Best Slow and Easy Recipes


Cook's Illustrated - 2008
     The appeal of cooking food slowly is undeniable; a moderate oven temperature and extended cooking time can build rich, concentrated flavor and yield tender, juicy meat. But when most of us think of dishes that are slow cooking by nature - such as roasts, braises, and stews - we think of an all-day affair requiring constant attention, something to prepare for a special occasion or when you can commit a full day to the task. But in fact, in many cases just the opposite is true. These dishes are, for the most part, easy - although they take time, the process is largely unattended, leaving you free to simply walk away. You'll find all the classic slow-cooked dishes here - dishes where time, slow simmering, and gentle heat work their magic. We promise it's worth the wait.

100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned, and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love


Lisa Leake - 2014
    What she thought would be a short-term experiment turned out to have a huge impact on her personally. After wading through their fair share of challenges, experiencing unexpected improvements in health, and gaining a preference for fresh, wholesome meals, the Leakes happily adopted their commitment to real food as their "new normal."Now Lisa shares her family's story, offering insights and cost-conscious recipes everyone can use to enjoy wholesome natural food prepared with easily found ingredients such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, seafood, locally raised meats, whole-milk dairy products, nuts, natural sweeteners, and more.Filled with step-by-step instructions, this hands-on cookbook and guide includes:Advice for navigating the grocery store and making smart real food purchases Tips for reading ingredient labels 100 quick-and-easy recipes for such favorites as Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale Pesto Cream Sauce, Cheesy Broccoli Casserole, The Best Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker, and Cinnamon-Glazed Popcorn Meal plans and suggestions for kid-pleasing school lunches, parties, and snacks A 10-day mini-starter program, and much more.100 Days of Real Food offers all the support, encouragement, and guidance you'll need to make these incredibly important and timely life changes.

Kitchen Confidence: Essential Recipes and Tips That Will Help You Cook Anything


Kelsey Nixon - 2014
    Her recipes, which are broken down into simple steps, teach readers how to cook, highlighting key tools and basic techniques everyone should know. And yet her flavors are anything but basic; Kelsey gives everyone the confidence to start with the 2.0 version of a recipe instead of the boring standards. For example, she makes her house pilaf with quinoa instead of rice, and her addictive fruit salad is a savory first course instead of a lackluster dessert.      With 100 recipes and 60 color photographs, Kitchen Confidence brings home all of the energy and spirit of the Cooking Channel show of the same name, making it an excellent handbook for newlyweds, recent college graduates, and those discovering their kitchens for the first time.

Sous Vide at Home: The Modern Technique for Perfectly Cooked Meals


Lisa Q. Fetterman - 2016
    Now, from the creator of Nomiku--the first affordable sous vide machine--comes this easy-to-follow cookbook that clearly illustrates how to harness the power of sous vide technology to achieve restaurant-quality dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen. Discover the stress-free way to cook a delicious (and never dry!) Thanksgiving turkey along with all the trimmings, classics like Perfect Sous Vide Steak and Duck Confit, and next-level appetizers like Deep Fried Egg Yolks. Including over 100 recipes for everything from Halibut Tostadas, Grilled Asparagus with Romesco, and Chicken Tikka Masala, to Dulce de Leche, Hassle-Free Vanilla Ice Cream, and even homemade Coffee-Cardamom Bitters, Sous Vide at Home has you covered for every occasion.

What's a Cook to Do?: An Illustrated Guide to 484 Essential Tips, Techniques, and Tricks


James Peterson - 2007
    Culinary students everywhere rely on the comprehensive and authoritative cookbooks published by chef, instructor, and award-winning author Jim Peterson. And now, for the first time, this guru-to-the-professionals turns his prodigious knowledge into a practical, chockablock, quick-reference, A-to-Z answer book for the rest of us. Look elsewhere for how to bone skate or trim out a saddle of lamb, how to sauté sweetbreads or flambé dessert. Look here instead for how to zest a lemon, make the perfect hamburger, bread a chicken breast, make (truly hot) coffee in a French press, make magic with a Microplane. It’s all here: how to season a castiron pan, bake a perfect pie, keep shells from sticking to hardcooked eggs. How to carve a turkey, roast a chicken, and chop, slice, beat, broil, braise, or boil any ingredient you’re likely to encounter. Information on seasoning, saucing, and determining doneness (by internal temperatures, timings, touch, and sight) guarantee that you’ve eaten your last bland and overcooked meal. Here are 500 invaluable techniques with nearly as many color photographs, bundled into a handy, accessible format.

