Food Books

This book is full of really good recipes. I love that it is divided by season

Not only is this cookbook chocked full of interesting recipes, but it is gorgeous! The photos accompanying each season are breathtaking - if you can appreciate the subtle beauty of food itself.

First off, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Chef Ramsay enjoys the flavor of lavender and chocolate as much as I do! I used to make white chocolate and lavender truffles for the spring and I was thrilled to see a recipe for "Mille-Feuille of Chocolate with Lavender": a light dark chocolate ganache with steeped lavender piped over layers of puff pastry. He even serves lavender flavored ice cream on the side! Simply beautiful.

Obviously, the chapters are divided by the four seasons. At the beginning of each chapter, Chef Ramsay informs us as to why the vegetables, fruits and meats belong in each season. Followed are the recipes which may seem a bit daunting to the average chef. As in his other books, there is a good mixture of easy dishes that make this cookbook worth its weight.

Spring recipes that were fun and easy included "Whiting with Lemon and Parsley Crust", "Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Fava Beans" and "White Chocolate and Lemon Mousse".
Summer recipes include "Lobster with Mango and Spinach Salad", "Poached Salmon with Gewürztraminer Sauce" and "Loin of Beef with Watercress Puree".
Fall recipes that were a joy to make are "Lentil and Langoustine Soup (I substituted Cray Fish for the Langoustine)", "Tomato and Parmesan Gratinee Tarts" and "Monkfish with Creamy Curried Mussels" (a bit expensive but makes a great romantic dinner for two!). Winter recipes we enjoyed were "Smoked Haddock and Mustard Chowder", "Seafood in Nage with Carrot Spaghetti" (you do have to make the Nage(a vegetable broth) ahead of time but it is totally worth it!) and "Veal Chops with a cream of Winter Vegetables" (we actually substituted the Veal for Chicken and it worked well. Pork chops might also work, but you are not going to get the same texture.)

Again, at the back of the book is a plethora of cooking techniques, broth recipes and miscellaneous kitchen information.

`A Chef for All Seasons' by the English high tempered chef, Gordon Ramsay looks like and is very much of a `follow the trend' book, just as `healthy eating' and `quick cooking' themes are bandwagons on which cookbook writers jump to squeeze another ounce of interest out of their audience for their latest book. Unlike some other seasonally or calendar oriented books such as Alfred Portale's `The 12 Seasons', Nigel Slater's `The Kitchen Diaries' and Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette various `Twelve Month' cookbooks, the recipes in this book offer little real guidance to when it is best to make these various recipes. As the author himself says, for him, summer begins in early May and most of the best produce is available closer to autumn than in high summer.

Except for a very few fruits and vegetables such as fava beans and strawberries in spring, tomatoes and corn in late summer, there is little reason aside perhaps from cost from restricting oneself to strictly seasonal produce, except for price. While my favorite local supermarket carries excellent asparagus the year around, it's price jumps from $1.99 to $2.99 in late summer, to drop back a dollar in March, and briefly drop to $1.69 (a pound) in May and June. So, I don't eat asparagus at $3 a pop, but do eat it every other month. Similarly, I don't make dishes with beefsteak tomatoes quite as often in the winter and spring as I do in high summer, but I don't eschew them entirely in winter. So, unless you are willing to literally graph out prices and availability of produce based on supermarket prices in your area, most seasonal considerations seem like a waste of time. Because, if you can't get it at all (like fresh fava beans in October), the question is moot, and if you can get it at a reasonable price and at a reasonable quality, the small difference between seasonal and off seasonal produce shipped in from Chile probably won't make a big difference to you, especially when you are looking at Master Ramsay's recipes, where the prep and cooking time are worth far more than that extra dollar you may pay for off season blueberries.

The other side of the coin is that Gordon Ramsay's recipes are very, very good without using excessively expensive ingredients except as options and they are (relatively) easy for `haute cuisine' dishes. So, this book is more of an argument to select Gordon Ramsay as your primary source for fancy dishes, instead of Eric Rippert or Albert Portale or Tom Colicchio or Joel Robuchon or Michael Romano or Charlie Trotter. Compared to many of these chef / authors, Ramsay is equally as fussy, but manages to follow the dictum of using the best ingredients and being as careful as possible not to muck them up. And, unlike some of his preachier colleagues, he concentrates on the simple procedures rather than on the gratuitous yapping about using fresh ingredients. For us in the peanut gallery, we pick the best that we can get without traveling 20 miles out of our way. Even foodies have a life beyond cooking and marketing.

