Food Books

I came across this book by accident and was skeptical at first. After searching around on the web, I found a recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes from this book at Chow.com. I tried it, and was instantly hooked! If you are unsure about the recipes like I was, try the chocolate cupcake recipe first :) You won't be dissappointed!

The cupcakes were moist, delicious, and so simple to make. I believe they're almost fool proof and way better than the cupcakes I previously made from scratch the old way. Everyone that has tried this cupcake has raved about how delicious it is! Of course, these will not end up tasting like your box mix cupcakes, but they will surely be a LOT healtier for you!

I can wait to try every single recipe in this book!! I'm so happy with the results!

From the organizer of the first and second annual Santa Barbara vegan bake off:

I like to try lots of different baking books--vegan and non-vegan alike.

I was sitting down tonight with my King Arthur Baker's Companion (amazing but each recipe has at least a stick of butter in it) and even leafed through How it All Vegan (their choc chip recipe is pretty good) before I remembered I had picked up this little book. The book is well written and fun to look through. Perfect for those nights when you just want to make something fun after dinner without having to prepare with a ton of ingredients in advance.

I chose a red velvet cupcake recipe and a vegan cream cheese frosting.

What can I say, my boyfriend has already eaten half the batch so I must say it was a success!

My daughter has an egg and dairy allergy. It finally dawned on me to look at vegan recipes to find a way to make an edible dessert for her. These cupcakes are very easy and taste wonderful. You would never know there is no egg or dairy. I have tried the vanilla, chocolate, and peanut butter ones. The peanut butter cupcakes were the best ones I have ever had, vegan or not. I highly recommend this book.

I am not a vegan, and am not easily excited about vegan baked goods. However I do have a best friend who is a committed vegan and who very much is excited by vegan baked goods. When I purchased this book for her as a birthday gift, she was beyond thrilled. I guess she had another vegan cookbook by this same author, and had already fallen in love with her recipes. (Who knew?)
She later made chocolate-strawberry-something cupcakes from this book, and when I tasted them, they really weren't half bad. If you didn't really think about it, you almost couldn't tell that they were vegan. If all vegan baked goods tasted like these cupcakes, maybe vegan cupcakes really could take over the world.
As she told me, "This book is as good as it gets!"

It's a lovely book and will be a useful guide in getting the dairy out of baked goods, but I have to say I'm a bit stunned that a vegan cookbook is so full of white flour and white sugar. There are just so many healthier sweeteners and flours to use that I can't imagine why the recipes weren't developed to be really healthy instead of simply dairy free.

I think it's important to point out this book is realively small for the degree of degtail it contains. If you want to find out the answers to a great deal of cullinary questions without wading through highly verbose food science texts, then this is your book. It is certainly Europe centric.

This book is not for the faint of heart or the casual cook or reader! This is a most complete reference work on the art and science of cooking. If you ever wondered what happens to the food stuff when you cook it or why you do or don't add certain things together while preparing a dish this volume has all your answers. This is not a bedside reader but an excellent addition to your cookbook collection and reference shelf.

"On Cooking and Food" is the tool to obtain the base knowledge nesessary to do food right. This book is a culinary couse unto it's self, you will go to the next level in your cooking with this book.

The book is wonderful. If you love to cook and wonder why and how foods taste wonderful--or horrible--this the book for you. It explains which methods work and which don't and why they do. Worth every penny. Harold McGee is a good writer which makes the book a pleasant, worthwhile read.

McGee's book set out to teach you the science behind cooking--but ends up teaching you only the names of various compounds and reactions. Very little space is given to teaching the reader how to use food science to craft new recipes or to improve the implementation of existing recipes. Neither is any attention given to how our own kitchen experience can help us understand the nature of foodstuffs better. Also, it may be my own ignorance, but the science itself seems mostly descriptive and not analytical. While there is an appendix on chemistry--it is too little too late. Buying this book may help you impress your dinner guests with your talk, but look elsewhere for resources on how to become a better cook.

I only received this book a couple weeks ago.
The 3 recipes I cooked were okay.
I had reservations about the two chicken breast filet recipes:
cooking times requested are very short and your filets can come out raw.
-She should've been more specific on to tell when its done by detailing the weight of the breast filets to use.

