Kitchen Coach : Weeknight Cooking

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Summary: Unique book and easy prep
Review: "Kitchen Coach Weeknight Cooking" hit me right away with its classification of recipes. Besides the usual categories of meat dishes, desserts, etc., Bushman has checked each recipe according to "easy prep," "something special," "take-along" and other categories. Her layout and directions are equally easy to follow.

"Cooking Coach" gives tips along the way: how to seed a tomato, the right tool to use for a certain vegetable, how to brown chicken to perfection, supermarket finds. In fact, if a beginning cook followed Bushman's ideas for a few months, he or she would be well on the way to total comfort and enjoyment in the kitchen.

These recipes are especially great for working parents (lots of special ideas for young eaters) and others who can't afford to spend their day in the kitchen. I've tried several of the recipes, and all have earned four or five stars from our household. I look forward to trying more.

Teresa Payne
Incline Village, NV

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Summary: Jennifer's cookbook brings the fun back to the kitchen.
Review: As a mother of two picky under 8-year old boys this cookbook has been a treasure. My kids enjoy helping whip these dinners, lunches and breakfasts up with me and on top of that they enjoy eating them also.
We now have banana pancakes with honey-butter for breakfast instead of the usual high fat, high sugar, low nutrient breakfast cereals. They enjoy sandwiches other than pb&j for lunch (and yes, they are no-trade lunches as the title of the chapter says!) with veggies and a little dipping sauce. Our dinners are not as stressful for me because Jennifer teaches you how to stalk your pantry so you can get home and answer that age-old question "What's for dinner?" in a matter of minutes by surveying your supplies. Jennifer's cookbook brings the fun back to the kitchen. Thank you!

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Summary: Great Cookbook with easy to use recipes
Review: I enjoyed this cookbook, very concise layout, step by step instructions and creative different recipes, not the same old same old stuff. I made the Chicken, Bacon, Avacado Wraps and plan to make the Chicken and Sesame Seed Noodles. Lots of recipes that make for good meal planning and I even enjoyed the kids menus and pantry planning. All her food seems to be very healthy and nutritious and with good ingredients that can be found in the standard supermarkets. This book was a treat and will be planning many of my meals to come!

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Summary: Recipes anyone can make, everyone will love
Review: I love cookbooks. This book by Jennifer Bushman is one of the best functioning books I've used. Each recipe is interesting while still being easy and quick. The tips and recipe suggestions are great at rounding off your meal and anticipating questions one might have. I have made several recipes and each one has turned out perfectly. I like to cook for my family because I like them to have real food, though I don't like to spend too much time on a meal. This book offers so much more than the average, run of the mill stand-byes. Cold Sesame Noodles with pulled Chicken, Nutty Cream Cheese and Fruit Sandwiches, Fried Buttermilkc Chicken Drumettes, Cajun Meatloaf Patties, Hot Roast Chicken with Monterey Jack Wrap - all big hits with my entire family of 6! Too much fun! Thanks for one of the best cookbooks out there!

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Summary: This book will get you cooking.
Review: I picked this book up last week and was delighted with its' contemporary layout and user friendly design. Jennifer's suggestions, pantry list and chapter division address the issues of familes who really want to cook and enjoy a meal together. I found her recipes inspiring and the results delicious. I made the crab tacos, the blt wrap, the portabello stacks, the gorgonzola pizzas, the chocolate chip cookies and the PBJ muffins all to rave review by family and friends. She stresses seasonal fresh ingredients and her recipes exhibit rock solid technique. Move over Rachel and Martha. The Kitchen Coach is the best thing to happen to the contemporty cook in a long long time! The cookies are amazing.


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Summary: A cookbook that every guy can use
Review: If you are only going to have one cookbook, get this one. It gives you lots of quick and easy recipies for professionals on the go. If you need to impress a date, open this book, pick any recipie and 30 minutes later you will have her thinking you are a gourmet chef. The list of how to equip your kitchen for basic cooking was a real help--it tells you just what to get so you'll never be running back to the store at the last minure to get the one spice you don't have.

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Summary: The Perfect Cookbook for Busy Families
Review: Jennifer Bushman's cookbook reads like a letter from a good friend. The conversational tone she uses to describe recipes and preparation will put you at ease in the kitchen, especially when you're trying to cook during a busy week. Bushman offers lots of common-sense advice, kitchen organizing tips and also denotes each of her recipes as "easy preparation," "make ahead," "take along," "no cooking needed" or "something special" (for those rare nights when you have a little extra time). What works so well about this book is that Bushman approaches cooking from familiar ground with her audience -- she herself is mom to a busy family and wants to help take the fuss out of cooking a good meal. The first recipe we tried was Bushman's cumin-glazed pork with apples and pears -- and it was a hit with all ages. Delicious, satisfying and gone off the plate in no time at all. We look forward to trying more recipes and spending more time around the table, instead of in the kitchen.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Practical
Review: This cookbook makes it possible to cook healthy, tasty food after you've worked all day and without any compromises. Jennifer is an extremely talented and inspiring writer and cook and unlike most cooks, knows nutrition! As a busy Mom herself, you can't get better advice on what pleases kids. This is not just a list of good healthy recipes (the wonton soup and fruit compote for example are fabulous), but unlike other cookbooks, she actually explains in her introduction professional cooks' best kept secrets and is an inspiration for maintaining the delight of being with your family for a simple, delicious home cooked meal. Say goodbye to those styrofoam take-out dinners, Jennifer shows you how to cook a healthier, cheaper meal in about the same time. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that there are so few pictures, but the layout and design are topnotch.

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Summary: What a dynamo!
Review: Wow - what a little dynamo. Just got home last night from a cooking class featuring Jennifer Bushman and this book. It was fantastic! And, from such a tiny little woman ... I had never heard of Ms. Bushman as her show has not yet made it to Texas, but signed up for her class because it sounded like it would be fun. It was one of the best I've been to lately (and I go to a lot of cooking classes). She made (and we ate) the Chicken, Avocado, Bacon, Spinach & Tomato Club Wrap w/ Pumpkin Fries; Gorgonzola, Escarole, Garlic & Roasted Pepper Pizza; Chicken Nicoise Salad w/ Walnuts & Blue Cheese Vinaigrette; Fresh Crab Tacos; Rotelli w/ Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms & Shaved Parmesan and Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins. I'm still full. I wanted to devour every word of her book when I got home last night, but had to turn in as work beckoned today. I am ready to curl up with it this evening! Ms. Bushman was such an inspiration - made me want to cook great meals every single night of the week and made it seem entirely possible. FYI ... she told us she's scheduled to be on the Today Show October 10. I can't wait to start cooking from this book - and I can't wait for the next one. Hope she'll return to San Antonio to cook from that one for us!

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Summary: Truly, a busy woman's dream
Review: Yesterday, my husband and his brother were spending the day fly fishing (catch and release). So, I thought that I would treat them to a salmon dinner. We live on a ranch and sometimes your day does not play out as planned. Thus, at the end of the day, I was looking at the salmon with not a clue what to do. I had just purchased the Kitchen Coach, Weeknight Cooking. I looked up salmon in the index and prepared under thirty minutes the most delicious Salmon Fillets with Apricot Horseradish glaze. The three of us selected the Chicken Nicoise salad with walnuts and blue cheese for tonight's dinner. I know that I can count on it being not only quick but delicious, and I'm out the door fishing with the guys!