Customer Reviews

I Want My Dinner Now!: Simple Meals for Busy Cooks

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

 

 

I Want My Dinner Now! is a no-nonsense cookbook for harried meal planners short on time. Inexpensive meals and home-style family favorites, recommended lists to stock one's pantry, crystal clear recipe directions for two to six servings and more make I Want My Dinner Now! an ideal cookbook especially for hard-working parents. Straightforward instructions clearly illustrate meal plans classified into sections titled "Fast And Simple", "Toss It In The Oven", "One Pot Meals" (for less dishwashing afterward), and "Let's Use Those Appliances". An extensive "Cooking Basics" section will quickly familiarize even the most inexperienced cook with these nutritious, mouth-watering, and above all, easy-to-make dishes.

I purchased this cookbook almost 2 years ago and still think it's a fantastic cookbook. I gave it 4 stars because there are no pictures and the typeface is a little hard to read. It looks like somebody typed it on a typwriter so that gives the cookbook a very "dated" look. It wouldn't be good to give as a gift just because it looks like a 1940's edition of a cookbook, even the cover looks dated. The paper looks recycled so it's an off white. Which is unfortunate for the author, Renee Pottle, because her recipes are dee-lish. The recipes are written in 2 person and 6 person servings which is great for a new couple starting out or a family with kids. If the cover were changed and some updated photos of the dishes this book would be perfect to give as a wedding gift! The cover design lets the author down in this case.

The recipes start with store bought ingredients and then gets jazzed up with seasonings and spices. Each recipe indicates which items you should have in your pantry and then which you need to buy at the grocery. It also gives prep times, cooking times, then adds serving suggestions and even has cook's tips which is great for the novice cook.

I was looking forward to her new book "Just a Little Bit Fancy: Saturday Night Suppers" but don't know what ever happened to it being published. I hope that Ms. Pottle didn't publish it based upon the sales of this book because she just needs a better publisher and food photographer.

This is a great cookbook! so highly recommend and just don't let the cover or the typeface distract you from the real meat and potatoes of this cookbook.

My favorite recipes are the Taco Salad, Szechwan beef and Orange Chicken.

Renee Pottle was a regular contributor to Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Magazine from 1995-2000 and she has been developing recipes since she was ten years old.

Now she has created I Want My Dinner Now for cooks who are trying to solve the weeknight dinnertime conundrums and also want to save money. This cookbook is the result of recipes tested at home in the real world and includes many one-pot meals to reduce dirty dishes. Each recipe serves two to six and there are weekly menus and a well-stocked pantry list. Cooking tips, Cooking Basics and Cooking Terms are also included. Descriptions of ingredients used in the recipes makes this practical and interesting.

The recipes are arranged into four main sections:

Fast and Simple
Toss It In the Oven
One-Pot Meals
Let's Use Those Appliances

The first part of the book is an explanation leading to the recipes and here you can learn the basics of cooking. You can learn everything from how to husk ears of corn to making a pie crust or roasted red peppers.

Examples of the delicious recipes include:

Apple Sauced Pork Chops
Skillet Chicken Paella
Vegetable Curry
Fettuccine Alfredo
Tamale Pie
Scalloped Ham and Potatoes
Marinated Tuna Steaks

Imagine making an entire meal in your rice cooker. In thirty minutes you can make Orange Chicken and Spinach. Serve with a green salad and rolls and dinner is ready. Recipes for using your Slow Cooker, Microwave and Electric Grill are welcome additions to any repertoire. These recipes also feature restaurant favorites you can make at home and home-styled favorites with modern shortcuts.

~The Rebecca Review

I'd have to say my favorite recipe is the Tamale Pie. Anyone who has ever tried to or has successfully prepared homemade tamales knows it's not only an all-day affair, but it requires lots of helpers. Now, I don't have to trot off to my favorite Mexican restaurant, I can make them with ease-at home!

The first 44 pages of this book are pretty much designed for the novice cook. They contain tips, information on safety issues, herbs and spices, common ingredients that may be unfamiliar to you, what a well stocked pantry should include, and similar information. The book is divided into four sections - Fast And Simple, Toss It In The Oven, One Pot Meals, and Using The Appliances. Each of the four sections concentrates on a specific preparation requirement. Fast And Simple contains meals that can be on the table in 35 minutes or less, Toss It In The Oven contains meals you can prepare if you want to put it together and toss it in the oven so you can get other things done. One Pot Meals minimizes dirty dishes. Using The Appliances contains meals prepared with the use of a slow cooker, electric grill, microwave, or rice cooker.

The book contains 85 recipes in total, all of which are designed for the busy family. At the back of the book the author has even included 16 weeks of coordinated meals. If half a can of something is used one day then the rest is used later that week. I Want My Dinner Now is highly recommended for the busy family that still wants home-cooked meals.