Just reading the title of this cookbook, Lard, is likely to turn most home cooks off--but not professionals. Good lard has special properties that give quality and flavor to many types of foods, particularly baked goodies. Even dietician may consent, since lard is no more harmful to health than butter (and who can cook without butter?). Published by the editors of Grit Magazine, this is a good all-purpose cookbook having mainly standard recipes (Texas Hash, Fried Chicken) but in every single one the secret ingredient is lard. Not inexpensive generic kind available in supermarkets but the old-fashioned, unprocessed, flavorful lard you find in specialty food stored, online (expensive!) or render yourself. Some not so common recipes pop up here and there (Spaghetti with chicken liver, fried in lard; Chocolate kraut cake). The book's production is simple with monochrome brown-toned photos and text in brown and blue. Head notes are very good. The layout is excellent, cook friendly, and many, many stories related to pigs and lard are dispersed among recipes. Three set of inbound food photos provide additional illustrations. List of recipes in front of each chapter is helpful. Well cross referenced index is excellent. (As reviewed for Sacramento/San Francisco Book Review.)
