Cool Main Dishes

April 1, 2015

Gr 4-9-The recipes in these slender books prove that comfort food doesn't have to be starchy, salty, or bland to satisfy. Each of the eight projects per volume include cleanly laid out lists of ingredients, tools, and instructions, plus a large photo of the finished product and key moments in the preparation process. Slow-cooked or make-ahead dishes fit around busy lives and hectic weekday evenings, while the use of unprocessed ingredients shows kids how easy it is to cook "from scratch." An emphasis on cook times without mention of observational qualifiers is a sad omission. In general, however, these books provide an abundance of interesting recipes prepared using fresh ingredients and new techniques. VERDICT Solid additions to cooking collections.

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