A Man, a Can, a Plan : 50 Great Guy Meals Even You Can Make (Board book)

~ (Author), The Editors of Men's Health (Author) "Men don't Cook." People tell me this all the time..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cheddaror Monterey Jack

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A Man, A Can, A Plan, inspired by an article in the most popular mens magazine, Mens Health, is a cookbook that presents 60 simple, inexpensive recipes featuring ingredients guys have right in their cupboardscanned food. Great and healthy food can be had for a low price and minimum effort, and A Man, A Can, A Plan lays it all out, in pictorial, easy-to-follow steps, for the culinary-challenged. It features special sections on cooking for her and cooking for the morning after for dudes with a lady on their minds, and its special lay-flat design makes it incredibly practical for countertop use. Author David Joachim received the 1999 James Beard Award for Steven Raichlens Healthy Latin Cooking, so he knows his stuff and makes it accessible to beginners and experienced guys as well. Get your can openers ready to rumble!

From the Back Cover

Step-by-Step Recipes!

'50s-Style Creamed Chicken

How to make it: Cook the onion in the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, until tender. Dump in the chicken and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the soup and mushrooms. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream over low heat. Heat through and serve over the cooked noodles. Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 354 calories, 5 g fat (12% of calories), 1 g saturated fat, 22 g protein, 54 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 599 mg sodium. When it's not just you and the TV ... top with chopped fresh parsley.

10-oz can chunk chicken breast, drained and flaked
11-oz can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
6-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
12-oz bag "no yolk" egg noodles, cooked according to the package directions
Also: 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 cup fat-free sour cream

Book Facts

Serving Size: 50 recipes
Main ingredients per recipe: About 5
Avg. prep time per recipe: 30 min.
Breakfasts: 4
Sandwiches: 8
Munchies: 9
Dinners: 25
Desserts: 4
Special cooking and nutrition tips: 15
Easy-to-clean pages: 43

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Product Details

• Board book: 43 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (June 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579546072
• ISBN-13: 978-1579546076
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,567 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast, easy, simple., July 4, 2002

By	Rebecca A. Baillie "rab10" (Woodland, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book for my husband who does not cook. He actually looked at the book, picked out recipes, and fixed some of the food. The directions were simple and they even provide pictures of the ingredients so you know what exactly to buy. The book is cute and is very simplistic. It is not for the gourmet, the dieter, or anyone who likes fresh vegetables. As the title implies, most recipes use only canned food. On the plus side, the recipes are simple, easy to prepare, and do not require a lot of planning. The results vary from edable to pretty good.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great First Step for Non-Cooking Bachelor, July 13, 2003

By	Mike (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews

I think that this book serves it's purpose beautifully. It was bought for me by my girlfriend, who was growing tired of my "I can't cook" mantra. I'd been given The Joy of Cooking in the past, but the realistic chance of me suddenly making a pot roast out of the blue were pretty much nil.

This book is great because it assumes you know _nothing_ about cooking and walks you along in baby steps, using mostly cans and easily bought foods with basic cooking skills. After having made several of the recipes (all of which were easy, quick, low cost, tasty, and reasonably healthy), I'm starting to experiment with other ingredients and may look into other "real" cookbooks in the future.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with _very_ little or no cooking experience. I think it fills a niche nicely. It's put me in the kitchen cooking, which no other cook book has been able to do. Highly recommended.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the novice cook, February 8, 2004

By	Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I bought this book for my father when he was newly widowed and had no idea how to cook for himself. These 50 recipes, presented by Men's Health magazine, are quick and easy and seasoned with a dash of humor. This is a good book for the beginner because each recipe uses only a few basic ingredients, mostly from cans. Its thick paperboard pages provide clear cooking instructions, photos of the foods to be used, nutritional information, and additional cooking and nutrition tips. The categories of "real guy" meals and snacks include ham, chicken, fish, chili, beans, SpaghettiOs, veggies, fruit, and beer (yes, beer!). Some of the recipes are rather strange (stirfry SpaghettiOs, or drunken corn), but for the most part they are far better than the steady diet of fast food and junk food that a person might otherwise subsist on if unable to cook. I recommend it for anyone, male or female, who is at a complete loss about the mysteries of the kitchen.

Eileen Rieback