Editorial Review

Discover why every kitchen worth its salt has a flour-dusted, bouillon-stained, batter-encrusted and whisk-maimed copy. ... Read more

Reviews (105)

My go-to for new dinners
I am recently married and love to cook, and of the several new cookbooks I got, this is the one I use the most, especially for "real life" cooking. It's organized well, so I know where to look if I want to cook chicken, meat, pasta, fish, cookies, something in the crock pot, etc. Each recipe I've tried has turned out well, and has been worth the effort involved. I bought a copy for my sister, so now I'm constantly telling her "Try that spicy chicken and rice bake, we loved it."

Great Starter & Basic Cookbook
I received this cook book as a wedding present 3 years ago and have been very pleased with it.
My most trusted cookbook!
I love this cook book! It has TONS of great recipes. Everything from cakes, pies, and breads, to pastas and various meat and vegetable dishes.It even has a recipe for homemade pasta. I was really amazed at how many great recipes it contains. Plus, I know I can trust it because Homes and Gardens tests their recipes. So, far I have only tried a few but every one has turned out great! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. Methods - General    6. Reference    7. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    8. #1; cooking; basics; everyday; technique; tips; favorites; tested    9. Cooking / General    10. General cookery   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (22)

The most usable collection of slow cooker recipes
There's something for everyone in this book.It includes a wide variety of recipes:every day dishes, fancier dishes for company, main dishes, side dishes, one-pot meals, recipes using fresh ingredients, and time-saving recipes using more processed ingredients (i.e. canned soups, etc.). I've tried a number of the recipes so far and each has been a winner, impressing my discriminating friends and family. The wealth of tips from the kitchen is most beneficial.I have tried a number of slow cooker cookbooks and this is far and away my personal favorite.

Really good introduction
We greatly enjoyed the selection of receipes.The price to quality ratio is very high.

disappointing
This book is very disappointing. My main complaint is that many of the recipes call for ingredients such as frozen vegetables, canned soup, mayonnaise, and one which actually calls for an entire bottle of Catalina salad dressing. This really is not my style of cooking. Another reviewer commented that a lot of recipes need something done throughout the cooking process or are partially cooked on the stove before being put into the Crockpot. This was a big turn off for me too. I suggest trying a different book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Casserole cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Electric cookery, Slow    5. General    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Reference    8. Cookbook    9. Cookery    10. Cooking / Special Appliances    11. Recipes    12. Slow Cookers   

Editorial Review

Offered up as a lively and comprehensive alphabetical discussion of some 350 types of wine grapes, Read more

Reviews (4)

great grapes!!
I am in the wine business, and find this book to be a wonderful tool for times when I need further explanation or more detailed descriptions. I would recommend it highly for both pros and amateurs.

If you like wine, you need this book!
One of the most comprehensive books on wine grapes around. It gets to the heart of the subject: what a wine made from a specific grape should smell and taste like. My copy has been "borrowed" several times from my bookcase....

Fun, informative and open-minded
This is an excellent book, and I'd have to say it's generally better than Jancis Robinson's Vines, Grapes and Wines.Ideally, one would have both; if not, one would have Clarke's Encyclopedia.As another reviewer has noted, Robinson gives more attention to hybrids; this is surely forward-looking, especially given that the material is generally dated.Though most hybrids are indeed horribly yield-obsessed, there are some promising hybrids and crosses out there (not all of the American hybrids are foxy); many get no mention in this book.Yet there aren't many wineries using newer hybrids in the first place, which makes their inclusion (or exclusion) almost a moot point.Nevertheless, Robinson can come across as relatively rigid and conservative in other ways, at least in this superannuated book.Where Clarke, for instance, rightly notes Garnacha's potential, Robinson focuses on its ignoble role in the "wine lake,"-- in Garnacha's case, a particularly alcoholic and highly flammable one.Yet, to be fair, Clarke has time on his side: this is a wonderfully up-to-date book and he's had a lot more time to analyze the frequently obscure potential of what were once relatively obscure grapes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Editorial Review

Thanks to increased exposure to the world's finest cheeses, Americans are finally learning to love and appreciate this versatile food. But how to enjoy cheese at home? Max McCalman, Read more

Reviews (9)

Gorgeous Book
I glanced through this book before giving it as a gift.It was well received and the recipient continues to talk about it. She says she learns something new about cheese every day.

