Kitchen Decorating on a Budget
Tue, 30th June 2009
Decorating your home, especially kitchen decorating, can be a challenge even with a large budget. There are so many choices to make. With a limited budget, it can seem like more of a task than a joy.
The kitchen is the heart of the home and our goal is to have a kitchen be both beautiful and functional. For most of us it is important that our kitchen radiates warmth and home to all who enter.
There are many kitchen decorating ideas that will create an impact without making any expensive structural changes. A fresh color on the walls creates a tremendous impact for very little cost.
When you are selecting a paint color, just make sure the wall color goes with the floors and cabinets. Remember too that dark colors make rooms appear smaller and light colors make them appear larger.
Do you have old kitchen cupboards that you can’t afford to replace right now? Consider painting them. I know, some people are horrified at the idea of covering wooden cabinets with paint. The truth is though that styles and tastes changes through the years and the pickled wood or yellowy oak that was popular several years ago, may just not suit your taste now.
Painting the cupboards is an inexpensive alternative to replacing them and easier than restaining them. A fresh coat of paint on the cupboards will greatly change the appearance of the entire kitchen with little cost. It is an excellent budget decorating idea.
Changing kitchen cupboard door hardware is another very inexpensive way to give your kitchen a boost. The simple act of changing the door handles and drawer pulls on your kitchen cabinet can result in an almost instant facelift. Combine this with a fresh coat of paint on the cupboards and a complimentary color on the walls and the impact can be nothing short of stunning
Remember - It is often the little changes that can have the greatest impact. And compared with the cost and time involved in replacing all of the kitchen cupboards, paint is a small change.
Flooring is often thought to be a renovation that isn’t in the realm of budget decorating. Many of the new laminate floors, however, are fairly inexpensive and easy to install. There are also many new styles of peel and stick tile that can bring about impressive results for very little effort and without professional skills. Any floors that you can install yourself will save a lot of money and can make a huge difference in the appearance and your enjoyment of your kitchen.
Kitchen decorating with accent pieces can immediately change the look of your room for very little cost. For example, create a Tuscan kitchen with wrought iron accents and canisters in rich Tuscan colors. Add a few sunflowers and oil and vinegar cruets and you have immediately created a look that takes you to another place.
Like the retro look? Look for chrome accents, an old fashioned chrome dinette suite, retro toasters in red or turquoise and fun prints for your walls with ads from the 50’s.
As you can see there are many ways in which you can improve and enhance the look and feel of your kitchen without shattering the piggy bank in the process. An added bonus is that that taking on one project at a time, and staying on budget, allows you to redecorate more of your home than if you had blown everything on one room.
You will find lots of other ideas for decorating the kitchen and the rest of our home at our main site www.TodaysHouse.com
Children, Families, Food and Cooking, Recreation
How many of us remember the family picnic?
I have many fond memories of packing up a cold supper and going with my family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, for a family picnic by the lake. Sometimes we would barbecue hot dogs and hamburgers to go with the salads and cool desserts my mother had packed. Other times it was a cold supper, with cold meats and fried chicken pieces to eat alongside those wonderful salads.
Before supper we would play in the water, play games and get our appetites ready for delicious picnic food. After supper, we would relax, maybe play some cards and watch as the beautiful sunset amazed us yet again.
Times have changed and it seems we don’t always take the time to create those memories with our families. It’s an easy thing to do though.
Here are three easy recipes that will help to create a memorable picnic experience for your family. They are all easy to pack up in plastic containers with lockable lids. Just pop them into a cooler with some ice, take along some cold drinks and maybe a watermelon, the perennial hot weather refresher, and you have a fun day that family and friends will remember for a long time to come.
Peanut Crunch Slaw
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup finely cut celery
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Toss the cabbage and celery together and chill. Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, onion, green pepper and cucumber. Chill that mixture too. Just before serving, toss chilled vegetables with the dressing. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top.
Makes 4 servings.
Sweet Potato Salad
4 orange sweet potatoes
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 - 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Wrap each sweet potato in foil and bake for 1 hour at 400ºF until tender, or poke with a knife, wrap each potato in a paper towel and cook in the microwave for 5-6 minutes until soft.
Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into 3/4 inch chunks. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the sweet potatoes, celery, red pepper, pineapple and green onions. Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Chill, covered, for 1 to 10 hours.
Just before serving fold in the pecans. The salad can be sprinkled with chopped chives for presentation if desired.
Serves 6
Three Fruit Fluff
1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup canned mandarin oranges, undrained
8 ounces strawberry yogurt
8 ounces whipped topping
1 small package white chocolate instant pudding mix
maraschino cherries or fresh strawberries (optional)
Combine the undrained pineapple and mandarin oranges, yogurt, whipped topping and dry pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix well. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.
Top each serving with a few maraschino cherries or a fresh strawberry.
Serves 6 to 8
Of course all of these recipes can be enjoyed anywhere and any time.
I hope though that they pique your interest in packing up and finding a great spot for a family picnic.
Don’t forget the frisbee!!
Find more great summer recipes at www.CookingNook.com
Food and Cooking
It’s summer and the berries are plentiful!
Berries are available all year round in most areas, but there is nothing quite like easy dessert recipes made from summer fresh berries.
You can certainly make any of these recipes any time of the year, but they will be especially appreciated as cool summer treats.
Summer Fruit Bowl
Feel free to mix the berries you use in this recipe to suit your taste. Raspberries would be wonderful too.
16 lady finger halves
1 tablespoon sherry or orange juice
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup seedless green grapes
1 cup flaked coconut
1 - 14 ounce can pineapple chunks, well drained
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sprinkle the lady fingers with sherry or orange juice and line 1½ quart severing bowl with the cookies. Combine strawberries, blueberries and grapes. Mix coconut, pineapple, sour cream and extract. Stir this mixture lightly into the fruit. Spoon it all into the lined bowl. Chill before serving.
Makes 8 - 10 servings
Strawberry Peach Sherbet
The perfect summer dessert when these fruits are at their freshest.
4 large peaches
1 pound fresh strawberries, chopped
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup superfine sugar
Add the peaches to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the peaches from the pot and immerse in cold water. When the peaches are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and stones.
Mash the peaches into a pulp in a large mixing bowl. Pureé the peach pulp, strawberries and lemon juice in a food processor. Stir the sugar into the fruit mixture and pureé for another 10-15 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large, shallow dish and freeze until hard.
To serve:
Remove the dish from the freezer 1 hour before serving and let the sherbet soften in the refrigerator.
Mixed Berry Brown Betty
The surprise addition of a bit of white wine definitely makes this one ready for company. Use any mix of berries you prefer.
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup strawberries, quartered
2 1/2 cups raspberries
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup white wine (or substitute apple juice)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Toss the berries with 3/4 cup brown sugar, the wine and the lemon juice. Set aside.
Melt the butter with the cinnamon, salt and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a pot. In a separate bowl, blend bread crumbs and graham cracker crumbs. Pour the butter mixture over the crumbs and blend them together well.
Spoon 1/3 of the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of 6 or 8 ramekins or the bottom of a square baking dish. Add half the berry mixture, then spoon over another 1/3 of the crumbs. Add the remaining berry mixture and finish with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until fruit is bubbly and crumbs are browned.
This berry treasure tastes great eaten while it is still warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream.
Enjoy your summer and all the delicious bounty that fresh summer fruits have to offer.
Karen Ciancio is a cook and lover of all things food and cooking related. Her website www.CookingNook.com contains hundreds of recipes, cooking tips, measurement conversions, kitchen ideas and diet and nutritional information. Look for more easy summer dessert recipes here.
Books, Food and Cooking, Kitchen
Alton Browns Gear For Your Kitchen
Alton Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen offers honest, practical advice on what’s needed and what isn’t, what works and what doesn’t. For instance: You only need three knives, but they are a lifetime investment. And don’t bother with that famous countertop grill—it doesn’t get hot enough to properly sear. In his signature science-guy style, Brown begins with advice on kitchen layout and organization, then gets to the lowdown on these cooking elements: Big Things with Plugs; Pots and Pans; Sharp Things; The Tool Box; Small Things with Plugs; Storage and Containment; and Safety and Sanitation.
