A Twist of the Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes

Average customer rating:

A 'must' for any public lending library catering to busy - but gourmet - home cooks.

Fails to deliver, little ingenuity

A Twist of the Wrist

Cookbook

More Complex Than The Title Suggests

A Twist of the Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes
Nancy Silverton
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Gourmet | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate

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Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe (The Best Recipe)

ASIN: 1400044073
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton has conquered the gourmet world as the original dessert chef at Spago and founder of the celebrated La Brea Bakery. Her recipes are legendary, innovative, and delicious. However, in the last few years, there has been a great shift in cooking toward the Home Meal Replacement (HMR), better known as “takeout.” It’s impossible to spend hours in the kitchen after a hard day’s work, so more people are buying prepared foods and frozen meals, compromising taste for convenience. Realizing that people’s hectic workdays don’t afford everyone the time to re-create her epicurean triumphs, Nancy has come up with the perfect solution . . .

Enter, the jar!

Compiling a list of her favorite products that come in jars—and cans, bags, and boxes—Nancy has created easy-to-follow recipes that require less than thirty minutes to prepare. With this book there’s no need to sacrifice flavor, sophistication, and taste just because you’re spending less time chopping, cleaning, cooking, or baking. Nancy’s shortcuts not only allow us to produce quick and easy meals at home, they let us bring back the pride and the joy of creating gourmet meals for our family and friends.

A Twist of the Wrist contains 137 quick and delicious gourmet recipes from salads to pasta to meats and desserts, such as:

Cumin Shrimp and Chickpea Salad with Roasted Carrots
Creamy Corn Soup with Bacon and Cheddar Crostini
Orzo with Dried Porcini Mushrooms, Radicchio, and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Boneless Pork Chops, with Creamy Polenta and Fennel Pollen
Seared Rare Tuna with Tomato-Olive Salsa
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce, Cajeta, and Salty Spanish Peanuts

In addition to Nancy’s own creations, she includes recipes concocted with prepared ingredients from some of her chef friends, including Sara Foster, Tom Colicchio, Charlie Trotter, Mario Batali, Suzanne Goin, Ruth Reichl, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

There is also a pantry section, telling us where to get—by the Internet and mail order—the best of all things canned, jarred, and bottled.

This charming and utterly indispensable cookbook is suited for any type of cook, whether you’re an on-the-go gourmand or you just love flavorful, accessible meals at home. A Twist of the Wrist fits perfectly into today’s modern lifestyle and is a must-have for the contemporary kitchen.

Customer Reviews:

A 'must' for any public lending library catering to busy - but gourmet - home cooks........2007-07-27

Chef Nancy Silterson is the original dessert chef at Spago and founder of the La Brea Bakery, but here shifts her attention to compiling a list of favorite products that come in convenience jars, cans, and boxes, along with recipes which need less than 30 minutes to prepare. From a Cream Corn Soup with Bacon and Cheddar Crostini to Seared Lamb Chops with Ratatouille, mouth-watering color photos of finished products accompany tips on how to blend quick ingredients with fresh for optimum home cooking. A 'must' for any public lending library catering to busy - but gourmet - home cooks.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Fails to deliver, little ingenuity.......2007-07-18

This cookbook does not deliver on its premise.

Often the only "larder" ingredient is a single box of pasta, can of tuna, or a jar of roasted peppers. The olive oil or mayonnaise may also come from a jar, but that's hardly revolutionary. I would have preferred the book to include classic larder cooking, old family secrets, and novel twists on larder cooking. If you are an experienced cook, and you already know that you can make a dinner out of tuna, capers, and some olives, and this book will provide you with little insight. As in many Nancy Silverton books (I have several), many recipes have a feeling of "I just slapped this together for dinner, and I thought it was good enough to publish."

The book also fails to include any Asian, or specifically Japanese dishes, which are renowned for springing to like from simple ingredients like noodles, miso, nori, etc. Dried ingredients, such as seaweeds, mushrooms, beans, or rice and mung bean noodles are not addressed. Frozen ingredients, a secret to many kitchens, are ignored. Coconut milk and peanut butter, staples of asian and african cooking are neglected.

Mostly, this cookbook provides a suite of FRESH food, with garnishes made from jars, cans, bags and boxes.

A Twist of the Wrist.......2007-07-18

Really disappointing. Boiler plate in almost every recipe, almost all of which is way below the author's usual standard.

Cookbook.......2007-06-27

We returned this item. My husband had read a review in a newspaper about this and it did not live up to the review. It was more of a gourmet cookbook,not what he expected.

More Complex Than The Title Suggests.......2007-05-23

The recipes are for sophisticated preparations that happen to use commercially prepared ingredients. The recipes, while very good and interesting, are not quick unless you are an advanced chef who would otherwise prepare these dishes from total scratch. My wife returned the book unused.

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers

Average customer rating:

A culinary student must have
Don't Bother Me...I'm choosing a wine.....!
From http://www.AWineStory.com Publisher Marisa D'Vari
Great content, sloppy editing
Perfect Timing

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers
Andrew Dornenburg , Karen Page , and Michael Sofronski
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Cooking, Food & Wine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0821257188

Book Description

The most comprehensive guide to matching food and drink ever compiled, by the James Beard Award winning author team of Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, with practical advice from more than seventy of America's leading pairing experts In a great meal, what you drink is just as important as what you eat.This groundbreaking food and beverage pairing reference allows food lovers to learn to think like a sommelier, and to transform every meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner - from ordinary to extraordinary. Exceptional in its depth and scope - with over fifteen hundred entries - What to Drink with What You Eat is based on the collective wisdom of experts at dozens of America's best restaurants, including Alinea, Babbo, Bern's, Blue Hill, Chanterelle, Daniel, Emeril's, French Laundry, Frontera Grill, Inn at Little Washington, Jean Georges, Masa's, The Modern, Per Se, Rubicon, Tru, and Valentino. You'll find authoritative recommendations for stocking your cellar and kitchen with must-have beverages, from wines to waters.You'll also learn what to drink with everything from French toast to Chinese food, and what to eat with everything from Pinot Noir to green tea, to create mouthwatering matches.Follow the authors three simple Rules to Remember when making a match - or just dive into the wide-ranging listings in chapters 5 and 6. This incisive, hip writing team (Publisher's Weekly) distills history, geography, science, expert technique, and original insight to create a remarkably user-friendly and engaging reference.Lavishly illustrated with gorgeous four-color photographs, What to Drink with What You Eat is an instant classic essential to every connoisseur's bookshelf.

