Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Starters: Colorful Recipes for Health and Well-Being Review

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(More customer reviews)I love the Colorful Recipes series. Just browsing through the recipes is a mouthwatering experience. A gorgeous picture accompanies almost every single recipe. The recipes themselves require just good basic cooking skills and produce luscious, fresh-tasting dishes. A must have series if you love beautiful and honest food.

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With New Healthy Kitchen Starters, you can improve your diet while enjoying appetizers such as Cantaloupe and Feta Cheese Salad, Grilled Zucchini Skewers with Coriander, or Prosciutto-Wrapped Radicchio Wedges. This colorful series of healthy cookbooks takes a commonsense approach to eating right. Food fads and trendy diets may come and go, but your family doctor can tell you that you will never go wrong eating a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and legumes. We all know that we're supposed to be eating several servings of each of these foods every day. But you might not know that we're also supposed to be eating as many different colors of fruit and vegetable as possible. The naturally occurring pigments that give vibrant colors to fruits and vegetables also offer an array of unique health benefits, boosting your immune system and fighting common diseases and conditions as you age. These pigments and other plant compounds -- known as antioxidants and phytochemicals -- work in tandem with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep our bodies strong and well. The amazing benefits of colorful foods, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts are being studied in labs across the country and touted by government experts on nutrition. But all the good advice in the world won't help you put a healthy dinner on the table. The books of the New Healthy Kitchen series -- Starters, Main Dishes, and Desserts -- will do just that. The 60 recipes in these pages, grouped by the color of a key ingredient, offer dozens of appealing and easy ways to bring a rainbow of fruits, vegetables, and grains into your daily meals. Even better, 24 "Fresh Ideas" suggest simple ways of enjoying fresh produce as a wholesome and impromptu snack. With New Healthy Kitchen Starters, eating right won't be a sacrifice or a chore. In these books, healthy food means good food, simply prepared and a pleasure to eat.

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Umberto's Kitchen: The Flavours of Tuscany Review

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(More customer reviews)Good delivery - good condition - right price - everything was great. Thank you.

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Just as Menghi's restaurants are known for their warmth, so this book is wonderfully lush to look at and enjoy.

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Asian Soups (The Essential Kitchen) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was just searching this title to share with a friend who asked me about my favorite cookbooks and realized that no one had reviewed it yet. This has been one of my favorites for years. I am famous for my asian soups because of this book. Luckily I have a great asian market around the corner to get the ingredients. You will look like a pro making these recipes. Highly recommended. Don't hesitate.

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Chicken/ coconut milk Thai soup.Miso soup with freshtuna strips and ginger.Spinach, wonton, and noodle soup.Phos,udons, laksa: These are the stomach-warming, soul-satisfying soupsthat were only available in the finest Asian restaurants until now.In Asian Soups, Suzie Smith, author of Fruit, offers easy-to-preparerecipes for more than 40 sumptuous Asian soups stocks, broths, andpastes then explores recipes with poultry, seafood, meats, andvegetables.Perfect for any time of the year, soups can make hearty,filling meals or light lunches.

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Memories of a Midwestern Farm: Good Food & Inspiration from Around Kitchen Table Review

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(More customer reviews)My grandmother was the best cook in the world. Thanks to this cookbook, I now know how she made those great lumpy mashed potatoes and homemade-tasting green beans and... It's too bad terms like "homemade" and "country" have been overworked by Madison Avenue types because those adjectives apply perfectly here. It's all good, but it's not all healthy fare. In fact, I eat pretty "clean" throughout the week but on my "free" day, this is the cookbook I reach for. The only drawback is the ingredients are not listed separately with the recipes. That can become a bit problematic for a person like me, when the stove is blazing and you've got three things going at the same time and you forgot how many cups of milk the recipe called for. Still, the food always comes out tasting great. Invariably, Hutchens' recipes are the ones asked for by guests. I share the name of the cookbook and its author's identity -- but I don't share the cookbook itself. It's one of the few I would truly miss if it didn't come back.

