Food Books

This book totally rocks. I have a truck-load of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks and this one is my current favorite. Lorna Sass is a master at creating memorable recipes but this one really takes the 'instant polenta' (so to speak!). These recipes are speedy and soooo soooo yummy. I teach 'plant-centered' cooking classes in Northeast Florida and highly recommend this for my busy, health-conscious students.

The recipes are delicious, healthy and easy to make. I bought this book almost 10 years ago and still make many of the recipes on a regular basis.

I've been very happy with all of Lorna Sass' cookbooks (she even got me into using a pressure cooker!). This one is no exception - lots of neat quick soups, salads, stews and other dishes that don't require a lot of work to prepare or (especially nice) clean up since they're done mostly in one pot/pan. Lots of variety - dips/spreads, curries, stirfry, grain/pasta dishes, and straight vegetables too. Really a good cookbook to have onhand for when you don't feel like cooking up a big deal but want something satisfying.

I really liked this cookbook. It has some good recipes and I really like the sections on how to prepare vegetables, or what to always keep in your kitchen. Essential for someone with not a lot of time in the kitchen.

This little book is AWESOME. I recommend it for anyone with little time to cook (college students, working moms, anybody else!). The recipes are great - easy and fast (be sure to read the side bars as they provide simple ideas to vary the basic recipes). But, I think the best part of this book is that it really teaches you how to cook fast, healthy food. I find myself applying her time-saving methods to other recipes or to creations of my own. This is the book that I turn to when I want a nice meal in 30 minutes or less.

Mediterranean Harvest offers an incredible variety of recipes and ways to cook virtually every vegetable. Looking for artichoke recipes, I think I found at least 10, compared to the usual 1-2 in most cookbooks. And many cuisines covered, from Italian to Greek to Spanish to everything else. Inventive and imaginative. I guess the one drawback for some people would be that there are no pics but with food this incredible the recipes can stand on their own. Just got this book so I have yet to really get into it but as a longtime cook I can tell from reading that these will all taste delicious. If you are looking to switch to more of a healthy Mediterranean diet based on vegetables, this book will make you very happy. Some breads and wholesome (yet totally tofu- and wheat-germ free!) desserts, too. It's healthy food that tastes wonderful. Brava Martha Rose.

Trying to cut our food bills, we have recently cut out most meat from our diets. What to make? This cookbook answers that question beautifully. No illustrations, but the recipes are well defined, without being too prosaic. A beginner can master the recipes as well as the sidebars that explain little tidbits of info handy to even an experienced cook. The recipes are wonderful - you wont miss the meat. They are not vegan, tho I imagine some may be, using a lot of dairy products instead. I've made several recipes already and wasn't disappointed at all in any of them. They dont need "tweaking" and my meat eating husband loved them too. Recommend for vegetarians and non- vegetarians alike.

We are trying to get more fresh veggies into our diet and this cookbook is just the ticket. The recipes are wonderful and the ingredients are readily available at most well stocked markets and farmers markets. Everything that I have made so far has gotten rave reviews from my family. The recipes are interesting and easy to follow, using good fresh ingredients. The recipes come from all over the Mediterranean region such as Turkey, Morocco, the Middle Eest, Spain, France, not just Italy and Greece. This is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

Martha Rose Shulman's Mediterranean Harvest owes a large debt to many who have gone before her, including Diane Kochilas, noted expert on Greek cuisine, and Clifford Wright, James Beard award-winning Mediterranean cookbook author. Shulman is quick to give credit where credit is due, and borrows widely from other culinary experts such as Carol Field (The Italian Baker) in areas of local expertise.

With a glut of Mediterranean vegetarian cookbooks on the shelves such as The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece (Diane Kochilas), Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World (Gil Marks), and The The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen and Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy by Donna Klein, why should you choose the pricey Mediterranean Harvest?

