The Quarantine Cookbook


Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
239 Pages
Reviewed on 05/27/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Formerly a bank vice president and a hospital public relations director, Beth Carter had a mid-life crisis (a/k/a epiphany) and shed her suits and heels to reinvent herself. She now pens humorous women's fiction, romantic comedy, children's picture books, and a gold-medal-winning cookbook, THE QUARANTINE COOKBOOK.

The author doesn't miss the 8 a.m. meetings whatsoever and prefers writing at Starbucks unless there's a freaking pandemic! Carter has written the popular Coconuts series: THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, CHAOS AT COCONUTS (Book 2), BABIES AT COCONUTS (Book 3), COWBOYS AT COCONUTS (Book 4), BRIDES AT COCONUTS (Book 5 - coming Nov. 2020), SLEEPING WITH ELVIS (the hero is an Elvis impersonator), MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO, SANTA BABY, a novelette, and THE QUARANTINE COOKBOOK.

Winner of a 2020 gold medal for THE QUARANTINE COOKBOOK, a 2020 silver medal for MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO, multiple Raven Awards in 2017-2019, a RONE Award in 2015, and was voted Best Debut Author by BTS Books in 2015.

Carter's children’s picture books include WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?, SOUR POWER, THE MISSING KEY, and SANTA'S SECRET. Her work also appears in four six-word memoir collections and numerous anthologies.

Splitting her time between Missouri and Florida, Beth Carter enjoys connecting with readers and has a private reader group, Beth's Book Babes, on Facebook. When she isn't writing, she's often found at T.J. Maxx, boating, or watching deer in her backyard.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Quarantine Cookbook is a nonfiction cooking/food guide written by Beth Carter. The author’s comic muse has been hiding from her lately and making writing her typical literary fare, humorous women’s fiction, and romantic comedy rather more difficult to pen. And since she’s been actively cooking and posting her recipes and pictures online, Carter decided that the best thing she could do to help others get through the pandemic was to share her favorite recipes, many of which were handed down to her from family members. Most of them are perfect for those evenings when the pantry is somewhat barer than it could be, in fact, a number of them need only 5 ingredients or less -- and the ingredients are often staples most can find lurking in the pantry or freezer. Carter offers recipes for everything: appetizers, breads (that are easy to make!), salads, sides, soups, entrees, desserts, and even snacks. In her appendix, she includes Non-Stir Crazy Activities, Six-Word Memoirs on Quarantine Life, and an assortment of entertaining quotes on food.

I am always intrigued when a new cookbook comes my way and was particularly eager to read Beth Carter’s The Quarantine Cookbook. As she promises, her recipes are delightfully free of long lists of arcane and hard-to-get ingredients, and most of them are not involved and arduous undertakings. Her savory recipes are brimful of bright, healthy vegetables, and her desserts likewise feature generous helpings of fruit. Lest this scare away some readers, don’t let the thought of peppers, bananas, and berries cause you undue concern; this collection features generations’ worth of comfort food. Her Sausage Balls sound incredible and are incredibly easy to make. Beth’s Famous Baked Beans artfully creates a masterpiece one might expect to have taken hours on a hot stove, and Taco Lasagna is not only intriguing but again simple to prepare. While many have their own favorites and handed-down recipes for comfort food, Beth Carter has something for everyone in her cookbook. The ingredients are clearly and simply specified and the instructions are easy to follow and delightfully brief. The Quarantine Cookbook is highly recommended.

Michelle Stanley

The Quarantine Cookbook is written by Beth Carter. These recipes are ingenious, easy, and provide a fun way to unwind. Beanie Beanie Casserole, Cashew Chicken Casserole, and Cheeseburger & Fries Casserole will become family staples. Try the Sausage Balls, Taco Salad, Barbeque Beef & Biscuits, Black Bean Pie, and Pecan Crusted Salmon. Butternut Squash Parmesan and Artichoke Quiche are found in the Meatless Meats chapter. You’ll look forward to dessert time with Texas Gold Bars, Quarantine Balls, Fluffy Pineapple Pie, Banana-Raisin Cookies, Potato Chip Cookies, Black Forest Cherry Dump Cake, and Sock-It-To-Me Cake.

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill. We’re all experiencing similar stressful woes like Beth Carter. Not everyone knows how to manage isolation very well. Writing a cookbook is the author’s way to occupy her time while being creative with the limited food she had in her pantry. Most recipes use only three to five ingredients and require short preparation time. You will be as surprised as me to see how handy ramen noodles are, and how foods you would never think of combining can actually turn into a great meal. Apart from recipes, Beth Carter also includes about sixty Non-Stir Crazy Activities for you to do; Six-Word Memoirs on Quarantine Life, and very amusing food quotes. The cookbook does not include accompanying photos, but the author invites readers to post pictures of the recipes they prepare, along with their reviews. Reading The Quarantine Cookbook will also inspire readers to become more creative in the kitchen and experiment with the food supply on hand. Who knows, you could be writing a cookbook too.

K.C. Finn

The Quarantine Cookbook is an up to date work of non-fiction in the cooking/food sub-genre and was penned by author Beth Carter. Featuring almost two-hundred recipes with easy to follow steps and ingredients that are likely to be on hand when sheltering-in-place, this is a breath of fresh air amid the COVID-19 crisis. During the crisis, a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Tunnel2Towers charity. Beth Carter also offers bonus material in the way of 60 activities to keep the whole family busy at home and some slice-of-life quarantine memoir chapters which provide both entertainment and the opportunity to relate with one another on the experience as a whole.

Beth Carter delivers a fully comprehensive cookbook that really has thought of everything that one could wish to produce from home during a stint in quarantine. In these unprecedented times, Carter brings a friendly and vivacious narrative style that exchanges darkness for light and brings hope and activity to the kitchen and beyond. The styles of dishes will suit many different tastes and dietary requirements across a whole household. A particular favorite of mine was the five-ingredient recipes that allow you to make something really filling and impressive, even when there’s not much left in the cupboards. The memoirs and activities are also highly inventive and relatable, offering upbeat and positive motivation even when mealtimes are over. Overall, I would highly recommend The Quarantine Cookbook for all your needs during this difficult time.