Cooking Books

This book is just great. I have a very old edition that my aunt bought in Germany in the 70's. I don't think it was even available in the U.S. then. It not only has great recipes, the style is wonderfully intimate and fun to read.

Just for kicks I entered Miriam Ungerer on a search engine and was really surprised AND pleased that this book was reprinted. It has been my favorite cookbook. I own a 1973 Viking first edition and while I haven't worn it out, I use it a lot.

I cannot name a favorite recipe, they all are good, and even if they are nothing I can fix (Mussels Dumas appear interesting, but I am potentially terminally allergic clam-like shellfish) they are informative. She gives practical wasy to cook most anything if you know how to cook and just need a nudge on ingredients. And she gives good ways to cut corners and make good meals while saving money.

And it is just as useful today as it was when I was a young housewife just starting out.

Hats off to Miriam Ungerer for producing such a good work.

I got this on a remainder table last month and have been reading it ever since. Reminds me of when I discovered Elizabeth David (also on the remainder table!) a dozen years ago. This book is a classic, and should be in every good cook's library, even if you aren't watching your food pennies. I love the eclectic mix of American regional food and good solid French peasant cooking. You will also find reliable discussions of the classic stocks and sauces of French cuisine. Furthermore, she tells you how to make yogurt from scratch!

As the primary cook in a rather large family, I am always looking for ways to stretch what I have and still make a satisfying meal. I found this book in the '73 hardback edition, and have just about worn it out- an almost daily tool. I have recommended it to everyone I know, and was happy to find it back in print

I first picked up this book in the '70's when I was living "off the land" in Colorado. It worked then as well as it does now; with time-tested, not be be had elsewhere, recipes. I still find myself caught up in her funny, entertaining writing style. And the recipe for Brunswick Stew is not to be left untested!

The book has a nice bright cover, pages are thick and a good quality. It was a great gift for my neighbor as it was not just another cookbook.

Good recipes and beautiful artwork. I keep this book on my counter where it can be enjoyed by everyone who sees it.

What a wonderful book! Full of drawings and tibits. The banana nut bread receipe is out of this world. This is great for a gift or just for yourself. It is soothing to the soul!

I bought this cookbook @ one of my son's book fairs @ school & it is one of my favotire purchases of all time. The recipes are delicious and the pictures are beautiful, even if you dont like to cook this is just a great addition to your collection! A real MUST HAVE.

This book was a gift to me from a good friend. I was immediately struck by how beautiful the pages looked - a welcome relief from the usual textbook-like cookbooks I've kept in my cabinets. Then I started to read the recipes and realized that these were simple! The bonus was that not only would my husband like many of these recipes, but so would my young daughters. I use it almost every week for a great home-cooked meal or dessert.

I love the versatility of this little book. The reader is shown how the various pizzas can serve as appetizers, main dishes for the family, as well as party fare. (There is even a party planning section with the various easy tasks for the party organized day-by-day!) The pizzas and piadinas are creative and yummy, and I found myself inspired to try my own creations as well. I loved the clarity of the lay-out--the techniques of dough preparation, rolling and grilling are first clearly explained and once (easily) mastered, the recipes are a cinch. The dough is great--you can roll out several pies, quickly grill them, then freeze these without toppings for future meals. And if you've never tasted pizza from the grill, you are in for a treat!

This is a great book--easy cooking and with a grill no less-- the way it is arranged makes it user friendly and Amazon was just wonderful to deal with--

If you really want to impress your friends, invite them over for gourmet grilled pizzas from this amazing cookbook. And the best part is all the prep work is done before anyone comes over so that you can quickly make the pizzas (alone or as a group) when the company arrives. The book is gorgeous and recipes are easy to follow. The Gamberian Pizza (with shrimp and pesto) and The Morrocan (with chicken and a sweet curry glaze) are to die for. And the kids go crazy for the Smores Pizza. You'll never view pizza the same way after you taste these.

