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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French Classics Made Easy: More Than 250 Great French Recipes Updated and Simplified for the American Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an awesome cookbook! I bought this because I have absolutely no experience with French cooking, thought it would be fun to try, and am a grad student so I don't have hours on hand to spend in the kitchen. I'm so happy I bought it!
Richard Grausman puts a lot of himself in the cookbook in a way that makes me feel like I'm taking a fun cooking class taught by somebody I really like. He adds a lot of notes about why you should or shouldn't do things a certain way, which I think is a sign of a good teacher and helps me be a better cook. And it never comes across as patronizing.
The really nice thing about it, too, is that the recipes are actually affordable. Sure, a few of them have some pricier ingredients, but Grausman always gives the chef an out if need be.
If you want to try French cooking, buy this cookbook!

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Classic French food is hotter than ever. But one thing hasn't changed-few of us have the time, the patience, the technique, or the cream and butter allowance to tackle the classics as presented by Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The good news is-we don't need to. For the past 40 years Richard Grausman, America's premier culinary teacher, has been training American chefs in a simpler, better way of French cooking, and in French Classics Made Easy-a refreshed and updated edition of his original collection, At Home with the French Classics-he shares all of his extraordinary innovations and techniques. Golden soufflés in ten minutes. A light and luscious chocolate mousse that can be made as a cake, a chocolate roll, soufflé, or pudding. Plus Cassoulet, Boeuf Bourguignon, Coq au Vin, Bouillabaisse, Poached Salmon with Beurre Blanc-in all, 250 impeccably clear, step-by-step recipes in range of anyone who knows how to boil water or dice an onion. When a step isn't critical, Grausman eliminates it. If something can be done in advance, he does it. Plus he's cut the amount of butter, cream, egg yolks, salt, and sugar; the result is health-conscious recipes that don't compromise the essential nature of the dish. Techniques are illustrated throughout in line drawings. It's the grandness of French cuisine, made accessible for both entertaining and everyday meals.

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Soup Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)was a very happy camper with many yummy recipes (off the hook)Soup Nazi

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Few foods rival the feel-good factor of soup, whether a hearty minestrone on a chilly evening, a cooling gazpacho in the heat of summer, or the comforting tomato soup of childhood memory. This rich collection brings together 100 soup recipes from some of Britain's leading chefs and food writers. From Jamie Oliver's Chickpea, Leak and Parmesan Soup, to Rick Stein's Classic Fish Soup with Rouille and Croutons, here are recipes for every mood and meal. And as every culture embraces soup of some kind, the influences at work here are wonderfully varied—Ken Hom's Tomato Ginger Soup, Terence Conran's Borscht, Nobu's Seafood Miso with Chorizo, and Sam and Sam Clark's Chestnut and Chorizo Soup, to name but a few. Soup is surely the ultimate seasonal food, and, reflecting this, the book is organized by time of year, so that ingredients are easy to find and at their full-flavored best.

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Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal Review

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(More customer reviews)Reviewers surely differ in their evaluation of this work. Given where I am in the kitchen right now, I actually like this book very much. It fills a need for me. As I have purchased a number of cookbooks and downloaded a wide array of recipes from the Web, I have run into information/recipe overload. I try a recipe and like it--and then can't recall where it came from, and I waste too much time trying to run it down (and I can't always find the desired recipe at that).
This book has a smidgeon of recipes, a smidgeon of reflections, some "how to" items (e.g., how to slice onions without tearing up), "cookin' first aid" (What do to after oversalting soup?), cooking trivia (how many kernels are on the average ear of corn?), and so on.
But the special value for me? Many blank pages, in which I can place recipes that I like and am apt to use on numerous occasions. Examples? From the Berghoff cookbook (the Berghoff was a glorious restaurant in Chicago)--chicken schnitzel and red cabbage; from the web--lemon garlic tilapia, chicken piccata, gourmet mushroom risotto, meatloaf, oven fried haddock; from one of Mark Bittman's cookbooks, a combination of two recipes for grilled chicken (each alone is fine, use ingredients from both--the result is even better); Racheal Ray's "My lazy sister Ria's chicken"; and so on.
Deen observes that "The blank pages are for you to jot down your own answers to cookin' dilemmas and recipes you've learned and adapted from your momma. . . ." Well, I'm not so interested in either of those--but I intend to meet the spirit by creating space for collecting my favorite recipes that are scattered about various cookbooks and printout from the Web.
So, for me, this book works.