One word: love. Shulman's love of local culture, hidden culinary gems, geography, and regional tastes, her lovely travelogues disguised as recipe introductions, and diary entries from memorable stops along her Mediterranean odyssey, both personal vacations and working in Mediterranean kitchens while researching other cookbooks such as Provencal Light and Mediterranean Light: Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine(Shulman is author of over 25 books). Also, she touches on some less-commonly-discussed cuisines such as Bosnia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia). There is also a handy index arranged by region.

Shulman's rundown of kitchen equipment and the Mediterranean Pantry (spices, olives and olive oil, cheeses, yogurt, wine, herbs, spice blends, nuts and seeds) is a miracle of compactness, yet provides ample information for the home cook without overwhelming. After a brief section on aperitifs, the all-important topic of breads, pizza, and panini is covered first, since bread serves as the base for many common Mediterranean delicacies such as fattoush (Lebanese bread salad), panzanella (Italian tomato and bread salad), and Castilian garlic soup. Most households couldn't afford to waste stale bread (Tuscan bread was traditionally made without salt), so it was given new life as a base for soups, strata, and vegetable salads (the juices would soften the bread).

The list of sauces and dressings includes such favorites as Salsa Romesco from Spain (almonds, bread, spices, and tomatoes), aioli (garlic mayonnaise) several variations of Italian pesto (basil, olive oil, cheese, and nuts), and yogurt-based sauces common in Greece and the Middle East (tzatziki, skordalia, tahini dressing, chermoula, harissa, and preserved lemons). Tapas / meze (finger food) are given a respectable spread befitting their social importance in the Mediterranean, including Tunisian carrot salad, tabbouleh, several variations of marinated cold veggies, hummus, bean and legume salads, and greens.

The eggs and cheese section captured my heart from its introduction; Shulman recalls a Velazquez painting from 1618 of an old woman cooking eggs, with the simple garnish of onion and olive oil, melon, and wine. Such staples as frittata, Spanish tortilla, omelets, strata, and several varieties of scrambled eggs delight, along with a recipe for homemade ricotta cheese.

The "small catalogue of pasta" (if this is the small catalogue, I'd love to see the large one!) is a chef's dream, and there are numerous sidebars to aid you in properly cooking pasta, making homemade pasta dough, and shaping homemade ravioli and garganelli.

The rest of the book is dedicated to savory pies, gratins, vegetables and beans (stews, sauteed/ pan-fried veggies, potatoes), rice, couscous, and grains (risotto, polenta, pilaf) and topped off on a sweet note with sweets and desserts (biscotti, clafouti, granitas, fruit compotes, ricotta cheesecake, baklava, and dessert couscous). A brief page of online resources for Mediterranean ingredients is included, as well as a select bibliography. Thankfully, sidebars are also included in the index as they are numerous and enlightening.

Overall, this may be the most complete look at Mediterranean cuisine that I've had the pleasure to read, vegetarian or not. Shulman's obvious respect and love for the region and its varied, healthful cuisine shines through every page, and her down-to-earth instructions and informative sidebars add to the experience. The visual design is simple and uncluttered (no photos or line drawings), with the focus appropriately on the magical recipes that transport you around the globe. The recipes are generally straightforward and simple, take advantage of fresh produce (although some shortcuts such as canned tomatoes and canned beans are used), and are delicious. If you're looking for one cookbook that combines the charms of Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisine along with delightful commentaries on local culture and dining, Mediterranean Harvest is the book for you.

This is one of the best vegetarian cookbooks I've tried. I've even purchased a copy for my son and his wife. My husband, who's not a vegetarian enjoys the meals I make using these recipes. Most are low in fat and tasty. Highly recommend this one.

When my son was three, he made me read this book to him so many times that even now, 22 years later, I know the entire thing by heart.

Kids love this book. Parents do, too, at least the first 10 or 12 thousand times they read it to the kids!

I adored this book as a kid (I'm in my 30s now). I haven't gotten my new copy yet, but I think there is a lesson about temperance at the end, but that's not what I recall: I just remember the sheer joy of more, more, more. With books that use so few and such simple words, it's often hard for an adult to distinguish the adequate from the great. Speaking for my very young self, I can tell you that this book is great.