Sumptuous Book
This is a beautiful book full of very useful information, like pairing wines with cheese and how to choose cheeses for a tasting party, and georgeous color photography.This is not a cheese finder, it's a book on how to enjoy cheese.Paired with the Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins, the cheese neophite will have all the information needed for enjoying the world cheeses.

marvelous *
In depth, in tune, and filled with expertise, guidance, and encouragement.This is a gem of a book, and fills me with some of the same enthusiasm about cheeses which the author displays.
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Subjects:  1. Cheese    2. Cookery (Cheese)    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Reference    6. Specific Ingredients - Dairy    7. Cookery by ingredient    8. Cooking / General   

Editorial Review

Since 1990, Sara Foster has been delighting the patrons of her two NorthCarolina gourmet takeout food stores with refined yet unpretentious fare thatreflects her Southern upbringing and years as a professional cook on the EastCoast. Read more

Reviews (32)

Just as good as Fosters!
As a student at Duke University, my friends and I went to Fosters for brunch EVERY Sunday.The breakfast specials - pancakes, omlets, and the "special" - were always, without fail, incredible.If we made it there later in the day, the soups, breads, and salads were always a hit.
Very Good Collection of Comfort Restaurant Food
`The Foster's Market Cookbook' by Sara Foster, with Sarah Belk King, I bought in my `buy everything I saw on the Food Network' phase, especially after I saw Sarah Foster demonstrate her killer sticky bun recipe on the Food Network's `In Martha's Kitchen' show. This was also in my sticky bun-baking period, before I gave it up as too much work and went back to straight breads.
Fabulous cookbook!
I just received Sara Foster's cookbook for my birthday and I have already made several of the recipes and each one turned out fantastic! One thing I loved immediately about this cookbook is the number of recipes! You certainly get your bang for your buck with this book. There are such an array of recipes from appetizers to soups (lots of really good soup recipes), to vinigarettes, to dressings, to entrees and desserts, any cook cannot be disappointed with this book.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Foster's Market    5. Reference    6. Seasonal    7. Cooking / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (19)

I like it!
I really like the shopping lists.It is nice knowing that after I have been to the store I can prepare a week's worth of menus and I never have to say, "oops, I'm out of..."
Cookbooks with Personality
Brook Noel is delightfully funny and her cookbooks are a result of all the years where she was learning to cook and accomplished tasks with amusing results, like the time she baked a cherry pie without pitting the cherries. Not unlike one of my aunts who made a cherry pie without straining the cherries from a can but can make the best lasagna in the world.
I am REALLY cooking!!!And I actually sort of LIKE it!
Okay.I have been with my husband for almost 6 years.And during that time, I think I have probably cooked around 40 meals not using a box or frozen prepared item.And I was in complete agony from the moment I attempted to pick a dish to cook, all the way through to washing the dishes.Then, last week my Weekly Wonders book showed up!!!
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. General    4. Methods - General    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Reference    7. Cookbook    8. Cookery    9. Cooking / Quick & Easy    10. Quick and easy cookery    11. Quick and easy cooking    12. Recipes   

Reviews (1)

Life Saver!
This is a great book to use as a referance if you are in charge of a kitchen of any size.The information in invaluable and much easier to use than doing your own yeild testing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Food Service Management    4. Methods - Professional    5. Methods - Quantity    6. Quantity Cookery    7. Reference    8. Cooking / Professional    9. Food & beverage technology    10. General cookery    11. Hotel & catering trades    12. Reference works   

Editorial Review

Recognized as the definitive cooking school textbook, the Culinary Institute of America's Read more

Reviews (64)

