Customer Reviews:
A Helper for Planning Ahead.......2002-03-08
For the last 10 years this has been my favorite cookbook. I've been through 3 phases of life: single, married, married with 3 children. And the "Do Ahead" cookbook has made all 3 stages of life flow a little easier by planning what's for dinner ahead of time and then enjoying a delicious meal that's quick to put on the table.
Each recipe gives information on freezing or how long to keep in the refrigerator. Several recipes are given for leftovers of a main meat dish (such as ham). Some chapters provide full menus for various occasions.
One of my 10 best cookbooks.......1997-10-02
With an extensive and sophisticated library of cookbooks I am always amused by the compliments received; (always), and the requested recipes from guests enjoying foods prepared through the use of this book! I now give it as a gift as I am tiring of copying from its pages at the behest of my friends, business associates and family. It is filled with practical yet interesting suggestions and many favorite recipies.
Book Description
College kids living on their own for the first time are startled to realize that now they have to cook for themselves. This attractive spiral-bound book is exactly what they need, serving up easy recipes and basic cooking methods for beginners. The resulting meals are nutritious and appetizing, more healthful and less expensive than relying on the local pizza parlor or Burger King every time hunger pangs strike. Practical advice and helpful tips instruct busy college kids on everything from food and equipment shopping and sharing a kitchen to scrambling an egg and preparing a complete, well-balanced meal. Recipes are divided into these general categories:
Munchies * Breakfast * Main Courses * Pasta and Rice * Soups * Veggies and Salads * Desserts *
Munchies include a great array of snacks and finger foods, from garlicky humus to pizza-flavored popcorn. Breakfast recipes include egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, and others. Main courses range from simple grilled sandwiches to more ambitious entrees like roasted chicken with lemon and herbs. Vegetarian dishes include tasty Portobello mushrooms with garlic mayonnaise, pan-fried Asian dumplings with dipping sauce, couscous and veggie salad, and many others. Among the dessert recipes are instructions for making brownies, cookies, chocolate cake, apple crisp, and a remarkably easy pumpkin pie. Recipes come with a special trouble-shooting and mistake-avoiding feature called Don't Let This Happen to You. Attractive line illustrations and a handy index help make this book a godsend for hungry college kids. Makes a good high school graduation gift!
Customer Reviews:
not for serious cookers..........2007-08-11
if you already know your way around the kitchen, this book is not for you. Its for dumb college kids who have never cooked for themselves before. If you already know how to make grilled cheese sandwiches and egg mcmuffins you can spring for something more advanced.
A simple guide to getting you on your way towards being a master chef.. well maybe.......2007-06-05
I didn't get this when I went away to college. I'm going on my third year and this is also the first year I have to start cooking all my meals. I got this book for the how-to on simple everyday things that I think every kid/teenager/young adult should know about cooking. I've used it a few times already, mostly just to consult with and build off of. I do think it will always serve as a good reference or for those nights when I want something different I know I can always open it up and find something new that isn't complicated and doesn't call for too many ingredients. Overall I would definitely recommend this book. For once I'm not reading a recipe and going "what's that ingredient?" I'm more comfortable being able to check things like whether or not I need butter/oil in the pan to cook french toast and other such simple things that the experienced cook doesn't even think about. A very good guide to get you started.
excellent.......2007-02-14
Excellent product. Easy to use, nicely written. Received in a timely fashion.
Good beginners' cookbook.......2007-01-14
I gave this to my 21 year old son who just got his own apartment but was still in college and living 3 hours from ome. He was interested in cooking and was calling me up for "recipes" and advice on how to cook his favorite foods. This book seemed too simplistic to me, but he said it was just what he needed and was a great help.
Great for People New to Cooking.......2007-01-12
I originally bought this book for myself, and found it to be too introductory for me, so I gave it to my brother, who despite being older than me still calls me to ask things like how you mash a potato. The recipes are very easy to read, making no assumptions about previous knowledge, and they utilize store-bought pre-prepared ingredients (the author is especially fond of frozen potsticker dumplings) in a way that is helpful to college students, although I thought occasionally the scratch alternative would have been no more difficult and probably cheaper and better tasting.
