30-Minute Meals for Dummies

This is an amazingly intuitive book. Bennett anticipates just about everything a life-long non-cook could encounter. If you know anyone who has suddenly been thrust into a situation where they must cook food which is appealing to them, this book is for that person. Start with the very, very basics like cooking pre-cooked rice, cooking greens or browning onions. It's there. Out of an ingredient? Learn timely substitutes.After the Contents at a Glance, find Recipes at a Glance listed by description (six pages of them). These include entertaining suggestions, "Especially for Two," 20-Minute Main Dishes and 15-Minute-or-Less Main Dishes. The actual Table of Contents is seven pages in length! Repeated eye-catchers offer hand-held tips such as "Caution," "Remember," or just plain "Tip." Taking a new cook by the hand is further evidenced with the 19-page index. HIGHLIGHTS:Following the Grain TrailHerb ChartHow to judge a safe salad barPreparing pre-cooked spudsSauces in Seconds, including some International SaucesTips on seasoning your salad dressingPurchasing, storing and browning ground beef (vs. hamburger)Seeding a cucumberMaking a mountain of lettuceFlattening a chicken breast for even cookingMaking French Fry Soup, (lotsa calories).Bennett makes food and its preparation lighten up. In her chapter, 20 Tips for Eliminating Mealtime Hassles, she deals with topics such as, Making Relaxation a Priority, Keeping Everything Handy, and (very important) Asking for Help. More of Bennett's anticipation shows up in her sections on Asking for Help, Coping with Bumps in the Road, Having Fun and Sharing. This book won't necessarily get a dummie cooking, it can teach a lot of tricks to anyone hungry, dumb or not. Bev Bennett is also author of the award-winning Two's Company. ...