However, other recipes, especially the pasta ones, look really good!
Looking foward to using this book more.

This is a good book for technique and ingredients; belongs on every Italian cook's shelf. I agree it's a little limited re recipes. But, her recipe for Minestrone is the BEST I've ever tried! Excellent technique for prepping and cooking all the veggies. I've been making this soup for years and it's a true winner!

This is a hefty book - lots of detail, lots of instruction and pretty strict about how things need to be done. As someone who hasn't ventured outside of my comfort zone for cooking, this structure can be very helpful - but it can also complicate things as I have to prepare everything in advance and rarely can pull off a recipe in this book with a low stocked pantry.

Still, I can't fault the book for my need to prepare - overall it's great and when I do have the time to make a special trip for all the right ingredients I know I'll have everything spelled out for me. The thing is huge so it's not easy to move around a kitchen counter with a couple of fingers in the middle of cooking, but like my title indicates, it's like a text book. There's more than just recipes, there's reference information, instruction on preparation and history. A very well rounded book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the depth of her knowledge of Italian cookery is amazing, on the other, the lack of specifics and inaccurate cooking times can be quite frustrating. This caveat should suffice: when making use of these recipes, make constant use of your tasting spoon!

I made Pasta e fagioli with fresh cranberry beans according to Ms. Hazan's recipe, and, because of Ms. Hazan's widely-acknowledged eminence, I followed her recipe precisely, something I rarely do, as I am an experienced cook. Her time for cooking the beans (45 minutes), left me with undercooked beans; they should have cooked for at least an hour and fifteen minutes, if not an hour and a half. No big deal, except I added the pasta at the point Ms. Hazan recommended.

I am sure that this book will be an invaluable resource to anyone who wants to learn Italian cooking, just make sure to test and modify these recipes as necessary ahead of time; following them as is can result in flubbed meals.

...I've referred to this book over the years for technique and authenticity of Italian cooking...it is a wonderful book. I agree that it is on par with Julia Child's French cookbook. I've made many of the recipes and they are fabulous....the poached shrimp, easy and delicious...the grilled shrimp with flavored breadcrumbs is another favorite, the Lemon, garlic & parsley chicken cutlets is marvelous...her focaccia recipe is the best...fried tomatoes......I can go on and on. Ms. Hazan has given us a remarkable gift.

I have to bow down to this book as the best grilling book EVER. We've tried many of the recipes and never been disappointed. Plus, it's entertaining to read with great pictures. Can't ask for much more than that.

Excellent book on grilling, I wanted a book on Charcoal but found this book full of good information that can be used by both gas and woodl

Fantastic book with lots of great grill instructions and recipies. Wished that every recipie had a picture but it does'nt.

I received this book as a gift,all have benefited! We've tried about half of the recipes, each is easy to follow with simple ingredients, and delicious.

Here we have one of those rare culinary volumes which is actually helpful, and inside, you'll discover a treasure of grilling knowledge. Clearly, this is the bible for outdoor chefs.

I sort of specialize in gourmet outdoor cooking effecting all techniques including (but not limited to) grilling, smoking, dutch oven, cooking on a spit, and open campfire, utilizing many different woods and devices to achieve my ends. I don't limit my outdoor cooking to meats and barbeque -- I do Chinese, desserts, seafood and all manner of side dishes. You can access many of my recipes here: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?chef=196369

This book contains very excellent rubs, sauces, and meal recipes that you'll find are difficult to beat -- the methods are quite clear and the book is as useful for the grilling veteran as it is for the newcomer to these skills. I know of no better work on this topic.

Highly recommended!

I bought Betty Crocker Cooky Book for my daughters recently. My mother first used this book in the 1960s and I got a copy to use with my children. Now they are grown and will use the cook book for making all kinds of cookies with their children. It's a must have for anyone who likes to bake (and eat!) cookies.

Ginny

I have baked cookies from the recipes in this book for over 40 years and have given as gifts to friends and relatives at least 25 copies. The cookie recipes are classic and will tempt every cookie eater.

