Food Books

Finally, I found what I was looking, a vegetarian cookbook full of flavor. Bland food is my nemesis, so I was very delighted when I saw his very creative style of cooking and flavorings. and so many things to choose from!!!. from reading the book my brain started briming with ideas of my own. seitan tamales, and empanadas yippy!!!. I can now return to my native hispanic flavors without having to use meat yeah!!!! Im in love with this book. Most vegetarian books out there--which are not vegan--use fat and dairy to make food tasty which to me gets boring rather fast. as one who does not want to eat meat and is also trying to loose weight the fact that he relies on herbs and spices for flavor instead of fat is very useful.

I LOVE this cookbook. It is so much better than a lot of the bland fare in vegetarian cookbooks. Charney is innovative and not afraid to spice things up. He must be a well trained, skilled cook because his recipes are far from ordinary! Everything I've made in this book so far is great. Our family loves the teriyaki tofu, the spicy tofu sald, the black bean and avocado soup and the lentil soup wtih taragon. I've given this book as a gift more than once and have really enjoyed cooking vegetarian dishes where I don't miss the meat one bit. By the way, most of the recipes in this book are actually vegan!

We've only had the cookbook for a week, but the Tempeh Reubens are amazing! Had to hold back from licking the plate.

I bought this book because my vegetarian daughter's tastes have evolved beyond the usual fare offered by cookbooks for vegetarian kids or teens. Now she wants her dinner to be something worth salivating over during soccer practice. This book delivers on its promise: the recipes use readily available ingredients in innovative ways and combinations that result in memorable dishes with a ton of flavor.

Yes, we already have a dozen recipes for really nice lentil soup, so why buy this book? I mean--think hard, now--when was the last time you were truly surpised by a bowl of lentil soup? Mr Charney gives you recipes for lentil soups unusual enough to make you raise your eyebrows before you start licking the bowl. Yes, we already have a serviceable recipe for vegetarian shepherd's pie, but Mr Charney's shepherd pie puts those other pretenders to shame. Yes, we already have a teriyaki tofu recipe, but Mr Charney's teriyaki tofu is so good you'll want to raid the fridge for it at 3 AM. And so on and so on, right through the sandwiches, burgers, pastas, side dishes, salads...

The recipes do not require weird ingredients (I can get everything at my regular market or at Whole Foods), no fussy techniques, no equipment you can only get at the cooking specialty store. There are plenty of recipes that give you a great dish in 30 minutes or less, but there are also some recipes for those long, dark, bone-chilling January days when you want to spend an hour or so in a steamy and tantalizingly fragrant kitchen. The book is intuitively organized and has a good index.

When it's time to start the holiday gift shopping, I will be getting this book for all the vegetarians and parents of vegetarians on my list.

The recipes in this book are authentically appealing and full of flavor. Vegetarian food has never looked so delicious and flavorful. The food, filled with spicy, fusion flavors, is sure to tickle the palate of any vegetarian. Keeping the true vegetarian in focus, I was offered clear instructions and creative ways of cooking with soy, tempeh, and seitan.

I first read this myself and then read it to my 2 1/2 year old. It is a wonderfully funny adventure of the potatoes at a state fair as they escape from a chef who is cooking up a pot of soup. While some of the vocabulary is above the heads of toddlers, the story line is not lost on them and the illustrations are quite fun. This is a book to have in your library and will be read by your kids for many years to come.

My 4 year old daughter grabbed this book off the library shelf at random two weeks ago and now it is our favorite book to read. When this book goes back to the library, our own copy will grace her bookshelf. Our daughter has memorized the entire story and recites it with enthusiasm. Her favorite part is the last page of verse, coupled with the final picture of the chef. "Closed, Gone Fishing"-- it gets a laugh every time. The only trouble is, I think she wants to be a potato when she grows up! A great book.

What a delightful book. Full of imaginative ideas and pictures.

A great book for kids of any age. My daughter wants to take this book wherever we go.

