Restaurant Books

We just returned from Venice( March 6th - 11th, 2008) and used this book for three of our dinning choices and they were the worst of all our dinning experiences. We stayed at a lovely B and B called the Locanda Orseolo and Barbara and Gigi and their staff suggested our best dinning experiences in Venice. I will give you two of our three examples. Page 13, Vino Vino dry pasta and the most boring salad, a handful of lettuce in a bowl and Bimbo quality bread and even with our most limited selections there was no way to escape that place in the inexpensive category and as for the four gondoliers hanging out at this local eatery it was full of very loud tourist. Page 15 Taverna La Fenice( yes we went to the right address) we went to dinner there after we saw Electra at the La Fenice Opera house. No the waiter did not know or have any great or even mild English language skills as suggested in the book, the most uncomfortable seats to ever rest on and we had the risotto because "you can not go wrong" and it was the second worst risotto we had in 24 days in Italy. The fish was dry and all we could do was laugh and finish our wine and pay not the expensive category price as this book suggests but pay the very expensive, and we do not mind spending money, but this in any country was not worth the mention. Venice is not known as a culinary hub as the entire country of Italy will tell you but you can have local excellent meals there so go there and ask a local or call Gigi but my suggestion is to save your money don't buy this book because sincerely you don't need it and use the money and buy yourself a treat as you walk around magical Venice

At last, a book written by people who have actually LIVED there! While dining in Venice can be problematical, these two gals have eaten (and eaten and eaten) their way through the city and have given Americans, in particular, all the info we need for a successful visit. We found their recommendations to be spot-on, as the English say. The only thing missing is notations as to when the restaurants are closed; for example, many Venetians close up shop for vacation in August and if you want to make reservations ahead, you have to search the net for their websites to inquire, or do as I finally did -- contact my hotel ahead of time and give them a list.

What a great update on a very useful book! The last several years I've spent weeks at a time in Venezia...cruising every calle for foodie gems! What a delight it was finding the first edition of this delightful book...and the update reassures the reader a present-time evaluation!!
Many thanks to Shannon and Ruth!!!

I brought this guide to Venice with me last time, and I'll bring it next time too. It's a good little book. The ladies point out some very nice restaurants. However, the anecdotes really suck. All they do is point out special treatment that they've received at one restaurant or another, and this is very unbecoming in what ought to be impartial criticism. I know how thrilling it is to be considered an insider in Venice, but the authors should show a little professionalism and keep it under their hats.

I cant recommend this book enough. I had heard many things about Venice and the restaurants being mediocre and overpriced and thought, just add us to that list. I then read on www.slowtrav.com many people had very positive dining experiences using Chow Venice and were recommending it, so I placed my order. After perusing it, my husband and I dog eared half the book of places we wanted to try. Trying to narrow that list was difficult! Every one of our meals recommended by Chow Venice was delicous. I also liked that it gave detailed directions to the restaurants and the food/ingredient translation came in handy.

Beautiful book with a special atmosphere and story. The format, pictures, text are really interesting and worth to see and read.

I work in the trade - this book is very inspirational.
As with all books - use moderation in its appliance.
Adopt the recepies to your own need.

Be well and make food with love

T

This was bought as a gift. Rarely do you get a chance to give a gift that keeps on giving. In addition, it shows careful thought. The recipes outlined in the book can be accomplished and make the "chef" who cooks them a star. So the giver is one too!!!

Don't fear the bistro.

The book contains recipes that, with some forethought and prep, are amazingly approachable for the home cook in the home kitchen. The secret really is in the Basic Prep & Technique section... spending the time to make the good building blocks makes the recipes in the book a breeze to prepare, and the building blocks can be used to elevate some of your own kitchen staples (like the garlic and tomato confit). And the book also contains the recipe for the best, and easiest, roast chicken that I have ever made.

My immediate reaction on unpacking this was 'yuck'. This is the book equivalent of a roast chicken with little paper toques on the legs - the target audience looks to be the sort of people who enjoy reading in-flight magazines, and who store the major part of their libraries under the coffee table. This first reaction was immediately reinforced by sentences that told me things like that 'a good quiche is like sex' (or maybe 'a quiche is like good sex' - I'm not sure, I quote from memory), and a general impression that Keller is to Bistro food what Marie-Antoinette was to cheese making.