The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Living


Mark Bittman - 2010
    The Food Matters Cookbook is the essential encyclopedia and guidebook to responsible eating, with more than 500 recipes that capture Bittman’s typically relaxed approach to everything in the kitchen. There is no finger-wagging here, just a no-nonsense and highly flexible case for eating more plants while cutting back on animal products, processed food, and of course junk. But for Bittman, flipping the ratio of your diet to something more virtuous and better for your body doesn’t involve avoiding any foods—indeed, there is no sacrifice here. Since his own health prompted him to change his diet, Bittman has perfected cooking tasty, creative, and forward-thinking dishes based on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Meat and other animal products are often included—but no longer as the centerpiece. In fact the majority of these recipes include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, or dairy, using them for their flavor, texture, and satisfying nature without depending on them for bulk. Roasted Pork Shoulder with Potatoes, Apples, and Onions and Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Clams are perfect examples. Many sound downright decadent: Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon, and Egg; Stuffed Pizza with Broccoli, White Beans, and Sausage; or Roasted Butternut Chowder with Apples and Bacon, for example.There are vegetarian recipes, too, and they have flair without being complicated—recipes like Beet Tartare, Lentil "Caviar" with All the Trimmings, Radish-Walnut Tea Sandwiches, and Succotash Salad. Bittman is a firm believer in snacking, but in the right way. Instead of packaged cookies or greasy chips, Bittman suggests Seasoned Popcorn with Grated Parmesan or Fruit and Cereal Bites. Nor does he skimp on desserts; rather, he focuses on fruit, good-quality chocolate, nuts, and whole-grain flours, using minimal amounts of eggs, butter, and other fats. That allows for a whole chapter devoted to sweets, including Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies, Apricot Polenta Cake, Brownie Cake, and Coconut Tart with Chocolate Smear.True to the fuss-free style that has made him famous, Bittman offers plenty of variations and substitutions that let you take advantage of foods that are in season—or those that just happen to be in the fridge. A quick-but-complete rundown on ingredients tells you how to find sustainable and flavorful meat and shop for dairy products, grains, and vegetables without wasting money on fancy organic labels. He indicates which recipes you can make ahead, those that are sure to become pantry staples, and which ones can be put together in a flash. And because Bittman is always comprehensive, he makes sure to include the building-block recipes for the basics of home cooking: from fast stocks, roasted garlic, pizza dough, and granola to pots of cooked rice and beans and whole-grain quick breads.With a tone that is easygoing and non-doctrinaire, Bittman demonstrates the satisfaction and pleasure in mindful eating. The result is not just better health for you, but for the world we all share.

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods


Jennifer Reese - 2011
    She had never before considered making her own peanut butter and pita bread, let alone curing her own prosciutto or raising turkeys. And though it sounded logical that "doing it yourself" would cost less, she had her doubts. So Reese began a series of kitchen-related experiments, taking into account the competing demands of everyday contemporary American family life as she answers some timely questions: When is homemade better? Cheaper? Are backyard eggs a more ethical choice than store-bought? Will grinding and stuffing your own sausage ruin your week? Is it possible to make an edible maraschino cherry? Some of Reese's discoveries will surprise you: Although you should make your hot dog buns, guacamole, and yogurt, you should probably buy your hamburger buns, potato chips, and rice pudding. Tired? Buy your mayonnaise. Inspired? Make it. With its fresh voice and delightful humor, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter gives 120 recipes with eminently practical yet deliciously fun "Make or buy" recommendations. Reese is relentlessly entertaining as she relates her food and animal husbandry adventures, which amuse and perplex as well as nourish and sustain her family. Her tales include living with a backyard full of cheerful chickens, muttering ducks, and adorable baby goats; countertops laden with lacto-fermenting pickles; and closets full of mellowing cheeses. Here's the full picture of what is involved in a truly homemade life -- with the good news that you shouldn't try to make everything yourself -- and how to get the most out of your time in the kitchen.

Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico


Rick Bayless - 1987
    We've fallen in love with the great Mexican combination of rich, earthy flavors and casual, festive dining. But we don't begin to imagine how sumptuous and varied the cooking of Mexico really is.After ten years of loving exploration, Rick Bayless, together with his wife, Deann, gave us Authentic Mexican, this now classic, easy-to-use compendium of our southern neighbor's cooking.This all-embracing cookbook offers the full range of dishes, from poultry, meat, fish, rice, beans, and vegetables to eggs, snacks made of corn masa, tacos, turnovers, enchiladas and their relatives, tamales, and moles, ending with desserts, sweets, and beverages. There are irresistible finger foods such as Yucatecan marinated shrimp tacos and crispy cheese-filled masa turnovers; spicy corn chowder and chorizo sausage with melted cheese will start off a special dinner; you will find mole poblano, charcoal-grilled pork in red-chile adobo, and marinated fish steamed in banana leaves for those times when you want to celebrate; and exotic ice creams, caramel custards, and pies to top off any meal. There's even a section devoted to refreshing coolers, rich chocolate drinks, and a variety of tequila-laced cocktails.The master recipes feature all the pointers you'll need for re-creating genuine Mexican textures and flavors in a North American kitchen. Menu suggestions and timing and advance-preparation tips make these dishes perfectly convenient for today's working families. And traditional and contemporary variations accompany each recipe, allowing the cook to substitute and be creative.Rick and Deann Bayless traveled more than thirty-five thousand miles investigating the six distinct regions of Mexico and learning to prepare what they found. From town to town, recipe by recipe, they personally introduce you to Mexico's cooks, their kitchens, their markets, and their feasts.If, like the rest of us, you have a growing love for Mexican food, the reliable recipes in this book and the caring, personal presentation by Rick and Deann Bayless will provide meal after meal of pure pleasure for your family and friends.