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A Ligurian Kitchen: Recipes And Tales from the Italian Riviera Review

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(More customer reviews)Laura Giannatempo's LIGURIAN KITCHEN: RECIPES AND TALES FROM THE ITALIAN RIVIERA is the fifth and newest title in the Hippocrene Books regional Italian cookbook series and narrows the focus to the Ligurian region, blending photos by Michael Piazza with the author's memories of her home. Liguria is a narrow strip of coastal land in northwest Italy: recipes there are filled with dishes you won't find in your usual Italian cookbook - such as Herb Ravioli with Walnut Cream Sauce - and are accompanied by sidebars of information and history. A centerfold of color photos adds inspiration but it's really the unique dishes and stories which stand out in a cookbook that is enthusiastically recommended for any dedicated Italian cuisine collection.

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Liguria, a narrow strip of scenic coastal land in the northwest part of Italy known as the Italian Riviera, is home to some of Italy's finest foods. The fifth in Hippocrene's regional Italian series, A Ligurian Kitchen is a sophisticated love story between the author, her people, and their cuisine. The Ligurian kitchen is famous for fish, fresh produce and herbs. Dishes like Maltagliati con Pesto Piccantino (Fresh Maltagliati with Spicy Purple Pesto) and Ciuppin con Crostoni di Paprika (Ligurian Seafood Bisque with Paprika Crostoni) are featured here along with such quintessential favorites as Orata al Forno con Olive Nere e Patatine Arrosto (Roasted Orata with Black Olives and Baby Potatoes). But tales of lovable uncles and a lyrical account of making pasta in the midst of a storm tantalize as much as much as the sumptuous repasts the author places before us. In these 100 recipes and a beautiful section of photographs, the specialties of artisanal bread bakers and those of the region's cucina povera create a zestful collection that exemplifies "that extraordinary marriage of land and sea that is Ligurian cuisine." Complete with many b/w and color photographs.

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The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake: A Book About Kitchen Chemistry Review

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(More customer reviews)When their inimitable school bus goes on the fritz (or should I say, "frizz"?,) the students get worried: this is one field trip they don`t want to miss. They`re trying to give their unique teacher a surprise birthday party and need to get to the bakery for the cake. When they finally reach their destination, the unstable bus suddenly shrinks, with everyone in it, to the size of a moth. They dodge the baker`s fly swatter and Ms Frizzle while using kitchen chemistry to get the job done. My boys and I miss the volume of information and mini "reports" of the original series, but they still learn and have fun at the same time. They have a new respect for cooking, as edible chemistry. And the baking soda experiment at the back of the book is a rainy day standby in our household: we love the fizz from the Frizz!

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When the class tries to bake a cake for Ms. Frizzle's birthday, they wind up inside it and have some delicious fun learning all about mixtures and reactions that occur when ingredients are combined.TV tie-in.

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Prairie Recipes and Kitchen Antiques: Tasty, Healthy Dishes from Simpler Days Review

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(More customer reviews)Prairie Recipes And Kitchen Antiques presents an impressive compendium of original recipes drawn from pioneer families residing in Wayside, Kansas (the site of the original "Little House on the Prairie"). Wilma Kurtis and Anita Gold begin with an informative introduction to pioneer life, artifacts, and photographs. this segment is followed by recipes organized into chapters on Beans and Potatoes; Beverages and Punch; Breads and Spreads; Cakes; Candies; Canning and Preserving; Cookies; Desserts; Fritters, Pancakes, and Grits; Ice Creams and sherbets; Main Dishes and Casseroles; Pies; Puddings and Hard Sauce; Salads, Salad Dressings, and Cottage Cheese. There is a fascinating chapter on Wayside Remedies and a "user friendly" index to the recipes. Prairie Recipes And Kitchen Antiques is a unique and very highly recommended addition to any personal or community library cookbook collection.

