Library Journal
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A milestone birthday prompted award-winning actress, author, and Food Network star Bertinelli (Valerie's Home Cooking) to reexamine the role food played in her life. After much reflection, she concluded that it was time to ditch her adversarial approach to eating and to instead "indulge in the entire experience of cooking." This newfound culinary joy is superbly reflected in the collection of recipes for feel-good, classic dishes that are the heart and soul of this splendid cookbook. Bertinelli dishes up everything from the quintessential tuna salad sandwich to roasted-tomato soup with garlic bread croutons to four-cheese baked ziti, with each recipe laid out in a clear and easy-to-follow format. Sprinkled throughout the cookbook are a collection of essays on topics like "Planning a Menu" or "Dinner for One" that reinforce the hard-won culinary wisdom Bertinelli has acquired and now wishes to share with readers. VERDICT Few home cooks will be able to resist indulging in Bertinelli's latest book, which exhibits the same non-cheffy, warm, welcoming approach to cooking found in Ina Garten's and Rachael Ray's equally popular cookbooks.—John Charles