Wandering the cooking aisle at our local library, I came across this delightful book. I love love love grilling, so thought I'd give it a try. What a totally delightful surprise! Instructions are thorough and clear for cooking absolutely tasty pizzas - a novice can do it! My family loved the rather simple but complex tomato/basil pizza. Twas so fresh, and new - it had us literally dancing on the deck with delight! I kid you not. Needless to say, I bought the book for myself. Piadinas are definitely coming soon!

This book is a fabulous tool for any of us who love to grill; especially pizzas. It's the best how-to book I've seen on the topic. I teach alot of cooking classes and students always love learning to make grilled pizzas and flatbreads. Kudos to Craig Priebe and Dianne Jacob for creating a well-focused and thorough book on this popular topic. Craig's professional and competition expertise in this arena are ever-present on the pages. This expertise is obvious in the featured recipes as well as the coverage of a variety of grilling devices, how-to tips and party planning. Readers always love photos and this book features more than most these days; almost every recipe has a photo. What a treat! I love the unexpected choices for dessert pizza and piadini, especially the Pizza Sugar Cookies and the Churros! These are really tasty treats!

Full of exciting tales of the road and the adventures that food can bring to the journey. This book is an absolute must! What is travel without food? Each story in this exceptional selection brings to the reader an intriguing fascination with the world and all it has to offer. Culture after culture you will be astounded by the discoveries each traveler brings to the table. This book is truly a treat for the hungry traveler and by books end, you will be satisfyingly full and content! Buy it and feast your way through the world with each turn of the page.

If you love food and travel, and who doesn't, you'll enjoy this book. I loved the compilation of stories, and how they illustrate how food adds to the experience of different places and different people. Just one warning: it will make you want to go someplace...and eat.

I love this book. I often pick up books from the Travelers Tales series and this one delivered even better than most! The articles were varied and delicious - it made me hungry to travel to far off places with these women and share a meal!

I loved the stories in Lisa Bach's book. Evocative passages that will have you reaching for your travel agent's number to experience it yourself...Or be an armchair traveler & chef, while your travel the globe, kitchen by kitchen, food stand to food stand.

This is such a wonderful book! I stumbled upon it at the bookstore and thought it had just the perfect concept. Food and travel--what else do you need? The selections here are amazing, and each piece really delivers. This is a must-have for any lover of food and adventure. Remember it the next time you need that special and unique gift for someone.

"Sounds like another veg cookbook," you say? While it's true you'll find plenty of simple recipes here, the authors give you something more to chew on by addressing the conditions in which factory farmed animals are raised and killed. "To feel like a vegetarian," they write, "it helps to acknowledge that farmed animals live miserable lives. Most of the chickens who lay eggs and the cows whose milk we drink are bred for maximum production and are deformed in the process. Even `humanely raised' chickens come from hatcheries where the male chicks are killed as fast as they hatch."

"How to Eat Like a Vegetarian" is really a guide to making vegan life easier and more accessible. One of the things I really like about this book is that Carol and Patti have compiled lists for easy reference, such as "Ten Ways to Adapt Your Favorite Recipes," "Ten Tips for Making Fast Foods" and (my favorite) "Ten Comfort Foods," which leads readers to a vegan mac 'n' cheese recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

I also like the authors' approach to cooking: they encourage you to experiment with recipes and use substitutes. I made the lasagna last week, and felt confident replacing some of the ingredients.

Contents include:

* Two Hundred (and More!) Ways to Eat Like A Vegetarian
* How to Cook like a Vegetarian
* Vegetarian Cooking without Recipes
* Everything in Its Season
* Thinking and Feeling like a Vegetarian, if You Want To...
* Appendix I: Resources for Eating, Thinking, and Feeling Like a Vegetarian
* Appendix II: Guide to Ingredients

This book makes a great gift for anyone who is looking for ways to make their lifestyle healthier and more compassionate.

~ Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

The title of this (cook)book pretty much says it all: in just over 200 pages, authors Carol J. Adams (of THE SEXUAL POLITICS OF MEAT fame) and Patti Breitman will show you how to eat like a vegetarian - even if you don't want to be (or in fact aren't) one. Since it's kind of a vegetarianism/veganism 101 primer (though categorized as a vegetarian cookbook, all the recipes are vegan), the book's likely target audience strikes me as newbie vegetarians and vegans; omnivores who are interested in eating fewer animal products, whether for health, environmental or animal welfare reasons; and the family and friends of vegetarians and vegans, new and old.

The last category seems a particularly suitable audience for HOW TO EAT LIKE A VEGETARIAN. For example, if you've recently gone veg, and your parents, siblings, partner and/or friends are giving you a hard time - "But where will you get your protein?" "Fish is vegetarian, right?" "You haven't joined a cult, have you!?" - allow Adams and Breitman to set them straight. The information contained in HOW TO EAT LIKE A VEGETARIAN can help teens and young adults assure their worried parents that, yes, it's not only possible but rather simple to consume enough protein on a veg diet, and help men and women reassure their partners that the household won't lapse into starvation because the primary cook (or taste tester) has banished meat from the kitchen.

At its core, HOW TO EAT LIKE A VEGETARIAN is a cookbook; as such, it features roughly 60 recipes (with a number of additional suggestions, such as quick dinner ideas or suggestions for no-prep, eat-what's-in-the-fridge, snacking-on-the-go eats). It's a rather diverse sample, spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, and includes soups, salads, sweets, dips and spreads, and - of course! - tofu dishes. Depending on your tastes, the selection can be hit-or-miss; while I love vegetable-based soups, for instance, I'm not big on "regular" tofu (though I do like the silken stuff!) - so I haven't yet, and probably won't, try the tofu recipes (although the Mr. and/or doggies probably will). The wide range of dishes can be taken as either a negative or a positive: on the one hand, the lack of a coherent theme binding the recipes together may mean that you only try half of the dishes. But, if you're an adventurous eater and don't know where to start your veg-etarian/-an journey, HOW TO EAT LIKE A VEGETARIAN might just be the place!

In addition to the recipes, Adams and Breitman offer "More than 250 shortcuts, strategies, and simple solutions." These include a number of helpful "top ten" lists, such as "Ten ways to eat more vegetables"; "Ten substitutes for using an egg in baking"; and "Ten different things you can do with chickpeas." You'll also find suggestions for seasonal eating; ideas for vegan appetizers; birthday food ideas; and tips for hosting a cruelty-free reception. In the final chapter, Adams and Brietman sneak in a 30-page discussion about the health, environmental and animal welfare reasons for adopting a vegetarian diet. (Vegan, really, but methinks they didn't want to scare jittery omni's away by using the more radical term "vegan" in their book and chapter titles!)

Over the past few months, the husband and I have tried out a number of the recipes in HOW TO EAT LIKE A VEGETARIAN. Without exception, all were fairly easy to prepare and quite yummy, if not downright delish. Of course, I did some selective sampling; while I loved the Scalloped Potatoes , the mere mention of Carrot Avocado Soup makes my face crumple, and alas we never made it. Chances are you're not as fussy an eater as I, so grain of salt and all.

(As an aside, if you've seen BABY MAMA: That scene where Amy Pohler simply cannot bring herself to eat the organic green pea soup? Totally me. "I would rather be shot in the face than eat this food!")

I especially liked the "top ten" lists and random tricks - many of these are gems! I've been a vegetarian for 13 years now, vegan for maybe 5, and I'm always looking for shortcuts in the kitch! Adams and Breitman offer some inspired tips for recreating new dishes out of leftovers (something I've kind of been doing, albeit on a smaller scale, for a few years), improvising dishes and the like. Probably nothing new to the more advanced vegan cooks among us (you know the types, always making you drool over their food p0rn blogs!), but a dogsend to us amateur and intermediate chefs.

This is the book I've been waiting for.

