Gourmet Books

This book is wonderful. I paid full price for it and would gladly do so again in order to give it as a gift to others. I highly recomend it.

I have owned this book for several years and read it cover to cover, most parts more than once. It is a good read and I like the way it is set up, and the author's enthusiasm is appreciated. There is much good information inside, but unfortunately, there is misinformation to a degree that I think is inexcusable. For example, the drawings of "evening primrose" actually show primrose, which is a totally different plant in an entirely different family. But the text clearly describes eating the root of evening primrose. So it seems like he didn't even know what evening primrose was, had never tried it, but copied his information on how to use it, even the description of its flavor, from another book. The text sure makes it sound like he's had experience from the plant. I think its disingenuous and a disservice to the reader. This is the most glaring example of many errors. Otherwise, it is a good book.

I was amazed at all the information this book gave me. I have learned so many things, to see all the bounty we can have in our own backyard! Practical and easy to read. I recommend this book to all nature and food lovers.

I haven't met many people who can point out at least ten different plants in the average yard and can tell you how to cook them. Mr. Henderson does an outstanding job of identifying wild, and not-so-wild, edibles common to almost every neighborhood. His recipes are easy to follow and delicious.

Even if you are not planning to run right out to the nearest shrub and harvest its leaves for dinner, I recommend this book. Mr. Henderson's prose is worth reading, whatever the content. His witty, humorous style enlivens a book full of excellent information.

The Neighborhood Forager is a very informative and enjoyable book. It not only tells about the plants in our backyards and by-ways but gives historical information, recipes, warnings and dyer's tips.

Mr. Henderson writes with humor and personal anecdotes which makes the book a good read even if you're not into foraging.

I got this book because Magnolia Grill is a favorite restaurant. It's a gorgeous book with incredible photographs, but after seeing the authors of the Food Network the other night I am inspired to get it dirty in the kitchen. The recipes they cooked on the air were not terribly complicated and they looked yummy. I particularly like the Barkers' advice to break the rules and adapt the recipes to your own tastes and to what fresh ingredients are available.

I'm a recent transplant from New York and have been spoiled rotten by its hundreds of cutting-edge restaurants and innovative chefs. But I have to tell you, the Barkers and Magnolia Grill are right up there. As a rule, I find chef cookbooks beyond the capabilities of the average-- or even the advanced-- home cook. NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR is the exception. Not only are its recipes inviting, they're approachable. Moreover the story of the Barkers and their Durham, NC restaurant is warm and appealing. Thanks to the Barkers (not to mention several other local chefs they've mentored), this red-clay country is no gastromic wasteland. Even my New York City friends are impressed. I've given NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR to half a dozen of them and they're as impressed by the cookbook as they are by the cooking they sampled at Magnolia Grill. From a huge Barker fan.

The author run the Magnolia Grill restaurant in North Carolina and here provides a cookbook of their dishes and Southern culinary traditions. The restaurant's favorites have been adjusted for the home cook and include fine innovations ranging form Salmon Choucroute in Creamy Mustard Sauce to Roasted Duck Breast with Sun-Dried Cherry Conserve. Color photos pepper and finish the presentation.

Having desired this cookbook for awhile, not disappointed in the least now that its in my collection.

This is rich book, with a rectangular format with big print and nice photos accompanying each recipe, which is given in adequate instructions and comments.

Knocked out by the variety and creativity of this recipe collection. They combine so many tastes and styles here --- Moraccan, Asian, Mexican, etc. Try these and you'll go bonkers as I--- Spicy Green Tomato Soup with Crab & Country Ham, Moraccan Roasted Eggplant Bisque with Grilled Chicken and Minted Yogurt, Roast Squab with Blackberry Essence & Carrot-Thyme Spaetzle, Pan Fried Mountain Rainbow Trout with Green Tomato and Lime Brown Butter Salsa on Sweet Potato, Artichoke and Crawfish Hash, or Grilled Sturgeon on Wild Rice Risotto with Butternuts, Grilled Leeks, and Cider Reduction.

