Editorial Review

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Reviews (5)

Veg-o-rama
A well written, detailed book wherein each chapter brings a new vegetable and great ideas. I was primarily looking to make vegetables play a more central and creative role in my cooking, and this book has been the answer. You'll be carmelizing onions and braising endive in no time.

Good book, but many repeats
I love Cook's Illustrated. I subscribe to their magazine, I subscribe to their website and I own several of their cookbooks. Very rarely have they ever steered me wrong with any of their recipes and tips. This is one book that I was disappointed with, however---not because the recipes aren't great or the layout of the book isn't up to par, but because many of these recipes can be found in their comprehensive cookbook "The New Best Recipe" (a great book, btw. It has just about everything you could ever need). There are only a few different recipes in Perfect Vegetables that cannot be found in the New Best, and the money I spent to get a handful of new veggie recipes was not worth it, in my opinion. If you already own the New Best, than I would be very hesitant to spend any money on this book. I would physically look through the book at a bookstore before buying to see if this is something you would really like to own. If you don't own New Best and are looking for a wonderful veggies cookbook, than this one is for you!

MAKES NON VEGGIE EATERS LIKE VEGETABLES
THIS COOKBOOK IS FANATASTIC!! I don't like cauliflower but I followed a recipe and it turned out fabulous. My husband doesn't like as asparagus and he ate up the roasted asparagus with roasted red pepper vinagerette.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery (Vegetables)    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Holiday - General    5. Reference    6. Specific Ingredients - Vegetables    7. Vegetables    8. Cookery by ingredient   

Reviews (11)

Very helpful book
I bought two of these; one for my daughter-in-law.I found it useful the first day it arrived and I use it nearly every time I cook.It covers all the ingredients.Not only does it give good substitution recommendations, it defines ingredients that I'm unfamiliar with.I think this book is a must in every kitchen and would make a great gift for new cooks.

Saved the Day!
Phew! Dinner called for sour cream, but it had expired. A quick and easy trip through The Food Subsititutions Bible, yielded several quick & easy substitutes. Ta da!
Belongs in every kitchen
This book deserves 5 stars on several accounts:1) Sheer number of and variety of ingredients included;I thought I was fairly well read on food but I am learning all matter of new things--jaggery, anybody? Caerphilly? 2) Cookware is listed, too. 3)Lay-out: items are listed alphabetically, each with a straightforward description and specific quantities of the recommended subsitutions. 4)Obviously, a lot of very careful research went into this reference. 5)I've had it several months now and it continues to prove its usefulness time and time again.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Ingredient substitutions (Cookery)    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Reference    7. General cookery   

Reviews (4)

A Culinary Reference for Professional/Amateur Chefs --Unsurpassed in Variety and Reliability!
People looking for a cookbook with a few recipes accompanied by photos need to go elsewhere.Larousse Gastronomique is a reference book owned by professional French chefs (of course, in the original French language).That such a resource is available for amateur chefs under one cover is a blessing.There are wonderful French cookbooks with photos by Michel Roux (e.g. SAUCES, which I've reviewed on amazon.com) and other wonderful authors.Indeed, buy all of the best books available before they go out of print (which they often do because most people prefer Betty Crocker to serious French cuisine). But all discerning readers should note that the purpose of Larousse Gastronoique is to serve as a constant reference guide for people who know how to cook well, and either need to refresh their memories on age-old classics, or wish to learn new dishes they have yet to attempt.Here's the good news.Though Larousse Gastronomique primarily serves gifted professional and amateur chefs, it serves as a splendid introduction to fledgling cooks who wish to learn the art of French cooking.Most advanced books on cooking don't have many photos.Experienced chefs gauge the reliability of the recipes in two ways: (1) they look at the ingredients and taste the food in their minds "and" (2) try them out.In truth, no experienced chef simply mimics a recipe.Recipes are guides that invite the chef to vary the menu to his or her own particular taste.I would hope the person who gave this book a "1 star" rating reconsiders the rating.Please meditate on the audience of the book and give this wonderful professional guide its appropriate ranking.This IS one of a handful of tomes on French cooking almost every professional chef has on the bookshelf.The best part is that the discount on-line via amazon.com is wonderfully generous.(Note: Please get an edition that is edited by a French chef; examine it at your local bookstore before ordering. I'm sure you'll be delighted.)