Betty Crocker's Cooky Book is wonderful. It is an exact replica of the same book I grew up on, making cookies with my mom at Christmas time. The recipes are great, and the pictures are all "vintage," reminiscent of the 60's. Some recipes are tried and true--absolutely wonderful and have been passed around at cookie exchanges for decades. The new one might have more updated pictures and a few new recipes, but this one from back when my mom was a new wife is a keepsake that you can share with your own kids when cookie baking time rolls around again in December.

This is the best cookie cookbook there is. I have about 200 cookbooks and this is the one that I always come back to when I am looking to bake cookies. It is my favorite, as I am a child of the 60's. I received a copy for a wedding gift over 30 years ago, and it is falling apart. I purchased one for my daughter-in-law, and I will buy a couple of extras for the future brides of my other two sons. The pictures and the recipes bring back so many memories, and someday, I will make the cookie cottage that is pictured in the book. If you only buy one cookie book, make sure it is this one!!!

In the 1960's this Betty Crocker Cookie Book was used weekly for my three children, guests, bringing baked goods, etc. Now, the children are grown, and my daughter longed for her mom's original Betty Crocker Cookie Book. Per her wish, I gave her the worn out copy with all the batter stains, and I bought the new one of this classic for myself. Regardless of what the internet can offer us on line, there's something special about this book with its full color illustrations of what each cookie should look like, its spiral bound pages , and its memories of my children's childhoods in the kitchen around momma! It's truly a generation to generation must have!

I ordered The Food Revolution as a gift. I had absolutely "zero" problems with this transaction. PS. I love this book/author.
Wendy

The Food Revolution has a message for anyone who never thinks twice about the consequences of their food choices. It will even enlighten those who feel confident that they make the right food choices because they listen to their doctors. And its message is strong even to those who think vegetarians are prudes and are missing out on "the finer things." Robbins lays out the facts, using research articles as evidence, to criticize the food industry's claims and present the contradicting findings resulting from good sound science. Using this method he exposes the stark realities of the American diet that for the most part will get you to wonder why you have lived your life without ever wondering about such things as where your food comes from, how it was made, and what impact it has on the environment. Robbins explains to you the enormous impact that the single act of eating has on your body, the human population, and the planet itself. This book is huge in its scope and contains facts from hundreds of sources, and its rather objective delivery makes it a necessary read for anyone interested in studying diet, nutrition, disease, environmental protection, science, and agriculture. His sources are sometimes repetitive, be it the same person or organization, and as a result at these times his arguments lack clout. But these sources are solid and true, therefore not taking very much away from Robbins' message to America about the hazards of the current American diet.

While it was vegan ultra-runner Scott Jurek who convinced me to change my diet, about 6 months later a friend recommended this book to me, and for the most part it's this man and this book that have convinced me plant-based nutrition is the future.

In answering a question for me that I submitted on his website, John Robbins led me to Vegsource and the rest of the gang. While it took a little time for a response to my question, when I did receive it, it came directly from John Robbins. I was quite surprised by this, and felt that I shouldn't "needlessly" bother him again, even with a thank you.

THANK YOU JOHN ROBBINSHealthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples

If this book doesn't make you want to go vegan, nothing will! Help save the Earth, prolong your life and go veg!

This book really opened my eyes to a healthly livestyle for myself, and also for the world. Please read this book!

This is a very good and thorough book detailing the 14 foods necessary for maintaining a healthy body and mind. Sadly my two staples, chocolate and coffee didn't make the cut but most of the other foods are things I eat on a regular basis so adding more of these things won't be a huge lifestyle change. You wouldn't think a book about 14 foods would fill a book without putting one to sleep but the author has written the book in such a way that it is easy to skim over the more detailed health benefits of each food and move on to the recipes. I skimmed initially to get a quick idea of what foods I should be focusing on and quickly scan the health benefits and later went back and read the nitty gritty details. For anyone wondering the 14 superfoods are: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, tea - black & green, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yogurt. For more specific info. you'll need to grab a copy of the book ;)

The total opposite of a deprivation diet. Now I work hard every day to eat the foods that are good for me, and now thanks to this book, I know what those foods are. This is surely better than spending my life trying to avoid foods I shouldn't eat. By the time I get finished with the super foods, I am so full, I couldn't even consider eating anything else. What I refreshing idea! Actually, I have never been able to find a way to consume all the superfoods in a day. Even with salads and smoothies, but what a neat challenge. I never felt better! Everyone says I look healthy, too.

