Food Books

Quite sick and tired of all these cookbooks calling themselves dairy-free in an attempt to gain sales from the milk-allergic. Milk-allergic people can eat eggs.

This book is fantastic. There are plenty of delicious things to make. I wish there were more pictures.

Fran Costigan has done it again. With her second bood about vegan baking she has taken the mystery out of asking "what's for dessert" to the many people out there who are vegan or just want to watch their fat intake. I have personally baked with Fran at one of her vegan dessert boot camps in NYC and can say first hand that everything is tasty, easy to make and just plain wonderful. Buy the book and start with the chocolate cake to live for then go on to the delectable uncoffeecake and then to the very tasty great big orange bundt cake, you will love them all.

Fran's cookbook is easy to follow and covers a range of different dessert options. The Chocolate Cake to Live For is unbelievable! It's always fun to serve vegan desserts to non-vegan friends and see if they even notice the difference. This cake, I'm telling you...it's sinful. Everyone loves it. If you don't have time to make a layered cake, half the recipe and make a single layer...frost it with one of Fran's yummy frosting options and enjoy! The best part is, it's so easy to make. Did I mention it tastes great?

Fran's book is filled with delicious recipes. There's so much variety, that there is truly something for every taste.

Plus, Fran provides plenty of education about the ingredients used in the book, and techniques for successful vegan baking.

Since I'm not a professional chef, I especially appreciate the reliability of these recipes. I usually bake for special occasions like birthdays, holidays and parties, and I want a product that I can be proud to serve to family and friends. Fran delivers every time.

I recently had the pleasure of studying with Fran at her Vegan Baking Bootcamp at the Natural Gourmet Institute. Fran suggested that we use her recipes as components for our own desserts. So for my birthday I made a banana-coconut cream pie using the Almond Cookie Crust, the Coconut Cream Filling and Frosting, and the Banana Cream Pudding. The result was spectacular - creamy and delicious.

The recipes are also adaptable according to your needs and preferences. I substituted coconut for the almonds in my pie crust, agave and maple syrup for the cane sweeteners, and kuzu for the cornstarch and arrowroot. The book includes a section on using the various starches correctly and interchanging them. I used other recipes in the book as examples of how to substitute the sweeteners. Fran includes cautions in the book to let you know when substitions won't work - another very helpful feature.

Since I love to bake, I have a lot of dessert books in my library, and I can honestly say that Fran's are my favorites. I can't wait for her next book!

This book is filled with nostalgic black and white vintage photos of her family which will remind you of your own family back in the good 'ol days...don't miss out on the Pineapple Upside Down Cake baked in an iron black skillet, oh my!!!

Foolproof recipes with entertaining family stories. Every recipe I've tried has turned out perfectly (with the exception of the slow-cooked caramel icing) so this is my new Dessert Bible!

This book has alot going for it! Not only does it contain the author's charming vignettes of her family history, it also has the best recipes in the country! It's a great book on different levels -- fun to look at, fun to read, and fun to create delectable memories with our own families! A+++++

Patty Pinner's childhood comes to life through her stories & recipes, and her "womanly" advice adds charm to her cakes and pies. I have to admit, this is the only cookbook that has found it's place on my bedside table because of the great stories and old family photographs.

This is a great book. I made the strawberry cake that is on the cover for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Everybody raved about it. I also love the stories that also go along with the recipes. A great buy!

Based on the other reviews, I had high hopes for this book; I expected a more thorough story of his experience starting his own vineyard, people he had interacted with and the "terrior" of his vineyard embedded with light-hearted anecdotes. Instead, I found the details lacking. Little time is spent on the characters who appeared in the book, the restoration of the estate, planting and cultivating of the vineyard, wine-making decisions, and his (and his family's) tie to the place. The fact that this book is written in many short chapters averaging less than 10 pages each should have been the first sign. I do not doubt that Mr. Mate will be an interesting guy to have a drink with, and I am sure that he has many interesting stories to tell. But after reading this book, I get a feeling that this is a tale of a wealthy individual (despite his repetitive mentioning of being/getting poor as a result of this endeavor) who spent his way to have people make great wines from a land he has purchased. While this statement may not do him justice, and perhaps that is what this book is meant to be, but more on the people, more on the place, more on his (or the wine maker/consultant's) philosophy of how to cultivate the land and make a great wine will greatly improve the book.