For those of you unfamiliar with Ramsay's style, it is very, very French in technique with lots of creamy sauces, soups, and confits. It may not be the kind of thing you would pick for a low calorie diet, but it is not quite as fat laden as the provincial cuisine of southwestern France (see Paula Wolfert's excellent new edition on the subject). As usual, the most sprightly and revealing blurb on the back cover comes from the always eloquent Tony Bourdain, who describes this as `...food porn at its most lush...', a far more original approbation than the overworked `decadent'.

I confess I was not immediately as impressed with this book as I have been with some of Ramsay's other books, but this is largely due to what seems like less general information on cooking technique and more space on the recipes themselves. There is, however, still a fair amount of gems on various foods here. For example, he gives an excellent argument for preferring your mangoes firm and not quite ripe to the squishy red ones soft to the touch. But, the very best part of the book for the foodie cook is the last section on `basic recipes and techniques', especially if your library is not already filled with tomes from Jacques Pepin, the CIA, and James Peterson on basic kitchen skills. The most interesting recipe here is the one for `Vegetable nage' that on the surface is very similar to a vegetable stock, but it seems to be a cross between a veggie stock and a court bouillon. It is not cooked as long as stocks and it seems to have a longer refrigerator life than meat or fish stocks. While this is a classic French term and concept, I have not seen recipes for it in many other books. By pure coincidence, I noticed a very similar recipe in the book `Full On Irish' by Irish Michelin starred chef, Kevin Dundon which he describes as a kitchen garden vegetable stock. I don't even recall seeing this in Deborah Madison's great works on vegetable stocks.

All of Ramsay's measurements are Yankee friendly, as everything is measured by cup, spoon, or count and not by gram or liter. He also does a better job of displaying ingredients lists so that units and ingredient names are all put on separate lines or columns. Unfortunately, he does not do this in the `basic recipes' section. But, since almost all items are simply counts, the problem is not acute.

This is another reason to make Gordon Ramsay your celebrity chef/writer of choice, especially as his books are reasonably priced and very attractive to look at, with full oversized pages of well-chosen pics (but without captions!).

Recommended.

If only Gordon Ramsay had been writing cookbooks when I was learning to cook some 50 years ago, I never would have bought another series of cookbooks. He's that good.

Gordon Ramsay's A Chef for All Seasons is a cookbook you can use for those super special occasions: when you want to impress those friends, who love to cook themselves, or when you just want to eat really awesome food yourself. A lot of the recipes call for expensive ingredients, like lobster, goose fat, the obligatory truffles and foie gras. But there are also quite a few recipes with more common ingredients, which are real gems. I just want to mention the Veal Chops with a Cream of Winter Vegetables (even Gordon calls this "a nice recipe for a mid-week dinner") and the Pillows of Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Fèves.

The recipes is divided into four chapters, one for each season, which is a great plus in a cookbook. Each chapter contains recipes for starters, entrees and desserts. The last chapter is Basic Recipes and Techniques, which contains instructional photographs. Finally, the index has entries for each ingredient used.

It's great fun to read about how things are done in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, e.g. "Boil the potatoes still in their skin until just tender. Drain and peel them while hot. (We do this wearing rubber gloves to protect our hands.)" in the recipe for Pillows of Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Fèves.

His perfectionistic style makes some recipes seem harder than necessary. After following his recipe closely the first time I make it, it is usually easy to see some shortcuts without sacrificing the quality of the end product (I imagine that Gordon will wholeheartedly disagree with this).

To conclude, I would highly recommend this cookbook for the experienced cook, who wants to surprise others (or her/himself) with great food.

Apparently my genetic makeup is somewhat atavistic. I do not hold with compound bows, inline black powder rifles, mylar sails. etc. While I do not, in my mind, live in the 1800s, I do still live in the 1950s when I first started to hunt. I do this because I do not need technology to give me the edge. I have gained it by the hard study of my various pursuits. This book has a "shooting fish in a barrel" quality to it. Legally it is not shooting over bait, but ethically it is not much different. The greenest of greenhorns who can hit a paper plate at 30 yards can, if so inclined, nail a wall hanger. Where is the knowledge of the environment in this? Knowledge of the habits of the quarry? Where is the learning? Where the sense of accomplishment?

