Food Books

I keep going back to this wonderful book for the stories and the recipes. But I always photocopy the recipes so I won't mess up the book -- it's too beautiful. I have given it several times as a gift and it's always been gratefully received. I'm glad it's in paperback now.

I was given this book by my best friend; we both feel a strong attachment to our gandmothers. Even just flipping through it, I knew right away that I'd like it. The quality of the paper, the photographs, layout, binding are all excellent. Once I started reading it, I was glued. It's not a cookbook to use as a resource; it's a book of essays, each accompanied by a recipe. Each essay is a like a snapshot into a family of long ago, and each woman is writing about my favorite topic - the strong "grandmother-pull" she feels. Many of the women write of grandmothers they barely knew but with whom they feel some connection, while others write of grandmothers who raised them or who were active in their families. In all cases, the love, respect, awe, and gratitude the writers feel toward their grandmothers is evident in each piece. The recipes are a fun supplement to each essay. They tell another story of the grandmother in the way they were handed down or written down, and I swore I could smell the smells of each grandmother's cooking as I read. I read this book cover to cover and hated to see it end. It transported me to times long gone, times of grace, times with my grandmother, Grace.

I was given this book by my best friend; we both feel a strong attachment to our gandmothers. Even just flipping through it, I knew right away that I'd like it. The quality of the paper, the photographs, layout, binding are all excellent. Once I started reading it, I was glued. It's not a cookbook to use as a resource; it's a book of essays, each accompanied by a recipe. Each essay is a like a snapshot into a family of long ago, and each woman is writing about my favorite topic - the strong "grandmother-pull" she feels. Many of the women write of grandmothers they barely knew but with whom they feel some connection, while others write of grandmothers who raised them or who were active in their families. In all cases, the love, respect, awe, and gratitude the writers feel toward their grandmothers is evident in each piece. The recipes are a fun supplement to each essay. They tell another story of the grandmother in the way they were handed down or written down, and I swore I could smell the smells of each grandmother's cooking as I read. I read this book cover to cover and hated to see it end. It transported me to times long gone, times of grace, times with my grandmother, Grace.

I am so happy to have discovered this book. Each story was wonderful. What a privilege to get to know a little bit about all these interesting women. The stories brought back memories of my grandmother and made me wish I had gotten to know her better. One thing I do remember about her is that she was always cooking and the many delicious foods that came out of her kitchen - recipes like the ones in this book. I made a list of at least 10 that I want to make. Thanks to the women who shared their memories and these special recipes.

At Grandmother's Table offers a fascinating collection of writings about food, life, and the enduring bond between grandmothers and their granddaughters. Enhanced with the occasional recipes such as Grandma Riello's Spaghetti Sauce, Mildred's Wild Blackberry Tarts, and Grandma Rendler's Apple Strudel, At Grandmother's Table offers the intimate and candid thoughts of eight women, richly illustrated with vintage photographs and original drawings. At Grandmother's Table would grace any home or community library collection and is very highly recommended reading for those who appreciate nostalgia, family traditions, and generational legacies of the kitchen.

Bought this for my husband. Unfortunately he passed before he had a chance to read it. I read it and it is very insightful and very helpful especially the herbal remedies.

Jehtro Kloss was a true healer and crusader for nutrition, personal rights, freedoms, and herbalism. This huge book was his lifes work and deserves to be celebrated for what it is: a lifetimes gathering of intense study and dedication to the good of man.

He discusses everything he can think of here. While some of his viewpoints and procedures are now frowned upon - and a few of the herbal remedies taken to the degree he suggests now believed to be dangerous - the large bulk of his remedies and procedures is still regarded as safe and, in some circles, preferable to things available in modern medicine and society.

Everything from his personal life and influences, to farming techniques, crops, growing fruits and vegetables, an extensive listing of fruits, veggies, minerals, vitamins, the history of herbal medicine, herbs, their uses, the body system, the health benefits of water, fish, fresh air, exercise, sleep patterns, oatmeal, fiber, breads, salts, milk, etc is included here.

He even gives his favorite baking recipes, natural ways to make breads, cakes, soups and more, as well as hints on preserving vitamins, cooking utensils to avoid and use, not to mention desserts and beverages.

One really fascinating thing about this book is the large section devoted to water and hydrotherapy. Here we get a rundown of the history of the water cure, various ways to use water to treat - from saunas to foreign bath treatments - temperatures to use when a person is ill to fit their condition, and much much more. Excellent!

