Florence Henderson's Short-Cut Cooking: America's Favorite Mom Helps You Get Dinner On The Table Fast Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Florence Henderson's Short Cut Cooking" includes the most flavorful dishes I have ever tasted! Every dish from this cookbook that I have prepared has gotten rave reviews from my family and friends. The Beef Stroganoff (p172) is out of this world!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Florence Henderson's Short-Cut Cooking: America's Favorite Mom Helps You Get Dinner On The Table Fast

Click here for more information about Florence Henderson's Short-Cut Cooking: America's Favorite Mom Helps You Get Dinner On The Table Fast

Read More...

Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch: And Other Recipes From The 'F Word': And Other Recipes From 'The F Word' Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a typical male, not a very good cook, but fortunately I know someone who is, my wife. So rather than buy the book for myself I saw it as a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. A present for my wife with the added attraction of getting some of Gordon's meals thrown in, without having to pay restaurant prices.
By chef's own admission the food is simple, but innovative and exciting and I have been fortunate to enjoy several of the recipes already.
I admire Mr. Ramsay for trying to coax the British public into getting round the table together on a Sunday lunch time. Whether it will ever happen in our house where the members are usually scattered to the four corners of the property, doing their own thing. A tray on the knee, or even walking around with a plate in their hand, I have my doubts.
I do remember many years ago when I lived at home with my parents that Sunday lunch was a ritual that was virtually impossible to escape from. If you were not at the table, hands and face sparkling, you wouldn't hear the last of it until Monday morning.
However I digress, the book is a cook book. So is it any good. Well like the curates egg, it is good in parts. By that I mean, or so my wife tells me, that some of the recipes are excellent and some of them are OK and some of them she thinks she can do better herself, and who am I to argue.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch: And Other Recipes From The 'F Word': And Other Recipes From 'The F Word'

Click here for more information about Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch: And Other Recipes From The 'F Word': And Other Recipes From 'The F Word'

Read More...

LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was taught how to cook by numerous relatives(from Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey) and I have had people to tell me that I could throw down with some cooking; but after trying some of Patti's recipes, people were telling me that I need to be a professional caterer! I own tons of recipe books, but this one lives up to Ms. Labelles' reputation as an excellent cook. I cooked for 18 people this christmas; not only did every one on her recipes I tried score a hit: (String beans a labelle, good and cheap pot roast, peach cobbler, over the rainbow macaroni and cheese); Patti enhanced my cooking, just by suggesting everyday ingredients rather than buying some outrageously exotic spices and seasonings. One word of caution, use only some of these recipes for special occasions, cause if you eat this on the regular, you will be on this website looking for a Tae-Bo tape afterwards (cause I'm looking for one now). Here's to REAL SOUL FOOD! THANKS PATTI! :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About

Read More...

Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I must admit that I, like other reviewers, was at first disappointed by the offerings in Giada's latest publication. When I looked at the recipes closer, however, I realized how much I appreciated the book.
Fans are used to an array of savory, Italian dishes...understandably because this is what Giada has turned out before. This new book puts more of an emphasis on fresh, light flavors. Many recipes call for butternut squash, melons, and other vegetables.
The recipes are no longer strictly "Italian," which I think opens Giada's creativity. Although many recipes call for fresh herbs, I found the ingredient list to be, in general, significantly less intimidating and pricey. It's really about fewer groceries with fresher, bigger flavors. I particularly enjoy the "(Not) Just For Kids" section. Here we find fun recipes for things like pizza pot pies, polenta-fried shrimp, and mascarpone mini cupcakes with strawberry frosting.
I think Giada's new direction, away from specifically "Italian" cuisine and into an Italian-inspired Californian cuisine, will prove successful. After three cookbooks of mostly traditional Italian food, she needed to expand somewhere anyway. Staying loyal to strictly Italian food may have become boring and listless for both the chef and her following. I can't wait to see where she goes next!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites

Read More...

Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First, what this book is NOT: an introduction to classical French cuisine. Or even modern French cuisine. As Greenspan herself points out in a post at the eGullet forums,
"Here's what the book isn't: It's not Escoffier. It's not Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It's not a by-the-rules book. It's not a textbook. It's too personal to be any of those things."
This is a collection of recipes that feels like it comes straight out of Greenspan's kitchen: which means that if your cooking style and tastes run with hers, you will like this book. If they don't, you won't. So despite my four-star rating, that is purely a reflection of how well my cooking style agrees with Ms. Greenspan's. I strongly encourage you to check out the table of contents before clicking "Buy" on this one. There are a lot of braises, including three different recipes for what amount to roast chicken. There are two veal stews, and two beef daubes. If that's the food you like to eat, you would be hard-pressed to find clearer, better-written recipes. Naturally Greenspan is not breaking any new culinary ground here: if you have even a medium-sized cookbook collection, you probably already have most of the recipes she presents. What you probably don't have is the exquisite photography (by Alan Richardson), or the extremely well-written recipe instructions. The production values of this book are very high indeed: I am astonished at how low the price is all things considered.
A few favorite recipes of the dozen or so I've made so far: Chicken Breasts Diable, Veal Marengo, Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine, and the Chard-Stuffed Pork Roast are all very good. In particular I think that the Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine would be a wonderful dish for an evening with guests: just exotic enough on the US palate to be different, without being totally out of left field. But all of those dishes would go over very well on a typical US dinner table, and some, like the Chicken Diable, are quick-and-easy weeknight meals.
Pros:
* Exceptionally well-written recipes
* High percentage of excellent dishes
* Fantastic production qualities
Cons:
* Not a "learn to cook French Cuisine" book (it doesn't try to be, though)
* Three roast chickens? Really?

Click Here to see more reviews about: Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

Read More...

Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Perhaps Rachael Ray is becoming a bit overexposed as she now has many cookbooks flooding the market, a televison show and a magazine. While I applaud her moxy and industrious nature, I am beginning to think that she is spread too thin. This latest offering, "2,4,6,8 - Great Meals For Couples or Crowds" is not up to par with some of her earlier offerings. The idea is great - menus sized for the number of guests that you are planning on cooking for - and all of this is supposed to be accomplished in 30 minutes as well.
For starters, the recipe lists are long - so that tells me right away that only an accomplished cook will be able to achieve these menus in under 30 minutes. A newbie in the kitchen will struggle to put these dinners on the table in under an hour. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic - personally, I like that as I cook like that all the time. But again, for a newbie or perhaps a mom with fussy eaters, this could be a problem. The other issue is the portion sizes. I made the "Crab Cakes With A Creamy Grainy Mustard Sauce" with the "Wilted Spinach With Tomatoes" (page 69 listed as Appetizer-as-entrée). This was supposed to be a menu for two - but the crab cakes amounted to a half pound per person. This was WAY too much for myself and my husband! (I ended up taking half of this mixture and transforming it into a crab bisque the next day - it was wonderful!) If I ate like the portions suggested, I would be as big as a house! 1/2 pound meat portions seem to be the standard here. That was very disappointing to me, but I shouldn't be surprised, Ray always states that she is not skimpy on portions.
The menus are clever enough and most will be satisfied with the offerings here. There is plenty of variety: Indian food, Italian, Tex-Mex, Moroccan and more. You will certainly get ideas for your family or guests. I think the book is good overall, but not my favorite. I think her "Express Lane Meals" and "Classic Rachael Ray" are far better offerings.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds

If you’re like Rachael Ray, mealtime is a time to hang out and reconnect with family and friends. That means you could be making a late dinner for you and your sweetie one night and making brunch for your entire family the next day. No matter how many people join the party, Rachael firmly believes that cooking should be fun, easy–and done in 30 minutes or less.Transforming recipes for four into recipes for two or eight can be a tricky guessing game. If you use twice the amount of chicken will you have to cook it twice as long? Is it possible to make a satisfying pot of soup for two without having to eat leftovers for a week? What’s the best–and most economical–way to feed a crowd of eight?With Rachael Ray: 2, 4, 6, 8there’s no need to guess, because Rachael has designed right-sized menus for every occasion, with perfect meals for two, four, six, or eight. For date night you don’t want tons of food, so Rachael’s Croque Madame sandwich with a Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette salad and a killer vodka cocktail strike just the right note.For family dinners, double dates, or those who love leftovers, Rachael whips up classic meals for four like Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Grilled Shrimp with Chorizo Skewers. For poker night with your buddies, Rachael knows exactly which ingredients stretch into a 30-minute meal for six, like Uptown Sweet and Spicy Sausage Hoagies. Throwing adinner party is a pleasure when you’re armed with stress-free meals for eight like Italian Chicken Pot Pie and Boozy Berries and Biscuits. With complete menus for family dinners as well as easy and impressive meals for entertaining plus lots of super simple desserts that taste like a million, no matter what the occasion, the perfect meal for your crowd is never more 30 minutes away.