Desserts are exceptional here, especially: Brown Sugar Pear Poundcake, and the Banana Pecan Crostata with Jack Daniels vanilla ice cream.

Super creative food, that takes some time and attention to prepare, but the results are worth it.

Recommended for the serious cook who likes this food which ventures to truly zap the diner with flavor, flavor, flavor. Excellent!

Not Afraid Of Flavor: Recipes From Magnolia Grill showcases more than one hundred Southern dishes that are simply delicious and ingredient-driven. From Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Grits Cake, Country Ham & Redeye Vinaigrette, Gabriel's Favorite Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Lemon & Capers, and Molasses Mashed Sweet Potatoes, to Pickled Pepper Relish, Deep-Dish Apple Cinnamon Crisp with Brandied Vanilla Ice Cream, and Watermelon Ganita, Not Afraid Of Flavor is a beautifully illustrated, aptly elegant, and very welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

Almost every page in my copy of this book is stained from being used in the kitchen. This book provides some of the most basic , perfect-every-time recipes you can find...cheese pie, clam chowder, creamy onion soup, chinese noodle salad, quiche, roasted chicken and more. It has a wonderful glossary, a great section on vegetables including how to buy them and variations on preparation. This would be a wonderful gift, paired with a new cooking tool for the aspiring young cook/chef.

I am the kind of cook who routinely misreads tbl. for tsp., wonders how long "browning" should take (and keeps poking to see what the underside looks like), and tries to substitute ingredients--all with disasterous results. The Basic Gourmet has been a lifesaver for me in this regard: it tells me exactly what I need to know when I need to know it, and it doesn't leave me guessing or, god forbid, interpreting.

The book's first section lists and discusses equipment in detail, setting a teacherly--not bossy or condescending--tone that continues throughout its many delicious recipes, each of which is followed by tidbits such as when you might want to substitute one herb for another, what might make a good accompaniment, etc. The book is detailed and packed full of tips and suggestions, but it doesn't bury the information so that a beginning cook can't see the forrest for the trees. From scrambled eggs and omlet flipping techniques to stuffed pork chops, this cookbook covers all the basics while managing to treat its readers like the potential gourmands they are: even the scrambled egg recipe makes me feel like I'm sitting down to really appreciate a meal rather than taking baby steps or just "making do" for dinner that night. The authors anticipate common mistakes and questions, explain their terminology, give a range of preferred options for altering a recipe, and, best of all, have included all the information you need for each recipe with the recipe itself--not in an index or introductory section somewhere else in the book.

I love my Joy of Cooking, and I refer to it and the Silver Palate often, but this is the cookbook that I learned from and to which I regularly return. This is a great cookbook for beginners, well-conceived and well-executed, and very well designed.

As a cook who has over 15 cookbooks this is the one I reach for most often. The recipes are simple but exceptionally tasteful. An experienced cook will find a multitude of useful variations and substitutions listed for each recipe, as well as forgotten techniques. For once there is a whole cookbook full of items you can find in a regular supermarket.

The beginning cook will appreciate this beautifully photographed book. In addition to 100 simple recipes, complete with variations and tips, the book offers advice on cookware, terms and ingredients, buying and cooking vegetables, fresh fish, even eggs.

Many recipes include information on freezing, doing ahead and cutting calories. Well-organized and easy to use, featuring dishes as simple as roast chicken or mashed potatoes, as impressive as chilled salmon with mayonnaise, and as hearty as braised lamb shanks, this is an all-round useful and attractive volume

This is great cookbook for dedicated beginners who want to learn to really cook not just get by. The recipes are varied and once you master them are easily adapted and changed around to suite your sense of adventure. The zucchini bread and chocolate gingerbread are always a hit and the tabbouleh page is the dirtiest page in the book...always a sign of a good cookbook...pages that stick together!

I am looking forward in making some of these recipes. I have made the "Figs and Goat cheese" It was Wonderful, I am going to make the Mushroom soup next.



Glad I got this book.


