News and Reviews Expanded
BiblicalWomanhood.com
Today's giveaway is a product I mentioned back in December, The
One-Armed Cook. Here's what I wrote about it then when
I first got a copy in the middle of my morning sickness:
For all you new mommies, mommies-to-be, and in-the-throes-of-morning-sickness-mommies, (I guess I would fit all three of those categories!), I just have to elaborate more on the great new cookbook I mentioned above - The One-Armed Cook: A Kitchen Survival Guide for New Parents. In my current state, I lapped this thing up; it was just what I needed. Two moms who have "been there, done that" tell you how you can do it, too!
Some of it was very basic stuff, like how to stock your kitchen and pantry, how to utilize your freezer, and so on, but I need basic stuff right now. My brain is functioning in low gear, especially when it comes to the kitchen, so having the detailed step-by-step help works for me. The added bonus is that it has some great recipes in it, too. Not all of them are ones we would eat, but the majority of them look great. Plus, they don't require lots of work or effort to get onto the table. Many of them can be frozen or made ahead, with very few steps involved.
The best part of all is that, surprisingly, the recipes are all fairly good-for-you, with little unhealthy prepared/packaged/boxed/canned stuff used (Believe it or not, there was not one canned cream soup called for in the entire book that I saw!). As we try to eat fairly healthfully and avoid a lot of processed foods, I was especially thrilled about this.
Though not written from a Christian perspective, this cookbook is one I would highly recommend to any mom looking for help getting dinner on the table while juggling babies or morning sickness or both. And, it would make a great baby shower gift for a mom-to-be. (July 31, 2007)
Southern Living - December 2006
The One-Armed Cook helps new moms navigate kitchens safely and creatively
with babies in tow.
Download PDF, part 1
Download PDF, part 2
Need
the free Adobe Reader? Click
here.
Cookbook Digest
The One-Armed Cook (Meredith Books, $19.95) was
created for me and all other overwhelmed moms. Written by two career women,
turned stay at home moms, turned accomplished authors, entertainers and
family life gurus, it gives more than just recipes.If you are looking for
something other than a great Overnight Blueberry French Toast recipe, easy
appetizers like Chickpea and Red Pepper Dip and Spicy Broccoli Spread or
filling entrees like Tortellini with Broccoli and Artichokes or Caribbean
Shrimp, then this is a book for you. Not only are all these recipes, and
115 more in here, but also lots of practical advice about everything from
your first outing with baby to throwing a dinner party or holiday gathering
to almost anything else you can think of . The authors, Cynthia Stevens
Graubart and Catherine Fliegel, give personal accounts of life in their
homes, both troubles and triumphs, which make you believe that they have
really been there and know what they are talking about. (September/October
2006)
ModernBabiesAndChildren.com/Maryland
Hugging a phone between your cheek and shoulder while burping your babe.
Mastered. Hunting and pecking an email one-handed. Not a problem. Surviving
on a half night's sleep. Expected.
But how about taking on your kitchen one-armed? Authors Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel, RN, CCE not only help parents to survive, but also to thrive, with their user friendly book, The One-Armed Cook: Quick and Easy Recipes, Smart Meal Plans, and Savvy Advice for New (and not-so-new) Moms. Most of the meals — from the Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs to the Meatball Minestrone to the Blender Chocolate Soufflé - call for easily found ingredients and eat 30 minutes or less of your time.
"It really gives parents the roadmap to getting into the kitchen for the first time or back into the kitchen once they have a baby," explains Fliegel, who visited Baltimore for a book signing at the Towson Babies"R"Us store. "Both Cynthia and I were great cooks before we had children, but we found ourselves particularly challenged once we had a babe in arms. There were no resources available in bookstores to help us through this difficult period. We learned as we went along what worked and what didn't work, and that's why we wanted to share what we had learned with other moms like us."
The two "foodies" became fast friends after meeting in their sons' Atlanta preschool classroom back in 1992. They also had infants who were born four months apart, and as Fliegel describes in the book, "We were each enduring round two of the one-armed life." Years later, Graubart, a former television producer for cooking shows, asked Fliegel, who has a nursing and childbirth educator background, to join her in what evolved into The One-Armed Cook.Since the book was published in 2005, the authors have toured the country for book signings and seminars focusing on family mealtime and kitchen safety. Today, Fliegel lives in New York City and Graubart is based in Atlanta.
Fliegel says she and Graubart that together she and Graubart offer readers a balance of organization and a laid back attitude. "Cynthia makes lists according to her supermarket layout. I'll go to the market a couple of times a week. I can't think a week ahead of time."
The One-Armed Cook includes a compilation of Fliegel and Graubart's tried and true recipes, tweaked with timesaving shortcuts and substitutions that don't sacrifice taste, such as using frozen chopped onions and canned tomatoes in place of fresh ones.
"New parents are so overwhelmed with all the responsibility of new parenthood. Just to take the stress out of that hour of the day, what a gift for a new parent," says Fliegel. "Our philosophy is truly cook it fast, eat it slow."
She reports that parent feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. "There's nothing more reaffirming about what we're doing," she notes."People recognize mealtime is important. Recent studies are telling us what we've always known to be true. We now know when kids eat dinner regularly with their families, children are more likely to get better grades in school, teenagers are less likely to smoke, use alcohol or illegal drugs, and children understand their families' stories, values and traditions."