Customer Reviews:

A culinary student must have.......2007-05-12

I recently had to do a food and wine pairing for class. Considering i'm still in school, I had no idea what to do.After talking to a chef instructor, I decided that this book would benefit me in both school and out in the industry. I mean, it even pairs water. Yeah, this book is definately worth every cent.

Don't Bother Me...I'm choosing a wine.....!.......2007-04-18

The dust on my furniture is thickening, the phone is ringing, my dog wants a walk...Sorry, I am selecting which beverage to serve tomorrow nite with peel-and-eat shrimp...oh, what fun!! Watch out because once you open this book, it will be awhile before you rejoin the world: It's pure facination and empowerment (!) for an avid foodie who has never been quite certain of what wine to serve without groveling at the local wine shop! And it's not just about wine; there are fabulous suggestions for beer, citrus drinks, tea....

There are already excellent reviews (in my opinion) so I don't want to reinvent the wheel by raving on the photos, the organization, the pure depth of information, the perfection of this book. But if you have stopped on this page, you probably also own a dog-eared, raggedy, finger-smudged copy of "Culinary Artistry" (somewhat like mine is?) and suffice to say that while this is a much more beautiful book and may not necessarily be sitting next to your stove (although there are wonderful recipes...)you will probably refer to it as often.

Suggestion: Read the more in-depth reviews, click to order....and purchase those little anti-static dust cloths. I haven't figured out what to do about the dog yet...

From http://www.AWineStory.com Publisher Marisa D'Vari.......2007-04-09

Are you curious about what wine to order with your cheesecake? Intimidated by five-hundred page wine list at a top restaurant? Downright scared when the sommelier comes charging toward your table?

Relax. Authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have created a resource that helps even the `average Joe or Jane' understand the principles of wine and food pairing. They take the conventional, canned, old-school advice of "red wine with meat, white wine with fish" to an entirely new level, based on insights learned from their previous books on cuisine, as well as interviews with America's top, cutting-edge sommeliers.

In many ways, the format of What to Drink with What You Eat resembles a substantial wine/food pairing encyclopedia specifically designed to be quickly skimmed before heading off to a restaurant or purchasing wine for a dinner party. For example, let's say you are entertaining clients at a steakhouse, and want to sound intelligent about wine. You know red wine typically goes with red meat, but which red? Old world or new? And what are the virtues of each? By spending just five minutes with this book (and perhaps jotting down some notes) you will be able to help your guests order a Shiraz, Barbaresco, Barolo, or good old Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon based on the elements of the sauce and cut of meat they choose.

In a similar fashion, let's say you want to dazzle your friends and show off your new kitchen with a fabulous dinner party. Spend a few moments with this book and you will be able to pair every element of your menu with an exciting, unusual wine. No need to consult a professional wine expert, as you have this knowledge at your fingertips.

Sommeliers interviewed for this book are mostly young and more free-thinking than sommeliers of years past. They are enthusiastic about wine, regardless of it's an exciting, new world find of exceptional value, or a fine-aged Bordeaux worth hundreds of dollars. As a group, they see their mission as helping you find a good wine to accessorize your meal within your price range. And the individual quotes from sommeliers are what makes this book so fresh and appealing.

For example, Steve Beckta of Beckta Dining & Wine in Ottawa believes that as a sommelier, it is almost more important to match a wine to a person than to match the wine to the food. Curious thought! "The most important part of being a sommelier is not your ability to taste, but your ability to empathize with the person who is in front of you," he explains in the book.

How very true. In one instance, Beckta recalls three `big businessmen' sitting at a table. One wants lamb, one wants halibut, and the other guy wants scallops. They tell him they want the "perfect" wine that matches all three, dissimilar dishes. By carefully listening to the subtext of what they are telling him, Beckta realizes they are after a wine that fits into their comfort zone, not necessarily the best match. To him, that means a "big red" from Australia and as it turns out, the businessmen love it.

Sommelier Alpana Singh, formerly of Everest in Chicago (now with the Lettuce Entertainment Group) agrees that comfort is important. She likes to serve California wines on big holidays like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, because people who dine out only a few `special nights' a year want something they can recognize and appreciate.

If you entertain or dine out frequently, What To Drink with What You Eat is a dynamic desktop resource and wine and food pairing primer that will stimulate you to learn more about wine by further reading or classes. If you like oaky Chardonnay, for example, this book will also motivate you to try unoaked Chardonnay wines and realize the difference, especially when paired with food. Yet what works best about this book is the way you can take advantage of the authors' extensive research and with just a few minutes of skimming, come across as a credible wine expert in front of clients, colleagues, family and friends.

Great content, sloppy editing.......2007-04-06

First off, it's very wide ranging and is incredibly easy to use. All of the recommendations in this book have come from top notch chefs and sommeliers, so you know they can be trusted. You'll often find a wealth of options to choose from for different foods due to the democratic group effort behind this. You'll also get more than just wine, which is incredibly refreshing. Some snobs refuse to admit it, but there are some dishes that simply work better with other drinks. They go above simply listing "beer" and will put "lager", "wheat beer", etc., which is nice.

The book uses a system of bold print, capital letters, and asterisks to point out which drinks work particularly well, as well as other options for people who are looking to try something different. It's also nice to see a section afterwards that does the reverse and is listed by drink and then has food suggestions. Sometimes you want to build the meal around a special bottle of wine instead of vice versa. After that comes specific recommendations from some of the well known contributors to the book. It's an almost flawless book. Except....

