The Dinner Doctor

Okay, you were about to open the wine and let it breathe, maybe you were going to saute the shrimp you bought yesterday. A simple delicious meal for two, just you and your husband, when he calls, says he's invited the boss, his wife and two guys from planning and their wives as well over for dinner. It's four-thirty and they're coming at six. What to do? What to do? Well if you've got the Dinner Doctor among your store of cookbooks, you are saved, because Anne Byrn has stuffed her cookbook full of recipes that you can make up quick quick. For example did you know if you ran to the store and bought one of those already cooked chickens that you could turn it into Tuscan Chicken in no time at all, or into Santa Fe Polenta, or maybe a Curried Chicken and Artichoke Casserole. The key here is quick, remember the boss, those guys from planning and their wives are coming soon and you want to look good. Get this book, keep it handy, you'll never be left holding the bag, dinner wise again. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

If you are the type of family who eats spaghetti, frozen pizza, tacos and a few meat-and-threes a week then this is a GREAT pick for your household. My friend got hooked on this book because she doesn't have air-conditioning (big environmentalist) and needed dinners that didn't always demand a hot oven. This book has many recipes that do not need to be cooked at all. I haven't made anything that my family has rejected, and a few are even really good "girl" food. The penne pasta with asparagus and walnuts is one that comes to mind. Another, with smoked salmon in a cream sauce (that took about FIVE minutes to make!) tastes fancier than anything I've ever made. I've tried lots of "quick" "easy" "basic ingredients" cookbooks but this one is the one I use almost every day. There are several recipes that will probably excite children more than parents for picky eaters. A little warning, though: this book doesn't cook from scratch, so it is difficult to keep recipe supplies on hand. You will find yourself having to go to the grocery store every few days to pick up a few things. I'm more of a "stuff-pantry-with-the-basics" person so this took a little getting used to. Also, if you are in any way interested in gourmet food and like cooking classes and all that, you might not like this book. But if you, like me, are a busy mom with a thousand things to do besides cook for two hours a day, this will work well for you. HIGHLY recommended. My girlfriends also love it.

I'm not much of a cook, really. I'll heat things up, or maybe throw some meat or veggies on the grill, but other than that I'm fairly limited in the kitchen. Thus, my wife and I resort to eating out far too much - and that gets old fast. Enter Anne Byrn's Dinner Doctor book. The appeal was immediate and lasting. Quick receipes made from simple ingredients resulting in unbelievably tasty dishes. I fell immediately under the spell of this book and have since produced many of the recipes at home. Unlike so many cookbooks, the results of these recipes actually look and taste like they are supposed to, and the instructions are quick and to the point. What's more, Byrn includes numerous side notes explaining ways to doctor the recipes even further and she even encourages would-be chefs to experiment with her creations. I don't give five stars very often, but this is actually a cookbook that lives up to its promise. I highly recommend it!

I had intended to get this out of the library before deciding whether to buy it or not. But I happened upon it at a bookstore and, after perusing it for a few minutes, decided that I just HAD to have it. It is CRAMMED with terrific recipes, ideas and hints, and has become one of my all-time favorites! Almost everything is quick and easy to make, with very precise instructions. Most things are not horrifically fattening, or at least they can be made successfully with low-fat substitutions. Standouts that have become staples in our house include the Nacho Cheese Soup, Mac & Cheese, Corn/Potato Chowder, Dun-buttered muffins, Asian Chicken Salad, Sour cream-cinnamon loaf and John's Summertime Slaw. I would say 98% of the recipes I've tried have worked beautifully. One thing I like about this book is that there are not a lot of shameless repeats and recyclings, as there are in the cake books. In this book she gives you variations on the recipe in a small box or sidebar, rather than creating a "new" recipe simply by changing the name and one ingredient. And, like the other books, it's very well written in Anne's chatty and unpretentious style. Right on, Anne!

I am a huge fan of Anne's Cake Mix Doctors. The books got me into baking (which I was scared to do) and her recipes not only make cake mix GOOD they WORK. (Anne's Banana Cake in the first book made satisfied my nostalgic longing for a similar Sara Lee cake we used to have for family dinners in the 1970s.) So I was happy to give The Dinner Doctor a try if just for the memories (we had a lot of tuna casserole for those family dinners) but this book is not about nostalgia: It is perfect for the modern family to make some quick, easy, tasty meals using things I easily found in the supermarket. I am stuck right now on the deli roasted chicken recipes (we call them rotiserie chickens in NYC). For my money, these chix are tasty, easy, cheap, and abundant but after awhile they are just... well... roasted chickens. Anne must have at least 20 ideas and recipes for taking these chickens and just doctoring them with some fresh ingredients to make something different and, yes, BETTER. I plan on making more but we have tried and loved the Asian chicken salad and also liked the burrito bake. The brownie drops were great and the simple mushroom galette was perfect for the fall. I've only had the book for a week and already I can tell that at the very least I'll have lots of great ideas for meals to come (and a few new cakes to boot!).