Simply Perfect Every Time: 130 Classic, Foolproof Recipes Book

Those of us who cook every day have thousands of cookbooks to choose from—but no single book assembles 125 surefire, easy-to-prepare recipes that are certain to come out perfectly. Simply Perfect Every Time collects a cook’s everyday canon of recipes—perfect whether you’re just starting to cook; have been cooking nightly or on weekends; solo or for family; or, after years of daily cooking, still enjoy preparing simply made dishes. Recipes cover every meal: eggs four ways (poached, boiled, baked, or scrambled) for breakfast, plus muffins and other baked goodies; sides and salads including caramelized onions, Caesar salad, and roasted root vegetables; a dozen essential soups; main dishes from beef stew to roast chicken to cheese soufflé; carrot cake, vanilla ice cream, and flourless chocolate cake for dessert; plus essential staples like marinated olives, tomato sauce, and spiced nuts. Over 50 photographs throughout are included in this all-in-one cookbook of essential, foolproof recipes.

Library Journal

Herbert's book grew out of a weekly column that he wrote for an Australian newspaper, and he describes his collection of recipes as "simple, nostalgic, eclectic." Eclectic it certainly is, ranging from Coleslaw to Lemon Curd to Salt and Pepper Squid. Although the text has been Americanized, some of the recipes, e.g., Fish Pie (and Pot of Tea), reflect the book's Australian origins; and while many of them are extremely easy and appropriate for beginners (e.g., Cinnamon Toast), more, longer headnotes would have been helpful for novice cooks. Still, this somewhat idiosyncratic volume has a certain appeal. For larger libraries. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.