Average customer rating:
- Good primer for flexitarians and those who need more fiber
- Extraordinary book
- A Definite Winner
- Practical approach fast recipes great basic book
- Easy and basic but not bland
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366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains
Andrea Chesman
Manufacturer: Plume
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Binding: Paperback
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The Rice Diet Solution: The World-Famous Low-Sodium, Good-Carb, Detox Diet for Quick and Lasting Weight Loss
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ASIN: 0452276543 |
Book Description
Andrea Chesman presents 366 creative and flavorful "natural gourmet" recipes using a wide variety of beans and grains, like basmati and jasmine rice, adzuki beans, amaranth, and quinoa. Organized by course and main ingredient, these dishes range from light and lively starters to hearty and soul-satisfying foods that stick to your ribs but not to your waistline. American favorites are well represented here, but adventurous cooks will be pleased to find ethnic cuisines dominating this mouthwatering collection, including such recipes as:
* Spicy Vegetable Couscous
* Pesto Pasta with Cranberry Beans
* Smoky Black Bean Burritos
* Jamaican-Style Rice and Peas This wonderful addition to our 366 Ways series features foods that are among the most versatile and healthful in the human diet, not to mention absolutely delicious.
* Recipes are high in flavor, low in fat.
* Each recipe includes a detailed nutritional analysis, which counts calories, fat, percentage of calories from fat, protein, fiber, sodium, and calcium.
* Vegetarian dishes dominate the collection, but healthful variations include salmon, shrimp, and chicken.
Customer Reviews:
Good primer for flexitarians and those who need more fiber.......2007-09-20
I purchased several vegetarian cookbooks at one time once my boyfriend and I made the decision to become flexitarians. This book, more than any other, has helped us make this transition. Yes, I grew up in the south and know how to cook beans & greens and vegetarian chili. This book introduced me to quinoa (my new favorite!) and got me thinking about how to approach cooking in a whole new light. Highly recommended for vegetarians, or even meat eaters who need to add some fiber to their diets. Well written, and the recipies are simple and easy to follow. I wish there were pictures - I'm just a visual person, and I tend to prefer cookbooks with photos.
Extraordinary book.......2007-08-07
With the exception of ONE recipe, which I found bland, everything I've tried in this book has been exceptional. I use it all of the time.
A Definite Winner.......2007-01-26
I (James' wife) found this cookbook in a bargain bookstore 7 years ago and found it to be a treasure chest of great recipes using beans, lentils, etc. We own many international cookbooks and I like how this cookbook incorporates international flavor without too much extra work. Most of the ingredients I keep in my pantry. Every Wednesday our family has a meal featuring beans and I have used the ideas and recipes from this book to prepare these meals. My copy of the cookbook is full of bookmarks, I have so many favorite recipes. I have since purchased many more copies of the cookbook to give to relatives and friends. I also know that many of my friends have purchased the book on my suggestion. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking for new ways to prepare beans, lentils, rice, and other unique grains. These recipes can convert the uninitiated to a love of tasty vegetarian cooking.
Practical approach fast recipes great basic book.......2006-08-31
The book has a number of strong points: the recipes are usually low in fat, there are many suggestions for vegetarian dishes but also options to add in meat, every pulse you can think of is covered and a good number of the recipes use time saving products such as already processed barbecue sauce or tomato paste etc. This has its benefits but also, in the case of some items, if you are located in Europe the suggested items aren't readily available. The book extensively covers different types of rice, grains, beans etc, and contains information on soaking and cooking times. There is a large section on deserts, rice puddings and other kinds of sweets with some original suggestions. Overall, however, few of the recipes sparkle with creative flair, many are variations of what you intuitively mix together yourself if you are moderately creative and have a well stocked kitchen. If you are an experienced cook looking for creative and exciting input, i.e. you flick through books and then assimilate suggestions to incorporate into your own cooking you might want to have a look at the Ajurvedic cookbook by Mirjam Gazin Hospodar, which also has many grain, rice etc recipes, however not low-fat and more time intensive than the rice beans and grain cookbook. If you 1) are not experimental when cooking 2) want step by step solid instructions 3) don't like spending ages in the kitchen 4)like healthy low-fat fare 5) want a good summary of grains, rice, pulses and how to treat them and don't already have a book, then this book is a very good choice for you.
