Saving Dinner Basics

Book excerpt: Cooking 101 If you think that folding an egg has something to do with laundry, or that a wok is good exercise, you’ve come to the right place. Nutritionist and family meal-planner extraordinaire, Leanne Ely knows her way around a stove and a pantry–and she provides everything you need to know, from mincing garlic and barbecuing beef to pulling off your first dinner party. Select chapters feature tasty recipes that can be prepared with the greatest of ease. You’ll find practical and trustworthy advice on • equipping your kitchen: what you must have, what you don’t need • stocking your cupboards, fridge, and freezer with the essentials • selecting fresh produce and high-quality meats, poultry, and fish • slicing, dicing, sautéing, simmering, and other prep techniques • whipping up quick, scrumptious dishes with ingredients on hand • ensuring that your main course and side dishes are ready at the same time • preparing mouthwatering one-pot meals, from Lemon Tarragon Chicken to Easily the Best Casserole in the World • baking fast and easy cookies, pies, cakes, and cobblers Saving Dinner Basics also includes a handy glossary of common food terminology, a spice primer (it’s about time you discovered thyme!), and a troubleshooting guide for various cooking challenges. Let Leanne Ely help you turn your kitchen into what it was meant to be: the place where great meals begin. Leanne Ely is considered the expert on family cooking and healthy eating. She is a syndicated newspaper columnist (The Dinner Diva), a certified nutritionist, and the host of SavingDinner.com. Leanne has a weekly “Food for Thought” column on the ever-popular FlyLady.net website, as well as her own e-zine, Healthy Foods. She is the author of Saving Dinner, Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way and Saving Dinner for the Holidays. She lives in North Carolina with her two teenage children. “Anyone who finds cooking a mystery needs Saving Dinner Basics.” –Marla Cilley, The FlyLady, author of Sink Reflections