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds

Read More...

Betty Crocker Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook: Hundreds of new recipes, plus back-of-the-box favorites Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you own any of the other Bisquick books on the market than you have all the recipes in this one. It's called "Ultimate" I guess just because it combines the impossibly easy pie, bisquick I and bisquick II and the dessert one into one big book. It's a great cookbook regardless. But if you already own the others then you don't really need this one. There are few pictures in this cookbook.
The first chapter covers the Bisquick "classics" you know the ones we've eaten since childhood. The easy pizza pie, chicken fingers, peach cobbler, pancakes, milk biscuits, etc.
Chapter 2 covers favorite recipes for today. Examples are cheese garlic biscuits, banana nut bread, easy hamburger pot pie, strawberry shortcake, etc. if you have Bisquick I I think you have all these recipes.
Chapter 8 was the Impossibly Easy Pies all the same recipes as the little cookbook version by the same name.
The one recipe that was not included which for us is a Bisquick staple is the Sausage-Cheese Puffs. It's a biscuit that I have made and taken to many a potluck and everyone leaves asking for the recipe. You can change up the sausage to hot or italian or even chorizo and it's a perfect biscuit for whatever event you want. You can make them big or little and they're good for a breakfast biscuit or a dinner roll.
The recipe is:
1 pound bulk sausage (flavor is your choice).
3 c. bisquick
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever flavor you choose)
3/4 c. water (I use a whole cup but original recipe calls for 3/4c.)
In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink; drain. In a bowl, combine bisquick and cheese; stir in sausage. Add water and mix with a fork until moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Baked puffs may be frozen; reheat for 7-9 minutes and doesn't have to be thawed first.
I freeze a batch to use for breakfast throughout the week. If you make them smaller and use italian sausage, parmesan and add some chopped garlic you could use for a spaghetti dinner. If you make with chorizo and monterey jack cheese it would be mexican. So you can change it up how you feel.

Cookbook says there are hundreds of new recipes in this cookbook but to change a recipe from peach cobbler to cherry does that really qualify as a "new" recipe? So I'm not sure about the new recipes.
This is a great fall back to cookbook and would help the beginner cook learn as well. It's not necessarily healthy as you are using a prepackage biscuit mix. But nonetheless will make meals to remember (if not for your waistline). LOL.
This one is not necessary if you own the other 2-3 cookbooks that are on the market already.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Betty Crocker Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook: Hundreds of new recipes, plus back-of-the-box favorites

The Biggestand Best Bisquick Cookbook Ever!If you love the convenience and great taste of food made with Bisquick, you'll love this book! It's jam-packed with 300 delicious Bisquick recipes--280 that have never before appeared in a Bisquick book, plus some of the all-time favorites and back-of-the-box standbys. Inside, you'll find lots of terrific ideas for breakfasts, dinners, desserts and more, including:* Satisfying Breakfasts: from Spicy Pumpkin Pancakes to Banana-Nut Waffles and Cheesy Chile and Egg Bake* Comforting Casseroles: from Philly Beef Squares to Fajita Chicken Pot Pie and Louisiana-Style Shrimp Casserole* 30-Minute Dinners: from Barbecue Beef Cheese Melts to Buffalo-Style Chicken Nuggets and Turkey Cornbread Tostadas* Delightful Heart Smart Dinners for Two: from Curried Country Chicken to Fall Pork Dinner and Santa Fe Foldover* Impossibly Easy Pies and Pizzas: from Impossibly Easy Sloppy Joe Pie to Impossibly Easy Quesadilla Pie and Bewitched Double-Crust Cheese Pizza* Delicious Desserts: from Frosted Chocolate Malt Cupcakes to Impossibly Easy Toffee Bar Cheesecake and Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip BarsYou also get tips on perfecting Bisquick favorites like pancakes, muffins and biscuits as well as a brief history of Bisquick over the decades. With more than double the number of recipes found in any other Bisquick cookbook along with over 100 tempting colorphotographs, this is truly the Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook!

