Ready When You Are: A Compendium of Comforting One-Dish Meals

Rating:
Summary: Great for my needs
Review: I highly recommend this book if you a) like to cook and b) are suffering from the average working parent's harried and chopped up schedule. This is not a slowcooker cookbook or a "make it in minutes" cookbook. Many of these recipes take some time investment. However, the recipes clearly state when a portion of the prep can be done ahead (sometimes even a day) and most of the recipes "hold over" well, ie. they can be eaten for 3-4 days mostly getting better with time. The author is clearly used to implementing fat shaving techniques and successfully balances a light cooking approah with GREAT ethnic influenced home cooking. Many of these recipes I would consider refined enough to serve to company. And we are not restricted to stews here. There is a great section on pies, tortas and galettes. I made the potato and greens pie last night, using the yeasted olive oil dough. I made it with swiss chard and spinach (2 pounds), there was lowfat cottage cheese in there, 2 eggs, sauteed onions and garlic and a few ounces of various cheeses. It made a whopping 10" springform pie and was delicious. I plan to try the italian brisket later this week. I have already made the white beans and sausage with sage dish that is on the cover. I have made the veal paprikash with great success, the leftovers of which I froze succesfully for a meal another time. There is a section on rices and grains, there is winter fare and summer fare. If you are in to freezer cooking or make ahead meals then you will not want to miss out on this book! I plan on looking at other cookbooks by this author...

Rating:
Summary: Great for my needs
Review: I highly recommend this book if you a) like to cook and b) are suffering from the average working parent's harried and chopped up schedule. This is not a slowcooker cookbook or a "make it in minutes" cookbook. Many of these recipes take some time investment. However, the recipes clearly state when a portion of the prep can be done ahead (sometimes even a day) and most of the recipes "hold over" well, ie. they can be eaten for 3-4 days mostly getting better with time. The author is clearly used to implementing fat shaving techniques and successfully balances a light cooking approah with GREAT ethnic influenced home cooking. Many of these recipes I would consider refined enough to serve to company. And we are not restricted to stews here. There is a great section on pies, tortas and galettes. I made the potato and greens pie last night, using the yeasted olive oil dough. I made it with swiss chard and spinach (2 pounds), there was lowfat cottage cheese in there, 2 eggs, sauteed onions and garlic and a few ounces of various cheeses. It made a whopping 10" springform pie and was delicious. I plan to try the italian brisket later this week. I have already made the white beans and sausage with sage dish that is on the cover. I have made the veal paprikash with great success, the leftovers of which I froze succesfully for a meal another time. There is a section on rices and grains, there is winter fare and summer fare. If you are in to freezer cooking or make ahead meals then you will not want to miss out on this book! I plan on looking at other cookbooks by this author...

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not sexy
Review: This is a solid and reliable cookbook crafted with the author's customary attention to detail. Alas, I just couldn't get excited about very many of the recipes. They are perfectly OK, but nothing that makes you rush into the kitchen. Tamasin Day Louis's Good Tempered Food is a much better book for the same kind of food--unfussy dishes that cook in a leisurely manner.