In addition to recipes for appetizers, main courses, desserts, and more, the book also includes checklists of equipment and food items to keep stocked in your kitchen, tips on keeping your baby safe while you're cooking, tricks for everyday and for entertaining, and advice on how to best freeze and reheat meals. There is also step-by-step guidance on how to plan for weekend guests, holiday meals, and parties.
When asked what advice she would go back and give herself as a new mother, Fliegel doesn't need to pause to think of an answer. "Fill the freezer. That was something I learned along the way."
"One-armed is basically the best way to describe that period in your life," reminisces Fliegel, who adds that the book's applications continue after children outgrow their perch on the hip. She quotes her co-author. "Cynthia always jokes these recipes are just as easily prepared holding a glass of wine."
Commercial Appeal (Tennessee)
Streamlining without sacrificing By Jennifer Biggs
Cynthia Stevens Graubart was a television producer accustomed to eating in
fine restaurants and cooking leisurely meals with her husband. Then her son
was born, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom, and everything changed. "We'd
had this wonderful life of cooking and entertaining together, and then that
was gone. I sort of felt like there was this conspiracy, that nobody told
me how much everything was going to change," she said when she was in
town recently. She loved her role as a mother and a homemaker, of course,
but she did miss her gourmet meals. So she looked for a solution. "I
just took all my great, favorite recipes and said, 'Now what can I do to
this recipe to make it more user-friendly?' Her journey ended with the cookbook The
One-Armed Cook, which she co-wrote with her good friend, Catherine
Fliegel.
You wouldn't believe how many cookbooks come across my desk each week -- or how cluttered my desk stays because I hate to put one in the discard pile until I've given it a good look. But this one caught my eye because it's very similar to the way I cook on weeknights. If you read my Food section cover story last week, you know how I love a good condiment. So does Graubart, and one of the first things she did when she changed the way she cooked was look for good ones. "I would walk up and down the aisles in the grocery to look for items to help me streamline my cooking," she said. She uses some of my favorites, like chutneys, frozen pie crusts, jams and jellies -- and frozen vegetables. She says, pulling flash-frozen veggies from the freezer beats throwing out ruined "fresh" ones from the crisper any day. Graubart even uses frozen chopped onions, which I've thrown in soups and stews before. But she sautes them just as she does fresh onions and says you can't tell the difference. If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you. We both keep canned tomatoes and beans in the pantry. (And listen, don't cheap out on the tomatoes. Go with the Muir Glen organic varieties -- just stock up when you find them on sale, because they really are much better than store brands. If you've got another brand you think is good, let me know.) One thing she uses that I won't, though, is the bottled minced garlic. I think fresh garlic is so much better that I'm happy to take the few minutes to peel and chop. I've heard other people say they can't tell the difference, but it's not for me. Graubart likes to use jams and jellies in marinades, to add another layer of flavor to the finished food. "This is not cheating," she said. "You're just taking advantage of what's out there."
Another one of her time-savers is to cook two meals at a time. She doubles
her recipes, but splits them when they come out of the oven. Half goes to
the table and half is packaged for the freezer. Just be sure to take the
frozen dinners out and use them -- which is something so many of us forget
to do. "It's a habit you've got to get into," she said. "You've
got to circulate those dinners." The book is available at book stores,
at Babies 'R' Us and online at theonearmedcook.com. (May 31, 2006)
Copyright
2006, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.
Cooking Smart
Relax and draw a sigh of relief — The One-Armed Cook book
has come to the rescue. It's the quintessential cookbook we've
all been waiting for — what some are calling the new millennium's
answer to Betty Crocker and Dr. Spock.
(March/April 2006)
Download PDF, part 1
Download PDF, part 2
Download PDF, part 3
Need
the free Adobe Reader? Click
here.
ModernMom.com
So, how can we get dinner ready with a baby on our hip (or pulling at our
skirt)? The One-Armed Cook has the answers. The
practical, spiral bound book combines informative tips...one-armed recipes...[and]
menus for everything from a romantic dinner for two, to a celebration brunch
for 24 -- all created specifically with the new, and very busy, mom in
mind. (Spring 2006)
Appleton-Post Crescent (Wisconsin)
I'm all about the "One-Armed Cook." It's what keeps me from being
the one-ounce-of-sanity-left cook. When I saw the new cookbook, The
One-Armed Cook by Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel,
I thought this could be my saving grace. And it has been.
I put the cookbook to test to see if it lived up to its promises and found that not only could I make the dishes with one arm, I could make it in the time that was listed. For Egg Casserole, that was only 10 minutes of prep time. Who can't do that?
For parents who prefer to serve their children well-rounded meals rather than frozen pizzas or fast food, this could be the solution to your meal-time frenzy, too.
In addition to recipes that use the time-saving slow cooker, the cookbook also features suggested menus, strategies for your first dinner party and the baby's first birthday celebration. The authors also include tidbits to show the reader that, yes, they understand your frustrations because they have been there and they want to help you.
