Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts

Monday, January 28, 2013

Save 33% Off: Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients Review & Ratings

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Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients Review

I may have to stop reviewing cookbooks from Taunton Press--every single one I have chosen to review thus far I have wanted to own. My personal copy ordered from Amazon is on it's way to me as I type this.
What is it about this one? At first glance, it seems a little gimmicky. About 10 or 12 years ago, there were several cookbooks published that either limited the number of ingredients or number of steps for a recipe. Sometimes they were successful and sometimes less so.
Johnson Dodge has an understanding of ingredients, of chemistry, of baking and cooking, and of today's cook that works like magic here. When you only have four ingredients, they all count, and they all must work together to make the finished product. She gives a great introductory section where she talks about ingredients, techniques, equipment and more. Almost every recipe has suggestions to change it up, or comments on technical things or ways to gussy it up with sauces or glazes or the like. Usually when I review a cookbook, I make two or three dishes to see how they turn out. These recipes were so easy and so good, I found myself making one every time I turned around.
I started with Jammin' Sugar Cookie Thumbprints (p. 22) and Toasted Pistachio Crisps (p. 19). I am lazy, so I almost never get out my mixer. On the thumbprints, I filled them with raspberry preserves. They were rich, buttery, crispy and the raspberry was a perfect contrast. There were several suggestions for switch-ins and anyone with a little imagination could come up with more. I was not able to slice the dough for the crisps, it kept crumbling. (Possibly my fault for either mixing by hand or not chopping my nuts finely enough). It didn't matter, I rolled the dough into balls and pressed each flat with the palm of my hand. My husband loved them, suggesting I add them to my regular baking. From there I tried Crunchy Peanut Butter Buttons (p. 32). You will be amazed that such simple ingredients make such a divine cookie. Next time I think I'll try the suggestion and add mini M&Ms. These cookies were surprisingly even more peanuttier the second day. The Oatmeal-Cinnamon Crisps (p. 28) made a believer out of me. I looked at the "dough" and then my homely piles of oats on the cookie sheets and thought there is no way this is going to work. And then it did, almost like magic, when the brown sugar caramelized to make little crunchy mounds of goodness.
There were two recipes that were less successful however. The Lemon Meltaways (p. 29) had nice texture but didn't taste very lemony. This again may have been my fault, as I didn't measure my lemon zest, just zested the one lemon I had and figured it was enough. The Chocolate-Toffee Crumble Cups (p. 37) were delicious when first baked, but after they had cooled, the toffee in the dough seemed to get very hard and chewy and made them not as good. In this case, I think I would make them again and only put the toffee on the top, or try one of the suggestions for other things to switch-in their place.
Almost every recipe I tried had a higher yield than indicated. (If you are into cooking or just like to be exact, I recommend buying cookie scoops of varying sizes, they work so well.) I wanted to try other recipes in the book, so I can't wait for my copy to get here. And Abigail Johnson Dodge, if you see this, I would love a Cookies 4 Today book next. (You can tell I can't get enough of these cookie recipes!)

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Save 32% Off: Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks Review & Ratings

Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher CooksAre you looking to buy Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks. Check out the link below:

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Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks Review

This book is a winner. The recipes are simple, modern, and focused on fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy entrees. It arrived on Wednesday and by the following Sunday, I had experimented with six different recipes ranging from terrific side dishes to salmon to dessert. All were winners and I'll make them all again. This cookbook IS hip and you don't have to be kosher to enjoy it.

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only 3 Ingredients Review & Ratings

Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only 3 IngredientsAre you looking to buy Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only 3 Ingredients? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only 3 Ingredients. Check out the link below:

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Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only 3 Ingredients Review

I have tried many of the recipes in this book, and while they are not all unqualfied successes, enough of them are that I number this among my most useful recipe books. Ms. Gold and I share a basic sensibility about simplicity and flavors - simple, robust, up-front. I find that the add-ons make a big difference, and of course, I tend to tweak recipes anyway - the Baked Olives (in red wine and olive oil) are great as given, but with the addition of some garlic or rosemary, it's terrific. The deep-fried cheese was a disaster - I got a huge mess in the pan, with the coating stuck to the bottom and the runny cheese all over everything - ugh. The pasta with broccoli sauce is pretty bland - next time I'll massage it with some lemon juice or pepper flakes or something. But other recipes are great, and provide quick and easy starting points for me. I definitely recommend the book, and have given it to a couple of non-cooks, who really liked it.

Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only 3 Ingredients Overview



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Monday, November 26, 2012

Save 26% Off: The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes Review & Ratings

The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian RecipesAre you looking to buy The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes. Check out the link below:

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The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes Review

I am not a vegetarian but I do like to incorporate meatless meals a few times a week for health and to save on my food budget. Sometimes getting variety with vegetarian dishes is a challenge so I like this cookbook for the many recipes it offers. I don't care for tofu, but while there are plenty of recipes that include it, there are many that don't so I was able to find several that appealed to me.
The salad section was my favorite with some unique offerings such as Hint of Orange Salad, Wild Rice Salad, Asian Salad, and several pasta salads including Pasta With Brussels Sprouts. I made the Spanish Salad with red onion, olives, and hard boiled eggs among other fresh ingredients and will enjoy having it again for lunches. I also found several soups I'd like to try such as broccoli cheddar.
Other recipe categories include appetizers, soups, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. Color photos are also included which is always a plus. The recipes are easy enough for a novice cook, and ingredients used seem to be those easily found at larger grocery stores.
The recipes aren't vegan so they do include dairy and eggs and one can easily add meat if desired which makes this a good cookbook for anyone, vegetarian or not.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher but the opinion of it is my own and was not solicited, nor was a positive review required.

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Monday, October 29, 2012

Secrets of Fat-free Kosher Review & Ratings

Secrets of Fat-free KosherAre you looking to buy Secrets of Fat-free Kosher? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Secrets of Fat-free Kosher. Check out the link below:

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Secrets of Fat-free Kosher Review

Im a newlywed, and my wife and I love this cookbook! It provides usefull recipes for food which we should eat, provided in a clear straightforward manner which is easy to follow. And all this within our kosher paramenters. Even more important, every recipe we tried we loved! I reccomend it highly to everyone! And oh yes my Bubie (jewish grandmother) loved it too!

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes Review & Ratings

Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof RecipesAre you looking to buy Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes. Check out the link below:

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Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes Review

I ordered this book as a birthday gift for my son for two reasons: one, he's a disaster in the kitchen, and two, if not for Ramen noodles, the child would starve.
The book includes more than 150 recipes, only 14 of which are for Ramen. Chapters include recipes for drinks, sandwiches, and surprisingly sophisticated--but still simple to prepare--entrees, salads and desserts. These recipes will work as well for cooks-in-a-hurry as for culinary novices. Microwave and crock pot dishes will not only be life-savers, but may very well become the favorite dishes novice chefs feed their own kids someday.
Author Deb Puente (Elegantly Easy Creme Brulee) includes such vital basics as how long different foods can be stored, cooking terms, and lists of basic kitchen equipment and suggested items for stocking pantry and fridge. She even offers safety tips such as how to avoid food poisoning and how to check pots of boiling things without scalding the skin off your face.
This is a great book for fledglings fresh from the nest, newlyweds, and people whose children think the smoke alarm is a dinner bell.
But my darling son will have to get his own copy. I'm keeping this one!

Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes Overview



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Friday, October 12, 2012

Save 33% Off: Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother Review & Ratings

Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish GrandmotherAre you looking to buy Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother. Check out the link below:

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Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother Review

You take chances when you order a book sight unseen.
That being said, I urge readers to use caution with this book, especially if you are planning to prepare a meal according to Jewish Dietary Laws. Many of the recipes are "kosher style" and mix dairy and meat products in the same recipe, or suggest the pairing of a dairy recipe as a side dish to a meat one.
But the worst offense is the recipe for a crab salad that is meant to be served before the Yom Kippur fast. Come on! The author specifically recommends that you eat a specifically non-kosher food before the holiest day of the year. Yes, I know there is fake crab that can be used. But that is not mentioned as an optionin the recipe. And there is another page that lists what foods are kosher and which are not, but it is not referenced on this page.
If this were a regular cookbook that was not titled as "Jewish", I'd just ignore the recipe. But I question why it had to be included in the first place.
With only 50 recipes in the book, it wasn't a great bargain anyway. I got Denise Phillips' new release in the same package. I highly recommend her book as a far better value and more authentic. Go with "New Flavours of the Jewish Table" if you are looking for a brand-new cookbook.