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Hey there, y'all! My favorite recipes came direct from my momma and grandmommas. I just love goin' through all the recipe cards they passed on to me and readin' their handwritten notes; it makes me remember our good times in the kitchen, gathered round the table. Sometimes, though, I need a little remindin' when it comes to writin' down my own recipes and recollections, so I've put together this darlin' little journal to get me (and you) started recordin'. I know I never forget a meal, but I also know that Jamie and Bobby aren't always listenin' to what I'm tellin' 'em. So for you and the boys, I've included some tried-and-true recipes and some of my hard-learned tricks for gettin' out of culinary scrapes -- and Lord, honey, have there been a few. Whether it is a real disaster -- the boss and his wife are comin' over and the kitchen is full of smoke (no shame in servin' some takeout) -- or just an everyday bump in the road -- your husband didn't hear the buzzer, and the cake got a little dry in the oven (let some sugar water soak into those layers, and no one will know the difference) -- I've got your answer. Just get cookin' and let loose: nothin' makes memories like the smell of home-cooked meals. Jot down your ingredients and your musings, cut out a recipe card or two to share with friends, keep track of who came to dinner, who liked what, and who laughed the loudest; remember the good times and learn from the bad. Like I always say, there's not much in life you can't learn in the kitchen. Paula Deen

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Bobby Flay's From My Kitchen to Your Table Review

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(More customer reviews)There's no doubt that a meal at Bolo, Flay's Manhattan restaurant from which these recipes were taken, is a delight. What fun to find the recipes all written up so we can recreate our favorites at home. But like his previous book, this is a frustrating volume to work with and one I wouldn't recommend to anyone who isn't really experienced. I have made more than one thoroughly fabulous meal from the book, but I went to culinary school! For the everyday good cook, the instructions range from sloppy to just plain terrible. The Roast Pork Tenderloin with Charred Yellow Pepper Sauce is great IF you halve the ancho chile paste recipe (otherwise you'll have enough for 4 recipes) AND you know enough to increase the liquid so it will actually stick to the tenderloin! If you don't halve the recipe for the olive stuffing, you're going to have an awful lot leftover -- and, no, it wouldn't add to the meal to "serve any leftover on the side." The Romesco Sauce for the Grilled Zucchini is fabulous, but why aren't we told to cut up or seed the plum tomatoes before cooking them? With these caveats, if you're a Flay fan and adventurous and confident in the kitchen, you can create some wonderful meals by mixing and matching his creative and delicious creations.

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My Italian Kitchen: Home-Style Recipes Made Lighter & Healthier Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this cookbook a few days ago and have been reading the recipes. I bought it because it offers great recipes for Italian food that have a calorie and fat count. My husband and I are health-conscious eaters and want to have the nutrition information about recipes. I found that in this cookbook the calorie counts for the recipes seem way too low. For example, the recipe for Cream of Pepper Pasta shows the calorie count, based on 1/4 pound of pasta with sauce, as being 299 calories. According to my box of whole wheat pasta, 100 grams of pasta (which is less that one quarter pound) has 370 calories in it...without the sauce. The sauce has 2 tablespoons of olive oil and one-quarter cup of heavy cream, so I just don't see how the calorie count for this dish can be 299 calories per serving. The recipe for Hummus lists the calorie count at 60 calories, based in one quarter of the recipe per serving. But, the recipe calls for over 8 tablespoons of olive oil. One tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories. If there are 2 tablespoons of olive oil in each serving, than the calorie count per serving has to be more that 240 calories. Maybe I am missing something...but the numbers just don't add up. It is disconcerting to me because I bought this cookbook with the idea that we could eat a good Italian meal and stay within our calorie requirements. But, I simply don't trust the numbers. I will probably return the book and try to find a cookbook that I feel is more accurate.

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Presenting a fantastic selection of authentic recipes, this cookbook captures the robust flavors of real Italian cooking. Inspired by the expertise of the author's family, this compilation offers such favorites as Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad), Mama Mia Ziti, and Blue Crab Linguine in Marinara Sauce. Featuring traditional sweets such as Save-the-Day Sour-Cream Coffee Cake, Tiramisu, and Dad's Favorite Pignoli Cookies, this tempting array of mouthwatering masterpieces also provides tips on how to make these classic dishes more healthful without sacrificing flavor.

