Book Review & Giveaway: CHIC Made Simple
Before I got married, I almost never read, or purchased, a cookbook. I felt that cooking was an art, not a science, so written instruction would inhibit my creative expression. My wife, on the other hand, had a collection of cook books and before long we developed a custom that I quickly grew to love. When planning for Friday night dinner, we pick as many cook books as we can carry from the shelf and spend hours reading recipes and looking at photos while planning menus for the weekend. I still feel that cooking is an art, but I welcome the direction I find on the pages of cook books, the same way I welcome I don’t always follow recipes to the tee, but my repertoire of go-to dishes has improved and thanks to Culinary Artistry, so has my understanding of the palette.
Photo: Tuna Tartar from CHIC Made Simple
CHIC Made Simple by Esther Deutsch is a visual delight. Within seconds of leafing through the pages I felt that Deutsch was going to deliver on the promise made in the title. The dishes look chic and the recipes are not complicated. The photography, another passion of mine, is delightful and lends true to the theory that food is not just not just fuel, but an art form. This is a title that can sit on your shelf and still be welcome on the coffee table.
CHIC Made Simple will help the home-cook inspire and elevate every day ingredients into appetizers and entrees that deserve a spotlight. The Stuffed Eggplant Canapes and Baked Sweet Potato Fries are both dishes that will impress without breaking the bank. Deutsch’s approach is informative, detailed and succinct, perfect for those starting to learn their way around their home kitchen.
The more advanced cook may find inspiration in some of the flavor or ingredient combinations shared by Deutsch, and if you’re looking to improve your plating, the visuals will certainly provide a great reference point when you’re wondering how to present your food for that initial wow factor.
All in all, there are over 200 recipes in this book, each and every one accompanied by a picture. It’s safe to say that if you’re new to entertaining and worry about cooking to impress, you could plan your whole meal from this one book.
With thanks to the team promoting CHIC Made Simple, you have the chance to win a copy of this title. Enter using the Raffle Copter widget below and don’t forget to leave your answer to the question in the comments below for additional entries!
These books have also been reviewed by This American Bite:
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