Customer Reviews

The Dreaded Broccoli Cookbook : A Good Natured Guide to Healthful Eating with 100 Recipes

5 star:		(4)
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I picked up this book because it was on sale (kind of an 'impulse buy'), but also because I'm trying to cultivate a desire to cook. Thinking the book was really just about broccoli, I let it sit on my bookshelf for a couple of months before even opening it. What a surprise to discover this is a wonderful book, and I love reading it! It's about so much more than broccoli, and I've learned a great deal about putting flavor into healthy food (a skill which doesn't come naturally to me). The authors (a mother and daughter team) are very amusing and informative, and a novice like me would actually feel comfortable cooking with them, rather than feeling intimidated. I would recommend this book to anyone who's not already an accomplished cook or chef ; I'm inspired to go buy a Römertopf (clay pot) and cook up a feast this weekend. (And I'm someone who often eats cereal for dinner to avoid cooking. No longer!!) I like to know how and why you do certain things when cooking, and this book tells you everything you need to know, and it's all fun.

Unlike other assorted low-fat cranks, the authors of Dreaded Broccoli actually like food, and it shows. The book is witty, insightful and a pleasure to read even if you never cook a single recipe. In fact, its title notwithstanding, it is not really a cookbook at all; the authors' insistence on "recipe independence" means not cooking the recipes is really part of the point.

I have subscribed to the Dreaded Broccoli Newsletter for several years. It helps that I like to cook, but even if I didn't I would still enjoy reading the Haspels' writing. The Haspels are intelligent, highly literate authors whose ability to turn a phrase (article on cooking low fat buffalo meat at home titled "At Home on the Range") is a constant delight. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys eating, reading or reading about eating.

Eli Becker

Well-written, thorough, informative book including nutrition, cooking tips, opinions (90% of which i agreed with) and often humorous throughout with anecodotes, jokes, and sometimes just cleverly written sentences on food. it's an older book but still relevant today. Don't let it's age fool you into not buying it. Highly recommended! Try to get a cheaper price though...