Fruits and Vegetables Books

I was never able to make anything until I attempted some of the garnishes in this book. All my friends want me to make their parties a success with these clever designs. The book was easy to understand and the illustrations were Right On Target. A great investment for Everyone!

K. Well, I'm a 12 yr old who cooks. I can make lots of stuff, sushi is my specialty. One time, we were gonna have a dinner party, and I'm like, Wahoo! more people to feed sushi to. But theres gotta something more I can do. And then I go, I'll make it look pretty. So I go and order this book, and I get it, and then I try some simple stuff. It turned out great, everyone complimented on it. It would be better if the steps were illustrated w/ pictures, but they're only drawings. The do hve pics of wat it will turn out to look like.

I was very excited when I received my book. Unfortunatly my excitement turned to dissapointment as I thumbed through the pages. While the book was filled with easy to do garnishes it was elementary and below my expectations. While the beginning of the book had some good points and conveyed a general understanding of garnishing, It was less than what I expected from 4 well educated chefs.

This book is good for beginner like me. This book teaches us how to garnish in simple way. One of the good things about this book is that it carries tools. For me it helps a lot because first I didn't know which tools to use. Another reason is that this book shows many fun ways to carve with cute & beautiful shapes. And that work with children who dislike eating fruits or vegetables. By seeing their cute shape, children are so fond of them that they eat it without knowing that they used to hate those particular fruits or vegetables. This is a useful book. Too bad the pages guidelines aren't colored. Plus the guide pictures are only drawn not photos. It will be nice if this book show actual pictures and colored. Anyhow the result is definitely beautiful but simple to make.

I have known Chef David Larousse for many years, and I remember when he completed his first book, Edible Art. This revision is quite gorgeous, and one can see how he has moved his craft along after more than fifteen years. The photography and illustrations are fabulous as well. A must-have for every chef, especially those who use vegetable and fruit carving now and then.

I am not a professional chef but I like food garnishing as a hobby ,to liven up dinners and impress guests.I have collected every book on food garnishing that I can find and I was very pleased with this one .I recommend this book to the novice as well as the seasoned garnisher it covers many projects with easy to understand instructions and drawings.One of my favorites that I learned from this book is the turnip sunflower.I would like to also thank David Larousse for sharing his talent and hopefully he will continue writing more great books in the future.

Beginners may have trouble following the drawings in this volume. The drawings were a disappointment when compared to the gorgeous photography in the center of the book. I also think Mr. Larousse was overly ambitious in presenting garnishes which require little or no skill next to those which are more involved or demanding. The sheer number of "old" ideas make the professional chef bored, and the more complex items will only serve to frustrate the beginner. The work itself is flawless, but much is lost in the translation.

I was extremely disappointed with the book for the following reasons:

The instructions were written as one paragraph rather than in steps and there are about two hand drawn diagrams accompanying the instructions for a garnish. Perhaps a professional chef can follow the instructions for complex cuts, but I could not since there weren't enough diagrams. There should have been numbered pictures that goes with the instructions. And there should have been a lot more diagrams. One diagram showing cutting on a mandolin was wrong -- the object being cut was shown in the wrong position so that you could not achieve the result using the diagram for guidance. An improvement would to use photographs instead of hand drawnings.

It also seemed that some garnishes were duplicates. That is it appeared that you read or seen the garnish covered before with little differentiation.

The tools should have been photographed rather than hand drawn since I could not make out enough detail so that I go out and buy a specific tool. It would been better if the author told you the part number and where you could buy the tool. I think there were a handful of referenced websites in the back.

Some offerings I have seen on PBS such as Yan Can Cook which are easier to follow seeing a video than the subject book.

The only good thing about the book were photographs for some of the finished products.

IHMO, I do not think that this book is worth buying.

Lots of information, but none of the information I wanted. This book is a good reference for Great Britian but for the US it is kind of obsolete.

This beautifully illustrated and photographed book is a very informative and easy to use reference for anyone who wants authentic expert advice on how to grow and maintain a vegetable and/or herb garden. This practically organized book is divided into ten readily accessible sections:
* Getting Started: serves as an introduction to the book and gives some advice on buying seeds, rotating crops, digging and preparing the seed bed, and sowing the seeds.
* Where to Grow Vegetables: discusses the pros and cons of growing vegetables in different environments, including the greenhouse, the border, the potager, beds, containers, traditional plots and windowsills.
* Looking After Vegetables: presents invaluable advice on thinning, transplanting, weeding, feeding, watering, mulching, spraying, harvesting and storing vegetables, as well as clear instructions on how to deal with protected cropping and how to get the most from your plot.
* Home-Grown Vegetables, Unusual Vegetables, Baby Vegetables and Herbs: these four sections are presented as alphabetized guides in which each vegetable's or herb's entry includes its image and/or picture, a description of its common varieties, details on how to sow, keep, harvest and eat it, and a list of the ordinary problems that affect it.
* Vegetable Trouble: explains how to speedily and correctly prevent each specific trouble before it starts and how to deal with it after it appears.
* Shop-Bought Vegetables: is an illustrated listing intended to help you recognize a selected group of vegetables available at the market, and includes many tips on how to buy, preserve, ripen and eat them.
* An Index.
The information given in this book for the herbs and vegetables that are listed is very thorough. However, this book was oriented towards a British public and only lists temperate climate vegetables and herbs, ignoring many varieties of tropical ones. Still, I recommend buying this book to those interested in knowing how to make and maintain a comprehensive and convenient vegetable and/or herb garden.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