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Jamie's Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)When I got the cookbook as a Christmas present I was a little skeptical. Okay maybe alot skeptical. The recipes looked a little too vague; not enough precise measurements; "add a glass of wine" (big glass? small glass? 'what's up with that?')Quite frankly, it made me nervous. Cookbooks aren't supposed to be like that.
But I gave the recipes a whirl and lo and behold, they turned out! The recipes were different yet familar. A nice twist on things (sorry, no pun intended). Jamie creates recipes with layers of flavor and texture; recipes with color and style. And what is more, they were relatively simple to make. I've received rave reviews from friends and family.
But the real surprise and joy was that Jamie's approximate portions and measurements allowed me to become more of my own chef, so to speak. I guess I always felt compelled to stick to the rigidity of a receipe. What I discovered is that I was more or less forced to I play with the amounts and I did not feel that I was somehow making a mistake when doing so. It was okay to toy with this ingredient or that. This gave me confidence to explore variations. In short, it made cooking even more fun.
This is how I think the great chefs really cook: they have a game plan but they have intuition, gut instinct. When you watch the great chefs on TV rarely do you see them haul out a measuring spoon or a cup. They go by eye, by experience and by gut. And I think this is what Jamie Oliver's book has done for the reader.
Buy it, experiment with it, have fun with it.

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amie's Kitchen-the television show-began as an experiment and turned into a phenomenon. It started when Jamie took in 15 unemployed, enthusiastic kids, trained them to be chefs, and helped them open a restaurant, Fifteen, that has become the hottest dining spot in London. When England's Channel 4 launched a tie-in series, more than four million people tuned in. The show premiers this fall in the U.S. Jamie's Kitchen-the book-is laid out as a cooking course and will inspire readers of all levels. Some of the cooking techniques included are making salads, cooking without heat, poaching and boiling, steaming, stewing and braising, roasting, grilling, and baking. In the process, Jamie shares one-of-a-kind, delicious recipes, such as prosciutto and pecorino, citrus-seared tuna with crispy noodles, herbs, and chili; smoked haddock risotto; and baked chocolate pudding. Jamie includes tips on how to take recipes in new directions and how to be an inspired grocery shopper-spotting what's good, what's in season, and what's a good value. Most important, Jamie encourages budding cooks to have confidence and a sense of independence, and to be master of the kitchen!

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Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)Being a Bobby Flay fan (I've had great experiences at all of his NYC restaurants and love Iron Chef/Boy Meets Grill), I knew I wanted this cookbook the minute it came out. But the moment I flipped through the pages, my expectations were totally exceeded--beautiful, full-page color photos incite you with every recipe (prompting a determined "I want to make that!), and tons of useful southwestern-cooking tips/tricks are spread throughout, including a chile pepper guide and tons of sauce/relish preparations. It seems like almost every recipe in here is either a dish at Mesa Grill or something Flay has created for Iron Chef America, and once you're finished making any recipe, this becomes obvious just because it's all so delicious! I've made probably around 20 of the recipes in this cookbook, and each time the result was simple; completely cleaned plates all around the table.
This includes Thanksgiving, where I made an all-Flay meal for about 15 people, complete with his maple and ancho-glazed roast turkey with a roasted garlic/cilantro gravy and a mango cranberry relish, sweet potato gratin, green onion smashed potatoes, and the gorgonzola, apple and toasted walnut salad with a spicy orange vinaigrette. All was a huge hit.
Whether or not you're a Bobby Flay "fan," perse, I would do yourself a favor and pick up this cookbook--you will learn tons about American cooking, Mexican cooking, and the orchestration of flavors (Flay's signature seems to be the balance of sweet and spicy--you will first taste the sweet elements, then your tongue will dance with heat). Not to mention all the great sauces, glazes, rubs and reductions that are dabbled throughout--there is even a fantastic margarita section, giving you everything from the "classic," to a pink cactus-pear version, to my favorite, a pineapple-chile margarita. Good Stuff!!!!!!

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Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen: An Indispensable Guide for Anybody Who Likes to Cook Review

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(More customer reviews)I've tried recipes from virtually every cook/chef on the Food Network but Tyler's recipes are the only recipes that have consistently turned out good, if not great. His show Food 911 has provided several staples in our household which are very easy to cook and prepare, due to the nature of the show.
With that in mind, I decided his book would be an excellent idea to buy and quite frankly, it is. The recipes are wonderful, savory and enjoyed by everyone - even kids. But I do have to agree with what some of the reviewers are saying, which is that you do need to have a little cooking know-how with this one to make it effective. I can see how someone who isn't very comfortable in the kitchen can make mistakes - perhaps Tyler's logic was that since it's the printed page, he could afford to make it a little more complicated as opposed to a tv show.
All in all though, if you're comfortable with your kitchen skills, by all means, this is a GREAT recipe book to keep in your kitchen.

