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Rating: 
Summary: A handy, unique book for cooks.
Review: Cookbook people fall into three categories: Those who buy them as gifts for others, those who buy them for themselves to use, and those who buy them strictly to read. With the exception of the latter, home cooks will be well-pleased with Laura Karr's unique and quirky Can-Opener Gourmet, which I recently received as a gift. I think the Publisher's Weekly review, above, misses the point of Karr's book, which is written strictly for the use of canned and packaged foods. It is a time-saver for busy people designed to enhance their quick-cooked meals, not to suggest that canned ingredients are inherently better than fresh. Further, it must have been written by someone with little experience in an actual kitchen, or else they wouldn't have asked such a question as "how hard is it to slice a piece of chicken?" Hello? It's not the slicing-you also have to go to the market and buy the chicken, clean it, and cook it before the slicing occurs. That is Karr's point in saying canned chicken is less time- and labor-intensive than fresh (and indistinguishable in many recipes-I use it all the time). I found TCOG's premise both interesting and fun. The recipes are simple and easy to follow, and the three I've tried so far turned out great. The only problem I found was that there are more basic recipes included than there need to be. Like many recipe books, this one feels padded toward the end. I think the cookbook reading crowd would have appreciated fewer recipes and more informative chat. But that's a minor quibble. The thing most casual cooks will have the hardest time with is the use of baby food in several recipes. Logically this makes no sense, as baby food is, as Karr points out, about the safest, most pure food product available. Logic has little to do with the palette, however, so users might be tempted to make their own purées if they can't get past the idea of using Gerber's-but again, that kind of defeats the purpose of the book. As for myself, the fewer times I have to whip out the food processor, the better-after all, strained carrots is strained carrots. Overall, I'd give The Can-Opener Gourmet 4.5 stars, and recommend it as an excellent holiday gift for adventurous friends and family members who cook.
Rating:
Summary: It's so easy and healthy!!!!
Review: I am a serious health nut, and after trying out the recipes in this book, I shortened the time it takes to cook meals for my family by half. Laura Karr's recipes taught me to replace high-caloric mixes and hard-to-find seasonal produce with, of all things, jazzed-up baby food! For those of us who enjoy delicious, seasonal dishes but have a hard time finding ingredients or aren't willing to pay $4 for an artichoke when canned hearts costs a dollar, this book is a lifesaver!
My grandmother LOVES the book- I gave her a copy for her birthday and she swears by it- she doesn't have to go to the grocery store as often and she ends up saving lots of money.
Next time you are at the grocery store- go to the canned food section- you will be amazed at what foods come canned- and the have NO PRESERVATIVES. I even learned that there is very little pesticide residue in canned foods!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic cookbook for hesitant or experienced cooks alike!
Review: I didn't have enough room in the title - but it's good for not only new / timid cooks but also folks in a hurry or with limited refrigerator space, etc - a long list, really. I bought this book for a teenager who was living with us in the 'tween time' between home and college. She wanted to cook but was a bit intimidated by the idea of just jumping in to something complicated. She cooked for us frequently using this book, with great success and pretty darn good flavor, too. We also used it frequently to plan menus for vacations in places that had kitchenettes - we could buy most of the food before we left home, and just supplement as needed with quick trips to the refrigerated section. Sure - most of the ingredients come from cans and boxes, and everyone knows that fresh is best, but even cans and boxes are better than McDonald's! Besides - you can always add a salad or side vegetable to freshen things up. A great gift for students, nest-leavers, roommates, and very busy families. New parents, too, I'd suggest!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic cookbook for hesitant or experienced cooks alike!
Review: I didn't have enough room in the title - but it's good for not only new / timid cooks but also folks in a hurry or with limited refrigerator space, etc - a long list, really. I bought this book for a teenager who was living with us in the 'tween time' between home and college. She wanted to cook but was a bit intimidated by the idea of just jumping in to something complicated. She cooked for us frequently using this book, with great success and pretty darn good flavor, too. We also used it frequently to plan menus for vacations in places that had kitchenettes - we could buy most of the food before we left home, and just supplement as needed with quick trips to the refrigerated section. Sure - most of the ingredients come from cans and boxes, and everyone knows that fresh is best, but even cans and boxes are better than McDonald's! Besides - you can always add a salad or side vegetable to freshen things up. A great gift for students, nest-leavers, roommates, and very busy families. New parents, too, I'd suggest!
Rating:
Summary: I can finally cook dinner every night!
Review: I saw this book featured on a Food Network show and thought "this is for me!" It was certainly worth a try. I am busy mom of 3, and dinner just never ends up being a priority. Cooking is not my thing, and making time for shopping and food prep is tough for me. The recipes from this book are simple and most come right out of the pantry... saving me the trouble of cleaning out my fridge of all the spoiled veggies from meals I never got to make. And you'd never know that the entire meal came out of cans/boxes/jars from the pantry.
I made the easy fudge recipe and took it to a party where it was a big hit (and SUPER quick to make).
Not everyone has the same issues I do in the kitchen, and I know many other moms who make elaborate meals for the families every night. This books is not for them. But I love this cookbook, it's like it was made especially for me!
Rating:
Summary: It's so easy and healthy!!!!
Review: I've been tricked and couldn't be happier. My wife served me several recipes from The Can Opener Gourmet and I never knew the difference. Good eating is good eating. After dinner when my wife confessed the truth about the recipes, I told her they should have subtitled this book, "a busy wife's kitchen secret." As much as I enjoy eating the recipes, I know my wife enjoys the ease of cooking them even more.
Rating:
Summary: The Can Opener Gourmet
Review: I've been tricked and couldn't be happier. My wife served me several recipes from The Can Opener Gourmet and I never knew the difference. Good eating is good eating. After dinner when my wife confessed the truth about the recipes, I told her they should have subtitled this book, "a busy wife's kitchen secret." As much as I enjoy eating the recipes, I know my wife enjoys the ease of cooking them even more.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: This book is wonderful! It's full of fast, easy and delicious meals from ingredients you probably have around the house!
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