This is my favorite children's book - it is especially fun to read out loud. It has a cute level of humor and I've even had a class of 3-year-olds laughing at it. A good learn to read book - but also a good story in general.

I love reading this book to my daughter (2 1/2). I got it when i was a small child and have held onto it as one of my favorites. It is quickly becoming her favorite as well...the story flows so well its really fun to read...my daughter likes to see how fast I can read it without messing up.

I love this book. It lends itself to many activities with monkeys or spaghetti.

For reasons of improved health, animal protection, and spiritual harmony with Mother Earth, more and more people are becoming vegetarian. Not Just For Vegetarians: Delicious Homestyle Cooking The Meatless Way is the ideal compendium of delightful, delicious, and easy-to-prepare dishes that will inspire vegetarians, whether novice or experienced, to have wonderful meals that they can share with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. This 172 page cornucopia of recipes is nicely illustrated with color photography, a "Glossary of Terms", and the diverse dishes are organized into chapters dedicated to "Muffins, Scones, Breads & More"; "Family Snacks & Appetizers"; "Soups"; "Salads, Dressings, Sauces, Salsa & Spreads"; "Main Dishes with a Difference"; "There's Not Taste Like Home - Family-Favorite Redos"; and "The Wow Finish - Desserts". From Auntie Blanches' Cottage-Cheese Scones; Tahini Terrific No-Bake Energy Bars; and Meal-in-a-Bowl Cabbage Soup; to Deep-Dish Potato Pie; Mushroom Stroganoff with Herbed Pasta; and Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Clusters, Now Just For Vegetarians will appeal to any kitchen cook for any dining occasion whether or not everyone sitting at the table is vegetarian.

NOT JUST FOR VEGETARIANS by Geraldine Hartman is a book for people who enjoy good, healthy food. What impressed me most when I first read it was that the recipes for main dishes do indeed contain complete proteins, which had always been an issue for me when considering vegetarian meals. Not to worry. These recipes will keep your body finely tuned ... and wanting more.

The book covers all culinary areas: muffins and breads, snacks and appetizers, soups and salads, main dishes, and desserts. Whether you're looking to change your diet completely or simply add some variety to your cooking, this book has it all.

My favorite dishes are "The Best Scalloped Potatoes," "Winter's Day Soup," "Marinated Bean Salad," and "One-Pot Veggie-Pasta Dinner." But this is indeed "the short list." Whatever the season, there's a recipe to match the weather. And if you think that there are only so many ways to combine non-meat products, then this book is a "must read."

One of the greatest strengths of this cookbook is that it is written in a straightforward, easy to understand style. You won't be stumbling around the kitchen, wondering if you are preparing the dishes correctly. Ms. Hartman also includes much anecdotal information about vegetarian cooking and its benefits. But remember: it's NOT just for vegetarians. It's for people who like to enjoy a good meal. Bon apetite!

I like this recipe book because I can read through it and I know what every ingredient is, the weirdest thing in there is TVP which is something I have always wanted to try out anyway. Lots of easy recipes full of familiar flavors -- on one hand, it could be a good thing, on the other hand I noticed that there is a heavy reliance on cheese-based recipes. There's more to vegetarian cooking than cheese, but I guess for quick, easy, tasty recipes it is an easy way to add a lot of flavor. A few of these recipes such as the "Italian Cabbage One-dish Dinner" have become favorites around my house, for that alone this recipe book is worth it.

I am not a vegetarian, but am always looking for alternate ways to include healthy choices in my diet. Not Just For Vegetarians is an excellent resource for someone such as myself! The foods are flavorful and the recipes are easy to follow. And if, like me, you are limited to the grocery store for meeting your shopping needs, you will find that all the ingredients are readily available! The scones are to die for and the Tahini Terrific No-Bake Energy bars are a favorite of mine on those days when I need on-the-go snacks. And the Savory Cheddar Cheese Muffins? Don't even get me started! Too yummy!!

I highly recommend this book to all cooks, non-vegetarians included. You'll find some old favorites beautifully recreated in a healthier way and some new recipes that are destined to become staples in your meal planning!