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Kitchen Keepsakes & More Kitchen Keepsakes: Two Cookbooks in One; Recipes for Every Family and Every Occasion Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased this "double" cookbook. It is full of the recipes I have copied from friends and relatives onto little pieces of paper and index cards...Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Chicken Fried Steak, Sombrero Dip, Layered Salad, Zucchini Casserole, etc. These are tried and true, passed around, handed down, classic recipes, all nicely bound together in an attractive country cookbook. Well worth the price to have so many useful (and well-loved) recipes in one volume (actually 2 in 1)... plus the recipes are user friendly, not requiring unusual or exotic ingredients. Helpful hints usually accompany the recipes, like go-togethers, etc. Don't pass this one up!

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Two cookbooks are combined in one special edition for a true keepsake recipe collection.Easy-to-prepare recipes prove cooking doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious.Down-home, family-tested recipes are great for family or guests.More than 1000 recipes with concise directions, ingredients on hand, menu section and helpful hints.--This text refers to the Spiral-bound edition.

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Food Network Kitchens Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I would have to agree with the previous reviewer that this cookbook tries almost too hard to fit too much in a small space, and that the photos are often useless, including a number of captionless shots of Food Network chefs cooking or chatting. These pictures look like something from a bank brochure, in my opinion.
But I also think that saying this is a "celebrity chef" cookbook is entirely wrong, and that the whole point of the book is to showcase tried-and-true favorite recipes of the NON-celebrity chefs behind the scenes, who make all the glossy TV shows possible. It isn't like Emeril and Sara are in the trenches preparing for today's episode, trying to decide if the cheesecake needs another half-cup of sugar. That's why they're not mentioned in this book, which is quite clearly titled.
As for the recipes, I kicked off my experimentation by making Mory's Honey Challah just tonight, and if I had a Top Five Pieces of Bread I've Ever Had In My Mouth list, this would have to be on it. Many more mouth-watering recipes to try.
One other note: I find that a good number of the recipes include sub-recipes that could easily be used with other dishes, such as a mahi (fish) tacos recipe that includes a sub-recipe for "escabeche," which is basically a spicy, chunky carrot/jalapeno relish, somewhat like the pickled "hot mix" you can buy at the store. It would go swimmingly with any mexican dish, or with any other spicy main course, like something cajun, or a big fat Chicago-style Italian beef sammich. The recipe for brisket (TEN HOURS in the oven! Woo!) includes a homemade BBQ sauce recipe. There are also "master recipes" in the back, for things like chicken stock and broth...elemental recipes that give the reader a broader knowledge to aid experimentation. They're also used in a number of the main recipes, of course.
Overall, a very fine cookbook with a very broad reach. Find the best price and buy it.

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Cooking secrets and techniques that help make celebrity chefs famous from experienced off-camera chefs from the Food Network Kitchens.
Quotes and stories throughout, offering consumers a fascinating look inside the Food Network.
Exquisite photography and Food Network recipes providing inspiration and confidence that every dish will be a success.

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I'm In The Mood For Food: In The Kitchen With Garfield Review

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(More customer reviews)Our son loves to cook. He also loves Garfield. He is living away from home during his college break, and, being an ever concerned mother, when I saw this book I thought what a great book to send to our son for his summer fun, and it could be a great survival book. I picked it up out of a sense of fun and mother's happiness, and, to my delight, I found a serious cook book lay deliciously hidden beneath the cover. Ahh, "Decadent Roasted Blue Chees Potatoes," "Magnifico Mushroom Risotto," "Beat Me. Whip Me. Make Me Eat Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes," ah yes, like the great Native American Tradition, this is a book for the Heyokas out there, and the jesters. It is cooking with heart, with fun, and what fellow or gal with a great sense of humor and a great palate wouldn't just love the greatness of this hidden treasure book of fun and food.
Of course, there is ever-practical advice, such as Garfied's Fine Dining Faux Pas (Lord only knows who your child might be dating, and they can kindly leave this page open so that the "would-be date" will not embarrass your child while dining in a fine establishment). Thus, the advice, and this is just one of many, that one should not gargle with your aperitif, could simply be one of many saving graces.
I highly recommend this book. I readily admit I have kept the copy I bought for our son, and ordered many more for the rest of our children so that after a hard day, they may laugh and cook and be oh so glad to have an outrageous mother who has taught them love, laughter, and fine dining make for a happier day.