Comprehsensive Work!
At the risk of simply repeating, at length, the sentiments expressed in earlier reviews, I'll be brief...
A must for one who wants to devote himself in the culinary field!!!
I have read the book thoroughly & found that this "Modern Bible of Kitchen" is for one who wants to excel in culinary techniques & should try to possess this scripture....I finished this book within a week i bought it & go through this book religiously on a daily basis as i myself would like to pursue a career in the Kitchen...
A new found admiration for chefs and their training
If you have a cooking question the answer if probably found somewhere in this voluminous tome.They have even included directions and photos on how to clean a whole squid.Curious about how to make your own sauerkraut, it's in there.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Quantity    4. Quantity cookery    5. Quantity cooking    6. Reference    7. Cooking / Professional    8. General cookery    9. Hotel & catering trades   

Reviews (13)

A Grateful Grandmother
When my daughter discovered her seven-year old daughter was allergic to wheat, soy, dairy, corn, Baker's Yeast, eggs, and chocolate, I was stymied. My daughter works outside the home and does not have time to do recipe-type cooking. As Grandma, I have had to fill in. Along with Internet sources, this book has been a tremendous help to me. Glad, too, to have discovered Vitamin C Crystals and various kinds of flour, which I didn't know existed.

Good for Baking
I am allergic/sensitive to a huge list of things and I found this book great!I have only really used the baking recipies, but I found the cookies, muffins, biscuits, etc. great.You can't really expect them to be just like the food you used to be able to eat, but they are so much better than stuff from other allergy-free cookbooks.I haven't tried any of the meal recipies b/c they're not very exciting.If you want something special there, try to find The Allergy-Free Cookbook edited by Maggie Pannell, which I didn't see here on Amazon.I wasn't looking for perfection, but the variety in Allergy Cooking with Ease was great, and now I have a chocolate chip cookie recipie without gluten, corn, sugar, dairy, or eggs.I reccommed it.

Dont waste your money
My 16 month old son is allergic to Milk, Soy & Corn and this book was by far the worst I bought.I bought 8 books hoping to find some info and recipies I couldn't find on the internet but the recipies were very exotic and not appropriate for a toddler and were not truely allergin free.I did better at the Food Allergy Network site and should have only bought their cook book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Allergic Conditions - Nutrition And Diet    2. Allergies    3. Allergy    4. Cookery    5. Cooking    6. Cooking / Wine    7. Diet therapy    8. Food allergy    9. Health & Healing - General    10. Recipes    11. Reference    12. Cooking / General   

Reviews (11)

TKMP excellent recipes, could be better book
I found the recipes to be wonderful.It is organized by simple menus to complex menus. Try to make a different menu very week. It is great way to learn.
A grea introduction to French cooking
I would echo another reviewer who suggested that Julia Child's "The Way To Cook" is the ultimat learn-to-cook book, but this is an excellent way to learn French cooking. I've been using this cookbook for about 10 years. I'd also recommend getting the Cordon Bleu Practicial Techniques Book, which is excellent and has step-by-step photos of a lot of the techniques talked about in this book. I've made about half of the recipes; if you follow the directions carefully, they always turn out and usually, you learn somthing new.
Technique Technique Technique
Many think of cuisine as a creative art.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery, French    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Reference    5. Regional & Ethnic - French    6. Cooking / French   

Reviews (12)

quick & handy
The Field Guide to Produce is exactly what it claims to be. Roughly CD-jewel-case sized and about 2 in. thick, it's perfect for keeping in your car or reusable shopping bags for those random grocery trips. Without this book, I would never have had the courage to try fiddlehead ferns (fantastic sauteed with butter) or dinosaur kale - though I would often find unusual items such as these in the produce section. Now, I no longer get to stare curiously as I get another head of broccoli, but am forced to break out of mediocrity and try something new and exciting. Yay! The other side: This book is honest, at least - it doesn't step a hair over covering produce. (You need to get the 'Field Guide to Herbs & Spices" for that - no kidding.) The other morning, I was amazed to not find "chives" listed and realized that it doesn't cover any herbs at all. A pity, really, as it would be perfect all in one.

Produce
This is a wonderful companion to Herbs & Spices, a very good book for visual people.