Cheryl

I went to one of David's cooking classes (at Gelson's Supermarket) and the food we made there was amazing! Every bite made me smile :). And what we made was very very simple and easy. I don't have the book yet, but I'm planning on buying it. Very good!

Every recipe I have tried has come out perfectly and I have had rave reviews. A great find for the person who has limited time for cooking but still enjoys great food.

The thing I love about cookbooks like this is that they tend to demystify the cooking process for people who would otherwise be too timid or intimidated to try cooking anything more than basic pasta or boring soup.

The recipes in this cookbook run the gamut, but I didn't see anything in here that looks too hard to tackle or too time consuming to want to start. I like the Nigella Lawson-type of approach to cookbook writing - adding a healthy amount of narrative to give background on a recipe or explain why it's a hit - and there's plenty of that here.

Also nice to have a section on drinks, which many people forget or are, again, too daunted to try when hosting a dinner party.

David has a nice easy style to his writing and the recipes are all winners. Well worth it!

There are old favorites with a new twist and some really wild new ideas. This is a great cook book for both the new cook and the accomplished entertainer, with main dishes and lots of appetisers and unique side dishes. For you campers out there, try the "some'or" cocktail. All of the nuances you remember from the famous campfire dessert that was everybody's favorite with a healthy dose of adult flavor enhancers, all in a glass! This is a keeper book for every kitchen.

Every recipe I've made has been a huge success. For active vegans, or anyone looking for offbeat ways to boost protein and nutrients in their daily intake, this book is idea. It's also great for vegetarians and vegans who don't want to depend overly on soy. Healthy, easy, and inventive, these recipes add a great dimension to the daily diet!

Nuts come in an incredible variety and are to be found as integral elements of every ethnic cuisine on the planet this side of the Eskimos. "The Nut Gourmet: Nourishing Nuts For Every Occasion" by Zel Allen is an amazing compilation of recipes that incorporate nuts in appetizers, breakfast dishes, soups, salads, main dishes, grains and legumes, sauces, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, relishes and condiments, spreads and dips, smoothies and beverages, desserts and confections. Beginning with a roster of great advice for the novice kitchen cook about the health benefits of nuts, buying and storing nuts, tips and tricks with their use, nut measurement equivalents, and 'The Nutcracker's Toolbox', "The Nut Gourmet" goes on to feature simply wonderful recipes that range from Pistachio Pea Pate; Poppy Seed Dressing; Sesame Nut Patties; and African Peanut Soup; to Raisin Walnut Bread; Cheezy Tofu Spread with Pine Nuts; Nutty No-Bake Pie Crust; and Very Berry Parfait with Macadamia Nuts. Enhanced for the novice with the color photography illustrations and the inclusion of a glossary, a resources list, and nutrition tables for nuts, "The Nut Gourmet" is an ideal and enthusiastically recommended specialty addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

This is a delightful book, full of delicious recipes for every occasion. The book makes nuts come alive on your plate and in your palate! And it's written by someone with years of experience teaching people about great nutrition. It's a book for everyone.

I love this vegan cookbook! It has good information about nuts and lots of yummy recipes! I hadn't used pistachios before finding the cookbook, but now I'm hooked! I use this frequently when I have guests coming for dinner and they love it everytime. I highly recommend this book!

Even if you don't love nuts (I do!), you're sure to enjoy this cookbook. Both recipes I've tried--Butternut Corn Cashew Soup and Gourmet Garden Loaf--were terrific and there are tons of other creative recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts. There are also helpful tips on buying, storing, and even cracking nuts, as well as nutrition information.

this book has all the information needed to develope better eating habits to help move through menopause.

I received this book as a gift about 2 years ago when I had just turned 50. I had moderate PMS and perimenopause and as of yet at age 52 have not entered menopause yet. This has been a fabulous book for me preparing me for those years to come, not to mention it has helped me to stabalize my roller coaster blood sugar. I received this book right about the time I gave up on traditional medicene for treating my Fibromyalgia and went to an acupuncturitst and alternative medicene. He put me on a whole foods diet and this book really saved me with loads of terrific and delicious recipes. The authors also give such good support. I feed my husband and sons these recipes and we all enjoy them. I recommend this to all who are serious about their health. Whole foods is really the answer to most of our problems.