I'm not an expert gardener, so I found this book to be a great quick reference to problems that my vegetable plants were having.

I found the information in the book clearly presented and in a good format. I found the book interesting reading and informative. However, it was written in Britian and some information as far as varieties, dates and insects may not apply to United States. I'm not sure, which creates doubt about the accuracy for us.

I'm sure this book is interesting to some, but it left me disappointed. The style was too dry and technical to inspire me.

I just got the book a week back and I am still reading it. I had to write this review because of the number of stars this book got. It is unfair since only 2 persons have reviewed it. Yes, this book is a little technical, but nothing that a lay person cannot understand. Actually, that is the reason I got this book for. I wanted facts and not stories. I have been reading about permaculture for a while now. I had so many unanswered questions. The minute I read preview pages on Google books, I bought it without the usual second thoughts I get. I am still learning a lot. I liked the section on companion planting and decided not to buy a book on it. Instead I just ordered his book on drip irrigation. I didn't get any color photos in my book. I found I had to download it from his web site. But I don't care much for somebody's landscape photos because I will design my own :) This book has a section on roots too. I also bought his other book on roots as I found it hard to design without knowing what happens underneath. If you are in doubt about buying this book, read the preview to see if this is for you.

One of my most-used books; I'm buying this copy for a wedding. Two negatives -- The cost is high, and even as I wish for more color photographs, I ponder how much the price would rise with them. Also, as a new gardener, I struggled with five-syllable foreign terms and phrases. But he compensates well. After "an inoculant called rhizobium that colonizes the roots of leguminous plants", he says, "Pull up some bean plants. If you can see small pinkish white nodules on the roots" then it's okay. (p. 125)

The range of material is wide yet thorough. Can I grow peaches where I live? He compares 10 varieties, with limitations and virtues. He suggests alternate reading for each subject, and offers a capsule review (e.g., "A good one to browse in the library; only serious tree crops enthusiasts need own it." p. 219). The appendix seems all-encompassing to me, with an expansive index, recommended magazines and supportive organizations, mail order suppliers, & real recipes like "Chayote Parmigiana", with text on everything you'd EVER want to know about growing chayote for the dish, including Effort. (p. 300, 301)

Rosalind Creasy broke ground (ha!) promoting edibles in the landscape, and Kourik credits her. Her book has not been updated, however; this book remains timely.

I purchased this book and had a few problems with the two recipes that I have tried so far . . -- the first was with the Vietnamese Chicken Curry.

This was a really good dish, except for adding the chicken before simmering the soup for 20 minutes and then continuing to cook until the pumpkin is cooked and the chicken is cooked through -- since the chicken is boneless it was done well before the soup was finished -- resulting in tough chicken. I think removing it after stir frying and then adding it back in toward the end of cooking the pumpkin would have helped it to stay tender.

The second problem was with the Pumpkin Cake -- this was a bit strange -- directions call for baking for 1 hour at 350 and then an additional 1 - 1 1/2 hours after turning the oven down to 300. I think it should read that you bake at 350 for one hour and turn the oven down to 300 to continue, if needed -- my cake was completely finished at the 1 hour mark.

These are the only 2 I have tried so far -- interesting cookbook, but I think I will preread each recipe ahead of time and use my own experiences with cooking to help fine tune.

Thanks --:-)

Where I live, butternut squash will be coming into the produce section. I'm eagerly waiting for it. Why? So I can roast seeds and toss them in a brown paper bag with homemade curry powder for that fourth Thursday in November.

I'd also like to try the pumpkin soup and risotto. Yum and what reads like the ultimate yum.

The selection of recipes in this gem are varied. Brava! I also have another book of Elsa's and find her style friendly and engaging. Elsa makes me want to get into the kitchen and make something. Another "Brava!"

I also recommend her Cool Smoothies: Juices and Cocktails and Smoothies and Shakes. Tasty-sounding recipes.

Did I convince you? :)

I love all fall fruits and vegetables, and I had to have this little book when I saw it.

There is a picture of each recipe you are making, the are glossy, mouth watering, and let me tell you, I am planning on making every single recipe in this book. There are only 30 or so, but each is written with sense and clarity, and the book would make a perfect present simply because it's so beautiful. Pumpkins aren't the only veggies used, there are also Butternuts and Squash recipes.