Gear For Your Kitchen is essential for all of Brown’s fans as well as anyone who wants a good guide to great kitchen gear. With more than 125,000 hardcover copies in print, this indispensable—and highly entertaining—book is now offered in a paperback edition that every home cook can afford.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A book to live by
The wife and I used this book when we registered for our wedding. It was perfect in helping us decide what was really necessary and what was junk that would clutter out kitchen. I highly recommend this book for learning about different types of cooking tools.
4 Stars Comprehensive, thoughful book.
Outstanding book. A must for cooking enthusiasts. Beware of spending a lot of money on buying stuff though.
4 Stars Good reference
Being a fan of Mr. Brown’s “Good Eats” I was kind of hoping this book would read more like a story.
It will be kept in the kitchen as a reference for any future purchases but it is not the type of book you read from cover to cover.
Books, Food and Cooking, For Men, For Women
Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly P S
A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A Must Read
Kitchen Confidential is a must read for anyone who has ever set foot in the backrooms of a restaurant. Bourdain captures the environment with all its stresses, off-colored language and cooking pride. Kitchen Confidential reads similar to a feature on VH1’s Behind the Music as Bourdain battles with his own demons and finds success after many years of debauchery. I have been a fan of Bourdain’s No Reservation on the Travel Channel for quite awhile and now as an author. The book lead me to another Bourdain project called the Les Halles Cookbook which has inspired me to spend more time in the favorite room of my house, the kitchen. Thank you, Tony!
5 Stars Brings Back Memories
It has been over 20 years since I worked in the restaurant business, but reading Bourdain’s book brought back a lot of memories of what the business and the many characters who inhabit it are like. I found Bourdain’s book to be very entertaining and reflects much of what I remember about the world of food preparation and service. Bourdain’s management style is quite different from my own and I am not sure that I would want to work for the guy, (or have him work for me), but he is a great writer and accurately depicts the life in the biz.
5 Stars Oh the Memories!
I love how Anthony Bourdain can add sophistication to the grueling and raw life hidden behind the walls of our favorite resurtants. I worked in a kitchen growing up and it’s amazing how universal some of his stories and lessons truely are! I LOVED IT!
Books, Food and Cooking, Gifts, Kitchen, People
A highly acclaimed writer and editor, Bill Buford left his job at The New Yorker for a most unlikely destination: the kitchen at Babbo, the revolutionary Italian restaurant created and ruled by superstar chef Mario Batali.
Finally realizing a long-held desire to learn first-hand the experience of restaurant cooking, Buford soon finds himself drowning in improperly cubed carrots and scalding pasta water on his quest to learn the tricks of the trade. His love of Italian food then propels him on journeys further afield: to Italy, to discover the secrets of pasta-making and, finally, how to properly slaughter a pig. Throughout, Buford stunningly details the complex aspects of Italian cooking and its long history, creating an engrossing and visceral narrative stuffed with insight and humor.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A amazing journey through food and cooking
In the last few years I have gotten really interested in food and cooking, and I have to say that having read dozens of great cookbooks and memoirs, this one stands out in my mind.
The author, a longtime food enthusiast and home cook, meets famed chef Mario Batali by chance at a dinner party and the chance encounter inspires him to write a series of articles about life in New York’s acclaimed Babbo Restaurant. Working as a kitchen slave for Batali, Buford is by turns disastrous and hilarious, but the experience changes how he sees the restaurant industry and his relationship to cooking. As he spends months working his way up fro prep chef to line cook, he becomes a part of Babbo’s disfunctional kitchen family, and decides to expand his knowledge as a chef by returning to Italy to apprentice with a celebrated Tuscan butcher. Buford intersperses his tales from the underbelly of the kithen with biographical bits about Batali’s emergence as a celebrity chef, the history of Italian food, and the ins and outs of life at Babbo.
The book can be surprisingly touching and emotional, Bill Buford’s crazy journey reminds us that we can never stop learning, or stop being open to our passions and interests, not matter where they may take us.
