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The Good Neighbor Cookbook: 125 Easy and Delicious Recipes

by Suzanne Schlosberg and Sara Quessenberry

DESCRIPTION
Forget about the same old boring pasta salad or tuna casserole when you need to bring dinner to exhausted new parents, care for a friend recovering from surgery, or contribute to a business breakfast.  Sara Quessenberry and Suzanne Schlosberg offer 125 great new recipes inside 'The Good Neighbor Cookbook'. Uniquely divided by occasion rather than food category, chapters include: Get Well Soon, Bringing Home Baby, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Novel Ideas for Book Club, Block Parties, Barbeques and Family Get-Togethers, and Meet and Eat.

In addition to flavorful and health-conscious recipes, 'The Good Neighbor Cookbook' also includes tips for preparing food ahead of time or freezing dishes for later.  With recipes such as Raspberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie; Smoky Corn Chowder; Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Lasagna; Potato Salad with Fennel, Lemon, and Herbs; Earl Grey and Orange Tea Cookies; Banana and Hazelnut Muffins; and Soy and Ginger Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, your friends, neighbors, and book club members will realize they have never had it so good.  More than just a potluck cookbook, 'The Good Neighbor Cookbook' is timely and relevant for today's "potluck economy."

REVIEW
I am the most unlikely person to rave about a cookbook, because I have owned many over my lifetime.  The vast majority of which contain a few recipe "gems" amongst many unworthy of a second try.  However, this is the first cookbook I truly love. I have made over a dozen recipes (only a couple of which I have actually given away) and all have been outstanding.  The recipes are both interesting and easy to prepare using ingredients I usually stock in my kitchen.  In addition, dishes store well for leftovers.  My family's favorites so far are the chocolate sheet cake, olive oil & cornmeal cake, earl grey tea shortbread, chicken cacciatore, and potato gnocchi minestrone.  When I do find occasion to give a dish to a friend, I look forward to having this book as a reference.  I appreciate the suggestions for gift-giving: deliver one batch of baked biscuits along with one frozen batch & baking directions, or send pre-made yogurt cups along with granola and fresh berries.  Come to think of it, this cookbook itself makes a great gift.       (amazon.com - arugulablue)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Suzanne Schlosberg is a top health, nutrition, and parenting writer.  A former senior editor of Shape magazine, she is the author or coauthor of ten books, including 'Fitness for Dummies', 'The Ultimate Diet Log', and 'The Essential Breastfeeding Log'.  Her articles have appeared in Health, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, and Parenting, among others. She resides in Bend, Oregon.

Sara Quessenberry is the chief recipe developer and food stylist for Real Simple magazine.  With her easy-to-follow, time-saving recipes and down-to-earth approach, Quessenberry makes cooking seem like an inviting opportunity rather than a daunting task.  She resides in New York, New York.