Real Simple: Meals Made Easy (Real Simple S.)
by Editors of Real Simple Magazine
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Book Reviews of Real Simple: Meals Made Easy (Real Simple S.)
Book Review: Attractive and appealing cookbook, somewhat shallow but nice to have
Summary: 4 Stars
I should admit up front that I can't stand most of "Real Simple" magazine - it uses a pleasing, clean layout and design aesthetic to mask the fact that it is just another "Woman's Day" tabloid - aimed at yuppies - in disguise. But there is one exception to my distaste, and that is their cooking articles and recipes, which invariably contain at least one or two real winners per issue. So I end up buying each new issue, tearing out the recipes and food articles, and tossing the rest.
Therefore it should come as no surprise that I was very pleased to see a collection of recipes from "Real Simple" published in hardback with their usual outstanding food photography and book layout. (Please note that I just saw a "magazine format" version of the book at the checkout stands of a local megamart, for less than 1/2 the hardcover price, so you may want to save some money and find that version. I am satisfied with the hardcover, though).
I have several quibbles with the book. First of all, despite the name, this book is only "real simple" if you compare it to gourmet level work by someone like Jacques Pepin or Joyce Goldstein ("Solo Suppers) or high level bistro fare. Many of the reciples feature ingredients that may not be easily found at a local grocery store. I am fortunate enough to live near a Whole Foods outlet, or some of the recipes would be out of my reach. Similarly, cooking out of this book is not inexpensive. The emphasis on semi-exotic foodstuffs and fresh herbs will (again) make many of these recipes impractical for large families or young grads just starting out. I only have to cook for myself, and I live fairly simply, but shopping to fill these ingredient lists is a definite strain on my working class budget.
Similarly, I like it better if a cookbook has a more of an ethnic theme or an better, more organic organizing principle than just "simple food" - especially if the recipes ingredients(see above) are not all that simple. The recipes in this book are all over the place in terms of cuisine and ingredients - which is no surprise considering their origin. So a book like this isn't really educational in terms of furthering a reader's knowledge of ethnic and cultural flavors and lore, cooking principles, etc. This really is just a batch of recipes.
But they are very useful recipes and I have gotten a lot of mileage out of them in the 3 months since I purchased the book. I've made and compared "Real Simple"'s version of panzanella, risotto, shrimp dia vola, etc. to their counterparts in other cookbooks, and I've found RS's version to be consistently more appealing and tasty...once I had the appropriate skill set and tools needed to make the dish or used common sense instead of their recommended technique (only twice, though).
In any case, the book itself is a pleasure to look and and browse through while looking for new ideas and variations of old ones. I am very pleased with this book and am glad I got it.
Book Review: A cookbook I will use (and I don't use many cookbooks)
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a "been there, done that" cook. So I use very few cookbooks. If I am baking a cake, sure, I pull down "Joy of Cooking" or better yet, I am likely to make a genoise from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." I have about 10 cookbooks, but those two plus "The New York Times Cookbook" are the only ones I refer to. Otherwise, I am making my standard fare most nights. For parties, I pull down my three or four tried-and-true recipes from my card box.
BUT...."Meals Made Easy" is a cookbook I think I will be adding to my slim pile of regulars. Wow! I found page after page of easy but elegant meals, from corn-scallop chowder (a variant on my standard crowd-pleasing corn-potato chowder), and a number of composed salads of great merit like tuna and white bean, Greek Salad. The Greek salad is not the usual romaine-and-feta-and-olive, either. This one has cherry tomatoes, pear tomatoes, cheese, pepperoncini and cucumber cubes. And there were sauces and variants on chops and steak that go from boring to glorified. And there are variations on meatballs, chops, steak strips, stir fry that are a twist on the usual but are absolutely easy. The pictures are appetizing and inspiring, which helps you decide, yes THAT'S what's for dinner.
The book is divided into the following sections:
1. One Pot Meals
2. No Shop Meals
3. 30 Minute Meals
4. No Cook Meals
5. Freezer Meals
6. Shortcut Meals
7. Reliable Sides
There are a few basics like lasagna and roast chicken. There are money saving ideas (from boning chicken breast to those no-shop meals that save a budget-busting takeout night or restaurant night.) There are no desserts. There is a section on suggested kitchen equipment, including the mandoline for fast slicing (I use a version attached to a bowl and I do agree, it speeds up salad and side dish cooking tremendously.)