Nevertheless, if you can muscle your way past the gag reflex, there are a healthy number of good ideas and recipes here within a coherent (if somewhat Baroque) framing perspective.

In summary, technical content is actually very good, but I won't be filing it beside Elizabeth David, where people can see it.

One other thing - does Keller have a watch endorsement deal? A large chunk of expensive looking (but not actually identifiable) steel is on display on his wrist in many of the pictures - I don't think I have ever seen a watch on a chef's wrist before in technique photos, never mind displayed so prominently).

Note added (31.05.08) W.r.t. watches, it appears Keller is just ahead of the curve: I just got Heston Blumenthal's two 'Perfection' books in the mail, and he also sports a large chunk of mechanical timepiece. Blumenthal's books are infinitely more attractive than Keller's - if nothing else, Blumenthal has a well-developed sense of irony, something Keller appears completely to lack.

What a delightful book this was!

It is told in first person and is the story of Juanita Louis. A mother of three grown children who slowly sees her life passing her by. A nurse's aide, she becomes the inheritor of a library of paperback novels of a former patient. The books open up a whole new world for Juanita, a world of possibilities.

In a move that I have often wished I could do, Juanita quits her thankless job, packs her clothes, says good bye to her thankless children, looks at a map, picks a place at random and decides to travel there.

Landing in Paper Moon, Montana, Juanita pauses on her journey for a bite to eat. Finding a diner that serves only "new-velle" cuisine, Juanita is outraged that she can't get a simple plate of eggs and bacon for breakfast. So she gets up and cooks her own, much to the delights and secret longing on the other patrons in the diner.

What follows is a lovely story of a woman, a town, and people who interact in wonderful ways.

I read this book in one sitting and am eagerly looking forward to reading the sequel.

Simply, yes, if you let it touch you.

At a time in my life when I needed help, clarity of vision, and hope, this book opened my eyes and my heart in a way I needed it most. I first read this book in 2005, and have since come back to it, time and again for the pure pleasure of it.

The prose is well paced and refreshing, not so fast that you feel like you've been caught in a whirlwind, not so slow that you put it down and never finish. It's just right, gripping, inspiring and amazingly real and down to earth. It is, in so many ways, an escape for the reader that leads them right back to themselves. Almost a meditation on life, this book helped me see the forest for the trees, and step outside my own life long enough to inspire me to make the changes I needed to in my own.

This was my Greyhood to Papermoon Montana, and such a yummy, pleasurable read. Without question not to be missed I'd have to say this book, and it's sequel are brilliant! This book isn't about boundaries, it's about freedom and self respect for one's self in balance and a certain amount of harmony with the the rest of the world.

Why don't they make books like this one required reading in school? Had I read this twenty years ago who knows, I might not identify with Jaunita so much at this point in my life. This book is about vision, and truth, with ourselves.

I love it!

This book is a short, quick read but a great story of a middle aged woman with the courage to pack her bags, leave her grown butt kids and put herself first for once in her life. In the process she finds herself. Great story.

I loved it. If you ever thought about breaking away to a fresh start...read this book. Dancing on the Edge of the Roof takes hold of the reader and never lets go. You can't wait to see what Juanita gets into next. Ride along with her on each adventure and take a moment to enjoy nature the way Mother Nature intended. What a romance! The ending leaves you feeling completely satisfied, yet ironically waiting anxiously for a sequel. I highly recommend this book for the mature and exciting women of today.

[...]

I am sure many of us have heard this Dr. Phil-ism. I believe it is true in all its forms--self-fulfilling prophecies and such. DANCING ON THE EDGE OF THE ROOF is a simple, straight-forward book, and readers will benefit from its eloquence. Exaggerated, overblown writing may have its place, but Sheila Williams' first book will have a place in your spirit. Strip away the main character's (Jaunita Louis') skin color, occupation, neighborhood--all of the superficial things that can separate us from her story, and we will see ourselves. Facing the same challenges. On the same journey toward fulfillment.

