Drink Books

Who would have thought an ode to the humble zucchini could be more than magic? This is an extremely well written little book with recipes, which once tried compel you to try another. My husband is not an zucchini afficionado but has loved everything I have made from Ms. Barry's cookbook.

Highly recommended. Naomi Barry's "Adorable Zucchini" should be called Admirable Zucchini. She serves up delicious, reliable and useful recipes for snacks, soups, sauces, main courses and even desserts from France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. Ms. Barry's introduction is both witty and informative.

I have made more great recipes from this one cookbook than all my other cookbooks combined. The recipes use common ingredients, are easy to make and look picture perfect.

We just started running a bed and breakfast inn - this book has been a lifesaver! Everything we have tried has been great - we trust using new, untested recipes on our guests from this book. Most dishes are easy to prepare and book includes great tips. Highly reccomended!

One of the best books out there for people like me who are 'food challenged'. I have a myriad of health problems from indoor to outdoor, chemicals to foods...and when I found this book it was a real blessing. They cover everything. The recipes are awesome, the helpful guides are something everyone should carry around and get to know. A must for everyone who wants to better their knowledge and health. ;)

Overwhelmed by how to eat with food allergies? This book takes an easy, straight forward approach to buying, cooking and eating for a food allergy-free diet. Not everyone has the same food allergies, so these folks have substitutions right with each recipe. No need to second guess or hunt through other books trying to figure out what would work instead. They don't focus just on the major allergies (wheat, sugar, dairy, corn, soy, yeast). They cover a wide range of allergies. And their recipes are good. There's also a section that explains what food substitutes are out there and how to prepare them. For example, instead of wheat, there is oat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt, amaranth, teff, quinoa, etc.

There were many cookbooks on the table, but this one caught my eye. The recipes are easy to read and not crowded in small print. The ingredients are what one can easily find. I especially liked knowing what city and state the recipe came from and the group that submitted it. There are no repetitions and recipes are not long and involved. It's my favorite cookbook of the 80 I still have. And when I saw that I could get the rest in the series through Amazon, I'm ordering tonight. I had been thinking of writing the publisher to order the others, but now I don't have to. It will definitely be one of the nicest cookbooks you will own.

Book Excerpt From 1995 Edition:

America's Best Recipes showcases over 400 of the highest rated recipes from over 200 current community cookbooks representing every state across America. The recipes take you on a cook's tour of regional cuisine, family traditions, and community concerns of the people who compiled the cookbooks. All the recipes were rigorously tested by our test kitchen home economists, and each recipe received a quality rating. Only the very best recipes were chosen for inclusion in the book.

The long history and continued appeal of certain community cookbooks led us to salute the "best of the best" by establishing "The Southern Living Community Cookbook Hall of fame". We've spotlighted the 20 winners of this distinction in a special section called "Cooking with the Classics" that begins on page 5. The books nominated for this program were scored by a panel of experts on the basis of recipe content and clarity, design and graphic appeal., book story line, longevity, and volume of sales. Browse through the pages of this special chapter and you'll enjoy:
· A bird's eye view of each of the organizations that compiled one of theses award-winning cookbooks
· Sample recipes from each book, many characterizing the theme of the book and reflecting the ingredients inherent to the region
· Helpful tips for producing your own community cookbook

And don't miss our "Quick and Easy" chapter (beginning on page 47) featuring recipes that beat the clock. From delectable nibbles to scrumptious finales, all of the recipes are easy to prepare, call for just a handful of commonly used ingredients, and go from counter-top to tabletop in 45 minutes or less.

We're excited about this year's selection of recipes and cookbooks, and think you will be too. You'll find an alphabetical listing of cookbooks, including mailing addresses, in the Acknowledgments (beginning on page 320) if you'd like to order copies to explore further. You'll receive great new recipes plus the satisfaction that comes with knowing you are helping the fund-raising efforts of the volunteer organizations. --- The Editors of America's Best Recipes

I was given this book as a gift in 1993 and since then I have given it to several Native American women as a gift and all were VERY impressed. It truly gives honor to all Native Women and the traditions and culture that makes them so rich and alive. AHO!

