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!)

Fix, Freeze, Feast

8 1/2 forks out of 10

Fix, Freeze, Feast is a fantastic resource for a chef who plans to make the most of warehouse grocery stores like Sam's Club and BJ's. The first chapter is dedicated to the basics of bulk cooking: from planning your meals and shopping lists, which ingredients will work best, to the semantics of storage and setting up your workspace. The authors even do some of your work for you by including cooking instructions in a separate section of the book. Copy these onto label paper, and you're all set.

One of the most interesting aspects of this cookbook is the inclusion of "generational meals". Several of the recipes include a second-generation, which helps turn one entree into two or three separate meals. Check out Dave's Swamp Blues Barbecued Chicken (page 30), which morphs into Dave's Skillet Hash or Dave's Barbecued Chicken Pizza (pages 32-33).

The variety of flavors and cultural influences found in these recipes is hard to match elsewhere, and I applaud the authors' sense of adventure. That said, don't be intimidated if you're a first-timer! Although there are occasionally more unusual ingredients than you might find elsewhere, the prep is incredibly easy and designed to take as little time as possile.

The only reason I'm not awarding a higher fork rating is that I haven't had the chance to try more of the recipes. If those that I have tried are any indication, this book will be in regular rotation for a very long time. Try the Very Vanilla Snickerdoodles (page 210), or the Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry (page 52).

Super Suppers Cookbook

6 forks out of 10


This book is an offshoot of the on-site cooking franchise popping up across the country (check them out at http://www.supersuppers.com/). I love the idea of the franchise because all of the prep work is done for you, but overall the cookbook misses the mark just a little.

There are a few really great recipes (Sam's Firestation Chicken, page 80, and Bread Pudding, page 134, will both be permanent fixtures in my cooking repertoire), but for the most part I found the recipes a little too... simple? Basic? Not sure of the exact right term here, but to sum it up, they need a little more "something". If you're a beginning cook or not too comfortable with your skills in the kitchen, this is the perfect book for you. The recipes are straightforward, easy to follow, and the side dish and dessert recommendations are spot-on. For the more advanced cook, you may find the recipes need a little tweaking to suit your personal tastes.

Side note: Each recipe makes one entree. Obviously you can increase the recipe as needed, but if you're really looking to stock the freezer, it might be a pain to multiply every recipe.