American Favorites

Subtitled "All American Cooking for a New Generation", this is the perfect book for a slightly more-experienced chef who hasn't yet made the transition into full once-a-month cooking. These are just recipes, as you would find in any other general cookbook, but Betty has been kind enough to let you know in the sidebar of each page which are freezer-friendly and which can be prepped ahead. And not all of them can, so choose wisely if your goal is to stock the freezer! No matter which you try, though, you're pretty much guaranteed a tasty meal. The author has totally revamped the classics, from Silver Dollar Crab Cakes (page 12) served with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (delicious!) to Baked Butternut Squash and Apples with Maple Syrup (page 213 -- this will melt in your mouth), to Hot Leek and Basil Bread (page 296, and really, do I need to say more?) and managed to update them without losing any of the simplicity that made us loves these dishes to begin with. The recipes are simple enough not to become overly fussy, but still manage to get to the table looking beautiful and tasting just as good. Highly recommend this one.



(blogger's note: sadly, my little fork-rating jpegs are on another computer, so I can't add them to this review just yet. But I give this one an 8 out of 10. Yum!)