When I first moved out of my parent's house I was totally clueless when it came to cooking. Seriously - my husband had to teach me how to make scrambled eggs! Getting out on your own has numerous challenges, and for some that means learning how to cook. Students Go Gourmet: Simple Gourmet for Every Day by Sophia Khan and Ellen Bass is a collection of fresh, healthy, and easy recipes that are designed to fit a student's budget. It was created to allow students (or really anyone on a budget) the chance to make delicious meals with readily available ingredients. It contains 16 chapters with recipes inspired by the author's studies abroad in Italy, England, Scotland, and China.
With the recipes from find foods/appetizers to "4-star" meals, the author's aim to have the readers learn:
- How simple it is to cook healthy and fresh recipes on a limited budget
- The necessary ingredients and tools to stock a pantry for ready-to-use ease
- How to curb the late night munchies with unique finger foods designed to give you some energy
- How to prepare a full meal for guests inspired by eclectic cities around the world
- How to cook through a complimentary video and user-friendly, easily referenced directory which categorizes the food, explains cooking terms, and equipment needed
- There is a cost estimate for each recipes
- There are pictures for every recipe
- The authors list not only the ingredients necessary, but also the kitchen tools and equipment up front
- There is a great selection of recipes - some more "gourmet" than others but most looking really delicious
- It comes with a how-to DVD so even the most inexperienced of cooks can enjoy some really delicious recipes
- The instructions were very easy to follow
- There is a really nice "Culinary Lingo" section - I even learned a thing or two!
The dishes looked amazing to me but they were not generally kid-friendly. I do look forward to cooking a few different dishes when my kids won't be home for dinner (the Artichoke Bruschetta is first on my list). There were some family-friendly desserts so I decided to make Mint Fudge Brownies to help celebrate Saint Patrick's Day last week.
Recipe: Mint Fudge Brownies
Ingredients:
10 Mint Creme Sandwich Cookies, crushed
Fudge brownie mix from the box
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
1 cup sour cream
Vegetable oil, water, and eggs as per package directions
Equipment:
Mixing bowl
8x8 baking dish
Measuring cupes and spoons
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. You can use your hands (your best cooking tools!) to crush the cookies into the batter. Mix vigorously until everything is blended.
3. For thick, moist brownies, pour into an 8x8 cooking dish and bake as per package directions.
Results: Mmmmmm.....these were really tasty! I was worried that them mint flavor would be overpowering but it was just the right amount of mint/chocolate mixture. They were really moist and super-thick. They were a perfect, easy dessert for Saint Patty's Day but I have a feeling I will be making this recipe year-around.
Buy it here: You can purchase Students Go Gourmet from Barnes&Noble.com and from Amazon. A portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to sustainable post-hurricane redevelopment efforts in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans.
Win it here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was provided with a copy of this cookbook in order to facilitate the review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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