Reference Tools Books

Tools & Techniques.

If anyone has read my blog or any of my equipment reviews here, you know I'm a kitchen gadget junkie. I also have a number of cookbooks. Would Tools & Techniques be worth it? You betcha.

This book is wonderful! You can find beautiful food photography throughout the book. It is truly a reference worth adding to your kitchen library. You can use it to replace whatever general cookbook you're using, like the Betty Crocker Cookbook or the Better Homes & Garden's Cookbook. Trust me.

Tools
While not quite exhaustive, this book is quite comprehensive. There about 50 pages dedicated to tools. The book provides a brief description of each tool and, in some cases, instructions for use. Everything is well-written and easy to understand. This book doesn't go into the same level of detail about the "how" something works like Alton Brown's Gear. Additionally, Gear is Brown's philosophy about exactly what you need in your kitchen. Tools & Techniques makes no such recommendation. It's understood that you should buy it all (it is a Williams-Sonoma book.)

The sections are:

-Bakeware: baking sheets; pie & tart pans; cake pans; and other bakeware
-Bakeware Materials
-Baking Tools: pie & pastry tools and cake-baking tools
-Cook's Tools: general tools; bowls; graters & shredders; strainers; fish & shellfish tools; meat & poultry tools; fruit & vegetable tools; and specialty tools
-Cookware: basic cookware & specialty cookware
-Cookware Materials
-Cutlery & Accessories: basic knives; specialty tools; cutting tools; sharpeners & honing devices; and other cutlery and accessories
-Knife Construction
-Electrics: blenders, mixers & food processors and specialty electrics
-Grilling Tools: basic grilling tools and grilling accessories
-Measuring Tools & Timers: measuring tools and thermometers
-Pasta & Bread Equipment: pasta equipment and bread & pizza equipment

Techniques
The majority of the book is spent on techniques. There are 312 different techniques and recipes. These range from the basic like whipping cream to the advanced like puff pastry. I found the fish and pasta section to be robust. I would have liked to see an herb guide (pairing herbs with foods) and the meat maps that show where the various cuts are on the animals.

The sections are:
-Baking & Pastry Basics
-Breads & Batters
-Cakes
-Cookies & Bars
-Cooking Basics
-Egg Cookery
-Fish
-Fruit
-Grains & Legumes
-Grilling Basics
-Herbs & Spices
-Knife Skills
-Meat
-Pasta
-Pies & Tarts
-Poultry
-Sauces
-Shellfish
-Stocks
-Vegetables

I recommend this book to almost everyone. If you have only one cookbook, get this one. If you are a beginning cook, get this one. If you are an intermediate cook, get this one. If you're advanced and already know how to make puff pastry, French lamb and make choux pastry, you don't need this book.

Book came in great condition. Satisfied with price and free delivery. Would shop for additional titles

Book was received wrapped with care and in excellent condition. Seller takes pride in making sure buyer receives item as described. Would definately buy from this seller again, and recommend to friends and colleagues.

Life insurance planning is a very complicated issue. Must people think that is just a matter of buying an insurance from an agent, but there are many other considerations like: survivors needs, estate tax issues, compensation and benefits, business succession and wealth transfer.

The Tools & Techniques of Life Insurance Planning is the best guide for any insurance or financial planning professional. Also is very easy to understand for today consumers.

Steve Leimberg is a living legend in the estate planning world, and this book is another must-read.

The culmination of ten years of research, including a page-by-page search through London's 15,000-volume library (still intact). An important and fascinating study for students of Jack London.

The Garrett Company is known for their quality tools in the woodworking industry: this impressive compendium showcases antique and modern tools, packing in over 450 photos of tools, discussing their use, and providing both a visual display of tools and a history of changing production and needs. Add expert user's tips and you have a worthy gift edition.

I wanted some reading that would inspire me to go into the coming school year. This book is very usable and gives many ideas for using music effectively. It provides sources to make getting started easier. I plan to purchase other books by Eric Jensen hoping that they are as easy to implement as this one seems to be.

My favorite bookstore was closed by a power outage, so I was forced to go to a nearby "big box" media store.

It was destiny! I found this book on a bargain rack.

Graham Blackburn provides precise descriptions regarding the history, form, function and use of all the old tools. He applies this wonderfully researched information to today's world of noisy, expensive power tools - showing many benefits to doing things "the old" and often better way. He doesn't suggest that you trash your tablesaw, drillpress or router, but offers effective alternatives that have increased my enjoyment of woodworking as a hobby. I've spent hundreds on woodworking titles, but none have had such a profound influence as this.

Very readable and intelligent - entertaining dry wit. It's like having an old timer, with old time wisdom in the shop.

It will pay for itself in a week, and maybe change your methods of work for life! Negatives? I have bandages on two fingers and my thumb, but I'm having a ball!

I found blackburn's book to be extremely helpful in my woodworking, most of which I do with hand tools. The book is well organized and covers more info than most will ever use. His description of sharpening handsaws simplified the process exponentially for me, and now I follow his advice to sharpen my own saws. Blackburn's book reflects his extensive background in woodoworking and his simple writing style makes the book a pleasure to read and one you will go back to time and time again. Highly recommended as a basis for a woodworking library.