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Hometown Potluck Favorites
Lists more than 120 illustrated recipes for every stage of a meal from appetizers to desserts, sharing information on preparing large and small quantities, make-ahead and transporting advice, and food safety suggestions. 45,000 first printing.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published February 15, 2003
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February 21, 2016
The Basics: Compiled by the editors at Better Homes and Gardens, the user is assured by a small paragraph on the copyright page that every recipe has been tested in their kitchens for ease of use and degree of taste. From there, it launches straight into the recipes--no fussy introductions or long-winded prose about the hard work that's been done. Recipes are broken down into six sections, with only the first being fluffy-creative in its title ("Boastful Beginnings"). The rest are pretty straightforward: poultry, meat, seafood, sides, and desserts. There is one recipe per page, each introduced with a one or two sentence summary of the dish. Then the page is divided: on one side is the ingredients list and on the other the instructions. What makes the ingredients list interesting is that it has two columns. Amounts are given depending on the size of the group you are making the dish for (the recipe I randomly flipped open has amounts listed for six servings or twelve servings).
The index in the back lists recipes alphabetically by title, but aso by major ingredient or food type, so not only can you look up a recipe for Fresh Summer Salsa, you can also see a quick list of all the recipes in the book that include mushrooms, or a quick list of all the variations of lasagna included. The last page has metric conversion information as well as some other tips for non-American users of the recipes, such as what certain products may be called in their country (golden raisins sold as sultanas, for example). The book is large but not heavy, and though hardcover, the recipes inside are on a spiral binding so that the book will lay flat or stand at an angle easily...no pages flipping over randomly at the worst possible moment.
The Photos: Every recipe is accompanied with a bright, full-color photo, in focus and well-lit, with many of the photos being a full page in size with the recipe listed on the opposite facing page. They are pretty, appealing, and appetizing, and clearly indicate what the dish is meant to look like.
The Audition: I've done a couple recipes from this book before (for potlucks, imagine that!) but in the spirit of this November exercise, I wanted to make sure I was trying a never-done before recipe. The cold weather creeping in last week almost demanded something comfort-foody, so the recipe choice was Italian Crescent Casserole. The ingredients were simple and easily obtained (a few I even had on hand already) and utilized one of my favorite recipe techniques: ready-made-from-the-store components (like refrigerated crescent rolls). As much as I would LOVE to have both the time and space to make everything from scratch, I don't, and I don't. About 30 minutes in the oven and we had a warm and gooey with melted cheese casserole reminiscent of an Italian flavored Shepherd's pie.
Overall: Even though I'd used this book previously, I hadn't ever really paid attention to the usability factor. Going into it this time, I really tried to think about multiple factors: how well the recipe options appealed, ease of shopping and execution, instructions helpful and easy to follow? My experience approaching the cookbook from these angles made it clear that this is a definite keeper for my style of cooking. I loved how easy it was, I love having the already figured-out information for larger portions, and I love that the recipe is easily adjustable for other ideas (I'm thinking of trying the same recipe but in a taco variation next time, with some pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella and some seasonings for the meat rather than pasta sauce). I am already thinking about when I want to use this one next and lamenting a little that I still have to try other cookbooks for the month before going back to it. Yep, definitely a keeper.
The index in the back lists recipes alphabetically by title, but aso by major ingredient or food type, so not only can you look up a recipe for Fresh Summer Salsa, you can also see a quick list of all the recipes in the book that include mushrooms, or a quick list of all the variations of lasagna included. The last page has metric conversion information as well as some other tips for non-American users of the recipes, such as what certain products may be called in their country (golden raisins sold as sultanas, for example). The book is large but not heavy, and though hardcover, the recipes inside are on a spiral binding so that the book will lay flat or stand at an angle easily...no pages flipping over randomly at the worst possible moment.
The Photos: Every recipe is accompanied with a bright, full-color photo, in focus and well-lit, with many of the photos being a full page in size with the recipe listed on the opposite facing page. They are pretty, appealing, and appetizing, and clearly indicate what the dish is meant to look like.
The Audition: I've done a couple recipes from this book before (for potlucks, imagine that!) but in the spirit of this November exercise, I wanted to make sure I was trying a never-done before recipe. The cold weather creeping in last week almost demanded something comfort-foody, so the recipe choice was Italian Crescent Casserole. The ingredients were simple and easily obtained (a few I even had on hand already) and utilized one of my favorite recipe techniques: ready-made-from-the-store components (like refrigerated crescent rolls). As much as I would LOVE to have both the time and space to make everything from scratch, I don't, and I don't. About 30 minutes in the oven and we had a warm and gooey with melted cheese casserole reminiscent of an Italian flavored Shepherd's pie.
Overall: Even though I'd used this book previously, I hadn't ever really paid attention to the usability factor. Going into it this time, I really tried to think about multiple factors: how well the recipe options appealed, ease of shopping and execution, instructions helpful and easy to follow? My experience approaching the cookbook from these angles made it clear that this is a definite keeper for my style of cooking. I loved how easy it was, I love having the already figured-out information for larger portions, and I love that the recipe is easily adjustable for other ideas (I'm thinking of trying the same recipe but in a taco variation next time, with some pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella and some seasonings for the meat rather than pasta sauce). I am already thinking about when I want to use this one next and lamenting a little that I still have to try other cookbooks for the month before going back to it. Yep, definitely a keeper.
Displaying 1 of 1 review