Dave's Dinners, by Dave Lieberman - Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Book Reviews

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Dave's Dinners

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Dave's Dinners
A Fresh Approach to Home-Cooked Meals
By Dave Lieberman
Photography by George Whiteside
Hyperion: New York (2006)
ISBN: 1-4013-0129-0

Reviewed by Herbert White - December 4, 2006

A home-cooked meal means different things to different people. To some it simply means heating up a TV dinner, and to others, a twelve-course meal. In Dave's Dinners: A Fresh Approach to Home-Cooked Meals, Dave Lieberman sets a middle course between the two extremes. In this cookbook, Lieberman, an icon of the Food Network, presents an eclectic collection of easy to prepare, healthy, and tasty dishes that are well suited for both quiet family dinners and when entertaining guests. Although 'dinner' is the theme of this cookbook, Dave's Dinners covers more than just main dishes. He also offers recipes for everything you'll need to make a complete dinner, from drinks to desert.

Thanks to George Whiteside's photographs, Dave's Dinners is a visually stunning cookbook. However, it is the recipes that really make it shine. The dishes are easy and quick to make, yet they look like haute cuisine creations. I've tried whipping up several of the dishes in this collection, and I had no problems following the directions and they all tasted delicious. Two of my favorites are Lieberman's Mini Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Lemon Yogurt Sauce and his Pumpkin and Chipotle Corn Chowder (recipe below). Best of all, this is a fun cookbook to read and it sparked my imagination when it came to menu planning - both for dinner parties and for meals with the family. Other intriguing dishes that you'll find in this collection are Roasted Red Peppers and Ricotta Crostini, Shaved Zucchini and Radish Salad Over Smoked Salmon with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette, Herbes de Provence Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Garlic and Fennel-Stewed Lentils, Spaghetti with Mint and Parsley Pesto, Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Kale and Cannellini Beans, and Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Shortbread Cookie Crust.

The recipes in Dave's Dinners are organized into thematic categories, namely Drinks and Finger Foods, Salads, Soups, Poultry, Fish, Pasta, Meat, and Desserts. In addition, the recipes are accompanied by mouth-watering photographs, by Whiteside, of the finished dishes. These illustrations not only give you an idea of what the finished product looks like, but they are sure to tempt you to try out some recipes that you might not have otherwise considered.

The recipes in this collection are easy to prepare and the ingredients used can be readily acquired at most supermarkets. Best of all, they will delight all your senses and your most picky food critics. The recipes in this volume will delight novice cooks due to the easy to follow directions, and experienced cooks will find a wealth of dishes with which to expand their repertoire.

Dave's Dinners is an excellent cookbook, one that not only encourages you to try your hand at cooking, but also one that encourages you to sit back and relax - and enjoy your own culinary creations.

Pumpkin and Chipotle Corn Chowder
From page 77 of Dave's Dinners

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
Flesh from 3- to 4-pound pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart reduced-sodium chicken stock
½ pound frozen corn kernels
2 chipotle peppers, roughly chopped
½ cup heavy cream
5 thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch cilantro, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

Heat the butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir into the onion and pumpkin. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring all the while. Add the corn, chipotle peppers, cream, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is fork-tender but not falling apart. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in most of the cilantro leaves, reserving some for garnish. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves.

Serves 8-10

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