The Vitamix Cookbook: 250 Delicious Whole Food Recipes to Make in Your Blender


Jodi Berg - 2015
    Now, Vitamix has created a gorgeous companion cookbook to help you enjoy the benefits of a whole foods diet. Here are more than 200 simple, scrumptious, easy-to-prepare recipes that use a blender—most taking less than thirty minutes.The chefs at Vitamix believe that the only way to make lasting, healthy changes to your diet is to enjoy the food you eat. With The Vitamix Cookbook they’ve created mouthwatering food you’ll want everyday: breakfast and brunch, including smoothies, breakfast mains (muffins, breads and scones), pancakes, waffles, egg dishes soups and sides (amazingly, the Vitamix heats the soup while blending it, making it table ready in less than ten minutes!) entrees, including wraps and sandwiches, burgers, pizza, pasta, poultry, meat and seafood sauces and dressings drinks, including nut milks, juices, and even cocktails desserts, including sorbets, ice creams, milkshakes and baked desserts Throughout The Vitamix Cookbook, you’ll find helpful sidebars with inspiring stories of people who have improved their health using their Vitamix, as well as tips for a nutritious whole foods diet.

Milk Street: Cookish: Throw It Together: Big Flavors. Simple Techniques. 200 Ways to Reinvent Dinner.


Christopher Kimball - 2020
    In Cookish, Christopher Kimball and his team of cooks and editors harness the most powerful cooking principles from around the world to create 200 of the simplest, most delicious recipes ever created. These recipes, most with six or fewer ingredients (other than oil, salt, and pepper), make it easy to be a great cook -- the kind who can walk into a kitchen and throw together dinner in no time. In each of these recipes, big flavors and simple techniques transform pantry staples, common proteins, or centerpiece vegetables into a delicious meal. And each intuitive recipe is a road map for other mix-and-match meals, which can come together in minutes from whatever's in the fridge. With most recipes taking less than an hour to prepare, and just a handful of ingredients, you'll enjoy:Pasta with Shrimp and Browned ButterWest African Peanut ChickenRed Lentil SoupScallion NoodlesOpen-Faced Omelet with Fried Dill and FetaGreek Bean and Avocado SaladAnd for dessert: Spiced Strawberry Compote with Greek Yogurt or Ice Cream When it's a race to put dinner on the table, these recipes let you start at the finish line.

Cooking at Home with Bridget and Julia: The TV Hosts of America's Test Kitchen Share Their Favorite Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends


Bridget Lancaster - 2017
    Here, for the first time, they get personal and pull back the curtain on their lives, their families, and the recipes they like to cook when they are off camera.

Comfort Food: Recipes for Classic Dishes & More


Rick Rodgers - 2010
    This collection of over 100 tempting dishes—for lunch, starters, sides, dinner, and desserts—comes to life with personal tales andstunning photography, providing delicious inspiration for everyday cooking.

Dinner: Changing the Game: A Cookbook


Melissa Clark - 2017
    With more than 200 all-new recipes, Dinner is about options: inherently simple recipes that you can make any night of the week.Each recipe in this book is meant to be dinner--one fantastic dish that is so satisfying and flavor-forward it can stand alone--maybe with a little salad or some bread on the side. This is what Melissa Clark means by changing the game. Organized by main ingredient--chicken, meat, fish and seafood, eggs, pasta and noodles, tofu, vegetable dinners, grains, pizza, soups, and salads that mean it--Dinner covers an astonishing breadth of ideas about just what dinner can be. There is something for every mood, season, and the amount of time you have: sheet pan chicken laced with spicy harissa, burgers amped with chorizo, curried lentils with poached eggs, to name just a few dishes in this indispensable collection. Here, too, are easy flourishes that make dinner exceptional: stir charred lemon into pasta, toss creamy Caesar-like dressing on a grain bowl.Melissa Clark's mission is to help anyone, whether a novice or an experienced home cook, figure out what to have for dinner without ever settling on fallbacks.

I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking


Alton Brown - 2002
    Blending humor, wisdom, history, pop culture, science, and basic cooking knowledge, the host of Food Network's Good Eats presents a special edition of his innovative, instructional cooking guide that features various cooking techniques accompanied by a "master" recipe for each technique, and provides a vast array of food-related tips and advice.

Instant Pot Miracle 6 Ingredients or Less: 100 No-Fuss Recipes for Easy Meals Every Day


Ivy Manning - 2018
    Forget about loading up the cart with a long list of special ingredients, time-consuming advance prep, and endless chopping and dicing. This book offers no-fuss recipes that complement the Instant Pot’s many settings, for simple, satisfying meals ready when you want them. Recipes include meaty braises, soups and stews, healthy breakfasts (for anytime of day!), pastas and grains, and more. For even more convenience, one-pot recipes are noted with icons throughout, and some versatile recipes can be made using either the Instant Pot’s pressure-cook or slow-cook function, so you can cook according to your schedule. "Tasty tips" and serving suggestions offer even more flexibility to make the most of ingredients you already have on hand. Whether you're just getting to know your Instant Pot or you're a long-time fan, this book makes cooking delicious, wholesome meals easier than ever.