Florida Books

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views

Although Hart's cookbook incorporates Central Florida's regional foods, I found that I am able to get the majority of the ingredients in Texas - even Key Limes. I only found one item, Wood Duck, that is solely regional, but Hart gives the option to substitute Quail or Cornish Hen.

Perusing "The Bounty of Central Florida" my attention was drawn to Key Lime Cheesecake. It is rich, but light, and full of flavor. The Pecan Crust makes an ideal base for this cheesecake. The Best Flaky Pie Crust is short and browns well, however, makes a larger batch than indicated. For brunch, the Low Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake is ideal and goes well with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. The Chiffon Cake took be me back to my childhood when my mother made one for every Sunday. Rich and creamy is the Hollandaise Sauce and very easy because it's made in a blender giving it a guaranteed smooth texture.

"The Bounty of Central Florida" has easy step-by-step directions to follow and majority of the ingredients can be found in most kitchens. The pages are glossy and easy to wipe and the center has wonderful colored photos of many of the dishes. "The Bounty of Central Florida" is a must for anyone who enjoys simple cooking with an elegant flare.

The Bounty Of Central Florida by central Florida resident and kitchen cook Valerie Hart showcases almost 300 regional recipes highlighting the bounty that would grace any table and make any dining occasion a special event. From Muscadine Jam with Marsala; Jalapeno Corn Bread; Apple-Cranberry-Pecan Bread; and Crab Filled Artichokes; to Baked Wood Duck with Tangelos and Bananas; Fried Turkey Breast Blackman; Chet Blackman's Bodacious Barbecued Venison; and Beer Battered Fried Catfish, The Bounty Of Central Florida is a completely "kitchen friendly" compendium of wonderful recipes showing off the best of what central Florida has to offer the rest of the country.

Some of the world's best cooks live in Florida and as someone who has sampled delicious recipes at the homes of Southern women, I must say they have taught me a great deal about cooking. Valerie Hart's Cookbooks are a warm reminder of the time I spent in Florida and in her new cookbook, she also includes tempting pictures.

Her first cookbook, "The New Tradition Cookbook" is a true culinary classic and in this book the pictures reveal the sophistication and elegance in table settings and gourmet presentation. The picture of an entire table of deserts made with care made me feel a little nostalgic. Strawberry Pie, Chocolate Angel Food Cake and Citrus Sunshine Cake would be perfect to make for a Summer Tea Party.

The Bounty of Central Florida is not only unique because it is written by Valerie Hart, Food Writer and Restaurant Critic, it is unique in the way it is organized. The recipes are organized by favorite foods. Chapters include recipes for Bananas, Berries, Grapes, Kumquats, Citrus, Corn, Mushrooms, Pecans, Fish, Crab, Shrimp, Duck, Quail, Shrimp, Turkey, Venison and yes, Alligator Tail.

Delicious Recipes Include:

Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding
Berry Trifle
Strawberry Cassis Jam
Muscadine Jam with Marsala
Kumquat Chutney
Lemon Curd
Key Lime Pie and Key Lime Cheesecake
Corn and Shrimp Chowder
Portobello Bruschetta
Fried Zucchini Blossoms
Crab and Shrimp in Filo
Shrimp Kebab
Duck in Thyme
Game Hen with Tarragon
Alligator with Shallots and Thyme
Venison Ragoût

Sophisticated and often dreamily gourmet, these recipes all have the comfort of home with the feeling of having discovered a cooking treasure! Finally, a recipe for Plum Pudding! There is also an easy recipe for Ganache Frosting and a delicious recipe for Beer Battered Fried Catfish.

~The Rebecca Review

Butterflies through Binoculars: A Field, Finding, and Gardening Guide to Butterflies in Florida (Butterflies and Others Through Binoculars Field Guide Series,) This is an excellent reference book for butterfly lovers in the State of Florida. I take it with me on my butterfly field trips and when I sit in my yard to observe them. The book has excellent photos, detailed information for each species, and the habitat locations. It's an easy book to carry and pack.

