Cooking Books

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. Many of my favorite Oriental dishes are included, with large full-color photos. Cooking and preparation technique is also covered at the beginning of the book, and many recipes have very few steps outside of shredding vegetables or cubing meat or bean curd.
I own a couple of other books by this author and she is one of the best authors of Chinese cooking. Her recipes are consistant, easy-to-follow, and her instructions are completely clear. Anyone from the beginner to the well-advanced cook should try this book!

Many of my favorite recipes are contained in this book. I own several books by the author and have found all recipes to be authentically yummy and different. I would be hard-pressed to find similar dishes in your every-day Chinese restaurant unless it specialized in authentic food.
The only downfall is that many supermarkets do not stock the key ingredients for many recipes and so I only get to make them with poor substitutes or wait until I have the chance to go to a Chinese Supermarket.

It's really a pity that it's out of print because it's an excellent cookbook with lots of photos and clear instructions. Many recipes have very few steps in them and would take a skilled cook 40 minutes at the most to prepare from food preparation to dinner table.

This book has almost 50 delicious Chinese dishes to make and a color photo of every dish to entice you with. The directions (written in English and Chinese) are easy to read, brief, and the ingredients are organized well. The author also offers ingredient alternatives for those who don't have easy access to an Asian market. I haven't been disappointed by a recipe in this book yet.

I lucked out... i don't know where I got this book from... either my mom or my aunt- but i sure am glad I got a copy! I think it's funny in the fact that each of the recipes is like ordering Chinese "fast food" - in a restaurant these would be called- chicken bowl, beef bowl, pork bowl. Honestly I've never made the recipes in the small portions that it gives you- which is generally enough for 2 people. I've always doubled the recipes and used them in family style meals- because I don't believe in eating one thing on top of rice! The rice is the bulk of the food you eat- with all the other dishes being condiments to your rice!
I also like the noodle soups in the back of the book- one of them is similiar to hong kong style egg noodles with beef brisket.

For someone who lives alone and buys food everyday to prepare- opposed to a well stocked pantry- these one dish meals are pretty expensive to make. These recipes seem best prepared by people who stock their refrigerators and need a quick fix dinner made out of stuff you already have.

The author Su-Huei Huang published another book based on recipes of this out-of-print Chinese One Dish Meals. The new book is called "Chinese Rice and Noodles: With Appetizers, Soups and Sweets." She cowrote this book with another popular Wei-Chuan cook Mu-Tsun Lee. I would say the new book is more "modernized," because it also contains popular or "in" dishes you can find in the restaurants today (like Taiwanese sticky rice, pan-fried noodles, boba tea and assortment of taro/tapioca desserts). In the preface of the new book, she even mentioned that most of the recipes from this Chinese One Dish Meals were included in the new book. I have both books, and she is right. Most of the noodle recipes and about 1/3 of the rice dishes in Chinese One Dish Meals are in the new book Chinese Rice and Noodles. So if you can't find a copy of the out-of-print Chinese One Dish Meals, try Chinese Rice and Noodles; I think you will be equally pleased. You can still get Chinese Rice and Noodles if you already have Chinese One Dish Meals, as they are not identical.

Onto the book... Like the previous reviewers, I love the recipes listed here. They are easy to cook and most of them do not require fancy sauces. It is ideal for singles or working couples, who just don't have time to whip up a traditional 4-course meal. It is kind of like having your own Chinese "lunch specials" for dinner at home.

If you are familiar with Wei-Chuan cookbook, you will know that the ingredients are usually simple, the recipes often involve 2 or 3 steps, and each recipe includes at least one large color photo of the final product. It gives you a pretty good idea of what your food should look like.

Needless to say, they are all tasty. I have yet to find a recipe from this book (and the new one too) that my family doesn't like.

What sets this book apart from other books on Chinese herbal medicine is its philosophy of using "superior tonic herbs" to improve the quality of one's life and health. This book is not about treating disease, but rather about achieving radiant health from a Taoist perspective.

This is Ron Teeguarden's first of several books on the subject of Chinese Medicine and in my opinion is a classic. (Note, I have not read his latest book The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs.)