Although the book includes a variety of dishes such as soups and meatless main dishes, I wish it would have included more family-friendly casseroles in it since that is what seems to appeal to the younger set. I recommend the cookbook for anyone who is pregnant, for new moms, and for parents of small children. It will be a well-used assistant in the kitchen. It least until you return two arms again. (March 29, 2006)
Stamford Advocate (Connecticut)
My kids are all grown up, but it seems like only yesterday when I was cooking
with a babe in arms — or at least tugging at my leg. That's why
I found this title so engaging.The One-Armed Cook was
written by two mothers, Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel, who
between them have five children. Their advice – starting with the nesting
impulse before the baby arrives, through basic tips (how to freeze meals,
what to use to distract the kids when you cook, how to hold after-baby brunch
for 24), through to the tempting, family-friendly recipes – makes this
a must for new parents.
It is really the perfect present to buy a pregnant mom, because that's
where their sage advice begins. The authors write in the first chapter: "You
probably read a great deal on the subject of pregnancy and about how to care
for this new addition to your family, but you probably haven't thought
much about the realistic changes this new addition will bring to your life." At
$19.95, it's a bargain. (March 29, 2006)
Copyright 2006 Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
The Jackson Citizen Patriot (Michigan)
The goal of a cookbook title is to capture the essence of what is inside
and intrigue the reader. Few have been so successful as The One-Armed
Cook. Parents will immediately identify with the image conveyed
by the title: holding a baby or toddler in one arm, balanced on their hip,
as they work around the kitchen getting a meal together. Still to learn this
balancing act are couples planning to conceive or who are pregnant and going
through childbirth classes. "I used to be a certified childbirth educator,
and so much information needs to be imparted to couples there is little we
can impart in the way of recipes," said Catherine Fliegel, who, along
with Cynthia Stevens Graubart, wrote The One-Armed Cook ($19.95
Meredith Books). "And once they get the baby home, there is so much
focus on diapers, baths and sleep that there isn't much time to think about
feeding the family."
It was Graubart who initially thought of writing a cookbook, after leaving a career as an independent television producer to become a stay-at-home mother. "The one-armed life was like reinventing the wheel," Graubart said. "I was really struggling because it was a pretty difficult task, and nobody was talking about how to do this. The book title came first, then the book." Thus, it is also a handbook as well as a cookbook. The first seven chapters are narrative information, including lists of foods to keep on hand in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer; how to handle drop-in guests; coming home from the hospital; and taking the baby to a restaurant. "Catherine and I were very careful designing tips and recipes so someone with very little culinary skills could read the recipe," Graubart said. "The directions are numbered so if they are distracted by the telephone, someone at the door or the baby crying, we wanted to help keep them on track." She and Fliegel are aware of the number of women who are delaying childbearing, staying in the work force longer, leading busy lives and having higher incomes. These women may go out to eat quite often or get takeout for home. When a couple decide to have a family, "a woman can suddenly find herself at home for the first time, no cooking skills and a baby," Graubart said. And with people moving away from their hometowns, it isn't like she can walk next door or even the next block for help from Mom. "There is tremendous preparation for the birth, but there isn't enough for after you get home from the hospital," Graubart said.
"That is an area where there is a lack of advice and counsel for pregnant women, because a baby will alter the rest of your entire life."
As they gently guide new parents in the kitchen, the authors point out
their recipes are "quick and easy, and we are proud to say they are
quick gourmet. There are no recipes made with cans of soup. We prove it is
possible to eat well and healthy without a lot of work." That is important,
they said, because whether new moms stay home or return to the work force, "they
say they are so tired, so overwhelmed and have no idea where to start. We
show them how to make a list, do a timeline, follow step by step and rapidly
gain a sense of confidence. "Once they get into the kitchen and feel
good about how it turns out, they will come back again," Graubart said.
Learning how to cook is valuable for many reasons, not the least of which
is economy. "If
women decide to stay home, even for a short time, they find themselves in
a much different economic situation," said Fliegel, explaining a family
can eat well on less money by cooking at home. In addition to providing a
guide for cooking for the immediate family, Fliegel and Graubart have added
notes and recipes for big occasions. "We show them how to host their
first dinner party, their first birthday party, a religious event, all recipes
to get back into the kitchen or how to get started if they never did much
cooking at all," Graubart said.
(March 27, 2006)
©2006Jackson Citizen Patriot ©2006 Michigan
Live. All Rights Reserved.
The Winchester Star (Virginia)
'Cooking With a Baby On My Hip' -- Book Offers Practical Advice
And 120 Mom-Tested Recipes. When Cynthia Stevens Graubart had her first child,
she thought her life would go on as usual. But she found out, it definitely
didn't, especially with day-to-day cooking. The main problem was she
couldn't prepare meals the same way. Holding a child in one arm while
attempting to conquer previously-used recipes proved to be almost impossible.
But after years of trial and error, her real-life experiences and recipes
have been compiled in a cookbook, The One-Armed Cook,
she co-authored with friend, Catherine Fliegel — a first book for both.
"It was very challenging to cook," Graubart said in a recent phone interview from her home in Atlanta. "My son cried from 4 to 8 p.m. every day for two or three months at the very time I needed to cook." At this point, she began to experiment and figure out how to cook with a baby, demanding attention. Realizing this must be happening to other mothers, she decided to share her tips, especially with those who postponed motherhood and are home with children for the first time.