It is true that I gave the book 5 stars. This because it fulfills its promise admirably. It has excellent advice for those who want it. I have and do establish food plots, but do not hunt them. I use them to ease the pressure so that more desirable flora has a chance to grow. They are not located as ambush or bushwhack points. They are small and not hunted. The only trees cut are for woodland improvement. I have gotten useful tips from this book, but it gives the optimum methodology. I have good luck with lawn and garden tools, chainsaws, and , of course, an ATV or 4 wheel drive. I make such things as tamps, and drags from logs and lumber. I loosen compacted soil with weighted boards perforated with pieces of rebar. One does not need fancy equipment to accomplish good results.

Deer evolved over many thousands of years eating browse (twigs and stems). They are ruminants as are cattle. The difference is that deer are browsers and cattle grazers (grass etc). The bacteria in a deers' stomach change with the seasons to cope with the change in diet from leafy greens to twigs and stems. I am not a farmer but, as I understand it, excess nitrogen (protein) can give either of these two the bloats, which can be fatal. Lignin is a component of all plant cell walls to give them rigidity. It is, especially, a component of the vascular (food and water transport) system. The New Zealand products do not lack it. Lignin in the diet serves as roughage and is necessary, as are carbohydrates.

This is a great book to use for those weekend warriors who want to keep deer and other wildlife on your property. This book, a little sweat, and proper planning will go a long way.

This is an excellent book written specifically to helps ordinary folks improve their property's deer hunting potential. Not only does it asssist in improving deer habitat, it is an excellent tool for overall property management, regardless if you own 10 acres or a thousand. A definate book to buy your deer hunting freind or relative who owns a peice of ground.

Just because you clear cut an area does not mean you will get regeneration of trees. The book suggests that by creating sun by cutting matures trees, the brush will grow for deer food. HOWEVER, in my area of new york the deer wipe out any regrowth. Clear cuts remain clear and there is no understory. So before you cut do a test, in a sunny spot put a circle of wire and see what grows. If you have growth inside and none outside you have too many deer for clear cuts to work. I am going to try a "peanut butter" electric fence to keep the deer out of an area so some regeneration can occur. It's not easy to remove enough excess deer to fix this problem.

Take some time and plant apple trees. My best hunting areas are near apple trees that some one took the time to plant. I have just planted 36 trees for me in a few years and for the hunters that come after me. I encourage everyone else to plant some apple trees. Plenty of room under the trees for food plots.

Other than that, the book was fun, a fast read and had some great information. The ideas are good although it's a lot of work and I have just started. Finding and spreading the lime is a hard project. Good luck with your projects.

copy@antlerrestrictions.com

This book is an excellent how to guide on habitat management for whitetail deer.

The book is an excellent guide for beginners. The book covers a several topics on improving whitetail habitat on your land. The book discusses property evaluation, using a chainsaw to improve cover and browse, the importance of access to the property and the food plots, logging, creating food plots, and several other minor topics. The authors cover each one of the subjects in thorough detail. For people who cannot afford ATV's and/or tractors to build food plots, the chainsaw chapter is excellent; the chapter discusses how to clear trees to grow deer browse and how to use the "waste" to funnel deer movements. The deep plot chapters discuss the best plants to use in the northern United States, and how (including what shape) to construct food plots. The book is not filled with theory, but rather the real world experience of the authors. The authors' experience shows as the book is also filled with tips and things to avoid.

On the flip side, much of the food plot information is basic. Having read numerous articles about food plots on the internet prior to purchasing this book, the food plot section was a lot of review. The book also seems to be an advertisement for BioLogic products (the authors Center is a test area for BioLogic, so I am not sure if they truly think BioLogic is the best or if they just do not have experience with other brands). I would have liked to see a section on growing food plots with no or with minimal equipment. While reading the section on food plots, I got the feeling that the authors assume the readers will have access to $5,000 + worth of equipment.

This book is filled with information that is useful people who are interested in habitat management for whitetail deer. While I have not had the chance to practice any of the techniques described, everything in the book seems easy to understand. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to improve the habitat on his or her land. While some of the information can be found on the internet, but the book is still definitely worth reading to learn from the authors' experience.

I own dozens of Italian cookbooks and decided to buy Harry's Bar Cookbook. I'm very glad I did. This book offers many unique recipes and is well written. Highly recommended!

