Editorial Review

Though it drinks deep of its subject, Karen MacNeil's Read more

Reviews (45)

I Love It
I have three wine books, and this is the one I turn to the most. Granted, I don't have an atlas, and I am very new to the world of wine; nevertheless, this book is not only packed with information, it is an engaging and pleasurable read.
Fun, useful and amazingly accurate
Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible is so ambitious that it seems almost impossible for it to succeed. This book is first of all an encyclopedia, so it sets out to be comprehensive and it succeeds. Almost every bit of knowledge that isn't about a particular vintage can be found here. Remarkably, for an encyclopedia, many of theentries are quite detailed. I was particularly impressed by the section on Austrian and Italian wines (I've spent a fair amount of time in both countries).
One of a kind
After having reviewed a number of other books on the subject of wine, this publication takes the understanding of wine to a level easily understood by all.I have it in my kitchen for quick reference and use it for futures purchases as well as a quick understanding as to where the wine and grapes utilized in the wine came from.Maps and diagrams in the text are crystal clear and the text is written for easy understanding.This is a book I simply can't do without.Matter of fact, I have a copy in our Chicago home as well as our Florida home because it is that important to our wine purchases as well as understanding the history of wine and from whence it comes.It is truly best of breed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Reference    5. Wine and wine making    6. COOKING / Reference    7. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    8. Reference works    9. Wines   

Editorial Review

Most diners believe that their sublime sliver of seared foie gras, topped with an ethereal buckwheat blini and a drizzle of piquant huckleberry sauce, was created by a culinary artist of the highest order, a sensitive, highly refined executive chef. The truth is more brutal. More likely, writes Anthony Bourdain in Read more

Reviews (465)

kitchen confidential
Rairly have I read a book that I hate.This is it!Not only is it not funny but it is insulting to anyone who would sit in his dining room.Tony's fan base just lost one.

Extremely well-written
Anthony Bourdain is a person I would be friends with if I knew him.He's cynical, he's blunt and he loves food.
Perfect
I love this book!!! I worked in the restaurant business for 10 years. Now that I have a "real job", I find myself missing the crazy work hours of reataurant life. I miss the people, because really, restaurant people are like no other. You either belong in the business or you don't.
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Bourdain, Anthony    6. Cooking    7. Cooking / Wine    8. Cooks    9. Essays    10. General    11. New York    12. New York (State)    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Biography: general   

Subjects:  1. Food Industry Services    2. Restaurants    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York    7. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    8. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    9. New York    10. Restaurant & pub guides   

Reviews (2)

This is a great cookbook!
I don't cook, but I have found Ms. Alexander's recipe's to be easy to follow and very tasty too! I can't believe that they are low cal and low fat, because they are very high in taste!

Easy , Delicious, Healthy Meals!I Highly Recommend!
Last year I weighed 530 pounds. After being inspired by the TV show The Biggest Loser, I have lost 140 pounds so far. I still have about 200 more pounds to go. I KNOW that with recipes and meals like the ones featured in this book, that I will be able to reach my weight loss goals. The thing that I appreciate most about this cookbook is that the recipes are simple and easy to follow. I am a bachelor and am not an experienced cook but this book makes me look like a pro. I have been asked by so many people how I've lost the amount of weight that I have. The answer is simple...eat less (make healthier food choices and portion control), move more (daily exercise) and drink lots of water. The Biggest Loser has shown me how to lose my weight - The Biggest Loser Cookbook is helping to keep me going!! PS The Blueberry Pancakes are out of this world! Yumm!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Health & Healing - Weight Control    5. Recipes    6. Reducing diets    7. Cooking / Dietary   

Reviews (49)

Bring it on!
A refreshing author, an innovative book and a marvelous concept.If you want something as good as it gets, then get something good.Dive whole heartedly into these meals -- and bring it on!
My new favorite cookbook
I am always surprised to hear people say they don't like Ray's books.I have most of them, and everything I have ever made has been wonderful.I am an "accomplished cook" like one of the other reviewers, but instead of finding the cookbook full of cute stuff, I find that it is the perfect antidote to my insanely hectic days as a teacher. (We don't get home at 3--just an aside!!) I bought the few items I didn't already have from the suggested "keep on hand" list, and even on the nights that I haven't planned ahead, I can make a quick, healthy, tasty meal using one of her recipes.And as for the "methods" Ray always talks about, they've saved my exhausted self on many a day--got some beans, pasta, broth/stock, a few spices, garlic and onions?Some veggies? You've got dinner!(In way less than 30 minutes.)
No thank you...
Healthy? I don't think so. Every meal she uses a lot of olive oil, butter, and salty additives. then writing a recepie for "Hamburger Salad" Basically garden greens from a bag, and a couple fried hamburger patties placed on top of the greens, with cheese on it. Oh my...Quick, easy and "Healthy" meals. I don't think so. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Quick & Easy    5. Quick and easy cookery    6. Cooking / General   

Reviews (97)

I love this book
I have had this book for two weeks and I love every recipe I have tried. I had run out of ways to cook chicken and this has given me so many new and exciting things to do with it.
Yummy
Tasty, easy recipes along with Rachel's great chatty humor and down-to-earthness!! For simple but delicious comfort food, this is the book for you!! My 5 year old granddaughter always wants to know if it's time for Rachel!!!!