It is very hard to be a vegetarian when your family is not. Do you cook seperate meals for everyone? With this book, Geraldine has created some great recipes that even the meat lovers in your family will love.
I tried the Mexican Burrito Dinner last night and my whole family enjoyed it and had seconds and thirds. I have 2 teenage boys so that is a big deal.I plan on trying more of the recpes which are in a very easy to read format. The preperation instructions are short and to the point, it are very easy. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the recipes in this book, and if you are like me and trying to have a healthier diet, this is a book you should buy. I highly recommend it and my family asked me to make the Burrito Dinner recipe again! Kudos!

The author of this book clearly loves olives. Like the author himself, I have come by my interest in them them rather late in life. This book has caught me up nicely in understanding about olives, their cultivation, and their cultural place in all the regions around the Mediterranean.

The fifth star is missing in my rating because many chapters left me with a vaguely depressed feeling about how traditional olive culture is fading under pressure from modern economic forces and the pervasive cheating that goes on in European Union agricultural subsidies. This sensation may have been another testament to the author's writing skill, but I found it unpleasant and it distracted from my enjoyment of the book. Nonetheless, I can recommend the book to anybody with an interest in olives and how things work behind the grocery store shelves.

This is a great book! I bought a copy while visiting an olive orchard in Australia. Anyone interested in developing an olive orchard would find this book useful. Excellent travel writing to boot! I've even planted my own kalamata olive tree after reading the book . I'm so inspired I might even buy a home press.

I'm gorging myself with olives: the fruit, the oil, this book. There are books you re-read years gone, but I found myself devouring clumps of this book just days after reading it in the conventional way. Mort Rosenblum could have given us an encyclopedic guide to the "noble fruit," but instead he follows his passions--and does first class journalistic digging--to press out the finest extra virgin essence of his subject. I also like the way Rosenblum writes, as much a friend as an authority. France, and its olive oils, comes first on the author's list, but he also does justice to subjects as disparate as the place of olives in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the promising growth of the high-end California olive oil industry, and even the seemingly bottomless corruption on the olive oil front in the European Community. Few effective journalists write with such literary flair, without seeming to try too hard. A winner.

Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com

_Olives_ by Mort Rosenblum is a well-written, witty, and engaging book on all things olive, thorough in its coverage. Rosenblum became an olive aficionado after acquiring five acres of land in the Provence region of France, site of an abandoned farmhouse and two hundred half-dead and heavily overgrown century-plus olive trees, long neglected. From that point on he became not only committed to bringing his trees back to life but on becoming an expert on olives in general, traveling throughout France, Israel, Palestine, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, Greece, the former Yugoslavia, California, and Mexico to speak to olive growers, those who press olives for their oil, government regulators, those involved in marketing table olives and olive oil, chefs, and nutritional experts. Though not a cookbook, _Olives_ even includes cooking, buying, and storage tips as well as recipes for such fare as eliopitta (a Cypriot olive bread) and imam bayaldi (the name meaning "the imam fainted," supposedly reference to a long-ago reaction to this eggplant and olive oil dish).

The origins of the domestication of _Olea europaea_ are lost in the mists of prehistory. The olive, a close relation to the lilac and jasmine, was maintained in groves in Asia Minor as early as 6000 B.C. Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans spread olives to Sicily, the Italian mainland, France, Spain, and North Africa. Spanish missionaries in the 1500s brought the olive to California and Mexico. Today there are 800 million olive trees in the world. Though found on six continents, 90% of them are found in the Mediterranean (Spain has the most).

Olives have long been an important fixture in Mediterranean history and religion. Golden carvings of olives decorated ancient Egyptian tombs. Greeks used so much olive oil to lubricate their athletes that they invented a curved blade, the strigil, to scrape it off. Saul, the first king of Israel, was crowned by rubbing oil into his forehead. In Hebrew, the root word for "messiah" comes from "unguent," meaning that the messiah when he arrives will be slathered in oil. The fuel referred to in the miracle of Hanukkah was olive oil. The Old and New Testaments refer to olive oil 140 times and the olive tree 100 times. The Romans had a separate stock market and merchant marine dedicated just to oil.