I think, also, that Amazon may have a mistake with Nigella Lawson doing the foreward? Even the book cover pictured says it's Michael Winner. I don't know if this has been updated once inside, but it appears to be the same book with a different publisher. It's also more expensive than the 1991 version from Bantam Books. Great book, by the way.

This book offers such wonderful recipes and a great story too! I like reading about the history of the restaurant which is absolutely wonderful. Can't wait to go back. The book is great, and the recipes are basic and easy to follow. Wonderful find for anyone who enoys cooking and loves to eat!

I own and love the original Harry's Bar Cookbook. Is this book the same thing but with Lawson included? As I read the reviews I saw the same stories as appear in the original.

I have been a serious student of cooking for the past 25 years. I have focused on Italian cooking for 10 of the last 25 years after my first trip to Italy.

Harry's Bar in Venice is one of those places that everyone wants to visit at least once. The restaurant does not disappoint and neither does the cookbook. If I had to pair down my Italian cookbook collection (which is now well over 50 cookbooks) this book would be in my top 5. Each recipe in the book that I have tried has been perfect. Even if you normally tinker with recipes, as I usually do, try these just as they are written at least once. I don't think that you will be disappointed.

I appreciate the fact that the book is authentic, as opposed to the Italian-American books that are normally available in America. This book is packed full of fabulous recipes, each one better than the last. The pictures of the recipes are beautiful as the photos of Venice.

This book will be a wonderful addition to anyone's cookbook collection. This would also make a fabulous gift for a lover of either Italy or cooking.

This is the one cookbook that has not gone on the shelf, but instead sits on the corner of the counter. So far I've made the beef burgundy, pan roasted chicken, smothered pork chops, lemon meringue pie, macaroni and cheese, nachos with salsa and guacamole, and more. I'd've done more in the past two weeks, but I do have a job to go to. These may not sound like extraordinary recipes - they're all in my Betty Crocker cookbook or Good Housekeeping cookbook - but this is the cookbook that tells you the how and why, what works and what doesn't work (based on their own testing, which is an interesting read in itself). One of the things I like most is that they make an honest effort and usually succeed at restricting themselves to ingredients found in nearly every supermarket. Serving sizes are extremely generous. I ate nachos for four days --- luckily, they were delicious.

I do wish they would include nutritional analyses. These recipes are all about taste and optimal preparation to ensure the best results; nothing particularly low cal or low carb and certainly not low fat here; and it doesn't purport to be a diet cookbook. That's okay, but it would still be nice to have the numbers. And it would be nice if they would test a few ways of cutting calories and/or carbs and/or fat while developing the best recipe.

As a novice, I also got tripped up in the pan roasted chicken because the recipe didn't give me even a clue as to how long the pieces would be in the oven; I guessed about 30 minutes but turned out to be 50 minutes to get to temperature, which threw off the timing on the side dishes...minor, novice issue.

Finally, I also subscribe to Cook's Illustrated published by the same people. In the Nov/Dec issue was an incredible recipe for pumpkin cheesecake (beg, borrow or steal it from someone). Their technique explanation ranted about the wonders of cooking a cheesecake in a waterbath. Indeed it made a great difference. But in this cookbook, there's a recipe for a New York Style Cheesecake with no mention of a waterbath. I'm not a pro, so maybe the different techniques deliver two distinct textures, but it was curious why both ways aren't discussed in the cookbook since they touted it in the magazine (or vice versa).

I've bought a couple pieces of their recommended equipment and believe they've been right on target there too.

It's an impressive book that has pursuaded me to buy both the Italian Classics Cookbook and the cookbook for the 2002 television series. Looking forward to receiving those soon.

As a beginner with cooking, this book has led me places I never thought I'd go. It has been a guide for the basics and an inspiration for the heights. And meanwhile it saves me money by steering me away from useless gadgets and fad techniques.

This is my third Amerca's Test Kitchen cookbook. In all of the meals that I have cooked using these books, I have never had a flop. As a male and a physician, I really appreciate the "clinical" approach to cooking that ATK applies. Want to make good, gooey chocolate cookies? Then try a dozen different methods and see what works best. They have used this method for all of their recipes, and the reaults are tremendous.

ATK avoids pretentious cuisine. They aim to make the best steak, best french-fries; things that my kids will eat. Yet, some of my favorite meals for guests come from the book as well. (Twice-coked potatoes with pesto...mmmm). Even though I live in a small town in a remote area, I have always been able to find the ingredients they suggest.