Graubart, 45, had her first child at age 28, one and half years after marrying. Her son is now 16 and her second child, a daughter, is 13. And she stressed that life doesn't get any calmer as they get older with busy schedules and constant interruptions. To get the book started, she enlisted the help of her best friend, Fliegel, 41, who has three children, ages 16, 13, and 8.
"She asked me to join her on the project to keep her focused and on deadline and to lend my perspective and motherhood experiences in the kitchen," Fliegel said in an e-mail interview. As a registered nurse and certified childbirth educator, Fliegel was connected with the target audience for the book, hearing the challenges and needs, as well as having children of her own.
In addition, Graubart's work experience as a TV producer and part-time public relations consultant, also came into play as she coordinated the marketing of the book and public appearances. The result is a collection of 120 baby-holding, mom-tested, easy recipes. "You can make these with one hand," Graubart said. "We really did."
Referring to the publication as a handbook, Graubart said they took family recipes and went through all the ingredients. The recipes, repeatedly used and included in the book, involve one trip to the grocery store for materials and no trips to specialty stores Graubart said. "They all have common ingredients," Graubart said. "We went up and down the aisles looking for products that help save steps." And one of these is frozen chopped onions, which she finds crucial to cooking. "My life is better after finding this product," Graubart said. "When you don't have an onion, that stops you from making a recipe." With the frozen ones on hand, the harried mom can still make lots of recipes.
While Fliegel learned to cook in the kitchens of her grandmother and mother in a small farming community, she said she adapted the recipes that were lessons in love, but she got her real education cooking after having children. "I translate the lessons I learned from the lonely and desperate dinner hours in my own kitchen — with a baby on my hip — into my day-to-day cooking," Fliegel said.
The lessons in The One-Armed Cook are compelling, quick, easy, delicious, family-friendly comfort food, with shortcuts and no fancy cooking skills required, according to Fliegel. "These recipes come in handy, especially when I am trying to squeeze a healthy meal in between baseball and softball games, horseback riding, orthodontist appointments, religious ed, homework, and social events with friends," Fliegel added.
The cookbook is a culmination of years of experimenting by both women. After the birth of her first child, Graubart said she decided she was going to do a book. "But life got in the way." Finding a partner proved to be the deciding factor for completion of the book. "If I took a partner, I knew I would do it," Graubart said. "Between us, we represent a wide spectrum of moms out there." But getting published was not an easy task. "It was rejected by every major publishing house in New York," Graubart said. "We wanted to crawl into a hole." After conducting focus groups to see if they were on track with the book, the authors were asked by many of the participants when the book was coming out. So Graubart formed a publishing company to print the book. Meredith Books saw a proof copy of the self-published work and asked to buy it in 2004, and the company distributed the book in April 2005.
"The story told by Catherine and Cynthia in the introduction of the book is echoed by parents everywhere — the desire to prepare delicious meals for their families in the realistic world of having a child in tow as well as adjusting to the new role of parenthood," said Tricia Laning, food editor for Meredith Books. The company decided that the cookbook has a universal appeal that is well worth sharing, Laning said. "When we read the The One-Armed Cook, we felt that it contains very doable recipes, is written in an approachable easy-to-understand voice, and offers practical advice for parents from parents," Laning added.
A favorite recipe is a difficult decision to make for both authors, who
contend it is like picking a favorite child. "They are all unique and I value certain
traits abut each of them (both my recipes and my children)," Fliegel said. And
they still make the recipes day in and day out, Graubart said.
(March 22, 2006)
Top
Mary's Memo
What's
a grandmother
6 times
over
doing
with The
One-Armed
Cook cookbook
by
Cynthia
Stevens
Graubart
and
Catherine
Fliegel?
It's
been
a long
time
since
I've
juggled
a baby
in
one
arm
and
cooked
with
the
other.
However,
I discovered that
this
cookbook
is
for
everyone
from
young
and
not
so
young
moms
to
grandmothers.
First
let
me
tell
you
how
the
cookbook
came
about.
Before
the
births
of
their
children
the
authors
were
accomplished
cooks
who
knew
their
way
around
a kitchen
with
confidence
and
finesse.
But
both
had
babies
who
loved
to
be
held.
When
faced
with
the
previously
simple
task
of
getting
dinner
on
the
table,
they
found
themselves
diminished
to
tears
with
an
overwhelming sense
of
inadequacy
and
completely
at
the
mercy
of
a person
just
under
2-feet
tall.
Graubart and Fliegel, adapting different strategies, found their way back to the kitchen. Several years passed before a book was born but the mothers gathered their favorite recipes and began weeding through them. They wanted recipes calling for a manageable list of ingredients that were easily obtained in the supermarket. They substituted convenience items without sacrificing workability or taste. No fancy culinary skills were required. They began testing and tasting and testing again, all with an eye on their kitchen timers and one arm behind their backs.
