Editorial Review

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Reviews (117)

Massive and masterful!
With over 1000 recipes, this cookbook is going to take some time to truly put through it's paces, but I've had great results with the few dishes I've tried so far.The Turkey Wraps with Chipotle Mayo rocked, with a gem of a condiment included - pickled red onion.I'd use that on any sandwich, anytime.The sauces for Halibut with Spicy Asian Vinaigrette (really a sambal vinaigrette) and Wasabi Cream were awesome.Veggie dishes like Asparagus with Shallot and sesame seeds add a special touch to everyday dinners.
It's not supposed to be The Joy of Cooking
I recently moved to Mexico, and as weight and customs tariffs limited my importation of books, I chose this cookbook to be my overall basic resource. I have been glad ever since that I left my "Joy" behind, along with my "Best of Cooks Illustrated" and the Childs volumes. Unlike B. Marold, I have not been disappointed by any of the recipes I've tried, and I've been delighted to find so many of them to be Latin or Caribbean themed, so that I can use the products most readily available here yet branch out from the usual Mexican fare. To complain that the omelet-making or brioche-making techniques are not what they would be in a teaching volume is to ask more of this compendium than what it is: the best recipes published in Gourmet Magazine, period. I find the sidebars useful and the unfortunate yellow titles a minor irritant. The index is excellent, which is not often the case with cookbooks. Everything for which I've needed a recipe I've found in one way or another through it. Try the Cuban Roast Pork Loin; the Avocado, Orange, and Jicama Salad; the Beets with Lime Butter! My only complaint is that several times I've proceeded with a recipe and added all of an ingredient only to discover that some of that ingredient was to be saved for a later step. I've since learned to read more carefully through a recipe before plunging in.

Great cookbook for ingredients you might actually have at home
I love this cookbook.It is exceptionally well indexed with so many recipes that I can invariably find one that fits the items in my refrigerator or pantry. The recipes are easy, even for an average cook.The preparation time listed for each recipe is right on target.For example, the fruit crumble really DOES take only 15 minutes (and tastes like something I would be happy to pay for at a restaurant) and the blender hollandaise really does work in a snap.It has become the cookbook I use 90% of the time.It's true it has no pictures, but given the choice between recipes and images, I would take the former any day. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery, International    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Methods - Gourmet    6. Reference    7. Cooking / Reference   

Reviews (3)

Sprouting for any level of gardening
Terrific!A wonderful book on sprouting for many a skill level.Getting started couldn't be easier, as she provides several methods, along with helpful charts and recipes.Sprouting is a simple way to lead a nutritious lifestyle, and this book details the process quite well.(p.s. - the section on composting is an added bonus!)

One from my "healthy books"
This book advises you how live healthier and what need to do. This type of book missing in my language and I am glad of this book.

A MISSING LINK TO PEOPLE'S HEALTH
This books gives information on something that can help to make up for the diets of most people, which are seriously lacking in life energy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery (Sprouts)    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Raw food diet    5. Reference    6. Specific Ingredients - Natural Foods    7. Specific Ingredients - Vegetables    8. Sprouts    9. Cooking / Reference    10. Gardening   

Reviews (11)

Best Recipe Organizer I've Seen!!!
I searched awhile before I ordered this and I am glad I took my time making a decision!This recipe organizer is awesome!It has a nice design and good dividers.I like the pockets and the photo pages to stick in recipes that have been clipped out of magazines.I also enjoy the plastic overlay for the page you are currently using so that the recipe doesn't get all dirty.I have seen many many recipe organizers, but this is the only one that could really be a keepsake and handed down generation to generation.It's the next best thing to making one of your own!Since I'm not crafty, this was the perfect solution for me!I highly recommend it!!:)

Binding is weak
I had to send the first book back because the binding broke before I ever even used it.You have to flip the pages carefully to avoid stressing the binding.I also would prefer more categories.Still, I am using it daily and like the big pockets for recipes that I cut out of the paper.

