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THE STOCKED KITCHEN

Name: THE STOCKED KITCHEN
Author: Sarah Kallio
ISBN: 978-1-4516-3535-5

ONE GROCERY LIST...ENDLESS RECIPES

by Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2011

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A low-stress, organized approach to getting dinner on the table in busy households.

Kallio and Krastins present a new addition to the trove of quick-and-easy cookbooks. But theirs is more than a collection of short-cut recipes; it’s an entire “meal creation system.” The authors’ innovative approach involves serving up a master grocery list that includes all the ingredients needed for the book’s 300 recipes. With their list and tips for organizing your kitchen, creating a home-cooked supper is a no-brainer. The recipes are straightforward American fare and a bit on the uninteresting side (read: “kid-friendly”). But this book is designed for working parents, not wannabe chefs, and it does give busy families and new cooks an accessible alternative to take-out. One of the most useful sections is the selection of appetizers and dips, offering mix-and-match flexibility. The book abounds with timesaving suggestions, like how to quickly thaw frozen bread dough and how to present a dinner party with minimal effort. It even offers a glossary for the food novice: “Lemons—tart, yellow citrus fruit.” The meal creation, however, seems to lie solely in women’s hands, though the authors do mention that the master list will make it easier for poor old hubby to navigate the aisles of the supermarket. A pragmatic cookbook with none of the idealism of beautiful photographs or exotic ingredients—or even, for that matter, men in the kitchen.

Pub Date: July 5, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-4516-3535-5

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: June 6, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 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.