They have a "Consumer Reports"-like approach to rating ingredients and equipment. What a delight when Morton's table salt out-performs...sea-salt in blinded taste-testing.

I can't wait for next year's book to come out!

As someone who consider's themselves an elite "home chef", I stopped using recipe books years ago and just built on the basics that I'd gleaned from reading what I considered the "essential" cookbooks. Then, one stormy Saturday afternoon when the husband was at work and the kids were away at Grandma's, I stumbled on America's Test Kitchen on PBS. Needless to say, I loved what I saw.

Now I am a Cook's Illustrated fan. I have not come across anything done by these folks that isn't absolute quality cooking instruction - no matter what your level of cooking expertise. That's because ATK doesn't just write the recipes - they write articles and background about every recipe that breaks down each element of the recipe and explains why certain ingredients, techniques and equipment work so much better than others in producing the best tasting recipe. Even if you never follow an America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Illustrated recipe step-by-step, the things you learn just by reading the recipe books can be carried over into all of your cooking. If, like me, you are a non-recipe cook, there is still much to be learned here.

"Here in America's Test Kitchen" carries on the standard of excellence that Cook's Illustrated has established for itself. Detailed recipes that are actually essays about what goes into creating each recipe and why certain ingredients and methods are used will elevate the level of every home cook - regardless of your current level of expertise.

This book contains some of the best recipes I've ever had. The BBQ Rib recipe prepared with a dry rub and slow cooked over a smoky grill is simply the best rib recipe I've ever made - spicy, smokey, fall of the bone tender with a wonderful crisp skin on the outside. At a recent 4th of July party, these ribs and the ATK buffalo wings were a huge hit. And the cookie jar favorites - chewy, flavorful double chocolate cookies and ginger cookies are family favorites. The recipes here aren't always the quickest, the cheapest or the lowest in fat and calories, but if you are looking for the best in flavor and texture, with America's Test Kitchen you can't go wrong.

I have been watching this series on PBS and the book is just a delightful. The receipes are pretty easy to follow, ingredients are available in most grocery or gourmet shops. Plus they have done all the testing and we get to prepare the perfect combinations! Highly recommend it, especially as a gift!

What a great little book! The recipes are ones everyone wants to have anyway. It's succinctly written. There are great pictures, little helpful tips -- all this plus nutritional inofrmation!! I love this book!!!!

This is the second year I have put this book on my Christmas list. Everyone I have given it to raves about it, not only for its fabulous recipes and well laid out format, but also because it is informative and entertaining. Kudos to the author -- who also has a PhD in neuroscience!

Hi,I am a nine year old girl and a vegetarian.My mom got this book because I hate so many different foods.This book was cool because it has the vegetarian food that movie stars eat.I liked that alot.Im picky about what I eat but this stuff was yummy.Mom even let me help her make some recipes,it was fun.thankyou.bye bye now.

I ! I loved this book!This was the first cookbook that I ever enjoyed just reading. First of all,you open it up and excitedly go through it,looking at all the stars and seeing what particular recipe that they have contributed. Then you think,hmmmm, why did they use that recipe?Then its fun analizing why that celibrity chose that paticular recipe. Oh and who knew that Mr.Rogers was a vegetarian?The recipes are fatastic!Not your regular vegetarian boring stuff. I believe that is because not just celebrity vegetarians contributed,but those with varied eating habits, participated. That makes for a very unique and versitile cookbook. Ms.Ruppen should be commended for using recipes from both vegetarians and non-vegetarian. Vegetarian dishes are not just for vegetarians anymore.This is obviously proven with the many recipes that were sent in by non-vegetarian celebraties.I must also say Thank You!Thank You! Ms. Ruppen for researching your recipes so thoroughly, by including additional low or no fat ways to make each recipe.Now I can eat vegetarian and TOTALLY healthy!This is such a great book,I could write on and on., Incudedwith pictures of your favorite celebrities their personal recipes,are some great little antidotes on each page.They were informative and interesting reading.This was the most unboring cookbook I ever read.1

I think the book was totally cool and nutritious! I loved it! Francia Ruppen is my wonderful Aunt, and I'm proud of her book that she wrote and my Aunt herself. Almost my whole family are vegetarians. So this book is a good help for us. Now we have a cookbook that is of use to us vegetarians as well as those who eat meat. I have been a vegetarian for all of my life. My name is Britain. I think my Aunt is a genius. Sincerely, Britain

This is a great beginner's cookbook, especially for those with a limited budget and limited pantry space. The recipes are "forgiving" in the respect that substitutions (and sometimes even omissions) don't ruin the end result. Even my meat-eating spouse enjoys everything I make from this book (and it's sequel: Beyond the Moon: From the Author of The Horn of the Moon Cookbook).
Because this cookbook is by one person, rather than a collective like the Moosewood series, key ingredients (spices and staples) are utilized throughout the book. A great gift for a college student. Recipes include cheese and eggs, but not sugar. I just wish it wasn't going out of print!

I got this book purely on the reviews on Amazon and I was not disappointed! I can tell this book will easily be my new favorite cookbook. I have read it from cover to cover and cannot wait to start experimenting with dishes.

I will update my review after I have made several recipes from it.

As a single 20 something I live first hand with wanting to eat healthier but not having the desire to make much more than microwave dinners at times. However the delicious variety of this cookbook gets me into my kitchen and cooking.

The recipes are hearty and one dish lasts for days. It is a wonderful feeling having friends want to come over to eat dinner. My personal favorite crowd pleasure is the cheesy corn chowder. I had my 9 year old little sister ask for seconds and she is an extremely picky eater.

I feel so much better after eating vegetarian. I have multiple food allergies and this cookbook has never let me down in offering a plentiful variety of mouth watering choices.

This is the best vegetarian cookbook ever (if you include eggs and dairy in your diet, that is). These aren't namby-pamby low cal/low fat blah recipes, but hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, even-the-kids-will-love-it recipes. I've never made a recipe out of this book yet that was a dud. No bizarre ingredients, no complicated directions. Everything here works, and is wonderful. Highly recommended!

I've owned this cookbook for at least 15 years. I rarely think to recommend it to other people, because the Horn of the Moon cookbook is like a favorite sweater: comfortable, easy to get along with, and ultimately satisfying. It's not fancy, but that's the point; it's what you turn to when you want to relax.

The Horn of the Moon was (and presumably still is) a vegetarian restaurant in Vermont, very much in the same genre as Moosewood in upstate New York. (In fact, if you're a fan of the Moosewood cookbooks, you can stop reading right here and click on the Buy button. There's no question that Moosewood fans will love this cookbook.) The New England background influences the choice of ingredients; as you might imagine, maple syrup is used frequently as a sweetener. (Not that I mind in the least, as it's my personal favorite, particularly with anything chocolate.) You'll also find plenty of winter vegetables, such as butternut squash and parsnips.

Horn of the Moon also has an emphasis on _healthy_ eating, not just eliminating meat; sweeteners are unrefined, flour is usually a mix of whole wheat with white, and so forth.

Chapters include breakfast, soups, salads, simple meals, main courses, desserts, and "celebrations, or cooking for the masses." While its chapter about ingredients was probably necessary when the book was written in '87, you probably don't need it today; most ordinary grocery stores carry tofu and whole grain flour nowadays.

I've used this cookbook so often over the years that its spine is broken, and the book falls open to several pages that have a *lot* of food stains on them: maple cornmeal muffins, creamy Italian dressing, baked artichoke dip, shepherd's pie, pumpkin pie (this is my pumpkin pie recipe of choice), Greek walnut pie. As you can tell, I have many favorites, so I'll tell you about just a few.

The artichoke dip is what I make on evenings when the two of us want "something" but a full meal is too much, and it uses items that I always have in my pantry. (Okay, so I make SURE I have these items in my pantry, just so I can make the dip.)

Unlike most recipes for shepherd's pie, the Horn of the Moon recipe is emphatically _not boring_; I admit that it takes a couple of hours to assemble the melange of mushrooms, fried tofu (*do* take the time to fry it), brocolli, corn, cheddar, and several other veggies... but it's a guaranteed way to make a tummy happy.

The Greek walnut pie could have been called, "Baklava for people who have other things to do" because it's so easy to assemble (ground walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, eggs piled into a filo pie crust) but it gets rave reviews when I bring it to buffets because rolling the filo on top gives it awesome presentation.

As you can tell, this is a book that has a special spot on my cookbook shelf. I think it'll earn a spot of distinction on yours as well.

I absolutely love this book....the recipes are unique, easy to make (if you have a food processor) and tasty as it gets! Highlights....jerk marinade, amazing glaze, thai bbq. A must have for BBQ enthusiasts!

