Semi-Homemade Cooking: Quick, Marvelous Meals and Nothing Is Made from Scratch

Customer Reviews

The good life to go

If you're a die-hard cook who loves spending your life in the kitchen, you'll find little use for this book. If you, like most of us, would rather spend time savoring a meal than cooking it, you'll buy this book and beg Sandra Lee for more.
Refreshingly, this book makes good on its promises - quick and marvelous and nothing is made from scratch. It goes even further to meet the demands of the more discriminating palate - that food be innovative and attractively presented.
The book is so artistic it wouldn't be amiss on your coffee table. It is a trifle large for the kitchen, but its generous size is more than made up for by its pleasing format. Each recipe receives two pages, with a gorgeous, full-page color picture on one side and the recipe on the other. Recipes range from everyday comfort food to glamorous meals for special occasions, with individual sections for snacks, appetizers, cocktails and desserts. The Banana Foster's Pie alone is worth the price.

I'm not a food writer and I love this book!

I bought this book having no idea it had sparked such controversy. I just identified with the concept and thought the recipes looked pretty simple and sounded good. So far,the book has delivered. The recipes I've tried have taken anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to fix and have tasted far better than I expected. I think they are pretty impressive for a half hour's investment. I can fix a semi-homemade microwave lasagna quicker than I can run to Vons for Stouffers. So what if the book uses branded products? They're just a recommendation. I assume the author has tried these products, found them to be high quality, and is passing that information on. That used to be called being helpful. If you wnat to use White Lily Flour instead of Gold Metal, make the switch. I doubt the food police will come knocking on your door. And if using packaged food as a shortcut offends you, don't do it. Buy the New Joy of Cooking and cook yourself euphoric. To me, the joy of cooking is having time to enjoy a meal with my family and then using the time I saved to help my kids with their homework. Just my opinion -- and my priorities. If that makes my lifestyle "sad" , so be it. I'm a single working mom , not a food writer, but then I don't claim to be.... --- Mom of Four

Not at all good

This book is filled with recipes using brand-name adulterated products that contain large amounts of additives, preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, trans-fats, bland flavors and also cost a lot more then scratch foods.
If you believe boiling potatoes, using fresh vegetables or measuring flour unthinkable, by all means this book is right up your alley....