4 Stars Outsider Looking In
I’ve been a fairly faithful watcher of Top Chef, and a recent one of other restaurant/food based reality tv shows. I wondered if the kitchens were really as sexist as they were made out to be. I wondered how it was so “easy” to get meals brought out in 20 - 30 minutes. Those questions and more get answered. For example, I decided to make braised short ribs based on a Top Chef recipe and one of them ended up looking all weird and alien-like. I wasn’t sure why it happened since the others were fine. This book explains it.
Bill Buford relays his misadventures with humor, very often at his own expense. I haven’t read any of his other works so I’m not sure if it’s his style of writing or if was lucky to be aware of how he looked as an enthusiastic cook with little knowledge to the professional kitchen staff. Some of his curiosities was not of much interest to me (like when the egg made it into the pasta) but others are well worth the reading (like when he takes a pig home to butcher it).
4 Stars You Need to Love the Kitchen
I love this book. If I could get my wife to read it, she would have lasted 10 pages. If you don’t love to cook, love to experiment in the kitchen or love to eat at and critque fine restaurants, you might not understand this book. I finished this book wishing I could trade places with Buford. If you’re a guy who would rather go to Lowe’s instead of a kitchen supply store, this is probably not for you.
Books, Food and Cooking, Kitchen
Millions of Mitford fans around the world will agree—it’s easy to put on a pound or two reading a Mitford novel. Scene after scene of the bestselling series’ colorful characters enjoying tantalizing dishes can immediately start a craving. Then, before you know it, you’ve read several pages by the glow of the refrigerator lightbulb.
Packed with more than 150 recipes from the Mitford novels and from the author’s own recipe box, Jan Karon’s Mitford Cook-book & Kitchen Reader is loaded with tips, hints, jokes, culinary quotes, and delightful side-dish sidebars guaranteed to start a stomach rumbling. From Miss Sadie’s Apple Pie to Puny’s Cornbread, from Emma’s Pork Roast to Marge’s Sweet Tea with Peppermint, beloved characters come alive through their own favorite recipes. Here, too, are Karon’s reminiscences of her own family’s food traditions and—as dessert—four stories never before published in her books.
Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader is a charming companion to the Mitford series that will have readers clamoring to bring into their own kitchens the aromas and flavors that swirl within the little town with the big heart.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A Mitford Must Have
If you are a Father Tim, Cynthia, Puny or Esther Bolick fan, this book is a must. Not only will you be able to create the yummy foods found in the Mitford series, but passages from the book highlight the significance of many of the recipes.
5 Stars Jan Karon;s Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader
This was a very unique cookbook. I recommend it to anyone who needs a little story to go with their newly created dish. I truly enjoyed reading this book.
5 Stars Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader
Absolutely beautiful cookbook - it appears brand new. I very much enjoyed the 9 of the Mitford Series novels, and didn’t know if I would like the cookbook. But, I love it. It is filled with excerpts from the Mitford Series along with the many recipes that were so enticing as I read all the novels!! Very impressed with the condition of the book and the speed of the delivery. Thank you.
Book Reviews, Books, Food and Cooking, Kitchen
The Americas Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Featuring more than 700 kitchen-tested recipes, 800 step-by-step photos, opinionated product ratings, and at-a-glance tutorials that guarantee success every time you bake.
A companion to the bestselling America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (with more than 550,000 copies sold), this comprehensive cookbook delivers the foolproof recipes, step-by-step instructions, and troubleshooting guides that have become the hallmark of every book published by America’s most trusted test kitchen. For anyone who has made pie dough that seemed impossible to roll out, bread that failed to rise, or a birthday cake that couldn’t be served, this book will be a lifesaver as well as a lifelong and trusty baking companion. And with 22 chapters, this book is packed with recipes that will keep you busy (and your family and friends happy) for years to come.
Here you’ll find recipes that range from easy and approachable (simple bowl cakes, quick breads, no-knead bread, and no-bake cookies) to more ambitious and demanding (artisan breads, wedding cakes, fancy layer cakes, and pastry). So whether you are an accomplished baker looking for a great collection of new recipes or a beginning baker looking for a practical step-by-step guide and easy recipes to bake for your family, you’ll find what you want here.
