The Cookbook Review

I was looking through my cookbooks, which I now have a pretty big collection going, thinking that I should start using them and get rid of the ones I don't like. Since I've been married I've used several recipes and I've realized they are not created the same. Sometimes it cost a lot of money to make certain recipes or you have to buy stuff you'll never use again. Sometimes the instructions are not very clear and it ends up being a big mess. Sometimes the recipes are extremely fattening or if they are healthy, they taste horrible, not really providing the motivation to want to eat healthy. This gave me the idea to review them. Each month I'm going to pick a cookbook to plan a menu from and then review it. I've also developed a grading scale based on five criteria:

1. Are they easy to use and understand?

2. Do they promote healthy eating?

3. Are they budget friendly?

4. Do they provide yummy recipes?

5. Do they offer helpful added tips in the kitchen such as how to sharpen a knife properly or how to store certain meal items?

Each category will be able to earn up to twenty points. At the end the cookbook will receive a letter grade based on a ten point grading scale. I'm hoping this will help me make some more shelf space in my kitchen as well as provide helpful information for anyone looking for a good cookbook to buy. Since I'm not an expert or getting endorsements from anywhere, I will be providing the truth from an average Jane's point of view.

I'm extremely excited about my first choice. I've already looked through it and it claims to provide yummy, healthy recipes especially for people trying to lose weight around their middle. It has everything from salads and steak to smoothies and chocolate chip cookies. The pictures look amazing but those can be deceiving. What I already like is it provides the extra information. It decodes the grocery store by explaining the meaning of the different cuts of meat and which ones you should eat everyday and which ones that should be eaten every once in a while. It also explains how to store food so that it will not perish as quickly and how to get the most bang for your buck. It explains what aisles to stay away from to prevent overspending and overeating. The title of this seemingly amazing cookbook is called The New Abs Diet Cookbook written by David Zinczenko and published by Rodale. Starting Monday I will begin my quest towards finding the perfect cookbook. I'll provide recipes that I liked and did not like along the way, including how it effects our grocery bill and if it was time consuming to use. At the end of the month I will give my full review with letter grade. Feel free to leave questions, comments and cookbook titles to be reviewed in the future. Enjoy!