A fresh and zany adventure (something all too rare in children's literature these days), full of delightful rhythms, rhymes and fun. Root's bright pictures complement Speed's delicious language. Our whole family loved it!

The author of this books is truly a genius: she makes the words sing with wild abandon and fun. Who else writes like this except maybe Carl Sandburg! This and her previous Two Cool Cows are among the most inventive children's books in years. Read this book to a child and watch them laugh at the delicious sound of the words and the story: I did. A truly blue winner, this book.

"Breakfast of Biodiversity" by John Vandermeer and Ivette Perfecto is a critical analysis of the myriad forces that are driving the destruction of the world's tropical rain forests, with particular emphasis on Central America where the authors have been engaged for many years of hands-on research and field work. The authors write in this, the 2005 second edition about the important insights and lessons that have been learned since the book's first edition published in 1995. Presenting knowledge gained through both scholarly research and their own practical experiences, the authors help us understand that narrowly-focused solutions to solving environmental problems will inevitably come up wanting in the absence of wider, more meaningful socio-political changes. The result is a sobering but ultimately empowering text that allows us to better understand both the challenge and the promise of saving the earth's remaining rain forests.

The authors explain how rain forests are neither fragile nor stable, discussing how rain forests can recover relatively quickly from short-term disruptions such as clear-cut logging operations but can suffer long-lasting damage from industrial agriculture and, of course, urbanization. We come to appreciate the wide variety of rain forest types as well as their common characteristics, shedding light on how humans might be able to make better strategic use of the land and live in harmony with the rain forest.

The idea that managing land under cultivation in a sustainable and socially equitable manner appears to be a surprisingly effective proposal when compared with the oftentimes ineffective method of land conservation that has often been favored by mainstream environmental groups. In fact, the authors compare the fate of rain forest lands over time to make their point: in Nicaragua, more rain forest had been saved as a result of the progressive land redistribution policies of the Sandinista government that in Costa Rica, where market forces have compelled the poor to convert so-called protected areas of the rain forest to farmland. Unfortunately, when the Sandinistas lost power in the 1990s, the neoliberal policies favored by the succeeding administration quickly unraveled these gains and resulted once again in an accelerated loss of rain forest lands.

However, the authors are hopeful that the anti-globalization movement can help to unravel the dense web that connects international capital with third world indebtedness, arguing that if inequality can be minimized then the poverty that drives desperate people into the rain forest can be curtailed. Therefore, the authors hope that their book will compel environmentalists to unite with social and political activists in an united effort to call for meaningful change in the world economic system. While this may be a tall order, the penetrating analysis contained in this exceptional book suggests that such a strategy is the only credible solution to solving one of humankind's most formidable problems.

I highly recommend this accessible, informative and enlightening book to everyone.

Wonderfully researched, if sometimes dryly written. If you like this book, then you'll likely find something interesting in the coffee-table book, Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made.

The essays, " New Conservation in the Costa Rican Parks System" and "House Made of Rain" touch on many of the things discussed in Vandermeer's text.

A slim volume that pack a punch.It highlights the global nature of the problem, stressing that rainforests can and indeed do regenerate, but not if the disturbance is too great.
Food insecurity and lack of land tenure are cited as important driving forces, and conventional, purist models of conservation, while satisfying the hopes and desires of lobbies in the wealthy developed world, fail to address the human dilammas that are so important.
A 'Political Ecological Strategy' if offered as a solution that takes heed of all the strands of the 'web of destruction' both in a local and a global context, and although not suggesting that the future is 'rosy', it does offer a glimmer of hope.
A book to be thoroughly recommended to all those who are interested in the future of the rainforest, its people and the planet.An excellent read.

As a professional in the environmental area in Central America, I applaud Vandermeer and Perfecto's explanations of the workings of man in the humid tropical forests of our region. These are not easy issues, yet they manage to leave the reader with a sense of the urgency without oversimplifying or becoming preachy. This book is best for someone who is really interested in the political ramifications of US policy in the tropics, or for someone interested in working in the environment overseas.