This is one of the best presented field guides I have ever seen. Each and every species of Florida butterfly is pictured and described. Most butterfly guides I've seen use pictures of preserved specimens in a collection. This can be confusing because parts of the wings normally hidden are exposed when the collected specimen is mounted. This book avoids this problem by using only pictures taken in the wild (except for a few rare species). No more unnatural poses!

The text is easily readable without extensive knowledge of obscure scientific words and has enough humor to keep it from getting dry and technical, but not so much that it overpowers the book.

This book deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in Florida butterflies.

If you are looking for a filed guide to the butterflies of the northeastern United States, this is THE book to get. Written for a relatively small geographical area, the book contains only those butterflies likely to be seen in the regioon...unlike other guidebooks which offer many photos of butterflies not native to the regioon you are in. Excellent photos and the reduced subject area result in quick identifications. Although written for the northeast, the book is useful over a wider range...I have even used it in Texas to great effect. Don't put too much stock in the information about flight period and abundance, though. And don't expect much info on larval hostplants, etc

At long last a book that gets to the nitty gritty of buying property in Florida without blinding you with complex legal jargon.

The Authors experience shines through, lots of invaluable money saving tips, and warnings on where people have got in wrong - committing much more than they needed to and ending up in the wrong location.

A must buy read if you are considering buying property in Florida and want to avoid making mistakes.

This is a no punches barred guide to home purchase in Florida. It tells it as it is warts an all! Any one of the host of tips could save you a lot of money. I'm just so glad I bought this first.

I found this book to contain a LOT of useful information and tips. It really helps when a book is written by somebody who has experienced the same issues and fears that the reader is experiencing or will experience.

Definitely value for money - just one tip from the whole book can end up saving thousands of dollars.

Five stars.

Charlotte's Story, written by Charlotte Arpis Niedhauk, edited by Mary-Alice Herbert, and published by Laurel and Herbert, is a fascinating page turner as well as an important historical document of how a young couple managed to exist alone on an isolated Florida Key in 1934-5. Their survival reminds one of the manner in which people lived before the advent of electricity, supermarkets, running water, or any of the modern conveniences. Their "store" was the beach, where they would look for and find what they needed from raw materials cast forth by the ocean. Charlotte's resourceful husband Russ would make such objects as a dipper from a coconut shell with a handle carved from a madiera limb, a windproof ashtray from the bottom of a shell, fish and lobster traps, kitchen cabinets, and even a jewelry box from a coconut for Charlotte from their "lumber store," the beach. City-bred Charlotte learned to cope with mosquitoes, sandflies, and scorpians, and even how to scull a boat. Their island home was visited by a potpouri of strange, often frightening characters, who threatened theri lives and made off with their property. No one who reads the book will ever forget the couple's experience in the terrible hurricane of Sept. 3, 1935. According to a newspaper report, the barometric pressure was the lowest ever recorded in thehistory of world weather. Excerpts are given from Russ's diary, i.e."Violent wind squalls lasting from 20 to 25 minutes. Sometimes with wind bursts to 70 or 80 miles per hour....Charlotte is sitting on the floor in the open doorway. She saw the tide receed 50 feet before each squall, and then return with a rush. Each time a little higher. No waves visible. The wind has blown the tops off. Afraid for our boat at high tide...The roof of the old house is blowing off in chunks. I can't stop it." After the hurricane was over, the couple decided that being alone on an island had lost its attraction for them, and decided it was time to return to the homeland. At the beginning of their sojourn on Elliott Key, Charlotte seems a naive, somewhat helpless young female. It was a delight to see her grow into a resourceful, independent woman who was an equal partner to her husband. She wrote her story from notes and memorabilia almost a quarter of a century after they left Elliott Key. The first edition of Charlotte's Story was published in different form by Exposition Press in 1973. When the book went out fo print, the clamor for it was so great that Laurel and Herbert republished and reedited it in 1998. This is a book for everyone, Florida Keys residents, tourists, feminists and macho men alike; in other words for simply everyone who loves a good read.