I think this is a must-give for weddings and graduation-just-starting out. Anyone can enjoy this book (except the passionately vegan) and it's full of easy but beautiful ideas for fine meals whether you alone, you and yours, or with friends for entertaining. I highly recommend this book as a standard for any cookbook shelf.
Joanna Daneman
Book Review: Delicious food made Real Simple!
Summary: 4 Stars
Real Simple dishes up "Real Simple Meals Made Easy" to offer "think fast" solutions for dinner.
The book includes One Pot Meals (use one pan), No-Shop Meals (use items in your pantry), 30 minute meals (take 1/2 hour or less), No Cook Meals (no need to turn on the stove), Freezer Meals (make ahead and store), Shortcut Meals (premade ingredients) and Reliable Sides (compliment your main dish).
Sample meals include: Beef and Beer Stew, Chicken Cacciatore, Cheddar French Toast with Sizzled Tomatoes, Spiced Lamb Chops with Chickpea Salad, Lasagna Style Baked Ziti and many more!
Directions and ingredients are clearly spelled out in this 10" by 10" oversized hardcover. As with all Chic Simple books that I have read it is beautifully designed with lovely pictures and easy to read text. The book includes a ribbon to easily book mark your page.
There is a lot of love in this book. Recipes are tasty and for the most part really simple. Yet they have an elegance about them that makes others feel like you must have spent hours in the kitchen. The lavish yet simple photoraphs are mouth watering and indusive to spending time in the kitchen!
There are several drawbacks to the book however. The recipes do not incude nutritional information. No calorie, protein, sodium or any of those type of counts. And the second drawback is finding the recipes. If you dont feel like cooking you could go to the No Cook Recipes section. Then you would have to look at each recipe and see if you have the ingredients. A simple list of No Cook Recipes to start the section or at the beginning of the book would have been a tremendous help. You can go to the index and look under No Cook Meals or chicken for example but I feel this could have been done in a more effective manner where it was easier to locate and use.
Overall lots of mouthwatering recipes, great ideas and yummy visuals - a nice complement to your kitchen!
Book Review: Very Dependable, Gourmet Quality meals that are actually appropriate for a weeknight.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have cooked nearly every recipe in this book, and not only have they all been successes (very flavorful, well-balanced textures, aesthetically pretty, crowd-pleasers, and INTERESTING) but many have been the best versions of a dish that I have ever made. The Lamb Tagine and the Chicken Cacciatore are by far and away the best versions of those recipes that I have ever come across. Some reviewers note that not all recipes are super quick a la Rachel Ray. I suppose everything is relative, but I find them very clearly written, strait-forward in terms of steps and techniques, and really not requiring a lot of stressful juggling in the kitchen. And every one can be accomplished on a weeknight.
Perhaps the best thing that I can say about this book is that it got my husband cooking. He was very uncomfortable with his culinary skills and yet has very high standards for food quality (wasn't willing to settle for mediocre, botched dishes), so he was very apprehensive about making dinner. This book has helped him become comfortable with basic techniques without talking down to him (as some starter cookbooks do), and he was able to reliably produce top quality, interesting dishes every time. Two years later, this book has become a mainstay in our kitchen, and my husband cooks half of our meals. I couldn't ask for more.
Book Review: Should be a staple in everyone's recipe book collecton
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a 20-something who is just beginning to get into cooking. The pictures and lay-out of the book are lovely as several members have mentioned, but most importantly, the recipes are elgant, simple, and taste great! I belive that as long as you use high quality ingrediants, there is no need for fancy sauces or techniques nor is it necessary to spend a lot of money on exotic ingrediants that you will only use once (unless you are so inclined). Real Simple seems to go along with this mindset. I love the fact that most, if not all of the ingrediants in the dishes carry over into other recipes. So, for instance, if I buy yogurt for one dish or a certain spice, I can plan to use the left over to get started on another recipe later on in the week. This saves both time and money. For someone who is starting out, this book can't be beat. Spices are expensive, but by slowly buying them as I need them (and knowing that I will use them again and again), I am building up quite the culinary collection. LOVE IT. For a great gift, buy this book and make a basket of common ingrediants used in the recipes : pasta, olive oil, thyme, rosmary, cumin, garlic, lemons, limes, salt, pepper, etc. Throw in a an apron and the recipiant will have almost everything they need to get started!