What I love best about the book is the way it is organized. Recipes that require no cooking or are microwave-only are marked with big icons on the page, and while the recipes are organized by meal or food type, like most books, the book also contains multiple tables of contents that group the recipes differently--vegetarian, microwavable, appropriate for a date, seasonally, etc.--and even has one set of listings that put together recipes for a complete meal. While not particularly elaborate (as most of the recipes are pretty simple anyway) I love this feature, because matching flavors can be particularly difficult for a new cook, and for any cook a recipe book can be unhelpful in planning a meal if you don't kind of already know what you want.
The first section of the book is also really good for first-timers because it goes over the basics of setting up, cleaning, and sharing a kitchen. It provides lists of basic equipment and the basic ingredients you should always have on hand, and this list is in general pretty sensitive to the limitations of dorm sizes and mini-fridges. It even gives cleaning instructions for some of the less obvious cleaning challenges in the kitchen. I thought the list of things to discuss and agree on with roommates regarding kitchen use was particularly helpful. Lastly, the book itself is well-designed, being spiral-bound rather than a traditional paperback, so that it lays flat easily while staying open to the same page hands-free. This seems like a silly note, but I have a lot of cookbooks, some with a similar target market as this one, and I've had to waste a lot of time copying recipes down onto other paper or recipe cards just because I needed both hands and the book kept closing itself or flipping to another page.
In summary, a great book for someone who doesn't know anything about cooking. Would make a great high school graduation gift perhaps made more interesting by pairing it with some of the basic kitchen tool necessities listed in the first few chapters of the book.
Book Description
Once known as the Queen-of-Incapable Cooking, Brook has been spotted securing saram wrap with sailor knots, baking a cherry pie without pitting the cherries and coloring unboiled Easter eggs. Frustrated with the lack of a family dinner hour in her home (her husband had opted for large lunches at work(, she set out to create a cooking system (much to her husband's dismay) that would allow her to put great meals on the table quickly.
A CEO, mom, wife, daughter, volunteer, church-goer, author and speaker, Brook's time is at a premium.
Her hunt for the perfect dinner focused on recipes that met the following five Rush Hour Rules
All ingredients are pronounceable through the phonetic use of the English language.
Each ingredient can be found in the market without engaging in a full-scale scavenger hunt.
No list of ingredients shall be longer than the instructions.
Each recipe has to be durable enough to survive the Queen-of-Incapable-Cooking.
The Rush Hour Cook's finicky child will eat it-or some portion of it.
The result? Brook created weekly menus that fed her family while eliciting compliments! Now she brings her Weekly Wonder Menus to you, complete with grocery lists, so you can also implement this simple cooking solution in your chaotic kitchen!
Customer Reviews:
I like it!.......2006-08-21
I really like the shopping lists. It is nice knowing that after I have been to the store I can prepare a week's worth of menus and I never have to say, "oops, I'm out of..."
That part is great. So far, my husband and the rest of my family are really enjoying the recipes.
Cookbooks with Personality.......2006-01-23
Brook Noel is delightfully funny and her cookbooks are a result of all the years where she was learning to cook and accomplished tasks with amusing results, like the time she baked a cherry pie without pitting the cherries. Not unlike one of my aunts who made a cherry pie without straining the cherries from a can but can make the best lasagna in the world.
So, everyone has their strengths and Brook Noel is especially good at creating recipes for cooks who don't have a lot of time to spend cooking, but want to get dinner on the table and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment from making a meal at home. After all, you have marathons to run, yoga classes to attend and scrapbooking parties to go to, not to mention decorating, gardening and reading your favorite books and a list of other favorite hobbies and activities.
Weekly Wonders is filled with recipes, weekly menus and grocery lists. If you want to make cooking part of your life, Brook Noel will show you how to get dinner on the table fast and it will also taste delicious. This will encourage family time and give your family a moment to reconnect in a busy world.
Some of the delicious ideas include:
Making your own salad dressings - Buttermilk, Italian, Garlic and more...
Delicious Marinades using fresh herbs - Rosemary-Basil, Red Wine Marinade with Garlic
Making homemade pancakes ahead of time and freezing them. I will admit to doing this and tossing them in the toaster.
Making your own cinnamon applesauce - something I also learned recently and love using Braeburn apples.
Recipes that are easy to adapt to your tastes: Chocolate Banana Smoothie - you could substitute soy butter for the peanut butter. When making the Orange Juice Smoothie, you can also use any fruit you prefer.