Mr. Mate's charming and funny story of realizing his dream to own a vineyard in Tuscany is not to be missed, and is even better than his earlier book, The Hills of Tuscany. Mr. Mate's humor, warmth and friendliness come shining through in his wonderful tales of his Italian friends and neighbors, the Italian way of life, and his exploits renovating an ancient friary and developing an award-winning winery in the beautiful town of Montalcino.

A Vinyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Mate is the second in a series on life in Tuscany. In a genre loosely known as expats move to Tuscany, Mate is truly in a class by himself. If Frances Mayes is the standard ,then Ferenc Mate far excells her in poetry , lyrical description , humor and sensitivity. If after reading this book, you don't want his life then you better check your pulse. A love song to Tuscany and the art of wine, makes Frances Mayes akin to watching paint dry. Read The Hills of Tuscany as well which he wrote about first moving there 20 years ago.

Ferenc Mate's second book on Italy (buy the first one "Hills of Tuscany" also, they are distinctly a matched set to be enjoyed one after the other) is, if possible, even better than the first one. He had a wonderful understanding of Italian culture and is able to convey that to his reader. If you have ever visited Italy, or are planning to, then his books are a must read. One of the things I really like about Mr. Mate's writing is it is appealing to both men and women. I love being able to discuss a book with my husband. In fact with this one, it is the first time I have heard my husband laugh out loud while reading. At first I thought he was choking and when I ran into the room he said "honey, it's the part where he is driving the tractor". Michael and I spend two weeks in Tuscany every May and truly, in this book, the essence of the Montalcino area is captured and wrapped up like a Christmas present for the reader.

Out of all the book I have read on Italy, A Vineyard in Tuscany is the funniest and at the same time the most informing book about life in this southern part of Tuscany. Ma`te` has a great ways with words and offers a rare glimpse into secret world of Italian Culture. Other reviewers have summarized the book; I will not do that now. Instead I will speak of how the book affected me. Just the mere thought of the word "Bulls eye" puts a broad smile on my face. When I first read the passage where it's located, I laughed so loudly my wife rushed into the room to see if I were ok. Ma'te' lets us see the dry subtle humor of the people in this area. Although it does a great job of showing the warmth and passion of Tuscans when it comes to food, wine and business, the region itself is the star of book.
On our first trip to Italy 5 years ago, my wife and I did the usual Milan, Venice, Rome triangle with one day in Tuscany kind of trip. By luck we had chosen the Banfi Castle to dine in and stayed in the near-by hill town of Montalcino for just one night. My wife and I concluded that this 24 hour period was the best of the entire trip. Every year since then we have returned to the tiny village of San Angelo Scolo for days of relaxation, great hospitality, food, wine and the beautiful land of Tuscany. Little did we know that Ma`te` had restored his estate, planted a vineyard and discovered ancient cities and springs just minutes away. Tuscany is that kind of place where adventure and surprises lurk around every turn. Reading his book brought back fantastic experiences of our trips there. We will be back to San Angelo Scolo in 37 days, after reading this book I wish I were there now. I highly recommend it to people who are dreaming of a trip to Tuscany or experienced travelers.

I'm vegetarian and have been for over 10 years. My husband on the other hand, doesn't like "healthy" food. So every time I present an argument for trying one of my dishes, he always wants to know what that particular food 'provides' him. This is my savior, when it comes to quick and easy reference to what food have what nutrients. Also contains helpful suggestions on how to shop and buy the foods as well as cook them.

I got this book 2 years ago when I was interested in finding out more about whole foods, even though what we ate was already almost entirely whole foods. I wanted to know about the benefits of each food, and find some new ones as well. This book quickly became, and still is, my most used book. I always take it with me when I travel. It's fascinating to pick it up and read about 1 or 2 specific foods at a time. The amount I've learned about the foods we're eating is tremendous, and for curious food-loving people the book is tops.

Every time I open this book, I find some new fascinating information in it. There are also great recipes and interesting anecdotes sprinkled throughout.
I'm very glad to have this one in my library.

