Gourmet Books

Everyone who has watched the tv show "Wok" and on The Gourmet Channel knows that Iwao is great.

I gave this book as a present, someone who like the TV show. The recipes on this book are great, but unfortunately it does not has the picture of each recipe. The quality of the paper if the book is regular in my point of view. All additional information on the book is ok.

If you like to cook "Oriental food" this is a perfect choice. The "Gyosas" are the same as the originals selled in Tokyo.

Delightful Graham Kerr was once called "Weight Watcher's #1 Enemy", and with good reason: no one could resist his charm nor his wonderful culinary creations. He has since abandoned his old clarified butter-and-cream self for a healthier, more logical cooking approach. But his old works still remain quite solid and have the power to bring the house down. This particular volume -- almost all of his Galloping Gourmet-dom -- is comprehensive, clearly stated and attractive.

This book has some great recipes, it is one of the first cooking for 2 books I bought. The names are a bit wimsical (A Grape Fantasy, Lovers Lure, Vealing Lusty) which makes the index a little chalenging but the actual dish is in parenthesis. The recipes are also listed in a subject index (beef, chicken, etc.). There is a pantry list that has common ingredients in the recipes that makes stocking easy, and the recipes themselves are very clear, easy, and quick as the title sugests. There are categories for appetizers, salads, dressings, entrees, and vegetables. Each main dish has a suggested menu using other recipes in the book if you are uncomfortable planning your own, and they work fairly well, though I must say that the wine recomondations are not the best. There is no nutritional information. All in all this is an excellent book and I think you'll be very pleased.

As always, Franey's recipes are delicious. Everything we've cooked, so far, has been quite an enjoyable meal.

However, being a competent but by no means an expert cook, I find that I can't complete the recipes in 60 minutes!

For someone who followed Franey's New York Times column, you'll really enjoy this book!

If Oscar Wilde or Dorothy Parker are coming to dinner, cook for them from this cookbook. _The Decadent Cookbook_ has something to intrigue, fascinate, repel, and offend everyone; that and its dry, droll tone are its two biggest charms, but it has many, from literary selections to recipes that actually work. One note on the latter, though: the recipies are amusing but, because they are all historical and many of them are quite old (and therefore taken from sources that didn't trouble with measures or temperatures, or transcribed directly from cooks' dictation), they are sometimes less than precise. Many don't contain measurements, and/or have directions such as "grill furiously until scorched and crisp"; they do require a bit of creativity and experience on the part of the cook to come out well.

I could continue describing the decadent charms of this book, half literary compendium, half cookbook, and all outrageous, but instead I think I'll recommend that, inspired by an Ancient Egyptian menu and a description of a Papal feast, the curious cook try their hand at such Decadent recipes as Lady's Navels, Soles in Coffins, and Mock Hedgehog. If the cat interferes, promise him the fate of the Cat in Tomato Sauce.

For a decade, Harlington Castle staged "Medieval Days" that provided simple food to visitors, which emulated the times of the events. When Lord Gerald Harlington renovates his castle to include lodgers, he also decides he needs a more complex menu. He hires the "Gourmet Detective," known for his food finding of hard to obtain items, to assist with the change.

However, an easy respite for the Gourmet Detective turns ugly when someone dies from food poisoning. Knowing he is the prime suspect, the Gourmet Detective conducts his own investigation to uncover the identity of the killer. However, he finds this much more difficult than tracking down a rare exotic herb because the extended Harlington brood seems loaded with motives.

The latest Gourmet Detective, EAT, DRINK, AND BE BURIED, provides n intriguing look at Medieval recipes, but is no Medieval Times. The hero remains fresh and fun to observe whether he is in the kitchen or searching for evidence. However, the problem with the plot lies with the myriad of suspects that the Gourmet Detective investigates. They seem more like Borgs sharing the same personality, which leaves the reader struggling to discern who is who even with a scorecard. Still, Peter King provides an entertaining culinary amateur sleuth mystery that may not be up to his star's palate, but will provide a decent snack.

Harriet Klausner

This kids' cook book is full of unique kitchen fun and sweet desserts. Start out by making "brown bears:" meringue piped into the shape of little bears, baked, and finished off with a dip in a bowl of melted chocolate. In fact, the whole first chapter is devoted to meringue, including a brief but interesting "history of meringue" and an explanation of how baked Alaska is made. Subsequent, equally interesting chapters cover brownies, butter cookies, tarts & pies, cream puffs, and finally, cakes.

Each recipe is clearly described, and directions are succinct, complete and accompanied by good supporting photographs. Recipes have been carefully chosen to not only build upon one another, but to allow for creativity once the cook has a good hold on the process: for example, brownies can be sprinkled with nuts, or M&Ms, or coconut - whatever suits your fancy. Each chapter presents a basic recipe, a number of variations, and a two-page spread on food facts. And although it is ostensibly offered as a "children's book," this cookbook will inspire even the most "mature" of readers.

This book is like the Star Wars Prequels... It tells the story of how El-bulli has come along to being the Major Innovator.. Great book...

Looking for rich, delicious, and scandalously high-fat recipes? Want something easy to impress guests? This is it. Recipes even a beginner can feel safe with. Loaded with hints to make things easier. Many family favorites originate from this one book!

Dear Reader,

If you enjoy outdoor cooking, and foraging for your own food then this is a very good book to own. "The Foraging Gourmet" has ten chapters including fungi: mushrooms, green things, nuts, flowers & herbs. This book has black and white drawings for almost every plant that is used in the recipes. It also contains 16 pages of color photos. Every plant in this book is given a description, habitat, season, history, and lore. A description of how it looks, tastes, and smells (if there is a smell). The author describes the habitat of where each plant grows. This book teaches what the best seasons are for each plant. It also tells of what different minerals each plant contains. The history describes who first started eating it. The lore tells about cures (if any) it was used for. Other helpful uses of plants are talked about such as dyes. Throughout the book there are educational side notes about a variety of subjects that I found very interesting. This book contains 195 pages and is a very good investment.