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What's for Dinner?: Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life: A Cookbook
130 easy-to-make meals for every night of the week, from the host of FOX’s My Kitchen Rules
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone knows life can get busy. But as a dad, he also believes that sitting down to a home-cooked meal with family and friends is one of life’s greatest gifts. In his fifth cookbook, he offers both novice cooks and seasoned chefs mouthwatering recipes that don’t rely on fancy, hard-to-find ingredients and special equipment. And he breaks them down into seven simple categories:
• Motivating Mondays : Healthy meals that start the week off right—Fennel-Roasted Chicken and Winter Squash with Endive-Apple Salad; Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad
• Time-Saving Tuesdays: Quick and easy recipes for simple meals—Steak and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Ginger and Garlic; Grilled Pork Chops and Vegetable Gratin with Caper-Parsley Vinaigrette
• One-Pot Wednesdays: Flavorful dishes with minimal cleanup—Chicken and Chorizo Paella; Rosemary Salt-Crusted Pork Loin with Roasted Shallots, Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips
• Thrifty Thursdays: Yummy meals on a budget—Sliders with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese; Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Pasta Bake with Cheddar
• Five-Ingredient Fridays: Fun, fast recipes to kick off the weekend—Grilled Harissa Lamb Rack with Summer Succotash; Seared Scallops and Peas with Bacon and Mint
• Dinner Party Saturdays: Extraordinary dishes to share with friends and family—Asian Crab Cakes with Mango Chutney; Mushroom Ragout on Creamy Grits
• Family Supper Sundays: Comforting, slow-simmering food for relaxing around the table—Southern Fried Chicken; Barbecued Spareribs with Apple-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
And don’t forget sweet treats such as Peach and Almond Cobbler and Olive Oil Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Loaded with enticing photos, What’s for Dinner? will inspire you and bring confidence to your kitchen and happiness to your table.
Praise for What’s for Dinner?
“Designed to help make meal time easy, fun and tasty despite everyone’s hectic schedules.” — People
“Full of simple recipes for every busy night of the week.” — The Kansas City Star
“Stone delivers simple recipes, many of which can be made (start to finish) in less than 40 minutes.” — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“What could be better than having a new arsenal of Stone's recipes at your fingertips? . . . Charming for both his accent and kitchen knowledge, this man is as down to earth as they come.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Curtis Stone gets it. . . . Family favorites, fresh ingredients, and simple prep—all of which is on display on every page of his beautiful book.” —Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner: A Love Story
“A visionary and entrepreneur, he hopes to inspire individuals to ditch the drive-thru and start firing up their ovens at home. . . . A day-to-day guide packed with easy, mouthwatering recipes for every night of the week.” —Spry Living
“The book features a ton of delicious recipes organized by a different theme for every day of the week.” — D Magazine
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone knows life can get busy. But as a dad, he also believes that sitting down to a home-cooked meal with family and friends is one of life’s greatest gifts. In his fifth cookbook, he offers both novice cooks and seasoned chefs mouthwatering recipes that don’t rely on fancy, hard-to-find ingredients and special equipment. And he breaks them down into seven simple categories:
• Motivating Mondays : Healthy meals that start the week off right—Fennel-Roasted Chicken and Winter Squash with Endive-Apple Salad; Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad
• Time-Saving Tuesdays: Quick and easy recipes for simple meals—Steak and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Ginger and Garlic; Grilled Pork Chops and Vegetable Gratin with Caper-Parsley Vinaigrette
• One-Pot Wednesdays: Flavorful dishes with minimal cleanup—Chicken and Chorizo Paella; Rosemary Salt-Crusted Pork Loin with Roasted Shallots, Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips
• Thrifty Thursdays: Yummy meals on a budget—Sliders with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese; Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Pasta Bake with Cheddar
• Five-Ingredient Fridays: Fun, fast recipes to kick off the weekend—Grilled Harissa Lamb Rack with Summer Succotash; Seared Scallops and Peas with Bacon and Mint
• Dinner Party Saturdays: Extraordinary dishes to share with friends and family—Asian Crab Cakes with Mango Chutney; Mushroom Ragout on Creamy Grits
• Family Supper Sundays: Comforting, slow-simmering food for relaxing around the table—Southern Fried Chicken; Barbecued Spareribs with Apple-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
And don’t forget sweet treats such as Peach and Almond Cobbler and Olive Oil Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Loaded with enticing photos, What’s for Dinner? will inspire you and bring confidence to your kitchen and happiness to your table.
