Customer Reviews

Cooking to Beat the Clock : Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a cookbook you'll use. I have dozens of cookbooks that I've never made a recipe from. Within a week of buying Cooking to Beat the Clock I had cooked two meals from it.

"Meals" is an important word here. Unlike many "quick" cookbooks, which have recipes for one course, Gugino's recipes provide a full meal: main course, starch, and vegetable.

Can you really prepare a meal in 15 minutes following the recipes? With a little practice I'm sure you can. I prepared the Cassoulet in about 20 minutes without breaking a sweat. I did this despite using a knife to chop the onion instead of a food processor.

Of course, the most important thing is whether the meals you prepare are any good. I've made the Cassoulet twice, so you know I like it. The other meal I cooked, Choucroute Garnie, was also excellent.

Gugino emphasizes four factors to achieve good meals quickly: flavor, organization, focus, and creativity. You can follow his recipes and cook good meals and you can follow his system and create good meals of your own. This is an excellent cookbook for anyone, not just those in a hurry.

Gugino's receipes may take only 15 minutes, more or less, but they are inventive, delicious, with nary a can of Cambell's cream of anything. It pays to read Gugino's introduction carefully - he lays out a well organized larder which is what makes it all possible.

I love cookbooks, I have a zillion! This is one of the best. The recipes truly are fast and they are excellent. I may take longer than 15 minutes, but I have pulled off every recipe I have tried in under 30 minutes (and I have two kids under age five). Many of these "fast" recipe cookbooks deliver on speed but sacrifice on taste. This cookbook delivers both. I loved the Jambalaya. I made a huge batch and freezed it with excellent results. The tropical curry chicken was great too. Buy this one, you won't be dissapointed!

This is a good book, allowing even people (like me!) who are not gourmet cooks to produce meals that wow their friends and relatives. The most amazing thing to me is that when I had a question about a recipe, I went to his website and got his email address and asked him the question -- and he answered me! Now I get his email newsletter and I know that he answers everybody who asks him a question. Way to go, Sam!

I have tried several of the recipes in Cooking to Beat the Clock and have not been disappointed yet. My favorite, jambalaya really took me just 15 minutes and was a great dish on a winter eve. I thought the section on organization was especially helpful. Turns out I had everything I needed right in my own kitchen. Great directions for those of us who don't cook for a living. Great find.

I asked my brother to buy me this book for Christmas because of the number of positive reviews I'd read. So far I've tried two recipes that were quite successful. The recipes take me about 30 minutes to make, which is great for me.

In my opinion, the author assumes quite a bit of meat per person. I think about half the beef or chicken he has listed in his ingredients is about right for me, and maybe anyone else who might have vegetarian leanings. The one recipe I tried with less meat still worked fine with all the other ingredients being the same.

Sam Gugino's new book, Cooking to Beat the Clock, is a valuable resource for individuals who wish to put together wholesome, delicious meals for today's tastes and lifestyle's. He offers recipes that are perfectly appropriate for everyday dining for say, a working couple as well as for dinner guests. Armed with the recipes in this book, I will be more likely to invite guests for dinner knowing that I won't have to reserve an entire day for shopping and cooking. None of my friends would feel shortchanged if they were served the Steamed Cod with Summer Vegetables or the 15-Minute Bouillabaisse with a mixed green salad for dinner. I would dress the salad with the simple but delicious horseradish vinaigrette used for the Spicy Steak Salad. The book is also a source of labor saving techniques to incorporate into your repertoire. These recipes are versatile and really work but don't feel like a failure if they take a few extra minutes.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks - especially for working days. There's a great section in the beginning about stocking your pantry, and he even includes mail-order sources in the back for the few, hard-to-find ingredients. As other reviewers, I've never been able to prepare any of these dishes in 15 minutes, but they are fairly quick, and simple to prepare. My two favorites are the Flank Steak Salad, and the Moroccan Chicken Soup. I found both the San Diego Fish Tacos, and Shrimp & Goat Cheese Quesadillas too greasy for my taste, but enjoyed the other recipes I've made. I would definitely recommend this book to working folks who want to eat nutritious & tasty meals, with a minimum of effort.

This cookbook is a must for the busy cook who is tired of takeout but does not have time for elaborate meals. I have tried several of the recipes and, while the goal is to complete the process in 15 minutes, I am less concerned about that than I am impressed with the quality of the recipes. So what that it takes 20 or 25 minutes so long as the end result is worthwhile.

My approach to recipes is first to determine whether it is too time consuming and second to determine if it is something that I would enjoy. Although I have just made a small dent in the 60 recipes in this book, I have not seen any that I'm unwilling to try.

Gugino's time-saving tips --even for the experienced cook-- are well worthwhil. There is a whole section devoted to them and he includes some in the recipes to quicken the process. Without a doubt, it is the best and most practical cookbook I've come across.

Cooking to Beat the Clock is the cookbook I've been waiting for. it is filled with diverse recipes that are both extremely tasty and very easy. For anyone who works all day and has a limited amount of time, there is finally a cookbook that allows you not to skimp on good meals. Both my husband and I love the fish tacos! The tips that the author provides have been invaluable.