Delicious Recipes:
Lasagna Rolls
Rosemary Broccoli
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Tuscan-Style Pork Roast
Ever wondered how long buttermilk lasts or when you should toss the leftover salad dressings? A list of freezer and refrigerator storage dates makes this book even more useful. Recipes like the one for Balsamic Vinaigrette encourages you to learn the basics but also experiment and add your own herbs and spices. Weekly Wonders is a book filled with realistic recipes for cooks who love cooking, but just don't have a lot of time.
Book Noel is an amazing creative force for good in the world, I'm reading all her books.
~The Rebecca Review
I am REALLY cooking!!! And I actually sort of LIKE it!.......2005-10-16
Okay. I have been with my husband for almost 6 years. And during that time, I think I have probably cooked around 40 meals not using a box or frozen prepared item. And I was in complete agony from the moment I attempted to pick a dish to cook, all the way through to washing the dishes. Then, last week my Weekly Wonders book showed up!!!
First off, I thought I hated to cook and thought I would until the day I die. There were always too many expensive wierd ingredients to come up with, the instructions were often too legnthy or cumbersome, I had to spend a LOT of time flipping through pages to write out grocery lists and I would invariably leave something off, or not buy enough, etc. I have TONS of cookbooks, but would pick just a recipe or two to try, then be sick of the whole deal.
This book is different. It's a lifesaver with the grocery lists. I wish there were more books on the market in this format. Because of my aversion to the flipping missing ingredient gathering in individual recipes, I have been sticking to the lists and cooking the entire weekly menus. Some of it did not sound appetizing, but I did it anyway and I am discovering we actually LIKE this food! Not all of it. But we have a pact to eat everything in the name of variety. There is a lot of fresh produce and meat involved in these recipes and so each meal has been an adventure. Quick to cook. Simple steps. Fast. Fairly Tasty. And for crying out loud, I actually have exactly what I need to cook these recipes with, no more and no less! No emergency trips to the grocery store right in the middle of rush hour for one stinking missing item! YAY!
No more going into shock and then a coma with the question "What are we having for dinner?" I know every night before bed what tomorrow's dinner will be! No more chopping for hours and eating at 10 pm! No more boxed frozen crap! No more emergency runs to a burger joint! The number to the pizza place has been removed from speed-dial and it's completely okay!!!
I am so excited to be finally cooking food on a daily basis. I feel like I have reached a semblance of "normal". And my husband is so pleased! Thank GOD for this book! And you too, NOEL. Please make a volume 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6!!!! I WOULD buy them! This is likely to be a Christmas present for all the girls in my family.
No more guessing what to make.......2005-05-23
The best part about this book is that I can just take the shopping list and not have to think about what I'm going to make for the week. Since the menus are so kid-friendly, my picky family isn't groaning about what I'm cooking anymore.
Woo HOO!! Hat's off to Brook Noel.......2005-05-22
This is the most incredible book. I felt like Brook was in my kitchen and knew what a real family would eat--and how much a time the average person has! I am so pleased with this cookbook and it has made my life easier in many ways. Hat's off to Brook Noel!
Book Description
Television's famous singing chef combines the efficiency and variety of a modern North America kitchen with the timeless flair of classic Italian cuisine. This book captures the remarkable personality of Pasquale Carpino, the popular chef who sings tenor arias while preparing wonderful meals.
"When people see my television program, they often ask me why I sing when I am cooking. To me singing a beautiful song and preparing a beautiful recipe are the same. They both give us a chance to find happiness in creativity and to share that joy with others. In music there is an infinity - an endless number of combinations of notes and harmonies which will produce original and lovely melodies. So it is with cooking. The chef is like a composer, creating new recipes and adapting old ones to express the individuality which is found in each of us."
Today's Cooking with Chef Pasquale includes his favorite recipes:
* Fresh Preserves * Sauces and Condiments * Antipasto * Soups and Broth * Rice and Grains * Pasta * Fish and Shellfish * Poultry and Game * Meat Dishes (beef, veal, lamb, pork) * Egg Dishes * Vegetable Side Dishes and Entrees * Salads and Dressings * Desserts.
The book includes a glossary of cooking terms and ingredients and a comprehensive index.
Customer Reviews:
This guy can cook.......2006-12-13
I used to watch his show with my grandfather and we both loved his style of cooking. Wish his shows still aired.
Chef and a cook book I lost in a fire eight years ago.......2000-02-23
When I first started to cook about ten years ago,Chef Pasquale had his show on TV and it convinced me buy his book and try his recipes. I found that in a short time I could cook a meal that tasted as if it were cooked in a fine Italian resturant. I lost my cook books in a house fire and could not find replacement copies. A friend recently gave me a copy of the current book, was I delighted. This book has the same approach to cooking as the books I had with a little more information on kitchen management. If you want to cook Italian and knock peoples socks off this is the book.