I am a natural foods/vegetarian cookbook junkie, and this is my alltime favorite (although please note it is not vegetarian, but is vegetarian friendly).

Everything I have made from this book has been delicious. The difference between this book and many others I own is that I actually use the recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients are not too strange, exotic or expensive. Focus is on fresh foods, produce, healthy fats.

My copy (paperback) fell apart, so I recently replaced it with a hardcover version. A shame it is out of print -- I would recommend purchasing a hardcover copy as the paperback is not very sturdy.

Don't let the title fool you. You do not have to be experiencing Menopause to get these great recipes. The information they provide is excellent. I use this as my primary recipe book and I have a long way before I hit menopause

This recipe book rejuvinated my interest in eating healthy foods. Note: I did not say health foods. There is a difference. Being a '60's child, I did all the natural/health food routine which served me well over the years. This recipe book adds to that healthy foundation. For all women coming into their wisened (this is a word!) years.

This is a GREAT cookbook. I own quite a few, and most are only useful for a few recipes, or only for one type of food, etc. But the most negative thing I can say about any of the recipes I've tried from this book has been that it was okay (and that was only one recipe!). Among my favorites are the black bean and peppers with chicken and rice, the pesto, pasta and grapes chicken salad (sounds a little strange, but is EXCELLENT), chili chicken and rice, and the black bean and chicken soup. This cookbook has inspired me to try some more ethnic cooking without being worried I'll completely mess it up! The recipes are mostly low to moderate fat, and often encourage the use of various beans, whole grains, etc. I've frequently substituted brown rice for other rices, whole wheat pasta for regular pasta, etc. with really delicious results.

The only thing I will say is that the 15 minute part for a lot of the recipes I like most is pretty optimistic... but there are some that are genuinely 15 minute recipes (the chicken and corn skillet is a fast and tasty meal).

Definitely try this cookbook - the recipes are fun, encourage you to experiment a bit, and are really good. It would make a great gift for someone who has mastered the true basics of cooking (how to pick out produce, boil water, grill plain chicken, etc.) and is looking for a versatile but fast set of recipes to enjoy.
Highly recommended!

I have very much enjoyed using this cookbook! every single recipe I have tried is very good, and some are far superior to meals I have tasted in fine restaurants. the format is easy to use, the recipes are easy to follow. there are many tips that are extremely helpful. the book also lists calories and fat per meal, which is useful.
I will report that there are a few meals that take more than fifteen minutes to prepare, however the recipes are very fun to make. I wish there were more pictures, although those in there are very accurate to the actual results.

highly recommended.

I love this book. Its great for all those people who only like chicken. It has all sorts of variety on how to prepare chicken. Best loved recipe since I have bought the book..the Tomato Basil Chicken with Linguini..its DELISH. I look forward to trying more recipes in the future.

My uncle, a culinary arts instructor, gave me this book when I first moved out on my own after college and commented to him that I didn't know how to cook. This book is full of great easy recipes. Some take more than 15 minutes (they start the clock once all the veggies are chopped, chicken cut into thin strips to cook faster, or some start with cooked rice), but all are relatively easy and tasty. Some of my favorite recipes are the black bean chicken soup, the curry one with fruit (I think I made it with apricots), the chicken corn skillet, and the stir fry one with the sesame oil and snow peas. I apologize - I don't have the book in front of me so I'm not getting the names exactly right. These recipes are good, easy, and many are reasonably healthy (or can be adapted, as someone said, to be more healthy). This book is far better than the celebrity Food Network 30-minute meal books. Also, this is a nice "gourmet: cookbook in that it occasionally requires an unusual ingredient, but most recipes don't require a trip to the store to search for really unusual and pricey ingredients. Many recipes involve things that a lot of people might have on hand. Also, some of the recipes offer a substitution suggestions (e.g. other vegetables that work well with the same sauces), which also makes shopping for them or cooking with what you have on hand easy.

