Customer Reviews

The New Lasagna Cookbook: A Crowd-Pleasing Collection of Recipes from Around the World for the Perfect One-Dish Meal

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love lasagna, and I wanted to love THE NEW LASAGNA COOKBOOK. That's why I don't enjoy giving this book a mediocre rating. I just don't find many inspiring lasagna recipes in the book. I've had this book several months, and it is not one of those cookbooks I reach for when I want to try something new and delicious. For that matter, it's not a cookbook I reach for when I need help with a delicious classic, either.

The book jacket states there are recipes for 75 "lasagna variations," which is a bald-face, uh, inaccuracy. There are 51 lasagna recipes, several of which are actually not lasagna. For example, a baked rigatoni recipe named "Lazy Lasagna" is counted as lasagna as are several non-lasagna casseroles. (I guess if you name it "lasagna," you can include it in your lasagna cookbook regardless of the ingredients.) There are three fresh pasta recipes and five recipes for various sauces and fillings that are used repeatedly in the lasagna recipes. The remaining recipes have nothing to do with lasagna (that's about one-fourth if you're keeping count. And I did. :-) ) Several of the non-lasagna recipes look delicious; I'm just noting that they are not lasagna!

The book includes one of my least favorite cookbook tactics. There are only eight pictures (all color), and they are grouped together in the middle of the book. It's hard to believe that they did this for cost savings because one of the biggest strikes against this book is the value. It actually cost me more than several other cookbooks I own that contain dozens more recipes and color pictures.

For me, the most interesting recipe in the book is actually a family salad dressing recipe. In fact, a quick search on the term "lasagna" on any of my favorite free recipe Web sites delivered better results (in quantity and interest) than this book provides, unfortunately. It just isn't worth the cost. Lesson learned: no more single-subject cookbooks.

If you're interested in this cookbook I imagine that it's because you, like me, are a lasagna lover. Perhaps you also share my interest in finding recipes beyond the standard that include fusion flavors or unique ingredients. Because of this The New Lasagna Cookbook: A Crowd-Pleasing Collection of Recipes from Around the World for the Perfect One-Dish Meal was very appealing. Unfortunately my experiences with the cookbook have not quite lived up to my expectations.

On a positive note, there are a lot of interesting lasagna recipes in here ranging from the more traditional to fusion such as a short rib lasagna that uses tortillas instead of noodles. There were also quite a few vegetarian lasagnas as well as ones that could easily be made vegetarian. I also appreciated that the author provided recipes for fresh pasta. Most of them are similar to what you would find in a pasta or Italian cookbook like The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles so if you have a lot of cookbooks these may not be new or novel to you. However they are helpful if you would prefer to refer to only one book.

As much as I like a lot of the lasagna recipes in this book I do have a few complaints that keep it from being a 5-star review. The first is that there seems to be a lot of what I would consider filler in this book. We get recipes for salads and desserts that are not lasagna in any way. Granted, it's nice to be able to round out the meal but if I were looking for Italian salad and dessert recipes I would turn to a general Italian cookbook rather than one specific to lasagna. Also, calling some of the recipes in this book lasagna seems like a stretch. The most glaring example is her breakfast lasagna which is pretty much a strata, a dessert that uses puff pastry, and some dishes that are basically just baked pasta casseroles.

I also would have liked a little bit more background on lasagna. She does give some general tips on successful lasagna making but I would have also liked to hear more about the history of the dish and perhaps even about the differences between Italian lasagna and Italian American lasagna. She also gives some interesting recipes with international flare and it would be nice to know if these are fusion recipes she created herself or recipes that are actually traditional to the country, perhaps under a different name.

Overall this is an okay book. It has some unique recipes that I will definitely make, but overall it's the kind of cookbook I would check out from the library and cook from rather than keeping for my collection. I would instead recommend a book like The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles. It's not lasagna specific but does have some great lasagna recipes as well as a wealth of other delicious pasta recipes and tips. This is a book that is definitely worth previewing before buying.

This a great cook book for someone who has never prepared lasagna before. Easy recipes to prepare and great to eat.

I like this book because it showcases some new and inventive flavor combinations. The prep on most recipes is easy and pretty quick. Have made several recipes and they have all been wonderful.

This is a perfect cookbook for my new "triple lasagna pan". Somehow I can make 3 different items and have them turn out at the same time.