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Friday, October 5, 2012

Easy Italian: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion (Easy (Ryland Peters & Small)) Review & Ratings

Easy Italian: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion (Easy (Ryland Peters and Small))Are you looking to buy Easy Italian: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion (Easy (Ryland Peters & Small))? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Easy Italian: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion (Easy (Ryland Peters & Small)). Check out the link below:

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Easy Italian: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion (Easy (Ryland Peters & Small)) Review

I bought this book quite a while ago. It was my first cookbook and I thought Italian food would be the way to start. So far, every single recipe I have made from this book (about a dozen or so) have been absolutely, mind-blowingly, delicious!
God, try the Mascarpone pear dessert, it's heaven! Or the pesto and arctichocke bruschetta. My family moans whenever they eat these two!

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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Save 32% Off: Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series) Review & Ratings

Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series)Are you looking to buy Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series). Check out the link below:

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Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series) Review

I just received this book from Amazon, and I'll try to come back and add more comments as I try a few more recipes, but I just had to speak up to counter Mr. Protein who was so very disappointed with his purchase.
If you're looking for Salty Meat Goop With Crunch On Top (usually including a can of Cream O' Campbell's), this is likely not your book. However, if you're looking for comfort food to stretch your culinary repertoire while still pleasing your family's palate; or if you'd like to do more cooking with healthful ingredients, would like to know what exactly to do with some of the less mainstream veggies at your grocery store, or love the simplicity of one-dish meals on busy nights-- check it out.
So far, all I've made is the Asian Cabbage Rolls with Spicy Pork-- but this healthy riff on the Chinese friend dumplings that we (guiltily) adore was immediately filed in the "make this again SOON" category, and it's definitely whetted my appetite to try more.
I'm also particularly excited to have this on my shelf because of my familiarity with Ms. Durand's reputation and engaging work as the managing editor at thekitchn.com. I don't buy cookbooks often, but this one looks to be well worth the money and shelf space.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Save 22% Off: The 250 Best 4-Ingredient Recipes Review & Ratings

The 250 Best 4-Ingredient RecipesAre you looking to buy The 250 Best 4-Ingredient Recipes? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The 250 Best 4-Ingredient Recipes. Check out the link below:

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The 250 Best 4-Ingredient Recipes Review

At first glance, my opinion here was that any book offeirng a pizza recipe starting with frozen crust is a crime against humanity, but then I simmered down a bit. I am, after all, something of a fanatic about pizza--and about authentic, complete recipes in general. And then I remembered that I have two kids who have two sterling qualities: Both are a) employed and b) living elsewhere. The big thing is to keep them that way. So fars as a) is concerned I'm helpless, but for b) I'm going to enlist the aid of this book.
Increasingly we live in an age when more and more people--especially young people--think cooking is something only their parents do, and when they grow tired of warming up take-out Chinese in the microwave, they start inviting themselves to dinner. Partly it's the fault of parents who didn't involved kids in the kitchen in the first place, so consider this book the make-up course.
Anyone who hasn't cooked, doesn't cook or thinks he can't cook can and should take this book of clear, simple, easily followed recipes and go to school on it. OK, there are lots of simple and simple-minded recipes like hot-salsa cheese dip and sloppy joes, but there's lots of other stuff they should have learnt about much earlier: tapenade, for example, Indian chicken, pork tenderloin. In short, dishes originating in actual civilizations, not marketing campaigns. In not too much time the user of this book will become competent at the very least, and he'll save a bundle over the cost of take-out. Whether he actually finds himself awakening to the delights of serious cooking and eating--that's another story. For now I'll be happy if my kids--who'll be getting their copies pronto--will progress to the point that I am at least once in a while able to dine at their apartments because they're not ashamed to invite me and I'm not afraid to accept. (Bill Marsano is an award-winning magazine writer on wines/spirits, travel and food.)

