Rating: 
Summary: Are you desperate? This book might be your answer.
Review: I bought this book two years ago and have hesitated posting a review because I wasn't sure how many stars to give it. On one hand, I'd give it five stars because (a) it was a lifesaver at the time I bought it, (b) I still use it frequently, (c) I have learned many quick cooking tips and tricks from it, (d) the recipes are really ready in 20 minutes (*many* quick cookbooks do not include ingredient prep time and assume you are starting with already-diced onions, etc.; this one does include prep time), and (e) many of the recipes in the book are excellent. Yet, not all of the recipes are winners, and some are completely ignorable. This is the only thing that drops the rating of the book in my mind.This book was a lifesaver in the months after my second child was born, and dinner was ready later and later each night. I was still in my Julie Child-mode, spending at least an hour on dinner. With a newborn and a toddler underfoot I was tired and constantly distracted. One night I didn't get dinner on the table for my husband and myself until 10 p.m.! Enter Desperation Dinners. This cookbook taught me to get dinner ready in under half an hour when I need to. My husband was just as happy with the food, and while these are mostly not gourmet recipes, many are good enough to be an acceptable compromise. The Desperation Dinners method involves certain principles. First, you need to buy yourself a good extra-deep large nonstick skillet. Second, you need to give yourself permission to buy certain convenience foods to cut down on prep time. These include already-minced garlic and ginger in a jar ... already-prepped fresh vegetables (e.g., shredded carrots); frozen vegetable blends like red, green, and yellow pepper mix; and pre-made potato dishes, like Simply Potatoes brand mashed or southern-style hashed potatoes. They also have many pantry and refrigerator tips of things to have on hand--e.g., frozen shredded cheese, variety of cans of diced and stewed tomatoes, individually quick-frozen chicken breasts. Side bars throughout the book offer tips and suggestions for things such as quick side dishes. My favorite desperation recipes are Anti-Stress Antipasto, Chicken Caesar Salad, Real Life Lasagna, Summer Meatballs and Yellow Squash, Barbecued Shrimp on Spicy Rice, Mind-the-Clock Chicken Marsala, Pan-Seared Tenderloin with Bearnaise, Dinner Huevos in a Hurry (not very authentic, though), Mom's Mini Meat Loaves, Lemony Chicken Piccata, Flash-in-the-Pan Fish Fillets, Carolina Crabcakes with Creamy Horseradish, Rio Grande Rib-Eyes, Chinese Steak on the Spot (an excellent quick marinade), Moussaka in Minutes, Grilled Shrimp Dijon, and Fish in a Boat Asian Style. ... There are also plenty of good recipes for sides, like doctoring up Bisquick biscuit mix with cheddar cheese and garlic or sour cream and dried chives. There are several excellent desserts, of which Magic Brownies (a microwave recipe) and the Peach Crisp are outstanding. The only two real disasters I made from this book were the Amazing Apple Tart (hard as a rock and stuck to the pan) and the Miracle Pork Chops (tasteless). Many recipes I know I will never make, but there are enough in here that I do like that I have decided to go ahead and give this book five stars. The fact that I have given many copies of this away to friends in family reinforces that rating. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Not 20 Minutes, but Still Good and Fast
Review: I have yet to get one of these dinners cooked in 20 minutes - even the honey-mustard pork chops took 40 minutes to cook - but I still like this cookbook. The recipes are good, and I know I can get dinner done in less than 1 hour with any recipe from this book.
Rating:
Summary: I gave this book to all my friends
Review: I work full-time, have a young child, and write books, too. I love to cook, but seldom have time to spend an hour or more making a meal. In addition to all my "regular" cookbooks, I have a dozen with the words "Fast" or "Quick" in the title. This is by far the best, and very few of the recipes start with "Open a can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup." I would cook many of these recipes even if I had lots of time. I have given it to all my friends. My only quibble: I want a follow-up!
