Cooking Books

this book is well worthh it money and more, I read it A lots. keeps me going on this life stile, the recipes are good and easy. thanks Mr.Stella

The recipes are not bad, although there are an awful lot of variations on scrambled eggs (frittatas, etc.) It's still a very solid book that contains many unique, original recipes for a LC lifestyle and there are also adjustments in the book where you can go the more low fat route. The flexibility was surprising.

I am one of the authors of this book. Before anyone purchases a used copy for $67, please be aware that it is still in print and selling for $14 new on Amazon. I am confused as to why anyone would try to sell my book for this much money? Seems like they're just waiting for someone to accidentally buy it.

Wonderful recipes!! Have bought both of George's books and probably will buy his new one!!

Loved almost all of the recipes!!

this book is great and exactly what i was looking for, you should get it!

I had this book. I made the challa bread for a Jewish friend who said it was as good as his grandmother made. Not his mother, his grandmother.

If you like baking bread, buy this book.

This book is great for first time bakers. I wanted to make bread, but had never tried it before. After reading the Forward (the original and the one added for the anniversary edition) I felt so confident that I could do it. The directions are very clear and where you may have any question the diagrams fill in. On my first try I made two beautiful loaves. I kept one and gave the other away as a gift. It was great!

This is the book from which I learned to make bread, some 30-odd years ago. My older brother's ex-girlfriend and I were good friends, and she invited me over one evening and we spent the evening with flour and yeast, and bowls, and this book. I'm here to tell you: I have *never*, *not even once* had a failure any time I used the Tassajara book (and, yes, I also have Beard on Bread, and I wouldn't be without either of them, frankly -- they're both awesome). With Tassajara, I even managed to get sourdough to work correctly for the first time. Woohoo! Happy dance!

I can't recommend it highly enough. Now, the mid-70's-era philosophical musings might seem a little dated for the 21st century, but that's what give this book its charm, and make the act of baking bread more of a gentle art and less intimidating -- some books make it sound like brain surgery! Brown's descriptions make it all sound fun, doable, and takes the 'fear factor' out of the whole process.

If a 17-year-old high schooler with ADHD (and the attention span of a grasshopper) can learn to make bread using Tassajara Bread Book, anyone can. I'm living proof!

The book arrived very fast and in excellent condition. Thanks for the great product and service.

This is the ONE book you need to learn how to become a fine baker of delicious, healthy bread. Simply and reverently Brown's instructions lead you step by step through the process. Unlike any other book I have ever looked at, it teaches a respect for yeast as a living thing, which is truly a key to success with this process. Throw out all the other bread baking volumes you have. THIS is the one you need. The only one.

I wanted a book that would give me a starting point of the fundamentals in wine, the basics. However, this book goes over the top in detail. A little too much for what I was expecting. It is in my opinion the encyclopaedia of wine. No matter, no need to purchase anything else concerning this particular subject.

Great tool to clarify any doubts you might have about wine regions, types of wine, grape varieties, etc.

Excellent book, contains just about anything anyone would want to know about wine from growing the grapes to describing the different varieties of wines.

Cheaper than anywhere else. The book came in 4 days with the free super saver shipping. Amazon rules.

This is a must have reference book for all wine enthusiasts, wine professionals, students of wine, and sommeliers.

I have never enjoyed a cookbook more than this one. I had a Bar-B-Que last weekend and made only Dinosaur Bar-B-Que recipes. Every dish was divine. The cajun corn, barbecue beans, cornbread, black beans and rice and everything else I made was amazing. The "Red Rub" is the best rub I have ever used. We finished with the peanut butter pie. WOW!!!!!

Every recipe that I have made is excellent. This is most definitely the best BBQ cookbook ever. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que voted BEST BBQ in USA this year. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse

This is an awesome barbecue book. The recipes are great, including all the side dishes. Highly recommended!

Ok, this is my first review. Ever. Bear with me.