This massive bible of sorts ends with various enemas and their purposes, charcoal, guides for people wanting to be a nurse, and different massage techniques!

Sure, a little of it is outdated but most of it stands true today and shall forever. The man is to respected, and his remedies and treatments are invaluable.

Many of his formula is similar or almost identical to the great Dr. John R Christophers, another pioneer of herbal medicine, the modern Dr. Schulz who has a following of his own, and several other herbalists, naturopaths, massage therapists, hydrotherapists, and nutritionists.

And, even more incredibly, it's under 10 bucks to own - amazing considering its offering.

Buy it? Of course! Why wouldn't you?

Back To Eden breaks it down in simple terms - we need to cleanse our system with the elements that were found in the Garden Of Eden. When my first friends started taking some of the twenty-one elements that are espoused in this book, they were amazed by the results. It was this and a few other publications that inspired me to come up with my life-saving product.

Anyone who wishes to understand the components of the human body should read this book - as it is the "bible" of the physical body - what the holy bible is to the soul.

Read it.

This book is a must-have for anyone interested in their health. It is comprehensive without being overwhelming or confusing. It is plainly written and will answer any question regarding diet and nutrition that you may have. It also contains useful information on herbs and many formulations you can make at home. I have countless nutrition and herbal books in my library, yet this is the one I reach for the most.

My Grandmother gave me a copy of this book in 1973 for my 12th birthday. She had used it for many years already and was one of the healthiest people I ever knew. He writes in a very easy to understand way that even at 12 years old, I could understand most of it. I loved the recipes and have used many of them. I still make Soy milk the old fashioned way as he described. This is a must read for anyone interested in health. Much of what he talks about are simple safe and most of all work. I highly recommend it. If more people used the info in this book they would never need to diet or take most drugs to be healthy. God Bless and good health!

Great book with SOOOO many different drinks. Many that I had no idea were even out there. It also goes into detail about different kinds of glasses, types of mixers, methods of stiring and mixing and even garnishes. A small section in the back on how to plan a drinking party. All around a nice book to have for those not familiar with alcoholic beverages (mixed)

The Bartender's Best Friend: is exactly what I was looking for.Informative,easy to follow too.I'll be a prow in no time.Well worth the money.

This book is indispensable! It contains recipes for old-fashioned cocktails (and their history) as well as new "foofy" drinks. I much prefer it over Mr Boston for its variety. I enjoy drinks that are simple and use bitters or aperitifs, and this book has plenty of them! It also includes non-alcoholic drinks for the tee-totaler.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking to build their bar and learn how to make some delicious drinks that go far beyond the boring martini-bar cocktail.

This was a great book. I just wish it had listed the drinks by alcohol ingredients. But overall, I loved it.

Pros: Awesome book. Easy to follow. Cheaper than bar-tending sites offer.

Cons: It doesn't have EVERY drink you're looking for, but it has a good enough selection you won't be disappointed.

This book has tons of great recipes for a cake mix. I honestly didn't know you could do this much with one! I can't wait to begin trying them out. I highly recommend this book!

I love baking cakes & making sweets. But being a mother of two little ones I don't have enough time (or energy) to make cakes from scratch. This book is a treat for me, because I don't need a lot of planning ahead nor to spend too much time in the kitchen!!

A few days ago I made the Peanut Butter Cake & it looked impressive and was delicious!! I felt like a million dollars presenting it.

The book is full of appetizing pictures for nearly all the recipes, easy to use & follow directions, and has lots of tips & ideas. It also tells you how many calories are in a slice (for all you gals who want to know, although my advise is to skip that particular line).

In the book you will find all kinds of recipes for cakes, trifles, cupcakes, cookies & more.
Indulge yourself & your family.

I love cookbooks and this one, a gift from my sister-in-law, is my favorite. These easy cakes are unique and delicious! Impress your friends and family and save time too. I cannot recommend it enough.

In my circle of friends, I'm known as a Master Chef. I can whip up delightful lemon curds, Sky High Meringue Pies, and shortbread that floats off the plate. BUT....I had NEVER baked a cake, never wanted to BAKE a cake, and didn't even LIKE cake...thanks to the miserable examples that I grew up trying to swallow in the 1960's! Dry, chemical tasting; they were featureless and a sure sign, in my myoptic view, of "Lazy Cooks", especially where Box Cake Mixes were concerned.

