The Clever Cookbook

by Emilie Raffa

"Just because you're short on time doesn't mean you have to sacrifice healthy, flavorful homemade food. Thanks to Emilie Raffa's The Clever Cookbook, readers can cut down on cooking time while still creating delicious, complex meals. Many of Emilie's tips are collected into chapter categories, like prepping veggies ahead of time, using simple seasoning blends instead of individual spices and marinating meats as they freeze and thaw. She accompanies these techniques with over 80 delicious recipes--each paired with a photograph, such as 30-Minute Chicken Piccata, No-Stir Risotto, No Sweat Gratin with Brown Rice, Zucchini & Tomatoes and Quick Chicken Stir-Fry with Oven Roasted Broccoli.Emilie's classic culinary training, knack for creative recipes, savvy shortcuts and flavor tricks will help readers prepare mouthwatering, homemade meals quickly and with ease."

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction

397 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2016

Reviews

[Jean]

Emilie Raffa, who also photographed all the pictures in this book, is indeed a clever cook. Just as you can be, if you try her marvelous new cookbook, The Clever Cookbook. She has figured out how to shorten (and store extra for later) certain basic combinations of ingredients which are required in her collection of delicious recipes. If you follow and save these base recipes, you will be able to cook and bake all sorts of normally time consuming, delicious dishes designed and dreamed up by her. They are quick, they are healthy, they are pretty (but not so pretty you don't want to just dig in immediately!), and, depending upon your own tastes, you will probably love every one.
To give you an idea of how the cookbook "works", check out the first chapter, "Prep-Ahead Vegetables, Pre-chop Three Key Vegetables for Quick & Easy Meals". The reader may think that he or she is just going to learn how to make the pre-chopped vegetables, however in face the vegetables are actually a "Mirepoix", which is French for diced onions carrots and celery. The reader will be preparing large portions of these to be mixed together and frozen. All sorts of tips are given and the manner in which this is written is very exciting to anyone who loves learning new things or would like to learn more about cooking. Once you have this base of combined pre-chopped vegetables in your freezer, you will be able to make some of the author's recipes which follow in short order. One of the very first recipes in which you will use frozen Mirepoix is "Easy Chunky Vegetable Soup" (it is pointed out that it is Gluten-free). The author adds below the recipe that great flavors to diversify this soup are 1) a dusting of curry 2) spicy chili or coconut milk, or 3) Woodsy herbs such as thyme, sage and rosemary. Love her easygoing yet knowledgeable style!
Every chapter has a different base of elements such as the pre-chopped vegetables. You will find all sorts of ideas for speedy meals to concoct and please your friends and family if you prepare a few things ahead of time. There are broths and sauces to use in various recipes, compound butters, spice blends which are homemade, a section on "Easy Beans", and more.
For those of use who love to use white wine in cooking, there is a section on how to save money by using dry white vermouth instead. There are also enough sweets to please everyone, scattered throughout the book.
I haven't read a recipe book this good since Moosewood and The Silver Palate (both really ancient books, at this point).
If you really love food and enjoy cooking, here's your book! Highly recommended. 5 stars for delicious and yes, stress-free!

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars Library book.
Fairly simplistic cookbook. The author's writing style especially the anecdotes was a bit too chipper for my taste.
I tried to look at this book as if I was a beginner and would say if you are a beginner it would offer some hints. The recipes were really basic, very easy. Again good for a beginner, but after preparing once or twice you would never need to look at the recipe.
I found it a bit too focused on preparing and freezing items that really take next to no time to do when cooking. The author must have a freezer 10 times larger than mine. With a small freezer I have to prioritize what I freeze.
Making and freezing your own stock is useful and saves money. Compound butters are useful and saves money. I wouldn't bother with a frozen mirepoix- it takes little time to peel and cut vegetables. Besides if you are a new cook the knife practice is good for you.
The master stir fry blend, really folks, it only takes a minute to put together in a cup or bowl soy sauce, liquid, sweetener and cornstarch to thicken a stir-fry and while you are at it add some grated fresh ginger.

[Karen H. Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, but it is quite basic

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited when I saw what this cookbook was about. It sounded fantastic and the author had a blog so it must be pretty awesome? Well, the only thing that I found out of the book that I would make is a compound butter. This is not something that i would ever buy for myself. So sad.

[Floyd Larck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borrowed this from the local library and liked it so much we wound up buying it from Amazon. Great recipes and excellent explanations.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas and recipes I would like to try.