Do you live in an ingredient household, where most meals are cooked from scratch? Need a little help with meals? This cookbook, Nights and Weekends: Recipes that Make the Most of Your Time, promises to deliver. How did the title’s claim work out IRL? Read on to find out.
Where to find this book at Reed Memorial Library:
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Call number: 641.5 D352
- View it on our catalog
The author of Nights and Weekends is a full-time chef but admits that, like the rest of us, they are pressed for time and inspiration when cooking after a full day of work. It’s reassuring to know that even if you’re a professional chef, sometimes it’s just about getting food on the table. This is the author’s 4-category criteria for weeknight cooking:
- time—it has to be quick
- effort—no fancy tools or endless ingredients
- ingredients—”Specialty ingredients have no place in weeknight cooking.” YES!
- ease—it doesn’t work if you dirty every pan in your kitchen.
This approach sounded way more down to earth than most “quick and easy” dinner cookbooks.
At an initial read through, most recipes looked like they delivered on the streamlined promises the author makes. I chose to try recipes from the “Nights” section. Even the weekend recipes didn’t look overly complicated or involved, another plus. Who wants to spend the whole weekend cooking?
After cooking 3-4 recipes, I’ve decided the author delivers on their promise. I especially liked that the recipes were using mostly fresh ingredients so the meals weren’t heavy, calorie-rich foods. Even if you don’t cook most nights, when you do cook, chances are good that these recipes would appeal to everyone at the table.
If you want some new recipes for dinner but don’t want to spend your whole night in the kitchen, borrow this book. You’ll find some new recipes to try that are reasonable for weeknight cooking. If you try any “weekend” recipes, share your thoughts—does it also deliver for weekend cooking?
Sincerely, Cornelius 