town segment on ESPN.  I also recommend this for any fan of college football… especially if they travel for games!

Where to Buy

You can purchase a copy of this cookbook  by visiting Taste of the Town

Or, you can shop online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, Indie Bound, Powell’s Books or Indigo.