H. Carpenter's focus is fusion/Asian: Therefore, if your idea of BBQ is some meat and a bottle of prepared sauce....forget the book. If, however, you like Asian foods and don't mind assembling your own sauce, you will be rewarded with some sensational flavors. They get ready to get the rest of his "Hot" books. I had several cooking lessons from him and really enjoy his style.

This book is very practical and easy to follow. It gives preperation instructions for grilling, smoking, and baking for each recipe. It also give instructions for steps you can do in advance. The only reason I give this book a 4 is because it uses some comercial products, such as plum sauce and green tobasco. I prefer to make everything from scratch. Otherwise I would recomend this book.

The outdoor grilling & barbecuing season where I live is far too short. As such, I take every opportunity I can to fire up the grill. I've made many of the entrees in this book & have sometimes used the marinades and/or glazes for cuts of meat or kinds of seafood other than those specified on the recipes. All have been quite good. In some instances, I have increased or decreased certain ingredients but, only due to personal taste and not due to any shortcoming of the actual recipe. I also appreciate the suggestions for sides and desserts although there are no recipes for those.

A few cooks may be rather dismayed with some of the long lists of ingredients. However, the labor isn't really that much & the returns on that labor are worth it. Further, many of these marinades, sauces, glazes, chutneys, etc. can be made from a day to a few days ahead. Most even benefit from having been prepared in advance so that ingredients marry well!

Tips abound on do-aheads as well as the requisite grilling and barbecuing how-tos. Altogether, an easy-to-use, foolproof (well, unless you forget you've got something on the grill) and reasonably-priced book of some fine, tasty grilled/barbecued dishes. Tonight, it's teriyaki salmon and Thai-high barbecued shrimps with a side of yellow rice!

This is one of the barbecue books that you need to own. I have a few burger/barbecue books and this one as well as burger meisters are the best.

My daughter needed to do some non-fiction book reports and this was great. She became very interested in the different facts about eating habits from around the world (past and present). Gross stuff always grabs their attention and of course they love to share....Would be great for boys but girls enjoy gross stuff too! Good for 8 thru 10ish.

My 9 y.o. daughter asked for this book for a gift. She read it right away, laughing and exclaiming. It is fun, pretty easy to read, and could be a good way to work in some science or cultural discussions! Ex: People ate what was available(plentiful) or sensible to prepare where they lived. See some of what American's ate in 1776 on page 25. It can also serve to stimulate more indepth study of different cultures around the world or in history. There are lots of funny poems and artwork included.

This is a very neat book, a little gross for me but the boy that I'm gave it to loves it (11 yr. old).

I first checked this book out from the library for my son when he was 3 1/2 years-old. He was transfixed as I read to him all the different types of things that people have eaten and still do eat today. Instead of being grossed out, he wanted to try them all! He loves squid and seaweed and is just dying to eat some grasshoppers. We ended up buying the book after checking it out twice in a row and I'm so glad we did. When he was 4, he took it in to share with his Montessori pre-school class. Last year he took it into share with his kindergarten class. And this year he's taken it into his 1st grade class twice; once to share and once to "prove" to his teacher that bugs really ARE a good example of a protein-loaded food. Fabulous, interest-grabbing format and illustrations just add to the great information within. A great intro to cultural studies, too.

An excellent little book with sensational illustrations. This book explores some of the foods from around the world which different cultures enjoy, but which may seem disgusting to us. Everything thing eaten is not in here but there is a good selection. What was eaten throughout history around the world is also included.

My favourite section is part three - Strange Stories from your own Kitchen which explains what cows eat and how that food gets turned into the milk which we drink. There is also similar information on how bees make honey.

There's also a few recipes and 19 poems as well. I am not really into poems so they didn't do much for me but if you are into poetry then this may well be a bonus for you. The illustrations in this book are sensational though, and worth the price alone.

Jewish cooking is intertwined with the Jewish people, cultures and history. This masterfully written book is one I bought many years ago and the book has everything including very interesting recipes. The recipes come from all over the world and are not just your ordinary set of recipes. I have tried many and these were some of the best (but they were all good); The chicken, lime and tortilla soup (9.6/10) comes from Mexico ; spinach and cheese kugel (9.4/10) ; cholent (beef barley stew (9.6/10). The index is very nice and I am still searching for more. I will also want try some of the more unusual recipes like spinach rubarb soup Poland, stuffed grape leaves, meat pies , and more. It's a jewish food trip around the world and I am still touring.