Easy and basic but not bland.......2006-08-21
This is the book I have been looking for. I have always liked beans and grains but what to do with them other than tabouli and chili? The recipes are for simple basic food, ingredients that can be found in most supermarkets and I don't need my french dictionary ! I had the Red Lentil Vegetable Stew for supper tonight and it was great!
Customer Reviews:
Very good.......2006-10-08
Good instructions and ideas. Not super-complete; better combined with other books. But overall, you can follow the instructions and complete the projects.
preparing for XMAS!.......2005-09-12
You don't have to be a sculpter.You don't have to buy special instruments.Pick up one apple.Have a sharp knife.You will have a swann done in a few minutes.
Garnishing.......2005-08-28
Easy to follow and understand, this book is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to add an artistic flair to their food preparation. The pictures are beautiful, full color photographs with step by step instructions to fully explain each decoration from beginning to end.
Fun way to decorate food!.......2002-04-20
This book has a color photo of the finished item garnished with illustrations on how to do it and written instructions. There are lots of fun ideas for holidays and special occasions. The cabbage Christmas Tree & Pinapple Christmas Tree are fun. For Easter there are Eggheads, Chicks & Bunnies as well as a Jicama Bunny that you can do. My personal favorite is the Daikon & Pineapple Palm Tree! This is a good book on the basics to get you started creating some fun food decorations. Enjoy! :)
Not Enough Illustrations.......2001-05-21
Not near enough illustrations of the how-to-do process and the items shown are not ones I would like especially.
Average customer rating:
- Nicely informative, Poorly organized, Recipes aren't great
- A great guide for sauces
- Excellent Professional text and reference. Buy it if you make sauces!
- extremely inaccurate and ill-researched
- Inaccurate Facts
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The Sauce Bible: Guide to the Saucier's Craft
David Paul Larousse
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making
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ASIN: 0471572284 |
Book Description
A complete contemporary reference on the subject of stocks and sauces, including complete instructions for creating ``arabesques'' of sauce paintings. Features anecdotes, miniature biographies regarding several major and minor contributors to modern cooking techniques as well as historical and linguistic references to specific dishes. Numerous sauces and accompaniments created by other culinary professionals are also included.
Customer Reviews:
Nicely informative, Poorly organized, Recipes aren't great.......2007-07-06
Preface: I am a novice sauce maker:
I read the chapters covering history, stock, and the mother sauces. I enjoyed the history and the basics covered on the mother sauces and stock were covered in a satisfactory manner.
My first indication that I didn't like the book was the recipe for veloute. It wasn't until after a few batches of experimenting that i managed to get a reasonable roux going. Also, some things like final liasons and glaces aren't covered too much. In fact a lot of things are mentioned but never discussed in depth.
Some of the recipes are great though, and there are a ton of them.
Try something else before this book.
A great guide for sauces.......2007-05-13
There are many more sauces than I ever imagined in this book. My husband and I have had a great time choosing an appropriate sauce for whatever meal we are planning. The key is to have a good mother sauce to start with and then you will have a succesful small sauce.
Excellent Professional text and reference. Buy it if you make sauces!.......2006-05-03
`The Sauce Bible' by culinary educator, David Paul Larousse is one of those very few books you find which are specifically written for culinary professional. The first clue is the high list price of $54.95. The second is that textbook specialist, John Wiley and Sons publish it. The third is the fact that the book began as an essay on sauce painting, which the average foodie will admire, but, to my knowledge, will virtually never try to reproduce. The fourth clue is that the quantities for many of the recipes are a lot larger than one would need for a dish for four or six. The fifth clue is the large amount of narrative and graphics devoted to explaining the relationships between members of the various sauce families, based on the famous French `mother sauces'.
That is not to say the average cooking enthusiast couldn't get something from this book. The biggest question is whether this book is better than the standard modern work in English, James Peterson's `Sauces'. The very first comparison I did was on the two books' treatments of `beurre blanc' or white butter sauce commonly used for fish and often used as an exemplar of `nouvelle cuisine' cooking, although the recipe is much older than the 1970's. I think the treatment of this by the two different books is a good indication of the books' relative strengths and weaknesses. While Larousse has, by a very rough count, 480 recipes to Peterson's 350, Peterson gives more details on the techniques used for each individual recipe, while Larousse spends more time on general material. Peterson's recipe, with introduction and variations, takes up over three pages, including tips on saving the sauce for later use. Larousse' recipe for basic `beurre blanc' takes about half a page, although later recipes such as Bercy and Chambertin are variations. Oddly, Peterson includes in the basic recipe a step to strain the solids, primarily the shallot, out of the final product, while Larousse give no such instruction until we get to the recipe for the Chambertin sauce.
