The Supper Book

Rating:
Summary: A much used cook book for simple meals.
Review: I have had this cookbook for a few years and increase my use of it each year. The recipies are simple, not in the American "convenient" way, but in their appeal to the simple tases one associates with a true supper. That said, they are usually easy to prepare as well. I appreciate the author's suggestions for the entire meal, as her choices for go along with recipies are superb. Particular favorites are Avacado and Bacon Salad, Cream of Scallop Soup, Orzo with Fresh Dill, and Almond Cookies.

Rating:
Summary: Simple and simply fine
Review: Marion Cunningham's "The Supper Book" is an old friend in our kitchen. My best friend gave me a copy years ago for my birthday, and it is probably one of the most-used cookbooks of the many that crowd my pantry shelf.

The recipes are, as you might imagine, simple, delicious, and easy to prepare. Yet there's none of the frantic "Dinner in Ten Minutes!" or "Gourmet Meals from Just Five Ingredients!" tone that you see in cookbooks that are trying to make a fabulous meal appear on the table in less time than it takes to read this review. Cunningham slyly makes most of the recipes easy and with minimal ingredients, but she lets you discover this happy news on your own. Her emphasis is, instead, on taste and freshness of ingredients.

The Crabcakes are absolutely delicious and the soul of simplicity. The Celery Soup is a revelation, and a dish in which celery gets to stand up and take a bow instead of being an afterthought as it is in so many other recipes. Speed Steaks is an intriguing idea--you slice the steaks very thin, freeze them, and then fry them while still frozen. The result is a beautifully cooked steak with a lovely pink center. And now that Fish Tacos are all the culinary rage, let it be known that Marion Cunningham first featured them in a cookbook way back in 1992!

Cunningham extols the virtues of calmness and solitude at supper. In fact, she writes, "Sometimes eating supper alone feels private, quiet, and blessedly liberating. You may eat anything you want; you needn't be conventional. I liked a baked potato with olive oil and coarse salt and pepper followed by vanilla ice cream, which proves to me that money doesn't buy a good meal. One night not long ago I had freshly baked cookies and milk, and found that uplifting."

Donnie Cameron's handsome, spare line drawings do much to underscore the overall feeling of calmness and simplicity that Cunningham gives the reader. It's a nice match of author and illustrator, as each heightens the impact of the other's work. This really is a valuable kitchen friend, whether you live alone or cook for a crowd each night.

Rating:
Summary: Simple and simply fine
Review: Marion Cunningham's "The Supper Book" is an old friend in our kitchen. My best friend gave me a copy years ago for my birthday, and it is probably one of the most-used cookbooks of the many that crowd my pantry shelf.

The recipes are, as you might imagine, simple, delicious, and easy to prepare. Yet there's none of the frantic "Dinner in Ten Minutes!" or "Gourmet Meals from Just Five Ingredients!" tone that you see in cookbooks that are trying to make a fabulous meal appear on the table in less time than it takes to read this review. Cunningham slyly makes most of the recipes easy and with minimal ingredients, but she lets you discover this happy news on your own. Her emphasis is, instead, on taste and freshness of ingredients.

The Crabcakes are absolutely delicious and the soul of simplicity. The Celery Soup is a revelation, and a dish in which celery gets to stand up and take a bow instead of being an afterthought as it is in so many other recipes. Speed Steaks is an intriguing idea--you slice the steaks very thin, freeze them, and then fry them while still frozen. The result is a beautifully cooked steak with a lovely pink center. And now that Fish Tacos are all the culinary rage, let it be known that Marion Cunningham first featured them in a cookbook way back in 1992!

Cunningham extols the virtues of calmness and solitude at supper. In fact, she writes, "Sometimes eating supper alone feels private, quiet, and blessedly liberating. You may eat anything you want; you needn't be conventional. I liked a baked potato with olive oil and coarse salt and pepper followed by vanilla ice cream, which proves to me that money doesn't buy a good meal. One night not long ago I had freshly baked cookies and milk, and found that uplifting."

Donnie Cameron's handsome, spare line drawings do much to underscore the overall feeling of calmness and simplicity that Cunningham gives the reader. It's a nice match of author and illustrator, as each heightens the impact of the other's work. This really is a valuable kitchen friend, whether you live alone or cook for a crowd each night.