....the book is very poorly edited and, in at least two cases, factually inaccurate. Jean-Luc Le Du is either misquoted, misinformed, or simply misspoke. The quote: "Where to find great Cabernet Sauvignon: This would be a toss-up between hillside vineyards in California and Pomerol in France." I had to do a double take...Pomerol? For Cab Sauv? Huh?

Not only that, I noticed this statement in two different parts of the book. I'm assuming M. Le Du meant to say Pauillac, as Pomerol is, of course, known for Merlot, which makes up most or all (80-100%, usually) of the wine blend there. Even if there is Cab Sauv in the blend, it's a minimal amount of the wine. I can understand misspeaking and saying Pomerol when you mean Pauillac; it happens. But how this obvious factual error ended up in the final print of the book is beyond me. Anyone that buys a Pomerol expecting a shining example of Cab Sauv will be disappointed (although they may end up with some of the world's best Merlot.)

I've also noticed another factual error concerning the retail price of a certain wine; they mention Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon as a great value wine at $10 a bottle. It actually retails for around $30-$35 a bottle, not $10.

While I have yet to find any other major errors in the text (not that I'm actively searching for them, but maybe I should), I have noticed a couple grammatical blunders; missing punctuation, spelling errors and such. It's disappointing to see easily correctable errors like this mar an otherwise fantastic book. That being said, don't let these gripes deter you from buying this excellent reference source for food and drink pairings. Clean up the grammar and factual errors and this becomes a 5 star book.

Perfect Timing.......2007-03-19

I am soon to open my First restaurant. Being a chef not only did this book help me brush up it even expanded my paring knowledge. I have also used it as a training tool with my employees and recommended it to them. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys food.

Delilah's Everyday Soul: Southern Cooking With Style

Average customer rating:

Mmmm Good
Missing a step
ohhhhhhh Delilah!
Everyday Soul
A good cookbook that's also entertaining to read.

Delilah's Everyday Soul: Southern Cooking With Style
Delilah Winder , and Jennifer Lindner McGlinn
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0762426012

Book Description

Tradition meets the 21st century in this hip and colorful cookbook that shows that Soul Food doesn't have to be "country food."

In Delilah's Everyday Soul, chef Delilah Winder shares the Southern-inspired recipes that helped earn her the devotion of many, including television's Oprah Winfrey, the NFL's Donovan McNabb, and music's Patti LaBelle. Sharing more than 100 of her favorite recipes and the stories behind them, Delilah reaches back to her roots and forward to future generations of soul food lovers with her fun, eclectic recipes.

For Delilah, Southern food comes from the heart and touches the soul. The recipes in Delilah's Everyday Soul are arranged by occasion and accented with special memories, tips, and suggestions for preparing and serving. They feature traditional soul food like Delilah's delectable fried chicken and strawberry lemonade, and also include more modern renditions of the fare, plus alternative ingredients for those who want to try healthier versions of the spectacular recipes.

Customer Reviews:

Mmmm Good.......2007-09-15

This is one of the many cookbooks I own, but I must say Deliah's book is easy to follow and she has the best macarroni& cheese receipe that I ever tasted. If you like soulfood this is a must have.

Missing a step.......2007-09-02

The "famous" macaroni and cheese recipe is missing a step, but it can be figured out easily enough. Seems like a nice cookbook but I haven't tried all the recipes yet. There is a bit of extra "fluff" between recipes. Pleasant book in any case.

ohhhhhhh Delilah!.......2007-07-24

I bought this book thinking it was just a cookbook but I was sure delighted when I opened it up and read it cover to cover. Deliah shares about how she got her love for entertaining and using fine china, and how she learned from her grandmother how to set a nice, inviting table. I tried two of the recipes so far and they were not hard at all and boy, were they so flavorful! Delilah also gives great tips in this book. This cookbook will be used often.

Everyday Soul.......2007-07-24

I really like this book! And I love her personality! A lot of the recipes DEFINITELY cannot be eaten everyday, but she has some wonderful recipes and stories as well. In the South, there is a story about everything, and Delilah Winder has definitely captured the essence of southern living in her cookbook. If you love "southern" living, then you will love this cookbook.

A good cookbook that's also entertaining to read........2007-07-10

If you want to learn more about southern cooking then this is the right book for you. It includes almost all the recipes that the South is famous for and the author, whose passion for cooking is contagious, does a good job presenting the different recipes with entertaining anecdotes of her own.
However, if you are looking for some healthy and quick recipes then maybe you should get a different cookbook. The author doesn't give any calorie counts or preparation times. What she does give you are some delicious and sometimes indulgent recipes. This book was clearly written for the love of food not to watch your waistline.

My only complaint is that some of the recipes didn't seem to have the right measures. For example the famous Maccaroni and Cheese Recipe(which btw won an award on the Oprah Show) called for one 9x13 pan and states that it serves 6-8 people. Well, when I made it, I came out with THREE 9x 13 pans of maccaroni and cheese which I ended up giving away to friends and family. But everybody confirmed that it was the best Mac and Cheese ever! So just use some common sense when you look at the amount of ingredients versus the serving size.

Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food

Average customer rating:

Great on content, poor on photos
chef and wine specialist
Solid good advice, good for main or back up book!
No calorie Count.
One person's opinion

Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food
Evan Goldstein
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0520243773

Book Description

As thousands of wines from around the globe enter the marketplace and the American palate continues to adopt flavors from a range of cultures, the task of pairing wine and food becomes increasingly complicated. No longer is the choice simply red or white, or wines from California, France, or Italy. The typical shopper today has access to wines from those regions plus South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia. If that isn't confusing enough, Asian, Latin American, and Creole dishes might find their way onto the same table. Perfect Pairings, by well-known Master Sommelier and respected restaurant industry veteran Evan Goldstein, provides straightforward, practical advice for choosing the right bottle for each meal. The quintessential resource for matching wine and food, this book includes 58 companion recipes developed by celebrated chef Joyce Goldstein that showcase each type of wine.
Perfect Pairings combines in-depth explorations of twelve grape varietals, sparkling wines, and dessert wines with guidance about foods that enhance the wide range of styles for each varietal. Whether the Chardonnay is earthy and flinty; rich, buttery, and oak-infused; fruity and tropical; or aged and mature, Goldstein explains how to match it with dishes that will make the wine sing. His clear, educational, and entertaining approach towards intimidating gastronomical questions provides information for all readers, professional and amateur alike.