Good, but not what I imagined.
I bought this organizer to organize recipes I have printed from the internet. However, this organizer is meant to be written in. I modified that thought by re-typing out the recipes and then cutting and taping each recipe in. I found it to be somewhat time consuming, but well worth the effort to have all my recipes in one book rather than spread out over many books, or loose pages scattered about. Another small complaint I have is that some of the categories are not very practical, such as "Soup". A whole catergory dedicated to soups? Although, you can just take the page out, as it is a three ring binder style organizer. Good investment for the price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Non-Classifiable    4. Novelty    5. Reference    6. Blank Books / Diaries / Memory Books    7. Blank Books/Journals    8. Miscellaneous Items   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Quantity Food Production And Service    3. Quantity cookery    4. Reference    5. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (8)

Food Additives--Please Update
The size of this book is excellent for carrying in your pocket or handbag, and facilitates use in the supermarket.The contents are generally good, and very helpful, but I believe the author should review it with an eye for being under-critical about some listings.For example, there are those of us who, due to recent reports, believe that the yellow artificial sweetener should be consumed with great caution, if at all, but the book does not address this.Considering the fact that this is a book concerned with health, I would strongly urge the author to be more critical in the evaluation of food ingredients.Those of us who are highly sensitive to food additives require stringent guidelines.

food additives; a shopper's guide to what's safe and what's not
this book is fabulous and every one should not only read it but carry it with them when they shop.

Dr. Christine Farlow's books are the TICKET TO SAFETY in living!
In order for people today to protect themselves from harmful ingredients, even walking through a so-called "Natural Foods" or health foods store is not enough.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Nutrition    3. Reference   

Reviews (9)

Excellent macrobiotic cookbook
I own multiple macrobiotic cookbooks, and this one is the one I come to time and time again.Learning about the specialty ingredients in macrobiotic cooking is tricky, but once you have found a source of these ingredients, the recipes in this book are simple and tasty.
The authoritative reference on macrobiotic cooking
From the teacher herself comes a huge book which distills more than 35 years of macrobiotic cooking and teaching. This book covers everything on the subject, from food preparation prior to cooking (an area most American cooks know little or nothing about) through "Medicinal Cooking and Home Cures."
Macrobiotic cooking does not necessarily cure cancer
I bought Aveline Kushi's "Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking" after reading another book called "Recalled by Life" about a doctor who claimed to have been cured of cancer by following macrobiotics.This book does a good job of explaining macrobiotic cooking, but it is important to note that the author Aveline Kushi died in 2001 from cervical cancer which had spread to her bones.While I do believe that diet can help in the fight against cancer, Ms. Kushi's death makes me wonder whether macrobiotics is the proper diet to follow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Macrobiotic diet    4. Methods - Macrobiotic    5. Recipes    6. Reference    7. Cooking / Reference    8. Macrobiotic cookery   

Reviews (4)

Can You Fall In Love With A Cookbook?
I saw Sandra Pinckney's review of the Sante Fe restaurant recently on her FOOD FINDS program.The restaurant was so adorable that I immediately went online to amazon.com to see if they had a cookbook. They did.I ordered it.When it arrived at my office I started reading it and couldn't put it down.From the front cover to the last page, the artwork is exceptional.Hand-tinted photographs along with photos and murals really make this a cookbook to keep and cherish and pass down to family. I can't wait to visit Cafe Pasqual in person and hopefully get the book autographed by Ms Kagel and Ms Simpson who was the photographer. The receipes are lovely, but the book is exquisite.

Great place, exuberant cookbook
Pasqual's is kitty-corner across Water Street from the St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe; we time our trips to get into town late at night, but before the St. Francis' bar closes, so we can check in, grab a quick drink, and then roll out of bed the next morning and hit Pasqual's for breakfast.Tamal dolce, big mug of coffee, newspaper, see if the rocking horse is still in the second floor window of the store across the street (hasn't moved in four years, so far, and counting.) We love Pasqual's, its food, its Ann-Arbor-in-the-Southwest feeling ... and the cookbook is a nice souvenir thereof.The recipes? Well, plan on mail-ordering a lot of different kinds of chile powder unless you live in New Mexico.Great stuff, though, if you have the ingredients and the patience.