Enter 2005: I am asked to cater a British Tea Party...and one of the projects was to bake and decorate a CAKE! I expected to 'job it out' (having a bakery make it) but decided to tackle the Beast Formerly Known as Cake, instead.

I signed up for Wilton Cake Decorating Class. The instructor, who runs a famous bakery in Michigan, SWORE by cake mixes and insisted that they "had improved since my childhood". With her 30+ years of experience, she recommended ONLY Betty Crocker Cake Mixes and also recommended THIS BOOK, as a way to personalize the taste of cakes.

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound of butter, I say. I started the classes, I ordered the Betty Crocker Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook, and four weeks later, I've baked over 12 examples from the book, pulled off the British Tea to accolades, AND...learned that CAKE.IS.GOOD!

This book is incredible! It has a history of HOW cake mixes have changed throughout the years; it explains what the ingredients "do" in a recipe, and it offers ways to make crisps, cookies, bars and other goodies with a mix.

Out of my 500+ cookbooks, THIS cookbook has been the MOST used one in the past month! And I've brought it to class, where the other 5 students also ordered it!!!

When professional bakers, who are making their mortgage payments and sending their kids through school via cakes, tell me that they use mixes 80% of the time, it's time to listen! You'll LOVE this book!!!

Every recipe in this outstanding cookbook is easy to make and delicious to eat! This book is in colour with lots of pictures, so you can decide what to bake based on how the cake looks as well as how the recipe sounds.

From quick "bake-and-take" cakes for church potlucks, to elaborately designed masterpieces for parties and weddings, to brunch cakes, this book has it all! Why no try the decadent Tres Leches Cake, or the fun Chocolate-Chip Cookie Surprise Cake, or maybe you want a cake in the shape of a train. This book has it all!

About three-quarters of the recipes in this book call for ingredients that you may not be able to find in the supermarket, such as besan, atta, kari leaves, and urad dal. But if you have access to those, dive in!

It is simply too bad that this book is out of print!

My husband loves Indian food and although I consider myself to be a pretty good cook, I was intimidated about trying my hand at something that seemed so foreign and exotic. An Indian friend had even brought me a few cookbooks, but I found them hard to follow. The last time he came to visit he brought me Neela Paniz' "The Bombay Cafe." Wow! What a difference! The directions are easy to follow even for people completely unfamiliar with the workings of an Indian kitchen. And while some recipes call for hard to find spices, there are plenty that use nothing more exotic than fresh ginger, garlic or serrano peppers. Special favorites are the Shrimp with Chiles and Garlic, Pepper Chicken (made with nothing more exotic that black peppercorns) and Nan (Indian flat bread.)

I highly recommend this book to the novice Indian chef.

Bombay Cafe was my favorite haunt when I lived in Santa Monica. When I discovered that Neela had published a cookbook of her remarkable food, I bought it immediately. I am happy to say that this book includes many of my favorite dishes, written simply and clearly enough that I can faithfully reproduce everything I loved when dining at Bombay Cafe. In my experience, this is not something that 'restaurant' cookbooks commonly achieve. An excellent effort by an uncommon chef. Thank you, Neela!

The Bombay Cafe Cookbook is one of my favorite cookbooks and I have scores of Indian cookbooks, as I'm sort of a gourmet chef. I wrote a cooking column for a sailing magazine for a couple years and one of my favorite articles was my "Two Ways to Tandoori" which you can read in one of my "Amazon So You'd Like to Guides," if you want. Tandoori chicken is just delicious. Anyway, while I was making the guide, I listed fifty cookbooks from my collection. I have more. I know, I know, one would think a couple books would be enough, but it's sort of an obsession with me, making food taste great and I just love to see how others have done it.

While I was doing the guide, I pulled out all my Indian Cookbooks, had them all stacked around me. Then I decided to pull out all the ones I didn't think I could live without. It came to an even dozen and The Bombay Cafe Cookbook was one of the books. The recipes are just divine. I've never been to India, been a lot of places, but never there. Delhi, Bombay, Ganges, names that just ring with adventure. I imagine I'm there every time I cook up something Indian. I can feel the smells as they wrap their delicious flavors all around the kitchen, or galley, if I'm cooking on board the sailboat my husband Dub and I live on half the year. You won't go wrong with this book. Check it out. Check out my other eleven too. Cook up something from India tonight, taste the adventure.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

This is one of the best cookbooks I have come across. I love the recipes - they are creative and light - like the Tandoori Chicken salad, or the Garbanzo beans sweet and sour salad. There are also some very Indian recipes that make you travel back in your mind to India - like the Railway station potato curry, or the Frankies. Most recipes are fairly easy to make.

