Can I Freeze It?: How to Use the Most Versatile Appliance in Your Kitchen

281 Pages·2007·2.83 MB·English

by  Susie Theodorou

Can I Freeze It?
How to Use the Most Versatile Appliance in Your Kitchen
Susie Theodorou
Photography by Deirdre Rooney
To my mother, grandmothers, and aunts—all wonderful cooks
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Perfect Freezing Every Time
Raw Freeze
Cook Once, Eat Twice
Cooking for a Crowd
Pastry
Sweets
Glossary
Searchable Terms
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher

acknowledgments
A cookbook, no matter how big or small, cannot be done without the help of
friends and colleagues—especially when one is a freelancer.
The biggest thank you must go to Beth Pilar and Deirdre Rooney. Beth, for
her patience and care in testing many of the recipes and for her honest
comments. Deirdre, for her guidance in art direction and beautiful photographs
for this book. I remember it was so, so hot during the shoots, but Deirdre and
Beth worked super-hard and with humor—there was no air-conditioning in the
studio! It was fun, but not always easy.
To Frigidaire, for the loan of a smart standup, frost-free freezer that was a
great help during the writing, testing, and photographing of the recipes for this
book.
To Staub USA Inc. and Le Creuset of America Inc. for the use of their beautiful
pots, cocottes, roasting dishes, wok, and grill pan used for testing the recipes and
in some of the photographs—thank you.
A big thank you to Jean Conlon, Clive Streeter, and Valerie Berry for the loan
of their studios for the shoots.
To my dear art-director friends, Matthew Axe and Scot Schy, who offered me
sound advice during the shoots. They listened to me on short notice—most
appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you so much to my family of friends in New York who put up with the
dinner parties in my non-air-conditioned apartment, where shamelessly I pushed
my recipes on them. All your comments were taken on board.
To Jane Druker, Bill Tikos, and Liz Marcy for helping me get this book off the
ground, into a project, and finally a book. Thank you.
To Level for their design—I am very happy our paths have crossed.
And finally, thank you to Harriet Bell for believing in this idea, and to
everyone at HarperCollins who has guided me through the stages of producing a
book.
introduction
In many homes, the freezer is nothing more than a place to display family photos
and children’s artwork, attached with a collection of magnets. Or, worse still, the
freezer can be a dusty repository in the basement or garage to which too-good-
to-pass-up supermarket bargains are consigned, never to be used.
Can I Freeze It? will help you transform your freezer into the most essential
appliance in your kitchen, allowing you to prepare family meals as well as dishes
for entertaining well ahead of time. If the cupboard is bare, at least the freezer
will be full of make-ahead meals, sweet and savory frozen pies, and other dishes.
“Can I freeze it?” is the question I’m most often asked when giving out
recipes. This book explains what you can and can’t freeze successfully and
offers lots of recipes that show how to use your freezer to its best advantage. On
the other hand, this isn’t an encyclopedic guide to preparing and freezing
seasonal fruits and vegetables from the garden or farmers’ market. You will find
information on how to make the most of your freezer space, how to freeze foods
effectively, and most of all how to prepare dishes for the freezer without it
becoming a chore.