Working Stiff Cookbook: Great Food! Easy Recipes! - Softcover

Reviews From: Publishers Weekly Indianapolis Star Someone who thinks of kitchen prep as foreplay is clearly ready to have fun cooking. Sloan wants his readers to enjoy cooking, too, even if their skills are limited and time is short. Although he aims his minimum work/maximum flavor recipes at working people, others grad students, June brides and desperate moms included will appreciate his snappy take on simple favorites like Chicken Parmesan and Superfast Fudge Brownies. Most of the 50-odd selections in Sloan's Instant Dinners, One-Pot Dinners, Pasta, Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches chapters are entrees, but he adds a few tasty side dishes and desserts (a four-ingredient Lemon Pie is outstanding). Supper selections can be as elementary as Sole In Foil, as exciting as Stir-Fry Furioso or as sophisticated as (still easy) Spaghetti with Portobellos, Prosciutto and Cream. From Pancakes to Piccata, there's something for everyone not always low-calorie, but definitely high quality. Sloan explains techniques, ingredients, timing strategies and pantry stocking with enthusiasm and humor, cheering on even the most timid cook. The text's quirky humor is deftly complemented by Michael Klein's amusing retro illustrations. When there's time to cook, having a well-stocked shelf will help you produce an impressive meal that only looks labor intensive. Canned tuna, chicken broth, roasted red peppers and marinated artichokes team with pasta, tomatoes and fresh basil for a colorful dish that takes minutes to prepare. You can even take the ingredients to a vacation cottage for an easy, satisfying meal with little fuss. Prepare the sauce while the pasta cooks, leaving just enough time to set the table. There's no need for a salad, just pass bread sticks. For a refreshing, simple dessert, serve a fresh-fruit compote cubes of cantaloupe and watermelon, tossed fresh mint leaves, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a light sprinkle of sugar. The pasta recipe is adapted from The Working Stiff Cookbook by Bob Sloan, a delightful book that makes cooking look easier than calling for reservations or picking up carryout.

The Working Stiff Cookbook is for the new ge neration of hard-working, fast-eating twentysomethings and t hirtysomethings, whose dietary profile includes such habits as missing breakfast and making meals out of last night''s le ftovers. '