Country music star Trisha Yearwood, along with her mother, Gwen, and her sister, Beth, have compiled another round of hearty family recipes in the follow-up to their bestselling Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen with the soon to be released: HOME COOKING WITH TRISHA YEARWOOD. With personal anecdotes and time-tested family recipes, these dishes have been culled from Trisha?s own recent gatherings and shared meals with extended family and close circle of friends.

Trisha believes that cooking for others is an act of love and her friends, family, and fans of her previous cookbook know you don?t leave a the Yearwood gathering hungry! Complete with simple recipes made with easy-to-find ingredients, personal anecdotes, and delicious depictions of the book?s hearty fare HOME COOKING WITH TRISHA YEARWOOD is a user-friendly cookbook that reads like notes from a friend.

HOME COOKING WITH TRISHA YEARWOOD offers practical advice on everything from how to easily ice a cake to how to expertly cut a slice of pie and includes time-saving tips and ingredient substitutions. In HOME COOKING WITH TRISHA YEARWOOD, Trisha ably serves up delicious Southern fare from her own kitchen and helps you figure out what delicious food to bring when you?re invited to a supper, a picnic, or a party.

TRISHA YEARWOOD is one of the highest-selling female artists in Country music history and the author of the bestselling cookbook, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. In addition to her three Grammy Awards, the Grand Ole Opry member is a three-time Country Music Award winner and a two-time Academy of Country Music Award winner. She has been honored with an American Music Award, a Pollstar Concert Industry Award and was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2000. Since her 1991 debut, Yearwood has recorded twelve albums, the most recent of which is ?Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.?

Featured Recipes

KEY LIME CAKE

We had a big birthday party for my daddy when he turned seventy. He was a pretty humble guy and was embarrassed that so much attention was being focused on him, but he ultimately loved visiting with all of his friends, some he hadn?t seen in a long time. Over two hundred friends and family signed the guest book that night; that?s a testament to the man. I think of him when I make this cake because we served it that night. I miss my daddy, but there are always things to remind me of how much fun we had as a family.
serves 12

CAKE

1 3-ounce package lime-flavored gelatin

1¹⁄3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 large eggs, slightly beaten

1½ cups vegetable oil

¾ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Key lime juice (from about 25 small Key limes or 4 large regular limes)

½ cup confectioners? sugar


CREAM CHEESE ICING

½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1-pound box confectioners? sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the eggs, oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops of the layers or inserting a toothpick.  Cool the layers in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks.

While the layers are still hot, mix the lime juice and confection­ers? sugar and pour it over the layers on the racks. You can pierce the layers with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better. Allow the layers to cool completely as you prepare the icing.

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners? sugar until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.

The cream cheese icing is optional. This cake is beautiful and tastes great with just the glaze poured over it.

Key limes can be hard to find. Substitute regular lime juice for key lime juice without sacrificing flavor.

This is a very moist cake. It can also be baked in a 9 x 12 x 2-inch pan to be easily served in squares.

This recipe comes from family friend Angela Spivey. She uses whichever variety of lime is available in the local grocery.

ASPARAGUS BUNDLES

I went through my entire childhood thinking I hated asparagus. I remember telling my mom I didn?t like it, and I remember her asking, ?Have you ever even tried it?? I can feel heads nodding right now. Of course I never tried it! It was green. I was a kid. Need I say more? I was over thirty years old before I finally tried asparagus. I?m making up for lost time now. I love it any way that it?s prepared. These bundles make it look almost too pretty to eat.

Serves 6

2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

12 slices bacon

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper


Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Divide the asparagus spears into 12 bundles. Carefully wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting about ½ inch from the bottom of the tips. Secure the bacon-wrapped spears with a toothpick. Lay the bundles in a low-sided casserole dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the asparagus bundles. Transfer the dish to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon looks fully cooked. Remove the toothpicks before serving.