Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook: Cooking, Writing, Family, Life    by Diane Mott Davidson Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2015 (2015) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth I have enjoyed all of Diane Mott Davidson's seventeen novels featuring Goldy, her cheating husband, the Jerk, and her closest friend, the Jerk's first wife. Friend and she go through many harrowing adventures featuring Goldy, an amateur detective masquerading as a caterer. Or a caterer masquerading as a detective. Goldy is highly effective wearing both hats. She solves murders even when authorities beg her to keep out of their investigations. She does this with wonderful humor as well as an intuitive brain. All the while whisking together foods to die for. Some of her characters do die, but not usually from Goldy's food. Author Diane Mott Davidson, in the guise of Goldy, has written a cookbook filled with recipes that appeared in her many novels. In so doing, she explains how she came to create, revise, and adapt the luscious foods, using her family (husband and three sons) as test subjects. I would have loved to be a courtesy member of the family while she whipped and roasted, glazed and grilled and baked. I'd have been happy to taste test anything put before me. Her recipes include old-time favorites brought up to date, new ideas, mistakes that turned out to make the cut. Good food, all. In Davidson's Introduction, she explains how she became a writer; how Goldy was born; how she realized she could combine her love of cooking with her life-long desire to write. She has done very well in both categories, being named the 'divine diva of the culinary cozy' by Publisher's Weekly. Davidson has divided her recipes into various subtitles; ergo Appetizers and Soups or How Do I Look; Eggs and Cheese or My Agent Is Still a Vegetarian; Breads, or This Is Not Your Low-Carb Chapter; etc., etc., etc.. Her humor will not be contained as her fans will attest. Chili Rellena Torta, Mexican Pizzas, Exhibition Salad with Meringue-Baked Pecans, Love-Me-Tenderloin Grilled Steaks, Shrimp on Wheels, Cinnamon Griddle Scones, Blonde's Blondies, Babsie's Tarts, and Labor Day Flourless Chocolate Cake with Berries, Melba Sauce and White Chocolate Cream (be still my heart) are just a few of the appetizing recipes waiting for you to try them. You probably have enough cookbooks by now to last you, but Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook should proudly join them. I will guess that it will become the most used one on your shelves. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews