Dad's Own Cookbook [Paperback]

Bob Sloan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2007

It's time to become the new hero of the kitchen. Or at least put aside your fear of frying (not to mention sautéing, roasting, or tossing a salad). Dad's Own Cookbook shows how to do everything from handling a knife properly to juggling three dishes so that dinner comes together on schedule. Its lively charts, tips, and directions replace intimidation with pleasure and camaraderie, and its 150 great recipes will turn the most culinarily challenged dad into the family chef.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

And now, for the kitchen impaired, a cookbook guaranteed to take you from zero to frittata in less than an hour. Dad's Own Cookbook offers culinary neophytes and novice cooks the chance to finally flex a little muscle in the kitchen. For singles who don't cook but are trying to impress a new date, this could be the dating guide of the century.

Joy of Cooking, The New Basics, and Betty Crocker's New Cookbook are all excellent books, but if you think Cuisinart was a movement that followed the French impressionists, they just might be a bit over your head. Author Bob Sloan assumes nothing, and Dad's Own Cookbook covers it all, start to finish. From buying the ingredients to cooking and serving, Sloan offers concise, no-nonsense instruction that strips away intimidation and sends confidence levels soaring. The highlight of this extraordinary cookbook is the recipes. While Sloan assumes you might be inexperienced in the kitchen, he never assumes that you are inexperienced at the table. The recipes are admirable, including such delicacies as Chicken Tortellini with Prosciutto and Tomato Cream Sauce, Baked Salmon with Herb Crust, and Strawberry Mousse. Best of all, Dad's Own Cookbook provides you with the tools you need to put them on the table.

Sloan starts with shopping tips, such as how to read product labels and select fresh produce. (Quick quiz for the experienced cooks out there: how do you tell if an egg is fresh?) He moves on to how to pick knives and pans, and how to measure (under the snappy title "Real Men Do Measure"), prepare, and serve. Along the way, Sloan offers solid advice on selecting a menu, what to prepare in advance, and how to time the cooking so everything comes out just right and at the same time. About the only thing Dad's Own Cookbook leaves out are excuses--when it comes to cooking, you simply won't need them any more. --Mark O. Howerton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Space may be the final frontier for some, but for others--men, maybe?--it could instead be the kitchen. Sloan has assembled a light-hearted, very practical book aimed at fathers (or anyone) who is kitchen-shy and cuisine-ignorant. The author points out--accurately--that many cookbooks assume a level of competence that some beginners just don't have. He takes his readers in hand and literally tells them how to boil water. Also, how to shop, select good kitchen ware, organize the pantry and get a meal on the table. After mastering these basics, Sloan gets us started with breakfast recipes and goes on to homemade pizza and fare for a child's birthday party. Along the way, the designated cook can assign tasks to the kids to familiarize them with cooking. For some who might think that Dad's Own involves microwaving a prepared meal and sprinkling on a little pepper, forget it. Sloan believes in cooking from scratch. At first glance, tossing off chicken breasts with prosciutto and mozzarella or organizing a cocktail party may seem impossible for a novice. And yet, Sloan's extremely well-organized recipes and preparation and cooking tips should have even take-out devotees thumbing the pages for new recipes to try. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 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: 304 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (May 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761142142
• ISBN-13: 978-0761142140
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All purpose toolkit for ensuring there's a real cooking kitchen at dad's house, July 4, 2007

By 

Lisa Richmond (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dad's Own Cookbook (Paperback)

I bought this book for my boyfriend and his young teen kids (well okay, really for me, because I collect cookbooks and was curious). Here is what is excellent about it: a TERRIFIC single page chart so the cooking-impaired can look in their fridge and freezer and tell what is "old and should be tossed immediately food," and easy to read recipes for basics that everyone universally likes to eat and can actually make, such as grilled cheese sandwiches, pancakes, etc. The only thing I wished for more of: photos of finished dishes, but I realize this would have increased the price of the book...and, who but cookbook collectors really need to view a finished grilled cheese sandwich anyway? More than worth the purchase if you're trying to class up a dad's kitchen in a gentle, good humored way.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cooking Basics for the Kitchen-Challenged, February 15, 2003

By 

C. Bennett (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dad's Own Cookbook: Everything Your Mother Never Taught You (Paperback)

My friend Peter was going through a divorce. The first thing he bought for his new apartment was this cookbook, and seven years later, he still swears by it and his kids are well-fed. On the road to culinary perfection, this is the first quarter-mile.

This handy guide to cooking for children includes everything from "How to Pack a Lunch" (page 66) to "How to Read a Recipe" (page 37) and even "Throwing a Birthday Party for Your Child" (page 285). This book is guaranteed to demystify the kitchen!

Most of the recipes in this book are extremely kid-friendly. For example: Six Sandwiches the Kids Will Eat (page 58), Four All-American Lunches (Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Quick Macaroni and Cheese, and Chef's Salad), and Dad's Official Meat Loaf.

The recipes are not strictly limited to kid-friendly fare. The author includes instructions on how to prepare for a cocktail party, with an accompanying "Cheese Primer." The Cocktail Party menu includes recipes for: Miniature Quiches (no, not the frozen kind that come out of a box!), Pate, and even Salmon Caviar!

The book is sectioned into meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Each section includes handy tips and tricks. For example, on page 80 there is a "Beef Basics" diagram which shows you where the different cuts of beef come from. These special sections include blue-tinted "Special Occasion" supplements. An example of this is on page 48, "Breakfast in Bed." This meal consists of Slow Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Sour Cream, and Caviar.

This is an outstanding all-around cookbook. Whether you're just getting started in your own apartment, or settling down with a loved one who longs to share the kitchen with you, this is a great start.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars like many an amateur chef..., August 25, 2007

By 

sean hennigan "sth" (brooklyn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dad's Own Cookbook (Paperback)

my culinary ambition often far outpaces my knowledge and ability in the kitchen. but dad's own cookbook is always there to sort me out. whether i need a bit of help making hard boiled eggs or homemade ravioli stuffed with goose liver paté, i can think of very few cooking expeditions i've undertaken in the last few years that haven't involved at least a cursory glance at bob sloane's tremendous book.

thanks to jim harrison for recommending it to me (not personally, alas, but that is a man whose opinion i trust) and thanks to bob sloane for saving me from my own rivers of frustration in the kitchen.

if you cook and you're not a pro, buy this book.