I first picked up this book more out of curiosity than anything else. Many of you may know the author, Art Smith, as Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef. So I thought, hmmm..I wonder how complicated these recipes really are and will they have family appeal? As I began paging through the book the answer was a resounding yes in my mind!
The first part of the book talks about challenges busy families face today and some tips and trick to streamline our time in the kitchen and while shopping. Throughout the cookbook, there are “Ask Art” tips that relate to the recipe but apply to so much more. Things like ” How do I pound a chicken breast?” or “Can I freeze a casserole that contains rice or pasta?” But the real gems of this cookbook are the spin-off recipes he provides for many of the recipes. For example, the Chunky Beef Chili has spin-off recipes like Soft Beef Tacos, Chili Shepard’s Pie with Buttermilk Potato Topping or Chili and Macaroni Casserole. That’s like getting four meals in one (when you make extras for the spin-off recipes that is!)
Each chapter has a description of the section and a handy index of all the recipes in that section. This is neat because if you want a chicken recipe you can just go to that section and not have to flip to the front of the book to find the one you were looking for or look it up in the back index. At the the end of the book, he has included a section that categorizes all the recipes. That way if you’re looking for something to fit your family’s needs or time constraints you can plan accordingly–categories like Make Ahead and Freeze or Food for Picky Kids or Very Easy Lunches.
I can’t wait to try more of the recipes in this book and I bet you will too!