This is Indian cooking with a fresh approach, and a lot of style.I have tried and served so many recipes to friends, and the reactions are always - that tastes GOOD!

by Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from The Orange County Register
March 8, 2007

It's a simple idea. You read a good book and you just have to share. Some credit Oprah with starting the phenomenon, but, according to Rachel Jacobsohn, author of "The Reading Group Handbook," there are approximately 500,000 book clubs in the United States, double the number since 1994. And those that combine great books with great dining come away doubly nourished by sharing ideas as they break bread together.

Enter The Book Club Cookbook (Penguin), which pairs 100 popular book club selections with the recipes they inspire. Authors Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp sent thousands of surveys to book clubs across the nation to find out what they are reading and how they dine, and the response was overwhelming.

"When we started hearing the same book titles over and over from many different clubs, we knew those titles would make our list," said Krupp. "We also tried to balance the list by genre. We included fiction, non-fiction, history, memoir, even short stories. We included books highly recommended by African-American book clubs not found on other lists. Some L.A. Asian professionals read only books with Asian themes. Women of the West in Boulder, Colorado, read only books with an American Western woman protagonist or author."

The books are arranged alphabetically, and each section includes a brief synopsis - just enough to whet your appetite but not give away the story - a profile of a book club reading that book, and a recipe to pair with the selection: Tandoori Shrimp for "Life of Pi," Death by Chocolate for "The Da Vinci Code," Honey Cake for "The Secret Life of Bees." In many cases the book's author contributes a recipe or comment.

"The most elaborate and elegant dinner we heard about was served by The Dallas Gourmet Book Club for their discussion of `Personal History' by Katherine Graham," noted Gelman. "It included champagne, wine, Caviar Pie, Sausage Pinwheels, Shrimp Curry, Saffron Rice, Green Bean Bundles and Chocolate Raspberry Tarts. The group even printed a menu to look like headline news in The Washington Post."

The oldest club Gelman and Krupp found, the Wednesday Club of Fort Smith, Arkansas, has been meeting for 106 years! "It started as a literary society dedicated to self-improvement of the members," said Krupp. "Just recently the women decided to stop referring to each other as `Mrs.' and to start using first names. They read only nonfiction and serve dessert and coffee or tea with silver and linen napkins."

The cookbook's web site (www.bookclubcookbook.com) is an invaluable resource for readers. Want to speak personally to an author with those burning questions that only the author could answer? The "Invite an Author" page enables you to contact such luminaries as Chris Bohjalian, Jackie Mitchard and Kathryn Harrison for a phone discussion during your meeting. And sign up for their newsletter "Book Bytes" for reading suggestions and coordinating menu ideas.

Fullerton's own Taal Restaurant (on Nutwood across from Cal State 714-871-7846), my favorite for Indian cuisine, contributed a recipe for Chicken Biryani to pair with a discussion of "A Fine Balance" by the local Second Wednesday Dinner Book Club.

TAAL RESTAURANT'S CHICKEN BIRYANI
From "The Book Club Cookbook" by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon corn oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced, or 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons garam masala* (This Indian spice mixture can be found in Indian markets.)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 to 4 teaspoons red chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher (coarse) salt (divided use)
1 1/2 pounds skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 bay leaves
2 cups basmati rice

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Sauté onions until beginning to soften. Add ginger, garlic and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Stir in spices and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until done but tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Bring 3½ cups water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon oil. Stir in rice. Simmer, covered, until rice is tender and liquid absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Combine chicken and rice (discard the bay leaves) in large serving bowl; toss to mix. Garnish with raisins, cilantro, and mint.

Have you ever wondered how to serve a suitable meal for a book discussion at your local book club? Whether you can serve a meal which is thematically related to the book being discussed? If the answers to both are yes, then the perfect solution is acquiring a copy of Judy Gelman's and Vicki Levy Krupp's "The Book Club Cook Book". The authors contacted members from over one hundred book clubs within the United States, soliciting comments not only the books themselves, but also on the meals served at these discussions (For the record, I am an outgoing coordinator of a book club, and am quoted in several entries.).