I've had this book in my library since it was first published. Carolyn herself autographed it for me in '82. In all the moves and changes over the years, I could never justify getting rid of it. It's the best, most usable book on desert edibles I've ever read or owned.

Here's a breakdown:
1. Cactus and cactuslike plants - agave, barrel, cholla, etc.
2. Nuts and seeds - acorn, grass seed, jojoba, etc.
3. Grapes, berries and cherries - chokecherry, wild currant, etc.
4. Foods of the marsh and mesa - buffalo gourd, cattail, cota, etc.
5. greens - Rocky Mountain Beeweed, Canaigre, Curly dock, etc.
6. Agriculture - beans, chili, corn, etc.

Let's take a look at page 10, Cholla. Wonderful, detailed illustration - if you can't find the plant by these pictures, you're not trying. Common name, scientific names, habitat and description. First Para.:
"Indians sometimes called early spring - March - 'the cactus moon' because food was scarce, and this plant was often the only available vegetable food." Etc.

Next page, she spells out how to harvest and clean the buds for food. Cholla buds - basic preparation. Next recipe: cholla buds and squash.

One of my favorite recipe in the book is Prickly Pear jelly - oh, yum!!!

This is the book for anyone who doesn't know a wild grape from a hackberry. It even has a recipe for Dandelion Wine. It's a wonderful blend of desert culture and how-tos. How can you go wrong with that?

My old, tattered book is filled with specimens from my own desert excursions. It's been dog-eared, noted, dirtied and loved. It will be one book I'll never give up.

This review is written from the perspective of the amateur collector on a limited budget. It has been said that collecting ancient coins was the "hobby of Kings". It might also be said that reference books on this subject can only be afforded by Kings, and are certainly less affordable than the coins. Not so with the readable series by Wayne Salyes, past editor of the premier journal on ancient coins, The Celetor. Number five (better to write V) in the series focuses on coins minted by the Roman empire during its long slide into oblivian. Constantinople also called Byzantium, and now called Istanbul, was the capital of the Empire and the center of Christianity from its founding by Constantine the Great in the 4th century to its final demise in the 15th century when the city fell to Mehmet the (Turkish) Conquerer in 1453. Most of us think of Rome as the capital of the Roman Empire but the Eastern half of the empire, while not so glorius, lived a 1000 years longer. Coinage usually reflects the culture, and this is clearly illustrated in Sayles' presentation. It is filled with numerous figures of coins, maps, and geniology. While all of his volumes are usually regarded as "introductory" and for the "new collector" to distinguish them from the comprehensive catalogues used to attribute coins, this particular volume has been particularly useful to me as an affordable attribution reference. It is fascinating to see how the coinage changed from images of emperor and soldiers to images of Christ and crosses. This is a superb addition to the series, fills a gap in the literature, and whets my appitite for volume VI.

Wayne Sayles has created a masterpiece with his "Ancient Coin Collecting V - The Romaion/Byzantine Culture." This book is a great resource, it introduces all of the main themes in Byzantine coinage and directs the reader where to look to find out more.

This book goes at length to describe the denomination of Byzantine coins, the meanings of the markings, and has an article for each emperors and claimants to the throne, from 491-1453. At least every page has at least one black and white photo, many genealogies, excellent bibliographies and much more.

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Byzantine coins. This book is also offers are remarkably lucid description of the narrative of Byzantine history. Highly recommended.

This book is so awesome. I was really unclear about feeding my son but Annabel spells it all out and has many tasty and healthy recipes that are easy and quick. You don't have to buy the prepared store bought stuff that tastes so bad. This is the answer to a good eater.

Loved this book for my kids when toddlers and bought this one for a friend, great information and guidance