Incredible Breadth and Depth, Great Recipes
I have many times over many years gone to the Larousse Gastronomique as my first step in menu planning before a grand meal.Its encycopedic breadth, its to-the-point informative essays, its side-by-side alternative recipes, and its marvelous way of linking recipes, ingredients, geographical biases and lore into nearly endless chains of ideas is a great inspiration.So often, different sources say very different things about a food, and the Larousse becomes the arbiter of these disagreements.It is authoritative and comprehensive.
The Great Cuisine Bible, a Must for Every Serious Foodie's Library
Larousse Gastronomique is the ultimate culinary reference for the serious foodie and cook, whether a good home cook or a professional.It was never intended for the person who does not already know something as basic as what a flan case is (or how to boil water) nor for the person who lacks the intelligence to observe that the book is arranged alphabetically, so no cross reference to "flan case" is required.It is only necessary to turn to f-l-a-n, alphabetically.Nor is "a list of ingredients" the truly traditional way to write recipes.Even Gourmet magazine wrote recipes in the paragraph style until the 1980s.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. French Cookery    4. Reference    5. Regional & Ethnic - French    6. Cooking / Reference   

Reviews (16)

a good gift item
The book seems to be good, although I was taken aback when I saw how tiny (literally) the book actually is... It seems like a nice book to put in a gift basket with cooking items and ingredients for scones - which I have decided to do for a friend.

A little gem!
I bought this at my local tea shop upon the owner's recommendation.If you want a nuts & bolts book of great recipes, this is it.My husband loves the chocolate orange scones.My children love the brownie scones, and I love the orange-cranberry scones.All types are included, not just "sweet" scones.I haven't made a bad one yet!

Great Cookbook
I must say I really like this book also.I had never made my own scones before (I usually buy them from Starbucks).But this book along with the scone pan made it so easy and less expensive! The only thing I wish is that the book was bigger, being so small it gets lost in the shelve with all my biiger cookbooks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Bread    4. Courses & Dishes - Muffins    5. Reference    6. Scones    7. Cooking / Baking   

Reviews (3)

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.
I have never written a review for Amazon before. Never had a reason to. But Everything Vegetarian is simply the most AMAZING cookbook out there. My husband told me that he would be happy to eat vegetarian meals if I fixed them. So, not being a cook in any way, I set out to find recipes I could try. I must have purchased ten cookbooks. Most are decent. Some things good, some things not so good. But EVERY SINGLE recipe in Everything Vegetarian turns out perfectly. Most recipes have a Mediterranean touch, using toasted cumin seeds and the like. And Mr. Weinstein explains clearly each step in the recipe. There is never a question of "What does THAT mean?" or "Where would I find THAT ingredient." He tells you everything. I genuinely wish I could find this man and kiss his feet.

Has a ton of things I can make
I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat very healthy.This book has a ton of things I can make and my whole family will eat.Worth the price just for the Saffron Rissotto on Page 139!

Fun Commentary
Even if you never use a single recipe from this book, the amusing commentary blurbs make it worth reading. Jay Weinstein has a great sense of humor which is shown in several little textboxes throughout this cookbook.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Health & Healing - General    4. Reference    5. Vegetarian - General    6. Vegetarian cookery    7. Vegetarianism   

Editorial Review

Solar cooking is easy, free, and clean, and you can build a solar oven and a solar hot plate with a few dollars' worth of materials andhand tools. Read more

Reviews (5)

COOKING WITH THE SUN
THIS IS A VERY GREAT BOOK FOR ANY ONE GETTING IN TO SOLAR COOKING. YOU WON'T BE SORRY. DANIEL T. SHANNON

Very Basic, but Thorough
This is a well written, friendly book that teaches solar cooking without being preachy. The directions to make the cookers are reasonable...The recipies are also good and well organized for the different kinds of cookers. As energy prices skyrocket, these kinds of cookers can really help save you money, keep the environment a little cleaner, and keep your house cooler. (You can bake with these things - and you don't have to bake yourself along with the cake or run the a/c to cool off again!) And though the sun doesn't shine all the time, it's free, and even in California, you'll be able to keep cookin' right through the rolling blackouts while not heating up the kitchen!