Each book listed is accompanied by a brief summary, including comments from book club members, and a recipe for an appropriate dish (For example, for Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes", is a recipe for Irish Soda Bread.). There is also an in-depth profile of a book club. So if you are wondering what to serve for a discussion of Yann Martel's novel "Life of Pi", then a suitable dish might be the Tandoori Shrimp featured for this entry.

This is a fun, highly informative book which will interest long-time book club members and those who are just joining. To their credit, the authors also provide some excellent tips on how to organize your own book club. Without question, "The Book Club Cook Book" may become the essential reference guide to serving meals at book club meetings.

This book is exceptionally interesting - combining details about the books, recipies that relate to (or are included in)the books and details about book clubs all over the country...This is my second copy - I bought this one as a birthday gift for a friend!

This book is great for starting up a book club and trying to think of recipes that co-inside with the book. Some of them were very imaginative. I enjoyed the reviews of the books, and how they decided on the recipes for the stories they were reading.

I am sorry I really didn't try many of the recipes.

This book gives you some great suggestions for book clubs. I bought two copies to give as gifts...something I never do. Haven't tried the recipes--I just loved hearing how other bookclubs from all over the U.S. handle their meetings, their menus and their choice of books. Very readable,

Carla has a great imagination. She enjoys creating unique sandwiches for her school lunches. When trouble rises and her lunches turn into a source of teasing, Carla keeps her chin up and continues to eat her fascinating sandwiches all the while maintaining her kindness to her friends. Coupled with adorable illustrations, this is a wonderful story for all children to enjoy. Even adults will identify with Carla. "Carla's Sandwich" shows children how they do not need to be like others by showing the heroine being strong as an individual. With so many food allergies, people with different incomes, and others who eat with religious or ethical restrictions, "Carla's Sandwich" is a winner!

Carla's Sandwich is a great book that children will surely love!

With its imaginative text by Debbie Herman, and its vivid and bright illustrations by Sheila Bailey, no child will be disappointed as they turn each page to discover which weird and wonderful concoctions Carla will be eating that day for her school lunch.

This book contains a story of being different - and you feel a little sorry for Carla as the other children isolate her because she brings in such unusual combinations of sandwiches to eat, like sardine and mustard with sunflower seeds. But one day, another boy forgets his lunch, and when his hunger gets the better of him, he reluctantly turns to Carla to beg a spare from her.

He does, of course, find the offering delicious, and the other children change their minds about constitutes an `acceptable' sandwich.

Fantastic, colourful and detailed pictures, with an inspiring storyline for children aged four to eight years old, this book was a delight to read and is thoroughly recommended.

Imaginatively written by Debbie Herman and nicely illustrated by Sheila Bailey for young readers ages 4 to 8, Carla's Sandwich has a subtle message about the joy of being different woven into an original story of a little girl who brings weird sandwiches to her school and how her classmates respond to her oddly original sandwiches. After considerable ridicule Carla is able to turn her teasers into tasters and then everyone is into creative sandwich making too! Carla's Sandwich would make a popular and "kid friendly" addition to any school or community library picture book collection!

Here I go again: reviewing a book by one of my favorite kids publishers, FLASHLIGHT PRESS. Carla's Sandwich is the fourth one I've read and reviewed, and it's as delightful as their other choices. You can't go wrong with any of their books.

Author Debbie Herman certainly had a great idea when she created the irrepressible Carla, a little girl with a unique talent for creating delectable, mouth-watering, healthy sandwiches. Captivating illustrations by Sheila Bailey complement the story to perfection, and will enchant adults and children alike.

Carla's sandwiches are creative and unique, to be sure, but "weird" to her classmates. They're creatures of habit--stuck in a rut with their usual hot dogs, peanut-butter-and-jelly and bologna sandwiches--so they ridicule her for being different.

But that doesn't stop Carla, and she soon has them "eating out of her hand" ... literally. How does she accomplish this? And what happens when her worst adversary--a boy, naturally--forgets his lunch one day? Does Carla share with him, or ignore him? How does this girl who dares to be different change her entire school? Well, you'll have to RFY (read for yourself); it will be a delicious reading adventure as you and your kids nibble your way through, page after tasty page.

This book--with its subtle message about the joys of being different--is a great choice for kids from 4 to 8 and will make a delightful addition to any picture-book collection. It will also be an excellent tool for teaching children to think for themselves and to be kind and sensitive to others.

I highly recommend this book, but it's lunchtime, so I'm off to create a yummy sandwich of my own design. Does sliced bananas with mustard and lettuce on rye bread sound good? Help, Carla!