I enjoy bbq, and better yet, my friends enjoy MY bbq. I've accumulated many bbq books, but this book is without a doubt the best one I have. We all have those books you go into for one recipie, and otherwise take up space on a shelf. This is the only cookbook, regardless of bbq or fine cuisine, that I go back to multiple times for multpile recipies. The spine is broken, I can't say that for any other single book I own. My friends ask me for recipies all the time, and every time I tell them to go get this book. It is that good, and you will not be disappointed. The meatloaf recipie is fantastic (and I spent the first 28 years of my life hating meatloaf). Put this in your basket, and click the checkout button. Don't even think about it.

I'm not a gourmet cook, but simply love to cook, especially barbeque. This book has amazing, easy to follow recipies which beg to be tried on every week. great cooking advice, easy read, and I have become a great barbequer. If you can read, you can follow these recipies, and have outstanding results.

I gave this book as a gift to my husband after hearing great things about it. He LOVES it.

He says that Andrea (the author) does a great job of explaining the seemingly complex world of wine in simple terms that are easier to understand.

I read the Italian wine section and I couldn't help but being disappointed by what I was reading. The author was very generic, superficial, and her approach to wines reminds me very much of that of a tourist who doesn't speak the language, takes only a ton of pictures, finds that life there is simply great, thinks that everything is a fairy tale, and doesn't even bother reading a guide (according to her "The Italians, with extremely rare exceptions, just do not care about the white wine" - my Lord! -, which is made "for export and for cheap, refreshing drinking during seaside holidays in Italy's stunninggly beautiful coastal towns". A vacationer to Capri couldn't have done better). On top of that, she doesn't really say anything new or insightful. A waste of money.

This is the first wine book that does exactly what it promises.....you will be able to read a wine bottle label in the store or wine list in the restaurant and know what you are buying and buy what you want. That is a great boon to all wine drinkers out there, the majority of whom didn't have wine training in finishing school or a butler/sommelier at home. I have always know what taste I like but now I know how to read the label to find the type of wine that I want. This book will serve the experienced drinker as well with a system of classifying wine into groups for organizing your wine celler and advice about making those all important pairings with food. This book makes a fantastic gift as well.

Andrea Immer Robinson's Great Wine Made Simple (2005) succeeds brilliantly in making sense of the complex worlds of wine. I have read several introductions to wine, including Michael Broadbent's Michael Broadbent's Wine Tasting (Mitchell Beazley Wine Guides), Jancis Robinson's How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine, Mark Oldman's Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108 Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style, and Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2008 Edition (Windows on the World Complete Wine Course) and I recommend them all, but I learned the most from Andrea Robinson's book. Her original and easy-to-follow approach will greatly enhance the appreciation of wine for new and experienced wine drinkers alike.

There are dozens of wine grapes, but Robinson reduces this complexity by emphasizing the "Big Six." These are three white grapes (riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay) and three red grapes (pinot noir, merlot/cabernet sauvignon, syrah or shiraz) that provide most of the world's quality wines. Each group of three is listed in ascending order of body style, i.e., light, medium, or full. She clarifies these styles by comparing their weight, richness, and thickness in the mouth to skim milk, whole milk, and cream. Robinson then lays out tasting sequences with easily available wines that show the distinctive quality and body of each grape. You quickly get an idea of the world's primary wine styles.

In the succeeding chapters on taste, Robinson recommends that you taste wines side by side in carefully chosen pairs that will highlight key tastes. This method is far superior to tasting one wine at a sitting. Wines can generate a seemingly infinite number of tastes and here Robinson simplifies things by concentrating on pairs of wine that exemplify the major style terms of dry, crisp, oaky, tannic, buttery, grassy, spicy, floral, and Old World vs. New World.

In another great innovation, Robinson introduces flavor maps of the wine world combining where grapes are grown with climates. The maps are a bit hard to read at first, but well worth the effort, because they help you predict what a wine will taste like once you know where it's from. For example, white grapes grown in cool climates may produce light bodied wines with apple or pear flavors while white grapes grown in warm climates may produce full bodied wines with pineapple or mango flavors. I found the flavor maps to be the most valuable part of the book, because they help you organize the world's wines into a system that explains why they taste the way they do.

