Quessenberry Sara - The good neighbor cookbook : 125 easy and delicious recipes to surprise and satisfy the new moms, new neighbors, and more

A week after my husband and I brought our twin boys home from the hospital, a pot of gorgeous three-bean chili appeared, mysteriously, on our doorstep. We feltand Im barely exaggeratingas if we had won the lottery. Overwhelmed and wiped out, wed been eating cereal for dinner and snacking on peanut butter spooned from the jar. We devoured that chili within the hour, even before learning whod dropped it off, and I decided then that when my life got less topsy-turvy, Id help out other new moms the same way.

A few months later, I began signing up, through a local club, to bring meals to families of newborn twins and triplets. But I am no chef, and I was perpetually short on ideas, not to mention time. Once, I was so rushed that I brought cold, store-bought quiche. Another time I drew a blank and sheepishly delivered a take-out pizza.

Eventually, I got the chili recipe from the friend whod rescued us, and that chili became my go-to dish for parents of newborns. But one recipe doesnt fit all occasions, and there are so many occasions that inspire us to contribute a dish or deliver a meal.

Weve all faced the good-neighbor dilemma: We want to say I care or Im thinking of you or Hey, Im no slacker! by showing up with delicious homemade food. But with hectic schedules, we often have enough trouble getting our own dinners to the table. Who has time to pull together a meal for the new family down the street or a memorable appetizer for the book club potluck? Most of us have been to meetings where the heartiest breakfast fare is an assortment of doughnut holes or attended block parties where the food spread consists of a bowl of potato chips with dairy-case onion dip and a bag of corn chips with bottled salsa.

Im well acquainted with this culinary crisis. Fortunately, my partner in creating this cookbook, Sara Quessenberry, is eminently qualified to solve it. An accomplished chef with an eye for fresh ingredients and inventive flavor combinations, Sara has rescued time-strapped cooks for years, at Real Simple and now at doitdelicious.com.

Together weve fashioned a book that offers one-stop recipe shopping for any good neighbor. Saras recipes, all easy to transport, are uniquely designed to nourish old and new friendsthe exhausted mom nursing a newborn, the friend whos feeling under the weather, the couple who just moved in down the block, the family in mourning. The recipes here will make a hero out of anyone attending a PTA meeting, Fourth of July barbecue, church potluck, or business breakfast.

Our chapters are organized by occasion rather than by food category, on the theory that when youre heading to a block party, you dont think, What chicken dish should I bring? Instead, you wonder, What the heck can I whip up in the least amount of time that suits the event? The books handy structure helps you make that decision quickly and easily.

Within each chapter, youll find a wide variety of dishes perfectly matched to the occasion. We have included high-energy snacks for nursing moms, nutrient-packed soups for recuperating friends, elegant appetizers for book club meetings, and substantial breakfast fare for morning get-togethers. Of course, you can mix and match from various chapters. The Zucchini and Parmesan Frittata, from chapter 2, Get Well Soon, will delight any new mom hankering for a snack. Likewise, the Raspberry-Rhubarb Crumble Pie from chapter 3, Welcome to the Neighborhood, will be a knockout at any block party or barbecue.

Though theres nothing too wild or fancy here, the recipes offer a fresh take on many classics and party favorites. Instead of showing up to that Labor Day barbecue with a bowl of ordinary spinach dip, youll wow the crowd with your Chipotle-Pineapple Guacamole (page 86). And while new neighbors would be thrilled to receive any plate of cookies, the new folks on your street will be doubly delighted by the gift of Lemon-Glazed Pistachio Shortbread Cookies (page 76).

Homemade food is a labor of love, but it need not be laborious. Saras recipes are straightforward and easy to follow, and when youve finished making Creamy Tomato Baked Ravioli and Spinach (page 21) or Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins (page 33), your kitchen wont look like its been ransacked by a bunch of toddlers. You wont find an ingredients list thats unpronounceable or a mile long; what you will find, on occasion, are some wonderful ingredients, such as Swiss chard, parsnips, and quinoa, which you may not cook with regularly.

You also will find tips for making dishes in advance, storing them in the refrigerator or freezer, and transporting themspill-freeto a get-together. For occasions when youre in a rush, we offer time-saving options such as using a rotisserie chicken rather than roasting your own or using or substituting store-bought enchilada sauce or pasta sauce for Saras homemade versions. When you simply dont have time to heat up the oven, check out our ideas for even shorter shortcuts, such as assembling a beautiful cheese platter (see page 139) and creating a lovely appetizer spread from ingredients that you can pick up at the supermarket (see page 125). Conversely, when youre able to go the extra mile, flip to our tips on organizing a meal train, whether for a new mom or a grieving family (see page 19), and in chapter 2, Six More Ways to Nourish a Friend on the Mend (page 44).

I still bring three-bean chili to parents of newborn twins every so often, but thanks to Sara I now have a large repertoire of hassle-free dishes that I can count on to be a comfort and a treat. This includes my latest go-to meal, Saras Sweet Pepper and Spinach Lasagne (page 166); its especially delicious when served with her Caesar-Like Salad with Croutons (page 15). We hope you will find in these pages your own favorites to use for countless good-neighbor occasions to come.