Having formally studied Traditional Chinese Medicine for two years and Ayurvedic medicine for two years I can unequivocally state this is the book to start learning practical do it yourself Chinese herbalism for increased energy, creativity, spiritual growth and happiness. It contains many useful and effective herbal formulas that would not be otherwise accessible to the non-professional. If you want to learn Chinese medicine for the treatment of disease this is not the book to get, rather the focus is on tonic herbs and their correct application. (While tonic herbs are widely used for deficiency diseases in Chinese Medicine, not enough herbs, formulas and theory are given in this book for treating complex deficiency conditions/diseases.) This book shows one how to gradually work towards radiant health through the application of Superior Tonic Herbalism. All the practical and theoretical knowledge needed is covered.

The cost of the herbs involved ranges from $.50 / ounce to $200 / ounce (retail). To seriously put to use the knowledge contained in this book would require having a selection of about 20-35 herbs. Though one could start out with as few as one to three herbs. The primary emphasis is on learning how to mix and cook the bulk tonic herbs into teas (decoctions). These teas range in taste from sweet, sour, and pungent to bitter. (There is one chapter devoted to the use of commercially prepared tonics, but it is not the major focus of the book.) The companies listed to order herbs from are now out of date, but a search of the Internet will reveal more current sources.

Traditionally the tonic herbs are divided into four categories: 1) chi (qi) tonics, 2) yang tonics, 3) yin tonics and 4) blood tonics. Ron Teeguardian covers three additional categories: 1) chi moving/regulating herbs, 2) blood moving/regulating herbs and 3) organ-meridian tonics. The book covers 35 herbs in detail, including buying tips and a black and white photo of each herb.

The section on ginseng (a chi tonic) is very informative and contains insights and perspectives not readily found elsewhere. Also covered in detail is dang shen (Codonopsis pilosula) a safe and low cost ginseng substitute. The coverage of some the "minor" tonic herbs is unique as the longevity properties of these "minor" tonic herbs are usually overlooked or ignored by most texts on the subject.

The theory section is kept simple, but detailed enough to be practically useful. While Chinese Tonic Herbs discusses modern scientific research on Chinese herbs, the formulas and theory is geared toward building up the three Taoist treasures: shen (spirit), jing (essence, refined reproductive energy) and chi (life-force/energy). When these three treasures are built up a person will have a strong reserve of adaptogenic energy to effectively deal with stress and changing life conditions.

The book has a few flaws. The taxonomy is a little weak as some of the scientific names used are outdated. Perhaps not enough information is given on how to correctly distinguish between yin, yang, chi and blood deficiency conditions. Also, not enough contraindications are given for each of the herbs discussed. While superior tonic herbs are generally very safe and non toxic, it is possible to use them incorrectly and put one's body into a deeper state of imbalance. Dosage information is somewhat weak, but sufficiently covered if one studies the book carefully. Usually only relative proportions for each herb are given for a formula.

Ron Teeguarden was personally trained by a Taoist master visiting from Korea in the 1970s. His book is part of a real living tradition of Superior Tonic Herbalism.

While several volumes would be needed to do Superior Tonic Herbalism justice this book is an excellent beginning.

(A useful adjunct book is "Yoga of Herbs" by Frawley and Lad, which covers Western, Ayurvedic and some Chinese herbs from an Ayurvedic perspective. Yoga of Herbs focuses both on the treatment of disease and tonification and rejuvenation. It covers some of the spiritual aspects of herbs according to the Ayurvedic perspective. Both Yoga of Herbs and Chinese Tonic Herbs embrace the life energy model of herbalism as opposed to the more modern pharmacological model.)

The real secret of tonic herbalism is doing it carefully (e.g., don't over do it) and steadily every day -- this book will definitely help one get started on this path, by both the knowledge contained within, and the truly inspiring stories and passion of the author. Superior Tonic Herbalism is Ron Teeguardian's passion and mission in life and this book follows from this.

I have several good books on Chinese herbs, but Teeguarden's book is the only one with full, complete explanations. He includes:

1. Section on the five elements (water-wood-fire-metal-earth), what "cool" and "warm" and "yin" and "yang" mean.

2. Section describing the most-used and important herbs like Ginseng and Dong Kwai, Ma Huang and many others. This section includes photos of the herb shown as they are sold in herb shops, tips on getting the best herbs, the Chinese name (and Korean, sometimes) The names are both Romanized and in Chinese characters, with the Latin name, and the active chemical components and their effects.

