The Desperate Housewives Cookbook - Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Book Reviews

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The Desperate Housewives Cookbook

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The Desperate Housewives Cookbook
Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits
Recipes by Christopher Styler
Text by Scott S. Tobis
Hyperion: New York (2006)
ISBN: 1-4013-0277-7

Reviewed by Herbert White - December 4, 2006

The Desperate Housewives television series, created by Marc Cherry, instantly won the hearts of countless viewers from the moment its very first episode aired in October 2004. Since then, the women and men of Wisteria Lane have become our friends and they are eagerly welcomed into our homes each Sunday night. For years we have watched the residents of Wisteria Lane eating, cooking, and sharing their recipes and cooking tips with each other. Now, with the publication of The Desperate Housewives Cookbook: Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits, we, the viewers get to join in the fun.

This cookbook is a direct tie-in with the television series, and it features tasty recipes, cooking tips, and insights into the various characters that call Wisteria Lane home. Sprinkled gloriously with pictures from the show, and of course, of the many of the dishes highlighted in this book, The Desperate Housewives Cookbook is a must-read book for fans of the show. It is also an excellent cookbook that will delight cooks of every ilk - even those that don't own a TV!

The recipes in this cookbook are organized by character, with extensive chapters devoted to Bree Van De Kamp, Susan Mayer, Gabrielle Solis, Lynette Scavo, and Edie Britt. There is also a chapter devoted to 'the neighbors' including Mrs. Huber, Mike, Felicia, and Mrs. McCluskey. The recipes, in each section, match the personality and home life of each particular character. For example, Bree's recipes are for more formal dishes along the lines of haute cuisine, while Lynette's recipes are more along the quick-and-easy, but always tasty, cooking method favored by working mothers.

The text in The Desperate Housewives Cookbook was written by Scott S. Tobis, and throughout this cookbook, he provides intriguing tidbits of information about the various characters and their cooking styles. The recipes, themselves, were crafted by Christopher Styler, and they cover a range of cooking styles and skill levels, so no matter what your cooking skill level, you'll find a host of recipes to match your taste and your abilities. However, if you are a novice cook, don't be afraid of some of the 'harder dishes' as the directions throughout are clear and easy to follow so you should be able to master even the hardest dish.

In all, there are more than 125 recipes in the The Desperate Housewives Cookbook, covering just about everything from snacks to main dishes. The recipes are varied, tasty, and practical, and in addition to being a companion book to the series it also serves as an excellent all-round cookbook, for every occasion from formal dinners to sensual snacks with your paramour.

As a fan of The Desperate Housewives television show, I loved this book, both for its recipes and for its insights into the show. In regard to the show, my favorite section of this book was the last one. Entitled, From Snack Food to Haute Cuisine this section takes the reader behind the scenes with April Falzone Garen, the 'food stylist' for the show and it provides a brief overview of what goes into preparing and presenting the food that is seen each week on the show. It also includes tips on how to make your food look better on the screen, should you ever want to make a movie featuring your culinary masterpieces. As for the recipes, some of my favorites in this cookbook are Bree's Fallen Apple Souffle Cake, Ginger-Spiked Baby Carrots, and Blueberry Muffins (recipe below), Susan's Basic Crepes, Gabrielle's Black Bean Soup and Mexican Hot Chocolate, Lynette's Irresistible Brownies, and Mike's Rib Eye Steak with onion Gravy.

Bree's Blueberry Muffins
From page 59 of the The Desperate Housewives Cookbook

Vegetable oil cooking spray
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1½ cups milk
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange
3 cups all-purpose flour, preferably bleached
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the tops of the muffins
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1½ cups fresh blueberries, or 1½ cups frozen blueberries

1. Place a rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a 12-compartment muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan over very low heat. When the butter is half melted, pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl and stir until the butter is completely melted. Whisk in the eggs and orange zest thoroughly and set aside.

3. Stir in flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add the berries and toss to coat with flour. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and stir gently from the bottom up just until no white streaks remain. The batter will look lumpy.

4. Divide the batter among the muffin tin compartments. There will be enough batter to fill each compartment to just below the rim. Sprinkle the top of each muffin evenly with sugar. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 22 minutes.

5. Cool the muffins in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely before serving.

Makes 12 Muffins

The recipe is followed by tips on buying and using fresh or frozen blueberries, as well as additional information on mixing, baking, and eating these delicious muffins.

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