16 full-color photos
Six seasonal and special occasion menus
Tips for enhancing food and wine experiences, both at home and in restaurants
Glossary of wine terminology
Overview of the world's primary wine-growing regions
Recommendations of more than five hundred wines, ranging in price from everyday to splurge

Customer Reviews:

Great on content, poor on photos.......2007-09-28

If you don't care that much about photos with recipes, this book is excellent on text. There is a photo section in the middle but personally I like to see at least half of the cookbook with accompanying photos. I gave this as a first anniversary gift to my son and daughter-in-law because they enjoy both wines and foods. She liked it a lot for the information about how to combine dishes and also the sections on history of the wines/regions. It is weak on information about American wines and in some cases it might be difficult to find some of the foreign wines mentioned. I would probably use it more as a reference book than a standard cookbook.

chef and wine specialist.......2007-05-12

very comprehensive, touches on all wine types and their attributes matched with food. Great recipes also. This book should be studied and savored by all who are interested in wines and in how to pair them with
foods.

Solid good advice, good for main or back up book!.......2007-05-02

I wish that I could have the knowledge of this book by osmosis. To read Evan's insightful comments about a wine, then to read suggestions on food pairings with that wine, is a delight. Additionally, Joyce's ample recipes, some simple, some complex, are well chosen, and a strong plus for adventuresome cooks to buy this book.

This was my favorite pairing book (and there's several books out there!) till recently.

When I saw a copy of "What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine...by Andrew Dornenburg, I realized that Dorenberg had "one-upped" this good text in different ways. One can find the food type, or the dominant spicing or saucing, then work backwards to the wines that are better suited. This is a more intuitive way for most people not well versed in different wines, and is better for me, as I need to match a wine to a fish's sauce more than to the fish. Still it does not diminish my appreciation for Perfect Pairing one bit. Evan Goldstein's Perfect Pairings does acknowledge this importance as well on pages 22-23 and 26-7, however many readers may gloss over this. The book is not as well geared as Dorenberg's in my opinion, for things such as spicy or some Asian or other ethnic foods, your mileage may vary.

Additionally, Dorenberg's book expands one's options with a food to go beyond wine for pairings, to include spirits, beer, etc. This makes more sense, as I just love a good beer with some things (some Asian food, German foods, etc.) that just don't work as well with recommended wines. The drawback (or plus, to some) to Dorenburg's book is that it isn't a text as Goldstein's. Dorenburg's book, after a few brief text chapters, is an extensive alphabetical listing of numerous foods and beverages, followed by their matches, with no explanation present, or felt needed.

I like Goldstein's Perfect Pairings dessert/dessert wine chapter, for example, having a sweet tooth. This section gives a good overview of different wines (late harvest, fortified, sparkling), and then separately talks about tree/stone fruit desserts, creamy and custard desserts, nut and dried-frut desserts, and finally the chocolatee, coffee, and caramel desserts..and recommends appropriate wines for each dessert classification.

Glance through both wine pairing books, and see which book style suits your needs best. I enjoy aspects of both, for different reasons, and appreciate each for it's strengths.

No calorie Count........2007-04-06

I ordered this book and upon receiving it was very excited about pairing wine with food--then I realized there were no calorie counts or other pertinent information with the recipes. Our family is very calorie/fiber conscious and I have vowed I will never buy another cookbook with this information. Therefore I just returned the book. If it ever comes out again with this stuff in it I might reconsider it.

One person's opinion.......2007-03-31

There aren't any vegetarian meals, and I don't eat much on their dining list, so it wasn't very useful to me. Nice hard bound book though.

Dream Dinners: Turn Dinnertime into Family Time with 100 Assemble-and-Freeze Meals

Average customer rating:

Not What I Expected
Good, could be better
I just wasted a lot of money...
A Working Mom's Best Friend
Bravo! A Great Resource

Dream Dinners: Turn Dinnertime into Family Time with 100 Assemble-and-Freeze Meals
Stephanie Allen , and Tina Kuna
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0060784229
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

"What's for dinner?"

If the sound of those three words sends you reeling or, worse, straight to the nearest fast-food chain or take-out joint, then relax. Dream Dinners will change all that forever.

With their new cookbook, Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna, founders of Dream Dinners, bring the successful philosophy behind their hundreds of assemble-and-freeze-meal stores across America into home kitchens. Dream Dinners offers up one hundred recipes for flavorful meals made with easy-to-find ingredients.

The premise is simple: Scoop or pour ingredients into baking pans or plastic bags, then store the uncooked dishes in the freezer. Later in the week or month, when dinnertime rolls around, just pop one of the frozen meals into the oven. Each recipe is provided two ways: One, prepare just one meal for the night, or two, prepare enough for three meals and freeze the other two. Dinner after sports practice, music lessons, and play rehearsals has never been easier!

In addition to recipes for hearty, family-pleasing classics such as Baked Pesto Ravioli with Chicken, Beef and Zucchini Casserole, and Cider-Braised Pork Loin Chops, Stephanie and Tina give a wealth of time-saving shopping tips and cooking pointers. More than for convenience, eating dinner together provides benefits for the whole family. Study after study shows that mealtime matters. Families who dine together form stronger bonds, and kids get better grades and develop lifelong healthful eating habits. Dream Dinners makes it easy for families to gather around the dinner table and share the ups and downs of the day.

With Dream Dinners, you will spend less time stressing in the kitchen and more time connecting with family and friends.

Customer Reviews:

Not What I Expected.......2007-09-27

I purchased this cookbook hoping it would have some of their wonderful recipes offered at any Dream Dinner location. I was sadly mistaken. These recipes seem to be old family favorites, and not the delicious meals created by the expert Chef's at Dream Dinners. I did however, find 5-10 recipes that I will try. You've probably seen most of the recipes in here, only they put their own little twist on it. Overall, its not a horrible cookbook, just not what I expected.

