Cookbooks Books

This is an awesome book. I would prefer to make things from scratch and this book is perfect for that. I love it, and everyone I know who has this book feels the same way I do. Buy it, you'll love it!

This is the second copy of this book that I've had. I was given the original back in the 80's by an American friend. When I took some mixes on a house boat holiday with friends recently they were fascinated and asked me to try and get a copy for them. That's when I found the new edition, and its so much better than the original with many more ideas and reduced fat versions. I use it even more now.

Wow....this book has been fantastic...and I've pretty much boxed up the majority of my cookbooks, but this one is in the kitchen on the counter. My whole family have enjoyed the Mixes from this book...I like having the containers that hold the mixes readily available, thus making the mix speedy and effective...my grandkids really enjoy the rolls that "gramma" makes from the Make a Mix...I also made a memory for them to remember this gramma's cooking!!!! It's awesome!

I LOVE love love this cookbook. I love to make things from scratch for so many reasons and this cookbook has changed my life! I admit that I've been borrowing the book from my local library but hope to get my own soon. This cookbook is saving me so much money because I am able to buy things like chicken breast (which can be quite expensive for us budget-conscious people) in bulk and make TONS of meal "bases". I have told my friends about this cookbook and they're getting into it as well. It's gotten exciting for us to tell each other how much we spent on our groceries and how many meals we'll get out of it.

I'm thinking about holding a Make A Mix cooking class for my MOPS group if I can figure out exactly how to put one together.

This might sound lame, but this is the most excited I've gotten about a cookbook EVER. Last night we had the sour cream enchiladas. My husband took one bite, closed his eyes and smiled. It was fabulous. I make the dinner rolls all of the time. I made meatballs for the freezer last night. I was able to make a menu for the next 3 weeks (included some dishes that I'll freeze) and it was so easy since I have several of the mixes already prepared or ready to put together.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I'd love to see another one come o

Make-a-Mix is a great concept cookbook. It provides do-it-yourself recipes for mixes that you can then later turn into cooked dishes at a moment's notice. Ranging from slice-and-bake sugar cookies, to gravy mix, to a sweet quick-bread mix, you'll find everything from breakfast to dessert to main-dish meat mixes. The cover advertises 306 recipes made from 67 mixes.

The layout of the recipes is fairly clear, although there's something about the font and placement of the "makes..." portion (the part of the mix recipe that points you to the other pages in the cookbook where you'll find recipes that use it) that makes it easy to overlook. There are no photos; most of these recipes are relatively simple, so that isn't a huge deal in my opinion.

For a book founded on the principle of making things from mixes I guess I expected them to want to showcase the versatility of those mixes as much as possible; after all, I don't see the point in keeping a single-purpose mix around for most things---I doubt many people constantly make a single type of brownies or cornbread over and over. On the other hand, some of these are fairly versatile, such as the sweet quickbread mix.

The one glaring omission we came across was in the "Our Best Brownies" recipe. We quickly found that there was just no way you could make a brownie batter out of the mix with the amount of liquid provided in the recipe---it seemed clear an ingredient had been omitted. We were able to add enough liquid to make it come out decently, but the brownies weren't particularly amazing. Luckily the cornbread recipe made up for it in terms of quality.

This is one cookbook I have not regretted buying, it's well written and very well illustrated. Exceptional recipes.

This book was exactly what I was looking for. It not only has great recipes in it but also explains the whys of baking. Want to know WHY you don't stir muffins or brownies too much? Want to know WHY your bread dough sometimes doesn't rise right? This book has it all. A great read along with the recipes. Plus, it was $10 cheaper through Amazon than from King Arthur itself.

If you haven't taken time to look this one over, if you're a serious baker, you're missing out on some of the best recipes and information about quality baking! I've been baking for more than 30 years and this is a terrific addition to my cookbook collection that I'll use frequently!

I love my cookbook that I received. It was what I expected it to be and more. It came in a timely manner.

I received this book as a gift this past Christmas, and it is by far the most-used cookbook I own. I have a special penchant for baking, but am only still learning (before this cookbook, I'd only ever really baked cookies).

I can say, then, that this cookbook is excellent for the learning baker. This is the book I used to learn to bake bread (like their delicious and easy Vermont Maple Honey Bread, and the much more complex but oh-so-worth-it Crostini with Basil, Chevre, and Sundried Tomato), and bagels, and the Simple but Perfect Pancake.

