Tag: Cooking

Posted in Book Tours

The Ultimate Make-Ahead Cookbook

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Make-ahead cookbook meals just got freezer friendly—now even more convenient.

Make-ahead cookbook meals let you spend more time with your family and less time cooking. The Ultimate Make-Ahead Cookbook gives you delicious recipes for amazing meals that freeze well, so you can make them when you have time and eat them when you don’t.

Just an hour or two with this make-ahead cookbook is all you need to prepare an entire week’s worth of fresh, homemade meals that your family will love. Two different techniques show you how to save time and money by creating several meals all at once. The batch cooking method takes just an extra 15 minutes to make four meals instead of one, while the prep now/cook later method is a super simple way to get a whole week’s worth of meals into the freezer.

This make-ahead cookbook includes:

  • Ready fast—You’ll always be just a few minutes away from a delicious meal with 125 tasty recipes like Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Sweet Thai Chili Sausages.
  • Planned ahead—Complete meal plans give you step-by-step instructions to prepare mouthwatering meals for a weekend with company or big family feasts.
  • Cook for everyone—Color-coded labels make it a snap to choose recipes for dietary restrictions, and easy-to-read nutritional info means you know exactly what you’re preparing.

Start prepping today and have a freezer full of ready-to-go meals whenever you want them with this make-ahead cookbook.

Continue reading “The Ultimate Make-Ahead Cookbook” →
Posted in Cookbooks

Ramen Obsession: The Ultimate Bible for Mastering Japanese Ramen

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

“Ramen enthusiasts will be delighted by the regional recipes that any home cook can master with ease while learning about its history and origins.” ―Alice Currah, host of PBS’s Kitchen Explorers

Nothing quite compares to the simple pleasure of slurping up a piping hot bowl of delicious ramen. This cookbook provides you with the traditions, tools, and tips you need to start making flavorful and filling ramen right at home.

What sets this ramen cookbook apart:

  • The history of the bowl—Discover the origins of ramen, regional variations, modern-day interpretations, and more.
  • Learn the six steps—Build an unparalleled bowl by learning how to make each critical component: broth, tare (seasoning sauce), aromatic oils and fats, noodles, toppings, and a perfectly combined bowl.
  • 130 recipes to savor—You’ll learn to create a variety of ramen recipes that range from easy to challenging, such as Spicy Miso Tonkotsu Ramen with Ginger Pork, and Shoyu Ramen with Littleneck Clams, Scallions, and Butter.

Master creating savory bowls of ramen from scratch with this comprehensive Japanese cookbook.
“Ramen is one of the most delicious and comforting dishes in the world, but how to make the perfect bowl is often a mystery―Ramen Obsession nails it down. Being well-recognized editors, authors, and recipe developers Naomi Imatome-Yun and Robin Donovan demystify the process of making this highly personal and highly regional dish both lovingly and analytically at the same time. Whether you’re looking for traditional preparations or something more innovative, Naomi and Robin will teach you how to create the perfect bowl of ramen.” ―Akiko Katayama, host & producer of Japan Eats!

Amazon

Posted in From My Kitchen

The Prepper’s Ultimate Food Storage Guide

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Take emergency preparedness to the next level with this guide to storing and preserving healthy food for you and your family for a lifetime.

Be prepared for any catastrophe—whether a pandemic, natural disaster, or other grid-down situation—with this comprehensive food storage bible. It’s with advice from the best preppers on canning, dehydrating, stockpile maintenance, and shelf-stable cooking. This 4-in-1 book collection offers your one-stop-food-shop for everything you need to know, including:

  • Building a long-term stockpile on a budget
  • Must-have alternative cooking gear for grid-down living
  • How to dehydrate everything from meats to fruits and vegetables
  • Techniques for creative canning, from jams to entire entrees
  • Food-safety guidelines for safe meal-prep and storage
  • Hundreds of tasty recipes for nutritious meals
  • And much more

The Prepper’s Ultimate Food-Storage Guide is the self-reliant solution to a lifesaving food supply that will keep you and your family healthy for a lifetime. Stay safe, and stay prepared!

Amazon

Posted in #allrecipes

These 12 Simple Mistakes Are Ruining Your Casseroles

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Casseroles have long been the savior of weeknight dinners, the champion of do-ahead dishes, the perfect way to stretch leftovers deliciously into a second meal, sometimes even more satisfying than the first. They are staunchly comforting, easy enough for both kids and harried parents to pull off, and even the fussiest of gourmands will cop to loving a classic casserole or two. And if they claim they don’t, just say the words cassoulet or tian Provençale and their denials will go silent. But simple-to-prepare doesn’t mean without pitfalls. Here are a dozen of the places you can go wrong with your casserole cookery.

1. Choosing the wrong baking dish.

Casserole dishes need, first and foremost, to be ovenproof. Glass, ceramic, cast iron, enameled — whatever you choose be sure you know it is designed to go into the oven. There’s nothing worse than assembling a perfect casserole in that lovely piece of pottery you bought at the art fair and have it crack in half mid-bake.

2. Using the wrong size dish.

Once you have ascertained that your dish is oven safe, make sure it is the right size for what you want it to contain. Recipes should specify size and shape (an oval 10-inch dish will contain less volume than a rectangle), and depth. Casserole dishes should be filled no more than three-quarters of the height of the dish to prevent overflow when cooking. And it is always a good idea to place the casserole dish on a sheet pan to catch spatters, or to place a sheet pan on the rack just below. You don’t win on convenience with a casserole if you then have to clean your oven!

Allrecipes

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

The Essential Cuban Cookbook: 50 Classic Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Create authentic Cuban flavors right at home 

Cuban cuisine is as dynamic and alluring as the island itself. Transport your taste buds to Havana with classic recipes that show you how to capture the incredible flavors of beloved Cuban dishes without leaving the comfort of your kitchen.

What sets this Cuban cookbook apart:

  • A taste of history—Learn about the fascinating evolution of Cuban cuisine; the influence of Spanish, African, and Caribbean cultures; and the enduring culinary traditions.
  • 50 authentic recipes—Whip up a range of traditional Cuban dishes such as aromatic Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera (Yellow Rice with Chicken), Ropa Vieja (Braised Shredded Beef), and Lechon Asado (Pork Roast), just like abuela used to make.
  • Tips and techniques—Get expert insight into everything from the art of frying the perfect tostones to the essential street food you must try on a visit to Cuba.

Celebrate the flavors, foods, and traditions of Cuba with this essential cookbook.

Amazon 

kratzy
5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to enjoy Cuban food at home at reasonable prices.
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2022
More than 50 traditional, but well known recipes, for the lover of Cuban food and presented in an easy to stand manner, with clear ingredient lists and easy to follow instructions. After a brief introduction there are five chapters split up for breakfast and lunch recipes followed by side dishes and then seafood poultry and finally beef and pork. The final chapter is one of the greatest interests for me - beverages and desserts. I am familiar with the many sandwiches and all the small dishes that you get at many US Cuban food places, but the desserts and beverages had the most interest to me because I have never sampled these items.The dessert list did not disappoint, from cream cheese flan to rice pudding and cinnamon custard - the selection was a milky rich as I had hoped and I will now work my way through the recipes. The beverages unfortunately are all alcoholic; I had hoped for some non-alcoholic options. But the deserts make up for it. The rice pudding in particular may now finally enable me to totally forget about weight, diet, and health and just enjoy life - let’s face it, any recipe that combines sweet condensed milk, whipping cream and evaporated milk with just a smidgen of lime peel and cinnamon and vanilla must be good. Looking forward to sampling this concoction.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”