Half Scratch Magic $17.95 While some quick-and-easy style cookbooks suffer from a lack of imagination (creamed corn poured over vegetables to create a dubious veggie bake) or worse, a lack of scruples (a can of V-8 poured into a bowl and presented as "gazpacho"), this volume offers hearty, delicious recipes, most of which require 30 minutes or less in the kitchen, and all of which use jars or cans of ingredients that are probably already in the pantry. The recipe for Grilled Lamb Chops on Sweet-and-Sour Red Pepper Chutney, for example, asks for little more than some lamb chops, a food processor and a jar of red peppers, but turns out to be an elegant and slightly exotic dinner party dish. Similarly, Couscous, Chicken, Grapes, and Arugula Salad demands only rudimentary skills-think mixing and boiling water-but still makes for a fresh-tasting lunch or light supper. The authors, a mother and daughter team, are both accomplished cooks, with James Beard and Julia Child awards between them. But despite their high-flown credentials, they clearly understand that elegance need not require hours in front of the stove, and convenience need not sacrifice taste. Book Description Chinese Tomato Shrimp Soup. Enchiladas Vera Cruz. Spicy Gingered Asian Slaw with Salmon. No one needs to know these dishes began with a can of soup, a store-bought roast chicken, and deli cole slaw. With this book, cooks can discover the quick trick of pairing freshly prepared purchased items and pantry staples to produced such specialties. It is chock-full of more than 200 great spur-of-the-moment recipes for hors d'oeuvres, entrees, biscuits and breads, and desserts fashioned from ready-made, boxed, or frozen ingredients. Packed with smart shortcuts for busy cooks, this practical, inspiring book brilliantly redefines home cooking. |
Copyright 2003, Linda West Eckhardt