Simply a joy. I loved this book. The setting, the charactors, and the pace. The view of the lifestyle, history, and geography. It was a fun easy read that just couldnt be put down.

While seeking some new Keys Fiction I had the good fortune to have this gem of personal prose proposed by a good bookseller. Normally I like fiction, but I was desperate for a book to read beside the Gulf, and what a read it was. This is the Florida of legend, the roots of Hall, White and Corcoran can be found here. The difference is this is real. Islands with one owner, bootleggers, rum running, customs men, body dumping, good old boys and gals, boat "lighteners," conch lassoing, lime tree tending, chowder cooking and endless beach combing for demi-johns, mahogany, cedar, planks and boxes. All told in simple, straight-forward prose. What I am trying to put into words is that this is an enjoyable adventure in reality for those of us who like the fictional adventure of the contemporary Keys writers. Oh. and the wicked developers are not there yet, but the sense of their impending arrival is clearly here in the devil may care attitude many express who live in this wonderful piece of history.

Chessie the Travelin' Man is a sensitive and wonderfully written book that details the amazing true story of a very special creature. My children love the illustrations in this book as well as the rhyming prose. This story is not only charming, it is filled with factual information about a rare and endangered species. I would reccommend it to any parent or educator!

Lovely book, all in rhymes which my 6 yr old son loved. Based on a true story about a manatee that somehow makes it up the northern atlantic coast two years in a row. He is tagged and followed. Includes gentle info about how manatees get hurt by boats, and how few there are left in the world. Beautifully illustrated, and received a Parent's Award. "Chessie" is for the Chesapeake Bay, which he entered on this first trip. Five stars because my son loved it so.

Lovely book, all in rhymes which my 6 yr old son loved. Based on a true story about a manatee that somehow makes it up the northern atlantic coast two years in a row. He is tagged and followed. Includes gentle info about how manatees get hurt by boats, and how few there are left in the world. Beautifully illustrated, and received a Parent's Award. "Chessie" is for the Chesapeake Bay, which he entered on this first trip. Five stars because my son loved it so.

An excellent collection of letters that provides a detailed account of the everyday life of an average Confederate soldier. If you or someone you know has any interest in the American Civil War, then this text is a must-have.

I enjoyed reading both Catton's and Foote's histories of this great and sad period of American History. I've also read more detailed histories of many of the great battles, but this is the first time I've read a personal account of one's direct experiences of this war.

Reading Washington Ives' journals and letters provides a more personal perspective on the war that can only briefly be glimpsed in the historical records, much of which were compiled from just such letters and journals.

A gem of a book...valuable historical perspective into
life on the frontlines during the civil war.

Very interesting and makes you wonder........

Loved it

If you are interested in enjoyable reading and learning about diverse cultures, Joseph Lerner's COAL FIRE is for you. Cultural diversity has blended so well into functioning communities, that, in order to see that diversity we must look at the community using the eyes from the other culture. COLD FIRE gives an entertaining and informative insight into the lives of a Jewish family living in the predominately Christian coal mining area of Pennsylvania in the 1950's.

It's a coming of age story seen from the eyes of Sidney Gerstein. The narrative is reminiscent of the psychological passage of Holden Caulfield from Catcher In The Rye. Outwardly Sidney is bright, inquisitive, and aims to please, but inwardly he questions the world around him and his place in that world, but in more socially acceptable manner than Holden. Sidney tries to understand the Jewish culture and religion from a matter-of-fact point of view. When he encounters anti-Semitism, he doesn't seethe with anger, but approaches his relatives and a Rabbi to understand the reasoning behind the bigotry. With his child-like questioning, Sidney explores the philosophical and theological basis of Judaism and incorporates them into an understanding of who he is.

