Monday, October 28, 2024

Most Requested Copycat Dishes: 101 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Restaurant Recipes


Most Requested Copycat Dishes is precisely as stated on the cover: a well curated collection of family friendly dishes like those from well-known restaurants. Released 1st Oct 2024 by Shadow Mountain, it's 240 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

These are not really the flagship dishes from haute cuisine type restaurants; they're largely casual, family style, comfort/fun foods from chain restaurants which are available over much of North America, specifically the USA. The authors have also included a primer on culinary sleuthing which will help readers to develop their own versions of beloved recipe dishes.

Recipes are arranged thematically: drinks & shakes, breakfast, appetizers & snacks, lunchtime, sauces & dressings, side dishes, main dishes, and desserts. Recipes contain a description, homage "source"/restaurant, prep time, yields, ingredients in a bullet list, and step by step directions in easy to follow language. 

Recipe ingredients are listed in imperial (American) units. Most of the ingredients will be easily accessible in any well-stocked grocery store in North America. Many (many) of the recipes utilize specific brands/blends (Ocean Spray White Cran-Strawberry juice, Torani Raspberry syrup, etc) as well as convenience ingredients (frozen veggies, pre-breaded frozen chicken strips, etc). The emphasis is on convenience and speedy prep, which makes many of these perfecly suited to busy family dinner nights or potlucks. 

Each chapter heading includes a breakdown of the dishes as well as the restaurants they're from. The authors/publisher have also included a cross referenced index. 

The book has standout photography; every dish is accompanied by one or more well styled professional color photographs. 

Four and a half stars. It's not a -huge- book (there are 101 recipes included in this collection) but it is very well written and appealing.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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