I have been reading nutrition books for over a decade. This book relates back to studies that are proven. It really boils down what the best foods are and why. The book recommends how to cook and eat these foods.

Best book I have read to date on nutrition for the lay person.

I ordered this book based on a relative's recommendation. It is a great source of information. I really liked how it was set up and I am interested in incorporating some of the suggestions in my diet!

SuperFoods is a great leap in the right direction for anyone looking to improve his or her diet.

Positives: the format and suggestions are some of the best in the diet class. It's easy to follow, the suggestions are not too expensive, and the book includes a great deal of scientific explanations and references.

Negatives: the author suggests consuming beans, oats, soy, and dairy. These foods are generally beneficial for one's health, however after reading The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat by Dr. Cordain, I learned that human bodies are not properly engineered to consume such foods.

Conclusion: this book is a tremendous foundational guide to proper nutrition. For those who want to take it to the next level, I would recommend The Paleo Diet instead.

It is the best book on nutrition ever! Yes it is heavily biased towards TCM, but it is perfectly fine with me. I thoroughly enjoy reading this book. It has good information, research and insights.

This book was recommended to me and has come in handy for reference. It's really like a bible for people who are open to eastern and western medicine but prefer to use food rather than pills to help the body do its thing well.

....A wise and valuable book for anyone who is serious about examining their eating habits. A great guide for those who want to improve their life and health conditions and embrace the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang.This book also includes flavorful and delicious recipe's, to get you started on your journey.

I purchased Healing With Whole Foods about two years ago because my friend who is an acupuncturist suggested it. The book describes how to health practitioner Paul Pitchford diagnoses and treats diseases in his patients. The book is definately a definitive at home alternative health encyclopedia.

For example, the book has a section which explains how to do a liver and gall bladder cleanse.

The book also explains Chinese medicine in great detail. It explains how the author has cured diseases and helped patients, for example it has a detailed section on Cancer. And this is what is important, this book explains how to heal certain diseases, not just treat the symptoms of disease. That being said, it probably will be difficult to actually cure your illness just from reading the book. It has sort of a reference nature to it, it has helpful information, but the application can be more difficult.

The author also is an open minded vegetarian. His dietary guidelines include soaking whole grains and legumes for enhanced digestion, which is important. He believes that it is okay to eat meat and seafood for special circumstances, but in general does not support it. If your looking to understand eastern medicine in a thorough yet comprehensible way, this book is for you. If your looking for an open minded perspective about health and disease, this book is for you. If you are looking for some help about alternative recommendations for treating illnesses, again this book is for you.

The drawback for me is that as much as I wanted to read the book, I just couldn't get into it. It has all the markings of a great book, but may not be right for everyone.
[...]

Just as the majority of others,I give this book 5 stars. I have been using it almost daily for several years. True,I am a holistic practitioner,but I use it personally with and for my family. My husband actually got the book as his course text for a nutrition course in his Acupuncture graduate program. I have used it far more than he.
With beginners,or say,someone new to all of the 'type diagnosing',I usually recommend they look through the back glossary of foods,categorized by types such as legumes,veggies,fruits,etc. Pitchford breaks down the 'energies' of the foods so well,and gives a brief overview of how they are helpful,along with some basic recipes.
He also has sections on oils,sweeteners,greens/chlorophyll,etc.
I just don't see how anyone would be confused or find it contradictory,if you take it a little at a time,and don't attempt to 'diagnose yourself western style'. [this is the trick-it's not a how-to manual;it's a resource guide!]
You can learn the basics of what is important and why,which types of sweeteners to replace with what,etc.
What I love about this book,too,is his focus on assisting those who are transitioning from a more standard western diet. ie,he will discuss meat,fish and their healing properties,when they may be needed,when to avoid,how to transition from,etc.
This is not an 'all or none' preachy type of book.
Pitchford is sincere and obviously knowledgeable/experienced.
For all around great,useful books on health and nutrition,I really cannot think of any other that I'd recommend so highly. Accessible to beginners,but will still challenge/provide info for more experienced folks/practitioners.