I was drawn to this book because of the foreword by Vandana Shiva. I kept reading it. It does a good job of looking at several of the different variables causing rain forest destruction and keys in on land and food as major factors. Clear and easily read. Not to long or overly verbose.

In Brown Sugar: Soul Food Desserts from Family and Friends, Joyce White, author of Soul Food: Recipes and Reflections from African-American Churches, turns her attention to sweet endings. Brown Sugar gathers traditional Southern comfort desserts such as lacy wafer cookies, pecan sand tarts, gingersnaps, chocolate spice cake, a fluffy coconut peach cake, pineapple iced cake, cobblers and pies (including sweet potato and spicy molasses pecan), puddings and custards, candies and homemade ice creams. In terms of repertoire, it's similar to Patty Pinner's Sweets: Soul Food Desserts & Memories, but White includes numerous helpful hints for presentation and how-to's.

There are no photographs, but the recipes include introductions that explain the origin of the recipes and handy sidebars. There are also numerous substitutions and variations suggested if you're looking to branch out, or perhaps to experiment with a more adventurous flavor combination (like substituting cardamom for cinnamon in a coffee cake). There's a chapter devoted to fruits, so if you're looking for a lighter finale, you'll find numerous baked fruits and compotes. These foolproof gems are a wonderful way to slow down and reconnect with a simpler time, and the delicious smells that will be coming out of your kitchen are sure to attract friends and neighbors, who might then sit down for a well-deserved chat over a slice of freshly baked cake or pie.

Wonderful Book. The recipes are unique but not difficult. The book has great tips on the types of pans to use, where to place your pan in the oven and an education on "brown sugar". Who knew there were so many different types of brown sugar! I would recommend this book to anyone that loves to bake and would love to show off something different.

This book is fantastic! I truly enjoyed the stories leading into each recipe. It made me feel as if it let me into a warm and personal side of Joyce White's life. This made reading these recipes interesting and fun.

I've always had a problem with picking out fresh fruit. However, Brown Sugar takes the guesswork out of it. I was so enlighten with the details on how to select the freshest fruits. With the knowledge I've gained, I ventured into preparing a scrumptious dessert for friends. My choice was the "Fresh Berry Compote". It was a hit and the instructions were so easy to follow.

Brown Sugar is a wonderful soul food dessert book that I really enjoyed.

As warm and homey as the smell of freshly baked bread, Brown Sugar welcomes you to enjoy a rich and diverse collection of sweets. Candy, cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream and more are all featured in a collection of recipes featuring a wide variety of classics and favorites.

This is also one of those delectable cookbooks you like to snuggle up with and read cover to cover. Mixing practical advice with a wide range of personal family history, White writes the book in such a way that when you close it, you feel like a member of her family.

But even better than that, the recipes themselves are crafted with simple, everyday utensils, using ingredients that are common and can be found at the local store.

There are no pictures of the food, but that is a small price to pay for such a rich bounty of delicious, easy to make desserts.

Highest possible recommendations!

"Food for the soul" is an excellent way to describe the wonderfully soothing experience a person feels after eating any one of the treats from Joyce White's cookbook "Brown Sugar." Right now, just thinking about the "sweet potatoe pie" brings a smile to my face and that "chocolate cheesecake" makes my mouth water. ummmmmm, "Brown Sugar."

Here is a great read for folks from all walks and talks of life. I first went searching for ways to feel better--the food-sleep connection is very compelling even though everybody has that hunch. Thayer gently sells you on taking action in even small steps. Then I applied his ideas to improving my success at the weekly poker game. Bingo, or flush, it works there too. Academically sound and enjoyable, toss away your make a million books and manage your insides first. This one is a winner even if you occasionally have a bad beat along the way!

Ever dived into a chocolate cake after a stressful day at the office? Had your way with a bag of chips after fighting with the kids? Stuffed down more than your share of greasy fried food when you were feeling low?