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Save 34% Off: Seriously Simple: Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks Review & Ratings

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Seriously Simple: Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks Review

I own all of this author's cookbooks and love them all. But this one reaches a new height. The author understands what it means to live in a house where all cooking adults work but where no one is satisfied with restaurant or take-out food. She provides recepies that are in fact simple: marinades that are easy to make; combinations of ingredients that are immediately accessible; good healthy food that all members of the family are likely to enjoy. The recepies are for the most part easy, but they are also extremely elegant. Kids will love the simplicity and the great taste. Gourmets will admire the subtlety. A user-friendly, teriffic book.

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Sunday, May 13, 2012

Save 32% Off: Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World Review & Ratings

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Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World Review

I had high expectations for this book but, in the end, I can not recommend it.
I found this book in the wonderful, old-fashioned Shackford's Kitchen Supply in Napa, California and I couldn't wait to try the recipes. Since I prefer to grind my spices as needed, I was undaunted by that aspect of the book. I get most of my whole spices from World Market, or an Indian grocery store. I did have difficulty finding the whole allspice (I don't normally use allspice), but I eventually found the berries at Smart and Final.
The first dish I tried from this book was Moussaka with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Potatoes. The note for this recipe indicated that this dish baked in a slow cooker "may be a bit juicier than if baked in an open casserole dish in the oven." Perhaps I am arguing semantics here, but I would describe the resulting dish as "watery" rather than "juicy." I have never tasted actual moussaka before, so I cannot say whether this dish tasted similar, but I did not care for either the flavor or the consistency. I will not be making this dish again.
The next dish I tried was Creamy Dal because I am on a continual search for a recipe for whole lentil Indian dal that rivals the dals served at my favorite Indian restaurant. This was not it. The recipe calls for 4-5 cups of water, indicating that 4 cups would produce a stew consistency, whereas 5 cups would produce a porridge consistency. Since I like the consistency of my dals somewhere in-between, I used 4-1/2 cups of water. However, the finished dal was extremely soupy - so much so that I believe the minimum four cups of water would still have made it too watery!
In addition, I found that the proportions of the spices indicated in the Creamy Dal recipe were odd. The recipes in my Indian cookbooks use larger quantities of spices than this recipe did. I was especially baffled by the "pinch of curry to taste" which was to be added at the end of the cooking time. In my experience, if curry powder is used, it is usually included with the rest of the spices at the beginning of the cooking time, and it is measured in teaspoons rather than "pinches". When the Creamy Dal was finished, the resulting dish was bland in comparison to the dals I have been served at Indian restaurants or even in comparison to those I have made by following recipes in other cookbooks. According to the options given in the recipe, I had already increased the amount of chili when I added the spices to the onion but, in the end, the balance of spices wasn't right. I added more curry powder "to taste," which improved the dish somewhat, but I will not be making this recipe again either.
The third dish I made was Risotto with Lentils. I have made traditional risotto several times at home, as well as enjoying it in restaurants, so I have a fair understanding of what a risotto is and how it is made. I was surprised by the fact that the recipe called for water rather than vegetable stock and wine, since a lot of the subtle flavor in a risotto is supplied by the liquid. I also suspected that the stated amount of liquid might be excessive but I chose to give the author the benefit of the doubt. The recipe doesn't indicate what kind of lentils to use (black, brown, red, yellow, or green) or whether they are whole, split, or hulled - the cooking times vary for the different forms of lentils; however, since there appeared to be hulled, split yellow lentils in the photograph that accompanies the recipe in the book, that's what I used. Aside from that minor glitch, I followed the recipe faithfully.
The serving suggestion for this recipe was to accompany it with grilled vegetables, which I did. The vegetables were excellent; the risotto was overcooked and gluey. A risotto, by definition, should be creamy while the grains of rice remain separate and firm. This dish was a viscous mush, and it didn't even have much flavor! It was a complete waste of ingredients, time and energy: I threw it out. I will definitely not be making this again!
After three disappointing recipes, I am reluctant to try any more from this book. I like the theory behind this book. I agree with the practice of grinding spices as needed. I also agree with the practice of cooking some ingredients outside of the slow cooker and then adding them to the dish instead of cooking everything in the slow cooker. However, these principles can be applied to any slow cooker recipe. The fact remains that, while the recipes in this book may seem gourmet, those dishes I tried were extremely disappointing. I have had excellent results with recipes from the books "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" by Robin Robertson and "125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes" by Judith Finlayson, so I will continue to use them instead. I would recommend either (or both) of these books instead of "The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker."

