The Phony Gourmet: Includes 75 Delicious Recipes for Shortcut Cooking

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, but YUCK!
Review: Pam Young and Peggy Jones have produced yet another wonderful book. This one, however, is less about organization and cleaning (although those are touched on) and more about producing good food when you're short on time. Their particular brand of humour makes this a great read for enjoyment even if you don't use the recipes -- although the recipes are great as well! Each recipe (with strange names like "Mucho Chicken Berserk" and "Aunt Peg's Five Bean Summit Meeting") includes approximate prep time, cooking time and number of servings as well as an often hilarious anecdote. Pam and Peggy focus on cooking in the real world. We don't always have the time to play Donna Reed and bake up a storm... we have to rely on Four Skor And Seventeen Pecan Pie and hope it tastes like scratch... and it usually does!

Rating:
Summary: A real time-saver
Review: Pam Young and Peggy Jones have produced yet another wonderful book. This one, however, is less about organization and cleaning (although those are touched on) and more about producing good food when you're short on time. Their particular brand of humour makes this a great read for enjoyment even if you don't use the recipes -- although the recipes are great as well! Each recipe (with strange names like "Mucho Chicken Berserk" and "Aunt Peg's Five Bean Summit Meeting") includes approximate prep time, cooking time and number of servings as well as an often hilarious anecdote. Pam and Peggy focus on cooking in the real world. We don't always have the time to play Donna Reed and bake up a storm... we have to rely on Four Skor And Seventeen Pecan Pie and hope it tastes like scratch... and it usually does!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully creative and makes cooking FUN!
Review: This book is not only entertaining reading from beginning to end, it is truly helpful in the kitchen. Sure there are a couple of recipes I don't care to try, but I've cooked most of them already and they've all been big hits. All the Ladies in my church group wanted the recipe for "La Pate". (Didn't give it to them) The "Crock Pot Baked Beans" went very fast at the last BBQ we attended. The "Blue Cheese Chicken Italiano" has turned into a family favorite and The "Chocolate Mousse" impressed several friends. Now people are inviting us over for dinner and requesting we bring certain dishes. This book is the sole reason my teenage son has started cooking! He cooked the "Wiener Schnitzel" for his grandparents and they loved it.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully creative and makes cooking FUN!
Review: This book is not only entertaining reading from beginning to end, it is truly helpful in the kitchen. Sure there are a couple of recipes I don't care to try, but I've cooked most of them already and they've all been big hits. All the Ladies in my church group wanted the recipe for "La Pate". (Didn't give it to them) The "Crock Pot Baked Beans" went very fast at the last BBQ we attended. The "Blue Cheese Chicken Italiano" has turned into a family favorite and The "Chocolate Mousse" impressed several friends. Now people are inviting us over for dinner and requesting we bring certain dishes. This book is the sole reason my teenage son has started cooking! He cooked the "Wiener Schnitzel" for his grandparents and they loved it.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, but YUCK!
Review: This is a very entertaining book, but I wouldn't want to cook (or eat) from it. While there are a couple of ok recipes, some of them are real stomach turners, e.g., cut up some Whoppers from burger king and mix with catsup, mustard & bbq sauce, put a puff pastry crust on it and bake. Scrape the condiments off the buns, toast and serve along with it. Puhlease!! Lots of this type of recipe--not nutritious cooking, not even appetizing. Did give it a couple of stars for entertainment value.