Review by Booklist Review
Prolific author, television personality, chef, and teacher Pépin continues to astonish with apparently inexhaustible creativity. Celebrated for his rigorous technical textbooks (New Complete Techniques, 2012) as well as for his approachable home cookbooks (Fast Food My Way, 2004), indefatigable octogenarian Pépin returns with this revised edition of The Short-Cut Cook (1990) that's almost ideal for cooks coping with the pandemic. While French cooking attitudes dominate, Pépin branches out into other traditions. Asian influence appears even in his recipe for basic chicken stock, which specifies dark soy sauce for its umami. Pépin also creates a "Saigon" pork stew with Chinese five-spice powder, suggesting it over noodles in lieu of more typical rice. Canned pumpkin stars in a cheese-enriched side dish without those ubiquitous Thanksgiving spices. Frozen lima beans become a fricassee with Canadian bacon. Stews and quick sautés abound, which can quickly come together from pantry staples for impromptu dinners. In addition to color photographs of finished dishes as well as generations of the Pépin family, the author's artwork graces the text.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Legendary chef Pépin pulls together "simple, speedy, sensible, smart" recipes in this keen outing. A mix of porcini mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and garlic steeped in oil can be used as a topping for pasta, a spread on a sandwich, or tossed with a salad. Almost every recipe includes a helpful tip, such as a prompt to line a wooden cutting board with plastic when slicing beets for borscht. Pépin makes liberal use of time-saving devices (baguette dough kneaded in the food processor makes for quick clean-up) and--perhaps surprisingly for Pépin's fans--store-bought items, such as canned smoked oysters arrayed on a hummus of pureed canned black beans, while a cheese tart recipe calls for a frozen pie shell. Desserts include sponge cake layered with instant pudding blended with whipped cream, and a banana bread that is ready for the oven in under one minute. Though Asian-inspired dishes such as stir-fried rice noodles appear, it's European classics that shine: tomatoes Provençale with browned bread crumbs and Belgian mussels with a generous dose of onion are both standouts. Inexperienced home cooks and those in a hurry to put dinner on the table will appreciate this friendly, accessible collection. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
The newest cookbook from Pepin, Quick & Simple, is full of recipes that are exactly such. In his infinite cooking wisdom, Pepin states up front that he wants to simplify cooking and shares pointers for efficient and accessible home cooking, including suggestions for a well-stocked pantry. The book is organized by course; to encourage those limited on time, he attempts to make his recipes more accessible by calling for ingredients like store-bought puff pastry or a bag of frozen vegetables. Though he's known for French cooking, recipes featured here are comprehensive in scope and include dishes from salsa to borscht, crispy wonton wafers to zucchini flan, to name a few. Some recipes are new twists on old classics, like black bean hummus with smoked oysters and sour cream or blue cheese tortilla croque-monsieur. Not all of the meals are accompanied by photos, but in true warm Pepin fashion, the recipe introductions include gentle instructions or encouragements to help users enjoy the process and feel relaxed in the kitchen. VERDICT A comprehensive collection of everyday recipes that will encourage anyone who is short on time, but still interested in cooking fabulous food at home.--Sara Jurek, Children's English Lib., Stuttgart, Germany
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