Go-To Cookbook

Underneath the dust jacket of the new Woman's Day cookbook is a cover that perfectly reflects what's inside: straightforward, useful, but with a little flair that keeps it from being boring. I used to work at the magazine and after I left I proofread this freelance, and in the process I found lots of recipes to try: bulgur meatballs in tomato sauce, mocha-hazelnut granita, chickpea and sweet potato stew, nana's spoon bread. It has a well-rounded selection of about 20 slow-cooker recipes that don't all sound like the same jumble. The last chapter contains menus for different special occasions, but throughout the book there's also meatloaf, mac and cheese (which I made for August on his birthday and he loved), cheesecake, spaghetti and meatballs, chili. There's a turkey roasting time chart and a Thanksgiving planner. Of course only time will tell, but I think I'll end up reaching for this book a lot.