3. Formulae for herb tonics, because Chinese herbs are not used alone but in combination (and the reasoning behind the combination.)

4. Philosophy of Chinese medicine for health (prevention versus cure) and much more.

The book is very readable, too. While I very much like other books I own, this one is such a classic, I consider it a MUST-HAVE if you are interested at all in Chinese medicine and definitely the first one you should own.

I found this gem in a used bookstore around fifteen years ago, and learned
enough about Chinese tonic herbs to change my life, energy levels and how I think about health completely.
This book is written in a comfortable, accessible style, yet is concise and informative as well. It is also perfect as a herbal reference.
For me, the section on prepared tonics has been invaluable.
A previous reviewer is correct about the supplier list being out of date, but a company called East Earth Tradewinds has everything you will require to concoct Mr. Teeguarden's formulas, as well as most of the patent medicines and
prepared tonics listed in the book.If you are interested in looking into the wonderful and amazing herbs of China, buy this book. It is truly excellent, and one you will be referring to for the rest of your life.

I found Ron Teeguarden's new book "Radiant Health" to be the most easily understood and comprehensive book on the subject that I've ever read. Many Westerners, during the last several decades, have become aware of the benefits of Chinese Medicine, specifically acupuncture. This book brings to light the extremely effective system of Chinese Herbal Tonics, which is an ancient tradition of promoting and maintaining a state of radiant health rather than treating disease once it has developed. Considering the cost of health care to both individuals and society at large, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in maintaining their own personal health or providing for the health of society. Not only does Ron Teeguarden explain in detail the properties and uses of each of the tonic herbs but he has a rare talent of making very complex and profound concepts easily understandable to the layman. One suggestion that I would make is not to miss the last chapter called "Six Lessons The Tonic Herbs Have Taught Me." Some readers might get bogged down in the middle of the book where each of the herbs is described. If that happens to you, just skip to the last chapter and then pick up the book, from time to time, to read about an herb or two. The last chapter was my favorite because it beautifully expresses the degree to which the tonic herbs can transform life and raise it to a pinacle that is the birthright of every human being.

Ron has certainly opened the eyes of those of us who wish to avoid the chemicals of modern day medicine. This book will guide you to the Chinese herb that is right for you and your health. While he makes no claims of cures, I can attest to the renewed energy and vitality I have attained from his advice and knowledge

The book arrived on time in "like new" condition and has many great recipes for decadent chocolate treats.

I found this to be a great cookbook. The recipes are out of this world - - our favorites are chocolate pound cake and chocolate pudding. Williams-Sonoma and Lora Brody are the Dream Team of Cookbook Authors. Their recipes are beautifully written, always work and have gorgeous photos to boot. What's not to like?

This book has been a favorite of the entire family for years! Every recipe we've tried has gotten rave reviews. The Chocolate Chip Scones are a real breakfast treat, and the Denver Chocolate Pudding Cake is one of my most requested desserts. The recipes are easy to follow, and produce wonderful results. If I ever lost this book I would replace it at any cost!

I have had great luck with many of the recipes in this book. It is well illustrated, the directions are easy to follow and the results are delicious and attractive to look at. Try the White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberries on top!

But you can eat everything in it. It gives new meaning to the idea of a food pyramid. I will construct a "chocolate food pyramid". We will start with Chocolate Pecan Quick Bread (pg 85) for our bread group. We will go on to Ginger Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream (pg 31) for our vegetable group. Isn't ginger a vegetable?? Our fruit group will be Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce (pg 22). Covering milk, eggs, and nuts will be Steamed Chocolate Pudding (pg 51), Congo Squares(pg 94), and Chocolate Creme Brulee. Each delicious recipe has a color photograph to go along with it, so you are always aware of the goal you are hungrily anticipating. E-mail me and let's pick our favorites

For anyone wanting to recapture the nostalgia and "family friendliness" of the Christmas season, Wilhelminia Ripple's Christmas Parties: What Do I Do? is a terrific place to start! This attractively presented compendium offers more than 125 creative ideas for games, crafts, and holiday snacks that will make every Christmas gathering fun and memorable. The themes offered for consideration including Christmas Trees, Stockings, and Candy Canes; Snow, Snowmen, and Snowflakes; Santa Claus and His Elves; Rudolph and His Reindeer; I Believe in Angels; and Christmas Here, There, and Everywhere. 36 easy craft projects are clearly laid out with step-by-step illustrations. Christmas Parties is enhanced with 40 simple and delicious recipes for Holiday treats and drinks; 36 "Santa-Approved" games; and more. There's even suggestions for celebrating the end of the Christmas season with "New Year's Tips and Fun Party Ideas" from here at home and around the world. Christmas Parties is a thoroughly "user friendly" instructional reference that will be appreciated by one and all, year after year, Christmas after Christmas.

