Gale Gand's Lunch!

April 21, 2014
Lunch is an often-underrated meal, but in her newest book acclaimed Chicago chef and TV personality Gand gives it her full attention. Gand, writing with Matheson, starts out with simple, nutritious snacks like baked kale chips; crispy roasted chickpeas; and homemade banana chips. Gand’s “Sammies” include recipes for the a turkey reuben; Cuban sandwich; and lobster roll. Comfort food favorites like potato leek soup and chicken and dumpling dominate the Soup chapter, while internationally inspired dishes rule the section on appetizers like Thai summer rolls and grilled tuna with cucumber wasabi salsa. Gand’s main course salad options include the undeniably appealing slow-roasted salmon Niçoise salad. Also covered are vegetable salads and sides, fruits, desserts, and drinks. Gand delivers a solid collection of popular, if typical, lunchtime dishes with something for everyone. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary.

February 15, 2014

Celebrity chef Gand (Chocolate and Vanilla) has written several excellent dessert books, and in newer titles she's explored topics such as easy entertaining and home cooking. Written with Matheson, her collaborator on Gale Gand's Brunch! 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal, Gand's latest cookbook covers all the components of a homemade gourmet lunch: snacks (parmesan-black pepper popcorn, hummus), entrees (lobster roll, panko-crusted chicken), desserts, and accompaniments. Most recipes suggest pairings for packed lunches, meals at home, and parties. VERDICT Like Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mad Hungry Cravings, this collection can help foodie families resist the urge to go for takeout.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2014
Chicagoans will say, Too long gone, and welcome restaurateur-chef Gand back. Former owner of what she calls a downtown fancy-pants restaurant and a north suburban coffee shop, Gand has transitioned away from the bling and into the serving of substantial midday meals. We get a glimpse of her present life in the introductory snippets for each of the 150 recipes; plus, we occasionally stumble across more famous culinary names like Paul Kahan, of Avec. She's no slouch, this two-time James Beard Award winner; every dish hews to her philosophy of delicious, nourishing, and seasonally sourced foodstuffs, geared to kids and adults alike. Now that, as she points out, lunch has become (or is becoming) the new dinner, anything goes, including crispy roasted chickpeas, chipotle-cheddar biscuits, grilled hanger steak with arugula, the ultimate PB&J, matzo ball soup, three-beet salad with snap peas, or Everything Cookies. Few require more than a page of directions (and she doesn't hesitate to use store-bought items, like pita chips and dough). Plus, each features, as sidebars, notes about accompaniments.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)