A must have reference for those that need to know more about what they eat and how they can maximize their nutrtional needs through the understanding of "whole plant based" foods,...flavor need not be sacrificed!

I absolutely love this book! Although I have only had it a few weeks, it is already a constant resource in my kitchen. I look something up in it almost everyday, and I've never been disappointed with the entries in the book. I am pregnant, and my doctors are concerned about me getting enough of certain nutrients. This book has helped me alter my diet to get as much of those nutrients naturally as I possibly can. It's informative, user-friendly and well written. I am definitely glad I bought it, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to eat a more balanced, healthy diet.

No other writer combines a knowledge of cuisine, history, and social place with such lyricism and panache. If you want some obscure recipe in its unadulterated, early 20th century form, it is here. If you want an account of life under the hardships of war, described through the gastronomic difficulties of rationing and scarcity, look no further. But if you want all that and a style that is as beautiful in its choice of word and phrase as it is in its theme and moral, then you have arrived at the caviar of culinary insight. Fisher is so much more than a food writer and it is often easy to forget that you are reading the work of a author who is perhaps best known as merely the translator of Brillat-Savarin's masterwork, "The Physiology of Taste".

There a is haunting, autobiographical element to this work. The Art of Eating is actually a collection of Fisher's best pieces and so the anthology is divided into the books and arranged chronologically. Yes, there are recipes but I enjoy the personal stories best. Recollections of a meal in Lyon with a friend and a drunken waiter are so much more than embellishments of past adventure. They are windows to a world which has vanished; a time when food meant so much more to culture than a quirky jingle about cheeseburgers. Even if you are not a self-professed foodie this is a fantastic read and I recommend it to anyone who finds beauty and romance in a well-written story.

This is an excellent volume and great value for money as it comprises several of Fisher's best-known texts.

I thought this book was interesting. Our book group also read "The Omnivore's Dilemina". She brings a post WWII perspective to food.
The tomato soup cake was OK.

We had our meeting and each made something from the book. The author had an interesting life and has written many other books so it was a good discussion.

Even in paperback this is a thick and heavy book, which is a compilation of several of MKF Fisher's individual works offering different aspects of her thoughts on food in terms of origin, recipes, culinary preparation, and history. In addition, it divulges her own observations on the whole dining experience that we as humans go through in terms of customs, etiquette, ambience, socializing and so forth. But what makes this book stellar is the eloquent, imaginative, and sometimes even haunting style of Ms. Fisher's writing. She expresses her own thoughts and oftentimes outspoken opinions, mixing them with historical facts, tempting recipes, and home-cooked tales. With such a satisfying horn of plenty within the confines of two book covers, it is easy to understand why she still reigns as the queen of prose inspired by food and dining. I wish I had her ability to master in writing such joi de vivre and enthusiasm for food, eating, and drinking, which after all are such basic elements to our very existence.

The section I enjoyed most of all was "The Gastronomical Me", a biography-cum-travelogue in which she poignantly narrates her experiences by rendering them so lifelike that you can smell the smells and taste the tastes. She includes food episodes of her early years in California while growing up and later attending boarding school; in Dijon, France where the kitchens in restaurants and her apartments beckon you to partake of the offerings; in Switzerland where you visually can grasp the mountains and streams along train-rides she describes through the Alps to Italy; and finally in a small Mexican town, where she surpasses even the writing prowess demonstrated in her previous stories, by telling the most poignant tales.

An interesting sidelight is that this book not only covers food. You gather early on that she is far from a teetotaler since alcoholic drinks and drinking at mealtimes too are frequent topics, from sipping wines and champagnes and glasses of Pernod on ocean liners to mixing water with bourbon, which she keeps in a flask during a long, propeller-driven, airplane flight to Mexico.

The other sections I liked were the beginning (Serve It Forth) and Consider the Oyster. It amazed me that one person could write a whole expose covering around a hundred pages about only the oyster: the various types, methods of preparations, and culinary history. Plus she gives her own personal memories and anecdotes too. You name it, she said it about oysters--recipes included.