Rosenblum vividly showed that olive oil is a nuanced as wine. There are seven hundred cultivated varieties, or cultivars, with some grown for pressing, others for eating, ranging from cailletiers (favored in salade nicoise) to malissi (the standard tree of the West Bank) to the hardy, wilder Moroccan picholine to the famous Greek Kalamata. Oils vary a lot in taste, from syrupy yellow oils of southern Italy to thin green Tuscan oils with a peppery after bite to the spicy and light oil of the Siurana region of Spain. Acidity and taste vary due to local cultivators, the weather that year, the presence or absence of pests, when the olives are harvested, and how long they sit around before pressing (as fermentation drives up acidity).

There are regional differences in harvesting olives. In Israel, Palestine, and France, they "milk" trees, the pickers using their fingers and dropping olives into a basket or a net under the tree. "Whackers" - prevalent in Spain, Italy, and Greece - use sticks to hit the branches to dislodge olives, faster and not requiring ladders, but tougher on the trees.

The actual process of pressing olives is extremely well-covered, Rosenblum vividly describing the one favored in most olive-growing countries, the modern continuous system (which uses linked centrifuges to grind up pulp), often highly automated, and the traditional method of using a tower press, which is a very interesting device (though labor-intensive and on the decline outside of niche markets). There are considerable debates in the industry over exact methods, particularly on the use of water and its temperature.

Olives are big business; an industry producing about $10 billion a year as the world consumes nearly 2 million metric tons of olive oil each year. In some areas consumption is quite high; the average per capita consumption annually in Greece is five gallons of oil. Though Spain produces 37% of the world's oil compared to Italy's 19 % and Greece's 17%, it only has a 16% share of the American market (compared to Italy's 70% and Greece's 3%). Ten brands dominate the American domesticate market; most labels are small, sold only regionally or instead growers sell their olives to Italy to produced blended oils for export as a "Product of Italy" despite being grown perhaps in Tunisia, Greece, or Turkey. Rosenblum investigated the corruption that existed in the industry, from waning Mafia influence in Italy to adulterating olive oil with seed oil to cheating in some areas to gain EU agricultural subsidies.

Sales in olive oil have grown a great deal, particularly in the United States, thanks to a growing consensus on its healthfulness. Monounsaturated, olive oil drives out bad cholesterol without reducing the good. Rich in antioxidants, it has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

The author provided some valuable education to the consumer about oils. Extra-virgin for instance means that the amount of free fatty acids - mostly oleic acid - is below 1 percent, with the organoleptic properties (aroma, taste, and body) rating high. Virgin oil, rarely found for sale, has up to 2 percent acidity. Both are produced by "first-press" or "cold-press" methods. Plain olive oil, (or "pure"), is refined inferior oil used mainly for frying, treated with steam and chemicals and mixed with some better oil for a little flavor and aroma. Pomace oil comes from the first-press leavings, refined to bring it below the 3.5 percent acidity level that designates lamp oil, though often pomace is instead used to make soap (the oil for soap may have 40% acidity). "Lite" oil has the same number of calories (125 per tablespoon), simply being a refined olive oil with less extra virgin added, a clearer color, cheaper to make, and inferior.

This delightful book by an American journalist based in France is much more about the geopolitics, history, and economics of olive growing than about the culinary role of olives and it's oil. It is also much more about olive oil than it is about the fruit, especially since commerce in the oil dwarfs trade in the fruit. Aside from it's being especially well written, it benefits most from it's being written entirely from a first person point of view. Aside from references to selected European Union regulations and documents, all of the text relates conversations between the author and his subjects, the olive growing farmers of the Mediterranian and California. The story starts in the author's own home where he himself raises olives in a small farm in Provence, France. From there, the story travels to other Provencal olive groves, Italy, Spain, Morroco, Greece, and Israel / Palestine.

The book provides a wealth of information for your understanding of olives, olive growing, and the production of olive oil. The most interesting aspects of this story were the domination of olive oil commerce by Italian firms, in spite of the fact that Spain is the world's largest producer of olives and the differences between various methods of extracting oil and how these different processes may affect the quality of the oil.

This book is a very good read, especially for foodies. Just don't expect much information about the culinary and nutritional values of olive oil. There are other books dedicated to olive oil which cover this very well.

Although this book was written in 2000, when I saw it at a book boutique I bought it immediately...a fabulous book on a unique culinary culture for those who love to delve into french cooking recipes. I highly recommend it! The photos transport you back there and it has made me so homesick to return to Paris again even though I return there every year when I can to visit family there and have always made it a pilgrimmage to go to the Marches a few times a week, especially to the 'Richard Lenoir Marche at Place de La Bastille in the 11th arrondisement...you can spend the entire morning (they close at 1PM) there perusing from table to table and end your day walking home in the streets of Paris with a tote-ful of delicacies to prepare the sumptious evening 'repas'
The varieties of each food are endless and fabulous and fresh, the colors of the fruits and vegetables are brilliant, the energy at the marches are exhuberant, and venders are so proud of their products...This book really does take you back to feeling like you are there in the midst of a culinary feast; the recipes are easy and with US measurements, and the descriptions of each arrondisement gives you such a personal tour that you feel akin to each personality they present you with. This is really the true colloquial joie de vivre experience in Paris-a way to commune with nature's bounty. I highly recommend this book; 5 stars!! a true feast for the eyes!!

Nicolle Aimee Meyer and Amanda Pilar Smith have created a book that is part travel guide, part cookbook, part biography -- and all wonderful! The photographs are terrific. The text brings the markets and their people to life. And I can't wait to try some of the recipes, which are for many classic French favorites. Altogether a complete success! Bravo!!

Beautiful photography and lively writing make this a perfect gift this holiday season (or any time) for anyone who likes to eat and loves Paris. Even for a longtime resident of the City of Lights like myself, this book brings another Paris to life, one you will want to explore again and again, in these pages and of course like the authors did themselves, bicycling through every arrodisement, leaving no quartier unvisited, no fromage untasted, no croissant unfinished! A magnificent and original hommage sure to earn its place among the classics of cuisine and travel.

A must for anyone seeking out the real Paris, off the beaten track of tourist traps. Even if you can't visit more than two or three markets per visit to this wonderful city, this book will continue to be a major reference for seeking out these fascinating places of food, drink and 'objets'. Happy exploring!

I love this book! The cover roped me right in and before I knew it I was buying it. I am so glad I did. The book is organized by arrondissement; each chapter is devoted to one of them. They tend to focus on the biggest or best market in each arrondissement but they devote paragraphs to the others. The text itself is gracefully written and yet very convivial. For each of the main markets, the authors start you out on a typical Parisian morning and gently suggest the path you might want to follow as you navigate that particular market; it is almost as though they are walking along with you. They tell you what's available at each market and what are each market's strengths and weaknesses. You will be introduced to a lot of people - the butcher at the Marché d'Aligre, the poissonier at the Richard Lenoir, the organic farmer at the Batignolles market, the interesting old fellow who hawks bath salts as he soaks his feet in green water... I feel as though I'd be able to walk up to them and say hi. There's some history mixed in there, too, so you'll get to see some nice old photos and learn about everday Parisians of the past. And of course there are the recipes. Most of them appear delicious and a few rather exotic. Many of them come from the very people that you "met" in the chapter preceding, so you know they're authentic and the human element makes you want to try the recipe all the more.

I love Paris. This book really gives you a sense of what it is like to be there - colorful, vibrant, stately, modern, classic, young, old... Paris is all of these things and more at once. I went there seven years ago and I don't think I hit a single market. This book makes me feel incredibly well-equipped; I think that without it I would feel a bit intimidated. I plan to go back and I'm gonna bring this book with me!

I was looking for a complete pasta cookbook and I found it in this one. It has color photos of every recipe and the lay out is user friendly. Much better than I expected.