So you're planning a Christmas party, one where there will be fun and games, and lots and lots of kids. But where do you start? Well, first of all, purchase CHRISTMAS PARTIES...WHAT DO I DO? Wilhelminia Ripple has created the perfect book for anyone planning a Christmas party. Filled with over 125 wonderful ideas for crafts, games, and holiday snacks. Wilhelminia teaches you everything you need to know to throw the most fantastic Christmas party of the season, complete with instructions on how to create Elf Handprints, how to build an Edible Snowman, make a Human Christmas Tree, and much, much more. Whether you've thrown Christmas parties before or not, CHRISTMAS PARTIES...WHAT DO I DO? is the one thing you'll need to make your Christmas party better than anyone else's. A wonderful book that absolutely must be a part of your book collection.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

A sparklingl book and many ideas to use for Chritams affairs. The games and crafts are tremendous. This book is great for anyone hosting a Christams Event for any ages. The chapter of The What, Why and How of Christmas Parties is a great beginning for any type of party and gives you a starting point. Suggestion: Purchase a complete set.

I bought this book hoping that it would have some fresh ideas for my kids' class parties instead of the same old games and crafts we've been doing it seems year after year. I was worried that even if it had new ideas they might be too invovled/time-consuming for the hour and a half we typically have for the whole party. I was pleasantly surprised that this book had so many ideas to choose from that were original and fit into our limited time frame. I highly recommend this book.

This book has Christmas Spirit on every page, with holiday games,crafts, and goodies from all around the world. It really brings out the child inside us all. With an added bonus of 13 pages for New Years Eve. I am a Parent and Day Care Provider, to me this book is as much a part of Christmas as the Tree.

This book is beautifully presented with wonderful recipes, gorgeous photos and ideas for Christmas decorations. It is a treasure that will be used year after year, with different menus and decorations for each Christmas for years to come!!

I borrowed this book from my daughter before Christmas 2008. I had to have my own, so ordered it from an Amazon seller. So pleased with Southern Living Christmas Books.

The book is an excellent addition to my collection of cook books. Beautifullu illustrated with easy directions and obrainable products.

The Christmas experts at Southern Living magazine offer a 2008 version of how to cook and entertain Southern-style, with lessons for all readers. From over a hundred forty brand new recipes for desserts and dishes perfect for company entertaining to decorating tips for the holidays, traditional or modern whimsical, elegant to basic - 2008 CHRISTMAS WITH SOUTHERN LIVING is a holiday choice perfect for seasonal entertainment - and for any collection offering seasonal tips.

No Christmas would be complete without Southern Living. Each year they provide ideas and recipes to make the holiday festive. This year's edition is one of the best and I have 15 years of them.
Merry Christmas to all!!

I had given this as a gift to my husband. It is attractive and of very high quality. He loves it and uses it whenever he tries a new cigar. While it seems a bit pricey for being a 'notebook', I highly recommend it for those cigar lovers that want to document their thoughts on their smokes.

This is a smart looking dossier with plenty of entries to last you a long time. There are fields on each entry for Brand, Size, Where Purchased, Price, Box/Individual, Time Smoked, Date, Rating, Last Meal Eaten & Time, Wrapper, and of course a Comments section. There's even a place to put the bands from each cigar.

I've only just started, so I'm not sure if adding the bands will make the journal thicker than the binding. Use a glue stick instead of tape, and you'll be able to fit more.

The only thing it lacks is a "Country of Origin" field. But the Comments section is big enough to include that if you like.

All in all, a great buy. Recommended with 5 stars.

This is a superb find. The book couldn't be more straight forward. This is a book that not only allows you to develop your own tastes and preferences in fine tobacco but also allows you to track some of the variables that will impact your reviews. The isolation of the variables allows you to sharpen your awareness and "learn" more about the cigars you have sampled. Not overly complex but very detailed and a must for any serious cigar lover or casual cigar enthusiast.

