I was excited to review Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for a number of reasons. One, his pain is my pain. He is a born and bred Clevelander; I grew up in Akron, Ohio. We both root, pray and suffer for the Cleveland Browns.
Two, I love his infectious laugh.
Three, whenever I perform in the Akron Cleveland area, or have a show going on there, I do my best to eat in at least one of Michael Symon's restaurants. Why? It's a tradition ever since opening night of JUNK BONDS at Cleveland Public Theater. The artistic director then, Jim Levin, treated me to a wonderful meal to celebrate a successful run.
Last but not least, a number of friends lately have asked me to recommend some easy but tasty cookbooks. With a title 5 in 5, I thought I have to recommend my "homeboy" if at all possible.
The book is divided by seasons + holiday. The holidays section is probably my favorite because it such an intense time of family friends and food that I need more "easy but tasty" recipes. Not too easy that it looks like you don't care -- believe me, when you're a home chef, expectations rise -- and not too difficult that you're stuck in kitchen hell.
None of the recipes in this book are difficult. The ingredients are easy to find, the steps are simple and easy to follow, and there are plenty of photographs to drool over. It's going to be controversial here in CA where avocado is king, but I may have to try Symon's Spring pea "guacamole" with grilled bread and radish.
I'm happy to report this book lives up to its name. 5 Easy Steps or Less. Five fresh ingredients which you can cook in five minutes or less. Finally a book that can help you meet your new year's resolution to cook more. Highly recommended for the beginning cook.
In full disclosure, I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
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