Yum
I make a point of visiting Cafe Pasqual's each time I am come to Santa Fe. This cookbook is excellent . The recipes are concise and delicious and the artwork in the book is beautiful. I only wish they had a second cookbook focusing strictly on the killer breakfast menu at the Cafe. Hmm... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cafe Pasqual    2. Cafe Pasqual's (Santa Fe, N.M    3. Cookery, American    4. Cookery, Mexican    5. Cooking    6. Cooking / Wine    7. Reference    8. Regional & Ethnic - American - Southwestern States    9. Southwestern style    10. Cooking / American / Southwestern States    11. General cookery    12. Reference works   

Reviews (4)

Great Recipes
I really enjoyed the wide variety of recipes that are in this book.I would highly recommend this to someone.

Nothing like what iowa's Cousin Rick Black Has!! Give us The Deer Burger Cookbook anytime!
Cut and Dry.. Iowa's Cousin Rick Black is by far the leader with us deer hunters and how we cook our harvest. I got a copy of 301 Venison Recipes from my uncle. I asked him why he was tossing it out? His reply? "Heck boy, I got The Deer Burger Cookbook and the Venison Cookbook by Cousin Rick Black"!
Very Poor, Rick Black's books are by far better!
Sorry about the bad review, but the truth hurts. I like every other hunter now days am a Big fan of Iowa's wildman Rick Black and his line of outdoor books. I will stick with Rick. For the deer hunter I reccemend the following by Black" Bag Em and Tag Em, Venison cookbook, The dead deer cookbook, and Cookin' with beer, If your a redneck like me then you will love TRAILER TRASh COOKIN' (A VERY FUNNY BOOK) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Reference    4. Specific Ingredients - Game    5. Cookery by ingredient   

Reviews (3)

A Fantastic 2nd Part to "Fit For Life"!!!
I loved "Fit For Life, and now reading the "New Way Of Eating From The Fit For Life Kitchen"...Lots more information on perfectly combining and eating...I couldn't put it down...I learned so much more and this is a new way of life for me and I highly recommend this for anyone who is totally serious about learning a new way of life, it is not a diet, it's a way of life that makes you feel so much better and it's so much healthier...

This book is GREAT!I hope they put it back in print!
I have felt so much better since I have been practicing this way of eating.I have been on it for two weeks now and it is wonderful.

If you want to lose weight and have more energy, this is it.
I read this book and practiced its principles for one year.In the 1st 3 weeks I lost the 10 lbs. I could never get off.I had so much energy I drove my husband crazy.Even after going off of this diet I kept my weightoff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Cookery    3. Cooking    4. Diet    5. Diet / Health / Fitness    6. Diets - Special Conditions    7. Food combining    8. Health    9. Macrobiotic diet    10. Reference    11. Health & Fitness / Diets   

Reviews (10)

Nice book but not an Encyclopedia
This is a nice book. It has a fair number of spices and herbs listed, I would say the ones most commonly used in the American kitchen. It also includes international recipes and even a chapter on Flavorings as listed in the title. Overall a good source of information and a good read. Beware however this is by no means comprehensive, there are other books out there with much more detailed information on spices and hebs, unfortunately I am still searching to find one that I used to own that desrved the title encyclopedia. When I find it I will re-post.

Herb & Spice Heaven
Herbs enhance and enliven meals. Herbs are the leaves of fresh or dried plants. Spices are the aromatic parts: buds, fruit, berries, roots or bark. Most spices thrive in tropical regions, while herbs can be grown in your own garden or indoors in a sunny place. Some herbs can also produce spices.
Everything from Agar-Agar to Zahtar
If you had this book, you'd know that Agar-Agar is a seaweed and Zahtar is a blend of sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and ground thyme. Encylopedia indeed! I purchased this book to learn about herbs and spices so that I could cook flavorful while cutting salt, fat, mayo, and other bad things in my diet. If you only get one one kitchen reference on this subject, make it this one.I started giving this book as a gift to friends and family and now they're giving it as a gift as well. It's divided into the following sections:Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery (Herbs)    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Dictionaries    6. Encyclopedias    7. Herbs    8. Reference    9. Specific Ingredients - Herbs, Spices, Condiments    10. Spices    11. Cooking / Herbs, Spices, Condiments   

Reviews (10)

I agree, one of the best cookbooks in print.
Just for three or four of the recipes alone it's worth it, but overall the blueprints of all content for various occasions bring uncomplicated flare and quality to the kitchen.A kitchen must-have.

