It's not often that you find a cookbook that understands the busy parent's cooking reality. For example,
... you want to make meals ahead but unfortunately that requires planning and you're too busy/tired/uninspired to plan;
... you were never going to be one of those parents who relied on mac and cheese and hot dogs, but now — guess what, you eat mac and cheese and hot dogs three times a week;
... you've learned that involving the kids in cooking is a wonderful strategy, but you could use some fresh ideas;
... you don't need the 6,000 recipes in Joy of Cooking, but only about 100 really solid, wide-ranging, easy-to-make recipes that are tasty, occasionally adventurous, and solve your personal dilemmas of mom cooking.
Welcome to The Mom 100 Cookbook, which gets it all. Or, I should say, its author, Katie Workman gets it. Workman, a longtime food blogger at cookstr.com and a mom of two, spent years working in the cookbook publishing world before leaving in 2008 to blog and, eventually, to write this book, based on her experiences cooking for her family. The paperback book ($16.95 jacket price) is a pleasure to read; the photos of the dishes are stunning, in an even-you-can-make-this kind of way.
Everything in The Mom 100 — which does indeed include 100 recipes, plus numerous variations on each of them — is designed to make family cooking less stressful and more fun. Want to get kids to eat fish (or vegetables or soup)? Need fresh ideas for lunches? Want to relax on Sunday mornings but still make impressive brunches? Want to make more meals ahead? Need new healthy snacks? Got a kid who became vegetarian last night, or won't touch a vegetable, or who only eats white food? All issues addressed, chapter by chapter.
Each recipe is selected for no-fussness, tastiness, and adaptability and includes useful tips on making the dish ahead, how kids can help prepare and shortcuts. Best of all, each includes variations to fit your family's eating profile. She's got 10 ideas for lunch wraps, five ideas for chicken rubs, quick and healthy breakfast ideas, and kid-friendly snacks like fruit salad kebobs and chickpea poppers. You'll also find simple-to-make takes on fancier dishes such as brisket (a recipe for soup that uses leftovers is included), soy ginger flank steak and shrimp scampi, lamb chops with lemony white beans.
And yes, there are standbys like homemade mac and cheese, too.
Giveaway: The Mom 100 Cookbook
In honor of Katie Workman's appearance at Twirl Cafe on Monday, June 25, to sign books and do a cooking demo, we're giving away a copy of The Mom 100.
To enter for a chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post about a family cooking dilemma of yours that The Mom 100 might solve. Include your email in Disqus (not publicly) so that we can contact you!
Additional entries will be given for the following (leave an extra comment for each action to let us know):
1. Become a ParentMap e-news subscriber
2. Follow ParentMap on Pinterest
3. Like ParentMap on Facebook
4. Follow ParentMap on Twitter
5. Like Katie Workman on Facebook
6. Follow Katie Workman on Twitter.
7. Share this post on Facebook
8. Tweet this post on Twitter
This giveaway ends Monday, June 25, at noon. We will leave a comment reply for the winner by the end of the day.
Make sure to check back to see if you've won if you haven't already heard from us by email!
This giveaway has now ended and the winner has been contacted via email. Thanks to all who participated!