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008
The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley

Carla smiled and handed Buster a Combo Deluxe.
Buster examined the lettuce, tomato, raisin, bean sprout,
pretzel and mayonnaise sandwich carefully.
He looked at Leslie, then Natie, then Carla.
And then he took a very small bite.

Carla loves to invent unique sandwiches and so she creates the Olive-Pickle-and-Green Bean Sandwich. When the other children tease Carla, she offers Buster one of her extra sandwiches. He takes one bit and loves the taste. As the teasers turn into tasters, Carla's classmates start to make their own original sandwiches.

The humorous part of the story occurs at the end of the book when Carla surprises everyone by bringing a very different (than her normal sandwiches) sandwich to school. I do have to wonder if she has tried soy butter or chocolate soy butter.

~The Rebecca Review

I own and have reviewed a lot of vegetarian cook books. It has complete menu sugestions. Even Christmas dinner.

It is a beautiful cookbook, many excellent photos, sample menus (also with photos) and a range of recipes that range from the easy to those best tried with cooks who have some experience. The photos also include ingredients in their natural state so you know what they look like when you go shopping. Recipes include lentil shepherd's pie, vegetable terrine, Japanese flower salad, vegetarian moussaka, rose cheesecake, and old-fashioned treacle tart. So why only 4 stars? Because there's a recipe missing, the very first one I wanted to try: Cucumber and yogurt soup, p. 138. It's listed both in the index and in a sample menu. However, recipes of that sort can be found in many places, including online so, while irritating, the book is still solid.

I have the older version of this book, and it was the FIRST vegetarian cookbook I ever received. It is an amazing resource, with fantastic photos and descriptions of fruits & veggies at the beginning, and "get real" recipes that are wondeful!
I have been making the eggplant parm from this book for 16 YEARS!
Highly recommended!

The first thing you notice about this cookbook is how beautifully it is illustrated. Probably 25% of the recipes are accompanied by pictures. The first hundred pages or so contain pictures and descriptions of many ingredients, common and uncommon.
But after you've finished oh-ing and ah-ing over the pictures, you start to appreciate the recipes themselves. Most of them are elegant, and many are complicated. But all of them that I've tried are excellent. Try the Tagliatelle Verde with Lentil Sauce -- I was amazed that pasta with red lentils could taste so good.
Every vegetarian (and even non-vegetarians) should have a copy of this book, if only for the inspiration it provides. It is a great gift book.

I love this book. My favorite recipe is for potato leek soup. It is so yummy and it is low fat which is surprising since it doesn't taste like it is. I looked at a lot of other books for that recipe and they were kind of deadly (so much fat!).

This book is beautifully illustrated. In addition to the many recipes that range from main dishes to deserts it contains sections describing vegetarian ingredients (including photos to more easily identify the ingredients) and how to best prepare these ingredients. This is a very comprehensive vegetarian guide even for people who just want to add more vegetables to their diet.

The recipes are good and easy to follow. Great way to intorduce veggie eating to your little ones.

My son (5 yrs) loves this book and wants to try all the recipes--even going so far as to make grocery lists. When I read reviews of the prequel to this book, I revisited Cooking with Herb and found warm family ties and cute kid humor -- nothing scary or violent. (I will look carefully at Herb the Vegetarian Dragon though because of those reviews.) Great Book! Easy and tasty recipes without exotic ingredients (just TVP). Good fun for vegetarian and carnivorous kids and parents.

After reading some reviews of the previous book in this series (Herb the Vegetarian Dragon), I went back and rechecked this one. I already knew my son loved it. Warm family ties and not gross or bloody scenes were what I found. My son is very interested to try the recipes because they are promoted by a dragon. We are semi-vegetarian--we eat meat when we go out and on holidays. The recipes are tasty and easy--not too many exotic ingredients--unless you count TVP. We love this book, but will look carefully at it's prequel before purchase.

Jules Bass and Debbie Harter have executed a wonderful couple of books on HERB, THE VEGETARIAN DRAGON. Let's hope these are the first of many. Have always enjoyed and admired the work of Jules Bass and am enjoying the art of Ms. Harter. My hats off to both of you! GREAT book to give for the holidays!

Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon, has published a book of recipes for children! Cooking With Herb the Vegetarian Dragon: A Cookbook for Kids is an entertaining book containing 22 recipes that
children can make – with the help or supervision of grown-ups. This book is a nice companion to Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon.

