The Best Make-Ahead Recipe
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Book Reviews of The Best Make-Ahead Recipe
Book Review: Love the tips, love the recipes!
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this book as a Christmas gift. My husband knows I love Cook's Illustrated, and I like trying to cook ahead (since making dinner is a bit nuts with 3 little kids), so he picked this out for me. I'm almost done reading it cover to cover, and I love it!! It has CI's normal thorough explanation of how they created the recipe, plus the recipes are written very detailed & concise (helpful for a perfectionist like me!).
Now as for this book specifically, I like all the recipes they've given. The chapters are: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Double-Duty Cooking, Slow-Cooker Favorites, Stews, Chilis, and Sauces, Casseroles, Oven-Ready Entrees, Breakfast and Breads, Desserts, and Make-Ahead Holiday Menus. They range from basic, kid-friendly foods, to fancy, dinner party recipes. Some are a little too "out there" for me (I'm a little picky), but I'd say at least 75% of them are ones I'd like to eat.
The recipes I've made so far are: Classic Scalloped Potatoes, Chicken Enchiladas, and White Chicken Chili. They have 2 things in common- they were all time-consuming, but they were all the BEST version of those foods I have EVER eaten!!! They take a bit of time to make, but the payoff is that on a future date, I get to enjoy an awesome dinner with little to no preparation. I can't wait to make more of these recipes!
Book Review: Excellent make ahead recipes
Summary: 5 Stars
Many of the recipes in this book were not only the best make-ahead recipes I've used, but some of the best recipes I've used. Pureed butternut squash, baked ziti, chicken and rice casserole, macaroni and cheese, and baked fish provencal are very good recipes whether you make them ahead or eat same day.
A unique feature of this book is the straight from freezer to oven approach for some of the baked goods. I have not previously seen a muffin recipe that goes straight from the freezer to the oven. This halves the time of making muffins, eliminates clean-up and results in warm fresh muffins for breakfast.
I used the make ahead mashed potatoes recipe for Thanksgiving. The recipe is too complicated to do if you have enough time to mash same day, but for a day when you're making 5 side dishes at once, it was great to pull these from the refrigerator, microwave and serve.
Like many Cook's Illustrated recipes, the recipes can be a little fussy and time consuming, but in most cases the results are worth it.
Book Review: Not for the hoi polloi
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Best Make-Ahead Recipe" is amazing. Hands down, this tome is a fascinating read and loaded with mouthwatering do-ahead recipes plus a highly entertaining and informative narrative on culinary techniques and processes.
If you were looking for one of those cookbooks where you repurpose elements of a meal for next-day use, sort of a premeditated leftover chicanery, this is NOT the book for you.
A good way to encapsulate the philosophy would be the mid-week, casually elegant dinner party with delicious, well-made food pulled together with a minimum of fuss. The recipes are for diverse things like empanadas, chocolate soufflés, casseroles, meat entrees, etc., that you do indeed make ahead, store, and then can enjoy easily later.
Cookbooks in this Internet era are evolving and I am hesitant to commit the money or counter space to a new cookbook without a lot of consideration. I went to the library to review "The Best Make-Ahead Recipe" and instantly knew that I needed my own copy.
Book Review: Good Variety, Tasty Recipes
Summary: 4 Stars
I actually like the fact that not all the recipes in this book are make-and-freeze casseroles. The slow cooker section is especially good. The recipes are tailored for slow cookers, and avoid the problems involved with taking a stovetop recipe and just doing it in the crock pot. And there are a good variety of interesting recipes in general--Moroccan tagines and the like instead of just tuna noodle casserole. And make ahead cinnamon rolls and coffee cakes, because who wants to do all that baking first thing in the morning?
The recipes don't respond well to substitutions though! I do like the explanations why you have to use a specific ingredient. It really won't come out right if you don't. But all that extra info means the book itself is HUGE. I'll probably just end up photocopying the recipes I like rather than lug the thing out when I want to cook.
Book Review: Good, but some odd choices
Summary: 3 Stars
I have made only the tamale pie (regular and vegetarian), and the artichoke dip. I'm very satisfied with both recipes and I like the main motif of the book; preparing recipes that are delicious and allow for a host to be a host, and not be fussing with kitchen details. That said, they've added some items that would seem to not belong. The whole chapter on "Double Duty" is of no help; e.g. a recipe for sauteed chicken breasts whose reason for being is to go into a salad or pasta dish, that is not meant to be refrigerated or frozen ahead of time.
I noticed that the dessert chapter also has recipes that need to be prepared roughly around the time of serving.
Otherwise, I'm happy with the purchase