All recipes are fast and easy. Yet, for pasta, they are the best I have found

This book is one of my favorite cookbooks. The dishes are elaborate, yet easy to follow and always end up tasting delicious. In addition, the book is presented in such a way that each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful picture, allowing you to wet your appetite before you begin cooking. The cookbook not only offers wonderful recipes, but also gives a great general sense on how to cook Italian food.

Truly, if I could only own one cookbook of pasta recipies, this book would be the one I'd want. There are countless books available on the subject and yet none I've seen present pasta cooking in such clarity and with such excellent results.

If you want to know how to make all the basics, and make them right, you'll find the answers here: Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic, with Marinara, Pasta Primavera...they may seem simple but if you follow the directions here, you can't go wrong. Handy details include pasta noodle suggestions as well as alternatives that work well, and variations on recipies depending on what ingredients you have available as well as how you may want to experiment and mix things up. Many recipies in this book have become staples of my cooking, and favorites include the Pasta with Chick Peas and the perfect Putanesca. This cookbook gets my highest recommendation.

I picked up this about two months ago and have been making two or three recipes a week ever since. So far every one was been a keeper.

The recipes are clearly written, all ingredients are listed at the beginning (no surprises lurking in the last line of text) the directions are clear and easy to follow. Each recipe is illustrated by a large photograph, and indicates which type of pasta is best suited for that particular dish. In addition many recipes have variations offered.

Besides the recipes there is lots of other information concerning various types of pasta, proper preparation techniques, hints on stocking a pantry and storing ingregients and cooked dishes. Also there are a couple of meal planning charts, one based on ingredients and the other by suitability (summer, cold weather, for children, for parties etc) that come in handy when looking for a particular recipe.

I highly recommend this cookbook, even for a cook experienced with Italian cuisine this one has much to offer.

This is the most thorough book I've read on peanut allergies. You probably won't find this information on the internet, because most of the answers are substantiated with trials performed by experts.

The book is set up in a question and answer form. All the questions are listed in the contents with pages showing where to find the answers. It is also easy to read, so you won't be stumbling over annoying medical jargon.

I highly recommend this book to anyone recently diagnosed with, or having a child diagnosed with peanut allergy. Grandparents and other close family would also benefit from this book. (This should also be on the reading list for daycare employees and teachers!) Peanut allergy should not be taken lightly because of the serious consequences (which most people seem to be ingnorant about).

This book is written in an easy-to-read question and answer style and covers all aspects of the condition. I have learned so much from this book and continue to reference it. I have highlighted many passages and am quick to show them to family or friends when they just don't seem to be "getting it".

I can't recommend this book enough!

I read all the reviews on this book before buying it. Plus, it came recommended by my son's allergist. Amazon has a great price on it too. It was a quick read. I will hold on to it for reference. I just wish it had more resource listings for helping you locate peanut free foods.

I purchased this book when I found out my 6 month old was allergic to peanuts. I learned so much from it and parent that has a child with this allergy should buy it. I am fortunate that it was Dr. Young's partner that is my daughter's doctor I do intend to transfer to him as a doctor after reading this book if he is accepting new patients. I had no idea when I purchased this book the author was from Boston. I'm so glad he is!!

I thought this book was very helpful as I have 2 children with peanut allergies. It answered many questions that I have in very easy to read language. It is a must read for anyone with concerns about peanut allergies.

I picked this book out of the "take one" basket of shared books at my local Curves. In leafing through it, I was surprised I hadn't already discovered and ordered it -- I usually pounce on new women's fiction. But for some reason, I'd missed it when it came out. As others have said, this book is a true gem. Funny, poignant, wise, filled with situations that will make you shake your head and/or nod with agreement, it is a terrific read. In fact, it's a must read for any woman who is married or thinking of getting married. And yes, the recipes ARE delicious and a delightful bonus. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I loved this book....couldn't put it down. I am an Irish American grandmother, and I totally relate to the dynamics of the men and women in this book. Having been married (happily) for 44 years, I could see the wisdom on every page. Highly recommend it for all couples "trying to figure out what's going on in their marriages". Commitment is the key word here. I am sending a copy to everyone I know.

