Cooking Under Cover: One Pot Wonders -- A Treasury of Soups, Stews, Braises, and Casseroles [Paperback]

Linda Griffith (Author), Fred Griffith (Author), Alan Richardson (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 1998

Cooking Under Cover combines fabulous flavor and convenience in one pot. Whether for family or company, few dinners are easier or more welcome than a one-pot meal, which can bubble along unattended, then be served in the same dish. James Beard Award winners Linda and Fred Griffith present 175 recipes from around the world: soups, stews, casseroles, braises, and other one-pot dishes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Considering any dish cooked in a covered pot (from a plain-old skillet to a smoke-filled wok) as fair game gives Linda and Fred Griffith a wide range. Using it to good advantage, they provide folk cooking that feels timely in dishes like a well-paprika'd chicken fricassee, a brilliantly simplified cassoulet, and a sensibly oven-baked risotto. Mostly, this book contains wintery simmered and baked dishes that appeal to meat eaters, though the Ragout of Mushrooms, Shallots, and Leeks and Five Bean Chili will please vegetarians. Unexpected dishes like tea-smoked scallops and a creamy rutabaga soup, along with creative versions of more pleasantly mundane dishes make this an interesting book. The Griffith's chatty, casually informative style make it a pleasure, too. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The secret to the success of one-pot dishes, say the Griffiths (Onions, Onions, Onions), is the cover, "the lid that keeps everything in, retains the heat, captures the steam, holds the aromas, and enhances the flavors." Demonstrating the versatility of this technique, this collection borrows from many sources, e.g., an old Southern cookbook or Old World Jewish holiday fare, and offers up such anything-but-humble dishes as Chicken Stew with Virginia Ham, Mushrooms, Peas & Cornmeal Dumplings or Beer-Braised Veal Brisket with Onions & Parsnips. Nor is the preparation necessarily simple. Employing a variety of techniques ranging from braising and roasting to poaching and smothering, some of the 200 recipes call for specialty ingredients from Middle Eastern and Asian markets, lengthy cooking times and close to 20 ingredients. The collection's extensive range is seen in recipes for as Tea-Smoked Scallops; Artichoke Barigoule; Braised Trout with Onions and Peppers; Creamy Polenta with Mascarpone; Maple-Braised Plums, Figs, and Blackberries; and Gingered Carrot Cake. When appropriate, the authors suggest a wine. With these versions of old-fashioned comfort foods prepared with respectful attention, the Griffiths refresh a rich culinary resource, making traditional family fare into food fit for company?and just in time for the cold winter months. Photos not seen by PW. BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (September 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395935210
• ISBN-13: 978-0395935217
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,286,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cooking Under Cover, December 18, 2000

By 

Elizabeth Wright (Castle Rock, Co United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cooking Under Cover: One Pot Wonders -- A Treasury of Soups, Stews, Braises, and Casseroles (Paperback)

They sure mean it when they call them one pot wonders. Who would have thought that soups and stews could be so sophisticated. I am someone who often makes various chili dishes, crockpot meals and casseroles because I like to save time, but I needed a new bag of tricks. I like how it is organized by main ingredient which helps when I have meat or vegetables that I don't know what to do with. They also have some great desserts and for novices like me, some help with the basics. This should definitely be a staple in the kitchen

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially for carnivores, August 13, 2004

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cooking Under Cover: One-Pot Wonders- A Treasury of Soups, Stews, Braises and Casseroles (Hardcover)

"Cooking Under Cover" offers 175 internationally inspired soups, stews, braises, casseroles and accompaniments, with a 15-page section of color photos by Alan Richardson.

The authors ("Onions, Onions, Onions," winner of James Beard Award) prefer fresh, organically grown ingredients (including meat) and suggest wines and accompaniments. Chapters include desserts (Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding, Maple-braised Plums, Figs and Blackberries) and appetizers (Rustic Terrine, Chinese Pot Stickers) as well as vegetable dishes (Curried with ginger and mint, Creamed Spinach), beans and grains (Red Beans with Spicy Sausage, Polenta with Mascarpone) and breads (Under-Cover Corn Bread).

But the heart of the book is meat. How about Chicken Stew with Virginia Ham and Cornmeal Dumplings, or Nana's Chicken Fricasee which includes veal meatballs? Or Veal Shanks with Braised Lentils and Caramelized Onions, Pork Chops in Plum Sauce, or a real four-day Sauerbraten?

While none of the dishes are difficult and instructions are straightforward, the authors' loving attention to detail makes the book especially suitable for cooking moods and entertaining.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cook book I revisit each Fall, September 24, 2011

By 

M. Maltbie (Mid-South Coastal Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cooking Under Cover: One Pot Wonders -- A Treasury of Soups, Stews, Braises, and Casseroles (Paperback)

I own a lot of cook books--and my friends shake their heads as they gaze at my dining area bookshelves. Hey, but they also love my cooking, so I know the head shaking is just a show of wonderment.... I also enjoy picking up old cook books when I'm lucky enough to find a good estate sale on a day off from work.

I don't give out many five star ratings, but I've decided that--after all these years--cook books that I find myself revisiting year after year deserve a special gold star, actually five of them!

This is one of those cook books. I turn to it with excitement as the weather starts to turn cool.

I enjoy it for many reasons:

It contains some very fine, old recipes from the United States: Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Minnesota, Tennessee, Illinois, Vermont and Pennsylvania--just to name some. And there are some wonderful recipes from France. There are some great treasures from the authors' own families, too.

There is a worthwhile Bibliography and the index is not shabby, either. Recipes are easy to read and easy to follow. Directions are clear. There are a few nice color pictures grouped together in one section of the book, but pictures do not make or break a cook book for me: The quality and unique-ness of the recipes do.

What I go back to--year after year: Kentucky Black Bean Soup with Lemon and Sherry; Shrimp and Smoked Ham Jambalaya (this one a bit different from most jambalaya recipes); Pot Roasted Cornish Hens with Parsnips, Turnips, Savoy Cabbage; Squid Marinara; Deviled Turkey Legs with Olive Pan Sauce (Oh, yes!); a very nifty Dutch Oven Meat Loaf--such a nice variation on our usual meatloafs; a Smoked Turkey Chili; one of those "OMG!" recipes: Duck Legs On Baby Lettuces; a Boneless Leg of Lamb, stuffed with mushrooms, smoked ham, sage and mace, and it's braised on a bed of sweet potatoes.

Enough said; there are many, many more great recipes here. Just give this older book a try--it's an "Oldie, But Goodie."

I just wish there was some way to highlight some of these wonderful, older cook books--but the new publications will always steal the show.