Book Description
The Spice Is Right is a down-to-earth Indian cookbook for the time-squeezed, health-conscious home cook. The book highlights more than 150 simple, healthful versions of traditional Indian dishes as well as Western dishes with an Indian twist. The book is organized into menus, with takes the guesswork out of planning an Indian meal. If you'sre a fan of the cyber-food world, The Spice Is Right has all the right links to interesting food sites and markets on the Internet.
Customer Reviews:
It's All About the Spice.......2006-10-13
The Spice is Right is one of my favorite cookbooks and I have scores of Indian cookbooks, as I'm sort of a gourmet chef. I wrote a cooking column for a sailing magazine for a couple years and one of my favorite articles was my "Two Ways to Tandoori" which you can read in one of my "Amazon So You'd Like to Guides," if you want. Tandoori chicken is just delicious. Anyway, while I was making the guide, I listed fifty cookbooks from my collection. I have more. I know, I know, one would think a couple books would be enough, but it's sort of an obsession with me, making food taste great and I just love to see how others have done it.
While I was doing the guide, I pulled out all my Indian Cookbooks, had them all stacked around me. Then I decided to pull out all the ones I didn't think I could live without. It came to an even dozen and The Spice is Right was one of the books. The recipes are just divine. I've never been to India, been a lot of places, but never there. Delhi, Bombay, Ganges, names that just ring with adventure. I imagine I'm there every time I cook up something Indian. I can feel the smells as they wrap their delicious flavors all around the kitchen, or galley, if I'm cooking on board the sailboat my husband Dub and I live on half the year. You won't go wrong with this book. Check it out. Check out my other eleven too. Cook up something from India tonight, taste the adventure.
Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
Practical, easy, and delicious recipes.......2006-03-21
I use this book often for several reasons. First and foremost, the recipes taste great! Secondly, and nearly as important, is that they don't require an inordinate amount of time to prepare -- the recipes are streamlined more than in other cookbooks. Third, I like the writing style and the author's practical serving suggestions and food combinations. I am not Indian and therefore I don't dare speak to the "authenticity" of the recipes, but frankly I don't think it matters, either. The point is that these recipes taste good and they'll remind you of your favorite Indian restaurant's cuisine, but they're do-able in your own home.
Not a good indian cookbook.......2006-03-21
I am indian and eat indian food all the time, so I was looking for a good cookbook to learn some new recipes. This is not a book for people who want to learn to cook traditional indian dishes, most of the recipes are made up by the author and are very far versions of the traditional indian dishes.
Exotic Weeknight Cooking.......2005-12-16
I can't look through this book without finding something new I want to make. There are no pictures, but the recipes are simple, interesting, fast, healthy and taste good. It's perfect for those Monday nights when you don't have a lot of time or energy, but want something more interesting than meatloaf. And for most recipes--if you're afraid of spicy food--just leave out the chili powder.
A lot of recipes do require exotic ingredients. Many can be found in Whole Foods, but not all. You won't be able to replicate the food from your favorite Indian restaurant, but the flavour profile is similar. I highly recommend the Kulfi, and the Indian Mashed potato salad. I also really really liked the curry leaf spice rub sandwhiches.
Great cookbook for the twenty-somethings!.......2004-03-12
As an Indian American brought up here, it's a wonderful resource to have in my young kitchen! This is a great gift to buy any twenty-something. A great graduation, housewarming, or just any-day gift! Thanks Monica for demystifying Indian cooking tastily!
Book Description
From the award-winning authors of Guilt-Free Frying and the 99% Fat-Free series comes the most comprehensive, up-to-date cookbook of its kind. Express Cooking features complete directions for using the new state-of-the-art electric pressure cookers, plus detailed cooking charts and 125 recipes for a wide range of dishes.
Customer Reviews:
Express Cooking.......2005-06-04
I'm new to using a pressure cooker and have been looking for intersting recipies. I'm really disppointed in this book. It doesn't have any good basic recipies. Most of the recipies are not anything that I am interested in. Who cooks with red wine and figs, anyway???