If you'd like to keep track of the different cigars you've smoked - not a bad idea considering the vast amount of smokes available - Cigar Dossier will have you logging thoroughly and in style. With about a hundred and sixty pages with four entries each, the average smoker could record a lifetime of stogies. Each entry provides space for the brand and size of cigar, where purchased, cost, time and date smoked, your rating, last meal eaten and time (I don't use this one, but it's a nice touch), wrapper color, your comments, and the cigar's band to be pasted. There's also a page on which you can list your favorite cigars and tobacconists, then a few more pages for your notes. It's nicely bound in a black hardcover with gold embossed letters. The pages are cream colored with soft burgundy print.

If I were asked to improve this book, I would add a block to each entry in which to record the country where the cigar is made. Other than that, this log has everything the cigar enthusiast needs. Cigar Dossier is a classy journal that would easily be a cherished family heirloom for future generations of cigar enthusiasts.

Read the past reviews says it all. This is a great find. I've been keeping a journal for a few years and now a very classy hardbound book shows the passion people can express about the cigars they smoke. I bought this black leather bound book with gold embossed lettering "Cigar Dossier". Although I do have one problem: I have done about 50 pages with my cigar bands glued in its appropriate box and now this book is becoming much thicker than the binder. This will cheapen the look more and more as time goes on. Nonetheless, this is the best I've seen and definitely worth the buy.

I frequent New Haven for business at Yale, and Claire's is my favorite eatery. Even my non-veggie friends love it. The cookbook has a wide variety of dishes, the Angel Hair Pasta Salad being a family favorite. The Lithuanian Coffee Cake is also good, but doesn't measure up to the original at Claire's. If you are vegetarian or love good food, you'll love this cookbook.

This vegetarian cookbook is one of the best I've read and used yet. I've made several recipes and they are easy, fast, and delicious. Another thing I liked about this cookbook is that most of the ingredients you will have on hand or they are easily accessible at any grocery store. I recommend this book to anyone.

Visiting Claire's Corner Copia for lunch was always a treat when I was growing up in New Haven, so I was very excited when my mother gave me Claire's cookbook for Christmas 2 years ago. It did not disappoint. The recipes are delicious and easy to follow and many have an Italian flavor. I think the best recommendation I can give is that my meat-loving husband enjoys the meals I have prepared from this cookbook- his favorite is the Eggplant "Meatballs"- try them!

When I lived in New Haven, my favorite lunchtime place was Claire's Corner Copia. My favorite lunch was soup, a mini loaf of bread and carrot cake with butter cream frosting. The frosting was so popular, it was kept in a bucket, and the staff would scoop out a giant portion and slather it on the cake. I'm so glad I can make it from this cookbook now that I'm on the west coast and can't make my weekly trek to Claire's. And the soup! I never had a bad one--they were all great, and they're here, too. Get this book and also Claire's Italian Feast. If you can't get to the restaurant, these recipes are the next best thing.

I had been wanting to visit Cliare's for weveral years. Last summer, I finally ate there, and enjoyed every bite, especially the trifle dessert. Also on the trip, I purchased this cookbook, and absolutely love it. I'm critical of many books, but find this to be very well-written. Each chapter is preceded by personal information, recipes are easy to follow, ingredients easy to find, and the finished product is very delicious. A cookbook that I will use over and over again, unlike many others which are not as easy to work with. The cover is very colorful and enticing. I'm ordering one for a friend, and hoping for a return-visit to Claire's. I'm from New York City, and have lived in four states, and Claire's is one of the best retaurants in the U.S. ----Maure, in Illinois

I absolutely love this cookbook!

I was introduced to the Amiris' cooking in their Sacramento area restaurant, Bamiyan. When I saw that they had their own cookbook, I was hesitant to buy it, thinking that the results of the recipes in a book would pale in comparison with the restaurant's extraordinary fare. I was wrong! The secrets found on the pages of this book rendered results similar to those of a professional chef.

One of the most extraordinary things about this book is its simplicity. The ingredients, the cooking techniques, and the instructions are extremely straight-forward. The ingredients are easy to find and are available year-round. Most dishes rely heavily on fresh vegetables, chicken, fish, beef, or lamb, basmati rice, and simple spicing-- make sure you have Corriander and Cardamom on hand!