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Two Dudes, One Pan: Maximum Flavor from a Minimalist Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)I was a little concerned from the other reviews because nobody had actually tried a recipe so I was beginning to think they were just bros of the authors' trying to give them all 5 stars. Well I'm glad I didn't go by all the other reviews. This is actually a really good cookbook. I own 400+ so I've been through a few.
The best recipe so far has been the Chicken Thighs in White Wine and Herbs on page 114. It was delicious. It called for all fresh herbs which I didn't have at the time so I used dried. The recipe turned out just as tasty. Please don't let the other reviews stop you from actually trying the recipes in this cookbook. It really is worth it.
You do have short snippets of their stories at the beginning of each recipe, the photographs are few and not that great, but the pages are coated so they will hold up.
The Cornflake Bars weren't pretty but they were delicious. There are recipes for making all your favorite salad dressings, including Green Goddess. The Bleu Cheese dressing was bar none, the best. Their salad chapter with homemade dressings rivals Simply Salads: More than 100 Delicious Creative Recipes Made from Prepackaged Greens and a Few Easy-to-Find Ingredients. They don't have that many but they're every bit as delicious.
Overall a good buy. They do use basic kitchen cookware, basic ingredients and they have a really good palette. Also, if you like this one check out Sam the Cooking Guy: Just a Bunch of Recipes, it's a pretty one too. Enjoy.


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Just one pan? No problem! You'll need only a single skillet, or a roasting pan, or a Dutch oven to make any of the 100 knockout recipes that have made this team the hottest culinary duo west of the Rockies. Today their catering business and restaurant are the toast of Los Angeles, but Jon and Vinny still remember what it was like to cook with a minimum of space, time, and equipment. And they know that it is the feel-good, homestyle favorites that win raves from their clients and will make any home cook's reputation. In Two Dudes, One Pan they show you how to prepare a surprising array of dishes—from finger foods to sweets and everything in between—using a few simple pieces of equipment and never more than one at a time.Just as Jon and Vinny depend on fewer kitchen tools and gadgets than most cooks, they also believe it's possible to eat well without spending a fortune, and their varied, deeply flavored food won't send you running to the gourmet shop in search of an obscure ingredient. For them, it's all about what you can do with food from the local grocery store. Pick up your favorite pan and try your hand at dishes like:Curried Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard and Red Onion Slaw * Sake-Soy Sea Bass with Baby Bok Choy * Spicy Roasted Cauliflower, Capers, and Parm * Sherried Salmon and Cipollini Onions * Five-Spice Cornish Hens * Pistachio Tiramisù with Sweet Cherry Sauce * Pumpkin Pie BarsWith full-color photographs, ingredient alternatives, helpful tips and shortcuts, and dozens of straightforward, down-and-dirty recipes that pack a wallop of flavor, Two Dudes, One Pan will inspire you to use less—and cook more.

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Food Network Favorites: Recipes from Our All-Star Chefs Review

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(More customer reviews)I love to cook. I am an excellent cook. I am also a huge fan of the Food Network. I am not in the least bit however, a fan of this cookbook. The one and only redeeming part of this cookbook is the interesting short little interviews at the beginning of each different chef's section. Apart from that, the recipes were not worth the paper they were printed on. Why? Well, unless you are a dedicated seafood nut, then the majority of these recipes will not be to your taste. No less than 80 percent of the recipes in this collection are fish based. Finally, although I am impressed with what all these talented folks can do, I do not personally need recipes that I cannot ever fathom using. How about some down home normal recipes with a wee bit of flair? Being a foody, I am desperately disappointed in this cookbook and glad that I bought it on ebay cheaply. I will certainly be re-selling it today!

