Author Rick Rodgers, already the master of all things associated with Thanksgiving has now given us a terrific Christmas/New Year's guide. His practical suggestions include everything from setting up the perfect holiday cocktail party to getting the cards written (you don't really need to do them ALL at one sitting!), to planning for Christmas & New Year's--both Eve & Day celebrations. The recipes are uncomplicated, and generally use ingredients that are already on-hand. There's lots of nostalgia here & some great suggestions for music (the Ella Fitzgerald CD is the best!). Christmas set-up in our house has already been smoother & more relaxing because of this book.

Like many people, I often dread the holidays because of the time demands. Not only is this a great cookbook (we've already tried some of the soups on some pretty chilly nights here on the East Coast), but it also gives solid ideas on how to manage your time during this season. I especially liked some of Rodgers' "time-out" suggestions for adults--little hints to make us stop and savor a moment or two. I know that this will get us through Christmas as well as a busy New Year's Eve & Day!

This is a wonderful book! The Thanksgiving book was so great that I did not think it could get any better but it did. The recipes are simple yet elegant and fun to serve. There are ideas for all kinds of breads, cakes, and main dishes for all the holidays. Everyone should get this book. Also, if you have any questions about anything in the book, Rick Rogers has a superb web site. Check it out! You can e-mail and ask questions, and they will be answered!

I've made 9 of these recipes (meals and sauces) so far and they are very delicious and easy to make. I don't make my own pasta, however, and about 1/4 of the book is pasta recipes. Still the other recipes make this book well worth it!

All of us seem to be eating more chicken, fish, and pasta than we used to, but enjoying them far less. Rodgers managers to incorporate healthy (and relatively easy) preparation with a generous dose of the good flavors that have been missing from other "good for you" recipes. His "Inside-Out Ravioli" made with pasta, spinach, ground turkey, tomatoes, spices, and cheese (some non-fat and some regular) has become a staple around here, satisfying everyone from an 84 year old to a pre-teen. The book offers preparation that is easy enough for after-work cooking, but with results that are interesting enough for company. This book is a must-have for anyone who wants variety, taste, and good nutrition in the kitchen.

It seems that life is getting busier by the day. So many things scream for our attention that good home-cooked meals seem to be a distant memory. But, isn't that why they invented crock pot cooking! Throw in the ingredients, plug it in, come home after work and your piping-hot meal is ready to be eaten. That's the idea anyway. Unfortunately, many people have not had a great deal of success with their slow cookers. I'm not so sure that the source of the problem does not lie in the cookbooks available for slow cookers and crock-pots.

I have found Ready and Waiting by Rick Rodgers to be a great slow cooker cookbook. Rick begins the cookbook with a section that explains that slow cookers are not entirely hands-off cookers. The effort you put into preparing your ingredients directly effects the outcome of the meal. So far, he has proven himself right in my kitchen. Rick gives a great run-down on the care and cleaning of slow cookers as well as cooking times for different vegetables, using herbs and spices for all-day cooking, and using milk products in all-day cooking.

After the Introduction the cookbook contains many of the sections found in other cookbooks. Everything from Dips and Appetizers to Main Dishes to Desserts can be fixed in your crock-pot. I was pretty surprised to find bread recipes for the crock-pot, but Rick includes about a dozen recipes for various types of bread.

I have not tried all 160 recipes in this cookbook. The ones I have tried have turned out well. Among my favorites are: Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia, Cajun Pecans, Black Bean and Smoked Turkey Soup and Ravioli Casserole. My wife fixed Joy's Mexican Pot Roast today and it was great too.

Ready and Waiting has added a new dimension to our kitchen. I think every cook will enjoy using a slow cooker once some basics are established for using one correctly. I know we enjoy cooking in our slow cooker - we also enjoy eating the results.

Bon Appetite!

Most recipes for slow cookers seduce you into simply throwing everything in the pot and running off to play, but as Rick Rodgers points out in Ready and Waiting: 160 All-new Recipes to Make in the Slow Cooker, the tasteless results of such flings have led many people to abandon this appliance. In contrast, Rodgers shows you how to have a long-term relationship with it. On the basis of this book's introduction and wide variety of recipes, I've adapted many of my favorite recipes for slow-cooking. The recipes are inspired and cover a wide range of tastes, but they aren't nearly as important as Rodgers' theory of slow cooking. Fortunately, the theory is a simple one: follow the principles of good cooking you already know. Start by browning the basic ingredients to release their flavor; skim off the unwanted fat; reduce the remaining sauce to concentrate its flavor, etc.
Unfortunately practicing Rodgers' theory means that slow cooking is neither as easy nor as frugal as certain of its advocates claim. In fact, I've found that it requires a certain energy extravagance: browning in the skillet before tossing in the crock, reducing in a saucepan afterward, warming on a platter in oven while this procedure is taking place--that's a lot of appliance to run and utensils to be washed. But, when you have no time to cook dinner in the late afternoon you can use the slow cooker to cook it in the morning or even the night before. And, unlike pressure cooking, which lends itself to similar recipes, and accomplishes them quicker, you do not need to hover. The slow cooker works while you do. At the end of the day, as Rodgers' title promises, your dinner is "ready and waiting.