Sidney's growth comes not from one major conflict in his life, but from a series of seemingly ordinary life experiences. Many of the incidents in the novel, could stand on their own as short stories. In addition to the philosophy, I enjoyed the detailed accounts of the day to day living in a mining community, seeing how the Christian and Jewish communities interacted and the interactions of the Jewish community within itself. The weaving of these stories gives a very rich picture of the mind and soul of Sidney Gerstein.

Besides being pleasurable reading, I believe COAL FIRE would make a good suggested reading for classes on Cultural Diversity.

Joseph Lerner's COAL FIRE is an endearing debut novel. Set in a town in the coal-mining region of Pennsylvania, it recalls episodes from the narrator's childhood during the 1950s. The story is framed by the life-threatening illness of the narrator, Sidney Gerstein, and the attendant anxiety and depression that impel him to write the story of his childhood as a means of recovery. For the most part Sidney's is a happy childhood, his close-knit family consisting of his parents, sister, and grandparents, all of them living together in the building that is also the grocery store that provides their livelihood. The Huck Finn-like freedom that Sidney enjoys in this more innocent time, nearly inconceivable for present-day children, allows his involvement in various ultimately harmless scrapes and adventures.
But the story is more than a childhood idyll, as Sidney confronts a number of crises. Some of these are typical adolescent crises associated with sex and finding one's place in the world. Other major issues relate to religious belief, ethnic identity, a family financial crisis, the serious illness of loved ones, and the deaths of friends and his grandfather. Sidney is characterized most of all by his curiosity: he wants to understand everything, from how coal mines work to how the universe works, from the economic and sociological implications of the coal industry's decline to the nature of God and the meaning of death.
The Gersteins are a Jewish family in a predominantly Christian world, and thereby hangs much of the story's interest. We follow the young Sidney's development as he negotiates the difficult business of maintaining his identity in the face of slights and taunts, while at the same time sustaining relationships outside his ethnic and religious tradition. His triumph is that he is able to do both without hypocrisy and without bitterness.
COAL FIRE is a good story, its time and place--and especially the coal industry in that time and place--carefully researched by the author. Sidney Gerstein, sensitive and precocious, is a character not easily forgotten. I recommend this novel heartily.

One of the attributes setting fine writing apart from mediocre hacking is the ability of the novel to create its own world, to take the reader away to a new, wholly unique, and unforgettable place. Joseph Lerner's Coal Fire does exactly that. I was able to see life and a slice of recent history (the mellow 50s in a small Pennsylvania mining town) through an entirely different perspective and believe my understanding of varying world views has been enriched by the experience. The work probes deeply into life's essential meanings; but it does so with a light touch, an often humorous tone, endearing and well-rounded characters, and a colorful, nostalgic setting that seems almost to breathe. I recommend this wonderful book with all my heart.

Dee's book is wonderfully written. It is hard to put it down. The book is filled with helpful instruction to new preachers. I use it almost every time I prepare a lesson. He gives basic outlines for different types of sermons. I have found these outlines very beneficial when observing my own outlines. It also gives young men, like my self, a little more confidence in our ability, since the book offers ways to find your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to continually improve both areas. Dee's book would benefit all readers, since in some aspect of our lives all christians need to be spreading the message of Christ.

Brother Bowman has an accurate understanding of what preaching is and offers a well-balanced, well-rounded approach. The guidelines he presents wisely avoid forcing all preachers into a single mold and instead will help any preacher--young or old, new or experienced--be the best preacher he can be. We have long needed a book like this.

Brother Bowman is uniquely qualified to write a book on the art of preaching. He has been for a number of yearas one of the most effective preachers among our brethren (churches of Christ), traveling throughout the U.S. and always in great demand for meetings and lectures. He has also, for the past 14 years, been conducting a special class on the art of preaching each spring at Florida College (Temple Terrace, Florida). This book is a compilation of the material he has used in that class, along with a special "preacher training program" that he has conducted for a number of years in Pasadena, Texas.

