Jackie Freeman

Unlike many of the cookbooks I receive, this one has recipes I find interesting even when I'm not hungry. Not every recipe, of course, but more than I was expecting.

Cast iron is the best cook pot material and is experiencing a revival. We have seen a slew of cast iron cookbooks in recent years. Jackie Freeman presents a series of recipes that are cooked in an iron skillet and take advantage of the properties of the ironware: slow heating, ability to get very hot, and stovetop to oven. The recipes are all presented for the skillet, but there are a few that merely sub a skillet for a cake pan or cookie sheet. There are stews which should be done in saucepans. But if somehow, oddly, all you own is a cast iron skillet then here you are.

There are several baked strata recipes with interesting flavor combos. Again though, the skillet is only replacing a cassarole dish. For people wanting new tastes there is a celeriac recipe with fish, and Ms Freeman seems to use bulb fennel more than I do. She brazenly breaks the no cheese with fish rule.

I'm not at all convinced that Paella-flavored orzo is a real thing, and her recipes for red and green Thai curries are ridiculous. Just adding curry paste to any old rice dish doesn't make it Thai.

There is no denying that only one pan is used, but several recipes have us cook dish #1 and hold it in a bowl while we make dish #2 in the same skillet, and then combine to serve.

Ms Freeman's style is a bit chatty for my taste but her info is sound and you will probably get some new idea. The book, coupled with a new skillet, would be a nice wedding or shower gift or to launch a recent graduate.

I received a review copy of "Cast Iron Skillet One-Pan Meals: 75 Family-Friendly Recipes for Everyday Dinners" by Jackie Freeman from the publisher through NetGalley.com.… (meer)

I like most types of beans, so I hoped to discover new recipes I could use with the many varieties of beans in my pantry. Unfortunately, only four of the 42 recipes in Easy Beans describe dishes I would be tempted to make.
I am most interested in cookbooks that teach me something and provide enough useful recipes to make it worthwhile to purchase a copy for my library. I avoid recipes that call for too many ingredients or require ingredients I do not use and am unlikely to use in the future. I call these esoteric ingredients.
I am unwilling to purchase an esoteric ingredient to try out a new recipe because it would likely remain in my spice rack or pantry for years without further use. That’s neither practical nor cost-effective. However, I will consider those recipes if the author suggests a non-esoteric substitute, especially if they explain how the substitution will affect the outcome. Many of the recipes in Easy Beans fail to satisfy this criterion.
Freeman mentions that she substitutes chicken stock for whatever stock a recipe specifies and that cinnamon is a suitable substitute for cardamon. She includes a nine-page Bean Encyclopedia that explains the use of the different types of beans and acceptable substitutions for each. Unfortunately, she did not give the same advice regarding suitable substitutions for the other ingredients specified in the recipes.
Of course, I know I can research substitutes online, but that misses the point of having a cookbook. I can find countless recipes for beans in a few short minutes on the internet. The advantage of a cookbook, aside from the fact that I like books, is that I can pull it off my shelf and have all the information I need at my fingertips. I can make notes about the outcome and record any modifications I tried. It is a big mistake for an author to drive cooks online for essential information. If I must go online for critical details, I might as well get my recipes online and avoid the expense of purchasing the book.
I also avoid recipes calling for a long list of ingredients. I don’t have a specific number in mind, but I lose interest as the number climb beyond ten. Some of the recipes in Easy Beans call for 17-19 ingredients. I’m pretty sure that’s a lot more than ten.
Easy Beans begins with a general introduction to types of beans and their health-promoting properties. Additional topics covered are soaking, tools, and ways to cook beans. There were no surprises or inside trade secrets, but the overview is suitably informative and brief. Freeman groups her recipes into five sections, smoothies–breakfast, snacks and spreads, soups and stews, sides and salads, and suppers and square meals. I could have been interested in the smoothies but for the esoteric ingredients. I love soups and stews but the plethora of ingredients Freeman includes is impractical. It’s easy to make outstanding soups and stews using half the ingredients she lists.
Freeman has a breezy, informal style that is appealing and concise. The photography and production values of the book are excellent. I wanted to like Easy Beans more than I did, but I found few recipes I would use.… (meer)