Fresh Produce - Picking and Keeping
The two biggest things cooking problems I have are knowing whether or not an item is fresh and knowing how to store it.This little book is a keeper on both points.In addition, it is helpful in sorting out exactly what you are seeing in today's diverse produce section. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Reference    4. Specific Ingredients - Fruit    5. Specific Ingredients - Vegetables    6. Cooking / Reference    7. General cookery   

Reviews (5)

Cooking for Company is the BEST
"I have two small sons, I work (more than) full time and so does my
SENSATIONAL!!!
After hearing the charming Nicole Aloni on NPR I immediately purchased this cookbook book.(I even was late to an appointment because I didn't want to leave the car until the interview was finished). I became especially intrigued with her5 criteria for including any recipe in her book (such as "delicious and easy yet look like they took all day", and "traditional enough to appeal to your grandmother's palate, yet sophisticated enough to impress your new fashion designer daughter-in-law"). Can't wait for the holiday party season now!
This book is so much more than a collection of wonderful new recipes (Hot Scampi Dip, Coconut Crab Dip, Pork Tenderloin w/ Fig Sauce, just to name a few)...the author offers wine recommendations for almost every item, as well as explicit instructions on how far in advance an item can be prepped.Can entertaining get any easier than this?? The roasting charts cover virtually every cut of meat and every vegetable imaginable, making the book a veritable gold mine of information.And the section at the end entitled "Year Round Entertaining Menus", well, all I can say is that Nicole seems to have written this section for all of the cooking enthusiasts who never feel entirely confident that their party menu reflects an adequate balance of tastes, textures, and flavors.With this book in hand, I'm ready to entertain year-round! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Entertaining - General    6. Reference    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Editorial Review

The mysteries of cream of tartar revealed! How to make maximum use of blackening bananas! The hidden meaning of folding in dry ingredients until just blended! Perfect pie crusts for perfect fools! It's all here in Read more

Reviews (34)

Fail-safe recipes and in-depth explanations
I love this book!For two reasons - first, everything in it is always good.Usually the best I've ever eaten, too - I don't even bother with other molasses cookie recipes any more, for instance.
Good book could use some more pictures
Tried the Pizza recipe from this book so far and it came out good. Could use more pictures for the recipes.bbb

Step Up to Perfection
I baked my first cake when I was nine years old, with the help of my Dad who was a pastry chef in the Navy.That's when I became a closet pastry chef! I want to open my own bakery, but I need to hone this craft, trying to get my baking to be as close to my Dad's perfect pastries as I can and this book, "Baking Illustrated" has helped me take a huge step up to being close to perfect!I love it; the recipes are good and the explanations and tips are even better.I wish there were more pictures of each finished item, but the pictures and illustrations are really helpful also.I've had the book for one month and I've baked something from each section so far and have already planned my fall baking and my Thanksgiving and Christmas baking from this book.If you want to learn to bake and if you want to impress your family, friends and coworkers, then please, buy this book and make sure that you have some people ready to indulge in these goodies! I'll send out ads when I open my bakery shop! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Desserts    5. Entertaining - General    6. Holiday - General    7. Methods - Baking    8. Methods - General    9. Reference    10. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft   

Subjects:  1. Beverages - General    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Reference    6. Regional & Ethnic - Greek    7. Wine And Wine-Making    8. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    9. Greece    10. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes    11. Wines   

Reviews (1)

Beautiful Tuscan Cookbook
Giuliano Bugialli's "Foods of Tuscany" has a perfect balance -- probably 90% recipes and 10% pictures and background.The pictures are wonderful, the recipes are delicious, and the background information displays a surprising level of erudition.My only criticism would be that many of the recipes are very labor-intensive; Julia Child's typical recipes seem easy in comparison.But the results are worth the effort ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, Italian    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Reference    5. Regional & Ethnic - Italian    6. Social life and customs    7. Tuscan style    8. Tuscany (Italy)    9. Cooking / Italian   

Reviews (7)

One of the best!
One of the most comprehensive books I've ever owned on the subject.This book covers everything from how to sharpen a knife to skinning and butchering deer, rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, quail, and coon. There are also several recipes in the back for each of these animals.Good pics, good information, good book.

deer on the living room table
When I came home there was a dead deer on my living room table (yes I was shocked because it didn't belong there) and my husband was looking at it holding a knife.He didn't look so sure what to do.I got this book from the library which explains in very detailed pictures how to "disect" the animal.It worked so great I bought him the book for xmas and we have used it several times for deer, turkey and the great recipes.