A marvelous book. Full of facts about food along with interesting related information. Truly a fun-to-read book as well as a valuable reference.

This is a great reference book for anyone who loves to cook or just has an interest in foods of the world. At date I have bought 12 of them and have given them as gifts to friends arouond the world.

I found this book in the bookstore and thought it would help me with a new job as a cook. Well, it did more then that because it discribes nearly every type of term you could come up with when you cook.

I like how it discribes a particular food item and it's best usage. For example apple: Which are better for baking, eating, and cooking.

There are charts for every conversion possible and tables galor to help you prepare better meals.

I think reading this book has made my cooking at home better because it make me less scared that I might not get the correct taste by using the wrong foods. They even go gover you meat seltion and where they come from. This great for desiding what and how to prepare it.

The good thing about this comprehensive guide, is that there are no recipes with some minor exceptions; like a rux. This is good because it is a guide, not a cookbook.

Enjoy

For the past 4-5 years I've been trying to learn how to cook and of all the cooking books I have, this is one that is ALWAYS stuck between my desk and my kitchen for easy grabbing. No other book as been as handy as this, with the exception of my substitution book that sits right next to it.

It's also a great idea to include this in start kits for new cooks. Anytime one of my friends asks me what books they should get as starters I recommend this.

As a professional working in the industry, my yearning for culinary information never subsides. It may very well be insanity that causes me to focus so strongly on my profession, but I'm always reading and watching culinary related books and TV shows. Very often, you'll find that books and television don't always explain certain bits of information as well as you'd like if at all. And even then, their information is sometimes flat out wrong. That's when I turn to this book. It took years of convincing for me to give this book a try, but now it's the only food reference book that has it's very own place on my desk at home.

The book is basically a food related dictionary that describes a bit about history or culinary uses of nearly every culinary item, ingredient, or term. It also has a very helpful appendix that lists ingredient equivalents such as 8oz dry pasta noodles equals 4 cups of cooked, 15 graham squares equals a cup of crumbs, or 1 cup of dried pinto beans equals 2 1/4 cups of cooked. The appendix also lists substitutes for both ingredients and volume, high altitude baking adjustments, boiling points, temperature and metric conversions, oil smoke points and food label terms as well as consumer information sources.

If I'm looking for extremely in depth information on an ingredient or foodstuff, I may open up Larousse Gastronomic. But if I need the quick down and dirty on a cooking term or a conversion of some sort, which is more often than not the case, I grab this book.

A 1000 recipes for comfort food, maybe not from your mother, but from someone else's.
Just good cooking, straightforward, cooking that you can do at home.

Give this cookbook to all your friends, even the ones addicted to complicated cooking full of exotic ingredients.

This book is GREAT!!! It has a ton to mouth-watering recepies and is really worth the money.

I have really enjoyed this cookbook. I'm finding that it's a great source for good, basic recipes for all of my favorite traditional dishes. I also like the variations I've discovered on some old favorites -- the Baked Acorn Squash, for example, which uses orange juice to create a delicious sauce.

I really like this cookbook. Some parts seem very retro and homey, others quite current. A few of the recipes seem so simple you'll wonder why they're in a book, but they're helpful anyway, and sometimes become a springboard to lily-gilding (my weakness). I've only had a problem with one recipe, the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin (the instructions call for way too much time in the oven). I have also had to spice things up a bit for our tastes, but I think families with small children or picky eaters will be happy with the level of seasoning. This book has become my go-to for weeknight recipes especially because they're reliable and mostly utilize pantry items.

Wonderful cookbook! I read the reviews and just had to go out and buy it for myself! I've been looking for a cookbook with EVERY classic American comfort food recipe, and this is it! It has everything from Appetizers (Spinach-Artichoke Dip and Deviled Eggs) to Breakfast (Biscuits and Gravy; French Toast and Oatmeal), Main Dishes (Chicken Parmesan, Turkey Tetrazzini, Crown Roast) to Sides (Green Bean Casserole from scratch!) and luscious Desserts (Apple Turnovers, Chocolate Cream Pie and Lindy's Original New York Cheesecake!). If you love to cook and want to get back to the good old days of comfort food, this book is a must buy!