Cookbook Reviews

Just in Time!

The first book I chose is “just in time!” by Rachel Ray. Rachel Ray is one of the few chefs I know by name, so I wanted to check out what the hype was all about. One thing I want to comment on before opening the book is exactly the fact that she is well-known. She has her own shown on the Food Network, Oprah and others have had her as a guest to discuss her recipes, and magazine and newspaper articles constantly feature her. The fact that her name is on the cookbook adds a sense of authority to it that makes people automatically gravitate towards it.

Her book is written for those who want to cook quick meals. Most likely, the intended audience is working mothers for children that go to school and day camps. They want to fix up dinner for their family but are too busy to spend hours upon hours preparing a luxurious meal.

The cookbook is pretty well organized. It begins with a breakdown of all the foods and where you can find them within the book. This breakdown is split up into 15-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute meals. Furthermore, these meals are split up into categories (snack, salad, pasta, etc.) which are listed alphabetically. At first, it was somewhat confusing figured out how the meals were organized, because the pages were jumbled and foods showed up multiple times in different categories. It made sense after a few moments of looking over it, and it proved to be very useful.

The recipes in the actual cookbook are split up into sections with catchy names such as “Using your noodle” and “Who you callin’ chicken?” The meals are then listed randomly, but each one has a tab stating roughly how long it takes to make, so the intended audience can have an easier time deciding what to cook.

Text throughout the book is a blessing to read. The titles are a handsome orange, and the text is written in a soft blue. The only drawback about the actual cookbook is the lack of pictures. Most people like to know what they are cooking before they start, so pictures would have added to the whole cooking experience.

Overall, the cookbook seems like a great collection to any small family kitchen, but it is not enough to become a true culinary classic.

Ghoulish Goodies

My second book was chosen for Halloween which is coming up soon enough. The cookbook, by Sharon Bowers, is “Ghoulish Goodies.” What caught my eye first is the hilarious cupcake on the cover. It reminds me of the green aliens in “The Simpson’s.”

Although Sharon Bowers is not nearly as well-known as Rachel Ray, she is a former producer on the Food Network’s web site, and her Halloween recipes have made their way into several cookbooks.

The intended audience for the book is pretty much anyone that celebrates Halloween. Grandparents could give it as a treat for their grandchildren, parents can use the recipes for Halloween parties, and even children can make the snacks to share with their fellow classmates.

The book begins with a table of contents that splits the Halloween treats into different categories. Then, it gives an introduction that is fun and exciting to read and tells about how Halloween recipes are all about having fun. Finally, the actual recipes begin.

The recipes are very fun to read and look at. There are pictures thrown in all over the place that show just how unique the creations are. The pictures are mostly of food, but a few images are included which try to add to the whole scary, Halloween theme. These images are mostly beneficial, but some are just strange and creepy such as this one:

Overall, the book definitely completed what it set out to do: to make Halloween an enjoyable time for everyone—big or small.