Customer Reviews

The College Cookbook: An Alternative to the Meal Plan

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a wonderful resource for the beginning cook, particularly one who is on a budget.

The book has a very handy glossary at the beginning of common cooking terms, plus a glossary of herbs and spices and what they go well with. There's also tips for stretching a food budget and what kind of cookware is best to buy.

The recipes are submitted from college students all around the country and are arranged by category, with a helpful quick list of main ingredients by recipe so you can tell at a glance whether you have what you need. The recipes are generally pretty quick and simple to throw together, and all the ones I've tried have been very tasty!

All in all, a wonderful resource for the beginning cook--highly recommended.

It seems that these recipes were written by either mothers of college kids or 70 year old sophomores. Two recipes for LIVER? Come onnnn. Most of the recipes have 6 - 9, even 14 ingredients. A coed is never going to buy so many ingredients called for in this book, let alone a guy. I bought this for my niece and I decided to give it to her as a gag gift, writing my own takes on some recipes. They may taste delicious (except the liver) but even I don't want to take the time.

From the Ivy League in the east, through the Big Ten in the heartland, to the Pac-10 Schools in the West, Geri Harrington has gathered an absolutely lipsmacking-good collection of recipes from college students. Parents, put this book into the trunk next to the stereo and the computer as you head off to campus with your young adults.

The inexpensive, nutritious recipes meet with the approval of this chef-alias-mom with three decades of kitchen experience. Written with a brisk, light-hearted tone throughout, this book is an excellent volume for those who like to peruse cookbooks just to read. Try some of the offerings and you'll be surprised at how quickly and easily you can put together a good meal!

Kudoes to Geri Harrington for this popular book.

I bought this as a gift for my brother who is 19 and just moved into his first apartment as a college sophomore - and I'm NOT giving it to him. The recipes are way too complicated and require too many ingredients. I don't even have all the ingredients a few of the recipes need!!
Would not recommend.

I was very disapointed when this book came in the mail. I looked up microwave cookbooks and this one popped up. There is not a SINGLE recipe in it that is for microwaves. It may be a great book but beware, if you are looking for a microwave cookbook this is not the one for you.

I like the way this cookbook is organized, and especially at the beginning of each section it lists what ingredients you need for each recipe. The recipes were all submitted by college students from around the country, though, and not all of them knew how to write a recipe that was easy to understand.

I think the main thing about this cookbook is that it has real recipes, adapted for a college budget and cooking skills. It's not one of those ridiculous college cookbooks that give recipes for "how to make a ham and cheese sandwich". As such, it's not really for someone who's stuck in a dorm with one kitchen for the entire hall, and it's not really for someone who is looking for something with equivalent work to ordering a pizza. But it has great recipes, that really aren't complicated compared to normal cookbooks, and gives a huge variety of possible meals to the beginning cook. I've really liked it. There are two liver recipes. I don't know what's up with that. But there are 21 hamburger recipes, so that more than makes up for it.

some ideas for meals. Needs some update. On the whole the recipes were simple and within a college student's resources.

I actually have a much earlier edition of this book (1977) and 30 years later still turn to it when I want good, basic food made from scratch without a lot of complicated ingredients. I never felt the book was targeted at dorm cooking (a microwave lifestyle), but more for students sharing an apartment, house, or living the Greek life (i.e., kitchen available). 6-9 ingredients is too much? Boy, I guess that's a sign of a generation commited to convenience cooking because I don't think these recipes require expensive or unusual ingredients--just enough of them to make a decent dish. I would definitely buy this for a young person or couple starting out because I think it's good, basic food that is both budget and nutrition conscious--but even better, results in tasty food.

This is one of the few recipe books I have gotten and kept over the years. I like it because it has simple, filling meals that aren't your typical condensed soup fare. They have some imagination but are all pretty tasty. And they come from real students.