'Express Cooking' = Excellent Results!!!.......2003-11-11
I love pressure cooking and I have six cookers: an electric, 2 stovetops, a pressure fryer, a microwave cooker and a 21-quart pressure canner. You can't beat the cooking time and the results are both delicious and nutritious.
Express Cooking addresses the cooking questions of people buying the new electric models (although only 4 and 6 quart models are considered)as well as those of us who still like our stovetop cookers. The authors discuss the different models and types, operating instructions and safety considerations. They do attempt to allay the fears of those who have heard those 'horror stories' about exploding pressure cookers. Modern models have several safety features that preclude those types of disasters. I would note however, that there is a popular recipe being circulated for cooking chicken a la KFC by bringing oil up to 400 degrees in the pressure cooker, placing chicken pieces in the oil and bringing the cooker up to pressure and cooking for several minutes. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE ATTEMPTED IN A PRESSURE COOKER!!! Specially designed pressure fryers can do this safely, but trying this in a home unit is very dangerous.
That warning aside, Express Cooking will help you to produce some delightful meals. I never considered cooking turkey in a pressure cooker until I read the recipe for Roast Turkey with Gravy. Now you can have a 5-6lb. turkey breast cooked in less than an hour with a gravy that will please everyone. Being a lover of poultry, I also count the recipes for Chicken Cacciatore and Chicken Paprikash as 'keepers'. Other sections include making delicious stock(s), meat, seafood, veggies(with a complete time guide for specific vegetables), Grains, Beans, Sauces and of course, desserts. There is a recipe here for Eggnog Cheesecake and that alone is worth the price of the book.
Also included is a listing of the major manufacturers and how to contact them. It can be very frustrating to purchase a pressure cooker and not be able to find a replacement gasket when the time arises.
Pressure cooking has undergone a renewed interest because it is quick and easy. It is also nutritious and safe! This book is a well-written reference and the food is great too!!
Questions I need answered by the authors of this book.......2001-03-16
I just bought this book, Express Cooking,as I also bought Salton/Maxim/Farberware Electric Programable Pressure Cooker, and needed more recipes than the included booklet listed. In your book, you say, with a great many recipes, "Reduce the heat to stabilize the pressure and cook for --- min." Does this actually apply to my pressure cooker? Also, you say, "Remove the pressue cooker from the heat, ......". In order to do that, I would have to turn the cooker off. I have used manual older jiggle top cookers & can understand the instructions applying to that. Please do answer my e-mail. I cannot get your web-site to open. I like this book a lot, it is just sort of confusing when using it with my cooker. Thanks for your help.
Lives up to its' name!.......2001-02-23
I bought this book last week and have tried two recipes so far. Okay not a lot, but enought to say it lives up to its' name. The Sante Fe Chicken soup was wonderful, I love chipote peppers, it gave this chicken soup a nice smokey taste. I also love tortilla soup, toasting sliced tortillas as a topping for the chicken soup reminded me fondly of my favorite tortilla soups. I made the Chicken and Rice today, again wonderful flavor -- from start to table in about 45 minutes. As I thoroughly enjoy my pressure cooker, I was looking for exactly what this book delivers -- healthy recipes, thoughtfully low in fat, easy to follow, delightfully seasoned, and fast. This one I'll keep close at hand.
Home cooking, "QUICK".......2000-03-29
Great book for people on the go, that are trying to cut back on fast-food full of fat. The new pressure cookers are safe and it's amazing how fast you can have a meal ready. This book is packed full of really good recipes our family loved. It makes cooking a pleasure...
Customer Reviews:
My all time favorite.......2002-07-01
I must echo what each of the other reviewers has already said about this book. I have made many of the recipes and always get asked for "a copy". At least six of my friends have gone out and purchased their own edition of the book. Now I'm planning to buy a second copy so I won't have to keep taking my original with me when I go to Florida for an extended period in the winter.I really can't be without it.Even my batchelor son borrows Mom's book when he's entertaining.
Must Have Book for entertaining.......2000-10-12
This is a great book! I have made the Delta Shrimp recipe several times and always get asked for the recipe. I make it even easier using frozen uncooked, peeled and cleaned shrimp, and always get rave reviews. The Company Artichoke Chicken Bake is also excellent! For anyone who loves to entertain, and do most of the preparation ahead of time, this is the book to get!
