Cookbook Review: Simply Fresh

The new cookbook Simply Fresh: Casual Dining at Home is exactly what it says - recipes for casual dining that are simply fresh... and delicious.

This cookbook by Jeff Morgan is based on the lunch, dinner, brunch and dessert menus of the Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain.

It is a beautiful hard cover cookbook filled with luscious images of the recipes it presents.

I love that each recipe has at least one gorgeous full color photograph that shows you exactly how it should look when it is finished. Not many cookbooks do that any more. Plus this cookbook sometimes includes added images to show you exactly how to do something, like easily remove the meat from a cooked lobster tail.

These recipes are fantastic. They are easy to follow with lots of detailed instructions, plus notes on some of the ingredients and how to use them.

All of the recipes are ones that I would serve on my own dinner table with pride.

This is just a small sample of the delicious recipes in Simply Fresh:

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• Sweet and savory apple-cranberry crepes with whipped cream and maple syrup
• Crabmeat crepes with hollandaise sauce
• Oven roasted potato "fries" with rosemary
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon
• Chicken wings three ways
• Spinach and artichoke dip
• Asparagus with olive oil and Parmesan cheese
• Broccoli and cheese soup with Parmesan crostini
• Seafood pasta with Andouille sausage
• Spicy sesame noodles
• Crab cakes with pineapple and corn chutney
• Scallops with shallots, parsley and white wine sauce
• Grilled lemon-lime shrimp with yogurt-cilantro dipping sauce
• Baked halibut with chili-lime butter
• Brewmaster burger
• Ruby Tuesday's signature burgers
• Fork-tender baby back ribs
• Pork loin with rosemary-garlic rub
• Pecan carrot cake with vanilla buttercream icing
• Chocolate almond torte with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Plus, we have been given permission to share two recipes from this lovely cookbook with you. Have a look at:

Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberry Sauce

Salmon and Spinach Salad Recipe with Sesame-Peanut Dressing

Here is what another reviewer on Amazon.com says about Simply Fresh:

Cindy gives it a 5.0 out of 5 stars and says -

"Impressive recipes but not difficult.

Chapters include drinks, appetizers and side dishes, brunch, salads and soups, pasta, seafood; beef, pork, and poultry; and desserts. I made the White Bean Chicken Chili that turned out well so it will show up on my menu again. I also made a version of the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon that I really liked (no one else in my family will eat brussels sprouts so I enjoyed them all by myself!).

There are several other recipes I want to try such as Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Italian Sausage, Avocado Turkey Burger, Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Mushroom Gravy, and an Italian Cream Cake that actually seems simple to make. The recipes aren't complicated and use ingredients that can be found in local supermarkets.

This is a collection of recipes I think cooks of any level of expertise will enjoy and it would be a great Christmas gift for any "foodie" friends and family members."

About the Author

Jeff Morgan writes on wine and food for such publications as the New York Times, Food and Wine, Wine Country Living, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator. He resides in northern California.

This cookbook is a beautiful coffee table cookbook that would make a perfect holiday or birthday gift for food lovers and cooks.