What I got from DANCING ON THE EDGE OF THE ROOF was a lesson: Do everything you fear to do. Get locks or a long weave, if you must. Learn to merengue. Take a trip to northern China. Study at an institution for culinary arts or interior design. Take your vacation in Fiji. Have a baby at 40. Get your MBA at 54. Do it all, because this is the only life we get. Even those who believe in a second life cannot be sure, so we ought to make the best of this world, this life's opportunities.

I was reminded that I cannot blame anyone but me if I don't take those chances in life that will, in the end, make me the best form of myself that I can achieve.

Good For The Soul.

I would give a review for this item if I could. But the person gave me a refund for the book so I can't review it. Sorry.

I have bought more than half a dozen calorie, fat & carbohydrate count books. This one is the best. Small in size, and will fit in pants pocket, jacket, or purse. Extensive listings of foods. Before I bought this book, I thought it mostly covered fast food chains. Not so. It also includes info on the ingredients basic to many home recipes. I've found the info I needed about table sugar, flour, oils, etc., which allows me to convert many of my old favorite recipes into low fat, low carbohydrate dishes. Also included are concise references to valuable diabetes, weight loss, exercise, and cholesterol information.

What a gem "The Doctors Pocket Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter" is!

This purse-sized book puts honesty into eating.

Essentially, it is a group of lists. You'll see the product name, and in three columns to the right of it, how many calories, fat and carbohydrates. The strength resides in its thoroughness. It seem as if the editors came in my neighborhood grocery store and took notes, cataloguing these stats from every item. There is even a calorie count for spices (a teaspoon of nutmeg has 12 calories!), as well as alcohol (you'll find your favorites brands, plus a general list).

There is a section on restaurants in general. Presuming, for example, red beans and rice is pretty much the same anywhere, we learn we'll be eating about 280 calories.

Disheartening is the restaurant chain section, from Applebee's to Zantiago. I was pleased to see how Boston Market did, but I see the stuffing and gravy on their turkey meal I love costs me an additional 430 calories.

There are some nutritional sections, explaining the fundamentals of a good diet, what fiber is all about and some discussion of sodium.

It is all very handy, and so I fully recommend "The Doctors Pocket Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter."

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

What's there is great! What is missing is too important. This guide has a vast variety of foods listed, and covers some bases other books do not. What is missing is too important - there are no listings for Cholesterol or Good and Bad Fats. It is too important to the diabetic dieter or to any dieter to know these things! I found the book informative - and generally useless beyond basic information found in other books.

I have had this book for about a week and it has been the most useful out of MANY calorie counter books I have. It does not list Protein for many foods other than restaurant foods, but is awesome for everything else. I have found 90% of the items I wanted quickly and easily. The restaurant section contains mini-lists of their food offerings, but at least shows some good reference points. I highly recommend this for anyone that is having trouble finding a calorie counting book they like!

You will find lots of innovative ideas for vegetarian appetizers, salads, sandwiched, other entrees and dessert in attractive book. Based on the RFD philosphy and cafe, the book has some winning recipes and combinations and you are sure to find something that will catch your eye, even if every single recipe is not to your taste. Certainly worth checking out from the local library or browsing through for a leisurely read.

This is a solid cookbook for vegans or anyone who would like to venture a little bit out of their "ingredients comfort zone." What I clearly did not like about this cookbook was that the recipes were very time consuming! Sometimes you even had to prepare some ingredients, like for example, Tofu Whip (another two-page, two-hour recipe), in order to make a small snack. While I love to cook even if it takes effort and time this book pushed me a bit over the edge.
One final thing I thought was quite amusing was that the author claims in the introduction, that organic produce contains more vitamins than regular produce. While that might (or might not) be true it is slightly beside the point. I choose to eat organic food because of the things it DOES NOT contain (pesticides and the like) and because it saves our environment.
Anyway, I would not recommend this book unless you don't mind spending hours on preparing these dishes.

Book was delivered in excellent time and in the condition specified. Packaging was neat and professional.

