The Desperate Housewives Cookbook: Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits [ハードカバー]

I received a copy of this cookbook for Christmas (Thank you, Santa.) The book was all that I was expecting it to be and then some. Cookbook fans and Desperate Housewives fans alike will enjoy this book, and if you are both, even better! It is an honest-to-goodness cookbook, with a twist. It's also like a Desperate Housewives "scrapbook", with photos, snippets from the show and some cooking history for each of the "Housewives."

Obviously, the five "Housewives" of Wisteria Lane did not write these recipes, although they are presented as though they did. Christopher Styler is the creator of these wonderful recipes, capturing the style of each "Housewife". From Bree's perfectly fancy treats to Susan's fool-proof, simple dishes, there are a variety of cooking styles presented and a number of dishes available for each style. The photos of the dishes are great and reflect the appropriate housewife style even in presentation. (Check out photos of Lynette's dishes and you'll see a pacifier and plastic dinosaurs in the background.)

I like the fact that the cookbook is arranged in six different "Housewife" sections, one section for each of the five principal "Housewives" of the show and one section for the "neighbors" of Wisteria Lane. As a result, this cookbook is effectively grouped by style, rather than by course or food category. You want something fancy and intricate? Go to Bree's section. You want basic family fare? Check out Lynnette's. You're looking for a seductive, romantic meal? Go straight to Edie's section. (By the way, if you do want to see a list of all the salads in the cookbook, just go to the index in the back and look under Salad.)

Included in the collection are also recipes for dishes that have been either featured or implicated on the show, such as Susan's famous Macaroni and Cheese, Bree's muffins, Felicia's Macaroons and even Mrs. Huber's Smoothie (remember the blender?).

I do have to tell you that the first time I used the cookbook; I decided to do a three-course DH meal, with each course from a different section. I used Bree's Boston Lettuce & Chili-Toasted Walnut Salad (everyone loved the walnuts!), Susan's Shopping Bag Chicken (which I doubled) and Felicia's Wisteria Lane Icebox Napoleon dessert (with which I took a "Lynnette shortcut" and used a pudding mix). My family and guests loved it all!

The highlight was when I was cooking Susan's Shopping Bag Chicken. As I went to stir the chicken and veggies in the roasting pan after the first 15 minutes, my roasting pan (which is still very new) started to slide off the oven rack as I pulled out the rack. The whole thing started coming at me...and it was hot! I quickly said a couple of unprintable things, dropped my spoon, grabbed the other hot pad and managed to stop the roasting pan before it hit the floor. I pushed the pan back onto the rack, picked up two pieces of chicken off the floor, rinsed them, tossed them into the pan and with as much dignity as I could muster, closed the oven door. I then turned to my startled guests and said "Well, that wasn't in the recipe." And then without missing a beat, "but then, it WAS Susan's recipe!"

While I can't "guarantee" the same exciting results I had, I can say the food was great and I would love to make it again (with less drama, I hope). Whether you actually make any of the dishes from this cookbook or not, you'll enjoy looking at it.

I was excited to hear that there was going to be a Desperate Housewives Cookbook being released. The week the book came out I was curious to see if it was nice - and IT IS!

The book is smartly divided by each Housewife and also includes recipes from the neighbors - Martha Huber, Felicia Tillman, Mike Delfino, and Mrs. McCluskey.

Bree's foods are elegant and classy to say the least; Susan has homey, easyily made foods; Gabrielle has Spanish dishes an healthy foods; Lynette has Family favorites and also dinners to impress, and Edie has seductive and sensual foods.

The book is also a nice hardback with color pphotographs throughout, and

tells about the characters and describes each of their dishes. It even includes "grocery lists" of the characters, a behind the scenes look from the set explaining the job of the "food stylists" from the show and gives cooking tips throughout. I appreciated a section of Lynette's portion of the book explaining how to make the perfect grilled cheese.

I have only made a few recipes from this cookbook - Martha Huber's Strawberry Smoothie Surprise, Felicia Tillman's Wisteria Lane Ice box Napoleons, Lynette's Grilled Cheese, and Mrs McCluskey's peanut brittle.

All have been delicious, and I plan to cook alot more of them. The only thing missing is the nutritional information of the recipes, but other than that, this book is great!

You're sure to find something you like out of this cookbook because it has a wide variety of different foods from the different characters. This makes a great add to your Desperate Housewives Memorabilia Collection, Cookbook collection, or a great gift to a Desperate Housewives fan!

Fans of Desperate Housewives will love this cookbook because it's so much fun--the wives' shopping lists are included, as well as tons of great photos and other funny tie-ins to the show like e-mails and even a formal dinner invitation from Bree. It's also a great cookbook on its own, with recipes ranging from easy to difficult, homey to fancy, and healthy to decadent. The recipes chosen truly suit each character. The directions for the recipes are well-thought-out and helpful. There's really something for everyone. I'm a vegetarian and I have made the Vegetarian Chili, Pineapple Bran Muffins, Fruit Salad with Yogurt-Honey Dressing, and Pineapple-Peach Smoothie so far; all of the recipes turned out great. But by far, the yummiest things in the book were the couple of pictures of "Mike Delfino." In case anyone wants the list of recipes, I've typed them in below for you; please bear with me if there are any typos.