The result of their collaboration is The One-Armed Cook, a book that combines inspiration and informative narrative with more than 120 baby-holding, mom-tested, easy recipes. It is the first book to offer so many creative ideas for parents on preparing a family meal while keeping their children safe and entertained in the kitchen. (March 6, 2006)
Longview News-Journal
Conquer your kitchen By Glenn Evans
A couple of moms hope to lower parental stress levels with a new cookbook of
mealtime tips that negotiate a hurdle families must leap to reach a peaceful
bedtime: how to find time to make dinner when raising children. The
One-Armed Cook (Meredith Books; April 2005 $19.95) takes its name
from a phenomenon well-known to cooks who find themselves with a skillet in one
hand while nestling a baby on the other hip. In addition to 30-minute start-to-finish
recipes, the book by former television producer Cynthia Graubart and registered
nurse Catherine Fliegel offers a road map for planning and preparing dishes,
and gives advice on the necessary kitchen equipment and refrigerator essentials.
"It's really about changing the way that you look at that time of day, which is in and of itself a stressful time of day for anybody," Graubart told the Longview News-Journal in a phone interview from her Atlanta home. The former television producer, who launched national chef Natalie Dupree's series, New Southern Cooking, continually tours the country speaking to new parents.
Her co-author is a childbirth educator living in New York City, and a former Atlanta resident where she taught childbirth classes and honed a love of cooking that earned her the honor of being a prep cook for Julia Child and Burt Wolf in their television special, "An American Feast."
Now the two apply what they learned in the professional cooking world and tested in their roles as family cooks.
"I feel like we wrote a road map or a handbook to help them navigate this particularly challenging time in the kitchen," Graubart said. "If you can create a habit of this preparing and planning, this is going to cut a lot of stress out of your life. If you can take the stress out of the equation by having a plan, you're going to change how you feel about the dinner plan."
The goal is not to give parent cooks more time for themselves, but to show them how to create more time with their families.
"What we're about the most is wanting people to spend less time in the kitchen involved in preparing dinner, and more time with their families," author Graubart said. "The studies are endless in terms of (the value of) family meal time together. Thinking about dinner and preparing dinner does take time. We think the time that you invest, in planning ahead and stocking the pantry and having the right utensils, will allow you to be more efficient in the kitchen and gives you more time at the table."
The book recommends, for instance, making out a grocery list every week, specifying three or four main courses for dinners.
"Anytime you are going to make a main course dish, double the recipe and put one in the freezer," Graubart explained. "Having something in the freezer — labelled properly, that is — is like having money in the bank."
Those family dinners produce intangible benefits, said Heather Seidel of
Longview, who could identify with the notion of cooking with one arm full.
"That's exactly what happens to me every day of my life," said Seidel,
32, whose children are 19 months and 6 years old. We sit down at 6 o'clock
every evening. That's something my husband and I have decided is important,
and we're just going to do it."
Seidel, a registered nurse on maternity leave from Good Shepherd Medical Center, said the trick is to plan ahead and make the time to make those dinners happen. She said she would be very interested in reviewing tips by Graubart and Fliegel.
So would Sherry Kessing, 33, who tries to ensure that her family of six, including a 3-month-old and a toddler, sits down together at the same time every night. A healthy family dinner plays an integral role in the whole nighttime rhythm, she said. "The biggest thing is being organized," said Kessing, whose husband, Kevin, is president of Brenntag Southwest. "The biggest thing is to get it done and get it on the table."If you kind of can do it at the same time every night, it helps signal the routine. Dinner is a good signal. It does help with some of the nighttime activities."
Graubart said that's the goal she and Fliegel were trying to meet. "It isn't about creating more time for yourself," she said. "It's about reducing that end-of-the-day stress that we all feel. It's about the transition to being an evening parent." (March 01, 2006)
TCM-ca.com
Reviewed by Qetesh
This is a wonderful collection of easy and wholesome recipes that allows
you to prepare and cook homemade meals when life your life is hectic. This
book was written primarily for mothers who have recently had a baby. The
first few months after your baby arrives when you are exhausted, up around
the clock, and have a baby on your hip can be daunting for any new mother.
Shower? What is that? Baby spit up seems to be a new fashion accessory. The
last thing a new mom has on her mind is cooking homemade delicious meals
for her family. Two moms who decided to tackle this dilemma created this
book. This book breaks everything down into manageable lists so that the
expectant mom can easily prepare for what is needed ahead of time. There
are lists for how to stock your pantry, and how to fully stock your kitchen
to ease preparation and cooking time. They have wonderful tips on how to
cook ahead and freeze bulk meals. Almost all of the meals in this book take
10 to 15 minutes to prepare, and 30 minutes or less to cook. They are wonderful
comfort food recipes that have very diverse flavors that will tempt you and
not make you bored. The cookbook itself is sturdy and heavy with a large
spiral binder, which makes it open flat on a counter or stand. This would
be a wonderful gift for an expectant mother; I really wish this cookbook
had been around when my children were still small. This would also be a wonderful
cookbook to have on hand if you are a working mom, or anyone who has a hectic
lifestyle but loves to cook. The tips are wonderful and really work well
for any situation. (February 24, 2006)
Star-Telegram
Remember learning to cook? Can you imagine doing so with one hand tied behind
your back? That's what it's like for many new moms, and that's why there's
a new cookbook called The One-Armed Cook (Meredith
Books, $19.95). Written by former TV cooking-show producer Cynthia Stevens
Graubart and registered nurse Catherine Fliegel, the book helps mothers figure
out an efficient way to get meals together while tending kids. Inside the
fun guide are 120 recipes that can be prepared, as the authors say, "with
a whisk in one hand and a baby cradled in the other." (November
1, 2005)
USABookNews.com
A finalist in the "Best Book of 2005" Awards!
USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream
and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of
its "BEST
BOOKS 2005" AWARDS (BBA) on November 1, 2005. 250 winners and finalists
were announced in 60 categories covering print, audio, e-books and interactive
CD-ROMs. Awards were presented for titles published in 2005 and late 2004.
Jeffrey Bowen, president and publisher of USABookNews.com, said this year's contest
yielded an unprecedented number of over 1000 entries which were then narrowed
down to 250 winners and finalists. The finalist in the Cookbook category is The
One-Armed Cook by Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine
Fliegel, R.N., C.C.E., Meredith Books, ISBN: 0696226820. (November
1, 2005)
Top
Mamazdabomb.blogspot.com
No, it's not a story about a one armed chef...it's a guidebook and cookbook
for Moms who are always in the kitchen with a baby on the hip! Oh how I
wish this book had been written while I was pregnant with my first child...
it would have saved me a lot of time, money and frustration as I tried
to figure out how to get a hot nutritious meal on the table while holding,
nursing and bouncing a newborn. 4 kiddos later, I am loving the techniques,
tips and help in this book. One of the recipes is bubbling away in the
slow cooker as we speak. :)
The book is chock full of recipes but with a unique twist...everything (short
of pulling the hot casserole dish out of the oven, LOL) can be accomplished with
literally one hand! There is no chopping, no dicing, no difficult moves. And
the ingredients are all simple and can be found readily at every grocery store
(who has the energy or time to drive across town to the specialty stores with
a new baby?). The book even gives you step by step directions on how to plan
parties and small get-togethers. And after reading the suggestions, I'm ready
to tackle a Mommy brunch.
I only own two cookbooks and don't usually get excited enough about a new
one to buy it, but I was so impressed with The One Armed Cook,
I had to have it right away. Get your hands on The One Armed Cook if
you're sick to death of fast food, Chinese takeout or burned attempts at
dinner. You'll love it! (September 30, 2005)
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Toledo Blade (Ohio)
The grill and the blender may be your two best friends this
Labor Day. Backyard barbecuing and entertaining on Monday are possible
even if you are a new mother, a desperate housewife, or a dedicated dad.
With a grill, you can create a tasty holiday meal with ease. With a blender,
you can make several delicious dishes created by cookbook authors Cynthia
Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel in The One-Armed Cook (Meredith,
$19.95). Easy, simple recipes are the order of the day. Blender Coconut
Pie makes its own crust. It's easy to make and tastes good. Served warm,
it's delicious with a beautiful custard but it doesn't slice easily.
At room temperature, it firms up and holds quite well in the refrigerator.
Blender Chocolate Souffle and Blender Pecan Pie are also in the cookbook.
The authors include 120 baby-holding, mom-tested recipes. They recognized
the need to feed parents, other family members, and friends all while
juggling the needs of children.
Recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes. The authors also provide guidelines for kitchen safety; tips on supermarket and restaurant survival, and step-by-step instructions for entertaining, including 36 sample menus. There are seasonal menus, holiday menus, romantic dinners, and three weekend barbecue menus. One barbecue menu includes grilled tilapia, rice with dried fruits and nuts, cauliflower with tomatoes and feta, and pie.
Use your blender for thick and creamy milk shakes, fruit smoothies, or refreshing ice-blended drinks like margaritas. You can even make frozen coffees. Entertain or prepare a special holiday meal for your family using these simple recipes and seasonal foods. Thanks to your grill and your blender, it's easier than you may think. (August 30, 2005)
Pittsburgh Post Gazette (Pennsylvania)
"There I sat in the middle of the kitchen floor at 6 p.m. still in my
bathrobe, sobbing, cradling my 3-week-old son in my arms, wondering if he
was ever going to stop crying and if I was ever going to take a shower or
cook a meal again in this lifetime." So writes Cynthia Stevens Graubart
in the introduction to The One-Armed Cook, a cookbook
aimed at new parents. It's an anecdote that may cause flashes of chuckling
recognition in many parents who recall those first anxious weeks of parenthood.
She goes on to write, "I quickly adapted to life in the kitchen with
baby, but I was struck that no one was talking about just how hard this phase
of parenting really is." She decided it was her job to do so.
After the birth of her second child, she started taking notes about how she handled kitchen duty with kids -- and how she even managed to entertain friends and serve holiday meals. It was several years before she found time to write. At that point she asked friend Catherine Fliegel, who now lives in the New York City area but then lived near Graubart in Atlanta, to team up and help her stay focused so the book would get done. Fliegel's husband quips that "together, they make the perfect woman," so it was a natural partnership. It was also a partnership that yielded a spectrum of perspectives -- Graubart is an organizer, who plans menus and shops accordingly, while Fliegel is a seat-of-her-pants person who has learned to rely on a well-stocked pantry. Both perspectives are represented in the book's tips.
Those tips form a large part of the book. There are 67 pages of text before you ever see a recipe. They cover such topics as pre-baby preparation, equipping a kitchen, freezing meals for later, entertaining baby during meal preparation, eating in restaurants with a baby and having guests over (including a section on serving brunch with step-by-step instructions). They're helpful -- assuming you have time to read them. The authors write in the "preparation" chapter, "If you are reading this book while pregnant, GOOD FOR YOU!" -- because it's good to be prepared, but also presumably because you might not have time for a few months once baby makes his or her arrival!