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Over the years, Garfield the cat has struck a chord with readers who can identify with his laidback, shall-we-say-lazy approach to life. The famous feline--whose passion for food and sleep is matched only by his aversion to diet and exercise (he prefers lie-downs to sit-ups)--has become the poster cat for all kinds of people, none of whom would ever describe themselves as "Type A's."To celebrate being the world's favorite feline, Garfield introduces I'm in the Mood for Food: In the Kitchen with Garfield.Chock-full of tasty recipes, the cookbook also features spot art and food-related Garfield comics in color. I'm in the Mood for Food includes chapters on Family Food, Party Food, Pasta, Outdoor Cooking, Kids' Recipes, Snacks, and Desserts. Consider some of these mouth-watering morsels: Lazy Cat's Lasagna, Color Me Hungry Red Pepper Potato Frittata, Royal Roasted Lemon-Herb Chicken and I'd Rather Be Happy Than Thin Chocolate-Chunk Cookies. All in all, I'm in the Mood for Food will appeal to cooks everywhere, especially those who love Garfield and, like him, believe that the best things in life are edible.

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A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs Review

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(More customer reviews)`A Great American Cook' by the `legendary' chef and restaurateur, Jonathan Waxman has been long awaited, at least by me, for about as long as I have been familiar with cookery books and more specifically the background of celebrity chef, Bobby Flay, who provides a blurb on the well-known fact that Waxman was `My number one mentor'. I call Waxman `legendary' because he comes from that pre-Emeril, pre-Food Network, pre-celebrity chef era of a scant 20 years ago, when the only chef one ever heard of was Wolfgang Puck, and the great culinary writer and editor, Ruth Reichl was predicting the end of celebrity chefs. Well, we all make mistakes! He is also `legendary' in that all the other members of this pre-Emeril club have produced at one or more important cookbooks. Wolfgang has numerous pedestrian efforts, and contemporary Jeremiah Tower (another Chez Panisse graduate) has produced at least two, one of which I consider one of the best chef cookbooks going.
Therefore, my expectations for Waxman's book were very, very high, as I would compare him to the best books from Tower, Zuni Café founder, Judy Rodgers, fellow Chez Panisse alum, Paul Bertoli, and especially the recent excellent works by Jacques Pepin (Chez Jacques) and Michel Richard (Happy in the Kitchen). It is most appropriate to compare it to `Chez Jacques' as both are written from the point of view of recipes the cooks make at home. At least that's what both of them say, and Jacques has a much easier time of sticking to that principle, as he has not headed a professional kitchen for many decades. When I opened Richard's and Pepin's books, I could tell this was something special almost immediately, as I can do with virtually all exceptional cookbooks. These excellent books simply don't mince words and get right down to talking about both facts and inspirations we have simply never seen elsewhere. I did not get that impression on reading through Waxman's 12 introductory pages, or even when I started reading the recipes. Virtually all the tips in `Edicts on Selecting Ingredients and Techniques' was old stuff we have all read in virtually every better cookbook written in the last 20 years.
But then, by the time I got to the third chapter, I started to appreciate two things about the recipes. First, although some originated in one of Waxman's commercial kitchens, virtually all of the recipes were relatively simple. Maybe not as simple as Jacques (who seems to be the master of effortless home cooking), but simple AND special, nonetheless. Second, I noticed that there were virtually no fancy ingredients being used, unless you count Waxman's strictures about not using frozen seafood, especially squid, for the recipes. Instead, Waxman draws from a relatively simple palate, where lots of popular ingredients find their way into many different recipes. The obvious ones are sweet peppers, asparagus, tuna, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, and shellfish. If one is a fan of any of these ingredients, then Waxman's book is a must, as he gives you enough to keep you happy for several seasons.
One can also see what it is about Waxman's style which may have had a big influence on Flay. While Waxman's primary influences were the California pantry and French cooking techniques, seen through the eyes of Alice Waters, he is clearly in love with southwestern ingredients and cooking styles. And yet, there is very little real grilling going on here. And, if you were adverse to southwestern cuisine, you would probably find these recipes may even change your mind.
Waxman's recipe writing style is very easy on the eyes and the mind (easy to follow, without being overly pedagogical). As dearly as I love Julia Child's recipes, Waxman's writing is far more fun to read and to execute for the experienced chef. He doesn't leave anything out. You will even find his imagery illuminating, as when he tells you to open a slit in a cooked chicken breast as if you were squeezing open a slit baked potato. Similarly, when he tells you how to prepare the perfect roast chicken, the instructions are far simpler than Jeremiah Tower's similar recipe. Finally, while the layout of the procedures is not overly fussy, it is very nicely organized with simple typesetting to distinguish one part of the recipe from another.
This book is worthy for any experienced cook who is not always pressed for time, and while just a bit light on the insights, it's a worthy book for those especially fond of the best chef's books cited above.