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book: you'll love it!
Review: This is the best cookbook I own. I have made approximately half of the recipes in the book and only one (Mindless Mushu) has not turned out well. Most of the recipes are so simple that my culinary-challenged husband can prepare them with delicious results. Everything is done in 20 minutes or less and many of the recipes are complete meals with meat and veggies. There are not many desserts in the book, but when you are in a hurry who has time to make dessert? Open a bag of cookies! Of course, this is not the book to use if you are preparing a fancy dinner party, but nothing beats it for day to day cooking.
Rating: 
Summary: Who are we kidding
Review: I can't believe the raves this 'desperate' book is getting. It's an insult to the many, many fine cooks/authors who have spent years testing and revising recipes until they come up with a book worth publishing. Why not just take the recipes off the back of a soup can, rather than spending money on what is being passed off as a cookbook. I think the author's forte is likely making reservations rather than dinner.
Rating:
Summary: Really Desperate Mom!
Review: I am a mom of two, one toddler and one nine year old in competitive gymnastics! This book is a lifesaver for the evenings that he has practice. I can throw something healthy and delicious together and make it look like I have been in the kitchen for hours. Some of the recipes do need more spices, but I just add to taste, like it tells you to in the book. We cook from this book at least 3 times a week. My husband loves the Real-Life Lasagna, almost better than the real thing! This is a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Surprising and creative . . .
Review: I admit that I was skeptical when I purchased this book. I was expecting yet another book full of "canned" recipes -- you know the type: a can of this, a can of that, few fresh ingredients. Boy, was *I* surprised! While the book does take advantage of convenience foods -- pre-chopped veggies, frozen chopped onions, etc. -- it uses mostly fresh vegetables, meats, and readily available herbs, spices, and condiments. I've made several recipes from this book and haven't had a problem yet. My first was the cream of wild mushroom soup -- a heavenly silky concoction made with several varieties of mushrooms that reminded me a soup I'd eaten in an excellent Swedish restaurant some years ago. Outstanding! And the authors are true to their word -- if you follow the directions, you'll complete each dish in 20 minutes or less. You'll keep busy for those 20 minutes, but you WILL finish. Each recipe is marked to let you know if you need to pre-heat the oven, boil water, etc. -- which aren't usually included in the 20 minutes. As a cookbook collector, I purchased Desperation Dinners as another example of "quick and easy" cuisine. It's now on my "most used" shelf!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I have well over 300 cookbooks, and accelerating. This is one of the best. The recipes truly are quick and easy, but wonderful as well. For dinner on the table fast after a long day at the office, this is the one!
Rating:
Summary: Delivers on its Promise
Review: So- you get this book. If you live near any good grocery stores/ gourmet boutiques/ ethnic markets- you stock up on interesting spices/condiments. In less than twenty minutes you whip up a simple inexpensive meal (yes convenience foods add expense but less than a restaurant, and come-on 'yall making your own darn rice from scratch instead of using the box like they suggest is no big deal in terms of time!) You're in the kitchen cooking, you add a sprinkle of this or splash of that making the dish your own. Notch up the flavor! I wouldn't have it any other way. No pickled ginger here unless I'm eating sushi. Clean up kitchen during the end of the cooking, and get the meal on table in less than twenty minutes from ingredients you have. Not gourmet, but it's okay. It saves a trip to fastfood/a restaurant or another night of toast and fruit.
Rating:
Summary: It is my most used cookbook
Review: I love to cook. Yet not one of my 50 cookbooks has come close to being opened and used as much as this one, despite the fact that I bought it only 4 months ago. I have a 5 and a 4 year old and they enjoy the entrees as much as their Daddy and me. I especially love the sausage and potatoes, the chicken parmesan, and the chili. The meals truly are quick to prepare, but they are full of taste and texture. I use these recipes weekly, and have yet to find a dud. If you are looking to find a cookbook that you can really use, this is a winner!!!
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