In one evening, over the span of about two and a half hours, I managed to prepare a rice dish, four vegetable accompaniments and Fernee, my favorite dessert, comprised of milk, corn starch, sugar, cardamom and pistacio. Simple and delicious!

To unlock your inner Afghan Chef, purchase this book! You won't be disappointed.

This is a wonderful cookbook on Afghan cooking! I've already made a receipe that my husband loved!

Mousa Amiri's Classic Afghan Cookbook is an outstanding cookbook. It is easy to read and the receipes are easy to follow. This book is recommended both for the beginner and expert chef. The photographs are exceptionally clear and almost three demensional.

Brack Davis, M.D.

I had been looking for a traditional Afghan Cookbook like this for years. Although, I own many different Afghan cookbooks this one is by far the best. The cooking process is explained in detail but it is also easy to follow. The recipes are magnificent too, I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who likes to eat delicious foods.

Along with my wife we tried many Afghan books but we found this book to be easy to follow with extensive recipes from soup to desert. What I liked in particular about this book is the author uses different region's recipes which make this book quite extensive. If you would like to surprise yourself or guests with good food that are not well known around the world, this book is for you.

Received in a timely manner. Was kept informed of shipping and when to expect delivery.

So, I call my hobby, "What Can I soak in Vodka?" ... I've tried many, many of the recipes in the book & they have all turned out very, very well. It has simple recipes with clear instructions (no super expensive ingredients!). It's a great book to learn how to make liqueurs & will give those of you who are more experiences some new ideas -- AND food recipes for your creations! The basic idea is to mix the ingredients and let them soak in vodka, etc. for a period of time. The beauty is, the longer you let it sit, the better it is! If you get busy, no worries!! Now that I know what I am doing, I have started experimenting with local, Alaskan wild berries & flowers (Fireweed is the BEST!). It's a great after dinner drink in January!! :)

This is a very interesting book filled with easy to follo instructions and recipes! Great Book!

This is my go-to book. I've loaned it out, lost it and bought it more than once. If you've never made liqueurs, this is the book for you. The authors include many noteworthy tips and set you up for sure success. I've tried over 10 recipes in the book and they've all been winners. And when you show up at a party with home-made liqueurs, the look on people's faces is just priceless!

The collaborative work of Cheryl Long and Heather Kibby, Classic Liqueurs: The Art Of Making & Cooking With Liqueurs is the newest and highly recommended addition the the outstanding "Creative Cooking" series from Sibyl Publications. Offering one hundred liqueur recipes and more than one hundred ways to cook with delicately flavored liqueurs. From Hawaiian Fruit Liqueur; California Lemon Liqueur; American Whiskey Punch; and Long Island Iced "Tea"; to Mandarin Yam Bake; Creme De Menthe Frosting; Italian Anise Stars; and Cranberry Jewels in Liqueur, these are drinks and dishes that will add a gourmet element to any and every dining occasion.

When I first got this book I had never made liqueurs, but the directions in this book were so easy to follow that even my first batch turned out great. Three years later I'm famous among my friends and family for making great liqueurs! Their versions of kalua, tia maria, frangelica and vanilla are some of my favorites.

This is the best Liqeur book I have been able to lay my hands on. All the ones I have tried have been a success with my friends.

This is an all-round, terrific publication. It is well written, with easy-to-understand instructions and tips. The authors have created outstanding recipes using readily available ingredients with suggestions for numerous variations. An excellent choice for first-time enthusiasts. Following the sections on to liqueur and brandy making, the authors have devoted a third portion of the publication to cooking with your creations. This modest little book is definitely well worth the price!

This book introduced me to the most unique hobby ever. The quality far exceeds what can be bought in the stores and it is very impressive to serve to guests. I've gotten requests for the cranberry liqueur for over 15 years!

This book gives a great overview on the basics of making cordials and liqueurs at home. The step by step intructions to set up and explanation of terms used in other texts and this one make it easy to start from nothing. I have only been working with liqueurs about 3 years and have won both contests I have entered using batches from recipes in this book. For SCA, members this is not a great research book, but it tells you how to make fantastic tasting stuff!