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Rating: 
Summary: You'll use it!
Review: I don't know about you but I have a whole shelf filled with cookbooks. Many of them seemed like a good idea at the time (ahem.... Bobby Flay), but after struggling through their long and complicated recipes - delicious as they often were - I never returned. They sit, forlorn, awaiting the day I have four hours to spend on dinner. I can think of no higher praise for 'Off the Shelf' than to say my copy is happily covered in splashes and stains: the mark of a real cook book. Hay has a simple philosophy: acquire some pantry staples and with the addition of a few fresh ingredients you can have a quick and interesting meal ready in no time. And it works! Each dish in the book gets its own beautiful photograph, which makes for an inspirational flick-through each time I'm at a loss for what to cook next. It helps that the styling and photography are top notch too. I suspect many Americans have few culinary associations with Australia beyond barbeque, but Hay - who edits the food section of Australian Marie Claire - proves she has her finger on the pulse of what and how people want to eat nowadays. If you're like me, that means interesting dishes borrowing techniques and ingredients from Asia and the Mediterranean - that you can make in under an hour. Trust me: this is a book you'll use whether cooking for yourself or a dinner party. Your copy will be filthy in no time!
Rating:
Summary: You'll use it!
Review: I don't know about you but I have a whole shelf filled with cookbooks. Many of them seemed like a good idea at the time (ahem.... Bobby Flay), but after struggling through their long and complicated recipes - delicious as they often were - I never returned. They sit, forlorn, awaiting the day I have four hours to spend on dinner. I can think of no higher praise for 'Off the Shelf' than to say my copy is happily covered in splashes and stains: the mark of a real cook book. Hay has a simple philosophy: acquire some pantry staples and with the addition of a few fresh ingredients you can have a quick and interesting meal ready in no time. And it works! Each dish in the book gets its own beautiful photograph, which makes for an inspirational flick-through each time I'm at a loss for what to cook next. It helps that the styling and photography are top notch too. I suspect many Americans have few culinary associations with Australia beyond barbeque, but Hay - who edits the food section of Australian Marie Claire - proves she has her finger on the pulse of what and how people want to eat nowadays. If you're like me, that means interesting dishes borrowing techniques and ingredients from Asia and the Mediterranean - that you can make in under an hour. Trust me: this is a book you'll use whether cooking for yourself or a dinner party. Your copy will be filthy in no time!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful cookbook even my boyfriend can use!
Review: I honestly have considered giving away most of my other cookbooks, if not all of them after using "Off the Shelf". The recipes are simple and delicious. My boyfriend can even cook now!
Rating: 
Summary: A GOOD, BASIC BOOK FOR THE NOVICE
Review: If you are a basic sort of person who enjoys plain, down-to-Earth meals, and do not like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, this book is for you. Not only does it suggest what basics to stock on your shelves, but the recipes turn out very well if fresh ingredients are used. One will not be caught off guard when unexpected guests arrive, if you follow the suggestions offered by Hay. I did, however, find the recipes were not quite as original as anticipated. Many are variations of recipes found in other similar cookbooks, particularly the Asian noodles; however, the recipes are still tasty and the book will be particularly valuable to those inexperienced in the kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: A GOOD, BASIC BOOK FOR THE NOVICE
Review: If you are a basic sort of person who enjoys plain, down-to-Earth meals, and do not like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, this book is for you. Not only does it suggest what basics to stock on your shelves, but the recipes turn out very well if fresh ingredients are used. One will not be caught off guard when unexpected guests arrive, if you follow the suggestions offered by Hay. I did, however, find the recipes were not quite as original as anticipated. Many are variations of recipes found in other similar cookbooks, particularly the Asian noodles; however, the recipes are still tasty and the book will be particularly valuable to those inexperienced in the kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful photos,easy meals
Review: In keeping with Donna Hay's other books this has wonderful photos. It is so nice too look at one would buy it just to look at the photos or to display. However Donna does not let us down in regards to content. The recipes are simple enough to attempt yet interesing enough to taste great. It is organized in such a way that by choosing an item from your pantry you can create a meal.So those days when all you have left in the cupboard is pasta Donna can give you a new way to prepare it. I recommend this book for those of us who want to discover the soul of cooking.
Rating:
Summary: Off The Shelf: Cooking From the Pantry
Review: Most of the recipes don't have more than 5-7 ingredients, mostly items from the pantry but there are always 2-3 fresh items that really make the difference. There are pictures for every single recipe, very useful for when you want to know what the dish should really look like. The gorgeous pictures alone are worth the price of the cookbook, wonderful to browse when you are trying to figure out what to cook. The only negative is that the recipes are not inherently low fat, but it's easy to substitute high fat cheeses etc with the low fat version. The interesting food combinations and easy easy preparations make this an awesome everyday cookbook.
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