One of the best cookbooks I own.......2000-05-30
This has become one of the books I reference most often. I like the individual recipes, but I absolutely LOVE the recipes for full dinners and buffets. I have made the cocktail for 40 not once, but twice, and it was a smashing success both times. My new mother-in-law so enjoyed the frozen apple waldorf salads I made for an inlaws visit recently, she asked for the recipe - when I removed it from my cupboard, she said, oh, I have that cookbook, but I haven't looked at it. What a shame! It's one of my all-time favorites!
A Tried & True Find.......1999-12-20
The time saving tips you will find here are worth their weight in gold. I like to entertain but still have enought time and energy left to enjoy my company. This book teaches you how to prepare foods well in advance so you are not running around at the last frazzled minute before dinner guests arrive. I had a Christmas part for 60- prepared all the food myself and did minimal preparation that day. I was able to freeze the cream puffs for Curried Chicken Salad Puffs a month ahead and fill them that day. The section Coctail Buffet for Forty took all the hassle out of planning for a large affair and I used every recipe I found there- the Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish was elegant to serve and thrilled my guests. Also, the Rasberry Vinaigrette is the best I've ever come across. This is almost exclusively the only cookbook I use and has become my standard present for soon-to-be brides.
Beyond Compare.......1998-05-02
Over the past 25 years, I've purchased a lot of cookbooks and I love to cook. When I ordered this book I expected a lot of mediocre recipes that could be done ahead and in a hurry. What a wonderful surprise. Every recipe I've made has been outstanding and received rave reviews from my family. I don't like meatloaf - but I loved the Piquant Little Meat Loaves. Cornish Hens Mandarin was excellent and Company Chicken-Artichoke pleased even grumpy teenagers. The final and supreme compliment came when I visited my mom (recovering from surgery in Iowa) and I cooked one of the recipes. She is a superb (extremely particular) cook and said, "This is a cookbook that finally makes sense." She liked that the first recipe was large and leftovers were utilized in the series of recipes that followed. Thank you so much for a group of fresh and exciting recipes!
Amazon.com
Preserving in Today's Kitchen is the paperback version of Jeanne Lesem's Preserving Today, which was published in hardcover in 1992. It won a James Beard Foundation award in recognition of Lesem's canning methods, which are creatively suited to today's fast-moving life and smaller households: most of the recipes make one to four cups; some call for using the microwave or a Crock-Pot to streamline the cooking process; and many items can be refrigerated or frozen, bypassing the bother of a hot-water bath. Along with traditional favorites such as strawberry jam, there are recipes for Dried Apricot Jam, Peach Melba Jam With Raspberries, and Cantaloupe Pickles. The Reduced-Fat Tomato Orange Marmalade, Salt-Free Dill Pickles, and Homemade Tomato Paste are as appealing as Lesem's more classic treats.
Customer Reviews:
If you want to make wonderful jams & jellies..........2000-08-24
...then this is the book for you. First of all, this cookbook has probably the most amazingly good recipe for strawberry jam I've ever found. Right there, it's worth the price of the book. Her spicy blueberry jam with spices like cinnamon & cloves is what I'd call an "adult jam". Almost a chutney.
Jeanne gives you a large collection of commercial-pectin-free recipes that end up giving you a better flavor and contain quite a bit less sugar. She encourages you to think in terms of small, quality batches as opposed to the 15-quart batches my grandmother used to turn out.
I've liked this book so much, I've given something like 8 copies of it away to friends who came whining around looking for more jam. Now all of us are happily making jam.
Great for fruit chutneys, jams, and jellies.......2000-07-14
This was a disappointment for me, as I was hoping to learn about canning the harvest of my garden. It has very little to do with vegetables. It is primarily focused on fruit-based products. I think it would be a great book if that's what you're interested in. But, please choose another book if you're looking for tomato, bean, and basic vegetable recipes.
From Basic to Exotic.......2000-07-02
This is an excellent book for the novice or the practiced preserver. Lesem begins her book with a summary of the equipment needed, a clear description of the basic techniques, and a market guide to buying and storing fresh produce. Then the fun begins. I have tried the basics--Apple Butter (made in a slow cooker--Yum!), Strawberry Preserves and Quick Dill Slices--and the exotic--Pickled Snap Peas and Fresh Green Chutney with Chinese Parsley and Yogurt. So far, SUCCESS! Now, I'm looking forward to trying Jalapeno Lime Marmalade, Tomato Peach Jam and Green Tomato Ketchup. The recipes are clear and often accompanied by an amusing or interesting anecdote. Helpful hints are scattered throughout the book. And the really good news is that most of these recipes are for small quantities, many 2 or 3 cups of finished product. There is also a chapter about microwave preserving, what works, what doesn't.