In this book Herb serves up various, nutritious dishes including "Grand-Ma-Ma-Flora's Spaghetti Sandwich," "Herb's Chili Con 'No' Carne," "Herb's 'Those Amazing Potatoes,'" "The King's Favorite Veggie-Burger," "Herb's Radical Dragon-Salsa," "Chocolate Banana Walnut Bread" and "Herb's Simple Strawberry Slush."

Each recipe contains easy-to-follow directions and tips as well as a fun introduction about the recipe. Some safety rules are also included at the beginning of the book. While the recipes contained in this book are for vegetarians, several of the recipes contain no ingredients from animals and many other recipes could be easily modified for a vegan diet. –Reviewed by Glenn Perrett
(...)

I've eaten and loved cornbread all my life. Who knew there are so many different ways to make it? The author exhibits great attention to detail and she notes the minute differences wrought by geography and history. All the recipes I've tried so far have been delicious. I want to try them all.

I love this book. For a true cornbread lover this book is all you will ever need. There is every type imaginable with some background on the differences between regions. Worth every penny.

I laughed, I cried, I sat spellbound and on the edge of my seat to the very end! I was reading the newest Harry Potter book, right? Wrong. I just finished reading The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon and I absolutely LOVE this book.

This is not just a cookbook. It's stories wound around history, looped with facts and hints and tied together with recipes that will join your repertoire and never, ever leave. It's not just cornbread recipes, either! It's muffins and pones and pancakes and go-withs like greens and soups.

I, like so many people that Crescent Dragonwagon met in her travels, grew up with cornbread and have a deep affection for it; not just because I love it, but because of the memories it brings with it each time it's pulled hot from the oven. When I told my mom about this book, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Grandma made cornbread every day of her life." I didn't know that! I knew grandma made it, of course, but I didn't know it was a daily thing for her. I asked mom if grandma had a recipe or if she (and I looked around and lowered my voice at this) made it from a box. Thankfully, mom said grandma always used a recipe, "...yellow cornmeal-always, a little flour, some sugar..." Just as I'd suspected.

At any rate, when I read about the history of cornbread and how it at one time was thought by some to be "poor people food", or that others were looked down upon for eating it, it nearly broke my heart. Cornbread is beautiful to me, and to think that anyone would think different was just not right. I kept reading, not able to stop, and found that thoughts turned around eventually. I didn't know there was so much to know about cornbread.

I couldn't wait to get started on making some of those recipes, so I chose 3 and got started. The first one was, of course, the first (and I feel-best) in the book, "Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread", the very cornbread served by C.D. at her former Eureka Springs inn of the same name. Let me tell you, I didn't think there was much reason to make any other cornbread at all - ever - after that one. Even my husband a true *gasp* cornbread-hater (I'll deal with him later, don't you worry) liked it.

The next two were "Leora's Sweet-Milk Buttermilk Cornbread" and "Ronni's Appalachian Cornbread". Those greens I made the other day were made especially to go with these cornbreads - and they were perfect. The next day, I made Kush from the leftovers, which I only think we had since I'd made 3 pans of cornbread! I just loved having my cast iron pan out for something truly worthy of being made in it.

There is no other book you will ever need for a cornbread recipe. Not ever. This woman has traveled far and wide and found versions that span the globe. Did you even have a clue that cornbread was global?

I have lots of recipes left to try (there's over 200!), and I plan to make as many as I can. I urge you to get your own copy of this book.

If you are not sure you could use a whole cookbook devoted to cornmeal and cornbread, you really should check this book out - it will wipe away any doubts you have that cornbread is not important in your life. First of all, this book can be READ, actually read, like a novel, I mean night-time reading. The stories and notes on nearly every page have been my evening reading and most enjoyably so. Then the recipes - every kind of cornbread, plus all kinds of cakes and other dishes using different kinds of corn meal. You can learn all kinds of things about corn meal - its history, the different forms it can take, and the various ways it is prepared. I am now making my way through the recipes, and so far its been excellent. The Vermont custardy cornbread is excellent; my daughter just told me its great with the black bean soup I made last night, but also good enough for dessert (she said with her mouth full of it). This cook book is worth it, do try it!

Well, I grew up in the South and I thought I knew cornbread, but I had no idea how many different kinds there were and how many variations could be cooked and eaten. It may take me the rest of my life to try all these wonderful receipes, but what fun it will be to try. An excellent book to add to the Cook Book collection.