In addition to the recipes, The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book is full of test kitchen tips that explain how or why a recipe works (and where you can go wrong), recipes at a glance (where we provide mini tutorials with photos), and illustrated troubleshooting guides (where we highlight the most common baking problems and their solutions). A practical guide to baking basics with information on key ingredients and necessary equipment (along with the test kitchen’s favorite brands), The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book will help anyone get started on the right track.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking
The book was great!! Received sooner than expected which was greatly appreciated. Thanks for the GREAT service you provide to me.
5 Stars Breaking The Baking Code!
My Great-Grandmother was known for her baking. My mother’s home-made bread has been likened to cake. My sister has never had a problem baking anything. But, when it came to baking, I was (too many times) unsuccessful - avoiding it like the plague. Since I love to cook - want to do it as a profession, even…I thought I’d better become able to bake, as well. Thank You, America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated, for the only baking book that has ever made complete sense to me and taken the mystery out of baking. It’s almost like breaking the Baking Code!
Now, I not only bake, but I bake very well. I understand what I am doing - what I had been doing wrong in the past - and even, how to create my own recipes using the basic techniques and the RIGHT tools and equipment. When someone else has done all the work for you, it’s almost impossible to fail at this art. Fear has been replaced by confidence and joy. I can not say enough about this book - worth every cent!
5 Stars No longer intimidated to try baking!
I come from a family of excellent bakers, but so far my baking experience has been mostly things to come out of a box. I can count on one hand the times I have baked something from scratch, and half of those times my Mom has helped. (I’m 27 years old, so it’s about time I learn!)
This book is a very well-rounded, staple baking book that I can see myself using for years. But what makes it stand out from all the other cookbooks and baking books that sit on my shelf, gathering dust?
I no longer feel intimidated to try my hand at baking something from scratch. This book is very good at explaining, in simple terms, the “science” of baking. I am always amazed at why two people can follow the same recipe and have such strikingly different results.
The Test Kitchen baking book claims to “make the mistakes, so you don’t have to.” It has a great introductory section which explains the importance of: preheating your oven, using the right measuring methods, choosing quality ingredients, using the right equipment, watching your baked goods instead of relying solely on a timer, etc. It also explains the differences between the variety of flours, and why they make a difference in your recipes - as well as many other ingredients. It also goes through a variety of other pantry staples to have on hand, as well as baking pans and other equipment… recommending their favorite brands.
I didn’t realize so many things can affect your recipe, like using the wrong temperature of butter. The last time I made cookies with my Mom, she “freaked out” when I added dry ingredients before properly creaming the butter and sugar. I thought she was crazy, but now I understand why proper creaming is important for cookie texture. There are even pictures to show me the under creamed, over creamed, and “just right” level.
It explains basic cooking techniques and shows photos of the process, such as whipping egg whites or melting chocolate.
So, not only does the book equip you with a great set of recipes that have been tested in their home kitchen for ease of use, it also gives you the basics you need when following the recipe, to make sure it turns out well. I think this is what takes it beyond a book that “sits on the shelf” to one I’m ready to dig in and start using. Also, the recipes themselves are great - things Mom and Grandma used to make, not too fancy, but not too basic either. The book isn’t dedicated to dessert - there is also a section of pizzas, calzones, breads and breakfast items such as scones and muffins.
I’ve made many recipes from the America’s Test Kitchen Family cookbook, which is laid out just like the Family baking book. Not only is there a photo of most recipes, often there are photographs of the various steps involved. This is so helpful for a new baker in discovering the way things are supposed to look and get a visual picture of some more complicated steps. I think even an old baker can learn a trick or two.
I highly recommend this book for college students, wedding presents, or housewarming gift - or to anyone who aspires to be a better baker. The recipes that are good for beginners are even marked so, giving those “intimidated bakers” in your life a great starting point. There are so many tasty items in here that I can’t wait to get baking! So in that respect this book has already done its job.