Praise for What’s for Dinner?
“Designed to help make meal time easy, fun and tasty despite everyone’s hectic schedules.” — People
“Full of simple recipes for every busy night of the week.” — The Kansas City Star
“Stone delivers simple recipes, many of which can be made (start to finish) in less than 40 minutes.” — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“What could be better than having a new arsenal of Stone's recipes at your fingertips? . . . Charming for both his accent and kitchen knowledge, this man is as down to earth as they come.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Curtis Stone gets it. . . . Family favorites, fresh ingredients, and simple prep—all of which is on display on every page of his beautiful book.” —Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner: A Love Story
“A visionary and entrepreneur, he hopes to inspire individuals to ditch the drive-thru and start firing up their ovens at home. . . . A day-to-day guide packed with easy, mouthwatering recipes for every night of the week.” —Spry Living
“The book features a ton of delicious recipes organized by a different theme for every day of the week.” — D Magazine
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 9, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 12, 2013
The Good Stuff
Nice addition to have the "Rounding out the Meal' & "Kitchen Note" added to some of the recipes. Extremely helpful
Photographs are simple, yet beautiful, and very, very appetizing (Take note publishers of cookbooks - people want to have pictures of every recipe and pictures that focuse on the food not on the artistry of the photographer)
Directions are easy to follow
Something for everyone - lots of variety
Lots of fresh ingredients that are easy to find in any grocery store
The recipes are never time consuming or have a lot of steps - most can be made (including cooking time) in under 40 minutes
Quite a few child friendly recipes that both the young and old will enjoy
Not a bad looking guy (Yup I reviewed this one not Chef Jeff) he could come on over and .... cook for me anytime (Shhh don't tell Chef Jeff or he won't make me omelets any more)
I would pretty much be willing to make 90% of the recipes in this cookbook - that doesn't happen very often
The Not So Good Stuff
Used a lot of post it notes for all the recipes I wanted to make
Used Mahi Mahi in a recipe -- a little too close for dolphin for my comfort (I used cod when I made the recipe and it was lovely
Addicted to Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans - this is not good for my fitness plan
Favorite Recipes
Grilled Fish Tacos with Pico De Gallo - Pg 16
Chipotle Pork Tacos - Pg 144 (I recommend adding some sour cream to tame the heat a little)
Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans - these were to die for my friends - hmm might make some more tomorrow!!
Grilled Salmon with Orzo, Feta and Red Wine Vinaigrette (The Orzo side is a now a staple for us - so fresh, healthy and yummy)
Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad - Pg 23
Oatmeal Coconut Butter Cookies - Pg 264
Who Should/Shouldn't Use
Good for cooks of any skill level
Perfect for those who want to have a healthy, fast & easy to make dinner
A must have for the busy parent who wants to have something easy to make, relatively healthy and not time consuming
4.95 Dewey's (loses .5 because the book is hard to keep open when you are trying to prepare a recipe)
I received this from Random House in Exchange for an honest review
Nice addition to have the "Rounding out the Meal' & "Kitchen Note" added to some of the recipes. Extremely helpful
Photographs are simple, yet beautiful, and very, very appetizing (Take note publishers of cookbooks - people want to have pictures of every recipe and pictures that focuse on the food not on the artistry of the photographer)
Directions are easy to follow
Something for everyone - lots of variety
Lots of fresh ingredients that are easy to find in any grocery store
The recipes are never time consuming or have a lot of steps - most can be made (including cooking time) in under 40 minutes
Quite a few child friendly recipes that both the young and old will enjoy
Not a bad looking guy (Yup I reviewed this one not Chef Jeff) he could come on over and .... cook for me anytime (Shhh don't tell Chef Jeff or he won't make me omelets any more)
I would pretty much be willing to make 90% of the recipes in this cookbook - that doesn't happen very often
The Not So Good Stuff
Used a lot of post it notes for all the recipes I wanted to make
Used Mahi Mahi in a recipe -- a little too close for dolphin for my comfort (I used cod when I made the recipe and it was lovely
Addicted to Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans - this is not good for my fitness plan
Favorite Recipes
Grilled Fish Tacos with Pico De Gallo - Pg 16
Chipotle Pork Tacos - Pg 144 (I recommend adding some sour cream to tame the heat a little)
Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans - these were to die for my friends - hmm might make some more tomorrow!!
