A Slob in the Kitchen

From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Karen "Duff" Duffy's straightforward voice and offbeat sense of humor will be delighted by this book, which mixes recipes and entertaining tips with a bit of celebrity name-dropping and plenty of cooking tips and terminology. The former model, MTV VJ and Revlon spokeswoman shares recipes ranging from incredibly easy (the bulk of the book's offerings) to fairly tricky. Duffy isn't concerned with fat, calorie or carb content—butter, eggs, sugar and salt figure prominently in most recipes, and she begins the "Breadwinners" section by proclaiming, "Forget the Atkins diet." Among the simple, hearty dishes are Chicken Lime Soup with Tortillas, and Roasted Mashed Sweet Potatoes. A mother herself, Duffy also features clever kid-friendly recipes, such as Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi. Her cooking advice is sound, and the glossary, equipment list and produce notes at book's end are useful. Although Duffy's humor does get a bit wearying, readers will surely warm to many of her suggestions (e.g., cooking eggs "Karaoke Style"), and find themselves fascinated by Duffy's recipe for "Gravy-Scented Candles," which aid nicely in Duffy's mission: looking like you "tried" by exerting only minimal effort in the kitchen. You may not need to be a perfectionist to be a superstar homemaker, but Duffy wants others to think you sure tried hard. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap
Are you looking for a cookbook that will challenge your kitchen skills and food knowledge, spurring you on to ever greater feats of culinary leger-demain with creations that will leave your guests gasping in astonishment and weeping with gratitude? A Slob in the Kitchen, then, is not the book for you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a cookbook that acknowledges that the best recipes are those that get you in and out of the kitchen unscathed and produce something that tastes exactly like food—you’ve found your new bible.

A Slob in the Kitchen is a book “for the host who isn’t afraid to crack a few eggs, crack a few jokes, throw a few curves, cut a few corners, and have a few laughs,” says self-proclaimed slob Karen Duffy. Her wisenheimer cooking primer provides nearly two hundred simple and completely approachable recipes that are so foolproof even a monkey could make them, yet are good enough to serve anytime, anywhere.

Need some easy eats for a cocktail get-together? Try Buffalo-Style Shrimp or Fiesta Like There Is No Manaña Guacamole. Have hungry kids to appease? Throw them some Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi or let them burn off some energy with Kick-the-Can Ice Cream. In a retro mood? Check out the selection of Kitsch-en Classics for Spinach Quiche, just like Mom used to serve her bridge club. These recipes may not win you a spot on Iron Chef, but they will put a smile on the face of everyone you serve them to—and isn’t that why you cook in the first place? With Duffy as your guide you’ll be turning out soups, salads, entrées, desserts, and more—all without breaking a sweat or setting foot in a fancy-pants gourmet grocery. You’ll even pick up some cooking shortcuts and fun food trivia that make the whole process of getting food on the table that much more enjoyable.

So if you’re finally ready to put down that takeout menu, toss the frozen entrées, and pick up a wooden spoon, take heart: A Slob in the Kitchen is the culinary Rosetta stone you’ve been waiting for, an empowering and entertaining introduction to the pleasures of presenting homemade fare without the angst.

About the Author
Karen Duffy has worked as an actress, model, journalist, and MTV veejay. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Model Patient: My Life As an Incurable Wise-Ass. She lives in New York City and Connecticut with her husband and son.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
summer roasted tomato soup


To eat ripe seasonal tomatoes is to taste perfection. Take it from this Jersey Tomato who grew up in the Garden State: The lush taste of a sun-warmed tomato is vastly superior to the flaccid, empty taste of one out of season. My favorite summer sandwich is sliced tomato sprinkled with sea salt on squishy white bread.

Make this recipe when you have an abundance of red, ripe tomatoes; otherwise, try the winter version of this recipe on the next page.

. . .

Toss a few pounds of tomatoes, cored and sliced into wedges, with a liberal amount of olive oil. Add some chopped garlic and a sprinkling of fresh thyme and rosemary. Place in a roasting pan in a 400°F. oven for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. When the tomatoes break down, the garlic is soft, and the dish smells divine, it's done. Remove from the oven.

In a heavy stockpot, sauté a minced red onion in olive oil until translucent. Then add the roasted tomatoes to the pot. Cover with 6 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. With an immersion stick blender, purée the soup, giving it a series of pulses to pulverize the tomatoes and break down the skins and seeds. Serves 6


winter roasted tomato soup


Just so you know, once a soup has gone wrong anything you might add to rescue it will only make it worse. This is a simple soup, so don't monkey with it too much; the beauty is in its simplicity.


1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, whole or chopped, drained
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Fresh rosemary to taste
Fresh thyme to taste
Olive oil
1 medium red onion, minced
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream (optional)

Place the drained tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a baking dish, splash with oil, and roast at 400°F. for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

In a stockpot, heat some more olive oil and sauté the onion. Add the tomato mixture and cover with the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes. If you felt like cream of roasted tomato soup, now would be the time to gently stir in the cup of heavy cream.

You can serve it like this, chunky style, or purée it-whatever you feel like. Serves 6



slob smarts: Always wash the top of a can before opening it. Many grocers spray the shelves with pesticides.


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Fans of Karen "Duff" Duffy's straightforward voice and offbeat sense of humor will be delighted by this book, which mixes recipes and entertaining tips with a bit of celebrity name-dropping and plenty of cooking tips and terminology. The former model, MTV VJ and Revlon spokeswoman shares recipes ranging from incredibly easy (the bulk of the book's offerings) to fairly tricky. Duffy isn't concerned with fat, calorie or carb content-butter, eggs, sugar and salt figure prominently in most recipes, and she begins the "Breadwinners" section by proclaiming, "Forget the Atkins diet." Among the simple, hearty dishes are Chicken Lime Soup with Tortillas, and Roasted Mashed Sweet Potatoes. A mother herself, Duffy also features clever kid-friendly recipes, such as Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi. Her cooking advice is sound, and the glossary, equipment list and produce notes at book's end are useful. Although Duffy's humor does get a bit wearying, readers will surely warm to many of her suggestions (e.g., cooking eggs "Karaoke Style"), and find themselves fascinated by Duffy's recipe for "Gravy-Scented Candles," which aid nicely in Duffy's mission: looking like you "tried" by exerting only minimal effort in the kitchen. You may not need to be a perfectionist to be a superstar homemaker, but Duffy wants others to think you sure tried hard. (July) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.


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