A Flash in the Pan: Fast, Fabulous Recipes in a Single Skillet (Paperback)

~ (Author), Melanie Barnard (Author), Maren Caruso (Photographer) "Your grandmother probably has a frying pan, and your mom has a skillet..." (more)
Key Phrases: accumulated juices, pan sauce, browned bits, New England, New Orleans, Monterey Jack (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Elaborating on the meal-in-a-pot theme, Dojny and Barnard (AMA Family Health Cookbook) offer quick recipes that can be cooked in a skillet, which they redefine to include the sauté pan. The authors, who write a monthly column for Bon Appétit magazine, begin by advising how to choose the right cookery. Lemon Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry, for instance, can be cooked in minutes in a heavy skillet, as can Cumin-Crusted Pork Paillards with Mojo Pan Sauce; Tuscan sausages and Cannellini Beans on Arugula is best sautéed in a deep, covered pan. Caruso's full-color photos beautifully display such dishes as Thai Fish Bouillabaisse, which is made with coconut milk and red curry paste, or Pan-Seared and Braised Veal Chops Provencal. Dojny and Barnard also cover plenty of timesaving meatless dishes, such as Tunisian Eggplant and Chickpea Ragout; Meatless Mexican Monte Cristo sandwiches; and several varieties of the ultimate skillet meal, the omelet.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

People who live in small apartments have no room to store multiple pots and pans in all sizes. They also don't have huge stoves where they can simmer, fry, and saute all at the same time. Brooke Dojny and Melanie Bernard address this issue in A Flash in the Pan . The only cooking equipment recipes in this book require is a single skillet. Thus, many of the recipes resemble stir-frys. Chicken breast strips and asparagus combine with garlic and lemon. Beef, peppers, broccoli, and onions marry in hoisin sauce. Some recipes, such as Swedish Meatballs, require a bowl for mixing. Others produce quick versions of classics on the order of sauerbraten and corned beef hash. Best of all, these simple recipes will inspire the imaginative to substitute ingredients to create personalized meals. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811835782
• ISBN-13: 978-0811835787
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,820 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite cookbook!, January 12, 2004

By	Annoyed User (Westminster, CO USA) - See all my reviews

My husband bought this cookbook for me, and of all the cookbooks that we tried, this turned out to be my favorite cookbook that I use the often. Reasons are many -- many dishes look fancy but are often easy to do and taste very fabulous, and they usually don't require hard-to-find ingredients. Another plus is that you don't use a lot of pans and stuff -- you just use the same skillet for everything (though you'll need to transfer some foods to a waiting dish for some recipes).

Also, though the cookbook isn't considered low-carb, many recipes are suitable for people who can't eat high carb and friendly to people who follow whole food/paleo diets like we do. Also, thankfully, the cookbook authors don't seem to have hangups about using good fats, such as butter and olive oil.

Our favorite recipes are: steak with sherried mushrooms and fennel pork chops with charred lemons. Also fabulous is the lamb with mint-garlic-caper sauce.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick, delicious, and never boring., August 15, 2007

By	Karri M. Rahkonen "Another Avid Reader" (Aurora, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The meals in this book are perfect for two, and you don't need to be Cordon Bleu trained to make them. You can get a good idea about what the product will be before you make it through the fantastic photography and great descriptions. It's full of useful tips for making your day-to-day cooking easier and have better results. If you aren't into spending all day in the kitchen, but want to eat well, this is a must-have.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Flash in the Pan is one of my favorite cookbooks., June 21, 2007

By	peace2u "Irene" (Leesburg, VA) - See all my reviews

A Flash in the Pan is a great cookbook. There are several things I love about it. The recipes produce delicious results. Two of my favorites are the Tuscan Sausage and Beans and the Red Snapper with Warm Mango Salsa. The recipes, while simple and easy to follow, are really nice for entertaining as well. Recommendations are made as to what to serve as side dishes. You only use one skillet or one pot. I can always prepare a very nice yet quick meal using this book. It's one of my favorites and I have a great selection of cook books!