I have very much enjoyed using this cookbook! every single recipe I have tried is very good, and some are far superior to meals I have tasted in fine restaurants. the format is easy to use, the recipes are easy to follow. there are many tips that are extremely helpful. the book also lists calories and fat per meal, which is useful.
I will report that there are a few meals that take more than fifteen minutes to prepare, however the recipes are very fun to make. I wish there were more pictures, although those in there are very accurate to the actual results.

highly recommended.

Beatrix is so well rounded, because she is a poet and an artist she naturally treats her food creations the same way. What I love about this book is how she gives ME permission to put a pinch of this and not have to be so literal as a teaspoon of whatever. Not only are her paintings wonderful, and her poetry from a loving place but every recipe I've tried to date has turned out delicious. This is a great gift item.

The delicious recipes in this beautiful book are based on dishes served at the White Lotus Foundation yoga center in Santa Barbara, California. These meals are often prepared for worn-out urbanites looking to recharge their batteries, so the emphasis is both on proper nutrition and taste. Every time I eat one of these dishes I feel more healthy, and the paintings and poetry in the book inspire me to take better care of myself. Anyone who cares about fine food must add this book to their personal library.

The next best thing to being at White Lotus and having Beatrix cook for you, and sit around the counter as she shares her wonderful stories is owning "The Art of Taste". On my first retreat to The White Lotus Foundation where Beatrix is the resident chef I was inspired to purchase "The Art of Taste". Beatrix spoiled us all with her exquisite ability to bring out the most amazing tastes in vegetables and creatively combine them to create the tastiest, healthiest food imaginable. Not being an avid cook, I found the recipes easy to follow and received raved reviews - even from my meat loving family who loved the vegan lasagna.

Not only will Beatrix' culinary creativity nourish you, but also will her poetry and paintings interspersed throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to vegans, vegetarians and anyone who loves deliciously healthy food.

The Art of Taste is a wonderful compilation of unique vegetarian recipes. There is room for the user to be creative and have fun with the recipes and in that way differs from normal cookbooks where one feels they must follow the recipe to the exact letter to achieve a desired result. Had some problems with measurements - perhaps the author wants the reader to think a little too much for him/herself so I hope in succeeding editions that sizes of pans and measurements are more exact. But overall, I think its a wonderful guide and makes an excellent gift.

The recipes are tasty and easy to prepare. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will enjoy the delicious recipe ideas. The author's creative insights into nutritious, gourmet vegetarian food converted me to a vegetarian almost two years ago. Enjoy these wonderful healthy recipes.

I love to dine at Cafe Flora in Seattle so I was excited to see they had a cookbook. I was not disappointed with this cookbook. It is excellent. Wonderful recipes. I bought two and gave one as a gift and they loved it. A great gift for any vegetarian or actually just about anyone.

The recipes in the book are really something of a revelation to me. I live in Seattle and have dined at Café Flora dozens of times. Still I didn't really expect what I found in the cookbook. In addition to signature recipes the book presents a very well thought out structured approach to vegetarian gourmet cooking. So not only do you have recipes, but you are given a pretty good idea of what sorts of things you should make in batches on weekends and save. That for me was really the key to being able to make something other than bland vegetarian fare.
I've not generally been fond of the Moosewood or Laurel's Kitchen sort of recipes. They generally seem unelegant, a bit off, and mostly dull. The recipes in this book are in fact quite elegant, well honed, and exciting. Combinations like balsamic-fig reduction and gorgonzola will have you planning week of dining around the book.

So far I have made three recipes from this cookbook and they all turned out great. Most of the recipes seem very simple, no unusual ingredients which helps since I am living in Alaska. I see this becoming a staple of my everyday cooking.

