Amazon.com review of
Cooking to Beat the Clock
By Dana Jacobi
Sure, you can cook up pasta in no time and whip up an omelet in a flash,
but Sam Gugino insists you can also make sophisticated dishes, such as Duck
Breast on Baby Vegetables, spending only 15 minutes in the kitchen to prepare
them. Besides 60 recipes, he offers a strategy to help you quickly produce
original, satisfying meals from scratch--and he doesn't mean a quick stir-fry!
To prove his point, he offers recipes for a jambalaya studded with shrimp
and hot sausage; a chicken curry with coconut milk; and Steak Diane, elegantly
sauced with flambéed cognac and melted butter. Flavor, organization,
focus, and creativity make this possible. For flavor, you need a pantry and
freezer stocked with such staples as aromatic basmati rice and intense, sweet-tasting
balsamic vinegar. Organization requires the right equipment, starting with
a 12-inch, nonstick skillet. Focus means no radio or TV. Creativity means
the ability to make substitutions--to save on a trip to the store.
Frankly, the idea of a 15-minute chili or cassoulet sounds more like a gimmick
than good food. Better to use the time to prepare delicious San Diego Fish
Tacos and make the cassoulet on a Sunday afternoon, when it can simmer long
and slow. But a Tuesday-night dinner of mustard-sparked turkey cutlets served
with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, or lamb chops smothered in orzo with
olives and rosemary, sounds promising. Chances are high that they'll taste
as good as they look in the handsome color photos.