Book Description
This award-winning cookbook with 200 innovative recipes that are lighter in fat, quicker to prepare, and better tasting than you ever thought possible is now available in paperback!
Customer Reviews:
Won me over.......2005-12-20
I was a little skeptical when I first picked this up, though admittedly for no good reason (maybe I'm a sucker for photos or general "hipness"--this book has neither). Some of the dishes I prepared because I had the ingredients already, but I had a feeling the recipes would be underseasoned or just not exciting. But no, everything was delicious, and my husband loved it as well.
It's also good for trying to wean yourself/family from meat-heavy dinners. We really enjoyed the beef and broccoli stir-fry, for example, which is lightened up simply with a higher proportion of vegetables. So too with the meat loaf.
I refuse to do "diet" cookbooks, so my other reference for lightening up my cooking is Sally Schneider's A New Way to Cook, which I also highly recommend. That book has the style, size (700+ pages), photographs, and glamour over this one, but Lighter,Quicker, Better is far more accessible in terms of ingredients and attitude, and I haven't been disappointed once.
OUTSTANDING..........2005-08-22
I own dozens of cookbooks but this is one I use consistently. In fact, I have two of them (from a time when we had a weekend house). I've made dozens of the recipes and have been pleased every single time. If you are looking for healthy, delicious meals that will gain you kudos from family and guests alike, this cookbook is for you.
Delicious.......2001-05-12
I've tried many of the recipes in this book which have delighted my whole family, kids included. Each dish I've tried has been full of flavor. There are recipes here which are becoming regulars in my weekly reperetoire. I'm buying a copy today as a gift for my mother.
Happy chef.......2001-02-20
I was looking for gifts for my sisters-in-law, and decided I had to have a copy of this for myself as well. I've tried several of the recipes, and so far have had great success. My husband is a fairly picky eater - if he doesn't like it, he will politely but firmly refuse to eat it. So far, he has asked for seconds on everything!
The only warning I would make is that for the uninitiated, there is a fair amount of prep work in many of the recipes. A lot of the recipes are based on fresh vegetables, and they need preparation (peeling and chopping). Once you get past that, though, the recipes go together quickly, with delicious results.
Terrific Cookbook.......2000-02-15
I've tried quite a few of the recipes in this cookbook and all of them have been easy and produced extremely satisfying results. This is definitely the best cookbook geared toward healthier eating that I've encountered.
Customer Reviews:
It WILL Look like the picture!!.......1998-07-08
This is without a doubt my favorite cookbook. I can't understand why it is out of print. Nothing is left up to interpretation.Great layout! Easy to follow explicit directions, impressive, unusual recipes, and best of all, a clear color picture of every completed dish. It's easy - but it doesn't taste easy. You'll use this cookbook.
Books:
- The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker
- The Vineyard: A Novel
- The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook: Two Hundred Gourmet & Homestyle Recipes for the Food Allergic Family
- Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2: More Amazing Clones of Famous Dishes from America's Favorite Restaurant Chains
- Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health: And Don't Forget the Chocolate!
- Uncle Bubba's Savannah Seafood: More than 100 Down-Home Southern Recipes for Good Food and Good Times
- Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux: Recipes From the Artist's Last Home and Paintings of Cafe Life
- Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
- Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook
- Vice Cream: Over 70 Sinfully Delicious Dairy-Free Delights
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- eBay: The Missing Manual
- The Craggy Hole in My Heart and the Cat Who Fixed It: Over the Edge and Back with My Dad, My Cat, an
- Journey of Hope: The Story of Ilan Ramon, Israel's First Astronaut
- Lone Star Lawmen: The Second Century of the Texas Rangers
- Reader's Digest Family Songbook
- The Mahabharata
- The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss
- Kibbutz Volunteer, 7th
- Outbound Tourism of Belgium: Market Profile
- Charon's Landing
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Dont Panic - Dinners in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead
Prevention's low-fat, low-cost freezer cookbook: Quick dishes for and from the freezer (Quick and Healthy Low-Fat Cooking)
The Complete Do-Ahead Cookbook: Southern Living (Today's Gourmet)
Betty Crockers Do-Ahead Cookbook: Recipes Especially for the Freezer
Southern Living Ultimate Quick & Easy Cookbook (Southern Living (Hardcover Oxmoor))