A must for engaged couples!
Add this to your shopping list for engaged couples -- for bridal showers, engagement gifts, or just as a gift during the stressful planning process. You'll give them the gift of prepping for marriage, nurturing and spoiling each other, domestic bliss times, and the relationship-bonding experience of cooking together. Rachael's recipes are fantastic, easy to create, and a great gift for couples who are either experienced or beginners in the kitchen. I highly recommend this as a top pre-wedding gift, and brides and grooms should register for it as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Health & Healing - General    4. Low-carbohydrate diet    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Recipes    7. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Reviews (1)

Worth the Purchase
"In Great Taste" is a pretty book to look through, with photos of some of the recipes scattered throughout the book.It has doable recipes for cooks of all experience levels--from the 6 ingredient Lemon Chicken recipe and the easy to make "Almond Bread", to more extensive recipes like Cioppino and Steamed Veal and Parsley with Crispy Artichokes (okay, that one I won't make because I don't think any one who understands veal would eat it, but that's personal preference).There are also included more exotic offerings, yet still simple to make, including desserts from La Tulipe and the Waldorf.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery (Natural foods)    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Health & Healing - General    6. Menus    7. Cooking / General   

Editorial Review

On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such as Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly line to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the counter with the overworked and underpaid teenage workers, onto the factory farms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the slaughterhouses run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why those French fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest flavor company) and "what really lurks between those sesame-seed buns." Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there is--literally--feces in your meat. Read more

Reviews (1313)

Easy to get lost
If you like fact reading, you'll like this.I thought he was to discriptive and went on and on and on about nonsense. Some of the info was really good, but it was hard to stay focused and really take it all in.I found my mind wondering and thinking about other things.

Like a guilty little trip to the corner Mickey D's
Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation" is a thorough if somewhat slanted analysis of the fast food industry.The author hooks the reader early with sweeping invectives against the titans of fast food.Before you can say "Supersize Me," you've learned that Ray Kroc and his cronies are responsible for the homogenization of global culture, the spread of E. coli and other deadly pathogens, the obesity of America's children, and the exploitation of the unskilled masses.Take a deep breath - that's just the intro.
Top-notch Journalism
The author brings a high level of professionalism to his story about the growth of the fast food industry and the consequences of its ruthless pursuit of profits.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Convenience foods    3. Corporate & Business History - General    4. Fast food restaurants    5. Food Industry Services    6. Food industry and trade    7. History    8. History: American    9. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    10. Nutrition    11. Social History    12. Sociology - General    13. United States    14. United States - General   

Reviews (1)

A "MUST HAVE" for any Botanical Art Enthusiast or Artist
This book, illustrated by Marilena Pistoia, is an invaluable addition to the library of botanical artists or lovers of botanical art. There are 110 paintings depicting 400 plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices...all beautifully painted and reproduced. Some of the fruits are so realistic they almost make your mouth water. Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Food crops    3. Life Sciences - Botany    4. Pictorial works    5. Plants, Edible    6. Science    7. Non-Classifiable    8. Sale Books   

Editorial Review

If you want to learn about wines of the world and advance your comprehension of wine production, grape varieties, appellations, and individual wineries, understand the factors (such as location, soil, climate, and methods of viticulture) that affect the taste and nose, and visit your wine shop with a list of quality wines to explore, Tom Stevenson is the man to read. Author of 12 books (includingRead more

Reviews (15)

Fantastic Reference
This bood gave detailed notes about many of the wineries I was looking for an objective rating/score by an independent source.
In-depth details about every wine-growing region from traditional to new - including those of emerging areas
If only one wine reference encyclopedia is to be purchased, The Southeby's Wine Encyclopedia: The Classic Reference To The Wines Of The World should surely be a strong contender: it's now in its 4th edition, has been fully updated, and is the only single volume that maps and provides in-depth details about every wine-growing region from traditional to new - including those of emerging areas. Each region receives an analysis of appellations, taste and quality, winning producers, and offerings. Add rating systems, small color photos of labels and vineyard descriptions and you have a real winner.
A Feast For Oenophiles
When I first reviewed this book, I must have been on crack. I gave it four stars, but accused it of leaving out "almost unforgivable" information. Looking through it again, I'm shaking my head, wondering if I was looking at a different book, perhaps Curious George, or Fox on Socks. The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia has information that is unavailable in any other credible book on wine.
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Encyclopedias    5. Wine And Wine-Making    6. Wine Buying Guides    7. Wine and wine making    8. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Editorial Review

Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann's Read more

Reviews (35)

Rice Cooker Size?
I just purchased a Sanyo Micron 3.5 cooker-it's just for 2 of us. Would this book be helpful or is it geared to large quantities? Thanks

Am I missing something?
Maybe my Zoji neurofuzzy (NS-ZCC10) is defective, but I can't do with it what these authors say I should be able to do.
Great, But Not Foolproof
While I love this cookbook, I'm going to tell you about the problems so you can get better results from it.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Special Appliances    5. Specific Ingredients - Rice & Grains    6. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Reviews (18)

Pink Plaid Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book
This is a wonderful cookbook and I use it on a regular basis.I have given it to my daughters and a friend who was crazy of it.

Awesome Cookbook
I purchased this cookbook elsewhere a few months ago and I thought it was so good that I ended up purchasing two more copies from Amazon for my mom and mother-in-law.I couldn't find this cookbooke anywhere but here.Thanks for making my purchase and delivery easy!!

pink Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
Wonderful cookbook as to be expected from Homes & Gardens! The bonus is the color pink that matches my kitchen! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. General    6. Cooking / General   

Reviews (16)

You've got to read this book!
I received this book as a gift. There are quite a few books on this subject on the market and this one is the best. I too could not put it down and finished it in 3 days. It's a huge book, a great resource that is well researched and written.. I have a few friends who've purchased this book and really loved it too. I can highly recommend this book.
Realistic, commonsense plan
I just got this book after searching for a plan that would work for me and my boyfriend.We are both average in weight and only need to drop 15 pounds which isn't outrageous, but our current lifestyle is clearly not conducive to that.I love to cook, but I don't want to struggle every night after work trying to make dishes that are confusing and frankly, sound gross.This book offers a structured plan that takes the guesswork out of shopping and many of the dishes are healthier versions of familiar favorites.One person here commented that some of the recipes don't seem heart healthy because they include trans-fats.Yes, there is a menu item titled "glazed doughnut" and one titled "bacon biscuit".But if you look at the entire 2 week menu, it is an exception to the rule.Let's face it, like many of us my boyfriend goes to an office that brings in breakfast Every Friday.At least it's built into the plan that, yes, Friday morning you can have a doughnut but then steers you back throughout the rest of the day.And what about the meetings where they pass around a menu and say, "pick something from this sandwich shop because we are having a lunch meeting"?Thankfully, the AHA has built these scenarios into the plan as well and suggests lower fat/lower calorie options.For working professionals, this book is great.I'm not going prepare elaborate homemade lunches and snacks everyday to take to work (one book called for soba noodles with peanut-tofu sauce and miso soup...I'm not making that at 5 a.m.!).Graham crackers, fruit, carrots and bean dip, though are do-able snacks and much better choices than whatever is in the vending machine.
Heart Healthy
Excellent book.Gives background information about a heart healthy diet and some excellent recipes.I love it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Diet/Nutrition    3. Diets - General    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health & Healing - Heart    6. Reducing diets    7. Weight loss    8. Health & Fitness / Diets   

Reviews (15)

Time saver for a busy medical student!
I'm a pre-clinical medical student, and often don't have time to mess around with dinner when I get home, especially during exam times.Using this book, I've been able to eat really well on the one night's worth of cooking I did at the beginning of the semester!I tried the spinach lasagna and beef stroganoff recipes this time around, and have been really happy with both of them.I find that I want to alter the recipes a little bit, but I think that has more to do with my needs and tastes than any problem with the recipes themselves.
Yumo!!!!!
I have done Dream Dinners numerous times & have also frozen my own meals from time to time.I've tried numerous other cookbooks but none compared to the recipes this one had to offer.They were similar to the Dream Dinners meals in my opinion.I attempted to put some in the freezer this weekend & am happy to say I spent about 3 hours & was able to sock away 10 meals.So far we are very happy with the results.I will definitely be grabbing this cookbook again.

FANTASTIC!
I absolutely love this cookbook!The recipes are fantastic and simple to prepare, yet taste like you spent more time on them.I like the fact that even the preparation to them to the freezer isn't very involved.As a working mother of 2 under 2, this is a necessity.I'm recommending it to all my friends.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery (Frozen foods)    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Make-ahead cookery    5. Methods - General    6. Methods - Quick & Easy    7. Quick and easy cookery   

Reviews (88)

Sublime!
This cookbook is amazing.The author is a genius on how to get foods that are equal to or better than their egg-and-dairy counterparts. Love it love it love it!