Delicious, beautiful vegan, vegetarian recipes. Makes me happy I am changing my lifestyle. Recipes are very easy to follow.

full of delicious recipes that always work. Make sure to try the Pecan Pie, both the chocolate (wheat-free) and carrot cakes, the chocolate chip cookies (also wheat-free), the hummus (not innovative, but somehow the best ever), seitan "chicken fingers", ranch dressing, "sour cream"...oh, so many good ones! One of my favorie vegan cookbooks.

My least favorite of the series about two NOLA chefs, it is nonetheless well written with lively characters.

Where do I start ?--- I first read "Exquisite Corpse" and thought:"Holy SHIA!- This one can write!-"But would I want to meet her on a dark night?" Read "The Value of X" and the next two Rickey and G-Man in one swell foop[!]and now I was hooked. She can write - and then some - and boy would I like to meet her now! The restaurant background has remained compulsively interesting through all three books and they are the best written and moving novels about a happy marriage that I have ever read - Claudia and David, eat your heart out! And then there's the suspense!! Will Rickey swallow his pride and get their indispensible Dessert Chef back into the fold? Will G-Man be unfaithful?[please God- no NO!]Will Rickey be able to bin the prescription drugs? Will they buy the fishing camp-ground? [Rickey!Rickey- Katrina's coming!!!] Can I wait for the next installment? Yes but impatiently. Finally: the book ends with an hilarious "Meshugga Cuisine" meal----and a stifled sob [from me]- just kidding! If you haven't read it already, try to start with "Value of X" but of course it's not essential to do so. Oh - and Poppy- I'm really not one of those fans who think they should be able to tell you what to write about, but -- I hope you get VERY Political in the next one -or the one after that -or the one after THAT. Love from Sussex!

I have to admit. I'm new to Poppy. Having filled my teenage mind back in high school with the likes of King, Rice, and Koontz, I was hesitant to start at the beginning of Brite's collection back in the day when she was writing horror. Like Poppy, I'm past that and prefer something these days with a little more substance. Having come across her Live Journal, I soon learned that her story of John Rickey and Gary "G-man" Stubbs was the direction to take. I started with Soul Kitchen, and right from the start I was not disappointed.

I've visited New Orleans only twice in my life. Mardi Gras, 1995, and that story is a book in itself that many wayward (and stupid) tourists have experienced. I was reluctant to ever give New Orleans a good name while reliving my tale over dinner or at a local bar with friends. How unfair! I went back to New Orleans two years after that during the non-tourist season and was ashamed at all the eccentric and brilliant eateries and places I'd missed out on before. NOLA soon earned the place dear to my heart that it so much deserved like all the other Southern spots I adore.

Since that was ten years ago and the face of New Orleans has changed quite a bit since then, I cherished the taste and flare that Poppy Z treats us to deep in the food culture that brings New Orleans close to our heart (and our stomachs). The adventures of her two Chefs (who are also lovers) deep in the restaurant business definitely offers a lot more than any TV soap opera could provide. I couldn't get enough! The politics and mayhem that surround the kitchen, and the city itself, kept the pages turning.

Brite finished Soul Kitchen on the eve of Katrina, while also suffering from severe back pain. After finishing the last page of this book, my heart was right there with her. I immediately went back to 2005 and read entries into her journal. I wanted to know if what I was feeling was the same. She writes..."I get hung up on silly little things like whether I should write out the menu for the story's climactic dinner or just come up with the courses as I go along. (If it was Rickey and G-man cooking, I'd certainly make up the menu in advance... This scene needs to be really funny, and I just don't feel funny. I feel sore and mad and cotton-headed. I twist in my chair and hear the painkillers calling my name."

Each time a writer finishes a piece of work so brilliant and so personal, I believe a piece of them dies a little. They lose a part of themselves that's been kept bottled up inside, expelling the pain onto paper but twisting it into the words their readers embrace. Brite's recipe is no different. Luckily, she has cooked up several more endearing books in this series.

I'll definitely be having second helpings!

Reading "Soul Kitchen," the third book in Poppy Z. Brite's series about chefs John Rickey and Gary "G-Man" Stubbs, is a little like having old friends over for a potluck. You know that having them over is going to be a treat, but you're not sure what they're going to bring. This time, the dish is a hefty serving of New Orleans racial and social politics dished up with a garnish of conjugal discord.

