★★★★
The first meal of the day starts here.
Ahhh! What an absolutely fun introduction to cooking!
This handy little guide begins with the fundamentals – how to prepare your kitchen, what dangers to be aware of and the essential cooking techniques (i.e. broiling vs boiling, knife skills and more).
Cooking is a science, and by using the measurements specified in the recipe, you will get consistent results.
From there, we went meal-by-meal starting with breakfast to family meals to deserts – with a brief dabbling in snacks/sides and soups/salads.
The recipes were ordered based on complexity with each section begins with the simple basics and steadily get more advanced.
Cooking can be a creative outlet, and the reward is a delicious meal…
For example, the breakfast section begins with bacon and eggs and ends with homemade peanut butter and jelly hand pies. Family meals go from sloppy Joes to Priazzo and homemade chicken pot pies.
I absolutely loved the variety in the recipes and how they employ a several different skills and methods – it provides a surprisingly comprehensive handbook to practice and perfect your techniques.
The recipes all look delicious and even the complex ones seem very doable.
My favorite section was the Solo Meals!
It’s your favorite foods created on a smaller scale, so you don’t have to sacrifice options when you’re dining alone.
There were SO MANY TIMES when I was a teen that I wanted to cook something…but I didn’t want to put the time and effort to make a meal for the entire family.
The Solo Meal section had a huge assortment of recipes – from quesadillas to beef stroganoff to microwave egg fried rice to Parmesan-crusted pork chops – which is great for a college student armed with a microwave and minimum fridge space.
I strongly feel that it isn’t just for teens – its for everyone who feels a little apprehensive in the kitchen (and even for those who are looking for fun, new recipes!).
All in all – this was a hugely fun book. I cannot WAIT to try out more of these recipes on my own!
A huge thank you to Julee Morrison and Rockridge Press for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Interested in this one from Julee Morrison? Buy it here: Amazon
Miranda Reads 