Can I Freeze It?: How to Use the Most Versatile Appliance in Your Kitchen - Softcover

Theodorou, Susie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061802468 ISBN 13: 9780061802461

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009

Synopsis

What kitchen appliance is a busy home cook′s greatest friend?

Believe it or not, it′s the freezer. Freezers seriously simplify meal preparation--you can plan ahead, save time, and shop economically, yet still serve fresh, flavorful suppers. Freezers are great for those dark winter months when you want to have dinner on the table fifteen minutes after you get home from work--think lasagna, stews, and soups--and they are also useful for entertaining friends when time is short.

In Can I Freeze it? veteran food writer and stylist Susie Theodorou explains the tips, tricks, and rules of freezing food, from containers and wrappers (foil or Tupperware?) to the best methods for retaining moisture and flavor to what ingredients and dishes can and can′t be frozen. She provides a wealth of recipes, along with color photographs, for whole and partial dishes. Some are completely preassembled (for example, chicken in a marinade), frozen, and cooked later. Others combine frozen ingredients with fresh ones--pair a pastry from the freezer with berries from a farm stand, or defrost a sauce and use it to top fish straight from the market.

The recipes include everything from meat and fish to pizza and veggies, plus desserts. Many dishes can be served two ways. For example, prepare classic Bolognese sauce and serve some of it for dinner over pasta. Freeze the rest and use it later to make meat and potato pie. In addition, there is a chapter on cooking for a crowd in which Susie shares her best recipes for entertaining large groups of family and friends. Serve lamb ragu ravioli with rosemary brown butter, Mexican chickpea stew with green salsa, or hearty lasagna--your guests will never know you prepared most of the meal in advance, making dinner parties a breeze! And be sure to save room for decadent desserts, including homes favorites such as Chocolate Chunk Cookies as well as showstoppers like Layered Coconut Cake.

With Can I Freeze It? flavorful, healthful, hot meals are ready in minutes, without turning to takeout. It′s the ultimate guide to saving time and money in the kitchen.

About this title

Product Description

Features recipes that range from meat and fish to pizza and veggies, and desserts. This book includes such recipes as lamb ragu ravioli with rosemary brown butter, Mexican chickpea stew with green salsa, lasagna, chocolate chunk cookies, and layered coconut cake.

Review

"[A] clever field guide to freezing that will keep you eating well without breaking the budget."--Florida Times Union

"Shows you how to make the most out of your freezer."--The State (Columbia, SC)

"This guide is stocked with every piece of below-zero info you've ever wondered about: what foods you should never freeze, thawing times and delicious make-ahead recipes."--Newsweek

"A good resource for cooks. . . . A lot of very practical information. . . . Sections on how to choose which foods to freeze, techniques for freezing and thawing, and hints for maintaining and organizing a freezer are extremely useful and logically presented."--Miami Herald

"Beginning cooks, as well as those who have racked up multiple freezer-burn casualties, will appreciate the food writer and stylist's practical knowledge, which comes with gentle do's, don'ts, how-tos and how-longs."--Washington Post

"Susie Theodorou walks you through every step of the way to making delicious, satisfying food that you can enjoy on the spot or freeze for later with crowd-pleasing results."--Lygeia Grace, senior food editor, Real Simple

"This unusual cookbook offers both practical information on freezing food and a selection of appealing recipes."--Library Journal

Beginning cooks, as well as those who have racked up multiple freezer-burn casualties, will appreciate the food writer and stylist s practical knowledge, which comes with gentle do s, don ts, how-tos and how-longs. --Washington Post"

This guide is stocked with every piece of below-zero info you ve ever wondered about: what foods you should never freeze, thawing times and delicious make-ahead recipes. --Newsweek"

Susie s recipes are both practical and inspired. --Frances Boswell - Food Director of Real SimpleFrances Boswell, Food Director of Real Simple"

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061802468
• ISBN 13: 9780061802461
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224