elzora's Full Review: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Introduction
I must admit, I am a cookbook-a-holic! I tend to collect them, and I have been doing so for 25 years - as you might guess I have amassed quite a large collection of them over that time span! In fact, I have two rows full of my most used cookbooks on a bookshelf in my kitchen area, and tons more in other bookshelves, under my hutch, and even some packed away in boxes. Even though I have packed them away, thinking "I hardly ever use this book, I might as well get rid of it", I just can't bring myself to actually get rid of them, I have in my mind that I may need that one recipe some day! Among my very favorite cookbooks is Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook! This is one that I reach for more than any other! The cover has that famous red and white checked pattern (just like the table cloths in cheesy Italian restaurants) - and mine has been used so often that the bottom is getting a little worn, the corners are scuffed up, and some of the pages are torn. This is my trusty friend - the one I compare all other recipe books to!
Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook - Spiral Bound
Having a spiral binding is a wonderful addition to a cookbook. Not only is it spiral, it is actually a 5 ring binder! It is VERY sturdy! I have a few cookbooks that just will not stay open, and this is very frustrating when I'm trying to prepare a meal! I have resorted to sitting a can of corn or some other heavy object, on the page to keep it open for me - my husband even bought me a clear plexi glass cookbook holder once - a nice gadget, but no place to store it! The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook is great, simply turn to your desired page, and the book will lay completely flat! It's great!
Handy Charts and Helpful Information at My Fingertips!
Even if I am not using this cookbook for an actual recipe, I turn to it often because of the great information contained on the inside of the front and back cover! Printed in white lettering on a black background are such helpful hints such as: (this section is from the back inside cover)
Weights & Measures: This is so handy! It gives me the equivalents of the different methods of measuring tools. For example, did you know that there are 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup? That 1 ounce = 28.35 grams? Or that 8 quarts = 1 peck? Now, not many recipes these days use "peck" in their measurements, but some of my grammy's old ones do! This area lists 18 equivalent measures!
Emergency Substitutions: Ever been in the middle of making something that you were just sure you had all the ingredients for, only to come up short? Oh no! Now what do I do???? Well, this handy chart has saved my bacon more than once! It lists alternative ingredients to substitute for the more commonly called for ingredients. The one I use quite often is the substitute for buttermilk. To make one cup of "buttermilk" I simply add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes! Other handy tips I learned here are that 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. Another nice conversion is their equivalent for catsup or chili sauce, to make chili sauce or catsup, add sugar and vinegar to tomato sauce (for use in cooking). This has saved me so many times - my favorite Sloppy Joe recipe calls for chili sauce, and this is not something that I have on hand all the time, but I so almost always have a can of tomato sauce in my pantry!
There are 14 different substitutions in this section!
How Many Saltine Crackers does it take to Equal 1 Cup?: The "How Much & How Many" section is another very helpful area that I use often! Did you know that it takes 28 saltine crackers to = 1 cup? Or that 4 ounces of macaroni (1 1/4 cups dry) = 2 1/4 cups cooked? Or that 1 pound of cheese = 4 cups shredded cheese? This area is so helpful! I can't say enough about it - there are equivalents for butter/chocolate, crumbs, cereals, fruits/veggies, cream/cheese/eggs, and nuts!
Can Sizes: Some of my mom's and grandmother's old recipes call for canned items and I have no idea what they are talking about! And some of my cookbooks that are compilations of peoples favorite recipes, such as my "Favorite Recipes from Ruralite Readers" do too! What to do? Whip out the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook again and look at the back inside cover! There are equivalents for many different "cans" - for example a "No. 303" can = 2 cups or 29 ounces! This information is not in any other of my cookbooks!
White Sauce: I have used this cookbook so many times for this white sauce recipe that the area is worn and I can barely make out the directions! Good thing I know the basics of making the sauce and turn here for the ingredients! Weather you are making a simple creamed peas and potatoes, or biscuits and gravy, a white sauce is a basic sauce that I use over and over. This handy guide gives the recipe for medium, thick or thin sauce.
Plain Pastry: There are two recipes here, for both a single crust and double crust pie.
And From the Front Inside Cover I Give You:
Oven Chart: This tells that a "very slow oven" = 250 to 275 degrees. There are 6 different temperature guides.
Broiling: My hubby could learn a lesson here! He never gets my steak medium rare! If you have a hard time knowing how long to broil a steak - this is for you! It tells how long to broil beef steaks to get "rare", "medium"
or "well-done". Depending, of course, on the thickness of the steak - (it gives guides for 1", 1 1/2" and 2" steaks).
Thermometer Readings for Meat: If you have an oven thermometer, this makes using them easy as pie! It tells what degrees to cook beef, veal, lamb, pork, and smoked pork at to achieve the desired doneness.
Candy and Frosting: Are you a candy maker? I am! My mom taught me how to make pull taffy and we would make it every year in upstate New York with fresh maple syrup! My famous caramel corn recipe also calls for the mixture to be cooked to a "soft ball stage" - this will tell you what temperature to cook the liquids for to achieve this stage. From thread to hard crack stage, it's all here!
