Beating the Lunch Box Blues

August 1, 2013

Busy workers and parents tired of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will appreciate this collection of ideas for fast, easy, and more interesting lunches. Refreshingly, Hirsch (food editor, Associated Pr.; High Flavor, Low Labor), a working dad himself, offers an alternative to unhealthy convenience food without preaching or shunning convenience itself. The author, whose blog, Lunch Box Blues (www.lunchboxblues.com), appears on celebrity chef Rachael Ray's website, generally eschews recipes in favor of simple guidelines, and his conversational tone shines through. These lunches can be prepared in five to ten minutes, don't require reheating, and will appeal to both children and adults. Hirsch often pairs his lunches with a dinner or breakfast idea to make the best use of leftovers; for example, rosemary-port braised beef short ribs can become DIY beef sliders or short ribs and pasta. Vegetarian options are included as well. VERDICT This strong resource on a topic that few have written about in the past year will appeal to brown-baggers on the go as well as to fans of Hirsch and Ray, who penned the book's introduction.--Audrey Barbakoff, Kitsap Regional Lib., Bainbridge Island, WA

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