Get 12% OFF

Click here for more information about Betty Crocker Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook: Hundreds of new recipes, plus back-of-the-box favorites

Read More...

Black Family Dinner Quilt Book Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've enjoyed owning The Black Family Reunion Cookbook for many years, not only for its excellent recipes but also for the many narratives.
Once again, the Council has issued a winner. The recipes I've tried out of this new book have worked as well as their original cookbook. Actually, I didn't notice that these recipes are supposed to be 'healthier' until I began to write this review!
I've particularly enjoyed the black-eyed pea soup, the mustard greens and potato soup, and the collard greens and turkey wings. The pound cake recipe is standard, but the pear upside-down cake is terrific. The banana oatmeal cookies will be a hit for you. The chicken broccoli casserole is yummy!
I could go on, but I'll just say that every recipe I've tried has worked well. This is good home-style cooking, nothing too fancy, and the recipes are well written.
However, it's the stories and parables running through the book that make it special. I've always been a fan of Ms. Bethune, and the narratives here about her are particularly enjoyable.
This book is not only excellent, but it's also an excellent buy!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Black Family Dinner Quilt Book

As a shared meal nourishes the body, so a quilt, passed from generation to generation, warms and nourishes the spirit. Both recipes and quilts preserve the culture and history of a people and their social, historic, and artistic connections to their past and their future. Celebrating both these traditions, The Black Family Dinner Quilt offers recipes based on both traditional and contemporary African-American cuisine with recipes full of down-home flavor but lower in fat, salt, and sugar. Southern Ham and Shrimp Soup, Country Chicken and Biscuits, Jamaican Pork, Creole Beans and Rice, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, and even Bethune Sweet Potato Pie are just a few of the healthful and soul-satisfying dishes you'll find in these pages.

Click here for more information about Black Family Dinner Quilt Book

Read More...

The Nantucket Restaurants Cookbook: Menus and Recipes from the Faraway Isle Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Though I've never been to Nantucket, this book absolutely makes me want to go, the next time I'm on the East Coast. In the meantime, I can flip through this gorgeous book and dream. The photography is alluring and recipes so inventive and interesting. Some of them seem a little cheffy, but for the most part they look easy enough to make for a summer dinner party. Plus, the profiles of the restaurantuers make me want to try their recipes! It makes a great gift.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Nantucket Restaurants Cookbook: Menus and Recipes from the Faraway Isle

Click here for more information about The Nantucket Restaurants Cookbook: Menus and Recipes from the Faraway Isle

Read More...

Small Bites Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been daunted by throwing parties for years, always embaressed to be whirling like a dirvish in my kitchen an hour after my intended start time, so caught up in food-making that I miss out on my own soiree.
BUT THIS BOOK ROCKS--
to me, the most invaluble part is the suggested menus for themed culinary soirees. The author breaks down what can be prepared days, hours, minutes in advance which meant that, despite having a full work week and only an hour to prepare, I was able to throw together an impressive spread. while the gorgeous photographs make the appetizers look daunting, everything I prepared was simple enough, especially since I was doing it over the course of a handful of days and had time to clean up. And it was so good!
my complaints: the authors don't always explain what's what so well. so, while I was intrigued by the carrot escuchebe suggested as part of a fiesta themed menu, I had no idea what it was to be served with. also, some of the ingredients are difficult to obtain, although reasonable substitutions are suggested.
it's a nice book to use as a launch pad--you can guess where your own cheats can be (a good store-bought salsa or guacamole, for instance). and it sure makes a pretty coffee table book.
I highly recommend this for anyone who aspires to take entertaining to another level, but isn't quite ready to take on Martha Stewart.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Small Bites

Celebrating the delights of tapas, sushi, dim sum, antipasti, and many other finger foods from around the world, this no-fuss cookbook is packed with ideas for small, healthy, and delectable dishes that are perfect for chic but informal meals, snacks, picnics, or eating on the go.

