The Deen Bros. Take It Easy

September 7, 2009
Food Network stars The Deen Brothers give home cooks 125 ideas for quick meals in this accessible collection. Emphasizing comfort foods like Cheeseburger Casserole, Mini Meat Loaves and Spaghetti and Meatballs, the Deen brothers give harried cooks plenty of options for getting dinner on the table with a minimum of investment or fuss. A handful of crockpot recipes and a dozen kid-friendly recipes for items like Pecan Catfish Fish Sticks, quesadillas and beans and franks will be welcomed by busy parents. Thoughtful organization-placing suggested sides for for burgers, Honey Mustard Baked Chicken and Grilled Chicken Breasts with Brown Sugar Pineapple Rings on subsequent pages-minimizes in-kitchen page-flipping. Fans of the Deen boys' mom, Paula Deen, will be pleased to see the apples falling close to the tree, as evidenced by Pimiento Mac and Cheese, Grilled Bacon and Cheese Jalapeno Poppers, Shrimp and Grits and Panfried PB & J. An accessible mix of the familiar and gently tweaked standards (Mini Macaroni Pies, Grilled Tilapia Po Boys), busy fans of Deen family cooking will likely devour this latest volume.

August 15, 2009
Two sets of Southern siblings offer their takes on American and Southern cuisine, respectively. The Georgia-born sons of Food Network star Paula Deen give fans what they have come to expect in their mother's cookbooks ("The Deen Family Cookbook"): glossy photos, down-home cooking, and personality. Accessible recipes are organized by meat, poultry, fish, grilling, pasta and friends, crockpot cooking, main-course salads, Jack's favorites (kid food), and no-fuss desserts. From Shrimp 'n' Grits to Broiled Pesto Chicken with Cherry Tomatoesthere's plenty for cooks at all skill levels to enjoy here. Deen devotees will definitely want this. [Author tour; library marketing.]

South Carolina's Lees, whose first cookbook, "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook", won the James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year in 2007, offer a sophisticated take on traditional Southern fare, emphasizing fresh ingredients and quickness of preparation. Recipesmany include a brief history, and cooking time is notedare divided into cocktails and coolers, snacks and appetizers, soups, salads and cold sides, hot dishes, main dishes, and desserts, with helpful notes throughout. The drink selections mix the traditional with the fun. Purple Jesus (the actual name!) refines the traditional college versionby using blackberries instead of Kool-Aid. Sure to appeal to the authors' fans, although it adds little to the plethora of Southern cookbooks already on the market. [19-city author tour.]

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