The concept is excellent, the execution is very out of touch (for my budget and resources) ( )

Deliciously efficient meal planning through smart shopping and cooking ahead is well-represented in “Food52 A New Way to Dinner: A Playbook of Recipes and Strategies for the Week Ahead”. Written by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, the co-founders of the Food52 website, this cookbook offers more than 100 recipes and a basic format of buying and preparing enough food on the weekends to simplify serving meals through the busy week ahead. It’s an organized commitment, and it may change the way you feed your family forever for the better. The recipes revolve around feeding a family of four, and the portions can be scaled up or down. The book is divided by seasons, with each of the authors contributing dishes and helpful insights for the whole year through. The food photos are richly-hued and appealing. Here are some of the dishes that are sure to tempt your taste buds: “Lemony Pasta with Asparagus”; “Tad’s Roasted Potatoes”; “Thai Steak Salad”; “Pickled Onions”; “Blueberry Ice”; “Plum Tart”; “Rosy Chicken”; “Applesauce with Caramel Icing”; “Brown Sugar Poundcake with Crème Fraiche Whipped Cream”; “My Mom’s Grilled Cheese with Bacon”; “Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine”; “Coconut Dream Bars”; “Luciana’s Porchetta”; “Garlicky Greens”; “Red Wine Beef Stew with Parsnips and Carrots”; “Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips”; and “Fish Baked in Foil”. Whether you follow the plan to the letter, or adapt it and make it your own, “A New Way to Dinner’ definitely offers food for thought. Amanda Hesser is the co-founder of Food52 and was previously a writer and editor at the New York Times. She wrote the award-winning books Cooking for Mr. Latte and The Cook and the Gardener. Her last book, a Times bestseller and the winner of a James Beard Award, is The Essential New York Times Cookbook. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and twins.

Merrill Stubbs is the co-founder of Food52 and has written for many food and lifestyle publications, including the New York Times. She cut her teeth in the test kitchen at Cook’s Illustrated and behind the counter at Flour Bakery in Boston before she worked with Amanda Hesser on The Essential New York Times Cookbook. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.

Book Copy Gratis Ten Speed Press via Blogging for Books ( )

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is the latest publication from food bloggers Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. Both have published numerous books on food and cooking that have been very well received. Their blog, Food52, is thorough, engaging and very polished. These two know how to cook, how to write about food, and how to instruct others successfully.

This book focuses on maximizing your time in the kitchen, and is a great tool for busy home cooks. This is done by cooking mostly on weekends, in such a way as to have family meals every night of the week with little daily work. Keeping meals interesting is also a goal. Like their blog, the book is highly organized, very methodical, and very approachable. The value of eating together as a family is mentioned, and is one of the reasons why this book was created. Involving family members is encouraged, in a way to share more time together.

The recipes do not adhere strictly to any dietary requirement or trend, and offer a wider variety of choices. Sections are divided into seasons, with entire weekly menus meticulously planned out. Shopping lists are provided for each week's dinners. Meals are noted if suitable for freezing, and tips on freezing and storage are included. The only thing the authors do not do is arrive at your kitchen, ready to help cook.

Great for busy home cooks, who would like to cook for their families with limited time. The step by step instructions on pretty much EVERYTHING that is involved make this quite approachable.

**eARC Netgalley** ( )