Some of my favorite things I made from it; Roasted Pumpkin Salad -to die for, crusty and charred pumpkin chunks, peppers, onions, lentils with lemon, oil and few other yummies. Chile pumpkin babycakes - sweet, spicy fried till golden for major crunch. Pumpkin Soup - warm with holiday written all over it. Spicy Butternut Curry - creamy, hot, melt in your mouth goodness.

This little charmer of a book also has cakes, pies, souffles, stuffed sugar pumpkins, Moroccan Tangine, Kabobs, seeds, chips and granola recipes, pumpkin gnocchi and risottos as well.

No cookie cutter recipes here. I love this book, and always look for ways to cook with it.

This book contains information about vegetable juices and what they are good for in your body. It also explains why cooked food may actually be bad for you. The information is not presented in recipe format, more like scientific format. Dr. Walker lived to be 114 years old and juiced for 70 years. His companion book "Diet and Salad Suggestions" should be purchased as well. He invented the Walker juicer which produces the finest quality and quantity of juice available. A must read for raw food enthusiasts. If you are also interested in losing weight, or fixing diabetes, read "There is a Cure For Diabetes" by Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Great life plan for vibrant health.

I have used this book for multiple years. The information has worked for me to the point of helping in the curing of ailments. Have bought a total of 6 copies to give to others. This information is timeless, not outdated.

What a disappointment! This book doesn't provide any real recipes for juices. The information it has about certain vegetable juices or benefits can be found for free on the internet or in most juicing books that have far greater value than this. This is outdated and mostly useless.

This is not a gardening book, its a Gen X ad copy, coffee table book. Save your money, buy a real garden book, I garden and found it just useless.

If you want to grow your own food, but don't have any space, this is the book for you. Even though it's set in the UK, and I live in Australia, I found plenty of ideas that I was able to use to successfully grow food in a 2 square metre plot behind my house. There are lots of different options shown (eg rooftop, indoors, balcony, pots), with lots of colour photographs. I liked that there was a focus on design as well- not only should the area be productive, it should look attractive.

Living in a small space with no bed to call my own I picked up this book and read it. It was wonderful! Lots of information on gardening specifically for the urban dweller. The photographs were wonderful, as was the writing. Included information on raised beds, regular beds, container gardening, fruits and vegetables, flowers, and anything else the city dweller might want to grow. Also included really interesting information on pollution and its effects on the urban dweller's garden and information on pests and what can be done to control them. There was also a heavy influence of organic gardening and how this might be done in the city.

An excellent book all around, it's become my new favourite gardening book.

This is a good primer for those new to Tennessee, a state with a wide geographical range.

Easy to read, understand and so simple you cant go wrong having it for reference on a shelf!

This is a simple, straight-forward diet book. Not a variety of diets but the ones in there are sensible and feasible to follow. I keep the book to refer to when I need some help with my dieting. This is not a fad diet, just common sense. Everyone should read it before starting the here-today, gone-tomorrow fad diets.

I haven't actually followed the diet in this book-- but over half of this book is pages and pages with color photos of every kind of fruit and vegetable, describing what it is, how to store it, how to cook it, how to eat it-- if I didn't have this, I wouldn't know anything about fruits and vegs-- I study it all the time and have taken it into the grocery story with me!

How useful the "Fruit Expert" is depends on where you live. If you're English, this is probably a fine book for you; if you live in the States ... keep looking. I wish I had known this before I bought it; I wish Amazon would give the publisher's city for all their garden books.

This beautifully illustrated and photographed book is a very informative and easy to use reference for everyone who wants expert advice on how to plant and keep a fruit garden. This wonderfully organized book is divided into six sections:
* The Fruit in the Garden: gives advice on how to choose the right type of fruit for your garden.
* The Tree Fruit: a guide to buying, planting and keeping specific fruits that grow on trees, including apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches and nectarines, apricots, figs, mulberries and quinces.
* The Soft Fruit: a guide to buying, selecting site and soil, planting and keeping, feeding and mulching, and protecting from birds and viruses fruits that don't grow on trees, including berries, currants, grapes, melons and kiwis.
* Shop-Bought Fruit: an illustrated reference on how to recognize fruits available in the market, including tips on how to buy, preserve, ripen and eat them.
* A Glossary.
* An Index.
As an added bonus, both the Tree Fruit and the Soft Fruit sections contain a visual reference to help you identify several different varieties of the same fruit, and a very thorough guide on solving common fruit troubles.
The information given in this book for the fruits listed is very complete; however, since it was written for a British public, it only lists temperate climate fruits. Other fruits like banana, orange, papaya, avocado, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, lemon, etc. are not included in the book, except for their brief entries in the Shop-Bought Fruit section.
I recommend buying this book if you want to start your own temperate climate fruit garden, and complement it with other books when you are ready to add to it some tropical fruits.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar