Prep and Rally

August 15, 2022
Chef Klein promises to “de-stress dinner” in her hefty debut, offering a program in which one day of the week is used to cook “staple recipes” that will be repurposed into weeknight dinners. For instance, after purchasing the meat, produce, and spices on the “Turnip the Heat” grocery list, readers prep the base dishes—roasted turnips, poached chicken breast, hot pot broth—which are swapped around later in the week in menus like DIY hot pots, a cheesy cabbage bake, or chicken flautas with salsa roja, guacamole, cilantro-lime rice, and turnips. The weekly meal plans feature time-saving tips (mincing garlic in advance or simply buying it already minced) and ingredient substitutions (cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles can replace sushi rice). However, the claim that the one-day base recipes only require one hour will prove to be daunting for even efficient home cooks—with the warning to “grab the wine,” Klein sets out roasting a chicken while chopping and roasting copious vegetables, making a lentil soup, creating a homemade sauce, and cooking up a pot of quinoa. A bonus section could prove the most thumbed: helpful ideas for making leftovers shine, such as by turning veggies into a galette or tossing extra salmon into a lemony pasta dish. Some readers may click with it as a panacea, while others will prefer a more accessible starter resource. Agent: Alison Fargis, Stonesong.

September 1, 2022

Klein's book is recommended for anyone confronting the start of the week and wondering what to cook for dinner. Klein shares solutions she developed when, as a private chef, she struggled to prepare meals for her family after cooking for others. While readers may have seen similar works, Klein's plan is different, since her modest one-hour prep session results in a week of meals. Add to that an hour working through the included grocery lists, and Sunday prep suddenly seems very doable. Amazingly, recipes aren't just reworks of leftovers but are stand-alone dinners that come together in minutes. Klein's "hot tips" are sprinkled throughout her prep instructions, which also include cooking techniques and adaptions for picky eaters. Her narrative is encouraging and streamlined--she even includes shortcuts for her shortcuts, which is music to a busy cook's ears. VERDICT Look for this to become a perennial favorite for any cook looking to simplify meal planning and prep with delish results.--Sarah Tansley

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.