Warehouse club shopping is thrilling. Walking down aisle after fluorescent-lit aisle of impossible-to-pass-up bargains, you fill your cart and tally the money you're going to save. Unloading the boxes and jugs, however, it becomes obvious that, while the way you shop for food may have changed, the scale of your refrigerator (and your stomach ) has not. So what do you do with the sixteen chicken breasts, the five pounds of oatmeal and the gallon of olive oil that you couldn't afford not to buy? You turn to From Warehouse to Your House: More Than 250 Simple, Spectacular Recipes to Cook, Store and Share When You Buy in Quantity by Sally Sampson, veteran cookbook author, working mom and accomplished warehouse shopper. Utilizing the fresh and packaged products available at the warehouse clubs and superstores, Sampson's flavorful recipes are simple enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for entertaining and, if you're cooking for a couple or a small family, portioned so you can eat some, store some and even share some. Those boneless chicken breasts turn into New-Fangled Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, Curried Chicken Salad for lunch and Moroccan Chicken for the freezer. Three pounds of butter becomes Chipotle Butter to dress up a grilled steak or chicken breast, Cinnamon Butter for your morning toast and Chocolate Chip Cookies: a batch baked right away, a batch of dough for the fridge and a batch for the freezer. And that big box of oatmeal? When you're tired of hot cereal (maybe with some of the Cinnamon Butter?), try the Fruit Crisp or Oatmeal Lace Cookies. From breakfast coffee cakes to soups, appetizers, salads and dressings, sandwiches and entr es, Sampson gives the home cook who buys big a wide variety of classic American recipes, as well as international dishes like Mexican Chicken Fajitas, Asian Ribs, Italian pastas and Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Sampson includes an essential pantry list, and amusing and informative tips and techniques that will help you make the most of your time, your money and your groceries, whether you're cooking for a small family or a small army.
You don't have to be a bulk shopper to benefit from Sampson's ("The $50 Dinner Party") organized approach. Many dishes are served immediately or made only a day ahead. But she does provide storage and do-ahead guidelines wherever appropriate. Many marinated recipes, for instance, can be frozen raw in the marinade. These include dishes like Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette or Curried Chicken with Raisins and Cashews, Apricot Soy-glazed Sirloin Steak Tips and Flank Steak with Bourbon Balsamic Ginger as well as several recipes for ribs. She includes plenty of finished dishes that freeze well, such as soups, stews, chilis, macaroni and cheese, lasagna and pasta sauces. Her Chicken Pot Pie makes filling for four pies. There are salad dressings which keep up to a month and plenty of ideas for leftovers of all kinds. While do-ahead convenience is the theme, versatility is the charm. Side dishes, like Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts, can double as pasta sauce or omelet filling. Suggestions for variations and garnishes abound and she offers serving suggestions with most recipes. Her Parmesan Chicken can be served with her Caesar Salad or with Grape Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil (which can be a burger or pasta topping) or on a wilted lemon-pepper salad or with mozzarella on a baguette. Her tastes run more to chicken than meat (she was a vegetarian for years) and there are lots of boneless chicken breast recipes that take little time to prepare. Clearly written, well-organized, and attractive, with food quotes scattered throughout, and a friendly, conversational approach, this is a useful addition to any cook's shelf.
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