A great book with many workable designs and complete plans
This book does an outstanding job of outlining exactly how to construct and use solar cookers. The designs use available materials and no special equipment is needed. Most solar cookers in this book can be built in a fewhours, and the reflector size can be modified to provide adequateheatunder even cold, cloudy conditions. A first choice if you are interested inpractical uses of solar energy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery For Medical Conditions    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Methods - Special Appliances    6. Reference    7. Solar cookery    8. Solar energy    9. Solar ovens   

Reviews (5)

2500 short & simple recipes.Simple the way they should be.
50 categories of recipes.And 50 recipes in each category.That's 2500 recipes.How do you fit 2500 recipes into 477 pages?You write real small.Which means that each recipe is very short (a small paragraph the size of a want ad generally).This is not bad.In fact it's very good.How complicated can a recipe that short end up being?And simple recipes are best. A fabulous cook book
Extremely easy, fast, and excellent tasting recipes.The sauces and marinades alone are well worth the cost of the book.Some recipes are quite mundane, while others offer new and unexpected (but yummy) combinations of things.

My Favorite Cookbook
I love this cookbook because the recipes are easy, original, taste good and are flexible.When I have assorted odds and ends in my refrigerator, Ican always find a recipe in this book which will make use of them.Thewriting style is entertaining and I have learned more about cooking fromthis book.I have a lot of cookbooks, but this is the first one I reachfor when I am doing general cooking. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

Great for teachers!
We made a dozen Friendship Brownies for my daughters (3 1/2) teachers for Christmas and they loved them!My daughter loved layering the white and brown chocolate chips the best.We cut out fabric circles for the tops, and I made our own recipe tags on the computer instead of using the ones included.They turned out very cute!Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Beverages - Coffee & Tea    3. Cooking    4. Gift baskets    5. Gifts    6. Glass containers    7. Juvenile literature    8. Reference   

Reviews (6)

Bible of Modern French Cuisine, at a budget price! Buy It.
`The Escoffier Cookbook' is an English translation of the `Guide Culinaire' by the renowned French chef, Auguste Escoffier, the most important figure in modern professional French culinary practice. One may argue that Antonin Careme is more important simply because Careme influenced Escoffier and write many books on culinary technique, but I suspect every culinary professional reads Escoffier today and few outside academic circles read Careme's original works.
Fascinating to read, but not a "cookbook" in the modern sense
"The Escoffier Cookbook" is a heavily abridged American version of Auguste Escoffier's 1903 book "Guide Culinaire". It is a fascinating look at the art of professional European cookery at the beginning of the 20th century.
A Beginner/Intermediate Cook
Things that I cannot finds in this book (for whatever reasons) which Ihoped would be included: 1.recipe for coq au vin 2. recipe for onion soup3. recipe for lobster thermidor. Things that are in here that I can livewithout : 1. how to lard a joint of meat which a. I don't understand interms of doing this b.under no circumstances do I need this in terms of thefat 2. a recipe for boeuf bourguignone which is so old ( it could also betraditional) that it uses a piece of rump roast or top round roast that isnot cut into pieces ( it was originally for a tough piece of meat--so saidJulia and Jacques the other day on PBS--and his boeuf bourguignon also wasa "pot roast" --and I am prejudiced against pot roasts and willnever make it that way). However, therre is another reviewer who isabsolutely right, there is an excellent presentation and overview of thesauces. Also of cooking methods. I just got it--and it's not the onlyone--I do expect to be at least referring to it, and probably using it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, French    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - General    5. Methods - Gourmet    6. Reference    7. Regional & Ethnic - French    8. Cooking / French    9. General cookery    10. National & regional cuisine   

Reviews (10)

Invaluable resource for those that want to learn to preserve foodsafely at home
A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years writes this review.My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry".This book is exactly what I expected it to be, a vast collection of information regarding canning, and freezing, curing, and drying food.
Geat Supppplementary Resource
I found the book Putting Food Bye to be an excellent supplementary resource for the amiture food canner or dehydrator.I found it to be especially useful if you want to learn about canning food in metal cans.Few other resources cover this topic as well.The book is well written and easy to read.

