The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious - Healthy Family Meals

A very happy cookbook with a family focus. The chances that we will marry into the Pollan family or be invited over for dinner are small; so this is the next best thing.

I recommend the Pollan signature salad that includes mesclun, walnuts, pear, and a mustard, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, balsamic vinegar dressing (it is made by each of the sisters, their mother and brother; and it is requested by their friends and family for potlucks); the golden baby artichokes with lemon zest; their Grandma Mary's grand marnier orange cake (her version of Jewish nut cake, Lori used to make it and sell it on Martha's Vineyard); Grandma Mary's mandelbrot cookies; Sam's applesauce spice cookies; Aquinnah and Schuyler's chocolate cream pie; Isaac's Mexican wedding cookies; Chickpea salad with Manchego cheese (as in Man of La Mancha), dijon, red wine vinegar, and arugula; a pilaf of farro and vegetables; their fusilli with oven roasted vegetables and parmesan cheese; the spinach and ricotta malfatti (a malfatti is a mistaken raviolini... hey, it uses kosher salt); and the Panfried halibut with chimichurri sauce.

The Pollan's recommend that we get over our performance anxiety for family dinners. Don't push to be a professional restaurant chef. Don't worry if you don't cut an onion like they do on TV. These are family dinners. As Michael Pollan says, they are sophisticated recipes that use approachable techniques. And you don't have to cook family meals every night. Start slowly. Try one night a week or less. And grow from there, or not.

Speaking of technique, there are "Sage Advice" pointers. For example: Read the whole recipe from start to finish before starting. It isn't a movie, you don't want a surprise ending. You should assemble all the ingredients before beginning. Roasting a chicken? Put the legs at the back of the oven where it is hottest (who knew?). Boil a vegetable in already boiling water; but when boiling a starch, such as a potato, start the vegetable in a pot cold water and bring it to a boil.

There is creativity in some simple items. For example, their simple bistro burgers and turkey burgers make use of cold unsalted butter (which is probably common, I just did not know about it). The speedy skillet beef with pineapple and peppers is a nice flare for what might have just been beef with peppers and onions; and their Hunter's Chicken Stew is their "Italian" take on Polish dish, with chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, thyme, sage, chicken broth, white wine and garlic. (Seriously, if you just use the hunter stew and the Pollan family salad recipes, you get your money's worth from this cookbook.) Michael J. Fox, the actor/producer/philanthropist writes on the back cover, "Tracy's family set a place for me at the Pollan Family Table, over 25 years ago now. This gorgeous book brings to mind so many holiday meals and other family gatherings as well as countless smaller moments when we could have just had a meal on the fly but instead made time to sit together and share. This is what my life tastes like. Enjoy."

This is a great cookbook!! It's beautiful to look at and easy to follow. I made the signature salad, brussels sprouts with pine nuts and dried cranberries, and the crispy paprika-roasted potatoes for dinner last night. Everything was delicious! I even made the salad again tonight at my daughter's request. I'm looking forward to trying more recipes.

The recipes are good and use fairly ordinary ingredients, but the book itself is nauseatingly "Look at our family and our casually fancy ways!" The photos are a bit too much. Just give me the damn recipes already.

This is a warm, approachable cookbook with beautiful photography and great family-style recipes. What I really appreciate is that it includes a number of vegetarian options that are totally accessible. The fully loaded vegetable chili tastes legit and indulgent and even has a bit of a ground beef texture from the bulgur, and the supreme veggie burgers were terrific. They weren't super hard to make (I was concerned about them holding together) and they've turned out to be the only veggie burgers my newly-vegetarian daughter has liked. I don't blame her - usually veggie burgers are kind of cardboard hockey pucks, but these babies, with black beans and quinoa, taste BURGER-Y, and if you load them up with a pickle and cheese and a great bun, you will be very very happy. Of course there are plenty of options with meat too - I just haven't cooked those yet. Looking forward to the paprika seared shrimp, chopped Italian salad with chicken Milanese and pan roasted cod in spicy Thai broth --and I'll be making them soon. This cookbook is staying at the top of the pile for now.

