Booking more cooking

Nearly a decade into her second career, Yearwood has published three best-selling cookbooks — 2008’s “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours,” 2010’s “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends” and 2015’s “Trisha’s Table: My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced Life” — and she’s planning her fourth, even if she’s not quite sure what’s on the menu for it.

"I’m definitely intrigued and interested in finding ways to make these foods that we grew up with and that we love so much, but make them healthier," she told The Oklahoman.

"But it’s really tough because the hard part is sacrificing flavor — or texture is really important in food — and the things that make things taste good and give them that texture usually involve butter and cheese and cream. So it’s a challenge. I’ve got a few things that work, and we put those in the last book. So hopefully

there’ll be more of that in the next one.”

Whatever angle she takes her for her new cookbook, she has a willing taste tester in Brooks, who said he likes “anything with mashed potatoes” in his wife’s repertoire of recipes.

“I’m a casserole guy (so I like) something you can just take two spoons — one in each hand — and just dig in,” he said. “I’m the last of six kids, and we didn’t have a lot of money, so leftovers never was our deal. So this is the first time I’ve ever got to taste food that even tastes better the day after she makes it.”

“Cold lasagna sandwiches,” she added. “He likes those.”

Although her second career is warming up nicely, Yearwood said she still has a hunger for her original dream.

“Being on tour and the cooking show has kind of put new music on the back burner, and it’s tapping on my shoulder right now,” she said. “It’s like I just really am craving to get back in,” she said. “As long as I can sing, I’m gonna make new music, so it’ll happen.”