The Full Plate

September 7, 2020
Curry (The Seasoned Life), a TV cooking personality and wife of NBA superstar Stephen Curry, presents a winning collection of dishes that often come together in less than half an hour, designed for busy families. Her pantry includes convenience items deployed in novel ways, such as pancake mix used as a batter for coconut shrimp and refrigerated tubes of biscuit dough deployed for maple-glazed bacon doughnuts. The fusions of global seasonings and jarred sauces in such dishes as curried crab with okra; her childhood-staple red pea soup “loaded with handmade rolled-flour dumplings... called ‘spinners’ ”; and her own take on the spicy-sweet takeout standby, “General Ayesha’s Honey Chicken” reflect her upbringing by parents of Jamaican-Chinese, African-American, and Polish descent. This being a celebrity cookbook, readers are treated to photos of Curry as a contented mom in a stylish home setting. They also will enjoy the way this approachable and appealing recipe collection caters to wide variety of tastes. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

September 1, 2020
As the saying goes, we eat with our eyes first. Paging through this new cookbook by actress and Food Network host Curry (The Seasoned Life, 2016), readers will be hungry from the first image. Whether it's her recipe for Jamaican red pea soup with spinners, quick chicken tagine, or a white chocolate, cherry, and macadamia skillet cookie, it is difficult to resist the immediate urge to whip something up. Curry also includes a section on bites and booze, in which she expertly pairs snacks (brie and prosciutto shortbread, smoked salmon dip) with her take on classic and modern cocktails (sidecar, spicy serrano margarita). Overall, the book fulfills its title's objective for tasty dishes that won't overwhelm time-strapped families. "The kitchen is a space for infinite possibilities and a creative outlet that doesn't require too much outsourcing, she writes, and encourages readers to cook with friends and family.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)