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The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter Review

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(More customer reviews)The Kitchen Series with Charlie Trotter is an inspirational book. The photos are glossy, beautiful, textural, and alluring. The recipes are innovative and they work.
I made one of the more elaborate recipes (Chicken Dumplings with a Stir-Fry of Shiitake Mushrooms, Water Chestnuts, and Mung Bean Sprouts in a Ginger-Soy-Hijiki Sauce) for a group of eight. It took a lot of time to prepare, but the reward came when my guests practically fainted from the gorgeous flavors.
Another recipe met with stunning reviews from my guests (Pumpkin Soup with Pheasant Breast and Fried Ginger), although I did serve it as a main course, and not as a soup.
Recipes are broken out into groups: Soup; Salad; Lobster; Scallop; Catfish; Salmon; Tuna; Pasta; Poultry; Pork; Duck; Beef; Dessert; including a Pantry section explaining how to make herb oils and other sauces used throughout the book.
I also purchased the Kitchen Sessions video set and became glued to the TV when I watched them. The videos are exciting and Chef Trotter's enthusiasm will send you off into your own kitchen to try it for yourself.

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Polish Cookery : Poland's Bestselling Cookbook Adapted for American Kitchens Review

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(More customer reviews)An excellent abbreviated edition of a best-selling cookbook in Poland, the more exotic recipes (e.g. peacock brains 21 different ways...) pared out in favor of the classics, such as Pierogi, golabki (cabbage rolls), barcz (borsht), and bigos (hunter-style soup).
While the book is on the whole quite strong, there are no pictures, which doesn't bother me much, but I am disappointed that the book entirely lacks a section on Polish baking, which is the only reason why the book didn't get 5 stars from me.
Don't let these trivialities keep you from picking up this bargain book!

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Poland, like France, is a country where people really know food. One can stop at a wayside inn in the country or at a modest restaurant in a working-class city neighborhood and be served a meal worth remembering. Good food is a tradition.Polish Cookery is an American adaptation of Uniwersalna Ksiazka Kucharska (The Universal Cookbook), long the most famous standard cookbook in Poland. All weights and measures have been converted to American usage, and suitable substitutions are provided for hard-to-get ingredients. The recipes range from the familiar to the exotic and include soups like Polish Mushroom and Barley Soup, Fresh Cabbage Soup, many variations of Barszcz, the famous Polish beet soup, and Sorrel Soup with Sour Cream.The Poles are very fond of pates, dumplings, and meat pastries. In Polish Cookery, you'll find recipes for Meat Patties, Potato Croquettes, Venison Pastry, Partridge Pie, Game Pate, many variations on the celebrated Pierogi, or dough pockets, and Buckwheat Cakes.Authentic entrees include Loin of Venison, Roast Wild Goose, Smothered Pike, Turkey in Madeira Sauce. Chicken Casserole with Currants, Smothered Duck in Caper Sauce, Hussar Pot Roast, Tenderloin Smothered in Sour Cream, and perhaps Poland's most famous dish, Bigos, or Hunter's Stew.To round out the Polish meal, there are recipes for Mashed Turnips and Potatoes, Split Pea Fritters, Stuffed Kohlrabi, Fried Carrots, Mushroom Ramekins, and Pearl Barley with Dried Mushrooms.Finally Polish Cookery offers such dessert treats as Almond Torte, Cracow Torte, Spice Cake, and Almond Babka.Polish cuisine evolved over centuries, a combination of East and West, aristocratic hauteur and peasant fare. It is a rich culinary heritage that is faithfully represented here in Polish Cookery.