The only possible criticism I can muster is that sometimes I cut down a little on the salt and sugar (I don't like things very sweet), but I think with every cookbook you have to learn the writer's taste so you can adjust them to yours.

I LOVE to bake, and I love that just about anything I could want is contained in this book -- along with extremely detailed commentary so that you understand what you're doing, instead of just following directions.

It's those very clear directions, interesting facts, and the indispensable elaboration on specific ingredients in the back of the book that make this a book from which you learn not just recipes but actually how to bake.

So good job, King Arthur Flour -- I'm incredibly grateful I received this book!

I have to admit, this may not be the most practical cookbook out there. It does feature some tough-to-find ingredients (such as "barberries," "Persian lime powder", etc.), and there are a lot of kebab type recipes that call for grilling - not the most practical for a busy weeknight cook. Some of the recipes here will require a commitment of time. However, that said, there are also many recipes here that are not too complicated, and a lot of very unique and exciting dishes: truly a culinary adventure. The "Khoresh" chapter is especially exciting to me - one pot meals that use exciting flavor combinations like dried or fresh fruits with meat and vegetables, reminiscent of the Moroccan tagine. If you're on a budget, there are also several ground-meat and egg dishes here, which are easy on the wallet. This book includes a huge number of recipes, all courses and with meat, poultry, fish, and protein-rich vegetarian options. The photographs are the most amazing I have ever seen in a cookbook. This is a very high quality book, and worth the bit more it may cost than other cookbooks. If you are interested in exotic flavor combinations and either willing to skip the ones with hard-to-find ingredients or track them down on the internet, this book will bring you much pleasure to both browse through and cook from.

If you can get the ingredients--and these days there are Arab/Persian food stores in most cities--you will not go wrong with this book. It's totally authentic food, cooked the way they cook at home in Iran. Persian food, if you happen not to have tried it, is unusual--pomegranates, compotes of greens, meat and fruits in same dish, pistachios, saffron and rose water --but always delicious and kind to the stomach. Beautifully set out, clear instructions, mouth-watering photos. Highly recommended both as cookbook and as guide to a vital part of Persian culture (they take their cuisine very seriously, and rightly so!)

Original recipes in this book are not only colorful but very tasty. Iranians sure know how to cook a meal. It's nice to see someone take such pride and effort in compiling a book as varied, complete, and beautiful as this one.

This book is written by the same author of "Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen", and shares with this one the simple way in description of different recipes. This book has a more wide content of dishes, a chapter devoted to ceremonies and a lot of pictures, many with food and many devoted to Persian culture. It is not generally known that Persian Cooking was and is rather modern, previewing rules for a balanced diet, there are foods hot and cold and they cannot be mixed indifferently. It is a world to discover and this book gives a good help.

This is a wonderful book, not just as a cookbook but as a guide to some of the traditions of the Persian Culture. The pictures are beautiful and the recipes simple to follow. A must have for any household.

This is a fantastic book on ice creams. I am a pastry chef at a restaurant that makes all of its ice creams and sorbets in-house. I can tell you that all of the recipes I have made from this book have been wonderful and come out perfectly without fail. I had contemplated on buying this earlier in the summer to give our sorbet list a facelift and procrastinated until early fall... let's just say I am kicking myself for waiting for so long! There really is something for everyone in this book, from simple to more daring, and you always end up with a well-balanced flavor profile. This is definitely going to be in my library for a long time.

I decided to purchase this cookbook after buying a new ice cream machine. After reading the reviews I thought to give it a try. This is a great source for everything related to making your own frozen desserts. The additional sections on toppings etc. was a great bonus. KC

If you love to make ice-cream and enjoy all kinds of unique flavors then this book is for you!!! I've made so many different flavors and each turns out like magic!!! Never store bought ice-cream again!!! Love this book!

Granted, ice cream recipes are all variations on a certain theme... but Dave Lebovitz has taken the trial-and-error out of figuring which variation makes the perfect chocolate ice cream, and which is good for fruit sorbet. I've tried 7 recipes from this book so far, and all of them have come out brilliantly. Buy it!