I did not care as much for How to Cook a Wolf, as I could not relate to either the off-color humor or to some of the topics she presented. (Sorry, but sweetbreads, halves of calf heads, and brains were not appetizing subjects.) Also, I gave up finishing the book. I started to read "An Alphabet for Gourmets", the last section, but got as far as "D" and couldn't force myself to read through the rest of the alphabet. It seems to me by the time in her life when she wrote this section she had become rather cynical and bitter, to the extent that everything she wrote sounded condescending. This section was such a let-down, a depressant to me after coming off the high of "The Gastronomical Me". Although I exaggerate, she seemed to repeatedly state something to the effect that she preferred to dine alone on crackers and milk rather than face gourmet meals with uncultivated people (with untrained palettes) who were unsavvy as to the proper way food should be eaten in the first place and incapable of appreciating what they shoved in their faces in the second. Anyway, other readers may disagree with me, but this last section lacks the consistency, and more important, the vibrancy and pep of her flowing, off-the-wall style that grows on you in the other sections.

Although I was a little disheartened at the end, her brilliance that shone through in the other sections more than outweighed the few negatives. I can recommend this book to everyone, especially to people who are interested in food as a literary subject in its own right instead of something that we simply cook and eat. Of course, foodies and cooks alike should appreciate it. And though it does have some very good recipes as added bonuses, this should not be considered a cookbook; instead, this book's function is to serve up delicious tidbits for our minds and imaginations to savor and enjoy.

"The Art of Eating" recountss the tale from post World War I to World War II France in gastronomic terms. This is a collection of several books. "Serve It Forth," first published in 1937, is a history of gastronomy. In "Consider the Oyster" written in 1941, Fisher finds her voice. "How to Cook a Wolf" published in 1942, when wartime shortages were at their worst includes recipes for stretching the smallest of ingredients to meet nutritional needs and the needs of the spirit. "The Gastronomical Me" is this reader's favorite, which recounts Fischer's life in France. If you have any interest in good food, well-written memoirs or French culture, you really must read this book. It defines the word "classic."

I spent 2 hours last night just reading half of the seafood section and was just thrilled! The book is well written and very informative. If you've ever wondered about the different types of tuna, clams, crab, scallops, how to prepare and EAT a whole fish (and which are the best to cook whole), which varieties to avoid, or just want some good options for tempura or breading... then enjoy. I bought this for my brother and one for mysleft for Christmas. I am now getting another for my sister. We all love food and love to cook. This is a must for anyone that loves food or loves someone that loves food (and just loves to eat).

This is a very useful "contemporary American" cookbook- It's well-written, informative, and full of great recipes. It's pretty ecclectic, and I find myself disappointed sometimes when I try to look something up in the index and it isn't there. It's kind of like asking your braniac friend a question and they don't have the answer- you kind ofassume that they do. This book is so good at what it does you assume it's good at everything. The biggest problem with this book is that it doesn't have all the answers. The greatest thing is that all the answers it has are correct. This isn't one of those utility cookbooks you use like "Joy of Cooking" or "Fanny Farmer." You might not find a gravy recipe, but if you want to serve a dynamite meal to guests without looking like you were trying to get all fancy, this is a great book. And let me reiterate that there's a lot more than recipes in this book- it's also very informative. The continuous use of the third-person plural (The "Royal WE") is a bit annoying, but it's clear that this is David Rosengarten having to prentend that two guys named "Dean" and "Delucca" actually wrote it. Not terribly friendly to dieters, this book is nevertheless not all about fat and carbs. Just lots of good food. Really, really good food.

This is the best cookbook I own. Granted I'm in a phase of cooking where I can make a slew of pasta dishes, but now I want to branch out a little. This book provides clear and concise recipes for all my favorite "basic" dishes, from quesadillas and matzo balls to thai curries and falafels. The authors also give tips on seemingly simple things such as making fluffy rice, buying fish smoking meat, as well as in depth descriptions of grains, seafood, veggies etc. in their many varieties.

What I love most about this book is that it allows the reader to master the basic recipe before it provides another trussed up version. If I want french onion soup, I don't want someone else's fancified take. I want one that tastes damn good and takes me back to France in the winter. (And it does too!)

This book is for the seasoned and novices alike who love good unadulterated regional basics with the occasional fancy versions thrown in too.

I hate to judge a book by its binding, but with a cookbook, even a paperback...you expect it to hold together for more than two uses. The recipes here are caloric, innovative, challenging and delicious. But the book falls to pieces quickly and it's all downhill from there. Maybe a spiral next time? Anything would help.

great content.

