Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely a Hit, January 30, 2007
I received a copy of this cookbook for Christmas (Thank you, Santa.) The book was all that I was expecting it to be and then some. Cookbook fans and Desperate Housewives fans alike will enjoy this book, and if you are both, even better! It is an honest-to-goodness cookbook, with a twist. It's also like a Desperate Housewives "scrapbook", with photos, snippets from the show and some cooking history for each of the "Housewives."
Obviously, the five "Housewives" of Wisteria Lane did not write these recipes, although they are presented as though they did. Christopher Styler is the creator of these wonderful recipes, capturing the style of each "Housewife". From Bree's perfectly fancy treats to Susan's fool-proof, simple dishes, there are a variety of cooking styles presented and a number of dishes available for each style. The photos of the dishes are great and reflect the appropriate housewife style even in presentation. (Check out photos of Lynette's dishes and you'll see a pacifier and plastic dinosaurs in the background.)
I like the fact that the cookbook is arranged in six different "Housewife" sections, one section for each of the five principal "Housewives" of the show and one section for the "neighbors" of Wisteria Lane. As a result, this cookbook is effectively grouped by style, rather than by course or food category. You want something fancy and intricate? Go to Bree's section. You want basic family fare? Check out Lynnette's. You're looking for a seductive, romantic meal? Go straight to Edie's section. (By the way, if you do want to see a list of all the salads in the cookbook, just go to the index in the back and look under Salad.)
Included in the collection are also recipes for dishes that have been either featured or implicated on the show, such as Susan's famous Macaroni and Cheese, Bree's muffins, Felicia's Macaroons and even Mrs. Huber's Smoothie (remember the blender?).
I do have to tell you that the first time I used the cookbook; I decided to do a three-course DH meal, with each course from a different section. I used Bree's Boston Lettuce & Chili-Toasted Walnut Salad (everyone loved the walnuts!), Susan's Shopping Bag Chicken (which I doubled) and Felicia's Wisteria Lane Icebox Napoleon dessert (with which I took a "Lynnette shortcut" and used a pudding mix). My family and guests loved it all!
The highlight was when I was cooking Susan's Shopping Bag Chicken. As I went to stir the chicken and veggies in the roasting pan after the first 15 minutes, my roasting pan (which is still very new) started to slide off the oven rack as I pulled out the rack. The whole thing started coming at me...and it was hot! I quickly said a couple of unprintable things, dropped my spoon, grabbed the other hot pad and managed to stop the roasting pan before it hit the floor. I pushed the pan back onto the rack, picked up two pieces of chicken off the floor, rinsed them, tossed them into the pan and with as much dignity as I could muster, closed the oven door. I then turned to my startled guests and said "Well, that wasn't in the recipe." And then without missing a beat, "but then, it WAS Susan's recipe!"
While I can't "guarantee" the same exciting results I had, I can say the food was great and I would love to make it again (with less drama, I hope). Whether you actually make any of the dishes from this cookbook or not, you'll enjoy looking at it.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Something for Everyone!, October 17, 2006
I was excited to hear that there was going to be a Desperate Housewives Cookbook being released. The week the book came out I was curious to see if it was nice - and IT IS!
The book is smartly divided by each Housewife and also includes recipes from the neighbors - Martha Huber, Felicia Tillman, Mike Delfino, and Mrs. McCluskey.
Bree's foods are elegant and classy to say the least; Susan has homey, easyily made foods; Gabrielle has Spanish dishes an healthy foods; Lynette has Family favorites and also dinners to impress, and Edie has seductive and sensual foods.
The book is also a nice hardback with color pphotographs throughout, and
tells about the characters and describes each of their dishes. It even includes "grocery lists" of the characters, a behind the scenes look from the set explaining the job of the "food stylists" from the show and gives cooking tips throughout. I appreciated a section of Lynette's portion of the book explaining how to make the perfect grilled cheese.
I have only made a few recipes from this cookbook - Martha Huber's Strawberry Smoothie Surprise, Felicia Tillman's Wisteria Lane Ice box Napoleons, Lynette's Grilled Cheese, and Mrs McCluskey's peanut brittle.
All have been delicious, and I plan to cook alot more of them. The only thing missing is the nutritional information of the recipes, but other than that, this book is great!
You're sure to find something you like out of this cookbook because it has a wide variety of different foods from the different characters. This makes a great add to your Desperate Housewives Memorabilia Collection, Cookbook collection, or a great gift to a Desperate Housewives fan!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something to please even the pickiest palate!, January 16, 2009
First off I have to say that I love the Housewives, so I had to get this book to finish my collection of memorabilia. I never actually thought I would be cooking any of the dishes, but I tried some. Bree's Muffins and Corn Chowder are to die for. The Lobster Risotto was very good too. The Tomato Bisque is next on my list of things to make. As I glance through the book I see alot of different styles of food. Even the pickiest eater should be able to find something that they will thoroughly enjoy. All in all, for the price and just for the novelty of this book, its worth it. Get it and try some recipes out, you will be pretty impressed.
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