Category: Book Reviews

Posted in Book Reviews

You Can Trust a Skinny Cook: 140 Recipes That Love You Back

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

o-host of Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin Allison Fishman shows you how to eat great—and look even better!

In You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, Allison Fishman teaches you how to stay thin and trim without giving up on the good things in life. She shows you how to take control of your health by taking charge in the kitchen with delicious, healthy meals served in the right portions.

You’ll learn how to cook with confidence, making your neighbors jealous both for your cooking skills and your great figure. Recipes include handy “Kitchen Tips” that make cooking simple and “Skinny Kitchen Tips” for cutting out the calories without losing the flavor. Recipes like Slow Roasted Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce, Three Cheese Mac and Cheese, New England Clam Chowder, and even decadent desserts like Berry Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuits are so good, you’d never know that they’re made with healthy ingredients and techniques.

  • A smart guide to enjoying great food and great health
  • From Lifetime and TLC star Allison Fishman, an authority on healthy and delicious cooking
  • Features recipes that cover every meal of the day, including desserts and snacks
  • Full of simple cooking instructions and nutritional information per serving

You Can Trust a Skinny Cook is the only guide home cooks need to eat the foods they love in a healthy way. So live it up—without giving anything up!

Posted in Book Reviews

Sunday Soup: A Year’s Worth of Mouth-Watering, Easy-to-Make Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Bisques and gumbos, chilies and chowders—a recipe for every week of the year: “The best of the best . . . a winner.” —James Peterson, author of Splendid Soups

Sunday is the perfect day to slow down and enjoy a heartwarming meal. From spicy chilies to steaming chowders, Sunday Soup features sixty recipes: one for each Sunday of the year, and then some.

Gulf Coast Shrimp Gumbo is best for staving off the winter cold, while Dreamy Creamy Artichoke Soup welcomes the bounty of spring’s vegetables. When it’s too hot to turn on the stove, chill out with Icy Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Dill. Plus, a great selection of “Soup-er Sides” will turn any bowl of soup into a hearty meal. No matter the season, Sunday Soup offers all the inspiration you needs to pull out a stockpot and start simmering a new family tradition. Soup’s on!

Posted in Book Reviews

Recipes from Around Our Family Table 

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Make dinner the Carrabba’s way tonight, with these tasty, Italian family recipes.

For twenty-five years, Carrabba’s Italian Grill has offered its amici (Italian for “friends”) an extraordinary dining experience. Serving hand-prepared, contemporary renditions of traditional family recipes, Carrabba’s makes everyone who walks through the door feel right at home. Each meal is served in the time-honored tradition of warm Italian hospitality and authentically prepared food made from the heart.

Now, you can re-create the Carrabba’s experience in your own kitchen with delicious recipes inspired by generations of family cooking. In the true spirit of generosity, Recipes from Around Our Family Table shares not just these mouthwatering signature recipes, but also the cooking secrets that make them so good.

Features 75 authentic Italian recipes and Carrabba’s favorites, including:

  • ·       Chicken Bryan
  • ·       Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup
  • ·       Pizza Margherita
  • ·       Cozze in Bianco
  • ·       Pollo Rosa Maria
  • ·       Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • ·       Pasta Weesie
  • ·       Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
  • ·       Prosciutto-wrapped Pork Tenderloin
  • ·       Sogno di Cioccolata
  • ·       Limoncello Bread Pudding
  • Also offers tips on successful grilling, preparing perfect pasta, finding the best ingredients, mastering homemade pizza, and more!
Posted in Book Reviews

5 Ingredients or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The easiest slow cooker recipes ever, from the New York Times–bestselling author of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow.
 
Stephanie O’Dea, author of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow and 365 Slow Cooker Suppers, is back with her easiest assortment of recipes ever in 5 Ingredients or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook. A breeze to throw together, these recipes are still full of flavor and creativity.
 
O’Dea shows how to make standard slow-cooker fare delectable, with recipes like Pulled Pork Jalapeño Dip, Pureed Pumpkin Soup, and Cornbread Casserole, while also providing plenty of unexpected slow cooker dishes like Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi, Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta, Flan, and Cheesecake.
 
Also included is a whole chapter for vegetarian meals, as well as gluten-free options for every recipe in the book—and all with five ingredients or less!

Posted in Book Reviews

50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The author of The Gourmet Slow Cooker returns with fifty simple, satisfying, and healthy soups in this vegetarian slow cooker cookbook.

In fifty Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker, Lynn Alley shares a variety of vegetarian and vegan recipes that range from traditional favorites to bold new flavor combinations. Classics like Minestrone and French Onion Soup mingle with many unique offerings, including Swedish Rhubarb Raspberry Soup, Garnet Yam Soup with Coconut Cream, and Eggplant Soup with Cumin, Yogurt, and Dill.