I've got more vengeance than you can shake a stick at
When I first checked this book out from the library I did something that I've never done with a cookbook before--I sat down and just read it. The author is so entertaining, witty, and engaging that I just liked reading the recipe descriptions, punk points, tips from Fizzle the cat, and litte vignettes that are woven into the book.
Fabulous!!!
Although not a Vegan, I highly recommend this book to everyone and anyone. First, whether or not you are vegan, I am certain that several recipes from this book will become favorites of yours as they did for me. In addition, this book would have stood on its own as a book of stories. If you want to laugh out loud as I did while reading this book on the bus on my way to work, simply check out the stories written in the introduction, before each section and preceding each recipe as well as Ms. Moskowitz' punk points and 'Fizzle Says:' paragraphs. Great recipes for every meal of the day and scrumptious desserts for any time. No matter what your age,gender, musical inclinations or dietary preferences, this is a cookbook for all.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Reference    4. Vegetarian - General    5. Vegetarian cookery    6. Cooking / Reference    7. Vegan cookery   

Editorial Review

Very rarely does going slow save time, but that's exactly what happens when slow cookers are involved. There's nothing easier than prepping the night before and then turning on the cooker in the morning, so that when you return home from work, dinner is hot and waiting to be enjoyed. That's why cooks in a hurry will welcome Read more

Reviews (38)

Betty does not let you down.
This was my first slowcooker cookbook for my first slowcooker, and I have yet to have a bad meal from it.The directions are clear, easy, and almost foolproof.It allows for convienance foods like canned beans or frozen veggies, without using a lot of processed food or added fat, also there are several for dried beans (cheap and good for you).Most of the ingredients are easy to come by. The tips are very helpful. I will be making some of these recipies for as long as I am still cooking. The spiral binding is just a great added touch. If you have a slowcooker buy this book.

Very Good recipes
I've tried most of the Meat recipes and have liked them all. Some could have the spices upped a little bit for more zing. I just wish it had more main course recipes. I'm really not interested in dessert, soups and miscellaneous. I'm disapointed that the recipes don't indicate the approximate number of servings.

Every Recipe's a Winner!
I love this cookbook!Every recipe I've tried so far is winner.There's a short slow-cooking information section at the beginning, and a great variety of recipesfrom simple and homey, to exotic and special.They all use ingredients on hand or easy to find at the grocery store.Some start from store-bought (cans of soup, salsa, broth), but most use "whole foods."Some of our family's favorites are the Chicken Stroganoff Pot Pie, Chicken Stew with Pepper and Pineapple, Hungarian Goulash, and the unusual Picadillo.The recipes come with substitution suggestions, finishing touches, and success tips.They give great side-dish ideas for a complete meal, such as serving the Thai Chicken with coconut rice and a cucumber vinaigrette.There's a wide variety of soups and stews, meats, poultry, sides, desserts, and also a vegetarian section.Most of the recipes are full page and come with a photo.These are favorites I'll be making again and again.My only complaint is that I wish there was even more! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Electric cookery, Slow    4. General    5. Methods - Special Appliances    6. Cooking / General    7. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Editorial Review

"In cooking as in love, you have to try new things to keep it interesting." So says chef Michel Richard in his cookbook Read more

Reviews (2)

With a bullet! Superb techniques and insights. Buy it NOW!
`Happy in the Kitchen' by the outstanding French / American chef, Michel Richard is a book all foodies should immediately buy and read from cover to cover, twice. If you are a card-carrying cooking amateur or professional, stop wasting your time reading this review, go to the top of the page, and click yourself an order for this volume. Now! At the very worst, put this book on the top of your Christmas wish list and give it to your best, or best-heeled friend.
A Treasure.
After having this book for less than 24 hours I have already learned so much.From something as simple as pureeing red beets with potatos.. why havnt I thought of doing that... to using plastic wrap as sausage casings..
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Methods - General    6. Cooking / Culinary Arts & Techniques    7. General cookery   

Reviews (39)

A classic indeed...
I got this book recently and I am super-pleased with it. The writing is very enjoyable and the directions on the recipes and added cultural information are superb. This classic belongs in every kitchen, so don't hesitate to purchase it. If your still not convinced here's some good reasons for you to get it:
The French Chef- Julia Child
Full of information, and still relevant for todays cooks, these books should never be out of print.

A Learning Experience
I have always enjoyed cooking, but had never read this book.I thought that traditional French cooking would be difficult to master, high in fat and unnecessarily time-consuming.Also -- I'm an Italian-American -- I thought that Hazan was the last word in cooking.Boy, was I wrong.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery, French    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. French Cookery    5. French cooking    6. Regional & Ethnic - French    7. Cooking / French    8. France    9. National & regional cuisine   

Reviews (23)

An amateur's advice
There are those who commend this book for its encyclopediac consideration of the supermarket food world, and its careful evaluation in health terms of each and every item we might put in our mouths. They also commend it for Nestle's careful consumer approach in which she insists time and again that the potential consumer- eater read labels, know what is going in to their mouths.