One of the best cookbooks in print
The follow up to the Silver Palate Cookbook in some ways even exceeds its predecessor.All recipes are organized by season, focusing on the best quality ingredients available.Truly a great cookbook.

My favorite cookbook
This is the most used book in my kitchen. I love the seasonal approach, and always look at the book for dinner and entertaining ideas at the start of each season.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. General    6. Reference    7. Cooking / General    8. General cookery   

Editorial Review

A classic tome of gastronomic science and lore, Read more

Reviews (51)

Fascinating!
My brother was a chemistry student and is now in culinary school.I studied biology and later became a chef.We love this book.We happen to disagree on which edition is better.I think this one is just fine, my brother thinks the newest edition is easier to read.I'll leave that one up to you to decide.The point is, the information is really interesting.Want to know what makes some ice cream grainy?Want to know how blue cheese happens?Read this book.Think Alton Brown without the puppets and jokes.This book was given to me by someone who included in his inscription that cooking is not only an art but also a science.This book will introduce you to the science of cooking.

Reference for the nerds and geeks of cooking
Harold McGee really knows how to incorpoate scientific information and chemistry into a cooking reference.It is very interesting for those who want to understand cooking at a whole different level. I was truly amazed at how much of my highschool chemistry classes came into play in my everyday cooking.I don't mean to offend others with my review title.I just want to make it clear that this is an excellent book, but it may not be for just anyone.(I actually own a copy and use it.)

Great research and chemistry
Yes, this book is primarily NOT about cooking but about the chemistry behind - great information how taste develops, which grade of eggs to choose for which dish, and so on... We LOVE it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Essays    5. Food    6. Reference    7. Cooking / General    8. General cookery    9. Reference works   

Editorial Review

What would you give to see the notes Julia Child keeps in her handwritten loose-leaf kitchen reference guide? Your wish is granted! This clever little volume was inspired by Child's notebook, compiled from her own "trials, remedies, and errors."Read more

Reviews (28)

What a wonderful cookbook!
This instantly became my favorite cookbook and I use it so much that it doesn't spend much time on the shelf.This cookbook transcends the "collection of recipes" style of most cookbooks; its style is more "how to improve your cooking skills."
Just a Wonderful Little Cookbook
I have an enormous cookbook collection, but I still buy more...The title of this book says it all - Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking.It's slim but every page has valuable wisdom from Julia Child - you can almost hear her as you read each page.I have already purchased three additional copies of this cookbook as gifts for my two daughters and my mother.It is totally appropriate for the beginning cook as well as the most experienced.

Technique and mindset for the Chef-Philosophe
When a cook stops regarding his work as
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Essays    5. Reference    6. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    7. Cooking / American / General   

Reviews (15)

Delicious!
I have gone through 3 copies of this cookbook.All the recipes are given by folks that have cooked them in their own homes.Darlin's you cannot go wrong.Try the artichoke hearts!Yum! Yum!

What a wonderful cookbook.
Having been from Monroe Louisiana, I truly believe this is the best Southern cookbook available.I was raised by food cooked from this cookbook by all of my family members.Truly a wonderful collection of Southern home-style recipes.

First you get THE JOY OF COOKING, then....
....you MUST have COTTON COUNTRY COLLECTIONS in your kitchen!These are the two most used cookbooks in my library.I have never had a recipe fail me lo these many years.I have given this as gifts for years as I'm getting ready to do right now through Amazon.Of course there are many "Southern" recipes in this wonderful cookbook, but I turn to it for all occasions.Many of the recipes offer suggestions for putting together a menu, which we can all appreciate!You'll find good basic recipes as well as special ones.And they are all so-o-o GOOD! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Reference    4. Regional & Ethnic - American - Southern States   

Reviews (2)

Great Christmas Gifts
I've tried many of the recipes in this book and will be using them for Christmas gifts for co-workers and friends. I especially love the bonus of the pre-printed labels that can be put on the jars plus the primative decorating ideas. This is one book I'm glad I purchased. Worth every penny!