These easy-to-prepare slow cooker recipes are also easy on the planet, the palate, and the pocketbook!

A Rochester
5.0 out of 5 stars yum!
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is a handy little book. It is hard backed with a spiral spine. It is vegetarian but many of the soups would be delicious with meat added. I checked the book out of the library and decided to buy it. I had put markers in the pages with recipes I liked. I planned to print the recipes---then I realized that I needed to print most of the book, so I ordered it. These soups sound great, Black Bean Chili with Cornbread Crust, Curried Butternut Squash, and Dried Mushroom Barley with Dill Cream! Bon Apetite!
Posted in Book Reviews

Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays: 60 Recipes for Traditional Festive Treats

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

“Recipes for everything from spritz cookies to bûche de Noël . . . shatters the assumption that if you can’t eat wheat, you can’t eat well during the holidays.” —San Jose Mercury News

The holidays are a time to celebrate and indulge in baked goods warm from the oven. Unfortunately for the gluten-sensitive, seasonal pleasures such as sugar cookies and mincemeat tarts have been off-limits. Not anymore!

Jeanne Sauvage, author of the popular blog Art of Gluten-Free Baking, has perfected 60 gluten-free recipes with all the flavors of their wheat-filled counterparts. Also included are tips on how wheat-free ingredients work and Jeanne’s own gluten-free flour mix. With favorites like apple pie, plum pudding, rugelach, bûche de Noël—even a gingerbread house—everyone can pull up a chair to the holiday table with comfort and joy.

“Her cookies and cakes and other treats (and I have reached for many a second helping at various Seattle events over the years) are reliably the best on the table even when they’re up against traditional gluten-full baked goods.” —Seattle Times

Posted in Book Reviews

Outdoor Eats (Betty Crocker Cooking)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Take the party outside with Betty Crocker!

Great get-togethers always start with good food. Now Betty Crocker gives you over twenty recipes to get the good times rolling—tasty appetizers, mini sandwiches, refreshing summer drinks, side dishes, salads, grilled food and delicious frozen treats. Whether you’re feeding your family or entertaining the entire block, these festive recipes are sure to please everyone.

For more great ideas visit bettycrocker.com

Rusty
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic cooking
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
The Caribbean chicken kabobs is fantastic and the summer herb steaks are out of this world. Thank you and enjoy your meal and enjoy your day.
One person found this helpful
Posted in Book Reviews

Quick & Easy Korean Cooking: More Than 70 Everyday Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A Gourmet Cookbook of the Month. Learn how to make simple Korean dishes without sacrificing flavor from the James Beard Award–nominated author.

Imagine sitting down to a sumptuous and fragrant dinner of Dumpling Soup with Rice Cakes after a long day of work. And a hot summer afternoon just begs for a picnic basket stocked with Chilled Cucumber Soup, delicate Chicken Skewers with Green Onions, and Seaweed Rice Rolls. Using ingredients that are readily available and techniques already familiar to home cooks, these Korean specialties can easily be dinner any night of the week. With appetizers and snacks, soups and hot pots, side dishes, entrees, rice, noodles, and a whole chapter devoted to kimchi, Quick & Easy Korean Cooking will bring new flavors to the dinner table.

DeeDiDee
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to Korean Cooking
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2013
Verified Purchase
I bought Quick and Easy Korean Cooking on a whim. My mother-in-law is from a town close to Seoul. Her cooking is so delicious and her house is always brimful of tantalizing smells. I wanted an introductory book on Korean cooking just to give me some experience and give me confidence as I cook more and more of the foods my husband grew up with.

Quick and Easy Korean Cooking has been a wise investment for me. The author gives a beginning introduction to ingredients commonly used in Korean cooking and categorizes them as a, b, or c list, depending on how frequently they are used. She also provides a list of equipment frequently used. The chapters then follow as:appetizers and snacks; soups and hot pots; small side dishes; chicken, beef, and pork; fish and shellfish; kimchi and other pickled things; ice; noodles; sweets and drinks; and sauces and other basics. She concludes with lists of menus, mail orders sources for ingredients, and finally books and resources on the foods and culture of Korea. I
Posted in Book Reviews

Taste of Home What Can I Bring?: 175 Dishes Ideal for Parties, Picnics & Potlucks (Taste of Home Entertaining & Potluck)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Answer the question “What Can I Bring?” with crowd-pleasing dishes perfect for sharing.   