Thanks, America’s Test Kitchen, for inspiring us willing but intimidated chefs and bakers into action!
Book Reviews, Books, Food and Cooking
300 Fast and Flavorful Recipes from America’s Most Trusted Test Kitchen
Tired of quick recipes that aren’t really quick or don’t taste very good? While some cookbooks promise 30-minute meals, America’s Test Kitchen delivers. The Best 30-Minute Recipe is packed with more than 300 great-tasting recipes, along with time-saving techniques that will help you become more efficient in the kitchen. You’ll also find honest evaluations of ingredients important to quick cooking, such as chicken broth, preshredded cheese, instant rice, and more. And because the type of equipment you use is important to the success of any recipe—made in 30 minutes or not—we tell you which brands are worth buying.
The Best 30-Minute Recipe features a surprisingly wide range of recipes. You get not only the very best versions of naturally quick dishes like salads and stir-fries, but also quick and easy recipes for typically long-cooking dishes that you’d never even think of making on a weeknight—including meatloaf, lasagna, beef pot pie, and a pad thai so easy that you may never call for takeout again. With efficiency and good taste, The Best 30-Minute Recipe is the time-pressed cook’s guide to getting dinner on the table, night after night.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Beware! microwave cooking…
Don’t buy this book if you avoid using a microwave oven. You can adapt your cooking, of course, but then it’s no longer a 30-minute cookbook. Other than that, it has a lot of great time saving tips.
5 Stars Awesome
I never really time myself when I cook but this book is great. You don’t have to follow it word for word. The recipes are delicious and precise. I am now cooking roasted chicken breast and pan seared salmon for dinner… can’t wait to try more. Great time saving methods.
5 Stars a favorite we keep turning to over and over again
This has become a staple for us (and for my mother-in-law whenever she comes to visit!) — with a 1yr old and two busy work schedules, we don’t have much time to do the complicated, layered recipes that we usually love. But these recipes are really pretty doable in the 30min window they promise, and I’ve learned good shortcut techniques for other recipes too! What’s nice is that they don’t sacrifice on taste even as they come up with creative ways to cut down on the cooking time — my daughter LOVES the skillet lasagna (and she’s a picky eater!), and the mini-meatloaves are incredibly tasty! I probably have almost 50 cookbooks that I’ve bought and loved over the years, but this is the one we turn to 95% of the times these days.
Book Reviews, Books, Food and Cooking
Paula Deens Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal
Hey there, y’all!
My favorite recipes came direct from my momma and grandmommas. I just love goin’ through all the recipe cards they passed on to me and readin’ their handwritten notes; it makes me remember our good times in the kitchen, gathered round the table. Sometimes, though, I need a little remindin’ when it comes to writin’ down my own recipes and recollections, so I’ve put together this darlin’ little journal to get me (and you) started recordin’. I know I never forget a meal, but I also know that Jamie and Bobby aren’t always listenin’ to what I’m tellin’ ‘em.
So for you and the boys, I’ve included some tried-and-true recipes and some of my hard-learned tricks for gettin’ out of culinary scrapes — and Lord, honey, have there been a few. Whether it is a real disaster — the boss and his wife are comin’ over and the kitchen is full of smoke (no shame in servin’ some takeout) — or just an everyday bump in the road — your husband didn’t hear the buzzer, and the cake got a little dry in the oven (let some sugar water soak into those layers, and no one will know the difference) — I’ve got your answer. Just get cookin’ and let loose: nothin’ makes memories like the smell of home-cooked meals. Jot down your ingredients and your musings, cut out a recipe card or two to share with friends, keep track of who came to dinner, who liked what, and who laughed the loudest; remember the good times and learn from the bad. Like I always say, there’s not much in life you can’t learn in the kitchen.