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Save 32% Off: Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People Review & Ratings

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Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People Review

I like a lot of raw things; though I eat a regular diet, I've preferred a lot of my foods raw for years--definitely fruits and vegetables, and some other things that would probably upset a vegan or two.
Cornbleet's book was recommended to me by another Amazon reviewer, and I have to say, this is one book of recipes on raw foods that doesn't require a kitchen full of obscure appliances and a direct pipeline to Whole Food's exotic produce section. You can make most of these recipes from things you find in any grocery, with perhaps the addition of raw nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews from the Indian grocery store (because they carry them in reasonably good-sized bags and are priced well, too.)
I tried the "Creamy Tomato Soup." This is a kind of gazpacho made simply with tomatoes, avocado, basil or dill, olive oil and some seasoning like salt, onion powder, garlic cloves and pepper. I made a batch, using Adobo powder because I was out of onion and garlic (this is a garlic salt with herbs used in Latin American cooking.) And, yes, think of it, I was out of onion salt and garlic but I did have an avocado and fresh basil. Pretty strange, I'll admit it. I tossed in the best of extra-virgin olive oil we had. Result? A creamy, frothy pink soup, served chilled that tasted like a buttery version of gazpacho. I had to keep from eating the entire batch in one sitting. It was refreshing and soothing. This soup can be lightly warmed if cold soups don't float your boat.
The book has attractive photography, which helps you choose some recipes like raw wraps, either in kale, cabbage or nori wrapping or you might go for the desserts which were numerous and very luscious-looking (fig cake, key lime mousse, berry crisp.) The "spaghetti" made of spiral-cut zucchini with a raw coulis of tomato, dried tomato and other herbs was served with walnut pate "meat balls." We can't eat wheat, and this was a beautiful presentation. Only problem is ONE of us doesn't eat nuts and this book is chock-full-o-nuts. I suppose you can use hemp seed or sunflower seeds if you are anti-nut, but this WILL present an issue for those who are allergic.
The author points out that raw food can be made with a blender and not much else but a cutting board and can be good for campers or motorhome travelers who may not want to go nuts with a stove.
This book has some very tempting but healthy recipes and is a nice way to get your five servings of veg a day without pounding down boring salads or boiled cabbage. Recommended!!

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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Simple Little Vegan Dog Book Review & Ratings

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Simple Little Vegan Dog Book Review

