Beans and Rice

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Economical, easy-to-prepare family meals take on new flavor and flair
with the recipes in this attractive series. Ground beef, beans, and rice
are low-cost basics that appear frequently on dinner tables across
Canada. These books show the inexperienced or caught-in-a-rut homemaker
how a few slight changes, such as the addition of a sauce, a different
marinade, or a new combination of ingredients, can ease the transition
from monotonous to family-pleasing meals.

While the recipes may represent a slight upgrade for some cooking
styles, nothing too drastic or dramatic is demanded. Familiar
ingredients, very basic techniques, and no fussing are the underlying
principles. The books also promote budget stretching by giving new ideas
for using the three inexpensive staples (beans, rice, hamburger), alone
or in combination.

Sauces and Marinades includes, among others, cream, barbecue, basting,
cheese, and wine sauces, fruit sauces for meats, and simple but rich
dessert sauces. There are mild and hot marinades and a whole section on
meatball sauces. Beans and Rice focuses on soups, salads, casseroles,
dips, fillings, and desserts. There are dishes with Mexican and Asian
influences, along with a bean identification and cooking chart. Ground
Beef goes well beyond burgers and meat loaf, with more than 70 recipes
for imaginative variations of traditional dishes.

The series has the all-round high quality associated with Company’s
Coming publications. Directions are clear, beautifully presented, and
illustrated with great color photos. The books are easy to handle in the
kitchen. Lots of helpful hints and jokes make them interesting reading.