This is an awesome book of recipes for ice creams, sorbets, sherberts, granitas and misc. other things that have to do with ice cream. It is a well put together collection and the author's writing style is not only interesting but downright fun...almost as fun as tasting the finished melting masterpeices that he describes. This book gives you all the essentials, the basic must-have ice cream recipes and then it goes on to include recipes that are imaginative and sound absolutely sinful. I really like that most of the recipes don't require ingredients that are hard to find or never heard of. I also like that the author tells you when to use specific high quality ingredients that make a difference in the end product and that are actually worth your time and money to use. These recipes are simple yet elegantly luscious. This book has expanded not only my waistline but also how I think about the possibilities of frozen confections.

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

For those of you who love to collect great cookbooks, this is an awesome Cuban cookbook. All the recipes invoke memories of Mama and Abuela cooking in the kitchen. They are authentic recipes and the stories are worth reading. Many of them will bring sweet memories to Cuban refugees who have adopted the U.S.A as our new home. This is a must-have book in the kitchen!

This book has great recipes and they are very well written. The instructions are very easy to follow. Very much the same ingredients my Cuban Mother has used all my life.

My husband is from Miami and when i was pregnant he took me to Miami and got me addicted to cuban food. We both really missed the food and this book brings back so many good memories. It really satisfies your taste buds.

After sitting in the bookstore, going over about 10-20 so called Cuban recipe cookbooks, this is the ONE in my kitchen. Both my parents are from Cuba, I was born there as well, so naturally my siblings and I grew up on traditional Cuban recipes. This book is the closest to Mom's cooking I have ever found, and with some help from Mom, these recipes are just like being home. Easy to follow, simple, traditional recipes. Once you get the hang of "sofrito", which is base for most of our dishes, you won't be disappointed. LOVE this cookbook, and its wonderful, savory Cuban dishes!

As the owner of more than 700 Cookbooks, I can't honestly say that both books by this Author are my Favorites. I am planning a trip especially to visit the Bakery & Cafe for the real experience.

This cookbook is terrific on all counts--great recipes (the Sugar Saucers are the end-all, be-all sugar cookie), beautiful coffee table book, and entertaining read. The fact that the book is printed on glossy paper means the pages will stand up to the occasional butter sputter and drool from looking at all of the wonderful photos. I really enjoyed reading the introduction and narratives that precede each chapter and recipe--a nice addition for those of us who can only dream about visiting Rather Sweet's Bakery & Cafe. I look forward to working my way through all the recipes!

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.

Just the recipe of the ALL SOLD OUT CHICKEN POT PIES alone is reason enough to buy this book. They are incredible!
The Texas tortilla soup is a favorite. The desserts are extra yummy too.

I visited Rather Sweet Restaurant in Fredricksburg, Texas with a friend. We both had chocolate cake for desert and decided it was the best we had ever had. So I was on a quest for the recipe. I found it in this book, made it for a party and got the same results! Heaven, this lady can bake and tell you how to bake too!

I discovered Clotilde's blog only after purchasing this book. The recipes are simple, call for fresh ingredients and are absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

Delightful approach, and all the directions you need to recreate the special dishes with real ease. Best of all the improvisations inspired by my lack of certain ingredients were excellent as well, and made me feel as creative as the author herself. Been cooking for decades, and never dared to try icecream, but emboldened by the luscious photographs (bravo for shots of real food, not styled food) have taken a plunge from which there is no turning back. Merci. Will follow up with the Paris adventures before my Paris trip in October. Have already booked a meal at the hidden kitchen. Now to winkle out how to visit the food market at Rungis without spending a fortune on permits or tours.....

Beatifully written. I would love to be one of the author's neighbours or friends and be invited to try her creations and experiments. She overflows with warmth and generosity ... we could all learn alot from her, and not just how to cook and eat well.

This book is great and Clotilde is an interesting writer. She has written the book as a novel and that makes it so, so interesting. Makes you want to cook and feed your friends. Congratulations Clotilde!!

"Chocolate & Zucchini" is an entertaining combination of Clotilde Dusoulier's thoughts on food, cooking, and the Parisian lifestyle, and recipes chosen to reflect that lifestyle in a way American audiences can recreate. For my own tastes (so to speak), I could have done with more discussion and fewer recipes, but I certainly cannot complain. For one thing, it sounds like her forthcoming second book is more along those lines. And for another, these recipes are quite good -- I made the Biscuits Très Chocolate (p. 229) for a friend's birthday present, and they were very well received.

