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Sara Foster's Casual Cooking - More Fresh Simple Recipes from Foster's Market
by Sara Foster with Carolyn Carreño
Clarkson Potter/Publishers
ISBN 0-307-33999-7
Published March 2007 - Hardcover - 256 pages - $35.00

Gourmet market owner and author Sara Foster shares her recipes with us in this lovely book.  "Casual cooking" is what most of us prefer these days, and are less intimidated by in our kitchens.  I feel certain that the average home cook doesn't aspire to being the next Martha Stewart, so any advice to keep it simple in the kitchen will go a long way in helping us be creative yet not overwhelmed and still serve delicious meals.  Ms. Foster offers us Party Platters; Salad Meals; Sandwiches, Wraps, and Rolls; Quesadillas, Tacos, Tostadas, and Pizzas; Pasta and Noodles; Anytime Eggs; Simple Suppers; Fish in a Flash; Fast and Easy Side Dishes, and Simplest Sweets.  From these offerings you can see that sandwiches and/or eggs can also be meals.  So can a salad.  I agree with Ms. Foster when she says she rarely serves hors d'oevres to dinner guests - they do spoil the appetite and they are a lot of work.  However, I did like her Crudité Platter and her Simple Antipasto Platter from the Pantry.  Other recipes I liked include: Grilled Sausage and Potato Salad with Spinach, Red Onion, and Brewmaster Mustard Vinaigrette (this'll fill you up); Grilled Chicken and Brie Sandwiches; Mom's Pepperoni English Muffin Pizzas (a simply wonderful idea); Summer Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes, Crumbled Feta Cheese, and Fresh Basil; Grilled Bacon, Egg, and Cheddar Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches; Pan-Grilled Beef Fillet with Marsala Peppercorn Sauce; Pan-Seared Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Asian Glaze, and Individual Tartes Tatin.  Do check out the Quesadilla Variations on page 88 and the Pasta Sauces on pages 120/121 for inspiration for your quesadillas and pastas.
Visit Ms. Foster's website at www.FostersMarket.com.
Exquisitely illustrated.  No nutritional guides.
Conclusion - A superb cookbook with an abundance of great ideas.