The initial scene, an argument that segues into a murder, lays the groundwork for the novel's chosen crime: the murder of a white restaurant owner by her black head chef, a man named Milford Goodman. From there it jumps ahead, with Rickey and G-man still running their restaurant, Liquor, after 3 years of success. A series of events, among them Rickey suffering a back injury that aggravates his already fierce temper, leads to one of Liquor's chefs quitting and Milford--an old friend of Rickey's, and newly released from jail--being hired to take his place. And Milford does more than take his place; he's a culinary genius who can recreate any dish he's tasted once.

Naturally, talent like Milford's doesn't go unnoticed. Rickey's doctor, a man named Lamotte who gives Rickey a seemingly endless supply of Vicodin, convinces him to join a business venture: a restaurant on a gambling riverboat called Soul Kitchen, which will offer "home cooking" from a variety of cuisines. While Rickey manages to do Milford yet another favor and have him hired as the chef, there's just one problem: Clancy Fairbairn, the new restaurant's bankroller with a dark reputation, is the man who Milford believes murdered his former employer. And Fairbairn has every reason to make sure Milford keeps quiet.

Suffice to say there's more to the story than the suspense. Brite gets in a solid dig at the homophobic atmosphere in New Orleans in a conflict between Milford and his sister; nor does she neglect the racism that pervades the city's class structure, which is taken as a matter of bitter fact by the staff of Liquor. And there's the food, not just that prepared by Liquor and Soul Kitchen, but also by Polonius, an upscale eatery run by a Dutch chef whose creations get more ludicrous and less appetizing with every mentioned course. (The fish sandwich gelee is a concept that one wishes had no basis in reality.) And lastly, Rickey's back injury and subsequent Vicodin addiction leave G-man vulnerable to the advances of a new staff member at Liquor. It may sound like a mess rather than a plot; however, like most stews, "Soul Kitchen"'s story is a lot more appetizing when it's consumed.

The ending of "Soul Kitchen" is bittersweet, as Rickey ends up swallowing his last Vicodin and quite a bit of his pride. But it's true to the characters, and wraps up with a fond look at Rickey and G-man. I would love to see another novel in this series; while the description of the food drives me to try to recreate it, my enjoyment of the characters is what keeps me coming back to these books.

ok i realize im the lone detractor out of 30 reviews, but ill be the bad guy... this book was bad. i live in new orleans and im a foodie, so i thought id get a kick out of it, but the writing was just too poor.

in the first few pages i thought it was going to be a trashy mystery novel, and i was cool w/ that. but then the author dropped the mystery angle. okay....so its a not a mystery novel, but its still trashy. whats she going for?

dialog -- atrocious. do you realize that Rickey never once calls G-Man, his life partner, by his name? its always "Hey, dude." "Yeah, dude?" "Dude!" between them. holy Bill & Ted! is that believable? is this how lovers talk? same w/ all the other char interactions..just stylized garbage (villain Lamotte to wait staff, redemption-man Milford to his boss, Chef Jaap to everyone, etc..)

characters -- completely flat to me, utterly void of depth. at the end i could care less about them or their set up problems because it was all fake, just couldnt believe they were real people. giving Rickey a chip on his shoulder isnt depth. Chef Jaap is the worst of the cutout characters, as his interactions are the most non-believable of any..no pro chef would talk to peers (and reputable ones at that) the way he did at the end. completely one-dimensional villain.

lastly...thru her characters & narrative voice, the author trashes molecular gastronomy. to any one who's never sampled it, MG sure sounds terrible. yet in the "Acknowledgments", she goes on to say basically, "Oh, even tho my MG descriptions are reminiscent of one of the best restaurants in Chicago and my narrative calls it crap, real MG is good!" uh, yeah. thanks for puttin in the good word there, appreciate it..

anyway. this extended short-story is a hack. but hey, its local.

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PLANNING A TRIP TO MAUI THIS COMING NOVEMBER, AND I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE FOOD. JUST READING THROUGH THIS BOOK IS FUN, AND FULL OF INFORMATION THAT ONLY SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS MAUI'S GOOD, BAD, EXCELLENT PLACES TO EAT WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE. I APPRECIATE HOW THEY BREAK THE RESTAURANTS DOWN TO AREA, MAKES IT EVEN EASIER TO PLAN.