The author is a charming, and dare I say "sweet," guide, with a command of English that transcends mere fluency to being distinctive and very personal. One of the reasons I wished there was more personal narrative was because I liked that voice. Good thing we have her blog -- and, as I said, her next book. I'm looking forward to getting into that as soon as I can. Perhaps with a plate of biscuits très chocolate.

After being a fan of Virgina Willis, I by chance got to meet her in person at the American Royal Bar B Que competition at which she was a speaker in their guest chef segment. She prepared Coca Cola Ribs, Finglering Potato Salad and a fantastic light Black eye pea salad with a light vinegerette. I had to hand it to her to prepare Ribs with so many Rib pros on the show ground. I didn't want to tell my husband and his team that they were better than theirs, but the truth is they were! I was also fortunate enough to win a book & speak with her. She was as warm and friendly as your neighbor next door. As we parted I felt I had to give a big thank you hug.
On the flight back to California I read the entire cookbook. The stories were charming as Virgina, straight from the heart, the recipes as filled with love as the flavor of food sounded.
I have made many some light and some rich, my California friends all ask me how I found old time recipes that are the comfort food we all crave in our busy California lives, yearning for the memories via food of Grandma. It also has tips for some of the more difficult techniques such as how to keep a souffle from falling, slicing herb techniques to name a few. I hope ya'll enjoy the book as

Bon Appetit, Ya'll is the best Southern Cookbook on the market. It is the perfect blend of your grandma's southern dishes and gourmet sophistication. The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients are readily available. I would recommend it to everyone, Southern or not!

This book is fantastic. Lovely, personal and full of recipes I actually make and want to make.

I was fortunate enough to attend the annual American Royal Barbecue Cook Off in Kansas City last night and had the unique pleasure of meeting Virginia Willis and winning this cookbook! What a lovely and gracious lady. I obviously have not had time to try any of her recipes yet, but I have had time to read through some of her stories. I collect cookbooks that contain not only good recipes, but cookbooks that I can "read" like a non-fiction book and ones that contain beautiful pictures. Bon Appetit, Y'all ranks highly in both areas. I did get to sample her Black-Eyed Pea Salad which she prapared before dozens of fans and it is to die for. I only wished we could have spent more time with her to hear more stories about Virginia's interesting and blessed life. Thank You Virginia!

It is true, "Bon Appetit, Y'all" is a beautiful, well laid out cookbook full of wonderful receipes, photographs and stories. I couldn't put the "book" down before reading through the stories and "almost" wishing I were a true Southerner. While the book is worthy of the coffee table, you may have to buy two copies and keep one in the kitchen. As a food novice, I am pleased that the receipes contain more direction, explanation and handy hints than the average cookbook. The in-depth direction and interesting stories give me confidence and inspiration to try the receipes and improve my cooking abilities.

"Bon Appetit, Y'all" is a perfect Christmas present and I plan to buy a copy for all the chefs in my family.

My friend had this book and from the moment I laid eyes on it, I thought "I have to have one for myself" I am addicted to it. I read it every night. I can picture the finished recipes in my head, when I read them. The best thing that I love about the book is that it brings you back into history on when, who, and how the recipe was, first, created. If you love Louisiana food and the Louisiana way of life, you will be obsessed with it. Christina Laborde, Marksville, Louisiana.

Like it says its a Encyclopedia, theres a bit of history in the front that makes for great reading. The best part is the recipe's which are varied and very good. My Wife's a great cook and has well over a 100 cookbooks already but she uses this one quite often.

I purchased this book recently. It is very large and will not fit on many book shelves. Includes a great variety of recipes including many that you would probably classify as italian, german, or of other origin. Attractive pictures, and a large number of pages devoted to the history of cooking in Louisiana. I would not call it exhaustive, but it has a nice variety of recipes. I have only tried making the gumbo so far and would say that I prefer the recipe in Paul Prudhome's Louisiana Kitchen. If you could only buy one book, I would recommend the Prudhome cookbook over this one. I found the Prudhome recipies more appealing and the book is much less costly.

