The Best Skillet Recipes: A Best Recipe Classic

Very nice book for price

I have several books from this line, but I think this one is my favorite. The instructions are clear and the food is really, really tasty. Basics like chicken and potatoes are made with only a few ingredients (garlic, lemon, red pepper flakes) and the results are...amazing. I was surprised by the pasta dishes. I never thought I could create such delicious pasta using one skillet. The best part of this book? Fewer dishes to wash after the meal. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to eat well, but doesn't have the time to spend hours cooking and washing dishes (Rachel Ray cannot compare).

Yes, this a great book, and practical too, one that I consult and use constantly. But even more importantly, it covers a technique that I'd been very curious about, and had not seen described in any other cook book: "Pan Roasting" -- starting meat or fish on the top of the stove, and finishing it in the oven. Now, when your waitress says, "The chef is just finishing your dish in the oven," you'll not only know what she means, you'll know how to do it. Would you like to turn out restaurant quality rack of lamb? With this book I was able to do it in a few minutes on the very first try!

First off, I agree completely with the other 5-star reviews here. So I'll try to add something constructive. This is not a Coffee Table book. Don't expect traditional color pictures, there are almost none. There are, however, clear illustrations. This book is teaching me to cook with confidence and, unbelievably, eagerness. Even without photos, these recipes look manageable and inviting. Along the way, you build a repertoire of techniques and habits (setting up your "mise en place") that apply to all your cooking and baking. I think it appeals to all levels of cook, and would make a wonderful gift equally at at a wedding shower or a retirement celebration. Or for ypurself.

I've owned this book for less than a month and am already addicted to it. Not everyone has a large and well-equipped kitchen with several stovetop burners and a large selection of pots and pans. Not everyone has all day in which to prepare a meal. This cookbook satisfies both stumbling blocks. Most of the meals can be prepared in much less time than traditional recipes and with many needing only one pan means that cleanup is also quick and easy. I'm now retired so do have more time to cook than I did in the years in which I worked, however I also have other activities that sometimes take up a lot of my time and I still want to have a good home-cooked meal. (Not at all a fan of fast food.) Some of the recipes do take longer to prep and have a significant list of ingredients but the directions are clear and concise and easy to understand. I like that the book contains CI's ratings of various "quick" ingredients such as Supermarket Chicken Broth, Extra-Virgin Olive Oils and even Fish Sauce. Many of the recipes are down-to-earth plain foods but there are also recipes for more exotic dishes for the cook who wants to be a bit more adventuresome. I have particularly found this cookbook helpful when unexpected guests arrived and the weather was somewhat nasty and no one felt like going out to a restaurant. I was able to put together a lovely main dish (Chicken and Couscous with Fennel and Orange) for four people with very little effort.