So, for the amateur chef, Peterson may really be the better book, since he is more detailed in his recipes for very common sauces, even if he is a bit fussy for the amateur. But, I really think that a dedicated foodie will want both books. While Peterson is probably the better quick reference, Larousse is better in understanding the relations between all members of the sauce families. And, he certainly covers more different classically named sauces. Peterson, for example, gives no mention or recipe for Chambertin sauce, at least it is neither in his list of recipes or in his index. And, you will certainly want Larousse if you wish to understand sauce painting the way they do it a fancy restaurants and on the `Iron Chef America'.
I have seen at least two less expensive trade paperback books on sauces and while I believe both are decent, I strongly recommend one of these two books for the dedicated foodie in preference to a shorter book. I am especially respectful of Larousse's tutorial on the making of stocks. His recipes and techniques are certainly useable by the home cook, although they would meet no one's notion of quick cooking, as the longer ones take from eight to twelve hours for optimum results. The only thing I missed in this volume was the concept so artfully stated by Deborah Madison where she proclaims that stocks should be crafted to meet their specific uses.
Highly recommended for the professional and the dedicated foodie.
extremely inaccurate and ill-researched.......2005-01-17
I was given this book as a gift, and as a professional chef in Washington, DC, I was very disappointed. The inaccuracies and bumbling research do not warrant a reader's funds nor time. In my opinion, this book is useless to both professional and pedestrian cooks.
Inaccurate Facts.......2004-04-17
Everyone's heard the old adage about "where there's smoke, there's fire". If I discover inaccuracies in a text that I know are inaccurate, it makes me wonder how much of what is stated in the text about matters I don't know about is accurate!
Example 1: He states that a peppercorn when ripe is pink, and that is soaked in water to remove the pink shell to reveal the white peppercorn. This is not true. The "pink peppercorn" is not related to black pepper at all. (Ref: The Professional Chef, 5th Edition)
Example 2: He states that tomatoes were introduced into Italy in the 1600's. I had always heard that it was Thomas Jefferson who ate tomatoes when no one else would because tomatoes are related to the Deadly Nightshade (Belladonna) family and were generally thought toxic. Jefferson introduced them to the Italian Ambassador who brought them back to Italy in the 1700's.
Example 3: He gives a recipe for Chutney sauce which requires Mango Chutney as an ingredient. However, there is no Mango Chutney recipe in the book that I could find!
OK, Example 3 is an omission rather than an inaccuracy, and yes, I'm not positive which story in Example 2 is historically correct. But Example 1 alone would cause me to be skeptical, because it is so widely known that pink peppercorns are not a member of the black pepper family. Actually, white pepper is inside black pepper, and breaking off the outer shell reveals the white peppercorn. Green peppercorns are merely just that: green when they're ripe.
Also one recipe, I forgot which one, called for 1 Basil, and left out the unit of measure.
Haven't tried any of the recipes, but just reading through some of them, they appear to be fairly sound. The proof will be in the tasting.
DR
Book Description
Many cookbooks try to teach you how to feed a family of six on weeknights using as few ingredients as possible, in as short a time as possible—that is, mere sustenance. At the other end of the spectrum are those books with endless ingredient lists and cooking instructions that take the better part of a weekend, trying to teach you how to re-create world-class restaurant food at home—that is, mere fantasy. But neither approach teaches you how to do the one thing that has the greatest impact: to combine great-tasting food with great-looking food, to make guests say "Wow" as soon as they sit at the table, and then again when they take their first bites.
Dishing With Style fills that need. This is the book that will teach you how to create delicious, showstopping dishes for every course of the meal, from cocktails and hors d'oeuvres through first courses, entrées, and dessert. The recipes include classics like Roasted Lamb Chops with Orange, Garlic, and Rosemary Pesto Rub with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes; Mediterranean favorites such as Grilled Tuscan-Style Steak with Focaccia Salsa, or Chocolate Pot de Crème; Asian-inspired dishes like Miso-Glazed Seared Tuna with Fresh Herb Salad; and such Latin flavors as Shredded Pork Burritos with Ancho Chile Sauce and Sangria Granita.
