reviews by Bob Walch — January, 2011

Practical Green Remodeling

(Taunton Press, 240 pages, $24.95), by Barry Katz

Going green can be a daunting challenge if you already have an older home and want to just make some changes. Practical Green Remodeling takes a lot of the stress out of redoing a room — or changing your entire house into a structure that showcases green principles.

Suggesting “down-to-earth solutions for everyday homes,” the author offers a step-by-step approach that will enable you to transform your existing home into one that incorporates the green lifestyle. Predicated on what the author calls “the three fundamentals of green remodeling” — energy efficiency, resource conservation, and healthy living environments — the ideas Katz presents will help you intelligently plan a green makeover.

The discussion begins with how to create a tight thermal envelope utilizing the correct insulation techniques, double pane windows, and radiant roof barriers. Next, you’ll discover some of the latest technology in efficient water, cooling and heating systems. This chapter is followed by a look at ways to achieve greater savings in water, electricity and gas consumption.

In the book’s next section, called “Sticks and Stones,” you’ll find a listing of various types of green building materials and how each one performs. The listing ranges from outside options for siding to indoor countertops, floors and walls.

Along with a look at the choices available to impact a home’s overall green quotient, the book is also filled with lots of pictures that show the products, plan designs and finished results of each green project.

This is the ideal guide for someone who has been thinking about going greener but isn’t exactly sure where to begin. After reading Practical Green Remodeling you’ll have a whole slate of ideas on where to start and how to approach each element of your home makeover.

Fix, Freeze, Feast

(Storey Publishing, 250 pages, 14.95), by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik

This book explains how to create home-cooked meals each evening even if your busy schedule might make such a goal seemingly impossible.

The trick is to prepare everything ahead of time so that it is waiting in the refrigerator when you get home. Transfer the frozen entrée from the freezer to the fridge so it can safely thaw during the day. Then just pop it into the oven or microwave and in minutes there’s a delicious and nourishing meal ready for you and your family.

The recipes featured here are lighter and fresher than traditional bulk-cooking recipes, with a focus on simple stir-fries, quick grilled or broiled main courses, popular ethnic dishes, soups, side dishes and ready-to-bake cookie doughs.

You’ll find straightforward and flexible meal organization plans with sample shopping lists and prep techniques that will make these 125 recipes a snap to prepare. The author also includes space-saving techniques for your freezer, labeling instructions and tools, and specific heating instructions for each recipe.

Desserts 4 Today

(Taunton Press, 192 pages, $17.95), by Abigail Johnson Dodge

Here are 125 scrumptious dessert recipes that are a breeze to make. Why? Because they only use four ingredients. Simple, sophisticated and satisfying are the key words that describe these sweet delights that will have your family and friends convinced that you are a culinary genius.

Divided into five sections — cookies, creamy desserts, frozen desserts, fruit desserts, and pastry desserts — the ingredients for these mouthwatering recipes can easily be located in any grocery store if you don’t already have them in the kitchen pantry.

Whether you go for eye-appealing desserts like the Crushed Raspberry-Mascarpone Whip, White Chocolate Haystacks, Red Berry-Vanilla Ice Cream Bombe, or for something simple but satisfying like the Mocha Rocky Road Pie or Peppermint Meringue Kisses, these flavorful goodies are guaranteed to put smiles on the faces of everyone sitting around your table. Just make sure you make enough for seconds!