As a partner in a mixed marriage (one vegetarian, one omnivore), I've often wondered how to cook for both of us - and how to show my husband the fun and merit of leaving meat out of the equation. More importantly, I've wondered how to think in bilingual terms. Usually I have to grit my teeth when surrounded by meat eaters, which is most of the time. How do you explain your moral choice? The last sections of the book show, with just enough detail about the meat industry's practices, why most of us vegetarians choose a plant-based diet. And how do you explain that you're not deprived or slightly anemic? I think any omnivore who read this book would emerge reassured, piqued, and eager to get into the kitchen and try some experiments.

Another reason I like this book is that the authors, with gusto, positively encourage you to trust yourself in the kitchen, to play with your food, to experiment with quantities and ingredients. A few basic guidelines, a list of familiar and unusual ingredients, and a nudge might be all you need. Who knew cuisine could be so forgiving? Of course, there are dozens of actual recipes in the book as well, but the mood of play and variety resound from the first page to the last.

Cookbooks of all kinds should give readers this kind of self-confidence! I think that the recipe -- any recipe -- can be overvalued, treated as a kind of treasure map. I've seen some folks approach recipes gingerly, as if one little goof and you're off by a mile, like the treasure seekers in Poe's story The Gold Bug.

Besides making a valuable addition to your own shelf, How to Eat Like a Vegetarian would make a great gift.

I think a lot of people (like me) are "almost vegetarians," but can't quite go all the way because it seems like too much work. This book has been really helpful, because it puts the focus on shortcuts and convenience, with ideas for incorporating more veggie foods into your life easily. Most of the tips are in list form so you can absorb them fast and give them a try--like "10 Fast Snacks or Easy Lunches," "10 Top Vegetarian Convenience Foods," "Ten Ways to Adapt Your Favorite Recipes" and so on. The recipes seem pretty easy, but it's the lists and tips that make this book really valuable, because they speak to the way people really live--they show you how to throw together satisfying vegetarian meals without having to think too much about it.

I am Patti's husband Stan. Of couse this is very useful book and I am very proud of Patti. I just wanted to tell you my very favorite recipes in the book. I have probably had the Aztec Salad 50+ times over the years, and I'm still not tired of it.

The Chopped Vegetable salad is my very favorite salad.

The Potato Salad is out of this world delicious...I love it.

I love the Gazpacho.

The Cabbage and Chickpea Soup is my favorite soup - wait! The matzo ball soup is also my favorite.

I could go on but I just want to say that Patti makes these all for me, spending very little time in the kitchen.

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2009 is a terrific wine book to have when you go into a restaurant or wine store anywhere. Wherever you are worldwide, you are prepared, Texas or Australia. For example, Hardys was on al our restaurant menus during business trips to Australia. We learned which vintages of Hardys wines are ready to drink, Hardys wines are from several areas, Hardys is part of the world's largest wine group, and which series of Hardys wines are best. The book tells beginners which wines go well with various dishes such as Beef Stroganoff, and why local wines and local food are a good choice. 10 million copies of Hugh Johnson's pocket wine books have been sold and for good reason.

This handy pocket size wine book is chock full of information that will help you to select just the right wine for any occasion. We take it with us when we go to the local wine merchant and we refer to it quite a bit while we are in the store. If you love wine (like we do) and are confused on which one to buy, then this is the book for you!

A concise, very helpful guide to the world's principal over. My "bible" for well over 20 years.

The 2006 didn't let me down from a good friend's recommendation and this one has even more info. Gives you the basic guides through each regions wines and is easily taken into the Wine store without drawing attention to yourself. Use the book as a guide and don't fully rely on the # of stars.

Comprehending Johnson's myriad codes, symbols and abbreviations is a little daunting, but there is a ton of information here. The actual wine notes are less specific than I was hoping, however.

Most people visit Sicily to see Taormina and then head back to mainland Italy but this book reflects the true spirit of Sicilian culture and the people. The farmlands are filled with amazing produce and the love that goes into each farm truly reflects what is seen at the markets, in the towns, and simply along the road while on a drive. This book captures the beauty, the essence and passion of the island that not many get to partake in. The photos and writing are truly magnificent. Terrific job!