The best on the subject
The photo of the vension roast on the cover make you wish you had avension roast in the freezer for tomorrows dinner.Read more

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

Reviews (19)

Easy To Love
I can boil water except I usually burn it, so imagine my joy to find a cook book with so many easy to use and tasty ideas.My favorite cooking item is my George Forman grill and everything I have tried so far comes out great.Her varied uses for chicken are most welcome to those of us on special diets or just trying to cut the fat from our diets.The ingredients are easy to assemble and instructions easy to follow.I also gave a copy of this book to my uncle in Missouri.He is a legendary griller.The back yard is his kingdom.He has enjoyed her bookand has gotton some great new ideas from it. Thank you Grill Power for bringing me and myGeorge Forman even closer than before.

1 star because 0 stars was unavailable!
Do listen to the sour grapes reviews. This book is for people looking for meals that you cannot pull together without first shopping at multiple locations to purchase the ingredients.I prefer simple recipes with items I can find in my pantry or pick up on my way home from work.Save your $$$!!!!

Excellent Book...Ignore the sour grapes review
This book has been fantastic even for an experienced griller.The recipes are excellent and the organization of the book makes it user friendly. I do not find the "fluff" I have found in many pop cook books and absolutely don't know where the sour grapes vindictive reviewer below is coming from.
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Subjects:  1. Barbecue cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Outdoor    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Barbecue   

Editorial Review

Why do recipes call for unsalted butter--and salt? What is a microwave, actually? Are smoked foods raw or cooked? Robert L. Wolke's enlightening and entertaining Read more

Reviews (40)

Very interesting, straightforward and concise
This book is well written in a straightforward manner and with an effort to avoid 'high tech' lingo.Very interesting info on the 'advertising' and 'marketing' part of food labeling.It also cuts through all the hype of special salts, sugars and other basic products to discuss the origin of the product, the processing and of course it's use in our food.I recommend this to anyone who likes to know the 'real' science of food and cooking.No agenda, no cause to promote.Just fun facts and interesting science about a wide variety of food and cooking subjects.

Entertaining and educational
If you are looking for a book that lays out many of the basics of food science, but is not a text book - this is the way to go.It definitely is something you read through like a novel, not a reference volume.However, the writing is good and I really enjoyed reading through it.I have found that it makes me a better cook as I have a better understanding of what is really going on.My guess is that the ideal reader would be one who likes food and is interested in the technical side of how things work (is there such a thing as a "food geek"?).

Recommended with reservations
Based on the glowing reviews here, I bought this book. I was done with it in a day--not because I'm that fast a reader but because there was that little content I was interested in. The book uses an FAQ format and commits the sin of answering "questions" that no one would ever, ever actually ask, like "why is oil is only partially hydrogenated?" The book excels when it takes on more real questions (Do mushrooms really absorb water if you wash them? No.). But those are rare, hence my being done in a day. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Essays    5. Food Science    6. General    7. History    8. Methods - General    9. Miscellanea    10. Reference    11. Science    12. General cookery    13. Popular science   

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cooking    3. Entertaining    4. Menus    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Entertaining    7. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Reviews (2)

THE Cookbook to have if you are a foodie with health concerns!!!!
I bought this book when it first came out - I was privileged to buy Graham Kerr's complete set of cookbooks from his first TV series at a library book sale and the difference is astounding!Having read Minimax, I can convert what he wrote previously into a heart healthy menu.I love the way that Minimax is laid out, it is exceptionally clear, and you simply have to try his breakfast recipe with heart healthy granola, plain yogurt, kiwi fruit and strawberries - you will think you died and went to heaven!!!!Gorgeous pictures of the dishes described!Buy It and put it next to your Julia Child cookbooks and Joy of Cooking - you will be using it that often!

If you can find this book, get it!!
this is one of Graham Kerr's best cookbooks as it is easy to read and follow for people like me who are afraid to enter the kitchen.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Health & Healing - Weight Control    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Dietary    7. General cookery