Customer Reviews

Off The Shelf: Cooking From the Pantry

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is worthy of its predecessors. Like Donna Hay's 4 earlier books, this is a beautiful cookbook (the photography and food styling are gorgeous) filled with inventive and reliable recipes. The speciality of this book is that it provides recipes that can be made with just a few staples in the pantry. The asian chicken noodle soup is particularly wonderful.

Most of the recipes don't have more than 5-7 ingredients, mostly items from the pantry but there are always 2-3 fresh items that really make the difference. There are pictures for every single recipe, very useful for when you want to know what the dish should really look like. The gorgeous pictures alone are worth the price of the cookbook, wonderful to browse when you are trying to figure out what to cook. The only negative is that the recipes are not inherently low fat, but it's easy to substitute high fat cheeses etc with the low fat version. The interesting food combinations and easy easy preparations make this an awesome everyday cookbook.

If you are a basic sort of person who enjoys plain, down-to-Earth meals, and do not like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, this book is for you. Not only does it suggest what basics to stock on your shelves, but the recipes turn out very well if fresh ingredients are used. One will not be caught off guard when unexpected guests arrive, if you follow the suggestions offered by Hay. I did, however, find the recipes were not quite as original as anticipated. Many are variations of recipes found in other similar cookbooks, particularly the Asian noodles; however, the recipes are still tasty and the book will be particularly valuable to those inexperienced in the kitchen.

I am a huge fan of Donna Hay. I have a collection of recipes from her magazines and they all taste fantastic. The skill level for some of her magazine recipes can be a bit high though. Tastey and amazing none the less.
I recieved this book from a friend who went to Australia and brought it back for me. I was so excited. I dismissed the title 'off the shelf', as I find this isn't always true with cook books. It is very true here. Now that have cooked with nothing but these recipes for two weeks, I know to always have some fresh lemon, parmesean and herbs in my kitchen and I am good to go. There is a good range of veggie, fish and meat dishes. All that i have easily been able to substitue ingredients for (ex. fish instead of chicken). The food has all been amazing and if I take 5 minutes to prep all my ingredients, the dinners that I have made have taken about 15-20 minutes. Highly recommend this for ANYONE who loves to cook and loves to eat good food. These are easy recipes and there is a good mix of meals from everyday to a sunday dinner.

I've had this cookbook for over 5 years and it's my most favorite! I like food to be delicious, interesting, beautiful, and easy to make... everything I've made from this book has been all of those things! Once you get some of the less common items "on your self" (like Chinese five spice or Thai fish sauce) it is easy to make everything in the book!

In keeping with Donna Hay's other books this has wonderful photos. It is so nice too look at one would buy it just to look at the photos or to display. However Donna does not let us down in regards to content. The recipes are simple enough to attempt yet interesing enough to taste great. It is organized in such a way that by choosing an item from your pantry you can create a meal.So those days when all you have left in the cupboard is pasta Donna can give you a new way to prepare it. I recommend this book for those of us who want to discover the soul of cooking.

This is a great cook book in great condition. I always check Amazon first when I am looking for a book.

After collecting cookbooks my whole life, I have found my new favorite. The recipes are easy and delicious. I love the "tricks & tips" and the "short order" sections, ie using a metal spoon to brūlée the top of a custard and the recipe for couscous salad!

Not my most favorite of her collection, but her book is so visually appealing that I always reference it when experimenting in the kitchen. Good information and very creative.

I love that all of the recipes in this book have pictures! I also like that Donna has the recipes categorized by main ingrediant. I love rice so I am always finding yummy new recipes in the Rice section. Within each category there is a section for fast recipes that only take minutes to make. The deserts are wonderful! I can't wait to cook my way through this book!!!!