Almost from Scratch: 600 Recipes for the New Convenience Cuisine

The rating on this book was like new Very wrong there was writing in several places and some pages were cut

This cookbook uses some prepared foods from the store (such as already roasted red peppers) to make good tasting easy to prepare dinners. So while I can roast my own red peppers or make many of my own sauces, by using some already processed foods I can make delicious meals in a short amount of time. The directions are clear and easy to understand. Most of the recipes do not require unusual or hard to find ingredients. The results are great. I have made many meals that are requested by my family members. For a busy mother like me who likes to cook and doesn't have time to do it all from scratch this is a good compromise. Worth the money. Enjoy.

My sister-in-law received this book for christmas and since then we've had something from it every night including yummy pork chops coated in stuffing, a rice chopped clerey and carrots side, salsa meatloaf, and more. I am a graduate student and get little variety in the food I 'cook' and will be buying this to make quick good meals instead of meal in a can.

I got this from the library and was really intrigued by the creative uses of things like gourmet dips and cheese spreads to make sauces for fish, pasta etc. Inspired, last night I created my own delicious sauce for steamed hake using a crab and lobster dip from the fish counter (about $4.00). The fish was on sale so the steep price for a small container wasn't as bad as it sounds considering I fed myself, my husband and my three teenagers with some sauce left over for vegetables or to add to soup or whatever. I steamed the fish in water, sherry, a few sprigs of fresh dill and thyme, and thinly sliced onions. I added a mix of fresh cauliflower and brocolli florets (from the salad bar!) and a couple of cans of whole baby potatos (unsalted). When the fish and veggies were done, I plated it up, removed the herbs and whisked in the dip with a chunk of butter and some more sherry 'till I had a slightly thin sauce teeming with tidbits of lobster and crab meat. Delish! This book has recipes but the author also encourages you to experiment on your own and provides suggestions for doing so. I am definitely adding this one to my collection. BTW, there is a nice section for vegetarian convenience foods like 'chicken' patties. My daughters will appreciate these since all we ever do with veggie burgers and such is grill 'em and stick 'em in a bun with condiments. The author suggests baking the 'chicken' cutlets in a sauce. Another veggie suggestion is using veggie burgers for a quick and easy falafel type sandwich in pita bread. I don't know why I never thought of that myself.

I also went to my library for this one first. What a great book--it's on order now. At first glance I thought, "Whoops; strictly gourmet and not what I'm looking for." However,after sitting down and slowly going through the book, it is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Wonderful biscotti out of corn meal mix, and the recipe can be adapted by using slightly different ingredients each time. How many times have we bought a specialty ingredient for a recipe, using part of it and eventually throwing the rest away? Thanks to this book, we can now use up the remainder. I love the way multiple recipes throughout the book use the same specialty ingredients in completely different ways. What a treat -- I can only say YUMMMMM!!!

I checked this book out from the library last week and logged on today to buy it. Sure, I know how to roast my own peppers and simmer my own stock, but I don't have the time or inclination to do that every night of the week. Mr. Schloss has a book full of delicious recipes that only take a few minutes to throw together. So far we've enjoyed ziti with tomato and olive relish, jerk pork ribs grilled with yams, cream of pumpkin soup with Asiago cheese (okay, I used Parmesan instead) and red tandoori chicken thighs. Last night at the table my daughter said, "You mean this chicken came out of the same book as those ribs? It must be a magic book." I like the wide selection of cuisine types, too. Note: Some of Mr. Schloss's "essential convenience pantry" ingredients can be expensive, but I appreciate his argument that it's cheaper than buying a pantry full of speciality spices, etc that you can't use every day. I also appreciate the brand recommendations.