The NEW ELEGANT BUT EASY COOKBOOK [Hardcover]

Marian Burros (Author), Lois Levine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 1998

Originally published in 1960, Elegant but Easy was a mixture of homegrown and imported recipes, liberally seasoned with butter, cream, and cheese (especially American cheese), with a generous helping of convenience foods. Now, almost forty years and 500,000 copies later, authors Marian Burros and Lois Levine have written a completely revised and updated version of the classic cookbook that set the standard for entertaining. The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook reflects the way we cook today while keeping the concept behind the original book: recipes that can be prepared ahead of time so the cook can enjoy the party instead of hovering over the stove. We all know that stirring risotto in the kitchen while your guests are gossiping in the living room is no fun. That's why all the recipes in The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook can be prepared in advance and refrigerated or frozen until your party. While sharing all-new recipes for delectable dishes like Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Mediterranean Couscous Salad, Michele's Corn Pudding, or an astonishing Prepare-Ahead Chocolate Soufflé, Burros and Levine have also included 50 favorites from the original cookbook, like Sherley's Parmesan Puffs, Baked Imperial Chicken, Green and Gold Squash, and Lois's Original Plum Torte (the most requested recipe ever reprinted in the New York Times). To make your life even easier, the book has new features, like an ingredients list with mail-order sources and lists of recipes for specific needs and occasions. Best of all, there are ten foolproof menus, from an Old-Fashioned Casual Dinner for 6 to a Brunch for 16 to Cocktails for 24, each with a shopping list and a two-week "count-down game plan" that will take the fear out of entertaining for even the first-time host.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The track record of the Elegant but Easy Cookbook speaks for itself. Almost 40 years and 500,000 copies in print is the figure of best-selling novels, not cookbooks. Yet co-authors Marian Burros and Lois Levine have endured, and The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook is destined to continue the tradition. The concept for the book hasn't changed: it's filled with recipes that can be prepared ahead of time so the cook can enjoy the party instead of hovering over the stove. However, the old book had become dated, often relying on canned and prepared ingredients that--while perfectly acceptable in 1960--did nothing to reflect more modern tastes. The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook manages to maintain the integrity of the original while taking a new culinary approach with more emphasis on fresh ingredients and world cuisine. Only 50 favorite recipes are included from the original volume (including Lois's Original Plum Torte, the most requested recipe reprinted in the New York Times, ever), while the rest are a dynamic new approach to simple and easy cooking. Dishes like Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese or Couscous are elegant, yet still sturdy enough to be prepared in advance. Burros and Levine have done their homework, and it shows. None of the recipes are to be underestimated because they are simple or can live in a refrigerator until mealtime. The authors have also provided ten foolproof menus, planning guides for large dinner parties, and ingredients lists with mail-order sources. In an age where time has become a precious commodity, The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook provides a resource to help free the chef from the kitchen to enjoy the ritual of the meal. --Mark O. Howerton

From Publishers Weekly

With this update of her popular 1960 Elegant But Easy Cookbook, Burros adds her contribution to a lengthening list of revised cookbook classics. Faithful readers will recall that the original featured make-ahead party fare; the same is true in the new edition. Here, however, the hors d'oeuvres, the fish, meat and vegetarian entrees, as well as side dish, salad and dessert recipes have all been "en-lightened" with fresh produce, low-fat dairy products and flavorful multiethnic ingredients. Calorie-laden Chicken Divan, for example, has given way to Marinated Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa; grape jelly and chili-sauced cocktail meatballs cede their space to piquant Pickled Shrimp. Toasted Mushroom Rolls made with crustless slices of white bread rolled thin are minimally modified (calling for exotic mushrooms if available). Where once there were instant mashed-potato flakes, canned vegetables and Jello, there is now Polenta with Wild Mushrooms, Parmesan Braised Fennel and fresh Strawberry Sorbet. Two souffles, which can be prepared in advance and baked at the last minute, are standouts. Burros provides useful tips (e.g., how to pasteurize egg yolks), offers several knockout short-cut pie crusts, lists mail-order sources and includes a chapter with 10 menus plus "game plans." Above all, this collection once again encourages home cooks to be guests at their own parties.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Revised edition (April 8, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684832445
• ISBN-13: 978-0684832449
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recipes Taste Great and Work!, September 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The NEW ELEGANT BUT EASY COOKBOOK (Hardcover)

I am a personal caterer, which means I cook in clients' homes, enough for 2 weeks or a month, and then package the entrees in the refrigerator or freezer. This cookbook is one of the staples of my trade. I highly recommend buying it and trying the jambalaya and Mustard Pork Tenderloin.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for Elegant and Easy Entertaining, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The NEW ELEGANT BUT EASY COOKBOOK (Hardcover)

This book is a must for anyone who ever has planned or is planning to entertain. I would even recommend it to restauranteurs. Ms. Burros instructions are clear and concise. The recipes I have tried work well, and best of all they have won raves from my guests. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A savory and splendid book for the frazzled hostess, November 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The NEW ELEGANT BUT EASY COOKBOOK (Hardcover)

It is hard to find a cookbook with elegant, low-fat comfort food. This is it. There are many recipes that please and relax yet offer a surprising new twist. Like the jambayla with spicy turkey sausage and shrimp. Superb, like the book.