First, some background: I went vegetarian my freshman year of college (1996) and vegan approximately eight years later. Currently, I'm an adopted mother to five rescued dogs, whom I've been feeding a vegetarian diet (consisting of both store-bought and homemade food) for about seven years. In the past year or so, I've been trying to transition them to a vegan diet. The Book Publishing Company kindly sent me a copy of THE SIMPLE LITTLE VEGAN DOG BOOK for review on my blog.
Michelle Rivera's THE SIMPLE LITTLE VEGAN DOG BOOK is a quick, easy read. Part cookbook, part nutritional primer, part lifestyle guide, the book is divided into several sections:
1. "The Vegan Lifestyle" briefly examines the reasons for and benefits of veganism for dogs (here called a "vegan lifestyle," since dogs are not "vegans" in the ethical/moral/philosophical sense of the word). Throughout this chapter, Rivera offers anecdotes from several guardians of vegan dogs, detailing how and why they decided to transition their dog-kids to vegan diets. She also includes some basic information about canine nutritional needs.
Though Rivera did consult with veterinarians while writing THE SIMPLE LITTLE VEGAN DOG BOOK, the book is not intended as a comprehensive nutritional or health guide. Rather, it helps to provide encouragement and support to those parents who have already decided to transition their dog-kids to veganism. In this way, the dog parents profiled within these pages function as a sort of support group for those already on the path to canine veganism, instead of an impetus to begin the journey.
That said, if you're still struggling to decide whether veganism is the right choice for you and your dog-kids, THE SIMPLE LITTLE VEGAN DOG BOOK isn't for you. Instead, I recommend searching your local library for books on canine nutrition - and not, necessarily, books specific to veganism and dogs. (To the best of my knowledge, no such books exist. Publishers, are you listening? *wink*) I think you'll find that most veterinarians, while generally opposed to vegetarian and vegan diets for dogs, will begrudgingly admit that such diets can be healthy, as long as they're formulated with care and knowledge. For me, hearing these words from speciesist omni (nonhuman) animal medical and nutritional professionals is what ultimately compelled me to make the leap to homemade vegetarian and, eventually, vegan foods.
2. "Hazardous and Safe Ingredients" is as straightforward as can be. Here, Rivera offers information about which foods you should avoid giving your dog-kids, and why. She also gives a few suggestions for healthful and tasty foods.
3. "Getting Started" seems a rather odd chapter to me. In this section, Rivera introduces five staples - beans, rice, lentils, barley and oatmeal - along with suggestions on how to prepare and store these items for later use. Thus, she explains how to soak and cook each item (good), directing readers to store and freeze the extras in single-serving containers (not so much "bad" as it is puzzling). Preparing beans, rice and the like doesn't strike me as a big enough inconvenience that I'd need to cook a huge batch at a time and waste valuable, energy-sucking freezer space to store the extras. Plus, these items on their own are just ingredients; they don't constitute entire meals, so these frozen foods still require extra prep. I don't see how this strategy is advantageous, that is, unless one cooks a new meal for one's canine kids every day? In which case, dog bless ya!
4. "Biscuits" begins the recipe portion of The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book. Here, we have four appetizers, if you will: Yeasted Gourmet Dog Treats; Basic Vegan Dog Biscuits; Bulldog Bulgar Biscuits; and Oatmeal and Parmesan Biscuits.
5. "Main Dishes" features eight hearty dishes: Barking Barley and Wheat Surprise; Snoopy's Great Pumpkin, Rice and Beans; Canine Cashew Casserole; Oats, Rice, Veggies and Lentils; Rover's Risotto; Fruits, Veggies and Oats; German Shepherd's Pie; and Chihuahua Chili sans Carne.
The theme in this section is flexibility. Many of these recipes are jumping-off points; readers are encouraged to experiment with different grains, fruits and veggies in order to create their own dishes. In particular, "Main Dishes" illustrates just how easy and enjoyable cooking for your dog-kids can be, given a little time, planning and creativity.
My only real complaint with this section is that many of the recipes call for store-bought, low-sodium, no-onion vegan gravy and vegetable stock. While vegan gravy and veggie stock are readily available in stores, finding versions that are both low in sodium and onion-free is, dare I say, impossible. Thus, recipes for each of these ingredients would have been greatly appreciated. Instead, I improvised and came up with low-sodium, onion-free versions of each myself.
6. "Special Treats" is the final grouping of recipes in The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book. Nom noms include Banana-Nut Crunch Bars; Apple Pupcakes; Bowser's Birthday Cake; Pekingese Pumpkin Pops; Snickerpoodles; Cheese Dog Delights; Hound Dog Delights; Puppy Part Hors D'oeuvres; and Peanut Butter Banana Treats.
Of these recipes, I've sampled the following thus far: Barking Barley and Wheat Surprise; German Shepherd's Pie; Snickerpoodles; and Peanut Butter Banana Treats. All were a big hit with the dog-kids, and the husband even liked the German Shepherd's Pie!
So, to summarize: THE SIMPLE LITTLE VEGAN DOG BOOK is just that - a simple, little book about vegan dogs for their parents and guardians. If you aren't already inclined, it won't convince you of the merits of a vegan diet for your dogs. But if you're already on the path, it might help to make your journey a bit more enjoyable.