For almost 15 years, the most popular dish I've served to friends and taken to potlucks has been one cut from a magazine and attributed to Cafe Flora. Knowing this dish appealed to both vegetarians and non, I would periodically check to see if there was an entire Cafe Flora cookbook "out there". Then, just before a spate of seasonal visitors were scheduled to descend, I googled up what is now my most used and reliable partner in terms of taste, nutrition and dependable results. I ended up amazoning another one to a vegetarian family member who, like me, is always trying to bridge the tastebuds of meateaters and veggers. And, the recipes are FUN to make.

Chiming in to agree that this is terrific modern, gourmet food. Well flavored but not fussy. Everything I've made so far has come out perfectly. I've learned new flavor combinations that work well together, and I feel like I can put that information to use when I cook other things.

There are plenty of vegan choices, and these recipes are all marked in the table of contents. There are no dessert recipes. Sections are starters, soups, salads, dinners/suppers, pizza, sandwiches, brunch, beverages, side dishes, sauces/spreads. They list sources for some ingredients (like arame, miso or fenugreek) and often give you an easier to locate alternative.

For recipes that require a number of steps, they've been extremely organized about breaking it down into manageable sections. There are number of fairly involved recipes mixed in with easier things like pizzas (their herb pizza dough is spot on), but the results of the more time consuming recipes are well worth it. Besides, I have enough of those "veg. meals in minutes" type books for quickie meals. Cafe Flora is something else altogether - elegant and original vegetarian recipes that have broadened my cooking horizons.

I must echo what each of the other reviewers has already said about this book. I have made many of the recipes and always get asked for "a copy". At least six of my friends have gone out and purchased their own edition of the book. Now I'm planning to buy a second copy so I won't have to keep taking my original with me when I go to Florida for an extended period in the winter.I really can't be without it.Even my batchelor son borrows Mom's book when he's entertaining.

This has become one of the books I reference most often. I like the individual recipes, but I absolutely LOVE the recipes for full dinners and buffets. I have made the cocktail for 40 not once, but twice, and it was a smashing success both times. My new mother-in-law so enjoyed the frozen apple waldorf salads I made for an inlaws visit recently, she asked for the recipe - when I removed it from my cupboard, she said, oh, I have that cookbook, but I haven't looked at it. What a shame! It's one of my all-time favorites!

Over the past 25 years, I've purchased a lot of cookbooks and I love to cook. When I ordered this book I expected a lot of mediocre recipes that could be done ahead and in a hurry. What a wonderful surprise. Every recipe I've made has been outstanding and received rave reviews from my family. I don't like meatloaf - but I loved the Piquant Little Meat Loaves. Cornish Hens Mandarin was excellent and Company Chicken-Artichoke pleased even grumpy teenagers. The final and supreme compliment came when I visited my mom (recovering from surgery in Iowa) and I cooked one of the recipes. She is a superb (extremely particular) cook and said, "This is a cookbook that finally makes sense." She liked that the first recipe was large and leftovers were utilized in the series of recipes that followed. Thank you so much for a group of fresh and exciting recipes!

The time saving tips you will find here are worth their weight in gold. I like to entertain but still have enought time and energy left to enjoy my company. This book teaches you how to prepare foods well in advance so you are not running around at the last frazzled minute before dinner guests arrive. I had a Christmas part for 60- prepared all the food myself and did minimal preparation that day. I was able to freeze the cream puffs for Curried Chicken Salad Puffs a month ahead and fill them that day. The section Coctail Buffet for Forty took all the hassle out of planning for a large affair and I used every recipe I found there- the Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish was elegant to serve and thrilled my guests. Also, the Rasberry Vinaigrette is the best I've ever come across. This is almost exclusively the only cookbook I use and has become my standard present for soon-to-be brides.

This is a great book! I have made the Delta Shrimp recipe several times and always get asked for the recipe. I make it even easier using frozen uncooked, peeled and cleaned shrimp, and always get rave reviews. The Company Artichoke Chicken Bake is also excellent! For anyone who loves to entertain, and do most of the preparation ahead of time, this is the book to get!