BREE--Basil Puree Soup, Tomato Bisque, Corn Chowder, Salad of Boston Lettuce with Chili-Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese, and Oranges, Finger Sandwiches (Olive-Cream Cheese, Cucumber-Dill Butter, Smoked Salmon-Caper), Dressed-Up Deviled Eggs, Caesar Salad, Poached Turkey Tonnato, Roast Turkey with Gravy, Traditional Corn Bread Dressing, Bree's Two-Step Braised Duck, Bratwurst with Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage, Chicken Cutlets Saltimbocca, Chicken Broth, Lamb Shanks Osso Bucco, Stuffed Cabbage, Fillet of Red Snapper Livornese, Lobster Risotto with Herb Oil, Rocky Road Sweet Potatoes, Steamed Tiny Potatoes with Herb Butter, Ginger-Spiked Baby Carrots, Buttery Baked Tomatoes, Buckwheat Pancakes, Blueberry Muffins, Buttermilk Corn Muffins, Pineapple Bran Muffins, Steamed Christmas Pudding, Brandy Flambe, Blueberry Crisp.--SUSAN--Margaritas, Traditional Cheese Fondue, Spiced Shrimp in the Shell, Roasted Peppers and Fresh Mozzarella Topped with Arugula Salad, Chipotle-Glazed Chicken Wings, Hummus, Butternut Squash Soup, Foolproof Macaroni and Cheese, Vegetarian Chili, Sophie's Meatballs, Pasta with Light Tomato Sauce, Baked Stuffed Shells, Newfangled Noodle Casserole, Chicken and Dumplings, Asian-y Turkey Burgers, Shopping Bag Chicken, Basic Crepes, Filled Crepes (Spinach-Ham Filling, Chicken-Mushroom Filling), Bechamel Sauce, Sloppy Joes, Two Ways, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Easy or Easier Coleslaw, Skillet Asparagus, with Variations, Slow-Roasted String Beans, Shortcut Polenta, Fudge Cake or Cupcakes, Caramel Frosting, Chocolate-Butterscotch Bars, Not-Too-Crunchy Granola--GABRIELLE--Black Bean Soup, Guacamole with Warm Chips, Juanita Solis's Quesadillas, Spicy Paella, Sunset Chicken and Rice, Tamales, Green Rice, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Bloody Marias, Fruit Salad with Yogurt-Honey Dressing, Sweet and Tangy Chicken Stir-Fry, Chicken (or Shrimp) Curry in a Hurry, Shrimp with Chorizo and Bell Pepper, Penne with Spiced Vodca Sauce, Salsa Piccante, Rum-Glazed Roasted Pineapple, Toasted Angel Food Cake with Spiced Strawberries, Pineapple-Peach Smoothie--LYNETTE--Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Grilled Cheese (But Were Too Busy to Ask), Warm Turkey, Muenster, and Coleslaw Wraps, French Toast for Breakfast (or Dinner) with Blueberry Syrup, Buttermilk-Soaked Fried Chicken, Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Stovetop-Barbecued Pork Chops, Meat Loaf, Better-Than-Packaged Breading (with Pork Chop, Chicken, and Fish Fillet Options), Glazed Brussels Sprouts, Potato Casserole, Broccoli or Cauliflower with Seasoned Bread Crumbs, Old-School Buttered Noodles, Coffe Frappe, Babysitting Cookies, Mango Martinis, Deviled Crab Dip, Classic Bistro-Style Mussels in White Wine, Do-Ahead Mushroom Souffle, Broiled-Baked Salmon Fillets with Mustard Bread Crumbs, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese, Look-Ma-No-Hands Mushrooms, Irresistible Brownies--EDIE--Camembert Baked in Its Box, Perfect Crostini, Warm Herbed Goat Cheese Salad with Walnut Dressing, Angel Hair Pasta With Smoked Salmon, Oysters Poached in Champagne and Cream, Sausage Puttanesca (with or without Pasta), Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken, Ambrosia, Molten Chocolate Cake, Make-Your-Own Sundae (Ice Cream Optional)--MRS. HUBER--Strawberry Smoothie, Yellow Cake, Chocolate Frosting, Date Nut Bread--MIKE--Mike's Rib Eye Stake with Onion Gravy--FELICIA--Banana Walnut Bread, Almond Macaroons, Double Whammy Chocolate Pudding, Vanilla Pudding, Wisteria Lane Icebox Napoleons--MRS. MCCLUSKEY--Mrs. McCluskey's Peanut Brittle