Paula Deen
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star I was very disappointed…
I was very disappointed in this book - I’m still thinking about sending it back. I expected it be at least 33%, if not 50%, Paula’s recipes and stories. I didn’t do the calc, but I’m guessing that maybe 10% is from Paula, and 90% is a journal for you to write your own. At the very least I expected to be inspired, by Paula, to write my own family stories about cooking, and it didn’t even accomplish that. I honestly think I could have done better, and I am certainly not a trained cook nor chef. I could talk about my Grandmother’s Danish and Elbiskever, (her parents came from Denmark), and how my aunt taught me to be so particular about measuring, about the extremely hard cookies I made one time (my Grandma thought maybe I used baking powder instead of baking soda), the time I made Cheese Soufle, having no idea what it was, and it was a horrible flop, about even last Thanksgiving when my stuffing was so soggy it could have been soup. OK…there have been lots of successes, too, but this book doesn’t insprie me to write about any of them. If I ever decide to put down my cooking history, I’ll probably just do it on my own, on my laptop.
Maybe this book should have been distributed in electronic format (like MS-Word) - who writes long-hand these days anyway?
5 Stars COME TO THE KITCHEN
These recipes are great to the taste but not necessarily to the heart. They may not help my 1991 heart transplant but they are a joy to the palet.
Author of Mr. NewHeart (New Heart): Heart Attack to Transplant and Beyond, the inspiring story of my heart transplant which gave me a new lease on life.
I also recommend A Step of Faith for your enjoyment and edification. It is well worth your time.
5 Stars Problem solver extraordinaire!
This is the greatest little gift book on the planet. As a guy, I never know what to buy —and here’s the solution—a little of Paula, a little of you! I laughed with the wisdom and really understand the joy of creating recipes to hand down to the generations.
Once again, our Ms. Deen has done it. Sure, in the interests of full disclosure, my wife collaborated on this book, but it’s phenomenal—I swear I’m impartial!
L. Abbott Cohen
Book Reviews, Books, Families, Food and Cooking
The Americas Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Heavy Duty Revised Edition
Repackaged to be easier to use and expanded to include a whole new chapter of healthy, light recipes, this revised edition of one of last fall’s bestselling cookbooks remains the one and only basic cookbook you will ever need. Beautiful step-by-step photos illuminate every conceivable technique from chopping shallots and skinning salmon to cutting up a chicken and tying a roast. In fact, just about anything you want to do in the kitchen is explained in these pages in America’s most popular test kitchen’s approachable, no-nonsense voice.
These recipes will keep you busy (and your friends and family happy) for years to come, since we’ve included hundreds of easy weeknight dishes (like Skillet Lasagna and One-Pot Chicken and Rice), company-worthy dinners (like Beef Burgundy, Roast Leg of Lamb, and Fresh Fruit Trifle), equipment ratings, shoppings tips, and more.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great resource!
This is a fabulous cookbook to have on hand!! There are great recipes (divided in sections) with wonderful tips on the best tools and techniques to use. A priceless resource to keep close by!
5 Stars Best. Cookbook. Ever.
I have tried a dozen different recipes out of this book in the two months I’ve owned it, and every one was One Of The Best Things I Have Ever Cooked.
These are not recipes that you will have to tweak a little the second or third time you do them. They are fabulous exactly as written, which makes sense considering they are based on a show that tries to come up with “the best” way to cook whatever they are making.
The flavors are surprisingly rich and sophisticated for recipes that generally have fairly simple ingredients. Those labeled “fast” are appropriate for weeknight meals. Their product suggestions have also been spot-on.
These guys are the perfect balance between “foodies” and practical, normal cooks making dinner for a family. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
5 Stars Believe in it! These recipes work, plain and simple.
I actually purchased the original edition in 2005, but would love to have this newer version with the heavier paper- several of my pages have ripped out of the binder. Either way, I have not had a SINGLE bad meal using this cookbook. They really and truly test the heck out of each recipe and it shows. There are times when I read a recipe and think that maybe “my way” is better, but I forge ahead in the name of science and do it their way. Guess what? Their way is better every time. We used their meatball recipe last night and they were FANTASTIC- tender and yummy. My meatballs are usually dense and a little dry. I made fried eggs this morning following their recipe (and thinking “low heat? really?” the entire time.) Again- awesome eggs. Trust me, you will not go wrong following their recipes. Do it their way, even if it seems like there are extra steps and you’ve never done it that way before. It just works.
