Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series) [Paperback]

Faith Durand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2011 | Series: NYM Series

Casseroles are quick, homey, and cost-effective one-dish meals, but they're also traditionally packed full of convenience foods like canned vegetables and condensed soups. Faith Durand's Not Your Mother's_ Casseroles introduces more than 200 recipes that totally revitalize the casserole, maintaining its trademark simplicity while incorporating fresh ingredients for more healthful dishes that are decidedly Not Your Mother's. Redefine casseroles with inspired recipes for Baked Basmati Rice with Saffron, Cashews, and Raisins; Root Vegetable Cobbler with Whole Grain Biscuit Topping; Baked Sweet Potatoes with Smoky Chipotle and Onions; Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Sauce; and Rhubarb-Lavender Oat Crisp.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a light tone and lightened-up recipes, Durand delivers the sort of book fans of the Not Your Mother's series expect: practical, user-friendly, and filled with plenty of everyday recipes for one-dish oven-baked meals. The author acknowledges casseroles' fuddy-duddy reputation, then proceeds to challenge it with ideas for everything from breakfast (breakfast brown rice with blueberries and almonds) to dessert (rhubarb-lavender oat crisp). In between are the bulk of recipes, perfect for weeknight dinners. Though some recipes actually are reminiscent of "your mother's" casseroles, such as a tortilla chicken casserole, many feel fresh and contemporary: tomato, arugula, and mushroom casserole; beet gratin with goat cheese and greens; roasted autumn vegetables with parmesan and sage; cinnamon lamb orzo bake. Because, as the author notes, "even the most complete casserole needs at least one complementary dish to round it out into a meal," she helpfully concludes with a "While it bakes" chapter of quick and healthy salads, soups, and breads, including a winter salad with fennel, cabbage, and citrus that will strike the right crisp balance with even the heartiest of traditional casseroles. (Jan.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Faith Durand is the managing editor of The Kitchn, the cooking section of ApartmentTherapy.com, an acclaimed lifestyle website and online community. Not Your Mother’s Casseroles is her first book. She is an avid home cook, gardener, and lover of dinner parties. Durand lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband.

Durand grew up in a busy household of eight children and the casserole, disguised under various aliases, was central to her mother’s culinary repertoire. After all, there was no easier way to feed so many mouths! Today, Durand, a well-regarded cook herself, has set out to redefine the casserole. With modern tools and techniques, she has built fresh ingredients and favorite flavors into the classic convenience of the baked one-dish meal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Common Press; 1 edition (January 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558324844
• ISBN-13: 978-1558324848
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!, January 27, 2011

By 

Kimberly Smith (Harrison, AR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series) (Paperback)

I just received this book from Amazon, and I'll try to come back and add more comments as I try a few more recipes, but I just had to speak up to counter Mr. Protein who was so very disappointed with his purchase.

If you're looking for Salty Meat Goop With Crunch On Top (usually including a can of Cream O' Campbell's), this is likely not your book. However, if you're looking for comfort food to stretch your culinary repertoire while still pleasing your family's palate; or if you'd like to do more cooking with healthful ingredients, would like to know what exactly to do with some of the less mainstream veggies at your grocery store, or love the simplicity of one-dish meals on busy nights-- check it out.

So far, all I've made is the Asian Cabbage Rolls with Spicy Pork-- but this healthy riff on the Chinese friend dumplings that we (guiltily) adore was immediately filed in the "make this again SOON" category, and it's definitely whetted my appetite to try more.

I'm also particularly excited to have this on my shelf because of my familiarity with Ms. Durand's reputation and engaging work as the managing editor at thekitchn.com. I don't buy cookbooks often, but this one looks to be well worth the money and shelf space.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A casserole of a different sort, February 8, 2011

By 

wogan "the book reader" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series) (Paperback)

Faith Durand defines casseroles as a baked dish, and in this book has has more than 200 recipes. She uses no canned soup, which is one of the main premises that these are not your mother's casseroles.
She also changes the idea of casserole cooking, in that many of these recipes are meatless, which helps cut costs and for those with vegetarian leanings is good.
For each recipe she has a short description, including if it will "reheat beautifully', or if it can be prepared in advance or frozen. She also shows how rice or beans could be cooked in the oven. Some recipes have an international flavor- French, British, Italian.

A description is given of cooking equipment and pantry supplies needed.
Two problems with the book are, that it is printed in dark red print, which for some can be hard to see, and I have had books that have this type of print fade as time goes by. Many recipes extend past one page, and if they are on the right side, you then have to turn the page back and forth while you are cooking which makes it inconvenient

Included are recipes for breakfast, hot starters, vegetable dishes, oven-baked rice, potatoes and beans, oven baked pastas and grains, poultry, meat and seafood, desserts, then to go with it all, salads, breads and soups. Especially good is the version of the British bubble and squeak, and white bean casserole with herbs and pork sausage and the simple pot bread for something different.
You can cook some different recipes with this book, many do not include meat, but then these are not your mother`s casseroles.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Casserole Book!, May 5, 2011

By 

KH "lukesmom" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not Your Mother's Casseroles (NYM Series) (Paperback)

I checked this book out from the library and liked it so much I bought it. I generally check books out, copy the recipes that I like, and return it. With this book, I liked so many recipes that I actually bought it. We really like casseroles in our family because it is a good way for us to incorporate veggies into our diets. None of us in our family are huge fans of separate meat, starch, veggies kind of meals. This book offers some really interesting new twists on casseroles. The casseroles aren't run of the mill, but they also aren't so weird that they seem unappetizing. I highly recommend!!