Gifts that are appreciated...
I have used this and many other books in the series for a few years now. And I get repeat gift-receivers compliments everytime. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Coffee & Tea    2. Cooking    3. Reference   

Reviews (26)

Excellent book
If you ever wanted to know anything about food, cuisine, and cooking, the Larousse Gastronomique is the book to consult.
Encyclopedic work of Gastronomy
This book covers literally everything from A-Z in the
Shocking errors and inaccuracies
Considering the reputation of this book, I was quite shocked to read some of the errors it contains with regard to Australia and New Zealand to the extent I cannot take for granted anything else within its pages.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery, French    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Encyclopedias    6. Food    7. Methods - Professional    8. Reference    9. Cooking / General    10. Food & Drink / Cookery    11. General cookery    12. Reference works   

Editorial Review

This guidebook is one of few aimed at its select audience (professional food writers), but you don't have to be a pro to appreciate it. It's also a great resource for all of those self-publishing cookbook authors out there. Authors Barbara Gibbs Ostmann and Jane L. Baker, both experienced newspaper foodies, culled information from a fistful of sources (Williams Sonoma and Read more

Reviews (6)

Wow!
Wow!That's all I can really say.You think you know everything; you know your conversions, you're totally informed about your ingredients, you've made the recipe a dozen times.... BUT... just because you can follow the recipe doesn't mean other people can.This book will help you make your recipes standardized, readable, and useful for everyone from your daughter who can't cook to save her soul to your sister, the professional chef.
Book of the decade
Great Book, I can't put it down.Great job, this book has everything needed to write recipes, what they couldn't put inthey gave resources to find.I have used some of those suggested resource books, and am pretty amazed so far.

The Best Source For My Cookbook
I purchased this book while writing a book proposal for my children's food cookbook "The Petit Appetit Cookbook".This book saved me many potentially embarassing food writing faux pas with my editor.The pages are bent and highlighted, but I still rely on it when writing articles and recipes for publication. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Reference    5. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    6. Cooking / Reference    7. General cookery    8. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (37)

Don't leave home without it
Recently, my wife and I went on holiday to the Bordeaux region to tour the vineyards. This book was extremely helpful in planning and executing the trip. As geography and 'terroir' are key to understanding wine, I know of no other book that gives a better overview of this mysterious and elegant beverage. It's a must buy for wine lovers.

Perfect.
I'm a wine retailer in Minnesota who has learned to lean heavily on this wonderful book.If one wants comprehensive information about the world of wines, this is like a bible.Because of my job I use it weekly, and consider this work essential.
World Wine Atlas
This is the difinitive atlas of wine regions around the world.Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson are not only rockstars in the world of wine appreciation, but they are approachable and candid in their delivery.Whether you are a seasoned wine lover, or just learning the ropes, this book is a must have. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Maps    5. Reference    6. Wine and wine making    7. Wine districts    8. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    9. THEATER ARTS/ DRAMA - Shakespeare TRD PB    10. Wines   

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Coffee & Tea    2. Cooking    3. Reference   

Reviews (10)

A book to enjoy, use, and learn from
Please don't race to the kitchen with this cookbook. First, sit down and enjoy reading Simply in Season. Within its pages you will find philosophy, an ingrained dependence on God, wonderful ideas, a challenging new way of considering food, and, of course, a lot of tasty, tempting recipes which will feed the body and spirit with nutritious food.
Useful tool in the kitchen
I got this book in a box set with two other World Community Cookbooks. This is the one I use the most, and there are great recipes for every season-enough to inspire readers to adopt local grown, in-season cooking practices. Doing so is supposedly good for the planet, because if enough people do it it means less gas burned to transport produce across country or from overseas. This is a great recipe book for CSA subscribers or habitual farmer's market shoppers.
Big Punch in little packet
This book has great simple recipes. Let's you look at cooking in a new light. I have enjoyed this book much more then I was expecting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Health & Healing - General    6. Methods - General    7. Reference    8. Seasonal    9. General cookery