The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

December 1, 2001
With its 1,500 recipes, this encyclopedic collection offers a snapshot of today's middle-American kitchen. Recipes that were all but unknown a few years back are now officially part of the mainstream. An international flair can be detected quite frequently, although the flavors are sometimes subdued. Easy Aioli, the Provencale condiment, for example, calls for store-bought mayonnaise and garlic its "harshness" reduced by cooking. Soups include miso as well as chowders, minestrone, and South-of-the-Border Chicken Soup perked up with cilantro and garnished with tortilla chips. There are dozens of recipes for beef, poultry, pork and veal. Fish and shellfish get their due, as well, with recipes that will appeal to the shyest of cooks. Rolled Sole Stuffed with Crab vies with all variety of simpler fish cakes. Portuguese-Style Monkfish calls for simmering chunks of fish in a spicy sausage-tomato sauce. Keeping up with the latest trends, there's a section devoted to serving a cheese course, as well as recipes for fondue and those delicious Italian grilled cheese sandwiches, Mozzarella in Carrozza, although traditionalists will wonder about the part-skim mozzarella. Baked goods range from real comfort food to elaborate dinner party concoctions, such as Molten Chocolate Cakes. The introduction offers suggestions on everything from proper food storage to setting a proper table. Chatty in tone with an encouraging attitude, this cookbook will appeal to fans of the magazine and serves as an introduction for the less experienced cook.

October 29, 2018
Westmoreland, culinary director at Good Housekeeping, presents new recipes from the GH test kitchen in this highly informative and massive compendium. The book is packed with classic favorites for every occasion, as well as new recipes incorporating current trends (vegetable-centered fare, gluten-free, vegan, big batch cooking) and popular cooking tools and techniques (sheet pan, multicooker, grill). There’s expert advice on fridge and pantry setup (“Rotate your cans with oldest dates first when you stock up”) and how to trim artichokes and freeze whipped cream, and numerous sidebars feature test notes, tips, ingredient ideas, and glossaries. Westmoreland also includes a discussion of knife essentials, dietary guidelines for healthy eating, tips for reading nutritional labels, and wine basics, along with charts for roasting and grilling meats or vegetables. As for the recipes, vegetables take center stage in a winter veggie tart with brussels sprouts and chard. Poultry dishes include coq au riesling and chicken breasts with seven sauce varieties. An easy seafood dish of cod, cabbage, and bacon is baked in parchment. Breakfast choices include java banana and green light smoothies, and spinach and prosciutto frittata muffins; salads, meanwhile, include one with warm lentils and shrimp. There are several chapters dedicated to all manner of breads, baked treats, and impressive desserts, such as sticky toffee bundt cake. Home cooks will turn to this edition for years to come.

August 3, 2001
The first Good Housekeeping cookbook was published in 1903. Almost 100 years later, the latest one contains an impressive collection of more than 1500 recipes, both contemporary dishes and updated classics, from a wide variety of culinary traditions. Useful as both a reference work and a cookbook, it includes myriad charts and boxes, along with tips from well-known chefs and other authorities; a basics chapter that covers topics from food safety to the Mediterranean Diet to entertaining; and 600 color photographs. Many of the recipes are quick and simple (but fresh ingredients rather than convenience foods are the rule); those that take 30 minutes or less are marked with a symbol, as are heart-healthy recipes, and all of them have nutrition analyses. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.