Table Of Contenttasteofhome
Cooking School
COOKBOOK
taste home
of
B O O K S
REIMAN MEDIA GROUP, LLC • GREENDALE, WI
A TASTE OF HOME/READER’S DIGEST BOOK
© 2012 Reiman Media Group, LLC
5400 S. 60th St., Greendale WI 53129
All rights reserved.
Taste of Home and Reader’s Digest are registered trademarks of The Reader’s Digest Association,
Inc.
Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Cassidy Vice President, Executive Editor/Books: Heidi Reuter Lloyd
Creative Director: Howard Greenberg North American Chief Marketing Officer: Lisa Karpinski Food
Director: Diane Werner, RD
Senior Editor/Retail Books: Faithann Stoner Editor: Christine Rukavena
Editorial Intern: Andrea Mesalk
Project Art Director: Jessie Sharon Associate Creative Director: Edwin Robles Jr.
Content Production Manager: Julie Wagner Layout Designers: Emma Acevedo, Nancy Novak,
Catherine Fletcher, Kathleen Bump, Julie Schnuck, Holly Patch Copy Chief: Deb Warlaumont Mulvey
Copy Editor: Susan Uphill
Recipe Asset System Manager: Coleen Martin Recipe Testing & Editing: Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Food Photography: Taste of Home Photo Studio Administrative Assistant: Barb Czysz Taste of Home
Cooking Schools
General Manager: Erin Puariea
Field Staff & Program Manager: Betsy Fryda Sales & Marketing Manager: Jamie Piette Andrzejewski
Associate Brand Manager: Lauren Scott National Business Development Specialist: Marc Padron
Experiential Marketing Specialist: Mitch Cooper Operations Coordinator: Dawn Strzok The Reader’s
Digest Association, Inc.
President and Chief Executive Officer: Robert E. Guth Executive Vice President, RDA, & President,
North America: Dan Lagani President/Publisher, Trade Publishing: Harold Clarke Associate
Publisher: Rosanne McManus Vice President, Sales & Marketing: Stacey Ashton For other Taste of
Home books and products, visit us at tasteofhome.com.
For more Reader’s Digest products and information, visit rd.com (in the United States) or see rd.ca
(in Canada).
International Standard Book Number (10): 0-89821-947-7
International Standard Book Number (13): 978-0-89821-947-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011940520
Cover Photography
Photographer: Rob Hagen
Food Stylist: Diane Armstrong
Set Stylist: Pam Stasney
contents
Introduction
Appetizers
Drinks
Better Than Takeout
Soups
Beef & Pork
Poultry
Seafood
Vegetarian
Side Dishes
Breakfast
Baking
Desserts
References
Indexes
WELCOME
G
et ready to learn, have fun and discover new favorites with the
experts at Taste of Home Cooking School!
Whatever your skill level in the kitchen, you will learn tricks, tips,
secrets, entertaining ideas and so much more with this vibrant
collection of more than 400 of our best-loved recipes.
Whether you crave a magnificent lasagna, long for comfort-food classics like
barbecued ribs and potato salad, or are making a holiday meal for the very first
time, you’ll find what you need—and so much more—in the Taste of Home
Cooking School Cookbook!
The chapters in this volume are organized for the way you want to cook and
entertain. With the first two chapters, Appetizers and Drinks, you can plan
casual get-togethers with pub favorites like guacamole, mini cheeseburgers and
stuffed jalapenos. Or host a cocktail party with more upscale fare and the recipes
to make martinis, old-fashioneds, an exciting banana-flavored eggnog and more.
In the next chapter, you’ll take a tasty trip to your all-time favorite
restaurants without leaving your own kitchen. Prepare burger-joint and bistro
favorites, delicious, easy Mexican food, pizza-parlor specialties and fabulous
Chinese takeout. These foods are so yummy, fresh and affordable you’ll quickly
see why we call this chapter Better Than Takeout!
You’ll also find soups, meats, pastas, vegetarian choices and side dishes to make
a complete meal.
Then join us for breakfast with two dozen tempting recipes that serve one, two
or a hungry houseful of overnight guests. You’ll find impressive, easy casseroles
that are perfect for brunches, holidays and potlucks, too.
Whether you’d like a simple pastry to go with breakfast or to try your hand at
making a beautiful loaf of braided challah, the Baking chapter is sure to inspire!
You’ll find rocky road brownies, homemade scones and a variety of savory
recipes that help you put homemade bread on the table fast.
No special day is complete without a sweet, delectable treat. Whip up adorable
cupcakes, make a classic cherry pie with lattice top, learn the secret to perfect
creme brulee and master three easy, no-special-equipment-needed techniques
to create a beautifully frosted cake.
At Taste of Home Cooking School, we love to share our passion for good
food with you! Our culinary specialists demonstrate recipes and share
professional techniques with over 300,000 viewers each year.
With this beautiful new volume, you can bring our lessons into your own
home. This is the cookbook you will turn to again and again. Go ahead, grab an
apron and join us today!
—Taste of Home Cooking School
P.S. Look for the icon throughout this book for low-effort recipes with
big rewards!
MEASURING CORRECTLY: the secret to success!
LIQUIDS
Place a liquid measuring cup on a level surface. For a traditional liquid
measuring cup, view the amount at eye level to be sure of an accurate measure.
Do not lift cup to check the level. Some newer liquid measuring cups are
designed so that they can be accurately read from above.
For sticky liquids such as molasses, corn syrup or honey, spray the measuring
cup with nonstick cooking spray before adding the liquid. This will make it
easier to pour out the liquid and clean the cup.
SHORTENING
Press shortening into a dry measuring cup with a spatula to make sure it is
solidly packed without air pockets. With a metal spatula or flat side of a knife,
level with the rim. Some shortenings come in sticks and can be measured like
butter.
SOUR CREAM & YOGURT
Spoon sour cream and yogurt into a dry measuring cup, then level top by
sweeping a metal spatula or flat side of a knife across the top of the cup.
DRY INGREDIENTS
For dry ingredients such as flour, sugar or cornmeal, spoon ingredients into a dry
measuring cup over a canister or waxed paper. Fill cup to overflowing, then
level by sweeping a metal spatula or flat side of a knife across the top.
BULK DRY INGREDIENTS
Spoon bulk dry ingredients such as cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips into
the measuring cup. If necessary, level the cup with a spatula or flat side of a
knife.
BUTTER
The wrappers for sticks of butter come with markings for tablespoons, 1/4 cup,
1/3 cup and 1/2 cup. Use a knife to cut off the desired amount.
BROWN SUGAR
When a recipe calls for brown sugar, it should always be firmly packed when
measuring. The moisture in brown sugar tends to trap air between the crystals.
Get Cooking with a Well-Stocked Kitchen
In a perfect world, you would plan out weekly or even monthly menus and