The remainder of the book is more conventional in its approach, with surveys of French, Italian, American regions and so on followed by such topics as shopping for wine, wine and food, and wine gear. In these sections, Robinson continues to communicate key information about wine without oversimplifying.

I think Great Wine Made Simple does make a few missteps. A major omission is that only the briefest mention is made of serving temperatures. She does note that whites tend to be served too cold and reds too warm. Robinson's 2008 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone, which I also highly recommend, does a satisfactory job explaining how to serve various types of wine; but I like Andrew Oldman's general rule that white wines should be chilled for several hours and then removed 15 minutes before serving while reds should be refrigerated for 15 minutes before serving. Robinson could have said more about how to analyze the finish of a wine. Here I like the approach of her mentor, Kevin Zraly at Windows of the World in New York City, who describes what you should expect at fifteen second intervals in the minute or so after you have swallowed the wine.

Robinson occasionally criticizes other wine writers for being too technical. In part she does this because she feels that beginners will lose interest when confronted with overly technical prose, but this assumes that readers don't know how to select a basic introduction to wine as opposed to a more advanced book. Robinson's ideas easily stand on their own and are not strengthened by disparagement of those who write at a more detailed level or use specialized wine terminology.

To end, my criticisms are minor compared to Robinson's substantial achievement. She has assembled an impressive apparatus for appreciating wine. My wine knowledge increased by several orders of magnitude after having read her book, and I know I will be returning to it for years to come.

This is simply the best introduction to wine and winetasting that I have found. Many wine books get bogged down in minutiae, without telling you why it is significant. For example, they will spend three pages telling you about the soil and climate in a small region of say, France, without telling you how it affects the flavor and quality of the wine (i.e., why you should care). Somewhere in there will be a vague one sentence statement about how the wines taste "fruity" or "fresh." Andrea Immer's book actually concentrates on how to taste wine, using all your senses, and what specifically to look for in the color, nose, and flavor. She gives you a list of wines to taste, and through a series of tasting exercises you learn to recognize different flavors and aromas in wine. Her flavor map is an ingenious way to explain what flavors to expect from wines of the same grape grown in different climate zones, and it works! One heads up though, be prepared to drop some change on these tastings. Many of the tastings in the earlier chapters are affordable, but in the later chapters (read France and Italy), we found some of the wines to be cost prohibitive. While the earlier tastings are absolutely essential to getting the most out of the book, we chose to dispense with some of the later ones (Maybe some day I'll buy that $80.00 Barolo). My suggestion: Buy the book, do the tastings in the first five chapters, and learn a heck of a lot about wine.

I research alot and found this book very interesting. The book is full of wonderful things that can be done if you or your loved one has cancer. It's a good read just for prevention also. Chances are, one day we are going to get the diagnosis of heart disease or cancer and I think the more information that we have on hand the better off we are when that diagnosis comes along. Knowledge is Power. Have this book in your library!

Anyone with cancer needs this book. Anyone who knows someone with cancer needs to buy them this book. I have passed it around to several people I know who are struggling with conventional cancer treatments. This book is definitely worth the money!

I was reading the 1 star review. What an idiot.

The FDA is the biggest POS we have to deal with today. Big Pharma is out of control. Instead of 1 in 8000 cases of cancer each year (yesteryear) we are almost to 1 out of 2 persons getting cancer within their lifetime. BY ALL MEANS lets use the proven FDA method. Geez.

Alternative methods are the way to go. Using what our ancestors learned from the Indians for one. (Essiac Tea).

Vitamins, juices, limited (no is better) meats, herbs, etc. have been proven FAR MORE than any so called FDA or "BIG PHARMA" treatment. Chemo is poison.