Good, could be better.......2007-08-25

I overall like the book. I thought it could have been better. It seems they are trying to come off as more gourmet, not as family friendly. But it has a well-deserved spot on my shelf.

I just wasted a lot of money..........2007-08-17

I am pretty upset. I just ordered a brand new cookbook, followed the recipe for a triple batch of the artichoke chicken casserole (which was about $50 worth of supplies. I knew better...I knew there was no way that 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice would be able to reconstitute with the amount of liquid in the sauce. But, I trusted the book. What a disaster. I am about to call Papa John's. Here is the corrected cookbook (sorry, I didn't think to check for corrections since I just bought the book).

Woops, there are 45 PAGES OF CORRECTIONS!!!! Seriously? How did this book make it through to publishing? Whoever edited it should be fired. If you go to the dream dinners website there is a link with all of the corrections.

Here are the recipes that have erros:

DREAM DINNERS BOOK
RECIPE REVISIONS/CLARIFICATIONS
Baked Stuffed French Toast
Beef Stir-Fry
Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Grammy's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kielbasa Bean Soup
New England Pot Roast
Penne with Rosemary Chicken
Three Cheese Spinach Soup
Grandma Rue's Peanut Butter Fingers
Cider-Braised Pork Chops
Pork Medallions with Pears
Fettuccine with Chicken and Asparagus
Tried and True Lasagna
Breakfast Eggs w/ Potato Crust
Beef and Corn Enchiladas
Baked Spaghetti
Karlene's Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Margarita Slush
Raspberry Margarita Slush
Baked Shoestring Potatoes
Baked Pasta and Lemon Chicken
Baked Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

A Working Mom's Best Friend.......2007-06-24

Dinner preparation has never been faster nor easier than it became after I purchased this cookbook. I'm able to have dinner on the table in minutes, and they are healthful -- no weird preservatives or artificial junk that my family doesn't need to eat.

Here's what I do: I use a grocery delivery service. When I place my order online, I have my Dream Dinners cookbook in front of me. Based on what meats are on sale, I choose a beef, a pork and a chicken recipe (sometimes I substitute a pasta, turkey or other meal). I then add the ingredients I will need to make 3 of each recipe. It's usually just another $60 or so on my order. When the order arrives, I take two hours or so to put all of my dinners together. At the end, I have about 12 dinners to stack and freeze in my freezer. TWO HOURS to make 12 dinners -- miraculous!

Some of my family's favorites -- Pork Tenderloin with Pears, New England Pot Roast. Happy assemble-and-freezing!

Bravo! A Great Resource.......2007-03-29

Busy mothers, rejoice. Dinner is served - or almost, anyway. Using the innovative assemble-and-freeze method developed by the founders of the Dream Dinners stores around the country, even the busiest of cooks can learn how to pour ingredients into plastic bags and freeze them, then cook as needed. Whether for breakfast, dinner, parties or dessert, just a few hours in the kitchen will yield weeks of hassle-free meals.

I would have liked to see more photos and graphics (they're always appreciated with cookbooks), but still, this is a fantastic resource. Bravo!

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods: Creating Old Favorites with the New Flours

Average customer rating:

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods: Creating old Favorites with the New Flours
Looks good, but nutrient counts are way off!!
Gluten, Get out of Dodge!
Gluten free muffins and more.
Gluten-Free Cookbook

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods: Creating Old Favorites with the New Flours
Bette Hagman
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0805078088
Release Date: 2004-12-09

Book Description

The latest addition to the bestselling series of cookbooks that have sold more than 350,000 copiesnow in paperback In this latest addition to the Gluten-free Gourmet series, Bette Hagman turns her hand to hearty, filling foods that were once off-limits to celiacs. Using the new gluten-free flours that are now available she puts old favorites such as macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, and lasagna back on the menu. Best of all, these more than two hundred all-new recipes are so mouthwatering delicious you won't believe they're gluten free.

Customer Reviews:

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods: Creating old Favorites with the New Flours.......2007-07-17

The book has so many good recipies! Bette Hagman has great cookbooks for gluten sensitive people.

Looks good, but nutrient counts are way off!!.......2007-07-13

The recipes in this book look really appealing and probably are delicious, BUT . . . the calorie/carb/fat, etc. counts that accompany each recipe are wildly inaccurate. For example, the Featherlight Chiffon Cake shows 170 calories per serving with 160 grams of carbohydrates. At four calories per gram, there couldn't be less than 640 calories per serving!! Her Cream Cheese Pound Cake shows only 5 grams each of carb and protein and 9 grams of fat. This must total about 120 cals per serving, but she lists it as 288 cals. per serving. In fact, almost every recipe I looked at carefully had unreliable numbers attached. Here's hoping the editors correct these errors before going to a second edition.

Gluten, Get out of Dodge!.......2007-05-21

Bette Hagman's books are lifesavers and Godsends and I have them all. She makes the art of cooking gluten free and keeping a gluten free kitchen easy, logical and workable. You don't have to separate the wheat from the chaff - just regard the wheat AS chaff and you are on your way to a gluten free lifestyle!

Cooks who follow Bette's methods do work - you will need several different types of flours to make breads and bread desserts, such as cakes. Be sure to freeze your foods because they won't last long. It is also a good idea to cook in portions so as to prevent food from going bad.

Thanks to Bette, I have learned about hemp bread for celiac disease and for anybody following a gluten/casein free regimen and Teff Flour. There are many good websites out there that can direct you to places where you can buy the foods and equipment you need to start enjoying your gluten/casein free life. Bette Hagman is truly a Food Warden. She has given people that much needed Get Out of Jail Free card to break out of the prison of old eating habits and a Passport to Better and Healthier Living. Cheers to Bette Hagman!

Gluten free muffins and more........2007-04-01

If you want to add variety to a gluten-free diet, this book is for you. Includes recipes for bread, muffins, waffles and more.

Gluten-Free Cookbook.......2007-03-31

My daughter uses this book daily and says she finds the recipes accessible and tasty. If you need to limit or avoid wheat products this is a good cookbook.

