Foreword
When I was a little girl, going to the grocery store was a big adventure. My
Grandma Lorraine would settle my sister Cindy in the front of the cart,
with me standing eagerly in back, and off we’d go, wheeling up and down the
aisles in search of bargains we could whip up into fun family meals. Over the years,
Grandma taught me which foods were pantry staples, which ones were comfort
foods and which ones were pure luxury. I learned that eating well was possible
on any budget, if you’re thoughtful about the foods you buy and combine them
creatively to make the ordinary extraordinary.
All those trips to the store are among my most cherished childhood memories,
so it seems fitting that they evolved into the cornerstone of my unique Semi-Homemade® philosophy. Quality convenience products have always been the
main ingredient in my 70/30 formula: Mix 70 percent ready-made products with
30 percent fresh foods, add a dash of your own creativity and take 100 percent of
the credit for a meal that’s fresh, fast and fabulous!
I love Costco because it does 70 percent of the work for you. Choice cuts of
meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen foods and pantry staples put all the
ingredients of a nutritious meal right at your fingertips. It’s a smart shopper’s
dream: gourmet chocolates just begging to be melted into a silky sauce; exotic-tasting syrups and spices ready to layer into a rich marinade or a savory rub;
scrumptious store-bought desserts waiting for your personal embellishments.
Best of all, it’s right there in one place, everything you need to get a week’s
worth of meals on the table fast.
Think of cooking as a great adventure, filled with new things to try, new tastes
to explore and new flavor combinations just waiting to be discovered. This
cookbook, In the Kitchen The Costco Way, is the perfect place to start your
explorations.
Eat well. Live well. Cheers to a happy, healthy life!
Costco member Sandra Lee’s latest books are Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals, Desserts 2 and
Fast-Fix Family Favorites. For more about Sandra, her recipes and her Semi-Homemade philosophy, see
www.SemiHomemade.com.