I have dozens upon dozens of great cookbooks, but I find that I consistently begin with only a handful of them when looking for a good recipe: Joy of Cooking, Bittman's How to Cook Everything, and this great Rosengarten offering. Try making the beef carbonnade - he suggests adding prunes, which works incredibly well.

"Death By Supermarket" is a five star book. The author's Grandma, the first healthy eater in the family, who is quoted a number of times in the book, would be proud of her Granddaughter. Even though Grandma was seen as the family oddball, she stuck to her beliefs and eventually passed them on to her Granddaughter Nancy.

For years my philosophy concerning food has been to "Let your food be your medicine bottle." To finally have an author echo these beliefs and gives additional insight as to how to walk them out is truly refreshing. We should shop for fresh, locally grown foods as much as possible. When going to the supermaket, we are to shop the outside isles of the store, where the whole foods such s meats, eggs, dairy,fuits and vegies are found. You want to stick with whole grains, whcih haven't had all the nutrients processed out of them as have refined grains, with only a few of those nutrients being replaced with synthetic vitamins, etc. It's also important to buy 100% free range meat, dairy and eggs, which don't have growth hormones or antibiotics, aren't crowded into farm factory facilites or fed species inappropriate food and are slaughtered most humanly. It's also important to purchase Alaskan Salmon, which isn't full of mercury and other toxic industrial waste contaminents. As Chief Seattle said, "How we treat the land, we treat ourselves." This is also true of how we treat our animals.

The whole food always contains various nutrients in the proper amounts that work as a team to nourish your body. Some of these nutrients haven't even been discovered yet. You definately can't seperate one or even several of these nutrients from the whole food and receive the same nutritional benefit. Also different foods are high in different nutrients, which is why you need to eat a variety of whole foods from all of the three main food groups, fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Having said that, much of our soils have become nutritionally depleted, becuase of unwise farming practices and so you want to purchase organic grains and produce when that is possible. You also want to eat the freshest food possible. Wilted organic produce, which has been shipped long distances and sat for extended periods of time on the supermarket shelf is unhealthy at any price. You are better off purchasing really fresh non organic produce.

Nancy's message really needs to be read and embraced by every American, especially those with the strongest Puritan ethics, who really believe that food isn't meant to be savoured or celebrated. Our Creator gives us all things richly to enjoy. Mouth watering real food is meant to be eaten with gratefulness, leisurely enjoyed with family and friends as the good gift that it is to us from an all loving God. Also our bodies are more than a machine, and food is more than the fuel. Our bodies are a fearfully and wonderfully made creation and food is a gift meant to enjoyed as it nourishes us.

I have read MANY books on health/nutrition, but few are as effective at getting the message across while still being enjoyable to read. I loved the pace and style and honesty of the book. I didn't want it to end, as I found it motivating to read a bit each day. You will not be disappointed with this book. It would be a great gift for those you love, as well.

Nancy Deville is a medical writer who became alarmed at the national upward trends regarding obesity and other health problems of the general American public. In her researches she uncovered an unpleasant truth -- the food industry has a significant responsibility for what is happening to American public health. The result of her research is "Dead By Supermarket" in which she reveals the benefits of real food while exposing the health risks of eating factory foods, serial dieting, taking drugs. Of special note is what Deville discovered concerning the intrigue, corruption, and simple ineptness within the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Using sold research to show just how the government and the medical community collude in the propagation of disastrous nutritional advice, "Death By Supermarket" is a vital and necessary call to action on both a personal and a political level. Informed and informative, "Death By Supermarket" needs to be on the Health & Medicine shelves of every community library in the country -- and considered an essential study for health and nutrition advocates, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in personal and public health.

I am only half-way through Death by Supermarket and it is already having a profound effect. I am purging my house of high fructose corn syrup and aspartame for starters. I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks without even thinking about dieting. I just finished the chapter on factory milk and have curtailed my consumption. The line about drinking dead pus was what did it for me. My sons and wife are waiting impatiently for me finish the book and pass it along. There should be a copy of this book in every home.

