Cole - Cooking for two: when minutes matter

Skillet Cornbread
California Chardonnay

Herbed Salmon and Vegetable Saut
Crusty Bread
Chablis

Layered Spinach, Onions, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms
Green Hungarian Wine

Roasted Red Peppers with Pine Nuts
Sauvignon Blanc

Rice
Sake

Broccoli and Cherry Tomato Saut
Gamay Beaujolais

Vegetable Pilaf
White Demestica

Buttered Romaine
Champagne

Dilled Potatoes and Green Beans
Vouvray

Lemon Carrots
White (Johannesberg) Riesling

Sauted Zucchini
Verdicchio

Garlic Chicken and Vegetables
French Bread
Macon Blanc

Beef and Mushroom Brochettes with Rice, Snow Peas, and Papaya
Cabernet Sauvignon

Broccoli Florets
Zinfandel

Strawberry Sherbet
Hazelnut Cookies

Moussaka
Sesame Seed Rolls
California Burgundy

Walnut Date Confections
Turkish Coffee

Roast Beef and Crab Salad
Sourdough Bread
Zinfandel Ros

Cheddar Baked Potato Strips
Burgundy

Orange-Garnished Chard
Via Esmeralda

Veal with Garden Vegetables
Crusty Bread
Sylvaner Riesling

Vegetable Medley with Lemon Crumbs
Red Rioja

Brown Rice
Oriental Beer

Lamb-Chop Couscous
California Barbera

Asparagus Tips
Medoc (Red Bordeaux)

Lamb-Chop Oven Dinner
Crusty Bread
Cotes du Rhone

Herbed Lima Beans
Iced Tea

Rice
Tea

Parmesan Corncakes
Chianti Classico

Buttered Green Cabbage
Hard Cider or Sparkling Cider

Corn, Zucchini, and Tomatoes
Flour Tortillas
Beaujolais

Swiss Bratwurst with Winter Vegetables
California Gewrtztraminer

Herbed New Potatoes and Peas
German Beer

Roasted Italian Sausages, Potatoes, and Peppers
Italian Bread
Lambrusco

Lemon Gelato
Lemon Nut Crunch Cookies

Poppy Seed Biscuits
California Gewrtztraminer

Green Beans with Pecans
Dinner Rolls
Mateus

Beaujolais
Lemon Puddings

For my daughter,

Julie

C OOKING
FOR TWO

Gourmet Cooking When Minutes Matter is a book for todays active men and women, married or single, working in or out of the home or both, who appreciate good food but have limited time for cooking it. A splendid variety of exciting and creative menus is included, as a quick glance through the pages will show you. Youll find easy, step-by-step instructions for such enticing dishes as veal chops with currants and pine nuts; stir-fried pork, lychees, snow peas, and tomatoes; rack of lamb with sherried mushroom sauce; herbed salmon and vegetable saut; grapefruit and artichoke green salad; Valencia consomm; layered spinach, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms; melon and peaches anisette; chocolate rum custard; and more.

What is it that lifts meals out of the ordinary? One of the most effective ways of creating imaginative dishes in a minimum of time is through the skillful use of herbs and spices. Thoughtfully selected seasonings can lend distinction to simple foods: tarragon, thyme, and parsley turn roast chicken and potatoes into a festive dish; cinnamon and cloves spark an entre of pork chops with peaches and sour cream; cumin butter adds a new fillip to a saut of corn, zucchini, and tomatoes.

Another way of breaking the monotony of quick dinners is to garner ideas from the worlds great cuisines. Youll find this book liberally sprinkled with international themes, from an exotic Tunisian lamb-chop couscous dinner to a Greek lemon-broiled chicken glazed with honey and walnuts.

An important aspect of producing good meals quickly is time management. And thats just what this book helps you to doget the most out of the time you spend. You can prepare each menu suggested in this book, from appetizer to dessert, in about an hour. Here are the timesavers provided:

Menus. When time is short, every minute you spend thumbing through recipes and trying to decide on an appropriate menu shortens the time you have left to cook. Youre one step ahead when recipes are already packaged into harmonious combinations, as they are in this book. You can easily use the recipes independently, if you like, or refer to the section on Menu Planning for more ideas.

Shopping Lists. While this book cant do the grocery shopping for you, it does provide an accurate, categorized shopping list (with a checklist of staples) for each menu. The list saves you time and helps prevent your overlooking a needed staple, such as coffee or plastic wrap.

Preparation Sequences. A choice of preparation schedules is given so you can begin preparation an hour before dinner or the day before, as you choose. The best sequences have been worked out to assure a smooth pace of work with everything coming out at the right time.

Efficient Recipes. The recipes have been selected for ease of preparation and carefully formulated to avoid unnecessary ingredients and steps. Tedious or messy procedures, such as sifting, sieving, and deep-fat frying, have been eliminated.

Practicality. You dont need to have on hand a supply of homemade stock, crepes, pie crusts, cooked rice, or other prepared itemsthe raw materials that youll need can be readily purchased.

Timesaving Tips. Some specific timesaving ideas are listed in the next section.

Thus, through the expert use of herbs and spices, an infusion of international culinary ideas, and good time management, you can produce memorable meals for two in a minimum of time. When youre in the mood for good food, but feel you havent the leisure to prepare it, try the menus in this book. A whole new world of elegant and easy dining awaits you.