Many of us are stress overeaters. And there are a number of books on the market that mention how we have emotional roadblocks that keep us from becoming slim. But few of these books discuss this issue in the depth that "Calm Energy" does.
And few give helpful solutions.

The author Robert Thayer Ph.D describes in detail how when we are feeling tense, tired, or depressed we often turn to high fat sugary foods. Citing a number of studies Thayer explains why we do this.

Then Thayer explains simple solutions. According to Thayer, "exercise is the single best way of coping with the tension and fatigue that inevitably result from stress." He describes simple techniques you can do when your urge to eat, what you don't need seems to overwhelm your body. A brisk 5 minute walk is one idea.

One paragraph in the book made a huge impact. Thayer recounts how a taxicab driver was very calm despite bad traffic, radio calls etc. The driver used worrybeads to release tension. According to Thayer small systemic movements like moving beads or squeezing soft rubbery objects can help relax your body.
I quickly hijacked my 14 year olds stringed bead bracelet and by manipulating the beads slowly released some stress and managed to avoid a trip to the kitchen to gobble up some goodies I didn't need! Simple, effective technique that I will use more often.

Overall an excellent look at the mood food connection with super tips on what you can do to destress and become healthier.

While a bit repetitive in the beginning, I loved this book! It provides a framework for thinking about your behavior based on biologically-driven moods. It makes you more aware of your own moods, what causes them, and how they, in turn, influence your behavior (and not only in terms of food and exercise).

The author addresses the perplexing question of why people who know better still eat unhealthfully and do not exercise. I have often wondered myself, if I know exercise or meditation or whatever makes me feel so much better, why don't I just do it everyday? The concept of Calm-Energy vs. Tense-Tiredness is very convincing and useful. Also, the book puts the idea of "emotional eating" in it's larger context. Compared to the treatment emotional eating gets in the popular media, this is much more interesting and makes it seem very possible to intervene and change habits.

This is not a standard self-help book and doesn't give the clearest instructions on how to apply all this information to your everyday life. Rather, it gives you knowledge, understanding, awareness and--with the extensive footnotes and references to research--confidence that this guy really knows what he's talking about. I'm planning to read his "The Origin of Everyday Moods" next.

Great book! It makes so much sense to consult a nutritionist for understanding weight issues! Also, love that the book is available for viewing with the online reader - great feature!

Excellent read, very informative. Great for people struggling with moods and their desire to eat based on those moods.

Not a clunker in it. All of these recipes are great. (I haven't tried them all, but I have read the book cover to cover)I have 6 boys age 4-20 and they have loved all of the ones we have tried. They are easy, nutritious, and fairly inexpensive and FULL of flavor. The inspirational essays are wonderful and inspiring as well as humorous. This is in the top 5 of my cookbooks.

As a busy working mom (who isn't these days!), the title attracted me to pick up this book having read many of the other Chicken Soup books years ago when I had time to read! I had my 8- and 10-year old sons look through it and bookmark recipes that interested them. I'm pleased to say that they bookmarked virtually the entire book! They love to cook with me so we'll have fun trying these fun and easy recipes. Great photos that show what the finished product will look like, too!

I bought this thinking I was going to give it away as a gift, but after looking through it I decided it was perfect for me. I love it!

The stories in this book help us to share our experience as busy moms,
with lots more than cooking on our plates. I appreciated the suggestions for more than the usual kid-friendly macaroni and cheese or pizza that the kids prefer, and added new dishes to my repertoire. The format of the book is wonderful, with laminated large pages that make it easy to prop the recipes on the counter while cooking with baby in hand. Try the Tortilla Soup--it's an instant hit with both adults and tots,tasty and healthy. The accompanying stories with each recipe gave me insight into the lives of other busy moms(and dads). Cook a little, laugh a little with this wonderful book.

Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (2/07)

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen team up for a tasty new addition to the scrumptious Chicken Soup for the Soul series, called "Recipes for Busy Moms." Targeted at the modern, on-the-go mother, this delicious collection includes quick and easy instructions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks, sides, and desserts. Many of the recipes are new takes on the classics (no more whining during meatloaf night) while others are freshly new and promise to be lots of fun. The extra tips on food preparation and healthier alternatives to the already good-for-you recipes add even more to the mix.

