Home Cooking is Making a Comeback
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(Brandon, MS) The ongoing recession is prompting many families to slash their number-one budget buster: eating out. As a result, a growing number of couples are trying their hands at cooking for the first time, and discovering some unexpected benefits . . . tasty homemade food.
Amateur cooks are pulling out their seldom-used cookbooks for new ideas, and many are going out and purchasing their very first cookbook. “Americans are beginning to return home for dinner at night, and good recipes are giving them the confidence that they really can make great-tasting food without a lot of cost or hassle,” said Gwen McKee, who has edited more than 90 popular cookbook titles with co-editor Barbara Moseley. “Many people are pleasantly surprised at the lifestyle changes that come along with their cooking efforts.” McKee said.
“Home cooking gives you more variety to choose from and it gives you a larger quantity of food, so you can usually get two meals from just one cooking session. And a free hot plate of food for the next day’s lunch sure beats a cold sandwich in my opinion!” McKee laughs. “Plus, people are enjoying the calmer, less-hectic atmosphere that goes along with cooking at home. Families can linger around the dinner table talking with their kids after a meal, instead of rushing out to drive somewhere.”
“Cooking at home really does save money—a lot of money in many cases,” adds Barbara Moseley. “For less than the cost of dinner for two, you can purchase a cookbook full of delicious recipes. It’s a surprise to many people how much better their own food tastes than take-out food. You don’t have to give up good taste and convenience just because you make it yourself,” Moseley said.
That’s the whole principle behind 500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-Ingredient Recipes, from Quail Ridge Press of Brandon, Mississippi. So what sets this book apart from other cookbooks? McKee explains that this cookbook is unpretentious and extremely easy to use. “This is not a glossy gourmet book for your coffee table,” she said. “Our cookbook is a sturdy, hardworking book that you’ll keep right alongside you as you cook. We even gave it a spiral binding so it will lay flat on the counter while you use it. Every recipe in the book requires only five ingredients and most of the instructions are given in five sentences or less. We make it simple, uncomplicated and easy even for a first-time cook,” said McKee.
“We used a three-part criteria for judging what went into 500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-Ingredient Recipes: taste, taste, and taste!” McKee says. “This book is full of the foods that many, many people have told us they enjoy eating. We’ve examined more than 20,000 recipes over the last 30 years to find the ones that are longstanding favorites. In some cases, we’re preserving older recipes that have gone out of print,” she said. “We’ve tested and re-tested every recipe we included in the cookbook, so we know they’ll turn out tasting great every time.”
500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-Ingredient Recipes is part of a hugely successful two-book “Fast and Fabulous” series that also includes Fast & Fabulous Party Foods and Appetizers. Together, McKee and Moseley have also sold over 2.5 million copies of their popular “Best of the Best State Cookbook Series,” which includes editions for all 50 states. Books may be ordered from Quail Ridge Press at www.quailridge.com or by calling (800) 343-1583.
