Title:	Love Welcome Serve: Recipes that Gather and Give
	Author:	Amy Nelson Hannon
	Published:	February 6, 2018, Center Street
	No. of Pages:	256
	Cover Price:	$25.00 Hardcover, $13.99 Kindle

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Anyone who is southern (or happens to be married to someone southern), knows that food is not only important, but southern food is comforting and a necessity to real happiness. Love Welcome Serve: Recipes that Gather and Give is a cookbook for anyone who loves cooking southern food for families and everyone else. Amy Nelson Hannon is a southern preacher’s wife, and has perfected the art of serving good comfort food to everyone she knows.

While the recipes in this book aren’t particularly fancy, they are for good dishes that people actually want to eat. There are easy dishes that are made with convenience foods for those cooks in a hurry, and dishes that are a bit more complicated for when cooks are looking for something on a slightly higher realm. There are typical “church cookbook recipes” and family inspired recipes passed down to new generations. Classic southern foods like Hearty Homemade Chicken and Dumplins, Signature Shrimp & Grits (Yummy!), and Comfort Chicken Pot Pie. Also included are unique, innovative recipes such as Fajita Guacamole Burgers, G-Dad's Pork Tenderloin with Parmesan-Garlic Cream, and Grilled Corn and Feta Salad. There is a good variety of salads, and is typical of southern cooking, mouthwatering desserts that are impossible to resist. Hannon has included basic recipes, including sauces, dressings, chicken stock, etc.

The recipes are concise and easy-to-understand. There are actually dozens that will appeal to everyone. The photographs – and almost every recipe includes a photograph – are very nice, and will make it even more difficult to decide just which recipe to try. Personally, every recipe tried so far has turned out picture-perfect.

Because the author is a preacher’s wife, there are scriptures and references to Christian themes, which may or may not be a plus for readers. The theme of the book is, however, serving others by serving them good food and being of service, so these references are definitely keeping with the theme of the book, and remind us that there is joy in serving others.

All told, this is a book with plenty of fabulous dishes to cook for family and share with friends and acquaintances. It is a great addition to any cookbook collection and would be a good wedding gift for a new couple just starting out.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.