Required classic for the kitchen
Home preserving is best done with a guide such as this; if you don't understand how acids, heat, cleanliness are involved in preserving food healthfully, you can get into some deep trouble.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Food    4. Methods - Canning & Preserving    5. Preservation    6. Reference    7. Cooking / Canning & Preserving    8. General cookery    9. Reference works   

Reviews (8)

Best cookbook in my collection
This is one of those cookbooks that you can pick up hours before a dinner party, open it to any page, make the dish and have rave reviews.There are VERY few dishes in here that aren't good.
A Genuine Gem!
Beyond Parsley is one cookbook I always have nearby -- and I have many, many cookbooks.I am renowned among my family members and friends for e-mailing special recipes -- and many have come from this special gem.I have too many favorites in the book to list but if I had to select just ONE, I would choose Cossack Cheese.That one is a WINNER in every respect, and has gained the love of people around the US to whom I have sent the recipe.D. Ray Fuller Jr., Dallas, Texas

The one cook book you must have!
We would go hungry without this book!This is the cook book we use far and away more than any other.We have even started some family holiday traditions from the recipes i.e. the green beans with pears - amazing!You never have to worry about making a recipe because they are all fantastic.It is a regular gift from us and we have been told many times it's the receivers new favorite cook book as well.Buy it, it is any cook's must have! ... Read more

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

Reviews (9)

Bordeaux Bible
Anyone that enjoys good bordeaux need this book.
Indispensable Guide
Recently I toured wineries in Bordeaux.Robert Parker's book is the indispensable guide to wineries in that region.He discusses each estate in detail and is quite frank in his reviews.He also recommended some hotels and restaurants, which proved to be excellent recommendations.

comprehensive
What a book!! Everything you wanted to know about Bordeaux and more. A comprehnesive and stunning, detailed account of the major chateaux in Bordeaux (there are hundreds of them!!)
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Bordelais    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. France    6. Reference    7. Wine And Wine-Making    8. Wine and wine making    9. Alcoholic beverages    10. Cooking / General    11. Viticulture    12. Winemaking technology   

Reviews (3)

Great research into organisations
Charles Handy is one of Britain's management gurus. This original edition of this book was written while he was professor at the London Business School. Although this book is not simple to read and is very comprehensive, it is an excellent introduction to understanding organisations (yes, just like the title). Very useful book on organisational behaviour!
If you want a good grasp of the key concepts in organisational behaviour, Mr Handy has done a fantastic job of putting it in an inexpensively priced book which covers most if not all topics in the subject. In fact, even if you are not taking organisational behaviour as a subject, it is still relevant in Human Resource Management & Development courses. For the established HR practitioner, it would be a useful book to have on your work-shelf which you can occassionally dip in, to refresh yourself on key concepts.

a must read!
great work by Mr. handy. The book gives a deep insight and understanding on organisation effectives. It brings into light the various factors that does affect organisations which other business authors describe in parts.The book is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on the modelsand the second part on its implications. How theory works in practice. Agood buy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Corporate & Business History - General    3. General    4. Negotiating    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Reference   

Reviews (10)

You can make that cake on the cover.
I bought this book because the cover looked like the ultimate challenge.
wonderful...
This is a wonderful cookbook.I have several others that I use to make dishes, but I can always count on Martha's recipes to be the best.I have yet to make an average or bad dish using one of her recipes.They always come out great.The book has good pictures and a wide skill range for the recipes- from easy to difficult.It's packed with lots of recipes and side hints to help with anything from picking ingredients to preparations.The deserts are particularly wonderful.I love to bake and all of the deserts come out great- apple sauce cake, lemon bluberrry pound cake, coconut patties to name a few.Highly recommended.

Another Goodie From Martha!!
Love her or hate her, the woman has some GREAT recipes!! Everything from basic to show-stopper!!You will be so amazed at the results.Altho some pictures of the recipes look like you need to be a professional baker or trained at the Culinary Institute, they are actually easy.I have yet to make a recipe here that people do not ask for the recipe. A great addition to a cookbook collection.Many of Martha's highly requested recipes included. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Reference   

Editorial Review

While it won't tell you how to boil an egg, Lukins and Rosso's Read more

Reviews (79)

A cornerstone for the growing cookbook library
This review is not for people with large cookbook collections.You already own and love New Basics.This review is for people who are just beginning to build a cookbook collection.New Basics is the Grand Mammy of modern encyclopedic cookbooks - an800+ page behemoth that rewards time and again with excellent recipes spanning dozens of categories.Most amazing though, is despite its size, New Basics is rich, warm and easy to read.Rosso and Lukins fill this book with wonderful stories of friends and meals, interesting quotations about dining and food experience, and extensive tips and guidance on ingredients and food preparation.Simply speaking, New Basics is unrivaled as a cornerstone for the growing cookbook library.

