Tom Valenti's Soups, Stews, and One-Pot Meals: 125 Home Recipes from the Chef-Owner of New York City's Ouest and 'Cesca

This book has a number of really great recipes and also does anice job of providing variations. For example, if the recipe calls for lamb, he provides variations for sausage, etc. only reason I did not give it 5 stars is that many of the recipes call for some ingredients or spices that I either didn't have or was unfamiliar with, however, he is pretty consistent in using these ingrediants in many recipes, so it does not feel at all like you are buying them for a single meal. For example I don't typically use marjoram spice in everyday cooking, but don't mind buying and trying it if the are multiple ways/recipes to use it in.Only negative. I decided I wanted a new braising pot so this gave me a perfect excuse to buy one. 😀

The recipes in this book really do make meals that are full of flavor and extremely hearty! One pot usually lasts at least two meals for me and my boyfriend and we just love the fact that something like a bowl of stew can be hearty enough to fill us up.Some of the recipes definitely don't go cheap on the ingredients (I spent $25+ on buying the fish needed for the manhattan fish stew) but the result is well worth it--a gourmet meal with amazing taste! Many of the recipes use root vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, etc.), which is essential to a good stew for the flavors, and it's also good because it's ingredients that people are usually familiar with and have readily available.The meals will usually take at least an hour to make, but the process is not difficult (usually just involving chopping things up and throwing all the ingredients into the pot). We've tried several of the recipes so far (beef stew, texas chili, fish stew, mushroom stew) and we have been consistently impressed with all of them. This is definitely a good book to have if you enjoy good quality food (no Grade C ingredients here!) or if you have a lot of mouths to feed. We can't wait to try the rest of the recipes!

A few recipes of note, but nothing so special that I really needed this cookbook. His original cookbook is better and offers similar recipes. Its ok if you want help with preparing soups and stews but really, recipes online so why bother with this book.

I love this cookbook! From fall through spring, this is exactly the way I like to cook. Super (beyond) delicious, satisfying, home cooked meals elevated without fussy ingredients or techniques. It's like a collection of a (well-fed) family's most prized recipes passed down from generation to generation. The Moroccan spiced braised lamb shanks were stunning, with foodie dinner guests saying it was the best meal that they had ever had outside of the most high end of restaurants. I've been making simpler, yet equally delicious, recipes like chicken in a pot, beer beef stew, and beef bourguignon for my family every Sunday for the past few months. The only regularly-included ingredients in these recipes that weren't on my normal shopping list were marjoram and dried porcini mushrooms, which make the dishes taste better but don't let not having them on hand hold you up from making any of these dishes -- they'll still taste fantastic without. I've been making my way through the entire cookbook, which I don't think I've ever done with any other cookbook. There are just so many winners -- one after the other -- that I'd be foolish not to try every recipe.

I'm not a great cook, but I like to cook. I'm busy and time is one of those things I don't have a lot of. The truth is, even if I did have the time, I wouldn't spend it cooking all day. Each of us divides time, our most precious commodity among all sorts of choices. No one cares how much time your cooking takes, because it's not the cooking it's the flavor and richness that I think most people want in their meals. That's why I'm taking the time to rate this book. This book is the BEST cooking book I've read in years. Tom Valenti IS A CHEF THAT UNDERSTANDS THE PERSON WHO WORKS ALL DAY AND WANTS BUT DOESN'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE TIME TO MAKE A REALLY GOOD MEAL. He proves you CAN make a great meal with little time. He is completely unpretentious and makes you WANT him at your side cooking. The recipes are winners and practicable. There are NO, where am I going to find THIS ingredient??! receipes. If you want a cookbook YOU WILL USE, believe me this is it.

We have a copy of this book at our home and at our farmhouse, and we give it as a gift to friends and family. Tom Valenti's recipes are hearty and filling, with things such as a mushroom soup providing a filling meal in a single bowl. We love being able to make meals that only improve after a day or two in the fridge, and that can easily tolerate being made in advance of a holiday and frozen until guests arrive. The flavorful ingredients do not suffer a substitution of vegetable stock for beef or chicken stock, and going the extra mile to make something such as herbed croutons takes these lovely meals to a whole other level.If we were to pick only one cookbook to gift to friends, this would be it! Give yourself a break and buy a book that makes a meal out of one pot, or three days' eating from one night of cooking.

Although I somewhat enjoy the recipes, there are NO pictures/ I really find it helpful to know how the dish is going to look

Winter's here and I long for comfort foods and nourishing soups. This book has so many wonderful recipes. I make a big batch of each one to keep me warm in the evenings when I get home from work. A must-have for winter comfort food!