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Small Bites

Read More...

If You Can Eat, YOU CAN COOK: A Delicious Repertoire of Easy Recipes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just love this cook book, it's for real people. I am a big fan of desserts and I have only had the book a few months now and have made most of them. Not only are they are easy to make but they turn out delicious, my family just can't get enough!
I recieved this cook book as a gift and at first I thought it was just another cook book with claims to have easy recipes but once I started reading I saw that there weren't many ingredients in the recipes and from there I just started cooking. What a great gift to give a busy mom!
JK

Click Here to see more reviews about: If You Can Eat, YOU CAN COOK: A Delicious Repertoire of Easy Recipes

A basic repertoire of delicious easy recipes for everyday cooking that anyone and everyone can make! From sticky sweet Honey Curry Chicken to Emergency Brownies, you'll find recipes that are sure to become favorites. This collection of easy recipes will make cooking a pleasure instead of a chore. Surprise yourself and become the great cook you never knew you were!

Click here for more information about If You Can Eat, YOU CAN COOK: A Delicious Repertoire of Easy Recipes

Read More...

Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook: From Hemingway, South Carolina, To Harlem Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My family is entirely from Kentucky (except for myself, I was born in New York) and I grew up on good southern cooking.Though I love to cook, I never learned to cook real southern food. I regret not taking the opportunity when my great-grandmother was alive and my grandmother is too ill to teach me now.
Sylvia's book covers many of the staple recipes my family whipped up and they are truly *easy* to prepare. She even has several more health conscious recipes for those who must have them (Southern and healthy are not synonymous).
I've prepared many of her recipes with great success. The tuna croquettes are easy and yummy! You probably already have all the ingredients in your cupboards. The smothered pork chops are to die for, and I finally can make a gravy my grand mother would be proud of! There are a few recipes I simple will not try. I wouldn't as a kid and I'm not starting now! (Eeewww chitterlings! ), but if you're adventurous or your taste bud run that way, enjoy! If you love real southern cooking, you can easily make it yourself with this book.
It's also filled with lots of interesting stories and anecdotes about her, her family and her restaurant. She's a wonderful woman whom I hope writes another cookbook soon!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook: From Hemingway, South Carolina, To Harlem

Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook begins as Sylvia recalls her childhood, when she lived with both her mother and her grandmother -- the town's only midwives. The entire community of Hemingway, South Carolina, shared responsibilities, helped raise all of the children, and worked side by side together every day in the bean fields. Perhaps most important, the community shared its food and recipes. When Sylvia set out to write this cookbook, she decided to hold a cook-off back home in Hemingway at Jeremiah Church. Family and friends of all ages shared their favorite dishes as well as their spirit and love for one another. The recipes offered at the cook-off were then compiled to create this incredible collection, along with many of Sylvia's and the Woods family's own recipes.Here are the kinds of recipes you'd find if you visited the Woods family's home. Sylvia's daughter Bedelia is well known for her Barbecued Beef Short Ribs, which are as sassy and spicy as Bedelia herself. Kenneth, Sylvia's youngest son, has loved to fish ever since he was a child, spending his summers by the fishing hole in Hemingway. Now Kenneth's son, DeSean, enjoys fishing, too. Kenneth's Honey Lemon Tilefish, DeSean's favorite, is just one of Kenneth's special recipes presented here.And there are many, many other wonderful dishes, too. In this remarkable cookbook, Sylvia has gathered more than 125 soul food classics, including mouthwatering recipes for okra, collard greens, Southern-style pound cakes, hearty meat and seafood stews and casseroles, salads, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and more. These recipes are straight from the heart of the Woods community of family and friends. Now Sylvia gives them to you to share with your loved ones. Bring them into your home and experience a little bit of Hemingway's soul.

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook: From Hemingway, South Carolina, To Harlem

Read More...