In addition to recipes perfect for someone who doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen, the book is sprinkled with inspirational stories that speak to the souls of both new and experienced moms. Tickle your palate with anecdotes on achieving (or not achieving) supermom status, the automatic "yuck" response, and never living down an unsuccessful recipe. Savor the bittersweet ache of children leaving home for college, marriage, or military deployment while taking comfort in family recipes and traditions. Both stay-at-home and working moms (and as this book says, "every mom is a working mom") will appreciate the wit and humor stirred into this compilation that you learn only by being "mom." "Recipes for Busy Moms" isn't just about putting together a meal; it's about family memories - the good, the bad, and the messy.

Canfield and Hansen serve up a richly flavorful read with a side of hearty laughter worthy of any dinner table. Instead of a cookbook with the same old boring things, "Recipes for Busy Moms" is chock full of the spice of life. "Being able to pull into a fast-food, take-out lane or pop another frozen entrée into the microwave can be a life-saver, but when a family sits down for a meal together, the experience feeds more than a hungry stomach." Why put off quality family time any longer? "Recipes for Busy Moms" satisfies!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RW03AHG99HWJE Food Critic Kim O'Neill Review of the book CHOCOLATE FRENCH

If you have friends who truly love chocolate...this book is perfect. We presented Chocolate French twice and it was will received on both occasions. Chocolate French is great if you are looking for that unique gift for the holidays.

This is truly a unique publication. Not only is it well laid out but also ties in multiple disciplines in a single book, including history, culture and cooking. The recipes are easy and don't require you to clutter you kitchen with ingredients. I would highly recommend this book. For you local San Franciscans I would combine another publication by Crump - The Cafes Of San Francisco with this one and it would make a great gift - the holidays are around the corner!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP to all the reviewers and to the two magazine reviews that highly recommended this wonderful book!! I have been so enchanted with everything about it, albeit that being a Francophile hasn't hurt. It had been one of the recommendations from Amazon, and after being intrigued by a little peek into its content, the reviewers made my decision easy. Voila......how much fun it is!

It's not a large book, almost pocket size in fact. And it's not a recipe-only book either, though it has enough recipes within to add to the already interesting musings of the relationship between the French and chocolate.

Photographs of French life, French patisseries and chocolatiers, along with the written musings (both in French with most given their English translation) of those who have gone before, or who are here now, dot the chapters of this incredible guide to all that is worthy of French chocolate. And lest you not be particularly proficient in French, there are various pages of assistance with understanding French accent marks, and, adverbs of quantity (though, is there such an error as wanting too much chocolate?). There is also a lovely section within the end of the book that gives you an English translation of the French vocabulary of ingredients, expressions, verbs, and general chocolate terms. Recipe contributors, recipe ingredient resources (from all over the world) help to round out your veritable tour of the chocolate delights of France.

As you begin your perusing of this guide, you are given hotels, bistros, and other assorted places that serve various chocolate delights. An interesting aspect of these mentions, is that they include places other than France, that pay homage to chocolate, such a Switzerland and the creations made there, or Chicago, and its shops and schools devoted to the art of being a chocolatier, as well as San Francisco, New Orleans, Louisiana, Connecticut, and Tokyo to name a few.

The sections of this book are divided into:

Recipe Index
Foreward
Introduction
History of France and Chocolate
Recipes
Vocabulary
Resources

The book also goes into how chocolate has tranferred itself into movies such as "Chocolate" starring Julia Ormand and Johnny Depp. Or how it has made its way into the fashion industry.........ever seen a chocolate dress?