This book is absolutely delicious! It makes me homesick for Sicily. The photography and the stories are fantastic. Everyone stationed at Sigonella must read it.

I loved this book! Even though I have never traveled to Sicily, I now have experianced the sites, smells and culture of this often overlooked travel destination. The culture and aromas jump off the pages and into your senses. This author's Sicilian Food Odyssey is a must read for anyone wanting to experiance Sicily at a deeper level other than just visiting the typical tourist locations.

I bought the book for my mother for Christmas. She loved it, and read half of it the first day. Her father came from Sicily and died when she was young. The book brought back many memories of her father, her childhood, and the many Italian food items that her relatives would grow or cook. The book just made her want to visit Sicily even more than she did before. The writer did a wonderful job of bringing you along her amazing journey in Sicily. The book is now on the wish list of other Italian friends and relatives. Thank you Karen for giving my mother the gift of those wonderful memories.

To me this is a travel guide like no other. It isn't your typical guide, containing exhaustive lists of every spot you could and should visit. Instead, this labor of love follows one woman's experiences really getting to know Sicily--more importantly, getting to know Sicily and its people through food. It is full of gorgeous photographs that will make your mouth water. It is easy to read with a mix of personal narrative, food facts, historical perspective, etc. There are a few recipes, but they are generally very simple things to try that will bring the taste of Italy to your home. It is well organized and focused--devoting each chapter to a food area (Nuts, Bread, Deserts, Beverages, Food Festivals, etc.). After reading it you feel educated and entertained. And ready to hop the next flight to Sicily!

Are you tired of "sitting around and having pleasant chatter" type parties? This book gives you creative, manageable, fun ideas for parties that your friends will be talking and laughing about for years. If you want the "same old-same old" - buy a different book.

The format is entertaining - so just read it for the fun of it - you can dream of the friends you would invite.

I am planning to buy several as gifts for my friends. I want the whole bunch to bond together by planning and participating in a variety of parties as described in the book.

Great ideas, easily done! An American theme which can be readily adapted to anywhere in the world. We have used several of the themes already, and have had great fun - we've even become popular with our friends for a change. Well written and fun to read - we laughed until we stopped!!!
Highly recommended to anyone with a sense of fun and adventure. To anyone else - you don't know what you're missing!

Party books always catch my eye since our family gets together often. However this book not only caught my eye -- I bought it! I also suggested my library buy it, and after reviewing it, they agreed! I am thrilled with the new ideas I can use on old friends and family that have been to more than a couple parties at our house. After awhile it seems like you've served the same food and done the same thing. Instant Parties gives complete, fun ideas for parties with a different twist - not weird - just refreshingly new!! The humor the book is written with encourages your party brainstorm, and if you hadn't planned on giving a party, it will get you in the party mood!! It's a great book.

I live in Key West FL and as you can probably imagine a quite a town for parties. Like most Conchs I hold 2 jobs to cover the costs of living large in paradise so I don't have the time(or the creativity truth be told)to pull off a party that measures up. The 2 parties I have thrown so far using this book has made me quite the center of attention amongst my (rapidly expanding) circle of friends. Two words "BUY IT!" I can't wait to throw the "Done Yer Duty" party after the holidays. p.s. The book is also very funny. Too bad there is not a 6-Star rating available.

It's about time that a party book was written that still allows you to have fun at your own gathering instead of worrying about the weird French dish in the oven. A great, unpretentious book that features creative ideas and is entertaining to read even if you have no friends to throw a party for. These are parties that are quick, easy, and fun that won't stress you out or empty your wallet. I highly recommend it!