CAN'T WAIT TO TRY ALEXANDERS FISH AND CHIPS!!!!

great reviews of maui restaurants. we've been fooled in the past and valued this guide.

I have been going to Maui every summer for the past 21 years and am always in anticipation to discover which restaurants have closed and which have sprung up in their place. I am a huge "foodie" who looks forward to eating great meals out while on vacation. I have bought several other guide books that claim to be updated and am continually disappointed. Either the restaurant has gone out of business or the review is completely inaccurate, but not with James and Molly's book. This is truly THE BEST restaurant guide for Maui. And what makes it even better is the free updated download you get. You can purchase the book months in advance and not worry about things changing because you can check out any updates for free. I would recommend this book to anyone visiting Maui, from first timers to life longers, from tight budgets to no budgets. This is the book for you!

We have vacationed in Maui for a week or two for a number of years and thought we knew the restaurants pretty well. Guess what, we had a lot to learn. We used this well written book to try many new places and were not disappointed with any of them. The recommendations were excellent. We also avoided going to places where we would have been unhappy. Having this book made our trip to Maui this year even better than in the past. I hope the book continues to be updated as it is now.

This book was convenient for finding great food in the different parts of Maui. We are staying in Western Maui and the book lists all the food by location and favorites so now we know where to go for great tapas! The 4 category reviews are extra helpful when deciding where to go whether you are looking for a value or a great view.

I love this book and have given it as a gift. Although I knew my way around the kitchen, thanks to The Daily Soup, now I know my way around soup. The book is readable and fun, taking any mysteries out of soup-making and encouraging improvisation. I also like its variety with some simple soups (like Tomato Basil--made surprisingly--without basil) and some more unusual (like Moroccan Chicken Curry with Couscous).

We've loved almost every soup we've tried. Now that we've learned how to make substitutions (like Swanson's broth as opposed to homemade, etc.), many recipes are very simple AND just as tasty. If you truly love soup, this cookbook is for you.

Great new ideas for enhancing flavors and adding richness to basic soups. Plus, they offer some wonderfully fresh combinations of ingredients for unique adventures in the soup world. I often substitute some good vegetarian bullion cubes for the admittedly better home made stock to save time, but the end result is still deeply satisfying. Originally coming to me as a gift, I have followed the tradition for my soup loving friends and family.

I have owned this soup cookbook for many years and recently purchased it for my parents who love soup. The vast selection of receipes are all broken down into groups such as vegetarian, meat, pasta, tomato etc. this is a great way of having a craving for a particuliar king of soup then looking up all the additional options you can make based on that craving. If you are a soup lover all year round this is the only soup cookbook you will ever need.

I had sworn not to add any additional cookbooks to my collection. I came across this one and broke my own rule to myself and have been glad that I did. This is a perfect cookbook. I've found that for my lifestyle, soups is the way to go, and none of the recipes has been a dud. Quite the opposite. I have decided to go through the entire book and do every recipe in the book.

Many of the recipes call for the use of thyme leaves, an herb that I had not used much. I am now very comfortable with it and appreciate the flavor that it brings to these recipes.

Tried so far with great success: The cream-less asparagus soup ( buy frozen asparagus, don't try to peel and chop 2 lbs. of fresh asparagus...takes too long), Cuban black bean ( I had three cans of black beans and one can of chick peas from a close-out sale ...so I left out the salt that the recipe calls for and substituted the already prepared beans. Note: there is a minor flaw in the recipe. First, it has been proven since the book was written that you can add salt to the beans, the beans won't toughen from the salt. But tomatoes or other acids do toughen beans and I wouldn't add any tomatoes, canned, fresh or otherwise until I was certain my beans were cooked and tender), French onion soup (really good. I roasted my onions in the oven per the instructions).

For anyone who loves chocolate or related to someone who is, this book is a must. It's almost a coffee table book with those beautiful pictures. The recipes are both challenging and easy so it's a usable book also. I heartily recommend Death by Chocolate!!!

This book is beautiful to look at in addition to having incredible recipes. Some of them are a bit complicated, but for the most part, worth the effort.