I had read about this cookbook in the Food section of my local newspaper in late Fall of 2014, and the article contained two recipes from the book. They looked good, so I ripped the page out of the paper and kept it in the back of my binder. A couple of weeks later, I happened upon the cookbook itself while I was at Costco. I looked it over, and noted that there were several recipes in there that looked pretty good, in addition to the two from the newspaper article, so I went ahead and bought the cookbook. At home, I got out my Post-Its and started marking pages. Like a previous reviewer, when I got to the end, there were Post-Its on more pages than not. I made the Marry Me Beef Tenderloin at Christmas, which was delicious and earned rave reviews all around the table. Since then, I have made several of the recipes, each garnering great reviews in the forms of verbal accolades as well as second helpings and disappearing leftovers. There are a couple of tofu recipes that I made, and which were so good that I watched in amazement as my 14 y.o. daughter and husband cleaned their plates! This book isn't one that you will make interesting-looking recipes out of it and then shelve it. You will pull this one out time and time again; the recipes will show up in your regular rotation, I promise you. They are that good. Also, they are easy enough to get on the table, even if you're the family who is running from here to there much of the time (and these days, what family isn't?)

This beautifully photographed cookbook will please the cook who relies on a weekly roast chicken dinner as well as those looking for a new go-to signature dish. We have a family that includes devoted carnivores, those who would rather pass on red meat, and a vegan. This collection of recipes will help us put together a meal that everyone can enjoy.

Forget potato chips...at your next party, serve the Crispy Parmesan-Zucchini Chips. But make A LOT, they go fast! We're also big fans of the Harvest Vegetable Bake--the sauce has so much flavor and was ridiculously easy to make!

Beautiful cookbook with real food recipes that will appeal to experienced cooks but with detailed instructions, it's also perfect for the novice cook.

I enjoyed reading about the Pollan Family meals and how despite leading busy lives, they sat down together (at the family table) most evenings. An act that's been cultivated across their entire family for generations.

This hardcover cookbook is nicely laid out with bright beautiful food photographs of almost every recipe and lots of pictures of the Pollan family members. It has easy delectable real food recipes, pantry and utensil suggestions and cooking terms explained in everyday language. This cookbook is also full of valuable cooking tips. Most helpful to me... the "Pasta Rules" **hangs head in shame...turns out I was doing it all wrong**

First recipe on my must-make list, is Citrus-Roasted Chicken with Grand Marnier (page 29), that I plan to serve with plain roasted potatoes, as well as Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Dried Cranberries (page 245). Yum, I can hardly wait to sit down with The Hubs for that dinner!

The Pollan Family Table is not a fad cookbook. I do believe it has staying power. Much like my dog-eared 35-year-old copy of Betty Crocker's Cookbook, I predict that the recipes (and valuable cooking tips) in The Pollan Family Table will still be relevant years from now. This cookbook is one that will be handed down and used for generations.

A good family dinner always starts in the kitchen. Or in the garden if you grow your own veggies, which I do! The forward, by Michael Pollan, touches on the importance of coming together as a family for dinner in a country where convenience rules our stomachs. I hope to build similar values in my own children and raise them with an understanding of where their meals come from!

This cookbook from the women in the Pollan Family, one of which is married to Michael J. Fox, has a multitude of delicious recipes as well as sage advice and items to always have stocked in your pantry. The photos really make my mouth water and I'm eager to try many of these recipes over time!

I'm very much looking forward to future garden harvests to try out more of these recipes!

***I received this book from Goodreads 'First Reads' in exchange for an honest review.***

A good family dinner always starts in the kitchen. Or in the garden if you grow your own veggies, which I do! The forward, by Michael Pollan, touches on the importance of coming together as a family for dinner in a country where convenience rules our stomachs. I hope to build similar values in my own children and raise them with an understanding of where their meals come from!

This cookbook from the women in the Pollan Family, one of which is married to Michael J. Fox, has a multitude of delicious recipes as well as sage advice and items to always have stocked in your pantry. The photos really make my mouth water and I'm eager to try many of these recipes over time!

I'm very much looking forward to future garden harvests to try out more of these recipes!