Fantastic Food with Splenda: 160 Great Recipes for Meals Low in Sugar, Carbohydrates, Fat, and Calories

Average customer rating:

What a great cook book from Splenda
Making splendid treats with splenda
Great cookbook
Marlene Koch Fantastic Food with Splenda
A Perfect Fit

Fantastic Food with Splenda: 160 Great Recipes for Meals Low in Sugar, Carbohydrates, Fat, and Calories
Marlene Koch
Manufacturer: M. Evans and Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Herbs, Spices & Condiments | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 1590770218

Book Description

The first of its kind cookbook expands the uses of Splenda, proving that it is versatile enough to be used in many different recipes for all types of meals.

Customer Reviews:

What a great cook book from Splenda.......2007-04-11

This is a great cook book. I am lossing weight and needed to find a good cook book with lower calories. The food that I have made from this cook book is great. It tastes like regular food. When I bring something to a party no one can tell the diffence. I tell others that are trying to loss weight about this book. This is a must have.

Making splendid treats with splenda.......2007-01-10

A friend of mine gave me this book for Christm,as the year that it first came out. I immediately began using it. Chai tea, hot cocoa, pumpkin muffins, glazed carrots, etc. all became quick favorites. My niece came for a visit and together we would cook up recipes to test. All winners. I sent her a copy for her birthday and she was thrilled. She had asked me to send her some of the recipies, I decided that it was just easier to send her the whole book!
For me, the only negative aspect of some of the recipies is that they are way to spicy (picante). Now I just modify the amount of spices I add and all are happy with the result!

Great cookbook.......2006-12-22

I like this cookbook. I have tried the strawberry lemonade, which was great, and a cheesecake. I look forward to trying more things. It also has the weight watchers points listed which is nice.

Marlene Koch Fantastic Food with Splenda.......2006-11-06

This book has a good variety of recipes and is well organized. I also have another book using Splenda which is written by the same author. She covers the benefits of using Splenda very well. It's a great way to get rid of the empty calories in sugar without sacrificing sweet taste.

A Perfect Fit.......2006-01-05

I have been on a moderate carb diet for a few years and was experimenting with recipes that would fit with my exchange diet and carb counting. Splenda had been on the market for only a year and few people knew how to cook with it and gain good results. Enter Marlene Koch into my life. Her recipes from this book were just what the doctor ordered. There is just enough sugar to make the textures in the food work, but the carb count and fat content was "a perfect fit" for my diet needs. Not only that, but every recipe I tried tasted fantastic and this book has allowed me to return classic recipes such as three bean salad, coleslaw, gingerbread and "sugar" cookies back into my diet without guilt or ill effects. I've made many of the recipes in this book and make her "Heavenly Cheesecake" for my holiday table each year.

Thank you Marlene for all your hard work. I'm looking forward to reading and cooking from more of your books!

Average customer rating:

Wow
G.Garvin's Cookbook !
Flavorful Recipe Collection
Any library looking for spicy cookbooks will find TURN UP THE HEART WITH GARVIN a top choice
Outstanding Cookbook

Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin
Gerry Garvin
Manufacturer: Meredith Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0696233940
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

Known for keeping it “Super Simple,” Gerry Garvin is turning up the heat in the kitchen in his debut cookbook full of great tasting recipes for an array of cuisines including French, Italian, Cajun, Indian and down-home American.

As the host of Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin, one of the most popular programs on TV One, the fastest growing lifestyle and entertainment network targeting African Americans, Garvin combines his impressive culinary resume with his engaging, down-to-earth style to offer simple techniques for savory recipes along with laugh-out-loud anecdotes and indispensable cooking know-how.

Customer Reviews:

Wow.......2007-09-17

This book has depth! There are more than 200 recipes that cover a range of cuisines. The recipes also range in sophistication and difficulty. It is an excellent representation of American cooking.

By default, Chef Garvin has captured the black foodie thing. Yes there are soul food classics like candied yams. But how about sweet potato mousse and pan-seared scallops with morel mushroom sauce. Like his show, this book makes four-and five-star eating experiences approachable and attainable for those who have been afraid, complacent or sheltered.

This book has recipes for the novice cook. More importantly it is the type of book that will still be relevant as your skills increase. There are about 24 color photos of the food; I would prefer more.

Now for the fun part. This man understands his audience! There are more pictures of him than of the food (and I wouldn't have it any other way!) No other celebrity chef could get away with this, but perhaps G. Garvin is the ultimate celebritiy chef.

G.Garvin's Cookbook !.......2007-09-03

If you love cookbooks, then you have to get this one !
The recipes are easy & the food is EXCELLENT.
G.Garvin is the best !

Flavorful Recipe Collection.......2007-05-10

I'm a cookbook addict, so one of favorites is to go to bookstore and browse through new stack. Found this one fascinating, due to breadth of recipe collection, which author states up front is collected from his family, friends, and his restaurant career. Thus, we find old reliables, and new creative ones as well. Lots of something here for everyone. So depending on your target eaters and the time and ingredient limits, one can find wide range of culinary delights here for every occasion and chef abilities.

I was particularly attracted to this due to offerings such as: Corn bread, Bacon and Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes; Jalepono Seafood Dip; Spinach, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Ravioli; Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with Lemon-Chardonnay Sauce; Cauliflower, White Rose Potato and Crab Bisque with Truffle Oil; Sweet Potato Mousse. Nice color shots of select recipes!

I also appreciate his revealing of his career path and faith commitment as well. Well done, G. Garvin, I'll be looking for your next output.

Any library looking for spicy cookbooks will find TURN UP THE HEART WITH GARVIN a top choice.......2007-04-11

Any library looking for spicy cookbooks will find TURN UP THE HEART WITH GARVIN a top choice for revamping everyday meals and flavors. From Sauteed Salmon and Shrimp with Brie to wine-enhanced Collard Greens with Smoky Bacon, Garvin takes the simplest dishes and updates them to modern times, making it a snap to add elegance to everyday meals. General-interest lending libraries will find it an especially popular pick because recipes look simple and are familiar, with the creative embellishment added to routines and dishes which don't look dauntingly exotic.

