The Newlyweds' Cookbook

This cookbook is great for anyone who wants something that will take them through the vast majority of your cooking needs in one cookbook with elegant, flavorful but not overly complicated food. I would say that I'm a reasonably good cook, but nothing close to gourmet. We have people over for dinner pretty routinely and I cook dinner most nights. But, I am a working mom with a baby, so I don't have a lot of time for meals that are too fussy. I like to use fresh ingredients and enjoy classic good food. This cookbook meets that mark. I have many of what my mother would call the "classics" from two Silver Palate cookbooks, the Zuni cafe cookbook, a Moosewood cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and, of course, the Joy of Cooking on the shelf in my kitchen. But, this is the cookbook that I probably grab most often. I find it user friendly, approachable and, frankly just a pretty book. While I certainly haven't made all of the recipes in this cookbook, all of the ones that I have made are excellent.

I picked this up while impulse shopping at Williams Sonoma. This has become one of my very favorite cookbooks. I will purchase other books by Ryland, Peters & Small, Inc (probably Food for Lovers) based on my enthusiasm for this one. This book features classy and classic recipes that generally call for readily and locally available ingredients. The selections are well- rounded. The purpose of this book is for a newlywed to know all of the basic and refined cooking basics. Thus, it includes several classic french influenced dishes as well as a few pasta dishes. Some recipes take longer than others (the 'special occasion' salmon tart took me 4 hours+ as I made my own pate brisee and slow poached the salmon). I love that these recipes are consistent in quality versus hit or miss. I've made several recipes including Salmon, dill & parmesan tart (made a perfect pate brisee) with pickled cucumber, lasagne, meatballs in red pepper sauce, warm chunky salmon pate plus a handful of basic cocktails and there is a lot more that I want to try. The cocktail section is wonderful, with emphasis on the classics, e.g. the old fashioned, the classic martini or the french 75. The recipe basics covers essentials such as dressings, sauces, pate brisee etc. Though there was nothing wrong with it, I personally didn't care for the cucumber relish to accompany my salmon tart. I perhaps should have used a milder vinegar. Also, I'd like to see prep times. Fortunately, the selections are balanced so there are a a number of simple recipes that can be made quickly.

Marriage often brings with it additional or new cooking demands, which can be a pleasure or a pain depending on how much cooking experience has been had before the event. The newly joined couple at last has a cookbook which encourages cooking for two in THE NEWLYWEDS' COOKBOOK, which opens from an introductory chapters on kitchen basics - necessary pots and pans to tableware, which can also be part of a bridal registry - to recipes for snacks, quick meals, family gatherings and special occasions alike. Color photos liberally grace a comprehensive, important recipe guide to the major events a newlywed couple can anticipate in their first year together. The focus on elegance and ease of preparation makes NEWLYWEDS' COOKBOOK a winner! Diane C. Donovan, Editor California Bookwatch