This is an excellent book. I particularly like it as it has photos of every dessert so you can be inspired by the photos and at least you can see what the finished product looks like. The desserts are a little time consuming but you can probably tackle them over a couple of days. I have made a few of the desserts and I can only rave about them.

I have had this book for ten years. I have yet to see any chocolate-guised cookbook that compares.

I have not dared to make most of the delights in this book (how DOES he stay so skinny?) but have made many. Not being a trained chef of any sort, the instructions are clear, professional and consise. The hardest parts of creating these confections are not getting the book dirty, and deciding which one to make next.

While some reviews have talked about some recipes being "complicated," only the excitement of finally tasting them should be intimidating. It is very rewarding to treat yourself to these deserts after the labor of making them, knowing they are the same things you could enjoy in the world's finest resturants.

Chocolate is center on stage in all these recipies, and this book has increased my reverence for it 100-fold. (And also spoiled me away from sub-par chocolate deserts.)

I've bought this book probably less than a year ago but I already tried several recipes. I have quite a few books for chocolate cakes recipes, but this is the best for sure. And mainly due to this book, my chocolate cakes have been improving a lot. They take time and are relatively expensive but it worth, especially when you see how people enjoy each bite.
Every party with friends it's always a surprise for them, since I try as many new recipes as I can.
Thanks Mr. Desaulnier for sharing such a great talent!

MT, Japan

I first got this cookbook when I was in college back in the early 90's in Rochester, NY. I made several recipes for my roommates and they loved them! I have never made anything from this book that turned out less than delicious. I seldom post reviews on anything, but I think this cookbook warrants my review. My favorites are the Cape Verde Vegetable Soup, Groundnut Stew, Moroccan Stew and the Rusks (with a cup of chocolate chips thrown in). I have a whole legion of rusk followers now who have asked for the recipe : ). I just called one of my old roommates and she told me that she wanted to make a batch of choc. chip rusks so bad last year and she lost the xerox, that she went to her public library and found the book in the stacks and made a new xerox! That's love : )

I've used this book so many times that the binding is cracked. There are post-it notes sticking up from too many pages to count. And the book automatically opens to my favorite recipe, Pasta e Fagioli. It is my idea of the ultimate comfort food, and I cannot count how many times we've enjoyed it.

This book is a classic. Really good food that is also really good for you.

Sundays at Moosewood is divided into chapters, each dedicated to a culinary taste. Its a bit overwhelming to read it straight through and then select a few recipes to make into a meal - however, they help you with a section in the back that mixes and matches recipes from different chapters. I think that is one of the book's best features.

I'm not a vegetarian, but a lot of my dinner guests are - and Moosewood guarantees a truly interesting dining experience without the addition of meat. Like other reviewers, I sometimes grill fish, chicken or steak to serve with the veggie-centered recipes.

This cookbook is INCREDIBLE! I got it for my birthday 10 years ago and have tried at least half of the recipes in it -- and my copy is battered enough to prove it. I especially recommend the Tapenade, Turkish Spinach & Lentil Soup, Sayra's Greens, Pasta e Fagioli, Pepperpot Soup, Mocha Pecan Pie, Galletas de Nueces, Polvorones de Canela, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Pulla, Ukrainian Almond Crescents (OK, so I have a sweet tooth). The best gift I've ever gotten!!

I purchased this cookbook about 15 years ago - - a little while before I moved out on my own. I purchased "The Joy of Cooking" and "The Silver Palate" at the same time. This is an excellent cookbook.

-Every single recipe turns out well and as it should. A rarity in any cookbook.

-It is well laid-out. One recipe per page, ingredients separate from method, limited cross referencing required, easy measurements.

-simple techniques.

-informs you ahead what can be made in advance.

-excellent index; a necessity in a cookbook so often overlooked.

I now own about 40 cookbooks or so, am married with children and have entertained many guests. This book taught me how to cook gently and easily. I highly recommend it to anyone just starting out whether they are vegetarian or not. I still use it and (although you may not believe me) some of the recipes are much, much better than those in fancier cookbooks for the same items. And easier too. Oh and did I mention? Everything made from it tastes good.