Outstanding Cookbook.......2007-04-05

This cookbook is simply amazing. It affords an amateur like myself the opportunity to prepare some pretty tasty meals. I especially like the section that references the importance of presentation and how simple elements totally change the way that we feel about a meal. Kudos

Cooking With Steam: Spectacular Full-Flavored Low-Fat Dishes from Your Electric Steamer

Average customer rating:

It gives you the basics on cooking with an electric steamer
Best Cookbook and not just for steaming

Cooking With Steam: Spectacular Full-Flavored Low-Fat Dishes from Your Electric Steamer
Stephanie Lyness
Manufacturer: Hearst Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Special Appliances | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0688138144

Amazon.com

Electric steamers will be the next hot kitchen appliance if Cooking With Steam gets the attention it deserves. In this book, Stephanie Lyness shows how to cook everything from spinach and chicken to tempting fruit desserts and creamy puddings--all over boiling water and without adding any fat. The result: brightly-flavored, colorful, and healthful dishes. Along with more than 125 recipes, Lyness provides all the information you need to select and buy the right steamer. Then, along with moist, perfectly cooked fresh fish, you can enjoy tempting versions of beefy pot-au-feu, rich, wild mushroom risotto, and more lean delights.

Customer Reviews:

It gives you the basics on cooking with an electric steamer.......2007-09-10

Stephanie Lyness' book explains how long you should cook every vegetable, fish, rice, meat and desserts. How much water to put in the container and when to add more. Whether to use salt before or after steaming.The ingredients for the recipes are extremely simple and healthy as well. Although it was published in 1996 and describes 4 electric steamers which I haven't seen where I live, one of them is very similar to the one I've just bought, so, no problem at all.The book also gives you tips that I have never found in any other book of the sort. The recipes serve 2 or 4. I recommend: Rice pilaf with peas and mushrooms,Red snapper with lemon and ginger and Lemon cheesecake. I didn't rate it 5 stars because I was disappointed not to find any pictures.

Best Cookbook and not just for steaming.......2001-09-03

Not only is this the best steaming cookbook I've read but it is the best cookbook I've read and most important, used....and I use one or another of the recipes from this book almost every dinner (for five years now). The cabbage with bacon sauce is as simple as it is tasty. The recipe for steamed carrots with cilantro is brilliant. I, formerly never known as much of a cook, now have a reputation as a gourmet with some of my friends who have tasted these recipes. This cookbook has made cooking so much fun!....and easy too! I cannot recommend this book eneogh.

Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food, with More Than 150 Recipes

Average customer rating:

Wonderful intro to a favorite cuisine
Easy Book; Great Results
My favorite Indian cookbook
Indian cooking for the American palate? Yes!
Wonderful!

Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food, with More Than 150 Recipes
Suvir Saran , and Stephanie Lyness
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0609611011
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Book Description

With its exotic aromas and complex flavors, Indian cuisine is one of the world's best. It's no wonder that so many people adore it--and also no surprise that it could seem daunting to cook Indian food at home. Now, acclaimed chef and cooking teacher Suvir Saran cuts out the fuss, sharing casual, home-style Indian dishes that are perfect for everyday cooking.

Indian Home Cooking is a celebration of the food Indians cook in American kitchens today, using ingredients found in most supermarkets. With streamlined techniques and intense, authentic flavors, Indian Home Cooking heralds a new generation of Indian cookbooks. From slow-simmered curries with layered flavors to quickly sautéed dishes, these approachable recipes explore the wide world of Indian cuisine, including:

*Irresistible snacks and appetizers, such as Puff Pastry Samosas with Green Peas, and Spinach-Potato Patties
*Seductively spiced lentil dals, from the North Indian classic flavored with whole cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves to a Southern Indian version with dried red chilies, mustard seeds, and curry leaves
*Aromatic meat and seafood curries, like Coconut Chicken with Cashews and spicy Goan Shrimp Balchao
*An incredible range of vegetable dishes, including Stir-Fried Green Beans with Cumin, and Cauliflower with Sautéed Green Peppers, Tomato, and Yogurt
*Easy, colorful chutneys and pickles to fill your pantry

Filled with gorgeous photographs, fresh flavors, and practical advice, Indian Home Cooking is an illuminating guide to real Indian food.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful intro to a favorite cuisine.......2007-08-11

Every time I walk past an Indian restaurant, sometimes even downwind of one, my mouth waters. I get almost the same experience from these lucious pictures. If you cook with your eyes, you'll love this book.

Despite the incredible complexity of Indian flavors, every-day cooking is very approachable. This gives a wide sampling of favorite dishes, both vegetarian and meat-based. In addition to main dishes of many sorts, this covers the soups, raitas, breads, pickles, deserts, and beverages that complete the experience.

There are more encyclopedic Indian cookbooks around including Classic Indian Cooking, as well as books that pay more attention to regional differences. This makes a great book for the beginner, though, with its clear directions, variations on each recipe, and emphasis on accessible ingredients. If you cook for fun and a little dinner-time adventure, you'll find a lot to enjoy in this book.

-- wiredweird

Easy Book; Great Results.......2007-02-28

I have been using this cookbook for over a year now and, like most reviewers, I can't recommend it enough. You'll have to pardon me if I write a long review...I think I enjoy writing about this food as much as I do cooking and eating it...

I'll comment on some of the specific dishes below but, first, I'll say that the recipes and techniques in this book are simple (for Indian food, anyway) but they produce dishes with very deep flavors. That said, even the meatier curries are lighter and fresher than what I have eaten in most Indian restaurants. In fact, for the most part, I now prefer to cook and eat my own Indian food. At the risk of sounding corny, these recipes have given me a lot of pleasure.

Two other quick points: Since I've been using this cookbook I've tried others, as well as some recipes that I've found online but hands down this book beats all. I find that other recipes produce dishes are either too heavy, aren't flavorful enough, take too much time or the recipes themselves just don't feel inviting to me. I use other cookbooks for other types of food, of course, but for Indian food I'd have to say this is the cookbook. Also, I've been to India a couple times, as well as other places with substantial Indian populations--Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia--so even though I've only been cooking Indian for a year I've known quite a range of Indian food over the years.