The book is well-named; the authors say they did test the recipes one-handed, as though they were holding a baby on a hip, even though their children were no longer babies by the time they were writing. (Graubart's children are now 15 and 12; Fliegel's are 15, 13 and 8.) In the tips section, the authors warn against some things you should never do with a baby on your hip, such as putting a pan in the oven, and they offer ideas for entertaining baby at those times. They also note that you can do a lot more than you realize with a baby in one arm: open a can (if you use an electric can opener); open a jar (if you use an under-the-counter jar opener); open packages (if you use kitchen shears); use a hand mixer (if you use a rubber-bottomed mixing bowl).
But the book isn't just about convenience: The food had to taste good, too. "We're both foodies, and our husbands are snobs when it comes to food, too," Fliegel said. They combed their recipes for well-loved favorites, but in many cases they pared the recipes down a little, subbing convenience foods for some ingredients -- Italian-style diced tomatoes in place of plain diced tomatoes and several spices to measure; bags of frozen cooked meatballs in place of homemade. "And frozen chopped onions," Graubart raves. "They changed my life. You're not going to chop an onion with a baby on your hip, but you can use kitchen shears to open a bag of onions, and you don't lose that onion flavor."
The dishes had to pass family taste-tests before they were accepted for the book. The families often used Friday dinner to test four or five recipes, and everyone had to give each dish a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. There's a wide range of recipe styles in the book -- Asian, Caribbean, Southwestern. "This isn't '50 Ways to Make Chicken' -- there's plenty of variety," Graubart said.
The authors have been pleased with comments they've received. Graubart recently spoke to a mothers' group, where one woman said she'd used the cookbook's entire brunch menu, including the step-by-step instructions, to serve guests for her daughter's baptism. "It's a joy to be out there talking to moms and learning how we're helping them," said Graubart, a former television producer. In the cookbook acknowledgements, Fliegel, a nurse and certified childbirth educator, quipped that she "traded in my nursing uniforms for nursing bras" to become a stay-at-home mom. Yet she noted that the cookbook's audience has not been only moms. They've also taken a lot of cookbook orders from men who either run the kitchen or have taken over kitchen duty temporarily in the wake of baby's arrival. No matter who's cooking, "I believe strongly in sitting down to the table together as many nights as you can as a family," Graubart said. "And I think people will do that more if it's not a struggle to get from the kitchen to the table." That's where the authors hope their book will help. "Our goal," Fliegel says, "is to help people spend more time with their families and less time in the kitchen." (August 11, 2005)
Pittsburgh Post Gazette (Pennsylvania)
"The One-Armed Cook is going to take up permanent
residence on my cookbook shelf." My only problem is that it came into
my life a few months too late. Each time I've had a baby, I've stocked the
freezer with meals ahead of time. Then, with the house squeaky-clean after
a frenzy of nesting instinct, I've gone off to the hospital and come home
with a new little addition. Until the most recent child, who was born March
7 -- five weeks ahead of schedule. The closest I got to "nesting" was
having a frantic feeling and making a huge list the night before I went into
labor.
No food in the freezer. No groceries in the house. Laundry dirty in the hampers. I wanted to camp out in the hospital and let someone feed me off a tray for six weeks -- forget going home to that mess!
Family and friends came to the rescue with child care and meals and lots of help. But Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel, authors of The One-Armed Cook, recognize that for many parents, that's not the case. "Many people don't live near family, and their support structure is very small," Graubart said. Her own experience with her children made her feel as if she was "reinventing the wheel" -- trying to adapt to life with baby without a whole lot of advice on the subject. Even though I did have lots of help, I still could have used this cookbook because eventually, the meals from friends wore off and I had to get back in the kitchen.
This cookbook offers lots of options, depending on your particular style of navigating the kitchen with baby. There are soups, grilled entrees, quick-prep entrees, slow-cooked meals -- a bit of everything. For us, the grilled entrees may not get a lot of use for the first few years because our toddler wails and presses his face against the glass door when he sees us outside standing over the hot grill and we don't let him out, too. But we'll probably try every slow-cooked meal in the book, because that style of cooking lends itself well to our coping method in these babe-in-arms years: namely, starting dinner right after the breakfast dishes!
Which brings me to two tips I'd like to suggest in addition to those Graubart and Fliegel included in their book. First -- and you really have to be planning ahead for this one -- marry a man who doesn't mind leftovers! We manage cooking with kids by preparing a huge vat of something and then serving it for dinner about three or four nights in a row. (This is a variation on Graubart's favorite survival tip: making large quantities of a recipe so part can be thrown in the freezer for later. "It makes me feel like I've pulled one over on someone" to pull a great meal straight from the freezer, she jokes.) And second, as noted earlier, start cooking right after you clear the breakfast dishes. We usually make meals that can be prepared early in the day and then refrigerated until they're popped into the oven in the late afternoon -- or meals that are slow-cooked. That way we're not trying to navigate husband's return home, the end of nap time, baby's late-afternoon fussy time, baby's late-afternoon feeding and meal prep all at once.