Once in awhile, if you're really lucky, a book comes along that will change your life. Death By Supermarket is one of those books. Initially,I was curious about it because of its intriguing title and now I'm a huge fan and supporter of its message. I have always eaten pretty well--or so I thought--but so much has changed after reading this book.I eat only real food now--foods that have been picked, fished, hunted, and milked. i have completely turned my back on "factory foods," imitation, fake food with ingredients on the label that can't even be pronounced. You've heard of a "fast food nation." Well, i think we have become a "factory food nation," and it has to stop. Reading this book motivates one to stop eating the processed junk and the fake this and that. It's the best diet book out there--and it isn't a diet book! If you eat real food, you will never have to diet again and your body will return to its normal weight. Nancy Deville is an amazing woman with a very important message for all of us. Death By Supermaket is a page turner!
P.S. Don't drink diet colas and don't eat splenda!

I did not know the extent to which my daughter would come to love this book when I purchased it. Had I known, I would have found a hardcover edition. Let me just say, this is the first book that my almost 4 year old memorized (word for word). This is the first book that my 9 year old will go to when he wants to read to her (e.g. he wants to read it and needs an excuse).

It is a warm tale about friendship, sharing, and overcoming conflict/compromise. It handles conflict naturally (e.g. real characters that really argue and act just like my kids). Real characters with real feelings and vivid imaginations portrayed with flawless, humorous illustrations (we especially love when Squirrel and Cat envision Duck's new shop). The colors of the artwork are warm and orange - just like pumpkin soup. You feel like you are peering in on their lives (like the two little bugs that appear on every page). Most importantly, this book does not come off preachy - so I think it rings true with children. In fact, my daughter uses this book to relate sharing issues - all I need to say is "remember how Duck wanted to use Squirrel's special spoon?" and she gets it - instantly.

And - for some odd reason - my children are now fascinated with pumpkins and want to cook. We have made pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ravioli... and.... Pumpkin soup - The Best You Ever Tasted!

I like how the characters finally work together to create harmony. It's a great, simple lesson. The illustrations are very nice and I love the feel of the book. Great choice for the 4-8 set!

I read this book to my elementary and special education students last week and I included some music from Ireland which included bagpipes and violin. I also added a country banjo song, too.
It was great fun! It's a wonderful story for all!

This book has a wonderful theme of what to do when change occurs. It shows how friendship can sustain mishaps. It had too many words for my students in preschool special class, and the illustrations were busy as well. My own elementary age kids loved it though!

Today my multi-age preschool class (3 yrs-5 yrs) sat silently and wide eyed as I read "Pumpkin Soup". The three characters and their relationship to one another were so clearly defined in the first few sentences that the children were mesmerized. The illustrations are soft but detailed. This was a perfect addition to our unit of study on pumpkins.

Now that my mother needs others to cook for her, I look for ways that I can prepare a meal ahead that will bring back memories of the "Good Old Days". I still follow her dietary guidelines, but re-introducing recipes from her hey-day makes her smile, and gives her a welcome change of pace. One of her favorites from this cookbook has been Johnny Marzetti, but I use Baby Portabela mushrooms instead of white mushrooms, and my mother wants double the amount of mushrooms. For my mushroom-hating mother-in-law and cheddar-averse sister-in-law, I remove the mushrooms and saute red and green bell peppers instead and switch to colby cheese. For DH, I increase the extra lean ground beef and use pepper jack cheese. These variations are economical, not too spicy, but tasty. They bring a smile, and take some of the pressure off my mother's care-givers. This cookbook lets me recreate the "Good Old Days." As always, it is my prerogative to update to meet dietary needs.

I love to cook and eat. I have loads of cookbooks. This is the best book I have seen that captures what my parents and grandparents ate and taught me to eat. Beyond that, is chronicle of the food that became available and why and where they originated.
It should be considered a history od 20th century foods a s well as a cookbook. Loads of comfort recipes, as well as those that are now considered classics, never to be deleted. Worth purchasing if you are a baby boomer, you will love it.
DOC

It is a good book to find popular American recipes. Cookies and quickbreads are delicious, and my husband likes the casserole chapter. As I was born and raised outside the U.S., the tidbits about American culinary history in the book are very fascinating. I had to try exotics like soup mongole (a Campbell combination soup), and I admit it is pretty good. The ethnic recipes that entered American mainstream are often Americanized, but it should not be surprising because it is the American Century Cookbook after all.