I received this book as a gift from the author. Kay's recipes are outstanding and easy to use. I have favorites that i turn to time and time again - always with flavorful results

I got this book very quick in canada, the family story was very interesting and pictures are nice to look at you get a good imppression of the food,I did wish they included more inof about the arabic spices and how to get them maybe.. Overall very good book I can cook some traditional dishes that my husband grew up with and my daughter may injoy and cook for her family someday. I really enjoy cooking new foods and making them right, This is the first recipe book for bawlava that I have seen which might be the most acccurate. Thank you from the Kakels

Exellent book ,brings back a lot of childhood memories... I recomend it to all who like to try Iraqi food (made easy)..
Super service

This is a beautiful book. I lived 17 years in Iraq, and have often looked for a cookbook with good every day Iraqi recipes. This book has it all. Wonderful illustrations, simple to follow instructions, and delicious and authentic recipes. It is also great to be able to "get to know" the author and her background. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Iraqi cuisine.

Greta Ballard

We have ejoyed reading this book because of the unique presentation which includes beautiful color photos, excellent recipes, and a history of a family and Iraq. This book is especially interesting because of the importance of this region today. We received one book as a present, and we liked it so much we gave it as a birthday present to a person who loves to cook, especially new recipes. We have tried many of the recipes. Baklawa melts in your mouth and also is very healthy for you. We found the lamb recipes superb including the doub which is very tender. This goes very well with dolma which is a stuffed vegetable and the saffron rice and peas. Another recipe that we had enjoyed very much is eggplant casserole (Tabsi Badinjan). We love this book and we recommend it highly as a unique and exciting authentic Iraqi cookbook.

I'm not sure what I liked most about this book--the gorgeous photography, the recipes, or the story behind it all. Huma Siddiqui creates a magical blend of Pakistani culture, traditions, and cuisine in JASMINE IN HER HAIR, a tribute to the author's mother. In a nutshell, this book has earned its place in my kitchen.

I adore Indian food--curry is my all-time favorite meal. After opening the first page of JASMINE IN HER HAIR, I realized I was opening a treasure trove of all my favorite recipes in one beautiful collection. I'd never realized that Pakistani and Indian cuisines were similar. The book is broken up into sections: Appetizers, Meat Dishes, Vegetable Dishes, Desserts, Rice & Bread Dishes, and Sauces & Drinks. Inside you'll find easy-to-follow, tasty recipes for favorites such as Samosas (curried vegetable turnovers), Chicken Tikka (yogurt marinated chicken), Palak Dal (lentils & spinach in a perfectly spiced sauce), and Mango Lassi (a yogurt & mango drink). Colored photographs of both the culture and the foods grace many pages within this keeper. If the pictures are any representation, I'd love to have Huma Siddiqui come borrow my kitchen for a day, week, or possibly a lifetime!

I think Huma Siddiqui's daughter sums it up best - "I believe that not only is it filled with the recipes that I grew up with, but it is filled with my mother's spirit of cooking." I agree! There is more to this book than just the recipes; JASMINE IN HER HAIR is infused with Huma Siddiqui's life as well.

It is extremely difficult to find cookbooks on Pakistani cuisine. Jasmine in Her Hair is a real gem. All of the recipes are well explained and easy to prepare. In my experience most all of the ingredients can be purchased at Indian grocery stores. If you can't find the ingredients then the author can help you find them at her web site. Personally I will not be seeking other Pakistani cookbooks because in my opinion Jasmine in Her Hair cannot be surpassed.

I had been looking for a Pakistani Cookbook like this for a loooong time, and thank goodness Huma Siddiqui has written this book. I'm a busy mother of three children and I wanted the children to grow up enjoying Pakistani food like I did. My mother is not too good at telling me recipes, everything is a pinch of this and a little bit of that, this book has precise measurements and tells you exactly how to cook delicious homemade Pakistani food. The recipes are not hard to follow, although I think you do have to have a certain familiarity with cooking tools and techniques (this is not the kind of book that teaches you technique, it's a recipe book, which is exactly what I was looking for) I own a dozen Indian cookbooks, but none of them helped me get that Pakistani taste I was looking for, there are slight differences between the two kinds of cuisines. The recipes in this book are definitely Pakistani, the kind of food you would eat in Islamabad homes.