I just finished reading the book myself, and I highly recommend it to all preachers, young and old, who are interested in improving their sermon preperation and presentation skills. Chapter titles include:

1. In The Beginning 2. Who Is Qualified To Preach? 3. Types of Sermons 4. Preparing the Sermon 5. Style and Personality 6. The Preacher and His Audience 7. Rhetoric: The Power of Persuasive Speaking 8. Preaching In This Age

Here is a quotation from the "Foreward" written by another man I consider to be a great preacher, Melvin Curry:

"Now, thanks to Dee Bowman's book ... preachers young and old are blessed with a practical handbook that guides us through the thrilling process of sermon preparation and delivery. It is a book that teaches us how to balance form and substance."

I was getting so tired of stories on Miami. I had almost decided that Florida was now permanently off my personal "place to visit" list. That was before this delightful story, TRUE story, THE CONCH THAT ROARED arrived at my place. The well researched (and well illustrated) book took me on a magical if not bizarre journey to the end of Highway 1 in an explanation of how Key West became the Conch Republic and proceeded to seceed from the Union. Obviously author Gregory King is not only well verse with the place but also a most erudite interpretor of its story. He has made me want to drive (at least once) to Key West and experience what makes these folks so special. A word of warning though: you might have to use the recipe in the back of the book for Key Lime Pie to munch while reading this story. Or maybe drinking the Cuba Libre would be more appropriate?

The Conch That Roared is a must-read book if you're traveling to the Florida Keys or are just an armchair reader! Why? This is the only book available which gives the visitor/reader a taste of the real flavor of Key West...and I'm not talking just key lime pie and conch fritters (both recipes and more are included in the back of the book).

Author Gregory King must have visited every bar up and down the the scenic area... from Key West, past Key Largo and to the Last Chance Saloon as well as the politico's to write with such flair and flavor. He captured the essence...the soul and spirits of those citizens who declared war on the United States.

This is a great gift to give to someone visiting the Key West. Include a bottle of Cuban rum (which presently is illegal), two cheap glasses, and Coke, as well as Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice. 1/2 pund of minced conch, or an equal amount of clams. This will make a great going-away gift as well as provide ingredients for wonderful Key West entertaining when your friends return.

Put on your favorite Jimmy Buffett album and read the book.The characters in King's book are delightful and colorful enough to make a movie. King did a wonderful writing job of introducing them all to the rest of us! Thanks for taking a bit of history and bringing it to life for the rest of us conch-heads!

Key West secedes from the Union, declares its independence -- and it's not fiction, it's history. King captures the quirky heart and spirit of Key West and reports from the insider's view the events that led to revolution. I was in Key West to celebrate the secession anniversary a few years ago. This book brings the story to life with a lot grins along the way. It is fun to learn the strategic thinking and ingenuity that went into the battle with the US government -- a credit to Key West islanders and a tribute to the American way! Pick it up, put on Jimmy Buffet and enjoy the ride.

Several sketches of colorful, eccentric Floridians. Maid, prisoner, store clerk, Seminole Indian, schizophrenic, etc.

The writing is excellent, the vernacular dialect is authentic, the scenes are familiar from my childhood.

What's marvelous about this book is the subjects have lots of dignity. It's not a collection of carnival freaks with tattoos and addictions and senses of entitlement.

Ray Washington treats his subjects with care and love. His love for language, too, is evident.

Everyone has a story, it is said. Washington shows us the stories of his subjects in a way that makes us understand, sympathize, and even, perhaps, like a group of people as varied as ranchers and murderers, ecologists and battered wives.

Although these short (2-4 page) studies are wonderfully crafted, they might be a bit too rich for steady reading, like a dinner of chocolates. Better to keep this book by your bedside, or even in your glove compartment, for a little treat when you grow weary of this get-ahead-kindness-be-damned world with which it is all too easy to get entangled.

These stories are hysterical. This guy has quite a gift for boiling down the human essence of the south in a funny sweet and painfully honest way. great book.