From Amazon.com
Dinner in Minutes deliciously delivers what it promises--interesting meals ready in nearly no time when you follow Linda Gassenheimer's efficient methods. Derived from Gassenheimer's "Dinner in Minutes" newspaper column, this book's complete approach to cooking includes keeping the pantry stocked with rice, raisins, assorted vinegars, and other useful basics, and buying the remaining fresh ingredients for several meals at a time. She groups her recipes into meals, including a menu of baked snapper elegantly stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, and accompanied by buttery Glazed Carrots and red-skinned, whole Lemon Butter Potatoes, and a dinner of tangy White Bean Vichyssoise and Red Pepper Pizza, made with sautéed peppers heaped on crusty French bread.
Don't let the butter or cream soup scare you. Most meals in Dinner in Minutes get 30 percent or less of their calories from fat. Insipid food is not a concern, either: Gassenheimer's cooking is appealingly flavorful. And, thanks to juggling a career with raising three sons, she has perfected the art of preparing meals with minimal effort.
Each includes the menu, plus a shopping list, a list of required staples, and the "Countdown," a listing of steps that, if followed in order, get your dinner on the table in 45 minutes, from the time you enter the kitchen to when the meal is on the table.
Since Dinner in Minutes can be useful for singles who entertain as well as for a bigger household, think of it for newlyweds and for anyone else setting up housekeeping. --Dana Jacobi
Review
"As a busy mother of four, I am always on the watch for cookbooks that will provide fast, low-fat and delicious meals for my family. If the book includes extras -- menus, shopping lists and cooking tips -- then I become a faithful follower from the first moment I thumb through the pages, mentally cooking my way through the recipes.
So it is with real enthusiasm that I can say Linda Gassenheimer's "Dinner in Minutes" lives up to my idea of a cookbook for busy people. Gassenheimer's principles and recipes were developed over the years through her Miami Herald "Dinner in Minutes" column and through extensive writing, teaching and recipe development.
The principle, "fast cooking starts with smart shopping," forms the basis of efficiency and speed in the kitchen and Gassenheimer uses this concept by organizing the recipes into dinner menus complete with shopping lists and tips. Her complete list of staples coupled with general principles of food preparation making it easier for a novice to feel confident in the kitchen.
The recipes and menus are a pleasant blend of light and tasty flavors: Orange Chicken with Wild Mushroomsand Pureed Potatoes or Poached Salmon with Parsley Sauce, Fresh Asparagus and Dilled Baby Red Potatoes. The Steak au Poivre, Leek Vinaigrette, and Roasted Garlic Potatoes made a fast and attractive meal for an autumn night with guests.
Marinated Orange Slices as well as Peaches with Raspberry Sauce are among two of the twelve dessert choices in the book. Key Lime Cake and Blueberry Pie provide a slight variation in a fruit dominated selection. The Mocha Granita and Raspberry Sorbet can be made without an ice cream maker and Gassenheimer includes useful, appreciated tips on how to do so.
This is a cookbook I would reach for first when planning a week of menus. The recipes are easy to prepare with readily available ingredients. But most important, "Dinner in Minutes" lives up to its name." -- L.C. Wilgus