A chocolate dress you say? Well, they may not give you the recipe for that, but they will give you the following jewels:

Chocolate Ganache
Pralines
Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Tartlet with Coffee Cream
Warm Chocolate Puddings with Pistachio Cream and Pears
Chocolate Croissant Pudding w/ Toffee Sauce, Strawberries, and Pecans
Chocolate Fondant w/ Orange Confit and Raspberry Sauce
Marquise au Chocolate
Chocolate Mousse Charlotte
Chocolate Red Wine Soup with Strawberries
Buchon Chocolate Tart
Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla
Chocolate Bing Cherry Cake
Mexican Chocoalte Truffle Torte
Chocolate Macaroon a l'Ancienne
Dipped Camembert and Chocolate Sandwich
Grandmother's Chocolate Mousse
Chanel's Crepes
Chocolate and Vanilla Madeleines
Chocolate Chip Madeleines
Monique's Chocolate Brique
Red Fruit, Chocolate and Vanilla Clafoutis
Chocolate Sorbet
Lamb with Dark Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Pave
Bittersweet Chocolate Decadence
Warm Chocolate Cake w/ Chantilly Creme and Raspberry Sauce
Phyllo Cups w/ Chocolate Mousse, Raspberries, and Poached Pears
Banana Pearl
Pink Poodle
Miss Celle's Bananas Foster avec Chocolat
Chocolate Espresso Souffle
Chocolate Pava
White Chocolate Bread Pudding w/ White Chocolate Kahlua Sauce
Chocolat Chaud w/ Creamy Melted Bars of Dark Chocolate
Chocolate French Toast
Pear and Chocolate Tart
Petits Pots au Chocolat
Creme Brulee au Chocolat
Pate a Choux
Profiteroles
Eclairs
Pate Brisee
Chocossisson-Chocolate Sausage
Piedmontese Truffles
Swiss Dreams
Couscous Sucre w/ Honey, Raisins, and Cacao
Creole Hot Chocolate
Banana and Chocolate Tart
Chocolate Quad

I would also like to mention The "L'alliance Francaise" which is given quite a good mention in the "Let Them Eat Chocolate" section of this book. L'alliance Francaise is a organization that Francophiles can join that celebrates the exquisite culture of France by giving French language classes, tours, festival, cooking classes, etc. with chapters located all over the United States as well as other places in our world. This particular section was written by one of the instructors at the Alliance in Connecticut. For me, this information alone was worth the price of the book.

OK then............see what everyone was talking about? Wonderful, isn't it? As I said previously, this is not a recipe book of sorts, but a multifaceted journey into all that weaves itself into the affair of France and sinful, decadent, addictive chocolate.

I received this book as a gift and was very pleasantly surprised with the book. I loved how the author weaved the culture and history of chocolate of the French with some amazing recipes from around the world. I also enjoyed the vocabulary, which has allowed me to impress my friends with my new knowledge of the nuances of chocolate. If you know someone who is a chocolate fan, this book is for him or her.

Have recently purchased this book. Started skimming through it and couldn't put it down. There was a party for every occasion and it was all planned out for you. The tips were fantastic. I plan on buying more for gifts. This book will make a great Christmas gift and will definitely be on my shopping list in December. I hope they do another book. It was so easy to follow and I know I will have no disasters at another party.

This book has everything you can think of when it comes to party planning! I got some really cute theme ideas and I love the 'Chips and Tips' throughout the book! Great Resource for anyone! This would be a great gift!

I was very impressed with the numerous party themes and quantity of ideas for each theme. This is planning made easy and I recommend this book to all hosts and hostess -- whether this is your first party or you have been throwing parties for years, this book is perfect for different ideas, more ideas to enhance been-around themes with easy to follow directions, everything to make a party memorable! Great resource for any organization (church, Scouts, philanthropic, etc.) planning social and fundraising events. I have been a professional party planner (family and corporate) for years and love this book! I recommend it highly as one of the best on the market and I personally give these books as gifts.

This book will make you get off your couch and want to party. With the clever ideas, tips on every topic you would not even amagine, and most of all the expert advice for all sorts of celebrations. All the work is done for you all you have to do is pick and choose. Great job to you both for a wonderful book... Dawn Hogan, celebration expert, speaker, author of party planning guides.