This book is a treasury of true American cooking, with the recipes our mothers and grandmothers loved,and that make fond memories for us. Some are still favorites for family and entertaining (Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Stroganoff Casserole), others beg to be rediscovered (Imagine! Coca-Cola Salad), all provide fascinating reading, with their accompanying histories, orginal ads and illustrations. "American Century" has rapidly become one of my favorite cookbooks, both for browsing and for adding to my collection of recipes that please and amaze.

I use this book as a reference guide for my high school American History and African American Studies classes. Everything in the world seems to be here including an old favorite from the 1960s, 'Puree Mongole.' This cookbook is easy to read and most recipes are simple to follow. The best part for me, as a Social Studies teacher, is the gem of the history lessons and time lines associated with all the food preparations. A real pleasure and a book that is priceless if you like the history of American cuisine.

I purchased the earlier version in 1991 after I gained the "Freshman 15+" and my doctor recommended it. I followed it exactly for one month and dropped all the weight+. My workout consisted of jumping/dancing around my dorm room for 20 minutes while listening to the Footloose soundtrack! This was awesome and I never gained it back! I think it is also great for reminding you what a healthy meal and healthy portions look like in our supersize world. Good luck meeting the new you!!!

This diet works wonders. I went on it after having each of my children. In 1997 I lost 40 lbs in two months. In 1998, I lost 47 lbs in two and a half months. The meals are extremely simple, and if you need to substitute you can just swap one day for another. I felt like I was really hungry for the first week, but I definitely felt great. The dinner makes you full. Every doctor (the last one was a midwife) I have asked if I could go on this while breastfeeding has said absolutely. I did increase the diet by having three extra glasses of milk per day, because I was breastfeeding and still had great results. My husband did this diet, but went off of it too early and gained all of his weight back. He lost so much more than I did, the same amount in half the time it took me. (of course he was in his early thirties). I think if he would have just kept to the diet he would have the same results I have, not gaining it all back. If your looking for some fad diet that is going to make it easy, there is not one. Losing weight takes self control and determination. If you do not want to actually lose the weight, this book is not for you. If you do, its going to take work the first week, at least. If your faithful to this the weight is coming off and you will feel wonderful.

I have struggled with weightloss for years, and lacked the discipline to accomplish it. This book makes it soooooo easy, all you do is follow the meal plans. I lost 35 lbs. and feel great.....

The beauty of this book and plan is how quickly you see results. Sure, you're pretty hungry while you get used to the reduction in calories, but it's easy to manage since you know you'll be eating soon anyway (you eat 5 times a day). The walks are something you'll need to be very disciplined with, but once you get results, you won't want to skip a walk!

The menus can get a little overwhelming, so what I did was I made a list of the breakfasts, lunches and dinners that appealed to me, and were simple - and posted them on the fridge. I often ended up eating a lot of the same stuff day after day, but that made it easier for me to go grocery shopping and prepare foods for the day. I needed convenience.

The best thing of all is I feel this diet has permanentely affected my metabolism! I did this diet for about a month or two, lost about 12 lbs in the first week and 20 lbs total and have been able to keep it off for nearly a year. I haven't remained that active and often eat a lot, so it was a pleasant surprise. If I ever need to shed some weight (and quickly!) in the future, this is the book I will reach for, no doubt.

16 years ago as I prepared for my wedding, I was faced with losing 70 lbs. I had put that weight on in college and thanks to just bad eating habits (eating late at night, eating the wrong foods, beer, etc).

My mother gave me this book because a friend of hers had read it and used it to lose weight. With nothing to lose (except fat), I decided to give it my all. Well, within a year, I had lost that 70 lbs and looked great for my wedding. I ate well exercized and changed my behaviors.

I kept that weight off for over 12 years, and only recently, thanks to my slowing metabolism, have gained weight back. And you know what, I am buying this book again and starting over. This book makes buying food simple (and the food won't put you in the poor house) and makes doing what you need to simple, in order to jump start your metabolism to lose weight.

I intend to lose 50 lbs and keep it off!

Good luck to you!