Grilled Salmon with Orzo, Feta and Red Wine Vinaigrette (The Orzo side is a now a staple for us - so fresh, healthy and yummy)
Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad - Pg 23
Oatmeal Coconut Butter Cookies - Pg 264
Who Should/Shouldn't Use
Good for cooks of any skill level
Perfect for those who want to have a healthy, fast & easy to make dinner
A must have for the busy parent who wants to have something easy to make, relatively healthy and not time consuming
4.95 Dewey's (loses .5 because the book is hard to keep open when you are trying to prepare a recipe)
I received this from Random House in Exchange for an honest review
May 1, 2016
An excellent cookbook. I was lucky to find a brand new copy of this on a sale table for $5 and this book has paid for itself many times over. With recipes for everyday of the week, under section titles such as "motivating mondays", "time-saving tuesdays", this book delivers delicious, easy recipes that will make you a better cook.
The recipes are well laid out with helpful notes and Curtis adds charming stories/notes from his personal life. Tons of delectable photos, one for each recipe. Among the recipes I have tried, and my favorites so far, are, Potato, Cauliflower, Camembert Gratin with grilled pork chops (so succulent); Grilled Haibut with Asparagus & Melted Leeks (mouth-wateringly yummy!); Asian Crab Cakes (family went ape over these heavenly cakes); and Lobster with Bacon Marmalade (ambrosia!).
The book also has many dessert recipes from simple cookies, cobblers & bread pudding to more complicated delicacies such as the Pear & Cherry Strudel with Amaretto Custard Sauce. This is a book that will stay in my kitchen for quick reference. One that I will continue to consult time and time again. I just can't recommend this cookbook highly enough!
:-)
The recipes are well laid out with helpful notes and Curtis adds charming stories/notes from his personal life. Tons of delectable photos, one for each recipe. Among the recipes I have tried, and my favorites so far, are, Potato, Cauliflower, Camembert Gratin with grilled pork chops (so succulent); Grilled Haibut with Asparagus & Melted Leeks (mouth-wateringly yummy!); Asian Crab Cakes (family went ape over these heavenly cakes); and Lobster with Bacon Marmalade (ambrosia!).
The book also has many dessert recipes from simple cookies, cobblers & bread pudding to more complicated delicacies such as the Pear & Cherry Strudel with Amaretto Custard Sauce. This is a book that will stay in my kitchen for quick reference. One that I will continue to consult time and time again. I just can't recommend this cookbook highly enough!
:-)
August 1, 2020
Call me crazy, but I enjoy reading a good cookbook. I'm very familiar with Stone's dishes that are featured on the cruises we've taken (his Chicken and Leek Pot Pie is heaven in a bowl.) I borrowed this cookbook from the library and found it to be filled with one delicious-sounding recipe after another. I really enjoyed his tips and trivia also. During Covid I'm looking for new recipes to try. This is clearly a book I need to own, so I've ordered my own copy and cannot wait for it to arrive.
June 22, 2014
Love reading different cook books with my younger daughter .we always cook and bake together and my oldest always says she is the taste tester .
April 29, 2013
Motivating Mondays
Time-Saving Tuesdays
One-Pot Wednesdays
Thrifty Thursdays
Five-Ingredient Fridays
Dinner Party Saturdays
Family Supper Sundays
When a cookbook goes beyond the “template” and gets creative, it’s refreshing. This is exactly what Curtis Stone has done in his new cookbook What’s For Dinner. Dividing the recipes into different days of the week makes it easy to plan and decide what to make for dinner. If you follow the book, you’re basically set for at least ten weeks – that means ten weeks of unique delicious dinners. How much easier can planning your dinners get?