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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Save 32% Off: 4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients Review & Ratings

4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer IngredientsAre you looking to buy 4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on 4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients. Check out the link below:

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4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients Review

`4 Ingredients' has as its' purpose meals that are quick to prepare, using, of course only 4 ingredients and fewer utensils so there is less time used for clean up. There are optional hints, such as this freezes well or good to serve with....
There are recipes for; breakfast, appetizers, sauces and salsas, lunch, sides, main dishes, desserts, for children, and drinks. A list of staples for the pantry is included, combination meals, and home tips - like put baby teething gel on your eyebrows to avoid pain when plucking them.
Some recipes turn out not quite the way you assume they should taste like, such as scones using lemonade in the ingredients. Others are good ideas that turn out to be hits like curry in deviled eggs. These are simplistic meals, but many recipes such as the ever popular spinach dip suffers from a lack of spring onions and chopped water chestnuts since that would have put too many ingredients in it. The flavors are not dense or complex, but for simple fast meals it does what it sets out to do. With a bit more time and effort they could be so much more, but then they wouldn't be as fast or simple - the choice is yours.
These are very undemanding recipes, a beginning cook or someone who really does not enjoy the process would probably find this a useful book.

4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients Overview



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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Save 32% Off: The Skinnygirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life Review & Ratings

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The Skinnygirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life Review

I have to start by saying I consider myself a pretty fine cook...we are a two chef household with strong culinary backgrounds. It's hard to impress me with new info. I'm also a weight loss coach...balance! Yin Yang!
Yet this book is very different than my other cookbooks. I actually read it cover-to-cover the day I got it. It's not just recipes. If you are totally new at learning how to cook healthy dishes, you will feel as though you've just had a crash course. Better yet, if you attended culinary school I swear there is enough "teach an old dog new tricks" info in here to continue learning...at least there was for us. While I already knew things like using pumpkin or applesauce in place of fat in cakes (it makes a spice cake BETTER and MOISTER and pumpkin is high fiber, high water, low glycemic so it takes as many calories as are in pumpkin to digest it so it's an amazing fat replacement in baked goods), I learned scores of new things...I now stock my cupboard, for example, with oat flour. After using it in her cake recipe I was floored. I have also been trying to create a low calorie and low fat hummus (yet yummy) for ages with no tahini. She beat me to it. I also hate the taste of low fat or no fat sour cream and her greek yogurt and lemon juice trick in the recipes has changed my Southwest dishes for good. The substitutions really do change your mind and the book is just as much about teaching the reader a lifestyle more than handing them some recipes.
That said, I wasn't happy not to find nutritional information in the book. Granted, I get the reasoning behind it since I read Bethenny's first book (if you didn't, you'll also get a good overview of it in here) and her mindset against dieting but, instead, enjoying good healthy food in moderation...however, statistically most of us eat 40% more calories than we think we do. For those of us who don't mind journaling our calories or who actually feel empowered by it, I hope that she adds a link to a website in which she lists them. This way, she takes away the obsession she is against in the caloric "food noise" in the book, but also allows those of us in control of our calories in vs. calories out to go that extra mile to get the info if we are gonna plug it in on the computer anyway...
...and that's exactly what I did this morning. I have been cooking from this book for days and I kid you not, I became convinced that the calorie count was left out because the food was TOO good and she had to be fooling us into thinking it was healthy. If you make the cake called "How Is This So Moist Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze" as I did this morning, you'll understand. This is actually 1000% better than my fattest chocolate cake recipe laden with calories. I mean it is mind blowing good. And very filling. So I was positive I had to have eaten about 700 calories this morning until I actually plugged in the full recipe and included the peanut butter glaze (it makes more than enough glaze; you'll even have some leftover) and discovered the cake and pb glaze was just 150 calories/ serving. It is incredibly great without the peanut butter glaze too so I'm guessing that omission would even bring it down to 100 calories for something that tastes uber fattening and isn't! This recipe alone was worth the price of the book. In fact, Bethenny, the author, noted in the notes about this that the first time she made it she accused Jason, (her husband- according-to-the-front-page-news-as-of-yesterday), of throwing a stick of butter in it while she wasn't looking. I have no idea either how these ingredients make something that rich and low calorie but it's my new fave. I began plugging in the dishes I had made into my nutrional info converter and all were high in health and all natural, low in calories, low in fat, many high fiber...she should include the stats. It's a selling point, not a negative.
Try the lychee martini or skinnygirl cosmo (great tips on keeping drinks low cal!)
Try the guilt-free artichoke spinach cheese dip.
Pad Thai
Pasta Carbonara
Lasagna
Chicken Wings
Baked Ziti
Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad
Kettle Corn
Spicy Chipotle Dip
Quacamole
The pasta with the mushroom sauce using truffle oil is good enough to serve at a dinner party. We fell over ourselves eating that one two days straight in my house
Goat Cheese Dip
Spanish Spiced Rubbed Chicken with Mustard Green Onion Sauce
Red Velvet Cupcakes
You get the idea. What's unique is she lists scores of substitutions with each recipe so you really get the idea how to use what you have, transform a dish, make it go further, or how to pick up substituting low fat and low calorie ingredients in all your other dishes in ways you might not think of.
Also, I add non-fat greek yogurt to her excellent hummus recipe and it makes it super creamy and even higher in protein.
Better yet, while most of my diet cookbooks use substitutions that make a dish a tad more artificial, these are all natural and that always boosts taste.
Know going in: There are no photos in the book. While that never bugs me, I also know it does bug some people and it may be important to you. Also I wish the pages had been glossy (easier to wipe clean) rather than the school-book style novel paper which also made the ingredient list hard to read since it was in a lighter grey. I did need my reading glasses because of that. I think it may have been fine if the font was bigger and maybe they made the font smaller to keep the book at 300 pages which is one of the cut-off points for books, but, if so, I wish when they'd decreased the size, they'd changed the color to black like the rest of the recipe.
Conclusion: In my perfect world, the pages and binding and font color would be more like a cookbook than a novel but I read it like a novel since it's full of information. The dishes, and I mean every dish I've made from it, has been 5 star and we never feel deprived cooking easy dishes with everyday ingredeints we have at home or can substitute with her suggestions. If nothing else, taste that dang addictive and decadent chocolate cake with peanut butter glaze. So I forgave throwing on my reading glasses after I tasted the dishes. Now get that nutritional info on a website somewhere and I'll be eternally grateful--That said, I still love it.

The Skinnygirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life Overview



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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Cooking With 5 Ingredients (Flavors of Home) Review & Ratings

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Cooking With 5 Ingredients (Flavors of Home) Review

If you told me that someone had made a book of recipes that only take five ingredients and three steps to make I would not have believed it contained so many delicious recipes. From appetizers, to breads, to brunch, soups, salads, sandwiches, vegetables, side dishes, main dishes, and sweets just about any type of recipe is represented here. This is a great cookbook for the novice cook or people in a hurry. The recipes are so simple that even a young teenager can prepare a complete meal without any problems.
Some of the recipes that I really liked were the Roasted Garlic Dip, Mini Reubens, Green Olive Spread, Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken, Ranch Chicken, Sweet and Sour Spareribs, and Peanut Butter Fudge. It was really hard to pick favorite recipes from this book because everything I tried was great. This cookbook has already become one of my personal favorites. It has everything that I look for - comb bound so it lies flat, easy recipes to follow, easily acquired ingredients, minimal cleanup, and very tasty. This is a highly recommended cookbook for anyone to have around the house to prepare that elegant meal that looks and tastes like you have slaved in the kitchen all day.

Cooking With 5 Ingredients (Flavors of Home) Overview



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