Customer Reviews

Sunday Dinners: Seasonal Menus to Enjoy with Family and Friends

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

 

 

"Sunday Dinner" offers a concise, but by no means meager, selection of complete meal menus designed for a cook who wishes to serve something more than the same-old same-old to family and friends. As the authors point out, this collection is entitled "Sunday Dinner" because this is the one meal of the week which, ideally, entails a little more time in the kitchen; however, one can easily adapt these to everyday use (for instance, by substituting chicken for the cornish game hens in one recipe). Recipes range from the sophisticated (Roast Duck with Port and Plum Sauce) to the sublime (Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and Raspberry Sauce), from hearty (Farfalle with Tomato and Vegetable Sauce) to healthy (Roasted Acorn Squash Soup).

However, I feel that the real beauty of "Sunday Dinner" lays in its presentation and design. The book's well-conceived layout organizes the menus by season, with each season's recipes providing a showcase for timely and highly-complimentary fruits and vegatables. While we might be accustomed, in this age of supermarket produce, to year-round fruits, berries, and vegetables, the menus in this book prove that nothing fits the spirit of any time of year better than in-season produce. Further, in regards to design, "Sunday Dinner" has no lavish (but somehow generic-feeling) photographs of high-gloss food, but rather takes on a simple, clean air of sophistication with its white pages, ornamented by Robbin Gourley's lovely color illustrations, plus seasonal quotes, gorgeous scripted fonts, and tastefully-done parchment-look menus at each dinner's head. Recipes are presented cleanly and clearly, with italicized ingredient listings and 1-2-3 instructions. Make no mistake, this book is a short but sweet, can't-miss collection of recipes.

Additionally, I would like to point out that I do not feel that the previous Amazon reviewer was fair to this lovely book. While this cookbook is certainly not geared toward the novice cook (for those new to cooking, I recommend something like the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook), its recipes are well-rounded and easy to follow.

Finally, it appears, as this book is now listed in Amazon's Outlet section, that the title will soon no longer be available. This is a shame, and I encourage anyone reading this review to purchase a copy, new or used, anywhere they may find it. And I do hope that the publisher (Chronicle Books) will keep this book in print. It is a job well-done for both authors and the illustrator, and provides a lovely compliment to anyone's recipe collection.

This is a grrreat book! This is a great book for those who love to cook and want to improve their culinary skills. I love all the menu themes and that I don't just have a recipe for an entree, I get recipes for sides, appetizers, deserts to make the meal a masterpiece!

This book is full of fish and vegetable recipies. The recipies are a bit too time consuming. Since I am a picky, simple eater I was disapointed to find out that there are really only 4 recipies in the entire book that I would even think about making. These recipies are not for the midwesterner who may enjoy a meat and potato meal.