This cookbook is wonderful - get your hands on a copy! It made a dessert chef out of me. I'm now known for my annual Cranberry Chocolate Cheesecake that I make every Thanksgiving. The author explains in easy terms how chocolate behaves in the kitchen and how to handle it, so your work looks like it came out of an expensive bakery.

Lovely watercolor illustrations compliment the fresh ideas from author Rick Rodgers. Careful, detailed instructions help the even the novice host plan and execute the perfect tea party baby shower. Only downside: food is heavily gourmet, may need to be toned down a bit for those with less adventurous palates. Well worth the price.

WS's Chicken cookbook is a fantastic collection of easy and creative recipes for chicken. I have already tried the vast majority of recipes and have yet to find one that my husband or myself did not enjoy. The ingredients are creative, the tastes unique, and the presentation easy. It will make the way you cook chicken seem much more entertaining.

I just purchased this book a few weeks ago, and I cannot believe how easy the recipes are. Simple ingredients... awesome results. I first tried the seven-layer dip - SUCCESS! Everybody loved it... and wanted the recipe. With recipes like these, I am definitely looking forward to hosting many more parties!

OK, so all of us have steered ourselves away from fried foods & towards poached chicken breasts (skinless, of course) and steamed vegetables. How about just a little taste of good eating from the past? No one is recommending a return to deep-fried foods as an everyday meal, but the taste treats in this book are just too good to ignore!

Rodgers' chatty writing style and well-tested recipes combine to provide accurate and easy-to-follow instructions. Since working with a deep fryer is something that many us have not done in years (if EVER!), he provides detailed background info on the types of equipment available, different varieties of oil & shortenings, and many good tips to avoid excess greasiness and off-tastes in cooked foods. Appetizers, entrees, and desserts are all covered, with great photos of completed items.

Some of the recipes are incredibly simple, such as the Cornish game hens (hens, oil, lemon, salt, pepper) and can be prepared in under 15 minutes. Others are a little more involved, but well worth it (the apple fritters, with just a light dusting of powdered sugar, are fantastic). There's even a foolproof recipe for doughnuts with a cider glaze--great for weekend mornings!

I have to say it again--I'm not going to be cooking deep fried foods every day, but when I want to prepare something just a little bit special, this is a book that I will turn to time after time.

I am a non-cooking, hotel hopping film actress. I've been on the road for several years, spending most thanksgivings eating room service turkey or having some European Film Crew Chef attempt to prepare the quintessential American Feast. Do they even eat Turkey in France? This year I found myself at home and, under pressure from my very large Italian family, I made my first T-giving turkey dinner.I happened upon Rick's book and studied it feverishly. I stashed it in my kitchen in a strtegic location; lest I be accused of cheating. My meal went off like a charm. So well, that my Catholic guilt got the best of me and I confessed. Each of my five sisters summarily went and bought the book. I can't wait until next year.Thank you Rick, With appreciation, Linda Fiorentino.

This is one of the greatest holiday cookbooks I have seen and believe me I have looked. My family comes from Italy and we have very little experience when it comes to traditional American cooking for the holidays. This book has made me learn how to cook the best turkey(I have gotten rave reviews, even from people who hate turkey) and I learned to like eating yams! It is also useful for Christmas and/or any other get together. It is easy to follow and anyone from an experienced cook to a beginner can use this book. I trully enjoyed using it this holiday season. I highly recommend it.

I first discovered Mr. Rodgers as a great source of Thanksgiving cooking material with his Turkey Cookbook some years ago. Until then I couldn't make gravy to save my life. Today I am lumpfree. That book also helped me master a perfect roast turkey.

But this year, I had my first Thanksgiving with new inlaws and I needed to branch out for my menu repertoire. Thanksgiving 101 takes the same solid techniques from the earlier book and builds on it with a huge array of great Thanksgiving recipes which are both traditional and innovative. Thanksgiving 101 saved the day!!! This book is chocked full of good solid advice on how to plan ahead, how much to serve, entertaining tips, and expanded recipes with foolproof techniques for a perfect turkey. I found the directions to be very clear and very accurate; they anticipate trouble, head it off in advance, and are witty and well written as a bonus. I wish there were more well written books like this on the shelves - a great value at any price.