***I received this book from Goodreads 'First Reads' in exchange for an honest review.***

Not only is this my favorite cookbook ever. It is the gift I keep on giving and giving. What I love about this cookbook is the recipes are healthy and put a new twist on things I have been cooking ( not very well) for years. In the past I found it difficult to follow recipes. The way they are formatted in this book makes even the most complex recipe easy to follow. Even something as simple as roasting a chicken is better using the Pollan Family method. I especially love the salads, salad dressing and vegetable recipes. I hope they do another cookbook, I have more gifts to give.

Grand Marnier Chicken and Signature Salad Unbelievable!!!
I saw a segment on GMA yesterday to kickoff their cookbook,and was intrigued.On the GMA site, they have the recipes for the Grand Marnier Chicken and the Signature Salad, so I made both dishes last night for dinner.THEY WERE AMAZING!!I am purchasing the entire cookbook right now..I know I will not be disappointed!!

Thank you to the Pollan family for sharing their wonderful family recipes. The book is physically beautiful and the recipes are easy enough to not feel threatening, but with enough "pizzazz" to create an impressive meal. I have only had the book one week and have already made the lentil soup and the chicken chili. Both dishes were a big hit with the family and were not too demanding in the kitchen.

Leafing through this book will tickle your taste buds and entice you into the kitchen.

I’ve savored a dozen recipes, and I can’t wait to sample the rest.

The recent Wall Street Journal review concludes, “[a]ll in all, ‘The Pollan Family Table’ is a good place to start for young couples beginning to lay the foundations for their own ‘family table’ traditions.” But, truly, it belongs on every family table and the table of each aspiring chef.

The Pollan book is encouraging to those who are new to the kitchen and fearful of “from scratch” recipes by helping the newcomer acquire essential utensils and supplies, clarify ingredients, and simplify food preparation. This richly illustrated, well-organized book gives other understandable, sound advice to those just getting started in the kitchen.

Open, gaze, prepare, and enjoy with the “Family.”

I wish all cookbooks were laid out with pantry items and a shopping list for each recipe. Also, the sage advice-love! We've made six recipes so far and, while I love them all, my favorite is definitely the Hunter's Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and Mushrooms. We devoured every piece. Last night we had Cauliflower with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Parmesan-it was a hit, the kids nibbled on it like it was a basket of fries. I'm looking forward to the Panfried Halibut with Chimichurri...and every pasta dish, and let's get real-ALL the desserts. This cookbook is great for beginners to experts in the kitchen. It's also a perfect family cookbook.

I love reading cookbooks, so I was already biased to like this book when I received it. The recipes are easy to follow with ingredients easily found in any grocery store. I also liked the pictures scattered throughout the book with the Pollan Family. I have not tried out the recipes yet but I have no doubt that when I do they will turn out great!

***I received this book through Goodreads Member Giveaway. That did not affect my opinion.***

​The Pollan Family Cookbook is perfect for all who love a good family meal. The recipes are delicious and easy enough for a novice to master, and interesting and inspiring for the more experienced cook. The stories and warm and generous - felt like a little gift from their family to ours. Buy one for your family and one for a friend!

I received the cookbook, spent over an hour putting post-it stickers on recipes I want to try. It's a beautiful cookbook filled with healthy, delicious looking recipes. I already made the roast chicken with root vegetables and the roasted broccoli with crisp garlic. Also made their signature salad with a couple substitutions I had on hand. Wonderful! Everything was so delicious! I'm going to be preparing many more recipes from this cookbook.

This cookbook is wonderful for those wanting to expand their culinary skills in a practical and family friendly way. This cookbook is simply gorgeous, you can tell that right away! The pictures and stories that gloss the pages are so fun and inspire little ol' me to cook more -- from scratch and creatively.

Read my full review on my blog (I am also doing a Giveaway)::
http://www.mitchaeljourney.com/2015/01/pollan-family-table-cookbook-review.html

Love the book
so far I cooked paprika-seared shrimp and panfried halibut with chimichurri sauce excellent dishes .
Can't wait to cook something new from the book
Thank you for sharing this great family recipes

This is a fantastic cookbook full of easy yet flavourful recipes for everyday or special occasions. I like that the kids have their own recipes, as well! I just got this book, but I know I will be referring to it for years to come. Thank you, Pollan Family!