This book is unbelievably impressive. After four years, I finally got my copy. This book is roughly 800 pgs. About 100+ are dedicated up front to the story of the seven nations that make up Cajun and Creole cuisine. I love this insightful info. Does it help you cook any better know, but if you like a little background info with your cookbooks, this over-achieves.

What I thoroughly enjoyed was the brief explanation of the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisines. It was only a couple of paragraphs, but I appreciated the plain English. (It's the little things that make me happy.)

The recipes, as expected, are voluminous and accommodate a range of skill sets. Each recipe has a short comment. I would've liked a little more information about the origin of the particular recipe, but I'm greedy like that. (For instance, are these Folse's recipes or a particular family's recipe, etc.) The recipes are organized into the following chapters:

-Roux, Stocks & Sauces
-Breakfast & Lunch
-Appetizers & Hors d'Oeurves
-Soups
-Salads
-Veggies
-Seafood
-Poultry
-Meat
-Wild Game
-Desserts
-Breads
-Dairy
-Beverages
-Festivals
-Plantations
-Holiday & Special Occasion Menus
-Lagniappe

Now here is why four instead of five stars: this is a definitive text (which should have earned a James Beard award), but the photography leaves a lot to be desired. There is a ton of it, but it is poorly lit. It and the graphic design of the book give the entire thing an `80s feel. This was first published in 2004! Although this is a classic reference on Southeastern Louisiana cuisine, the photography makes it feel slightly less than polished. With that said, it is still more than worth the cost of ownership.

In the past, I spoke about my love for Williams-Sonoma New Orleans: Authentic Recipes Celebrating The Foods Of the World (Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World). It is still a valid text because it is a great quick reference. The photography is drop-dead gorgeous. However, if you want comprehensive and in-depth, this encyclopedia is for you.

Thank you, John Folse, for this epic undertaking. Any other cookbook you purchase for this cuisine will simply be for collector's purposes. Trust me, you don't need anything else!

This is the most impressive book yet on cajun/ creole cooking. Outstanding in every way (except perhaps the cornbread, all of which had sugar in it, and grandma would whop him over the head with her iron skillet for THAT). Can't wait to cook from this.

The recipes, history, festivals, photos, and everything else make this HUGE book indeed an encyclopedia. Impressive that the Italian and German settlers to the state were included in the history and recipe tradition as well, as they generally seem to be left out.

I borrowed this book first from the library and had to have my own copy. I couldn't believe it was only $7.99. All the foods I read about in the Mitford series are in here and I've already tried 3 of them. All were keepers. Can't wait to bake Esther's Marmalade Cake.
The book arrived promptly and in great shape.

Love the series and I love reading this cookbook.... it's filled with wonderful recipes and little stories from the books. Great!!!

I've loved the experience of reading and rereading this cookbook. Not only do we revisit individual characters, but we have a recipe for the yummy foods prepared for or by these characters.
The book is as beautiful as it is fun to read.

I loved all the "Mitford" books,and saw the book first at our local library. I kept renewing it and didn't want to return it! Finally, I checked on Amazon, and was so excited that it was available at a very good price. Anyone who has read the series of books by Jan Karon will love this book!

As a dedicated reader of Jan Karon's books, I had to buy Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader: Recipes from Mitford Cooks, Favorite Tales from Mitford Books (Mitford) as soon as it was available.

During a lonely time in my life, I listened to the audio versions of Karon's books. The Mitford community became another one of my communities, and the families of Mitford became part of my extended family.

I listened carefully to get the ingredients of the Orange Marmalade Cake. Then the cookbook appeared! Also there are all of Father Tim's recipes and Puny's food. Besides the Orange Marmalade Cake, I cannot select what comes in second. There are too many great choices, such as Emma's Pound Cake, the Rector's Meatloaf, and Louella's Buttermilk Chess Pie.

The vignettes are inspiring and entertaining. It is fun to recall the folks in the novels.

Jan Karon's food, like her writing, is comforting. She can use spice when she wishes, but most of her writing makes me feel calmer. Some of her recipes require more spice when I prepare them. This is probably a regional difference. In Louisiana, we like our food hotter than our weather. Therefore, I find it necessary to make a few adjustments.

There's no meat or vegetable recipe here that cannot be fixed by a little Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning 8oz.

This is a beautiful book, and I'm thrilled to have it.

Mary Lou Cheatham (story cookbook author)