"At last, a how-to book [on parenting] that has depth as well as offering excellent, practical advice." (Stanley Turecki, M.D., Author of The Difficult Child and Normal Kids Have Problems Too

"A superb handbook for parents: humane, reassuring, practical. Thirty years ago when I was a young mother, Dr. Spock was on my bedside table. If I were that mother today, The Pocket Parent would be there, as well as in my purse, my car, and anywhere else I could consult it at a moment's notice." (Carolyn Newberger, Ed,D., (Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology, Harvard medical School)

"Written in a positive compassionate tone and sprinkled with personal anecdotes, this invaluable compendium offers expert wisdom for positively shaping children's behavior while strengthening family bonds." (Marianne Neifert, M.D., "Dr Mom", Contributing Editor to Parenting Magazine)

Fast is, of course, a relative term, and readers will find more than a few dishes in the book that may require more time or attention than they're willing to spend on a daily basis. But overall, the book offers enough easily made recipes, and super-time-saving formulas, like Instant Vegetable Soup, to make it a true cooking resource. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly
Longtime fans of Pepin may cherish their copies of La Méthode, a gorgeously lush cookbook that devotes pages to his elaborate knife technique. But no one can accuse Pepin of falling behind the times. If the great French chef and popular peer to the late Julia Child misses the days of food as elaborate edible sculpture, he's keeping it to himself, cheerfully hosting a PBS series (Fast Food My Way) and now penning this companion book. "More often than not, I prefer simple, straightforward food that can be prepared quickly," Pepin swears, and most of the recipes stick to that statement, sometimes to excess: recipes that do little more than suggest readers add boiling water to couscous or try microwaving their potato probably add little to the repertoire of even minimally experienced chefs. The cookbook's best sections take traditional French food—braised endive, beef stew—and show readers how to skip steps to achieve a different but similarly pleasing result. Although Pepin has always packaged himself brilliantly, some of his recipe names could use a redesign: Soupy Rice and Peas hardly stimulates the appetite, and Tomato Tartare with Tomato Water Sauce actively turns it off. Other charming recipes, however, invoke the same aspirational lifestyle that older, elaborate cookbooks do, but with a different spin: Pepin says his recipe for Banana Bourbon Coupe was just something he whipped up one afternoon fresh off the slopes, making the best of the few ingredients on hand. French cooking, Pepin reminds us, is not just a matter of technique; it's a matter of chic.
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