Sally Schneider was tired of doing what we all do—separating foods into "good" and "bad," into those we crave but can't have and those we can eat freely but don't especially want—so she created A New Way To Cook .
Her book is nothing short of revolutionary, a redefinition of healthy eating, where no food is taboo, where the pleasure principle is essential to well-being, where the concept of self-denial just doesn't exist. So here it is, 756 glorious pages of all the deliciousness and joy that food is meant to convey.
Okay. I admit it. I read cookbooks - from cover to cover - and this one is excellent because it not only gives new recipes but describes a new relationship to food and techniques of cooking. It describes a "layered" approach of building meals that is not work-intensive and makes sense to those of us with limited cooking time. Beware: there are a few recipes with "exotic" ingredients that may be off-putting due to special trips to the store.
On the basis of techniques presented, I'd easily give this cookbook five stars. The author does a fantastic job of offering new, healthier ways to build flavors and great tasting dishes.
The reason taht I only rated it at three stars is that we rarely cook things from this cookbook. I suspect that has more to do with the lackluster layout and feel of the book than anything else.
It's not really a fair way to judge this book. But when we're pressed for time and putting together the week's menu, the cookbooks with better layout, and I will say it, pictures, often get our attention first.
Yet it remains in our primary cookbook stack, both as an alternate cooking reference and because we want to use it more than we do.
This book is most notable for the techniques it presents that you can adapt yourself and the recipes for various flavored oils, rubs, etc. Unfortunately, the end result involves a lot of squeeze bottles filling your kitchen. I like that her focus includes healthful foods but that she is a proponent of bacon fat, oils, and butter, simply in moderation and expanded to make the greatest impact on flavor.
This book is most notable for the techniques it presents that you can adapt yourself and the recipes for various flavored oils, rubs, etc. Unfortunately, the end result involves a lot of squeeze bottles filling your kitchen. I like that her focus includes healthful foods but that she is a proponent of bacon fat, oils, and butter, simply in moderation and expanded to make the greatest impact on flavor.
600+ pages and about 10 photos, and I don't care how interestingly colored the fonts are. It just seems silly to write instructions for deboning a chicken or killing a lobster with NO illustrations or photos. I guess this is considered a resource for the almost professional home cook? The recipes seemed pretty basic in many regards. I thought it was boring, I have seen many of these subjects handled in more detail with better pictures.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Sally, the author, on an Oldways tour in Greece in the late 90s and not only is she a kind and humble lady, her recipes in this book are fantastic! I made the fennel cardamom honey pork rub for last year's Christmas tenderloin and everyone agreed it was the best we've ever had. Her recipes are innovative, healthy and sacred in their thoughtful, slow techniques. A really lovely book that is sure to expand your culinary skills while delighting your taste buds.
This reads a bit like a textbook, a totally relevant and interesting one for home cooks who want to take it up a notch.
The purpose of the book is to eliminate the mentality that any cooking that prohibits starch, fat, etc. This is a guide in the chemistry of enjoying our food as well as the time it takes to prepare it.
This is by far one of the best cookbooks I own. This book together with my 1970s time life series "The Good Cook" are really the only cookbooks I need. Of course, that doesn't mean they're the only ones I own . . .
This book teaches one how to cook using flavorful techniques while cutting fat to reasonable calories. Nothing is sacrificed eating like this.
This book is great! It's one of my favorite cookbooks. I still feel like I have only just scratched the surface with how great this book easy. It has easy and healthful ways to cook with lots of flavor. Love it!
I like the idea of having a book with basic recipes and then each recipe has a variation on it (Rick Bayless is the first person that I used this with and love it) but the recipes I tried never worked out all that well and the innovative ideas weren't as appelaing as I'd hoped
After trying out only one recipe in this book (which turned out great, btw), it's due back at the library, so I'm putting it back on my "to-read" list for now.