It’s always frustrating when you look at recipes and realize that you don’t know what half the ingredients are, let alone have them handy in your kitchen. But because Curtis Stone seems to be your average down-to-earth all-Australian guy, who understands good food, as well as how valuable time is, you won’t have this issue.
Easy to read, organized, visually appealing…all these things will make What’s for Dinner not just another cookbook on your bookshelf. Along with food recipes, Curtis Stone also has included drink recipes. How can you not love that? So whether you’re in the mood for a Tipsy Palmer or a Mango-Pineapple Smoothie, every evening will be an entertaining one, as you experiment with one of his recipes. Tonight, I’m going to try the Cauliflower and Spinach Dal. Surprisingly, even for an Indian dish, the ingredients seem remarkably familiar.
Time-Saving Tuesdays
One-Pot Wednesdays
Thrifty Thursdays
Five-Ingredient Fridays
Dinner Party Saturdays
Family Supper Sundays
When a cookbook goes beyond the “template” and gets creative, it’s refreshing. This is exactly what Curtis Stone has done in his new cookbook What’s For Dinner. Dividing the recipes into different days of the week makes it easy to plan and decide what to make for dinner. If you follow the book, you’re basically set for at least ten weeks – that means ten weeks of unique delicious dinners. How much easier can planning your dinners get?
It’s always frustrating when you look at recipes and realize that you don’t know what half the ingredients are, let alone have them handy in your kitchen. But because Curtis Stone seems to be your average down-to-earth all-Australian guy, who understands good food, as well as how valuable time is, you won’t have this issue.
Easy to read, organized, visually appealing…all these things will make What’s for Dinner not just another cookbook on your bookshelf. Along with food recipes, Curtis Stone also has included drink recipes. How can you not love that? So whether you’re in the mood for a Tipsy Palmer or a Mango-Pineapple Smoothie, every evening will be an entertaining one, as you experiment with one of his recipes. Tonight, I’m going to try the Cauliflower and Spinach Dal. Surprisingly, even for an Indian dish, the ingredients seem remarkably familiar.
January 7, 2014
Borrowed the book from the library 1st to make sure it was good... then bought it! Most of the recipes I have cooked so far have been really good. The recipes have been easy to follow. The portions are large so at times I have halved it.
Recommended recipes:-
grilled salmon with risoni, feta and red wine vinaigrette (great way to cook the fish too)
grilled prawn and rice noodle salad (husband's fav!)
cauliflower and spinach dahl
quinoa salad with chickpea and tomatoes
chocolate chunk cookies with pecans (large chunks for chocolate and pecan necessary)
Not recommend: -
bow tie pasta with corn, thyme and parmeson (we found it too bland)
Recommended recipes:-
grilled salmon with risoni, feta and red wine vinaigrette (great way to cook the fish too)
grilled prawn and rice noodle salad (husband's fav!)
cauliflower and spinach dahl
quinoa salad with chickpea and tomatoes
chocolate chunk cookies with pecans (large chunks for chocolate and pecan necessary)
Not recommend: -
bow tie pasta with corn, thyme and parmeson (we found it too bland)
May 23, 2013
Simple recipes? No. I have, if I may say so, a pretty impressive pantry, but there is hardly one recipe that I wouldn't have to buy something (not counting main protein). Fresh herbs are featured heavily, as are peppers and...sriracha, harissa, Vietnamese fish sauce. Other recipes have just odd combinations for me. And NO nutritional information. Simple may mean limited ingredients. May mean limited pots and pans. Not sure. It certainly doesn't mean quick cooking times or prep times.
Disappointing.
Disappointing.
December 31, 2014
Mad rush to find books that count for my 65 books in one year! Truthfully, I love this cook book. I watched many of Curtis Stone's "Whats for dinner?" show and have somewhat of a celebrity crush on the man. And his ability to always find wine. This cookbook was a gift to myself from my old company's bonus system. And it arrived to my new apartment before any of my other cookbooks - making it the first cookbook I used in DC! Voila!