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The ultimate collection of favorite recipes from an internationally acclaimed lineup of fabulous chefs: Rachel Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Giada De Laurerntiis, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Tyler Florence, Dave Lieberman, Paula Deen, Alton Brown, Michael Chiarello, Wolfgang Puck. Inside you'll find:
More than 120 of the best restaurant-quality recipes that can easily be prepared in home kitchens.
All the characteristics you've come to expect from Food Network—great recipes, reliable cooking tips, and easy-to-understand instructions.
Behind-the-scenes back-kitchen chitchat with some of the world's hottest chefs.
Q&A sessions with each chef about his or her passion for food, favorite ingredients and secret vices.
Exclusive photos of the all-star chefs taping shows on-stage at Food Network studios put readers in the kitchen with their favorite television personalities.
Numerous how-to photos and detailed text guarantee recipe success every time

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Food Network Kitchens Favorites Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this book at the library and picked it up, thinking it'd be full of frou-frou recipes that would be entertaining to watch a chef create on TV but not practical for a real kitchen. Boy, was I wrong. This book is full of true recipe gems. I went straight from the library to Amazon to get my own copy. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes to cook.

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• More than 250 favorite recipes from the food staff that work behind the scenes in the Food Network Kitchens.
• Kitchen tips and techniques that will ensure recipe success.
• Exquisite photography provides inspiration and confidence that every dish will be a success.

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How to Boil Water Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're one of those "Sure, I know how to cook...except I don't want to" people, you need this book. This book gives you the basics on how long you can keep meat, how to pick good cuts, what to do with vegetables, and the essential hints on everything you need to get started. The best part of this book aren't the recipes, but rather the reference guides on the things you never quite know, like how to cook specific vegetables and how to build a soup or smoothie. Great for someone who has just moved into an apartment, or for anyone who wants to get a primer on cooking. If you are puzzled about what tools you need, fear not--it's all very simple, and there are many, many diagrams in case you freak out with too many words.
I would say it's useful for anyone with less training than professional cooking experience. The pictures are wonderful.

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• Shows beginning cooks how to do just what the title implies—and a lot more—without a hint of intimidations.
• Features classic comfort foods such as no-flip fried eggs and soul-soothing grilled cheese for one and bolder, ethnic recipes like Tacos Picadillo and Southeast Asian Beef Salad.
• Exquisite photography and Food Network recipes, both inspire and build the confidence needed to make every dish a success.
• Hundreds of must-know hints, tips and short-cuts for those new to the kitchen.

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From Emeril's Kitchens: Favorite Recipes from Emeril's Restaurants Review

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(More customer reviews)After Emeril's last cookbook, "Prime Time Emeril", I had doubts about whether this new cookbook would be more egotistical rants with shameless "Bam"s thrown in with very little actual content. Not only were my fears unwarrented, this book exceeded every expectation I had and may be better than his first book, "New New Orleans Cooking".
It was my fear that Emeril was getting too full of himself and his popularity, but this book goes back to what makes his cooking popular, pairing "comfort food" and regional cooking with classic French-style preparations. He takes the foods you love and cooks them using the techniques that separates average everyday cooking from culinary masterpieces. This book is much less commerical and self-centered as the last, although he does happen to hawk his own hot sauce when a recipe calls for it.
This book has a little of everything, so just about everyone should be able to find something for their taste. The first chapter deals with basics such as stocks and seasonings, then Emeril works his way through appetizers, salads, seafood, meats, soups, sides, and desserts. Some are very complicated, while others are quite simple, so you can also decide just how fancy you want to get. I will say that most of them have long ingredient lists, but if this is what you must have for good eats, so be it.
This book is especially a treat for those of us who have enjoyed meals at Emeril's various restaurants. I've been trying to decode a Bibb lettuce wedge salad with warm black-eyed pea and bacon dressing that I had at Emerils in March and low and behold it's there for me to try at home. If you own his other books, you'll see some repeats like barbecued shrimp, banana cream pie, etc., but not enough to really complain about.

