Copyright Date:
2016
Edition Date:
2016
Release Date:
10/01/19
ISBN:
1-942186-07-X
ISBN 13:
978-1-942186-07-6
Dewey:
641
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Gr 8 Up-This colorful guide for beginning cooks emphasizes foundational knowledge alongside recipe variations that range from gourmet upgrades to spicy twists. The content moves through the "need-to-knows" of cooking during different life stages. Each section bounces from informational segments about pantry guidelines and equipment suggestions to a hodgepodge of loosely related recipes and cooking tutorials. Readers wanting to take their culinary skills to the next level will find value in the two knife skills segments as they learn to julienne, chop, and chiffonade. Authors Wiegand and Carreon are recipe and lifestyle bloggers, which may explain the ambitious contents of this work; it's part cookbook, part kitchen guide, and part life advice. The end result, however, is a disjointed collection of ill-flowing segments within each section of the overall work. Another weak spot is the recipe photography, with many dishes slightly out of focus or unappealingly plated. The recipe "hacks" range in creativity, with some more innovative than others. The term hack feels somewhat misleading, as rebranding recipe variations doesn't necessarily constitute an easy and fresh culinary shortcut. VERDICT Older teens on the cusp of collegiate life will likely get the most value out of this book, as the majority of the content focuses on early 20s living situations. An additional purchase for public libraries lacking young adult cookbooks. Pearl Derlaga, York County Public Library, VA
It's not always easy to try out a new recipe, but sticking to what you know and love can get pretty boring. After a discussion of what food storage areas typically have (and what they ought to have), Hack Your Cupboard provides age-specific guidance to help you move on to more ambitious meals. This makes it the perfect book to take from the family pantry to a dorm room fridge, a first apartment, and beyond. With dozens of photographs as well as dream dinners for every skill level, this is the cookbook for anyone who wants to break out of a kitchen rut without breaking too much of a sweat.