May 23, 2015
A handful of recipes look like something that not only would I attempt to make, but my family would enjoying eating as well. I liked the concept of the books, with recipes put into days with categories One Pot Wednesdays. The problem is that yes, absolutely, I found some delicious looking quick recipes in the book that I could use, like the Asian Chicken Salad, but there were also some recipes on a Thirsday, for instance, with a cooking time of 2 hours.
I don't have 2 hours.
But as I said, a small number of recipes look good, including the Vegetable Lasagna, Cider Dijon Pork Chops, and Kale Spaghetti. Those will be the ones I will try and see if they live up to the selling points of Curtis Stone and the beautiful photographs.
I don't have 2 hours.
But as I said, a small number of recipes look good, including the Vegetable Lasagna, Cider Dijon Pork Chops, and Kale Spaghetti. Those will be the ones I will try and see if they live up to the selling points of Curtis Stone and the beautiful photographs.
May 5, 2013
This book is probably the best-organized cookbook I've checked out in ages! The weekend chapters were a little too involved for me, but the five weeknight chapters had lots of easy meals that were suitable for kids and adults. Prep time is pretty accurate (and included); he includes sidebars for anything unusual and covers variations if you're interested. I wish more books included nutrition information - this one isn't appalling, but it would be useful. This is a really great cookbook for everyday use.
December 31, 2015
I like this book because it stretches how I ordinarily use ingredients, with only a few odd ingredients that I have to go out and buy. Plus I thought he explained the "why" of some of the techniques, most often to give layers of flavor. The dessert chapter was boring.
My main complaint would be format, the page numbers are written in lighter ink, and sideways, so when he refers you to another page, it is difficult to find it. AND the book doesn't lie flat so you can actually cook with it.
My main complaint would be format, the page numbers are written in lighter ink, and sideways, so when he refers you to another page, it is difficult to find it. AND the book doesn't lie flat so you can actually cook with it.
November 12, 2013
Most of the recipes in this book are too time consuming for me, but on the days that I have more time to cook I am eager to try some of these recipes. I like that they are all so different from each other, and pretty easy to execute.
December 22, 2013
Curtis Stone's newest cookbook is full of all sorts of delicious recipes made all the better because most are easy to make with few ingredients. Only his weekend recipes take more time. I'm looking forward to trying many of them.
October 27, 2014
I liked the Saturday chapter the best, though nothing seemed particularly inspiring to me. The dessert chapter was ho-hum, though I didn't expect much in the first place in terms of awe-inspiring desserts.
October 2, 2016
Curtis Stone is one of my favorite celebrity chefs & this is one of my favorite cookbooks now! Simple meals made from fresh ingredients with BIG flavor! Read my full review, with recipes we've tried and links:
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2016/1...
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2016/1...
August 18, 2013
the recipe we tried was ok, not awesomeness like I thought it would be, have to try another one to see if it was me or just the recipe.
August 28, 2013
Another beautifully photographed book full of delicious looking food. Can someone make me everything in here?
May 7, 2013
Love the variety of recipes, and the different categories cover a wide range of occasions. I bookmarked nearly the entire book. Beautiful pictures for every recipe as well!
January 19, 2016
Not a ton of recipes I would actually make. This was just ok.
August 19, 2013
Just made the banana bread. YUM!!!!
February 18, 2014
I love this cookbook! It's organized by day of the week (one pot dinners, under 30 minute dinners, etc.) instead of by type of food. I have made several dishes and they are all great!
January 16, 2015
The ginger sesame chicken salad? ridiculous. Several 'keeper' recipes in this along with being lovely to look at and easy to follow.
March 17, 2016
Love this book for simple, everyday recipes. I frequently utilize it for ideas on what to cook for a dinner.
February 6, 2018
Excellent cookbook by a dynamic chef
September 19, 2021
I've made almost everything in this mf-er and it's my favourite. Realistic food that normal, working people can eat, no weird ingredients, just really, really good.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews