Thursday, November 23, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving; Cook With Us Using Our 'Desperate Housewives' Cookbook Review
The Desperate Housewives Cookbook: Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits (Hyperion, $29.95) brings delicious and scrumptious meals and treats from those classy Housewives and their neighbors! The cookbook is by Christopher Styler and Scott S. Tobis. Styler gives us his recipes and the text is composed by Tobis. The cookbook has over 125 recipes and is 267 pages! The cookbook is divided into character sections. Each section has recipes related to a character. You even have a recipe for Susan's famous macaroni & cheese...but don't worry it is not as terrible as she makes it! I will get to more of the dishes soon, but let me tell you what characters are featured. First up we have Bree's recipes, then Susan, Gabrielle, Lynette, Edie, the deceased Mrs. Huber, Mike, Felicia, and good 'ole Mrs. McCluskey. Inside some of the character's recipes are borrowed recipes from other characters, like Mama's Solis' Quesadillas. The last section of the book has information on the food on the set of the series. It is a quick 5-page read and you learn a lot about how the food is used and eaten on the set.
For Bree Van De Kamp, dinner is not about convenience, it is about simmering, braising, pureeing, steeping, chopping, and flambeing. From Basic Puree Soup and Lobster Risotto with Herb Oil, to Blueberry Muffins and Buckwheat Pancakes, Bree's meals are sure to impress.
An earth-mother type with better intentions than kitchen skills, Susan Mayer believes that it's the thought that counts. Here, Susan has gathered some of her favorite, foolproof (even Susan-proof!) recipes to share, including Roasted Peppers and Fresh Mozzarella Topped with Arugula Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Chocolate-Butterscotch Bars.
Left to her own devices, Gabrielle Solis steers towards simple and healthy fare that she can put together on her own. Gaby's recipes include Guacamole with Warm Chips, Shrimp with Chorizo and Bell Pepper, and Rum-Glazed Pineapple.
Whether Lynette Scavo has spent the day taking care of the kids or the climbing the corporate ladder, when it's time to pack the kids' lunch or put a family dinner on the table, she'll take quick over perfect. Her recipes are time efficient and kid-friendly such as Grilled Cheese, French Toast for Breakfast (or Dinner) with Blueberry Syrup, Buttermilk-soaked Fried Chicken, and Potato Casserole.
Although Edie Britt technically isn't a housewife, the neighborhood flirt does have a few recipes that are sure to be crowd-pleasers (especially all-men). Her faves include Oysters Poached in Champagne and Cream, Sausage Puttanesca, and Molten Chocolate Cake.
And some of the neighbors have recipes to offer, too! Whether it's Mrs. Huber's Strawberry Smoothies, Mike's Rib Eye Steak, Felicia's Double Whammy Chocolate Pudding or Mrs. McCluskey's Peanut Brittle.
Those are just a FEW of the items for each character. You will find much more when you browse the book. I get hungry each time I look at it. I'm no cook, but even I can use some of these recipes. So, a real cook out there would love this book even more.
As a Thanksgiving treat, I leave you today with a recommendation for today's meals:
Breakfast: Bree's Buckwheat Pancakes & Blueberry Muffins and Gabrielle's Mexican Hot Chocolate.
Lunch: Lynette's Grilled Cheese & Irresistible Brownies and Susan's Vegetarian Chili.
Afternoon Snack: Gabrielle's Guacamole with Warm Chips and Lynette's Babysitting Cookies
Dinner: Bree has your main courses - Poached Turkey Tonnato, Roast Turkey with Gravy, and Two-Step Braised Duck. Susan has a side dish of Foolproof Macaroni & Cheese and Slow-Roasted String Beans. It's Thanksgiving so let's eat more with Gabrielle's Green Rice and Spicy Paella. We will also need Gaby's Fruit Salad with Yogurt-Honey Dressing. And finally who else do we turn for dessert? Edie of course! Her Molten Chocolate Cake will leave you breathless!
Midnight Snack: After a huge dinner, you are probably stuffed but let's end your day with Felcia's Almond Macaroons! What a perfect snack to end your day!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
To purchase the book, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
Official Show Website
TV.com Page
Hyperion Books
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, October 2
Son of a Critch - "Circus" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark and Fox find themselves on a maybe-date to the fair; Ritchie's family hosts some new Filipino-Canadians who make him feel insecure about his heritage.
Run the Burbs - "Phamily Games Night" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Andrew and Camille use game nights to help Hudson; Ramesh worries Barb doesn't think he's expressive enough; Khia plans a movie night for Mannix.
Children Ruin Everything - "Screen Time" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Astrid and James enact a weekend screen ban; with new work assignments, they soon learn leading by example is more complicated than they originally thought; without the hypnotic power of electronics, they're in for an uphill battle.
American Dad! - "Multiverse of American Dadness" (TBS, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Hayley searches for a runaway Steve so they can go to a Shaggy concert.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 2)
Monday, October 2
- Garcelle Beauvais (The Jamie Foxx Show) - E! News has an interview with Garcelle at 11pm on E!.
- Gina Yashere (Bob Hearts Abishola) - Gina is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
- Patrick Stewart (Blunt Talk) - Patrick talks about Making It So: A Memoir on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That.../Second Time Around) - Nicole tells Sherri about her starring role in the off-Broadway show The Refuge Plays on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Zosia is a guest on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - NBC's Today catches up with Mindy sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Vivica A. Fox (Mr. Box Office/Getting Personal/Arsenio/Out All Night) - Vivica talks about directing First Lady of BMF on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Alfonso Ribeiro (In the House/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso stops by and chats about hosting the new season of America's Funniest Videos and gives a behind-the-scenes look at his family life on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- The Cast of The Neighborhood - Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Tichina Arnold, Marcel Spears, Sheaun McKinney and Hank Greenspan celebrate the series' 100th episode on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)
06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
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