101 One-Dish Dinners

November 7, 2016
Essentially an updated version of Chesman’s 2005 collection, Mom’s Best Suppers, this collection of 101 comfort food classics is accessible for the most novice of cooks. Even those who don’t know asparagus from zucchini will be able to prepare Tuscan white bean soup, chicken and dumplings, and corned beef and cabbage with little to no effort. Chesman offers clear instructions for all of her dishes, up to and including service, to ensure readers are able to pull off Louisiana red beans and rice, pad thai, and herb-roasted chicken with vegetables without a hitch. The vast majority of her fare is familiar; this is a collection of classic recipes with little to no variation or flourishes. The common element is their titular ability to be prepared in a single vessel. Novices and those interested in a collection of simple classics could do a lot worse, but readers interested in broadening their repertoire will likely find this to be rote and pedestrian.

September 15, 2016
Every good cook needs close at hand a number of one-dish dinners. For everyday presentation, one-dish meals combine meats and vegetables to help the cook put a balanced meal on the table with less fuss. And for entertaining, one-dish dinners make impressive centerpieces to feed a tableful of hungry guests without trapping the host in the kitchen. Chesman's one-dish meals don't necessarily imply only baked casseroles and stewsthere are a number of salads whose multiple ingredients yield both nutritional completeness and textural variety central to satisfying even the most famished diners. Macaroni and cheese, a fall-back of many family, appears with added vegetables in both stovetop and oven-baked examples. Chesman can be meticulous when she wishes. She gives detailed advice on producing either light, fluffy matzo balls or more substantial cannonball versions for chicken soup. She also gives tips on making potpies with crisp, nonsoggy crusts. This enjoyable cookbook is recommended for most public library collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)