I've made Aloo Gosht and Aloo Keema and the Cauliflower with Potatoes and Peas and so far and every recipe has turned out perfect. I was never good at making Aloo Gosht until I followed Huma's recipe, and even my Pakistani husband, who didn't know that I had used Huma's recipe, finally said "you finally got it, this is really good."

All the meals are family friendly everyday meals you would see in a Pakistani home. She even gives tips on cooking a big pot of Meat or Chicken curry on a Sunday and freezing family sized portions so you won't have to cook everyday during the week. That helps alot when you have a busy life. All you have to do is defrost the curry on the stove, add a few fresh veggies or potatoes to it, and make basmati rice in a rice cooker and dinner is ready in 30 mintues.

In addition to the recipes, I found Huma's personal memoir fascinating. She is a single mother who struggled very hard to raise her children by herself in Wisconsin, and yet still managed to put a home cooked Pakistani meal on the table for her children every day. It's very inspiring. If she can cook these recipes given her busy schedule, you can too.

Reviewed by Juanita Watson for Reader Views (4/06)

"Jasmine in Her Hair" - Just the title alone intrigued me. I couldn't help but instantly be drawn into this delightful cookbook. Written by Huma Siddiqui, the recipes are rich with her family's heritage, creating a true cultural experience.

Huma beautifully weaves aspects of her culture with personal memories growing up in Pakistan, all along-side easy to follow recipes. I was able to prepare various dishes and while they were cooking, read about Pakistani culture and Huma's family; a middle-upper class family living in Pakistan in which food and tradition were integral parts of their lives. As I was cooking, the aroma of spices would fill the room creating a wonderful backdrop for reading the rich passages.

Huma talks about various aspects of Pakistani life including women and education, door to door street sellers, her family's experience during the two wars with India, religious celebrations, weddings, and then the difficult decision to come to America. Included are spectacular photos that complement the writings and recipes, visually rounding out the beauty of this book.

This cookbook, I feel, is a testament to the love of family, and the warmth of tradition. Huma speaks with honest motherly wisdom as she talks about her life, and the various ways food played a part in it. This book really moved me. Expecting a straight ahead cookbook, I received so much more. I gained a new appreciation of Pakistani culture and cooking through Huma's stories, and found out about a remarkable and inspiring woman at the same time.

The recipes I tried were all delicious, very easy to prepare, and uncomplicated in design. Plus, I found most ingredients already in my kitchen. Huma divides the recipes into six sections - Appetizers, Meat Dishes, Desserts, Rice & Bread Dishes, and Sauces & Drinks. I will continue to make recipes from this cookbook and revisit Huma and her family for years to come. Great book Huma - Well done!!

Jasmine In Her Hair by Huma Siddiqui is so much more than a cookbook. It is also a cultural lesson and an art book. A proud and loving Siddiqui pays homage to family, culture and cuisine in this stunning book filled with sumptuous recipes and grand tour of the author's beloved Pakistan.

If you love to try new foods and enjoy cooking, Jasmine In Her Hair is the cookbook to try. And vegetarians will enjoy the selection of meatless meals. You may not keep this book in the kitchen but display it proudly on your coffee table for everyone to enjoy.

Some of the recipes I read and/or tried that were especially appealing are:

- Potato Patties (Yummy!)
- Aloo, Gobi aur Matar ki Sabzi (Potatoes, Cauliflower and Peas Curry)
- Aloo Keema (Ground Beef with Potatoes) Can you tell I love potatoes yet?
- Cholay (Spicy Chickpeas)
- Matar Oykai (Rice with Peas)
- Masala Chai (Spice tea) Ah, this is so fine!
- Shahi Tukra (Pakistani Bread Pudding) This is my favorite!!!
- Kheer (Rice Pudding) Another favorite!

Armchair Interviews says: Read the captivating stories and enjoy the tantalizing recipes.