Whew! This is Long and I Haven't Even Gotten to the Recipes Yet!
I know this is long, but the information I just listed is SO helpful to me, I use this on a near daily basis - even if I'm not using it for the recipes, I am grabbing it for these guides printed inside the front and back covers! Most cookbooks don't go this far, and I wanted to let you know all about these wonderful tips!! Okay, on to the BEST part, the RECIPES! I'll try to make this short and sweet!
Chapter 1 - Appliance Cooking
This is nice if you have a crock pot or an electric skillet, because these recipes are for use in these appliances! It also has recipes for the microwave and for pressure cooking.
Chapter 2 - BBQ & Easy Meals
From ham and fruit kabobs to quick fudge sundaes, this is a section on fast, easy cooking! Great for when you are in a hurry and want to prepare something quick and easy! There is even a section on "oven meals" - you put all the dishes in the oven at the same time, the 9 examples they give tell you to set the temperature for the meat, and add the vegetables, rice or other side dishes along with them. This saves time and energy!
Chapter 3 - Appetizers & Beverages: 16 pages of recipes, with a wine guide in the back. Great for hosting that wine tasting and horsdoeuvre party.
Chapter 5 - Cookies & Cakes: My favorite, cookies! I admit it, I have a sweet tooth and the recipes here don't disappoint! All the different kinds of cookies you can imagine: drop, filled, refrigerator, bar, etc. Many different cake recipes here as well - I especially like their "Pineapple Upside-Down Cake".
Chapter 6 - Candies: Caramels, fudge, taffy, even marshmallows! It's all here! Yummmm!
Chapter 7 - Canning & Freezing: I do have a cookbook for canning already, but I still reach for this Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook occasionally too! Explains canning procedures, how to make & can jams and jellies, meat, pickles, veggies, and condiments.
Chapter 8 - Casseroles & One Dish Meals: This chapter is great, I am a casserole lover and my family always enjoys them as well! There are egg & cheese dishes, meat main dishes, pasta, and seafood. The Tuna Noodle Casserole is my all time favorite!!
Chapter 9 - Desserts: Not a lot to say here, except that they have a lot of recipes from which to choose - from Baked Alaska (Yeah!! I'm from Alaska!), to Shortcakes, it's all here. Enjoy them!
Chapter 10 - Meats: A very helpful chapter! Not only do they give you a lot of great tasting recipes for all kinds of beef, game, pork, lamb, veal and even rabbit - they also include gravy, stuffings, a roasting temperature and time chart, servings per pound a great explanation of the different cuts of beef (what part of the animal they come from and their quality), and even a meat price chart! This chart tells you, for example, that if a certain cut of beef costs $2.59 a pound, and you are serving 6 servings out of it, the cost to serve each person would be 43 cents. This is really a nice feature!
Chapter 11 - Pastry & Pies: Tons of ideas for pies, tarts, custards, meringues, parfaits, crusts, etc.
Chapter 12 - Poultry, Fish & Eggs: Along with the egg, fish, seafood, poultry (even duck, pheasant and quail), there is information on roasting, storing and thawing. There are pictures showing how to remove the meat from a lobster, how to cut up a whole chicken, how to stuff, cook and carve a turkey!
Chapter 13 - Salads & Dressings: Every salad imaginable here! Fruit, frozen, molded, meat & poultry, relishes, seafood salads, and vegetable salads. A picture guide of 8 types of leaf lettuce as well.
Chapter 14 - Soups & Sauces: A smorgasboard of soup recipes, many types of fruit & dessert sauces, along with meat and vegetable sauces.
Chapter 15 - Vegetables: From asparagus to Zucchini - a very good selection of recipes!
Chapter 16 - Meal Planning & Nutrition: Explains the four main food groups, sample menu's for entertaining, how to read the nutritional information on labels, a food storage guide, and a complex meal planning guide that tells about starches and which veggies and breads should be served with certain meats.
Chapter 17 - Special Helps: How to convert to metric, before & after measurements (1 cup rice = 3 cups cooked rice), how to use certain ingredients in cooking, and a section on table settings and centerpieces!
Chapter 18 - Index: A calorie chart, cooking terms, uses for leftovers, seasoning guide and index to all the recipes.
Why I Love This Cookbook!
This is a complete cookbook, they have thought of everything! The chapters are separated, there is a red tab extending from each section, and on the front and back of the divider is also a separate index of recipes, just for that chapter! This is THE best cookbook I have ever owned! It not only gives me great tasting recipes, but it teaches me about different foods; nutrition, how to prepare, cook, can, and freeze them. The charts and guides are very useful, and this cookbook will always be one that I turn to day after day. And I love the pictures that are all throughout the cookbook, the visual's are wonderful! I just need to buy some hole reinforcer's, because the pages have been turned so many times, the holes have torn through!
New for the '90s, America's #1 cookbook returns in a totally new and revised 10th edition. Bantam's bestselling backlist cookbook has more recipes, mo...More at Barnes & Noble.com
Muze: Copyright 1995 - 2008 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.