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THE LAZY GOURMET

Name: THE LAZY GOURMET
Author: Robin Donovan
ISBN: 978-1-57344-653-2

MAGNIFICENT MEALS MADE EASY

by Robin Donovan & Juliana Gallin ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2011

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Recipes for the adventurous home cook looking to take their meal from ordinary to exquisite.

Donovan (Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors, 2006) and Gallin have a mantra: “Cooking a great meal can be just as easy as cooking a crappy meal!” While their cookbook won’t transform that quick weeknight mac and cheese into a multi-course masterpiece, it will allow wannabe chefs to whip up mouthwatering dishes guaranteed to impress guests. The book is divided into two parts: “The Basics” lists must-have ingredients to keep on-hand and provides simple cooking tips, from softening butter to storing appliances, but “The Recipes” is where the fun begins. Snacks, small plates, soups and desserts are all on offer, ranging from Savory Blue Cheese Shortbread to Pistachio Ice Cream with Strawberries and Balsamic Syrup. The recipes may sound exotic, but each has been tested by volunteers with no culinary training. The language is straightforward and free of confusing cooking terms, and the most complicated piece of equipment required is a food processor. Recipes are often followed by detailed instructions on how to “Make it ahead,” suggestions for side dishes to “Serve it with,” or alternate ingredients for cooks looking to “Change it up.” Some recipes, however, may be too lackadaisical for even the laziest of gourmets—e.g., a recipe for Basil Leaf and Goat Cheese Wraps that instructs readers to set out the ingredients then direct "diners to take a basil leaf and wrap it around some cheese.” A collection of easy-to-follow recipes that demystifies gourmet cooking.

Pub Date: May 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-57344-653-2

Page Count: 216

Publisher: Viva Editions

Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.