Customer Reviews

The 5 in 10 Cookbook 5 Ingredients in 10 Minutes or Less Paula Hamilton

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is my cooking bible. The recipes are really and truly fast and easy. All of them have been delicious except for one egg plant dish. I think I'm not cooking the egg plant long enough. The best thing is that the husband and guests are impressed - they think the dishes are gourmet.

This has been one of my favorites for years, a real go-to book. Unlike most cookbooks that make time claims, most of the recipes here really do come in close to their ten-minute limit, and I'm not a particularly fast cook. The book is divided into eight sections: Appetizers and Snacks; Soups and Chowders; Salads; Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Pork and Lamb; Fish and Shellfish; Pasta; Vegetables and Side Dishes; and Desserts. It also has a sturdy interior spiral binding so it lies flat when open.

I've tried maybe a dozen recipes (some standouts: curried carrot soup, broiled scallops with bread crumbs, berry gratin, caramelized apples) and would have no qualms about serving them to company. I have four books in this series, and though they're all quite good, I find this to be the best.

I'd like to respectfully address reviewer Jim Owen. I'm sorry for his poor experience with the book, but I looked up the recipe he referred to, and he's a bit off. The noted amount of butter mixture was to be spread on SIX FULL pita breads, not four halves. That's three times the amount he apparently mistakenly used. It's unfortunate that he based his opinion of this exceptional book on faulty information. If you're trying to decide whether or not to buy it, please note that his was the ONLY negative review among a dozen. Seems quite unfair that it was chosen for a spotlight review.

I have a couple of quibbles with the book: It has no page headers to tell you what section you're in, and the index is less than comprehensive. But I still unequivocally rate it five stars on the strength, variety, and reliability of its recipes.

A great and varied collection of recipes, most of which can be done in under twenty minutes. For the beginner, it's a great way to make tasty meals without being traumatized by a laundry list of ingredients. The more experienced cook will appreciate the streamlined recipes for quality meals when time is limited, and these recipes also lend themselves well to additions of your own desire.

This is a great gift for someone in her/his first apt. or home, or a beginner eager for some delicious practice.

I love to cook. I usually find the recipes in popular "Quick Cook" books very disappointing -- bland, overprocessed, and "easy" only because key steps have been left out. Not this little book, whose recipes show a light touch, imaginative seasonings and real taste. I especially like the soups chapter.

Of course, these are ten minute meals -- so black bean soup uses canned black beans, not home cooked -- but any dish in the book will beat another night of take-out pizza.

I have over 400 cookbooks and this one is one of my favorites...It really allows you to do what the title says...I have used this while teaching cooking classes and it gives easy instruction, uses familiar ingregients and the results are amazing. The desserts are special treats. This is a great gift for the new bride the busy homemaker or those of us who want our friends to think we spent hours preparing a meal for them...

This book has been an inspiration, allowing me to make all sorts of delicious meals in little time and at little cost. A bonus: because the recipes and ingredient lists are so simple, I have my favorites memorized and I seldom need to open it anymore. Still, it has a valued place on my cookbook shelf.

When I checked this book out from the library, I was expecting your typical Campbell's Soup casseroles and whatnot. After the first five recipes I made were fabulous, unique, and restaurant quality, I knew I had to buy the cookbook. By the time it arrived, my mom had already fallen in love with the recipes I'd been making, and ordered her own copy as well!

The title is a little misleading; most of these recipes have taken longer than 10 minutes, between pounding chicken breasts, peeling shrimp, boiling pasta, etc. Still, they're quicker than most meals, and they avoid the horrible casseroles that all end up tasting the same. The skillet recipes are particularly good, and the seafood dishes really are 10 minutes from start to finish. The cookbook often calls for more sauce (and particularly, more butter) than is necessary, but the real charm of the book is the novel combinations of just 5 ingredients that make delicious and unique tastes.

I have the series (which is out of print) and love them. I got this for my sister and she is raving about it and now plans on giving it as gifts as well. I'm a fairly avid cook and baker, but you wouldn't believe how I have fooled my friends with appetizers like blue cheese pear pizza and jarlsburg scallop dip (sorry, both are in the Appetizers 5 in 10 only) that honestly take 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to bake. If you don't have time to read a long cookbook (or skill to implement complex recipes) and want just a few ideas to "freshen up your kitchen repetoire" this is the book for you.

These are most sane little cookbooks! Ingredients you have, or will use again, so you don't mind adding them to your fridge. Clear and easy to follow and results are uniformly excellent.

For a good basic/beginner cookbook that is easy, with no complicated ingredients and easy to follow, get this book! There are many tasty and creative recipies that are not the usual meat-and-potatoes fare that will make anyone look like they know what they are doing. Also would make a good present for anyone just starting out on thier own or those of us who just hate to cook