This book delivers straightforward and delicious recipes for the home cook. It’s an excellent addition to any cookbook collection!
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My first encounter with Martha Stewart was with a copy of Living magazine I purchased in my late teens. It was a Thanksgiving issue and it had a photo of a toddler eating a piece of homemade pie on the cover. I think I still have that magazine stored away somewhere in a box.
As the years passed, I became a subscriber to Living, as well as its subsidiary magazine, Everyday Food. Oh, how I loved Everyday Food. The recipes were quick, easy and full of flavour. They also favoured easy-to-find and inexpensive ingredients, which was just was I was looking for as a new graduate. The mini size of the magazine was also a bonus, because it meant I could carry it around with me when I went to the grocery store.
Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast, 250 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Anytime of the Day by Martha Stewart, (Clarkson Potter, 2010), is the second book in the series that features a compilation of highlights from the magazine. The recipes are straightforward and clearly written, which is the hallmark of a Martha Stewart recipe. The pictures included in the book are also unfussy, but beautiful.
Often Martha is described as a ‘perfectionist’, as though it would be unrealistic for the rest of us to turn out dishes the way she does. I think this kind of thinking does a disservice to her mission of teaching us all how to be better cooks. This book, in particular, sets out to show us how we can prepare quick, simple, and healthy meals any day of the week.
What Kinds of Recipes Will I Find in Everyday Food?
Although this isn’t strictly a book about baking and desserts, it highlights one of my most beloved recipes for lemon squares. I found the original recipe in one of my EveryDay Food magazines, and have been making them for countless picnics, BBQ’s and potlucks ever since. Over the years, I have adapted the recipe into my Lemon Raspberry Bars with Vanilla Cookie Crust and it is still a winner among family and friends.
Some of the best recipes from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast include: Coconut Macaroons, White Bean Dip, Watermelon Feta Salad, Crispy Ginger-Lime Chicken Thighs, and Orange Cornmeal Cake. There is also a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that I promise will put a smile on anyone’s face.
Who is this book for?
Beginner cooks will love this book for its simplicity and use of well-known ingredients that you can find at most local grocery stores.
Those of you who have been cooking a bit longer will appreciate this book for the fast recipes that will allow you to cook a fresh, satisfying meal in a matter of moments. Many of the recipes have cycled through my weekly meal rotation on and off for years. These are good stand-by recipes to have on hand.
The print version of the Everyday Food magazine was phased out in 2012 and while I still miss picking up my new issue every month, I am glad that I have this cookbook of everyday recipes in my collection. Thank you, Martha!
Disclosure
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