I'm a forty-something ex-romantic who has pretty much sworn off fiction. I picked this up on a whim at the library and read it in a day and a half. I was a little worried when it started out a bit copy cat of Sex and the City but it quickly evolved into its own. It is artfully organized and written, intelligent, insightful and..... romantic!

Morag Prunty shows not only great insight into the workings of marriage, but an honesty that is often quite raw. Both main characters are women whose stories are told in the first person. Their thoughts and attitudes can be quite disturbing, making them seem very harsh, self absorbed and unlikable at times, but reflecting what goes through the minds of people in an honest way... thoughts we would never want actually heard by others! At the same time with all this psychology going on, it's pretty light and enjoyable reading. I recommend this book to anyone, but especially those newly married who may be going through their own feelings of let down and disillusionment because the stories of it's women characters not only express how common these feelings can be, but, as in the grandmother's character, it shows us where it can lead if those feelings are held on to grudgingly for a lifetime. Having said all this I must add that at book's end I felt very inspired by this novel.

I am not the type of reader that will sit down and read a whole book in one evening, but I could not put it down. I am not married yet, but this book taught me that love is not just what marriages are made of. A marriage is made of commitment, loyalty and the willingness to be there no matter what. This book made me cried and touched me in ways that not often books do. Read it, have some kleenex available and enjoy it. And when you are done, give your husband or boyfriend a big hug and tell them how much you love them.

Jeff Berry is my hero! He has save the history of the post war tiki/tropical drink way of life. This book introduces the "Rum Pack", the folks behind the drinks we love, back when a drinks with a tropical twist ruled the bar. Jeff shares his treasure chest of research and passes on some of the finest drink recipes ever made. Some of these gems (stories and drinks) were almost lost forever! The drinks are on me if I ever meet Jeff Berry in person.

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry has heavily researched and gone to great lengths to find the true recipes that were guarded with total secrecy to prevent competition from copying the concept. When tiki bars started popping up, only a few people held the real drink recipes that translated to job security. Written in code, the books have finally been cracked by Jeff, and are being shared with the public for the first time ever. He did this by finding the original bartenders (not many of them are still with us, and most, including the inventors such as Don the Beachcomber, took them to the grave). So, you think you've tasted a Zombie? Sorry to say, that it was probably a poorly watered down version of the original. That original recipe and many others are revealed here, with the stories behind the men that made them at the peak of the Tiki Bar craze.
Not much was known about the book's central study: Don The Beachcomber, the originator of the Polynesian bar, restaurant concept. (New recommended book: "Scrounging the Islands with the Legendary Don the Beachcomber: Host to Diplomat, Beachcomber, Prince and Pirate" (Paperback) by Arnold Bitner) Here you get an in depth look into his life, his competitors who tried to steal his ideas (with success in some cases), and the rise and fall of the Polynesian craze.
You'll understand exactly how the tiki craze took off, and be able to concoct some of the greatest drinks of its era, with the help of this book. Awesome full color photos, graphics and illustrations. It's a must have reference!

If you like tropical cocktail (and I do) then there is no way you should be without this guide. You should also own it's companion "Intoxica." With these two books, you pretty much have tiki and tropical drinks covered. These are the original (and sometimes with modifications) recipes. They can't be beat. I gave it only four stars for the simple reason that the layout of these books leaves (for me) a lot to be desired. It'd not that they're hard to read or anything, they just look like some guy in a print shop threw them together with a box of old clip art that they found. Just ill considered layout. A noted tiki/lowbrow artist laid them out and Mr. Berry should have gone with a professional in this line of work. It's not that particular artist's cup of tea and it shows. That sort of thing is my profession so I may be a little over critical. Alas. Buy them.

Well, a lot. Enough that I learned how to make my own "grog mix," cinnamon syrup and, yes, my own pimento liqueur after reading it. It's indispensible as both a bar guide and a history lesson.

I could not get this book in a book store, but found it on Amazon after reading about it in the New York Times Food and Wine section. It was a great gift and appropriate to our tropical setting. We'll enjoy it for a long time.