And now, the food:

The dals: There are several dal recipes in this book and I've cooked them all. They range from very simple with just a few ingredients to more complex, with multiple layers of flavoring. My favorites are the `simple lentil dal with fresh ginger, green chiles and cilantro', which smells especially fresh and bright when on the stove, and the `simple lentil dal with whole cinnamon, cardamom and cloves'. Both of these have pretty complex flavors but, as a dal should be, they're light.

The vegetables: I haven't made all the recipes in this section but have yet to hit a dud. I'm a real fan of these dishes because the ingredients are inexpensive and the dishes themselves are very healthy and, as an unabashed carnivore, they I'm pleased with their surprisingly huge flavors. A few favorites are `stir fried carrots with cumin and lime', `smoked spiced eggplant' and `Indian cheese in an herbed green sauce'. These dishes are all pretty easy to make, although some take a bit more time than others.

Chicken dishes: I've cooked all the chicken curries and while I have my favorites I'd say they are all outstanding. In my old job I used to bring these in for my lunch and people would literally freak out when they smelled them from across the office. You could say that some of the curries produce a bit too much sauce but I don't mind eating this with rice or bread, especially since it makes the dish go a bit further. There are also recipes for ground poultry dishes and Cornish game hens, but I haven't made these yet. I'd agree with another reviewer who noted that you'll probably need to double the cooking time for the chicken curries. This also applies to the meat curries, below.

Meat dishes: I've made almost all these and have yet to hit one that was anything less than delicious. One thing I've learned is that if I'm cooking meat it's better to pay a little extra for high quality cuts. It makes a big difference. My favorite recipe in this section is the `lamb stew with tomato and southern Indian spices'. I make this with beef or lamb and either way it is one of the deepest, most mysterious dishes I've ever smelled or eaten. I also cook the Vindaloo dish quite a bit, with either pork, lamb or beef.

Fish & shellfish: As is the case with the meats, using the best fish you can afford is worth the extra money. If I can't spend it, then I hold off on cooking fish until I can. Fortunately, these recipes are versatile--I've cooked the `halibut in a hot-and-sour sauce' with either halibut, other sorts of cheaper white fish, scallops or shrimp. All were delicious (except my experiment with haddock, which was just so-so) and pretty much left the diners speechless. The `salmon curry' was something so spectacular that I couldn't believe I'd made by myself, while the `Mangalore fried shrimp' took virtually no time at all. I find that these dishes are at their best if you leave the fish a bit on the rare side. If that sounds a bit strange, just try it once and decide for yourself.

Raita, pickles & chutneys, drinks: I've made a couple of each and have been happy with them all. I've been particularly happy with the raitas (especially the pineapple raita) since they're easy, taste great and for some reason guests are amazed to find them on the table.

Rice dishes: The cookbook notes that it's impossible to overestimate the importance of rice to Indian culture and spiritual traditions. Well, then it's no surprise that the rice dishes in this book are suitably rich and creative. For me, plain basmati rice is profound enough, but dishes such as ` lemon rice' or `coconut-mint rice' put me on the verge of hallucinating.

Appetizers, snacks, flatbreads, sweets: I haven't made any of these. A couple friends have and, like pretty much everything in this book, the reports are all very positive.

A couple final suggestions: Not everyone wants to blow a lot of cash on a pot but especially for the curries, which simmer for a long time, a high-quality pot makes a world of difference. I use enamel-coated cast iron and it radiates the heat in such as way that the sauce becomes very hearty and I think this also helps open up the magic of the spices. On the other hand, when visiting a friend I cooked in a lighter pot and the curries wouldn't thicken properly. Also, don't be put off if you realize you have to buy some new spices to cook these dishes. Really, you don't need many, they aren't expensive, they're very good for your health and they'll open an entire new universe of flavor. If you can't find everything in your grocery store, go online. Finally, once you get comfortable with the recipes, you'll find that you get faster at putting together the spice mixes. Relax, set aside some time and you will be very happy with the food you'll be able to create.

My favorite Indian cookbook.......2007-02-16

I own a lot of Indian cookbooks and this is my favorite one. The recopies here tend to be a lot healthier than other cookbooks, but they still taste authentic due to Saran's technique of roasting and layering his spices. You'll want to find a well stocked Indian Grocery store after getting this book to stock up on cardamom pods and curry leaves. I can't wait to check out Saran's restaurant (Devi) next time I'm in NYC.

Indian cooking for the American palate? Yes!.......2007-02-07

As someone who loves traditional South Asian food, my natural tendency has been to share it with my non-Asian friends too. Yes, that means my American friends who grew up eating foods that are much milder in flavors and intensity. However, being a typical Asian male means that I was never taught how to cook. But I love cooking and whatever I did learn, it was mostly by trying to remember my mother and aunts cooking whenever they did let me in to the kitchen. The rest was based on experimentation and of course, a big dose of gut instinct. But that generally meant strong and sometimes imbalanced and unpredictable flavors.

That all changed when I came across Suvir's book! Not only can I make consistently tasty and easy to prepare foods, he has also been the teacher that I never had. I actually enjoy just reading this book for fun.

This book makes a great present as well for those who like Indian food but are too afraid to try making it at home. My girlfriend had that problem. She is a gourmet cook but she never tried to make Indian food. I got her a book and gave her a list of spices to get at our local Indian store (the book also has a list). Now she is fully stocked and ready to make most of the dishes in the book without having to search for a particular spice at the grocery store at the most inconvenient time, which is just before you decide to make one of the dishes.

Please go on and introduce yourselves and others to the joy of simple and mostly healthy Indian cooking. Suvir is a great teacher. Learn the basics from him in this book and then experiment! Good luck.

Khalid

Wonderful!.......2007-01-03

This was my first experience cooking Indian food at home. Wow! Now my husband and I actually prefer my own cooking to that of any of the Indian restaurants here in Buffalo. The photos are great, the directions easy to follow, and the result is fantastic. This is one of my favorites.

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