Review
"The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy is exactly what its title suggests—a resource packed with recipes to satisfy a connoisseur's palate, yet which require a minimum of preparation time."
—Midwest Book Review
"I'd prefer to call this the Relaxed Gourmet... the brainchild of Robin Donovan & Juliana Gallin... it's filled with the most marvelous and truly inspired dishes. Just because you don't have hours and hours to spend in the kitchen, does not mean you can't prepare spectacular meals. Your guests will really rave about the 'coolness' factor of whatever you serve them. The recipes are so simple to prepare, yet give the impression that you've been slaving away... BOTTOM LINE: This is one book you'll turn to often in 2012, making brilliant dishes in no time."
—Cookbooks and Apps blog
"The recipe section made me as happy as my favorite cooking shows do... Don’t lump this in with other books on food and cooking. It’s creative, funny, and a quick read. Think about putting it near the register as a potential impulse purchase."
—Anna Jedrziewski, New Age Retailer, June 2011
"As a "frugal party girl," and busy working mother, I love good recipes I can throw together without a lot of fuss and complication. The Lazy Gourmet is making my life much easier, but the great thing is, the resulting delicious dishes don't LOOK EASY!
—Lara Starr, author of The Frugal Foodie
"The Lazy Gourmet is one of those rare cookbooks that also feeds the mind. I love this book for the savvy secrets and food facts that show Juliana and Robin are fabulously passionate about great food. The real "joy of cooking," is sharing meaningful meals with family and friends and The Lazy Gourmet shines a light on doing just that."
—Margie Lapanja, author of Romancing the Stove: Goddess in the Kitchen, Food Men Love and Food That Rocks!
"Each member of my family is very social; we have people dropping over frequently. I often need to pull together a quick meal to share with our dear friends so The Lazy Gourmet is now my go-to resource for marvelous recipes that "impress for less."
—Billee Sharp, author of Fix It, Make It, Grow It, Bake It
"I LOVE to entertain and I am always searching for great recipes. Juliana Gallin and Robin Donovan have created delicious recipes and easy ideas for parties I will be using for many years. The Lazy Gourmet brings the fun back into the kitchen and puts it right on the table."
–Nina Lesowitz, author of The Party Girl Cookbook and Living Life as a Thank You
"Whether you're a nervous newbie or a skilled cook with utmost confidence, you're sure to appreciate this smart recipe collection that allows you to put an impressive spread on the table even when you're time-pressed—which for most of us is 24-7. With The Lazy Gourmet, cooking turns relaxed and satisfying. Imagine that.'
—Carolyn Jung, James Beard Award-winning food writer and creator of FoodGal
“This book is filled with food that’s simple, seasonal, fresh, and doable. Here you’ll find recipes that are perfect for family dinner on Tuesday night but fun, hip, and cool enough to serve your friends when you’re entertaining on Saturday evening. And it’s easy enough for even the novice to do.”
—Joanne Weir, James Beard Award-winner, popular television cooking show host, and author of Tapas to Meze
"I have always considered myself a lazy chef. For me, that means choosing seasonal, local ingredients and relying on simple preparations to allow those ingredients to shine. In The Lazy Gourmet, Robin and Juliana have taken this approach to a whole new level, transforming 'lazy' into 'quintessentially elegant.'"
—John Scharffenberger, Founder, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
"Whether you're new to the kitchen or an experienced home chef, you'll love The Lazy Gourmet. With its good-humored approach, engaging style, useful culinary information, and delightfully easy and delicious recipes, it takes the stress out of cooking. If you want to prepare sophisticated, exceptional meals for your friends and family but are busy, kitchen-phobic, or just plain lazy, this is the cookbook for you."
—Sally Bernstein, Editor-In-Chief, Sally's Place
"That cooking is fun is one of the best-kept secrets in some circles, but not here. With infectious enthusiasm, The Lazy Gourmet will inspire both the neophyte and the well-seasoned home cook toward making meals that show how easy it is to love cooking from scratch."
—Cheryl Koehler, Editor/Publisher, Edible East Bay
From the Back Cover
"Food that's simple, seasonal, fresh and doable." —Joanne Weir
The Lazy Gourmet is for anyone who dreams of dazzling friends and loved ones with fabulous home-cooked fare, especially cooks short on time, patience, skill or experience. Authors and food bloggers Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin conquer the misguided belief that preparing an elegant meal requires spending hours—or days—in the kitchen. With the help of an army of volunteer testers, regular people with picky palates and little cooking experience, they have created this collection of more than 125 easy recipes. Elegant, party-worthy dishes like Orange-Spiced Pecans, Basil Leaf and Goat Cheese Wraps, Pistachio-Crusted Leg of Lamb, Seared Sea Scallops with Mint and Pea Puree, and Lazy Chocolate "Mousse" all rely on readily available ingredients, common kitchen appliances and basic techniques. With these deceptively easy recipes and a bevy of useful tips and tricks, The Lazy Gourmet shows that anyone can prepare delightfully simple yet surprisingly delicious and sophisticated dishes that are certain to impress.
