Product Description

Sorry, fellas, June Cleaver doesn’t live here anymore, and the days when a dad could claim to be clueless in the kitchen and get away with it are gone forever. Today, Dad is expected to be right there in the thick of it—preparing dinner, whipping up lunches, and making sure the family starts off the day with a healthy breakfast. But what’s a guy to do if he’s never filled a pot with water, let alone boiled any?

Wayne Harley Brachman, professional chef and father of two, knows from personal experience what you’re up against in the kitchen: limited time, limited knowledge, and a family of finicky eaters. In See Dad Cook, you’ll learn the ins and outs of real-world cooking, including recipes for easy, battlefield-tested family favorites like:

Breakfast Burritos, Blueberry Pancakes, Philly Cheese Steaks, Pizza Noodles, Shrimp on the Barbie, Pot Roast with Pan Gravy, Dad’s Kitchen Sink Sundae

See Dad Cook is your kitchen survival guide, full of foods your family actually wants to eat—including recipes for real kitchen basics like Tuna Salad and Meat Loaf. Brachman also offers advice on cooking with your kids, getting them to eat well, stocking a pantry, and the very few tools you’ll need to pull it off without a hitch.

Once you get started, you’ll find that cooking is easier and a lot more fun than you thought. Best of all, it gives you a chance to bring something you’re really proud of to the table—your family!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #428049 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-02
• Released on: 2006-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Brachman (Cakes and Cowpokes) aims this collection of 125 shortcut-filled recipes at harried Harrys who've never thought to read the back of a spaghetti box nor imagined melting cheese over nacho chips in the microwave. Ultra-simple preparation is at the heart of his effort. Most concoctions require about five basic ingredients (e.g., bouillon cubes serve as the dynamo in a chicken salad that otherwise blends the bird with ho-hum mayo, celery, salt and pepper). Occasional entrees of interest do appear, such as Shrimp Oreganata, which calls for oregano leaves and lemon and lime juice to offset the familiar chicken broth and garlic. Creamy Macaroni and Cheese uses pecorino and cheddar, as well as American. But often as not, Brachman goes lowbrow. His recipe for sauerkraut calls for a dash of oil, an onion and a pound of sauerkraut. Brachman livens up the fairly short dessert chapter with several baked challenges such as Multi-Grain Apple Muffins and Butterscotch Chippers. They are warm and challenging alternatives to Dad's Kitchen-Sink Sundae, for which no self-respecting father should ever need a printed recipe. 40 line drawings. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Wayne Harley Brachman is the author of American Desserts, Retro Desserts, and Cakes & Cowpokes. He has served as executive pastry chef at a number of well-known New York establishments, including Mesa Grill and Bolo, working alongside Bobby Flay for ten years. He is opening a family-friendly bakery/café in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village in 2006. Brachman lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Ingredients

• 1 and one-half (1.5) pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

• Three-quarters (.75) of a cup all-purpose flour

• 1 large egg

• Three-quarters (.75) of a cup of milk

• 2 cups plain dry bread crumbs, preferably Japanese panko (see Do It Like the Pros, below)

• Vegetable oil (preferably canola), for frying (about 2 and one-half (2.5) cups)


To Prepare

1. Horizontally slice the breasts in half so they are about a half-inch (.5) inch thick. (If you want genuine, super-thin schnitzel, put the breasts between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently hammer them out until they are one-third of an inch thick. You can use a meat mallet, an empty beer bottle, or a plain old hammer.)

2. Put the flour in a medium bowl. In a second medium (or larger) bowl, mix together the egg and milk. Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl. (If you don't have enough large bowls, put your crumbs in a baking pan or any other large vessel.)

3. One by one, dip the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking off the excess. Dip each piece into the egg mixture to coat, and then thoroughly coat with bread crumbs. Place on a large plate.

4. In a large skillet, heat three-quarters (.75) of an inch of oil over high heat until it starts to shimmer, about 6 minutes. (You may also use a deep fryer or candy thermometer to gauge the temperature: 365°F is perfect.) Turn the heat down to medium-high.

5. Working in small batches, fry the schnitzels for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oil with tongs and drain well on paper towels.


Do It Like the Pros

The best bread crumbs are panko from Japan. Go figure. Panko fry up super-crunchy and seem to absorb less oil. It’s worth hunting them down at an Asian market, but your schnitzels will still be majorleaguers if you make them with plain old bread crumbs from the supermarket.

Shortcut Club

You'll pay a little more, but if you buy thin-cut chicken breast or chicken tenders, you will be able to skip slicing the chicken yourself.

Customer Reviews

Entertaining, Non-threatening , Delicious but no Pictures
Sorry Wayne, I love you but....

Our 10 year old son gave this book to his dad this Christmas. My husband enjoys an ocassionaly foray into the kitchen but he's not much into reading. I think this book would be more interesting to him if there was less talk and more pictures. As it is, I'm the one who's enjoying and using this book.

I would have given this book 4 or even 5 stars were it not for one serious flaw - it doesn't have pictures! In a book written for men I think that's a big oversight. Many men are visual learners. If this book is meant for beginner or reluctant cooks then photos or detailed illustrations would be most helpful. Besides, men generally feast with their eyes. Photos of plated dishes can help them choose what they would be in the mood to cook. The scant monochrome line drawings scattered in the book just don't cut it.

Having said that I love the authour's "I'm your buddy" style of writing. He is one funny guy. His on-screen persona comes across in this book loud and clear.

As for the recipes, they are easy to follow and yield declicious but not extraordinary results. Looking at the ingredients, which BTW are all available in any supermarket, you know exactly what to expect and the results don't disappoint. This is a great book to refer to on those nights when you just don't feel like cooking. Effortless yet satisfying meals good enough for the whole family.

Fun book, easy to read, good to eat! (The food. Not the book.)
This is a terrific book... although I need to be more adventurous about trying new recipes, the ones I HAVE tried have been dandy.

I REALLY like that this book taught me how to hold a knife (heck, how to BUY a knife), how to cut an onion the right way... little things that make cooking much, much easier.

Cooking: it does a marriage good. Trust me on that one.

BEST COOK BOOK EVER!!!
BEST COOK BOOK EVER!!! EVERYTHING IS VERY YUMMY! EVERY RECIPE IS SOOO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT LOL Sloppy joes tacos are my favorite :)
I cooked dinner for my in-laws from this book..they were sooo proud of me they didn't know what to do with themselves.