 

Need the perfect dish to pass? Rest assured, it will be a hit when it comes from What Can I Bring Cookbook! Regardless of the reason…and regardless of the season…all great parties, holidays and gatherings feature tasty foods, munchable snacks and impressive desserts. Let this all-new cookbook help you find the perfect contribution to cocktail parties, tailgates, backyard barbecues, bridal and baby showers, Christmas buffets and other events. Each recipe serves a crowd, travels well and offers the no-fuss ease today’s home cooks need most. In addition to more than 360+ make-and-take dishes, you’ll find packing and traveling tips, suggestions for the ideal foods to bring to specific get-togethers and other tricks for answering the popular question, “What can I bring?”

  • 360+ Potluck-Perfect Dishes. Each recipe in this colorful collection feeds a group and travels well. Best of all, every dish comes together easily with common ingredients, includes step-by-step directions and features prep and cook times.
  • Party Foods Chart. Not sure what to make for the barbecue or tailgate? Wondering what you can bring to the brunch on Sunday? Turn to the handy chart on the back cover flap. Organized by event , it offers suggestions for rave-worthy bring-a-dish contributions.
  • “Bring It” Tips. Scattered throughout the book, these ideas help you make the most of your contributions. Keep foods at the right temperature on a buffet, pack up the car with ease and help the hostess with these smart ideas.
  • Special Slow-Cooker Chapter. Slow cookers make it cinch to bring a hot and hearty dish to a party. Turn here for delish recipes that take advantage of your favorite appliance.
  • Chapter of Large-Yield Dishes. When you need to contribute to an extra-large event (think church supper, family reunion or pancake charity breakfast), you’ll want to check out this popular chapter. The recipes in the Big-Batch Dishes chapter are perfectly sized for a crowd…some even serving up to 50 hungry diners!

CHAPTERS
Appetizers, Dips & Spreads
Breakfast for a Bunch
Main Dishes
Salads & Sides
Big-Batch Dishes
Slow Cooked Favorites
The Sweetest Treats

SOME OF THE RECIPES
Caramelized Ham & Swiss Buns
Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Overnight Layered Lettuce Salad
Chicken Salad Party Sandwiches
Spicy Touchdown Chili
Sweet Corn Muffins
Potluck Fried Chicken
Bacon & Eggs Casserole
Cheesy Spaghetti Bake
Easy Macaroni Salad
Mom’s Italian Beef Sandwiches
Big-Batch Jambalaya
Potluck Beans
Ham & Cheddar Brunch Ring
Burgers with Spicy Dill Salsa
Mint Chocolate Cheesecake
Slow-Cooked Rueben Spread
Beef Stew for a Crowd
Cheesy Meatball Sliders
Warm Rocky Road Cake
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts
Simple Guacamole
So-Easy Sticky Chicken Wings
Slow-Cooker Bacon Mac & Cheese
Fudgy Brownies with Peanut Butter Pudding Frosting

Posted in Book Reviews

Taste of Home Meal Planning: The 500+ Recipes, Secrets & Tips that Busy Meal Planners Rely on Most

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Save time and money with smart meal preps that carry you through the week. Recipes, monthly meal plans, and shopping list pointers help busy families plan smart.

Today’s family cooks know that a bit of planning goes a long way when it comes to serving up the homemade favorites folks crave. That’s why they’re turning to this ultimate resource for make-ahead convenience—Taste of Home Meal Planning. Featuring 475 smart, sensible, speedy and sensational recipes, this must-have cookbook is every home cooks dream come true! The all-new book also offers a monthly meal plan, the secrets to cooking once and eating all week, Test Kitchen approved frozen meals that reheat in a jiffy, on-the-go breakfast ideas and more! Whether you’re a meal-planning pro or simply looking to beat the kitchen clock on busy nights, you’ll make the most of your time—and your grocery bill—with the incredible recipes, meal plans, kitchen hacks and timesaving ideas found in Taste of Home Meal Planning.

tien
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best I’ve seen
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a must have for anyone who has ever struggled with planning meals for work and home. I work nights Monday-Thursday and in the day I’m sleeping so I try to not do take out but I try to cook. Planning meals that aren’t repetitive and really tasty are difficult for me. I was in a sandwich rut. I like sandwiches but I’m a little burnt out on them. This gives you really good meals for every day of the month. Now as a single person I don’t need to make up a different one for each day. I choose 3-4 meals from the recipe calendar and it’s enough for me. I’m not against having a few leftovers. This has a lot of variety but not hard or expensive ingredients. I first shop my pantry and then make my grocery list and go from there. This one is perfect for my needs.
Benten
5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
Another good addition to the library. Once again, the variety and compilation of recipes from around the country stand out!! It is full of color and inspiration and any foodie, cook,chef or whomever, won't be disappointed. Good meal prep tips and we'll organized. Another Taste of Home Masterpiece!!