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Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)Last week I got a copy of Dolce Italiano for my birthday. Now you have to know a few things, I love reading cookbooks. I also love cooking from cookbooks, but rare is the book that provides excellent reading material, excellent insight, and excellent recipes. For example, I love the recipes in Ina Gartens' Barefoot Contessa series, but I can read one of her cookbooks in a sitting.
Not true, for Dolce Italiano, Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen. Gina DePalma has crammed so much incredible information, and heartfelt stories into her book, that I've been reading it for five days now and still have several more nights of enjoyment left to look forward too (not to mention months of recipes to try). From the introduction which gives you insight into Gina's background, to the ten Italian ingredients you must know (which section, by the way, I still haven't finished digesting), even if every recipe was a dud, you'd still have gotten your money's worth in entertainment and reference.
Now, in all honesty, I've only made one recipe, the Fresh Fig Tart, (well two if you count the crust and actual tart as two separate recipes), but man is that good, and easy - so I highly doubt there will be any duds in this book.
Tarts (and pies) have always intimidated me, but this crust came together so easily in the food processor. Then rolling it out, well, once I got over my fear of flouring the surface (I put a scant amount down the first time), it rolled out great on the second try. I followed Gina's advice and carpet-rolled it over my rolling pin to transfer it to the tart pan, simple. Also, throughout the book Gina gives practical advice on other things too. So like she suggested, I saved the leftover crust from trimming the excess, wrapped it and put it in the freezer. Gina notes that after you make two tarts, you'll have enough of these left over scraps to do a third (that's good advice as far as I'm concerned). She also gives advice on ingredients, how to choose, and where to buy some of the more obscure items (though there aren't too many of these, things like "00" flour and almond flour, maybe).
The book covers, cookies, cakes, spoon desserts, tarts, ice creams, sorbets and semifreddos, fried desserts, fruit and more (personally, my husband can't wait to try the fried dough as he's been searching for something close to his grandma's lost recipe for years now - we're hopeful) all as authentically Italian as I've ever seen on this side of the Atlantic. Next up though will be the lemony semolina cookies.
So basically, if you love desserts, you need this book. If you love all things Italian you need this book. Or even if you're like me, where dessert has been a second thought to your meal planning (I'm queen of cookies and washday cobblers), you really need this book.
Enjoy!


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Sacred Feasts: From a Monastery Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)I have several books by the same author so I was keen to add this one to my library. This book differs from its predecessors by including some comments/musings/reminiscences which I enjoyed reading. I liked the idea of a recipe collection built around feast days so that when you want to make something special you can go to this book as a good resource. I also noticed that the author has cut down on the amount of fat in his recipes! I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to people who like cooking and eating good fresh food and want to eat well on special occasions as well as everyday.

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This book of seasonal cooking provides a backdrop of celebrating sacred feasts of the year from a monastery kitchen to your kitchen--using recipes from Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette.Brother Victor-Antoine is the best-selling author of several cookbooks from his monastery kitchen. Sacred Feasts focuses on using seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables to create inexpensive, delicious, healthy, and beautiful vegetarian dishes to delight your family and friends. Recipes include simple and savory desserts, main dishes, and of course, entire meals to help celebrate feast days, family get-togethers, and to make even the most ordinary day special.This is the perfect recipe book for everyone who loves to cook and to use affordable, fresh, wholesome in-season fruits and vegetables that will please everyone!

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Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Don't buy this book if you're looking for recommendations on which brands of applicances to buy -- even Alton Brown would admit that you're better off checking out "Cook's Illustrated" or "Consumer Reports" for that. What this book is brilliant for is the explanations of what the most commonly used kitchen tools do and don't (and can and can't) do and how they work, along with the practical tips for picking the items that suit your needs best. Alton Brown does, from time to time, make specific recommendations, but he tells you why he likes those items so that you can accept or reject them on the merits. Also it should be noted that some of his recommendations run contrary to what he recommends for baking in "I'm Just Here for More Food," so if you bake a lot, you might want to read that book as well before shopping for items such as scales and mixers that are used in both cooking and baking. "Gear For Your Kitchen" covers items used in both, but emphasizes cooking.
Alton covers each type of equipment thoroughly, explaining, for instance, what types of pans are good for different types of cooking applications, and what are the various properties of the different materials out of which they are made. So not only do you end up understanding the diffference between a sauce pan and a saucier, you can figure out whether clad metal or copper is your best bet. This same type of treatment is given for knives, small appliances, etc.
But my favorite part of the book has to do with sanitation and storage. The explanations of why certain sanitary measures need to be taken are coupled with easy ways to do it. I couldn't get a frozen enchilada smell out of my microwave oven until I mixed water and bleach in the proportions Alton recommends in a plastic spray bottle. So simple and obvious and yet...
While reading this (cover to cover in practically one sitting -- it's that readable) I found myself enjoying Alton's humorous descriptions, numerous photos and drawings. But I've found myself going back to the book as a handy reference for ingenious ways to use items I already have and ideas for shopping more intelligently.
Since buying this book I've cleared out and reorganized my kitchen and even though I bought a lot more stuff after reading this book, I have more space and am able to use it more efficiently.
Thanks Alton!

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