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Edible Flowers: 25 recipes and an A-Z pictorial directory of culinary flora. From garden to kitchen: how to grow and cook edible flowers, in 400 beautiful photographs Review

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(More customer reviews)I originally borrowed this from the local library for research on a talk on edible flowers I gave at the local extension and found it to be so informative I wanted it for my own library. Quite detailed on how to prep the flowers. There was much more information then I've seen in others books on this subject. Great pictures.

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Keen gardeners and avid cooks will be thrilled by the imaginative use of flowers outdoors and indoors, and will consult this authoritative reference and stunning visual source book for years to come.

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White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)Walter Scheib's White House Chef is a fascinating and compelling memoir of the inner workings of the White House kitchen and what it takes to be the Executive Chef of the House. After reading the book, I was greatly encouraged that this was not yet another tabloid infused penning of the lives of high profile people. It reads as a forthright account about Chef Scheib's personal interactions with the First Families and his kitchen family in both daily events and even the life-harrowing event of 911. The Chef's retelling of what it was like to be in the White House during September 11 is not to be missed.
In addition to reading the book, I thought it was important to experience the Chef's cuisine. As a professional cook, I sought out to test the recipes in my kitchen and see if they actually work. Both the Cream of Celery Root Soup and the Thai-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup with Gingered Bok Choy were absolutely fabulous. The Cream of Celery Root Soup could easily be adapted for Vegans (by the omission of cream) and still taste great. The last dish I cooked was the Curried Chicken with Basmati. It is an incredibly aromatic dish that is both satisfying and flavorful. I did have to tweak the seasonings and the directions because I increased the proportion size quite a bit. In fact, I used the recipe for a catering. I simply replaced the whole chicken with chicken breasts. The dish was gone in no time and received some very positive reviews.

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"An engaging book about life at the Executive Mansion. . . . Hillary Clinton had charged this fiercely competitive, meticulously organized chef with bringing 'what's best about American food, wine, and entertaining to the White House.' His sophisticated contemporary food was generally considered some of the best ever served there."--Marian Burros, New York Times
White House Chef
Join Walter Scheib as he serves up a taste--in stories and recipes--of his eleven years as White House chef under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Scheib takes readers along on his whirlwind adventure, from his challenging audition process right up until his controversial departure. He describes his approach to meals ranging from the intimate (rooftop parties and surprise birthday celebrations for the Clintons; Tex-Mex brunches for the Bushes) to his creative approach to bringing contemporary American cuisine to the "people's house" (including innovative ways to serve state dinners for up to seven hundred people and picnics and holiday menus for several thousand guests).
Scheib goes beyond the kitchen and his job as chef. He shares what it is like to be part of President Clinton's motorcade (the "security bubble") and inside the White House during 9/11, revealing how he first evacuates his staff and then comes back to fix meals for hundreds of hungry security and rescue personnel. Staying cool under pressure also helps Scheib in other aspects of his job, such as withstanding the often-changing "temperature" of the White House and satisfying the culinary sensibilities of two very different first families.

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Cookies & Biscotti (Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library) Review

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(More customer reviews)The biscotti recipes in the book are the best I have ever tried! The orange pistachio biscotti is always a crowd pleaser. Easy to follow directions and wonderful photos! You will get lots of use year round out of this cookbook.

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Salads - Williams-sonoma Kitchen Library Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the better dessert cookbooks I own. I have made several items and especially liked the Almond Scented White Cake topped with raspberries. Make it and you will be the hit and envy of any party to which you take it. Other greats include: Gingerbread with Crystallized Ginger, Hazelnut-Raspberry Torte and the Chocolate Chip Banana cupcakes. If you love to bake and like to impress, this book is for you.

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