This government (owned by big business) is in the business of treating cancer not curing it. The foods we eat lead to the cancers we have. Steroids in meat, chemicals in most everything produced (read the ingredients and see how many you cannot even pronounce), chemtrails (for those who are not blind), etc. Big business rules this government and our media. Try and watch a TV program without a "drug commercial"... Hell, we have drugs prescribed to deal the fungus under our toenails. Drugs are freely prescribed to children. The best "first step" to any treatment or cure is to use one's own mind.

I have cancer and while I haven't read this book (yet) I move one step closer to buying it when I see someone use the FDA or "Big Pharma" as some sort of "must do" reference.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

a bit detailed if this is the first book you read on alternative cancer treatment. persevere, as it is a fabulous guide to amazing cancer alternatives. my dad is following many of Bill Henderson's suggested treatments to literally AMAZING results. we are thrilled. thank you Bill.
STOP EVERYTHING AND READ THIS BOOK!

Everyone who has or is susceptable to Cancer must buy this book. There is an exceptional ammount of valuable information and TRUTH that is hard to come by when dealing with Cancer. I would have liked to have had this book before I had Prostate surgery. I might have saved myself alot of pain and money and be cured at the same time. I am now playing the wait and see game but I am also using the method described in this book on page 124 and the test on page 134. I will know more in 6 weeks if my second test (pg 134) is below 49. Get this book and see the alternatives that are available instead of Chemo or Radiation.

This is one of the best Cuban cookbooks available. It is authentic, easy to follow and gives insight to the author's family and heritage.

The title says it all. My wife and mother-in law have been looking for good Cuban recipes and this book fits the bill. All the tradition Cuban dishes are here with some common variations.

This is another outstanding cookbook. I loved the information about cuban culture, and now that I'm developing a "feel" for this style of food preparation the recipes are keeping my table full of exciting meals! Although there are no pictures of the finished meals, it is still a fantastic investment.

This book is such a treasure. I go to this book time and time again for authentic and delicious cuban recipes. I'm so glad I found this book! As a real foodie with over 30 cookbooks, this is one of the cookbooks I use the most.

The entire transaction was perfect. Book arrived quickly and was in great condition. Very satisfied.

The baking book was excellent and has wonderful recipes in it.
The tips are very helpful and it just is what I had hoped it would be.
I am very, very satisfied.

This is a great cookbook with beautiful illustrations. The recipes are easy to follow. I've made several already, including the Whole Lemon Muffins and they are awesome. The pastries is what got me to buy the book; however, there are lots of recipes for other things that are worth trying.

I just recently purchased The Pastry Queen, and while I have not had the time yet to make any of Rebecca Rather's delicious sweets and pastries, she has some incredible-sounding recipes. I was surprised to find that she also included savory dishes as well in her book: tortilla soup, quesadillas, and salsas. The beautiful photograph on the cover suggests the book is all about pastry, but that is not the case.

The recipes are delicious; yesterday, I made the Sugar Saucers for my family and dipped them in melted bittersweet chocolate and they were a big hit. Beautiful photography, really different and creative recipes, and a folksy tone that makes me miss Texas (I'm from Austin but we currently live in frigid Ohio). Three minor complaints however: one, some of the recipes are ridiculously large and although you could halve them, it would be difficult to do so. Two, I may be just spoiled but in this nice, luxurious book with unusual and pretty food and where the book itself seems a guilty pleasure, I'd like a picture of each recipe. She describes this peach dulce de leche cake but no picture! Three, the tone is at times a bit too braggy and self-congratulatory and at points she goes from being the best baker on the block to being the person who just says she's the best baker on the block, if you know what I mean. All minor quibbles that are easily dealt with, but that keep this book from being the really incredible book that it could have been. And it passed the main cookbook test: all of the food made so far has tasted fantastic.

We visited the Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg, TX last year and I LOVED it. We ended up going there for breakfast every morning we were there. When I saw she had a book with the actual recipes from her restaurant I could not resist.

