Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking [Paperback]

Jennifer Bushman (Author), Sallie Y. Williams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 16, 2004

Kitchen Coach Jennifer Bushman can help you get good food on the table Monday to Friday and enjoy making it! She'll help you set up an efficient kitchen and identify the weeknight cooking challenges you may face--working late, keeping to a budget, pleasing picky eaters, juggling family schedules--then guide you to great recipes to suit your need or mood of the day. You and your family will be glad you cooked!
* "What to Cook" chart to solve your "What's for dinner?" questions
* Meal-planning cues--from Easy Preparation to Something Special
* 150 simple, healthy recipes for all kinds of weeknight situations
* Sensational salads, hearty pastas, fresh fish entrees, and tempting chicken recipes
* Themed dishes for "comfort food" or sophisticated "spa cooking" nights, and more
* Fun foods for kids--including wraps, tacos, pizza, and foods-on-a-stick


"Jennifer is a working woman's dream. . . . There is something for everyone's palate in this book. If you love to cook, or just love to eat, this is all you need!"
--Elizabeth Vargas, anchor, ABC News

"Jennifer Bushman's creative dishes can stir even the most jaded, overworked cook. This is an invaluable book to help survive our rushed, stressed modern lives."
--Shirley O. Corriher, author of CookWise

"Finally a book that matches . . . [Jennifer's] vibrant, lively, and creative personality. . . . Every kitchen needs Jennifer as their 'kitchen coach'!"
--Joanne Weir, host of the PBS series Weir Cooking in the City and author of Weir Cooking in the City

"Jennifer Bushman's . . . enthusiasm reaches right out from the page and there is no reason not to cook once you have Jennifer's book in hand."
--John Ash chef, teacher, and author of John Ash Cooking One on One

"Jennifer Bushman, champion cooking teacher, personifies a true Kitchen Coach: always guiding, encouraging, and inspiring."
--Flo Braker, author of The Simple Art of Perfect Baking and Sweet Miniatures

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Practical tips trump celebrity gloss in this handy first offering from Bushman, owner of a Nevada cooking school and a syndicated TV cook. Bushman swears "cooking even a couple of times a week will make you happier." Her formula for achieving domestic bliss—choosing simple, fresh ingredients that stimulate the senses while offering a healthful alternative to prepared food and takeout—isn't news, but the 150 recipes offer some pleasingly creative ways of transforming basic ingredients, seen in such recipes as Penne with Puttanesca Sauce, as well as "spa" recipes like Linguine with Tomato-Fennel Sauce, which offers a fancier alternative for only marginally more prep time. While the book's 23 chapters present an array of cuisines, with chapters on how to prepare simple Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean meals, Bushman also pays tribute to unfussy comfort foods like Quick Macaroni and Cheese. Bushman's casual, fun approach to dining (relax, let your senses guide you, eat breakfast at dinner time if it makes you happy) should appeal to busy cooks. Photo insert not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Bushman and her husband run a cooking school called the Nothing to It! Culinary Center in Reno, NV, and she is the host of “Nothing to It” television cooking spots.  Her first book presents 150 recipes for busy cooks, with dozens of tips and hints to make their lives easier, from how to organize the pantry to what to look for when buying poultry.  Organized into 20 some small chapters, from “Wrap It Up!” to “The Asian Express,” the recipes are an electric selection; many seem rather familiar.  For area libraries and large general collections. (Library Journal, June 15, 2004)

"Practical tips trump celebrity gloss in this handy first offering from Bushman, owner of a Nevada cooking school and a syndicated TV cook. Bushman swears "cooking even a couple of times a week will make you happier." Her formula for achieving domestic bliss—choosing simple, fresh ingredients that stimulate the senses while offering a healthful alternative to prepared food and takeout—isn't news, but the 150 recipes offer some pleasingly creative ways of transforming basic ingredients, seen in such recipes as Penne with Puttanesea Sauce, as well as "spa" recipes like Linguine with Tomato-Fennel Sauce, which I offers a fancier alternative for only marginally more prep time. While the book's 23 chapters present an array of cuisines, with chapters on how to prepare simple Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean meals, Bushman also pays tribute to unfussy comfort foods like Quick Macaroni and Cheese. Bushman's casual, fun approach to dining (relax, let your senses guide you, eat breakfast at dinner time if it makes you happy) should appeal to busy cooks. Photo insert not seen by PW. Agent, Stacey Glick. (July)
Forecast: Bushman offers a great value, covering ethnic cuisine, vegetarian entrees, kids' snacks, sandwiches, etc. However, she's competing with many other books by TV cooks with higher profiles, so sales could prove challenging." (Publishers Weekly, June 7, 2004)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (July 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764543148
• ISBN-13: 978-0764543142
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 10.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #473,848 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 What a dynamo!, September 17, 2004

By 

Penny G. Garcia "cookbook fiend" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking (Paperback)

Wow - what a little dynamo. Just got home last night from a cooking class featuring Jennifer Bushman and this book. It was fantastic! And, from such a tiny little woman ... I had never heard of Ms. Bushman as her show has not yet made it to Texas, but signed up for her class because it sounded like it would be fun. It was one of the best I've been to lately (and I go to a lot of cooking classes). She made (and we ate) the Chicken, Avocado, Bacon, Spinach & Tomato Club Wrap w/ Pumpkin Fries; Gorgonzola, Escarole, Garlic & Roasted Pepper Pizza; Chicken Nicoise Salad w/ Walnuts & Blue Cheese Vinaigrette; Fresh Crab Tacos; Rotelli w/ Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms & Shaved Parmesan and Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins. I'm still full. I wanted to devour every word of her book when I got home last night, but had to turn in as work beckoned today. I am ready to curl up with it this evening! Ms. Bushman was such an inspiration - made me want to cook great meals every single night of the week and made it seem entirely possible. FYI ... she told us she's scheduled to be on the Today Show October 10. I can't wait to start cooking from this book - and I can't wait for the next one. Hope she'll return to San Antonio to cook from that one for us!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Creativity for Busy Cooks, July 24, 2004

By 

Nina Reeves-Reid (Reno, Nevada United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking (Paperback)

Absolutely the best book I have come across for preparing dishes with a lot of pizzaz, using ingredients found at the local market, with a minimum of effort A must for the busy cook, whether they are cooking for a family, have invited friends over during the week or just want to spice up a simple meal for one or two.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jennifer's cookbook brings the fun back to the kitchen., December 2, 2004

By 

Janelle Mousel-Turnier (Reno, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking (Paperback)

As a mother of two picky under 8-year old boys this cookbook has been a treasure. My kids enjoy helping whip these dinners, lunches and breakfasts up with me and on top of that they enjoy eating them also.
We now have banana pancakes with honey-butter for breakfast instead of the usual high fat, high sugar, low nutrient breakfast cereals. They enjoy sandwiches other than pb&j for lunch (and yes, they are no-trade lunches as the title of the chapter says!) with veggies and a little dipping sauce. Our dinners are not as stressful for me because Jennifer teaches you how to stalk your pantry so you can get home and answer that age-old question "What's for dinner?" in a matter of minutes by surveying your supplies. Jennifer's cookbook brings the fun back to the kitchen. Thank you!