Why did it take these guidebook people so long to discover a need for this book? Cambria and Sachs have done a superior job of streamlining the stresses of party giving so that the hostess has a chance of having just as much fun as her guests. Thanks, guys!

I absolutely love The Comprehensive Guide to Chocolate Molds: Objects of Art & Artists' Tools. It has beautiful photographs of molds with their values. This was of great interest to me since I have a mold collection. Also I use my molds for chalkware and have for more than 15 years. It was exciting to see photos of other chalkware artists' work. In all I love the book and hope Wendy comes out with Volume Two as there are many more molds to cover. Thanks, Carol

I have enjoyed the book on chocolate moulds and it is very informative for the antique moulds. I would recommend this book and am happy that I ordered it. It has many pages of information and pictures.

this book was well worth the money, it was well done. very informitive, unique and happy to own it

Wendy Mullen found her first chocolate mold over fifteen years ago and loves writing about chocolate. She has published articles about chocolate molds and this book displays a wide array of antique chocolate molds that include everything from Easter eggs to cats and angels. There are molds for butterflies, bunnies, frogs, turtles, goats, roosters, pigs, lambs, dogs, elephants, teddy bears, deer and just about any other animal you can think of including storks, seals and stylized dolphins. Fairy Tales are also featured and you can may enjoy seeing a Hansel and Gretel house, Red Riding Hood and Snow White Scenes.

All the prices are included so you can have an idea of how much you want to spend if you go looking for these molds. All the main holidays are represented, as are unique items like the the Krampus mold familiar in Austria. Neptune also appears and then there are may pages of Santa. If you love collecting Santa items, there is page after page. Christmas takes up at least one fifth of the book and is perfect for getting ideas if you make chocolates for Christmas. There are snowmen, angels, Christmas ornaments and even manger scenes.

Even if you don't want to go looking for a three hundred dollar scallop shell, at least you can get ideas for what you want to go find online. Many of these molds seem to be useful for candy making and for making soaps.

Additional creative finds at the end include hearts in a postcard style which are very beautiful once painted or if you use three types of chocolate. There are castles, temples, crowns, shoes, cars, boats and even hot air balloons.

A special "Collector's Tips and Closing" section shows how to purchase antique chocolate molds, explains how they must be cleaned and handled to prevent rusting.

From the information in this book, you could actually buy a new chocolate mold that looks antique. Additional information on suppliers is briefly discussed. To find most of the molds, you only need to do an Internet search because all the items have collection information and the names of the specific items.

As a coffee table book this is highly entertaining, but the usefulness factor is especially enjoyable because of the way the book is organized. A lovely gift or a research tool for your own journey of chocolate art.

~The Rebecca Review

Wendy Mullen's The Comprehensive Guide To Chocolate Molds: Objects Of Art & Artist's Tools more than just a collector's price guide, Wendy Mullen, chocolate maker for 15 years, delves into the history of antique chocolate molds and their design and production, packing over 1300 photos of such antiques with discussions of all kinds of molds. Topped by an interview with the great-granddaughter of one of the best German mold specialists in history, Anton Reiche, The Comprehensive Guide To Chocolate Molds is unparalleled in depth and detail: there's simply nothing like it on the market, past or present.

This poetry book is much more than a poetry book, it's a life story of love, pain and joy - and most importantly food and wine. I am a bit biased as the author is my mother, but that in way diminishes her talent, which if you were to read this book would be abundantly clear. Plus some of the poems are about me :-)

I am sure you will enjoy!

beautiful, delicious, catapults reader into the moment; sight, smell, taste, emotion!
contemporary poetry lives on!

Nina's delicious poems are colorful, make you hungry and eager to travel to foreign places. I have read and reread this book.

Take a European trip and learn how to cook without ever leaving your armchair! This collection is a delightful assault on the senses that will leave you hungry for more. Lyrical and vivid prose, wonderful sense of place, a real treat all around.

The only thing better than reading Romano's Cooking Lessons is rereading it!