That's how we've handled cooking with kids -- everyone finds a different way. But lately we're in a new mode: small baby and demanding toddler. What do you do when you have kids on both hips? We'd like to propose a sequel for Graubart and Fliegel: "The No-Armed Cook."
(Rebecca Sodergren is an Oakwood freelance writer.) (August 11, 2005)
"This Mama Cooks" blog
Oh how I needed this book when I had an infant in arms. Instead, I ate a
lot of cereal straight out of the box with my one free hand for lunch. For
dinner, I passed the baby to Big Bad Dad while I cooked. This would make
a great present for a new mom, a new stay-at-home mom, or any mom who's on
the lookout to make her time in the kitchen easier. (Good reader reviews
on Amazon.com, too.) (August, 2005)
Jezebel Magazine
For the busy mom, The One-Armed Cook is an absolute
treasure. Written by a local Atlanta mom, this book offers everything from
advice on adjusting to life with a baby to getting dinner on the table
with a baby on your hip. Packed with delicious yet easy recipes, no new
mom should be without this fabulous guide. $19.95, available at Barnes
and Noble. (August 2005)
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Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
Every parent who has tried to get dinner on the table while balancing a
fussy baby on the hip will appreciate the tips, guidelines, strategies
and quick recipes in The One-Armed Cook. (August
2, 2005)
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
And baby makes two in the kitchen. When the introduction says you won't have
to worry about fancy culinary skills for these recipes --- no peeling fruit
or dicing vegetables --- that's a tipoff that they're designed for ultimate
convenience. (July 7, 2005)
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Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio)
Recommended Reading: For any parent who feels as though a baby has become
an extension of the hip, and who hasn't done anything with both hands since
that baby was born, here's a cookbook. The One-Armed Cook (Meredith,
$19.95) is aimed at anyone who cooks for a young family, with recipes,
menus and game plans for success, including how to stock the pantry and
fill the freezer. There are even tips on getting yourself back into the
adult world by entertaining, including this one: "Invite only your
real friends over - those who already know how hectic life is and accept
you for who you are and how you live your life."
Blender coconut pie, which
bakes its own crust; overnight blueberry French toast; spinach, mushroom
and tofu soup; and broccoli slaw salad are among the easy recipes, many of
which take advantage of convenience foods. (July 6, 2005)
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NY Daily News (New York)
If you're a new mother, chances are you're reading this in a haze of blurry-eyed
exhaustion. Even if you don't stay awake long enough to finish, be sure
to ask someone close to you to pick up a copy of The One-Armed
Cook, a fine collection of super-simple recipes and easy
tips aimed at helping you ease back into the kitchen when you've got an
infant (and maybe a toddler, too).
Written by Cynthia Stevens Graubart, who was overwhelmed by kitchen responsibilities
when she had her first baby, and Catherine Fliegel, R.N., who met Cynthia
when their 2-year-old sons attended the same preschool, it's a clever and
reassuring collaboration. The pair tested and tasted - all the while keeping
their eye on their kitchen timers and one arm behind their backs. The book
is loaded with recipes that are in touch with the real world new moms face:
in other words, short ingredient lists, minimal instructions and no hard-to-track-down
ingredients.
Recipes are broken down by course, with introductory chapters on giving a dinner party, handling the holidays and entertaining, and how to cook ahead. There's even a chapter on how to throw a first birthday celebration - though if you're brand-new at parenthood, you may wonder if that day will ever roll around! With its 30 menus and variety of 30-minute-or-less meals, this handy, spiral-bound book would make a great gift for a baby shower or a new mom. Of course, if you want to make it a really special gift, bake something from the book (Italian pork chops or chicken cacciatore, for instance) and take that along, too. (July 3, 2005)
Lexington Herald (Kentucky)
Having a baby is a perfect time to establish a family dinnertime, and it's
not as difficult as it seems. Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel
offer tips and recipes in The One-Armed Cook. When
a baby comes along, it's time to cook. You can live as a single person and
a newlywed on take-out and restaurant food, but take-out is expensive, and
going out to eat those first few months is simply too much trouble.
Child psychologists and nutritionists preach the benefits of a family dinnertime ritual. Having a baby is a perfect time to establish a family dinnertime, and it's not as difficult as it seems. Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel offer tips and recipes in The One-Armed Cook: Quick and Easy Recipes, Smart Meal Plans, and Savvy Advice for New (and Not-So-New) Moms (Meredith, $19.95).
"Your baby will soon learn to expect the rhythm of the evening to include that quiet table time. Either on your shoulder, in a swing or in a bouncy seat, your little one will experience the social dynamics of conversation," the authors tell moms.
Both women are accomplished cooks and are accustomed to throwing ingredients together without measuring. When testing recipes they measured every ingredient, but the women remind new mothers that most of the recipes will succeed even if you don't measure precisely.
Safety is a key issue when cooking with a youngster in tow, so the authors include a section on kitchen safety. Learn their "tried and true kitchen coping skills" now, and you'll be set for the next baby.
The recipes in The One-Armed Cook offer variety
and include things you can take to a potluck or serve when you're brave enough
for dinner guests. The authors encourage expectant moms to add a slow cooker
to their baby shower wish lists. "It will be a lot more useful than a baby wipes
warmer," they said. (May 15, 2005)