Everything I have made has been perfect. These recipes are not for the person looking to lose weight (butter, suger, YUMMY!), but they are absolutely delicious. I have not had one thing come out less than delicious. I love the scones, kolaches, and chocolate chip cookies (the best I have ever made or eaten). If I cooked from this as much as I wanted I would be so fat (but very happy). I swear this cookbook has made my husband and little boys love me more!!!

Buy this book!

One note, most recipes make enough for a party, so I would suggest cutting the recipes in half if you are a family of 4 like us.

This book has so much going on - you'll be shocked at its little size after reading all the reviews. I was disappointed at first. But I picked it up and started reading and, well to be honest I can't remember the last time I read a cookbook cover to cover.

Part memoir, part cookbook, part shopping guide, part entertaining guide, and part inspiration comes together in what is probably one of the few books I'll keep out this year. Most of my cookbooks, and there are many, are relegated to a series of cupboards near my desk since it is the only place with room in this small apartment. Chocolate and Zucchini can stay in the kitchen :) The recipes are varied and cover every course including breakfast. There are vegetarian and meat dishes. Most dishes require few ingredients and there aren't any on my "to cook" list that require staples too exotic for my kitchen.

Long story short: there is something for nearly everyone in this fun and approachable book.

Simple, original recipes with fun flavor combinations: zucchini and raspberry, broccoli and apples, and of course, chocolate and zucchini! Most of the recipes are quick and easy, always a plus. I'm particularly thankful to this book for teaching me how to make my own "pate brisee" which I can't seem to find in american grocery stores. Quiche and tarte bretonne are again a staple at home! A word of caution to non-chocoholics: the chocolate recipes are VERY chocolate!!

I have been a fan of Clotilde's website from the start. It is the food site I go back to time and time again and I have owned this book since its release. I have now cooked all but a handful of recipes from this book and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I am so confident in the recipes that I have even made some for the first time when having people over for dinner. The recipes just work - they read well and are elegant to serve. My copy of this book is much loved and I hope there will soon be a sequel on the shelves!

I have followed Clotilde's blog for years. I enjoy her writing. I think she has interesting and creative ideas, but the book was a flop.

It's beautifully written, I love the photos, but of the recipes I tried,(pear and blue cheese madelines, a cookie made w/ orange flower water and mustard chicken) none of them came out well enough to be counted a success. They were all edible, but not very good. I gave my copy away.

I was so disappointed by this book. As much as I love reading about Paris and restaurants, and food, I found it absolutely empty: just a cleaver money making machine. There is no comparison between this author and Patricia Wells, who is a true pro, for example.

If you want to learn about fungi, this is the book, actually the bible. I highly recommend this book.

Mushrooms Demystified is the outstanding and most thorough identification guide for wild mushrooms. It's the identifier that you keep at home to clarify your field sample's identity.

For people interested in shroom hunting, this book is great. I only wish it contained more color photos. For people of the Pacific Northwest, I am told that the 1st edition is more area specific, and I think I'll buy me a used copy.

At first glance this little gem of a guide seems to cover most world-wide species of mushrooms. But, its not until you begin to read the preface that you realize that this guide is for only the Western US, specifically California. Being in Belgium, I dont see many of these mushrooms mentioned around. But it a great book and explains in great detail the bio-sheres where mushrooms can be found. My only negaive is the lack of color plates to describe particular varieties. Black and white plates do not cut it in the mushroom world.

If I were a beginner, I would have been totally confused by this book. The problem comes from the dichotomous keys. They can be confusing and lead you in the totally wrong direction. The author says up-front, that there are several reasons you can be lead astray by the keys, mainly user error. Well, the keys are only as good as they are written. After having said the keys are confusing, the rest of the information provided in the book is quite good and very detailed. I wish there were more color photos to go along with the descriptions. Yes, there are over 800 photos, but most of them are black and white. It is difficult to compare detail of an actual mushroom in the hand with a black and white photo. Overall, I would say this is a good book to have in your collection, but I would not depend on this book for identification.