This Book Is A Hoot...
I love this cookbook! I first encountered this cookbook in my local library. Within two days, I owned my own copy. So many great ideas, so many interesting sections. I love the sidebars printed in red throughout the book. Look to these for some good inside tips. Ideas like finger bowls with sliced lemon when you are entertaining with foods like spare ribs. How to set up your cocktail bar...yes this cookbook has recipes for some classic cocktails. A section titled 'Fish School', giving page after page of detailed descriptions of types of fish, and what to substitute with if that fish isn't available. Sections on grain, pasta, breads, ect. Get one for yourself, and then get one for all your friends and family to give as Christmas or birthday gifts. They will never forget this gift, or who gave it to them.

The Kitchen Standard....
This book is really well written and serves as THE main cooking resource in our kitchen.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery, American    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. General    6. Reference    7. Cooking / General   

Reviews (16)

Wonderful, enlighten read, with one caveat.
I deeply enjoyed this engrossing read. Tannahill has done a superb job mixing history, culture, and the culinary arts.As a student of culture and a lover of food I was drawn in by Tannahill's attention to detail, while at the same time writing an informative work that was easy to read and hard to put down.My one and only criticism lies in her choices for footnotes.I was puzzled by her choice to footnote the definition for porter (it's possible that porter was a unique drink in 1977 when the book was first written), while on numerous occasions not footnoting the references to regional foods, ingredients, and preparations. I soon found that referring to my copies of the Food Lover's Companion (Herbst, 1995) and the American Heritage Dictionary (2001) made for a much fuller reading experience. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a love of food and culture, Tannahill will not disappoint.

Very Interesting!!
My class and I found this book very interesting.High school kids don't usually want to be read to, but they continually requested that I read to them once I started this book.So many weird and wonderful facts about foods we eat everyday are presented.It lead to a great deal of discussion!

What we eat and where it came from
"Food in History" is a survey of world history from the standpoint of what people ate and when.The time period covered is from the prehistoric up until nearly the present.Along the way the author gives us a brief history of the eating habits of the Romans (unborn rabbits!), China, India, the Arabs, the Europeans, and the modern world. She includes brief histories of tea, coffee, salt, jerky, chocolate, human beings, and many other food items.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Dinners and dining    4. Food    5. Food Science    6. Food supply    7. General    8. History    9. Reference    10. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

From anchovy to wolffish, Mark Bittman, the executive editor of Read more

Reviews (21)

Chef's Choice
This is the best book I have found for preparing and cooking all types of fish.This book is particularly useful as a gift for someone who wants to serve fish to others, but cannot or will not eat it themselves due to allergies, illness etc.If the directions are simply followed, it will turn out great and you don't need to sample the dish before serving (unless, like me, you just can't help yourself!).

Everything but Tilapia
I would have given this book five stars - all the recipes I have tried are fantastic, but the summary dismissal of tilapia disappointed me.Well chosen tilapia is delicious.

Good basic book
This book covers a broad range of types fo fish as well as cooking styles. It is easy to understand and makes a very good gift for someone who likes to cook but not sure what to do with fish. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Reference    4. Specific Ingredients - Seafood    5. Cookery by ingredient    6. Cooking / Seafood   

Editorial Review

Alan Davidson's Read more

Reviews (21)

Too many errors
As many others have pointed out, this book is quite biased in it's handling of the cuisines of different countries.Yes this book is quite Anglo-centric, but what would you expect?There is also a clear dislike of all things American and the author would have you think that this countries sole contributions to the world of gastronomy are fast food joints and Coca Cola.
Great Reading, Some odd omissions. No recipes.
`The Oxford Companion to Food', edited by the noted English culinary writer and diplomat, Alan Davidson is a foody reader's compendium to lots of interesting articles about sources, history, some people, and most places regarding food and drink. It is quite properly named a `companion' rather than an `encyclopedia', since, unlike the seemingly similar `Larousse Gastronomique', it contains no recipes whatsoever. This is not an accident or oversight, as Davidson clearly states in the introduction that this was an editorial policy from the outset.
Exceptional
Perhaps the single most useful, complete and amusing reference book in my collection. It touches on geography, geology, sociology and much else besides. The late editor and journalist Auberon Waugh called this 'The best book written on this, or possibly any other subject.'
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Reference    4. Cooking / Reference    5. Food & Drink / Cookery    6. Food manufacturing & related industries    7. History, Other | Cultural History    8. Leisure