Customer Reviews

Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers

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

 

 

One of my personal measures for the worth of a cookbook is the number of recipes that I want to try out. With this book, I want to try nearly every single one. This particular production is a real treasure. There are scads of fresh recipes, with ingredients that can usually be found in most supermarkets. I would say that most of the dishes would fall in the category of comfort food; and few would fall into the category of low-calorie. Most of the meals prepared from this volume would appeal to a broad spectrum of people. In these days of picky eaters I can imagine few people turning up their noses at these dishes. More likely than not, they will be asking your for the recipe. This is one of the most helpful cookbooks I've come across in a long time.

As I turned the pages when I first got this book it made my mouth water. This is such a great collection of dishes that would make a full meal and the wonderful thing about Cook's is that the recipes have been tested and there are always so many good tips - whether they are techniques or substitutions to use or the brand or ingredients or tools. You just feel that you can trust the advice that is given by this institute.
As for pictures, there are approximately 112 recipes and about 43 pictures, not including the many photos showing techniques for example `how to assemble an enchilada'. That means there is 1full page colour photo for every 2 or 3 recipes, that's a pretty good ratio. I also have turned and pulled at pages, but my spiral binding has held. The book is a nice size, not taking up much room on the counter but big enough to be easily read.
There are many recipes I vaguely remember my grandmother either mentioning or fixing like saltine lasagna or bird's nest. The directions are clear and there were very few recipes that I do not want to prepare or have not already tried including one I love for oven fried chicken, that gives the same taste only better than fried for one who hates to fry. I even want to find some pheasant and rabbit to try those recipes. The book has mostly dishes that could be used for the central dish of a meal, only having about 12 desserts.
There is a good index with both listings by ingredients and by recipe title. Conversion and equivalencies tables are included.

I love the recipes in this book. I was disappointed that there wasn't a photo for many of the recipes. The spiral binding is a bit loose, and the pages started separating from the spiral, then the whole book disconnected from the cover. I managed to get it fixed, then tightened the spiral. Cookbooks are subject to a certain about of abuse, and they should be constructed sturdier.

I have to disagree with Lisa as I also get the Cook's Country Magazine and a few of the recipes were in the current magazine, but most certainly there are tons more in the actual cookbook.

I am planning on making several of the recipes this weekend and cannot wait! It's worth the money spent.

We have truly enjoyed cooking the recipes in this book. The Pot Roast Soup is worth the cost of the book. It has all the flavor of a pot roast with the comforting warmth of a soup. We just finished the last two bowls tonight, and my husband is already asking for another pot.

I particularly enjoy reading about the origin of each recipe and then how the people at Cook's Country tweaked the recipe and why. This is a KEEPER. I have given it as gifts to my daughters and highly recommend it. Happy cooking.

Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers is one of my favorite cookbooks. Everything I have made has been delicious. The instructions are so clear that it's impossible to make a mistake. I would recommend any Cook's Country, America's Test Kitchen, or Cook's Illustrated book because of the consistent quality and attention to detail in every single publication. We've virtually stopped eating out since I've discovered these books because restaurant food is nothing compared to what I can make at home with proper instruction and ingredients.

COOK'S COUNTRY BEST LOST SUPPERS come from family favorites that were once hidden in old cookbooks and family boxes - and thus are largely unknown to modern cooks. From Pan-Fried Chicken with Milk Gravy to Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Cornbread Meatloaf, these are outstanding picks highly recommended for any lending library interested in American regional and home cooking.

Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers comes to us from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. They turn out great TV shows and cook books for the "Regular Joe or Jane" in the regular American kitchen. This is a spiral bound book that lays flat for easy reference while cooking.

There are 8 chapters that feature general categories of cooking: Potluck, Sunday Suppers, Recipes with a "Story", Family Favorites, From the Old Country, Dinner on a Dime, Regional Specialties and Sweet Endings. Most of these recipes come with a story attached. I especially liked to browse through the Old Country sections. All of the recipes in the book come from "real" people who tell their family story behind the food. The Test Kitchen has brought most of the entries up to date as a spoon of lard cut into a handful of flour does not quite fly in today's world.

I never review a cook book without testing some of the recipes and it was a challenge with this book as I wanted to cook most of them. The ones that I did were the "Mighty Good Shrimp Salad" which I rate as Mighty Good; Apple and Sauerkraut Pork Chops which takes me back to my childhood in the Mid-Atlantic States and the Crispy Iowa Skinnies which is the best breaded pork sammy I've ever eaten. I've served this to family and friends alike to rave reviews.

If I have any problem with the book it's that there are not enough photo's included. For some reason I'm reluctant to try a new food if I don't know what the end product looks like. There are many photos of procedures included but not enough. All in all I think this book will be a helpful addition to any kitchen library and I personally look forward to testing many more of the recipes.

My First book of,"Lost Recipes" was by the well known authoress,Mrs.Marion Cunningham.A small book worth its weight just for Chef James Beards's recipe for,"Cream Biscuits".{Purchased 3 so far.Hunny continues to displace our copy,Men!}Cook's Country takes us on a Journey. Times were a bit slower. Many items were bought to prepare foods from,"scratch".Meals were a Family sitting down and All were Together.Halycon Days of the front door bursting open and Children shouting.Mothers in aprons with Dinner already bubbling away on Stoves or Baking in Ovens.Cookie jars being opened and a Treasure stuffed into a mouth,while the refridgerator door was askew,milk tumbling~"glug glug glug" into drinking glass for slacking a thirst.You will not be disappointed with this lovely either.Cook's Country has done a marvelous job of procuring nearly "lost recipes" from clutches of Oblivion."Suppers"will be a foray down a lane of Memories.Can You smell that Casserole? Gosh, haven't Thought about that One in Decades.Have been purposely,"vague" on recipes.What One may consider a "must have" may be Another's,"whatever" and pass by.Though,Never underestimate the Reaches of America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country. Proudly purchased from Partners of Amazon.Thank You.

The Cooks Country recipes are great and each has a little story. This is not a big cookbook (not as many recipes as there are jammed in others) but I'm enjoying it.