What I love most about this cookbook is how international it is. I've never seen another cookbook with so many great recipes from so many different countries. It makes sense really, if you consider that Jews have come to the U.S. not only from Eastern Europe, but also from Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Cuba, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, etc. Consequently, many of the recipes, such as ceviche and chicken adobo, were a welcome surprise in addition to Jewish favorites such as knishes, hamantashen, and matzoh ball soup. Introducing most of the recipes are fascinating personal stories of the people who've brought their wonderful culinary traditions to America. Any food lover/cook will appreciate the heartfelt style of this excellent cookbook.

Fabulous cookbook! Great recipes with detailed instructions. You don't have to be Jewish to love the food presented in the book. So many variations on the same theme, you'll be amazed. Every recipe I have made has been tried and true, a must for every kitchen. I aggree with other reviewers that the book makes for wonderful reading as well, history, stories, background, a real keeper!!

The receipes are functional, even if you are not a gourmet chef. But the stories behind them are just fun to read! A taste--for the mind and tongue--of what life was like for some of our ancestors. I recommend the story of the orange, and the recipe for cranberry applesauce!

News flash! Not everybody's chicken soup is the way your bubbe used to make! This is a great cookbook, filled with recipes from all over America, of Sephardic and Ashkenazic origin, influenced by where people settled. Gefilte fish is made with whitefish, salmon, haddock or shad, depending on what fish swims in the ocean, lake or river near by. There are latkes with zucchini and chili in Arizona and curried sweet potatoes in Flatbush.

Along with the recipes, you get history, culture and religion. What could be bad? Certainly not the Chocolate-filled Rugelach! Gosh, I'm getting hungry just typing this.

I have recently purchased a copy of "Keepsake Recipes and Fascinating Food Facts". I have thoroughly enjoyed the book and its' unique approach to cooking. The recipes are hard-to-find traditionl varities that are easy to prepare and remind me of "mom's cooking".

What a delight to read a recipe book that sticks to basics, to the tried and true, and to the wisdom of appealing to the good ole tastebuds! From methods of cooking meats and vegetables, to the very serviceable time charts for roasting turkey and beef, and the clear explanations of the types of cuts and birds, to the tidbits about the origins of recipes (I loved to know the story about the Tollhouse cookies) this book is a treasure trove of information and good advice. Buy several for Christmas and wedding gifts. Clueless bachelors and bachelorettes can benefit from putting to practice Ms. Buckman's recipes.

With a few chosen food facts, and a very concise manual of recipes, I'm finding the same pleasure in the kitchen that I used to find in the garage. I'm enjoying the craft of cooking as I would contruction. This book spells it out clearly and concisely, and got me startd in the kitchen. A few new tools, but an easy transition. It's easy to start cooking when you get some help understanding the basics, and are provided with some practical, time honored recipes. I don't even have to learn French. It could be labeled "Cooking for Dummies", or "If I had only knew these things sooner, I would have started cooking years ago".

Not long ago, a group of teenage boys were rummaging though our kitchen complaining that we "had no food, only ingredients." As for myself, I'm still more comfortable with a skill saw than a skillet and not one to view cook books as literature. However, I picked up my wife's copy of Irene Buckman's book recently and found it to be a true page turner, full of warmth, wisdom, and recipes that will make your taste buds stand up on their tippy toes and scream for more. It might even get some boys to `create' something more sophisticated than toast. Buy extra copies for gifts, I did.

I'm sure enjoying this book. As an off and on cook, I haven't built up a stock pile of knowledge that helps out when ever I put on a cooking apron. Irene Buckman's book Keepsake Recipes and Fascinating Food Facts fills that slot. As time goes by and I get the urge to cook to try and impress that certain someone, a no nonsense book like this helps make it a lot easier. I have read the entire book and gotten a fair education on the kitchen as well. The recipes I have tried have all turned out splendidly and not only satisfied my need to wow my guests, but filled the belly and delighted the palate. A particular favorite has been the stuffed cabbage leaves with ground turkey, it's a real winner! Breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert can all be easily referenced and prepared from this helpful book. It's brief bits of background and hints are nice for even a light bit of evening reading. In all, this has been my "go to" book for preparing healthy and hearty meals on those occasions that I want to spend time eating at home instead of out.