SIMPLE RECIPES COOKBOOK
BY JAMES PETERSON
Review by Barb & Ron Kroll
Kitchen Simple
(Ten Speed Press) ISBN 978-1580083188 1580083188
If what to eat for dinner or what to eat for breakfast is your problem, then this simple recipes cookbook will help. With more than 200 recipes for family meals, company meals, weeknight meals and quick breakfast ideas, Kitchen Simple is a valuable resource for the home cook.
James Peterson's recipes for everyday meals feature easy-to-find ingredients and clear instructions. Cooking for company or your family with his simple recipes requires less than 30 minutes preparation time or less than one hour, including cooking time.
Everyday cooking tips
Kitchen Simple is organized by category, such as general chicken recipes and everyday baking.
James Peterson introduces the cookbook and his simple recipes with cooking tips and ingredient information, e.g., store nut oils in the freezer, so they do not go rancid and store vanilla beans, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, in the fridge.
Some sidebars provide additional recipes, like how to reduce chicken broth to make a glaze for flavoring sauces and soups. Other sidebars include serving tips, such as heating plates in the oven or with hot water before serving hot foods.
Mashed potato variations
Many recipes include variations. In his mashed potatoes recipe, James Peterson provides instructions on how to make mashed potatoes flavored with porcini mushrooms, truffles, celeriac, basil, fennel and garlic.
James Peterson's appetizing color photos illustrate his easy recipes in Kitchen Simple.
Ideas for fast breakfasts
The chapter on quick breakfast ideas makes it easy to decide what to eat for breakfast. Kitchen Simple breakfast recipes range from apricot bread to blueberry breakfast cake.
The back of Jim Peterson's 244-page cookbook features US/Imperial to metric conversion charts for volume (cups, quarts etc.), weight (oz to grams), temperature (F to C degrees) and length (inches to cm).
Sample simple recipes for everyday and company
Avocados with hazelnut vinaigrette. Moroccan spiced carrot salad. Creamy mint vinaigrette. Sautéed spinach with pine nuts and raisins. Cauliflower gratin. Goat cheese soufflés. Curried shrimp cakes. Fillets of sole with sherry. Porcini mushroom risotto. Chipotle chile cornbread. Veal chops with wild mushrooms. Stir fried chicken with cashews and snow peas. Duck confit. White chocolate mousse. Chocolate tart with raspberries.
Contents
- Introduction
- Hors d'oeuvres
- Soups
- Salads
- Vegetables
- Cheese Dishes
- Seafood
- Pasta and Grains
- Meat
- Poultry
- Sauces
- Desserts
- Breakfast
- Hot and Cold Drinks
- Index
Author
James Peterson is a cooking instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. He has also written 14 other cookbooks, including Sauces, Baking, Vegetables, Glorious French Food and Cooking.