College Cooking

April 2, 2007
The authors of Teens Cook and Teens Cook Dessert are off to college in their third collection of easy-to-prepare dishes for those still finding their way around the kitchen. Prospective cooks are encouraged to prepare everything from Oven-Fried Chicken to Tres Leches Cake in this compilation of over 60 quick recipes. While dishes like Barbecue Chicken Pita Pizza, in which poached chicken is placed atop pita bread with barbecue sauce, shredded cheese and cilantro, aren't going to win any culinary awards, they're user-friendly and likely to become staples for the book's target audience. In addition, the authors offer tips on stocking a pantry and outfitting a kitchen, as well as a handful of themed menus (Toga Party, Cinco de Mayo). Their common-sense approach will no doubt sit well with novies, though their advocacy of bouillon cubes ("it's cheaper and a lot lighter to carry home from the store") and reliance on canned soup for sauces could kickstart some bad habits. That said, there is enough variety in flavor and cultural influence for most beginners, and it's all preferable to the likely alternative: fast food.

March 15, 2007
Although the Carle sisters are the authors of two earlier cookbooks, Teens Cook andTeens Cook Dessert, they found that preparing a meal in a dorm or a first apartment is quite different from cooking in Mom's well-stocked kitchen. Their new book starts with kitchen and pantry basics, then moves on to easy recipes grouped into chapters such as "Survival Cooking," "Cheap Eats," and "Impressing Your Date." Recipe instructions are unintimidating and clear, and many include vegetarian options and other variations. There are other books on this topic, but the attractive design and color photographs, as well as the fact that the authors are students themselves, make this one particularly appealing. For any library serving students and other large collections.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.