The Southern Living Cookbook (1987, Hardcover)

I bought this cookbook when I was teaching French in a small high school in Maryland. A book dealer set up a display in the teacher's lounge and I bought this book among others. It was a decision I've never regretted. I've since given away the other two cookbooks I purchased at the same time but this one will have a place in my kitchen as long as I am cooking! I'd been married only two years when I bought it and several of our family favorites through the years have come from the Southern Living Cookbook.

I've used this cookbook so much that I am now shopping for a replacement. The recipes in the book are easy to follow and generally use ingredients that are found in most grocery stores. Instructions are well-written. Supplementary materials include menus for large groups or special occasions, an intro to cake decorating, napkin folding, emergency substitutions and more.

I am putting hope chests together for my three daughters and will be including a copy of this cookbook before any other, with their favorite recipes noted for quick reference.

The only shortcoming I've found with this book is that the binding is inferior. A cookbook needs a substantial binding designed to hold up to years of frequent use. This binding does not satisfy that requirement, thus my search for a replacement. It is still intact after 18 years, but weak and starting to split at the spine. My copy did not come with a dust jacket and I've discovered there is an edition that does. Perhaps that edition has a more substantial binding.

The 1987 southern living cookbook is one of my favorite cookbooks and my daughter wanted one so I decided to try e-bay to get one for her. Am very happy with my purchase from runningspring58, she gets an excellent from me.