Crazy for Casseroles: 275 All-American Hot-Dish Classics
By James Villas
Read How You Want, (2010)
EasyRead Large Print, in 16 Point Font
(Originally Published in Standard Print by The Harvard Common Press)
ISBN: 9781458763877 Genre: Cooking, Cookbooks
Reviewed by Auggie Moore—March 28, 2011
Casseroles, the name evokes images of home cooking, family meals, and the contentment that comes from a full tummy! Novice or expert, now you can recreate 275 different, classic American casseroles, thanks to James Villas must-have cookbook, Crazy for Casseroles. The recipes in this collection are primarily for main course casseroles. However, you'll also find a small, but nice collection of breakfast casseroles, dessert casseroles and even a few veggie casseroles that will delight the vegetarian in all of use.
For twenty-seven years, James Villas was the food and wine editor of Town & Country magazine. He is also the author of numerous cookbooks and books on cooking. He brings his years of experience and love of food, and for casseroles, to this dynamic cookbook. In Crazy for Casseroles, Villas shows that there is much more to the casserole than just maccaroni & cheese and Shepard's pie. The recipes in this cookbook run from traditional comfort food, such as Tuna Noodle Casserole and Leah's Pork Chop and Cornbread Casserole, to more exotic dishes such as Creole Curried Shrimp and Squash Casserole and Indiana Persimmon Casserole.
The recipes in this cookbook cover the breadth of the country, from New England to Hawaii. The recipes are all easy to follow, with the ingredients list followed by step by step instructions that are nearly foolproof. As well, throughout the book, Villas has provided cooking tips and insights into the various recipes, along with suggestions for how you can vary the recipes. The recipes are organized thematically, with sections covering categories such as appetizers, meat dishes, poultry pies, casseroles for a crowd, and even casserole breads that you can make. One of my favorites from this book is the Spiced Oatmeal-Raisin Batter Bread. It is a wonderful compliment for breakfast dishes, and as a sweet snack that is perfect anytime of day.
One of the best things about casseroles is that you can easily incorporate leftovers in just about any casserole, and casserole recipes are uniquely suited for altering the ingredients used in any given dish. So if you have a food allergy or specific food like or dislike, if you come to a recipe that you like but it has, or lacks, a certain ingredient. Just delete it from the ingredient's list and swap it for something of similar bulk or nutritional value - just be sure to keep in mind that doing so may alter your cooking times. Also be aware that these are not diet recipes by any stretch of the imagination. Rather they are recipes that are, for the most part, filled with butter, cream, and other tasty but hard on the waistline ingredients, so you might need to alter the dishes to meet any caloric limits that you have. This also means that once you get the hang of casserole making, you will quickly become an expert in the realm of creating new and unique dishes based upon your preferences and the ingredients that you have on hand. If you've never tried making a casserole before, now is the time to get started, and if you are an old-hand at casserole cooking, this cookbook will greatly enhance your repertoire. Crazy for Casseroles is an all-around, all-American, great cookbook!