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(More customer reviews)It depends on where you are coming from...., April 22, 2010Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners (Hardcover)
I love Sara Moulton! I own all her books. And still watch reruns on weeknight meals on NY25. BUT, I also think Ruth Reichl's Gourmet Cookbook is excellent. I too, love Jacques Pepin. So, having been raised from THAT group of cooking instructors, Sara's recipes are natural, a delight, and evidence of an active exploratory mind in the kitchen. Who can't think of Pepin's omelette with Perigod Truffles and Caviar Canapes?- and this is what he calls his "FAST FOOD my way."
Now, if you are coming from Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, and Giada....and are taught to throw meals together in 30 minutes with your bare fists, you are in for a rude awakening: you will get the Smackdown. Witness Chicken Saltimbocca with Artichoke Sauce (artichoke hearts (from can) with Proscuitto di Parma , fresh sage leaves, and homemade chicken stock). Although simpler substitutes are given, Sara admits that she feels restricted when asked to cook with five ingredients. She's been trying to water it down for a few books already. My guess is, you can't change a personality. If you sincerely have a complex palette, so be it!
I will say this though: Cooking, to me, is like haute couture. You look at the difficult dishes, and even when you simplify, you still end up at a higher plateau of flavors than making a simple dish well. That's not to say Sara's recipes are all that difficult. But you do need a fully stocked pantry. You may have trouble if the only place you can shop in town is the Walmart or Target. You need to review the recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients before hand. From there, you'll get gently Westernized versions of Kimchi flavored dishes, Mexican fare with manchego cheese, Jewish based Reubens pizza, Italian parmeggiano reggiano topped Eggplant cannelloni, Spanish-flavored fast foods, and salads that suit the North American palette. Sara's recipes are a good gateway to geting your toes wet in international fare and appearing like a well-heeled socialite. Real kimchi, or nagamaki beef with mirin wine rice wine may be a little strong, but with unseasoned rice vinegar and generic sake, altered to suit the palette averaged from her husband, kids, and herself, you can be sure it's rooted in flavors you are familiar with. And to be fare, there are also many simple dishes like sandwiches, pot pie soup, and BLT with egg (with a signature Sara twist). After all, it is called Everyday Family Dinners.
I removed one star not because of Moulton but because of the publishers. I am a book designer and I notice some (not many) pages in this book making the same fatal mistake Reichl's otherwise excellent 2004 / 2006 Gourmet Cookbook made - resulting in a near riot from readers- Light yellow lettering on beige or white backgrounds. C'mon! Who in the world thought this was a proper layout color scheme? Also, in this day and age of Food Network, publishers who feature chefs without accompanying tv shows (*sob* Sara!) should entice readers with more color pictures. (There are some nice pics in this book, but more would help) If budget is an issue, then go for the four photos per page of different dishes. You're up against a visual culture, any additional images can only help.
I also appreciate Sara always giving props to the originators of many recipes. Classy stuff like this will always endear us - Moulton loyalists - to her.
Bon Appetit!
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