Nearly every recipe includes two stunning options for presenting the dish to your guests. One is more casual, often family-style, perfect for Sunday suppers and backyard get-togethers—but no matter how relaxed the event, there's no reason for the food to be anything other than beautiful. The other option is more elegant, usually served in individual plated portions, for dinner parties and more formal affairs. The recipes for both choices use the same ingredients and cooking method, but branch off at the end of the instructions, depending on what style you want for your service. No matter which presentation you choose, none of these recipes is complex. Rori Trovato knows that the secret to great party-throwing is for the host or hostess to be relaxed, not to be spending every minute in the kitchen preparing last-minute sauces and elaborate garnishes. So whether you're using the good china or the paper plates,
Dishing With Style will show you how to pull it off with scrumptious food in beautiful settings—that is, how to dish with style.
Customer Reviews:
Just as the title suggests..........2007-04-16
As a card-carrying foodie for almost 30 years, I did not find this book to have the "wow" factor I had anticipated. But that being said, I would not hesitate to lend it to my daughter (a pretty good cook just beginning to entertain at home.) I recommend it as a four-star cookbook for two reasons:
First, for those cooks who are progressing from the parsley sprig and lemon slices onto more elaborate presentations, there is a wealth of suggestions to make the transition. Great photos with beautiful color contrasts are enticing and the presentations can be applied to an existing repertoire of recipes. An interesting array of dishes, glassware and bowls add to the visual interest of the food.
Second, the recipes are also interesting and some are very good. I did not find anything that was too difficult, but nothing really too easy, either. Even the more simple recipes have a nice level of flavor-depth.
There is a good range of required skills: From "Shrimp with Basil and Citrus Powder" (easy and quick) to "Vietnamese Sweet Potato-Shrimp Cakes" (complicated and time consuming); "Fennel, Orange and Smoked Salmon with Baby Greens" (easy and quick) to "Steamed Mussels in Pistou Broth with Shoestring French Fries and Aioli" (time consuming), there are choices to be made as to how much time (and money) you want to spend.
The strongest selling point of the book itself, however, is that for many of the recipes, two or three different ways of presentation are offered, allowing the same dish to be served two or three times without being entirely repetitive: A great help to new cooks, adaptability to more formal to more casual presentations and the possibility of offering leftovers in a new mode.
like it.......2006-12-18
I am in a photography club and an advanced amature photographer. I am encouraged by this book, and really like her style in writing and presentation. I wish I liked to cook. This has helped, but I was hoping to get good info on the technical side to setting up strobes and it does not delve into the subject as much as I wanted.
"I'm vaKlempt!!!".......2004-05-19
This author is one of the most stylish and honest chefs I've read in a long time. I've bought over 10 cookbooks in the last year, from holiday planning, little noshes to fancy restaurant cookbooks. None of them presents food this way before...the informal and the formal styles of presenting different recipes. Oy, what a concept! I'm vaklempt over this. I sent a copy to my daughter in Manhattan so that when my husband, Ira and I visit, she can cook one of those great recipes for us. (She better do the "dressed up style if she knows whats good for her).
This one definitely "dishes with style" and lots of it. I just can't say enough. Worth every penny.
Best of the Bunch!.......2004-05-18
Out of all of the new-fangled and (expensive) fancy cookbooks we've been bombarded with over the last few years, FINALLY, Rori Trovato has brought it all home for us in her new book "Dishing With Style."
She's not intimidating readers with what she can do, but rather, with what she knows we can ALL do. From planning an informal get-together, or entertaining the "boss," she's got it all in this book and in a language we can all understand. The pages are filled with beautiful photos of her unique, uncomplicated and non-compromising sense of style.
Forget all of those intimidating "restaurant owners'" cookbooks, with recipes that seem to need an exotic ingredient you've never heard of, or where to get them. This cookbook 's only assumption is that the reader shares the excitement of the simplicity with which great food can be prepared with fun new and different ways of presenting them. I think it gave me faith back in myself of actually being able to make a great meal. It showed me how to present it either "dressed up" or "dressed down" (and it looked like the picture!) Who knew that someone would finally be honest and fun about fabulous food?? I think that this book will become one of the top ten essential cookbooks for any and every kitchen. It's already become a staple in mine. I have already bought 3 for gifts. Pass it on.
Best of the Bunch!.......2004-05-18
Out of all of the new-fangled and fancy cookbooks we've been bombarded with over the last few years, FINALLY, Rori Trovato has brought it all home for us in her new book "Dishing With Style."
She's not intimidating readers with what she can do, but rather, with what she knows we can ALL do. From planning an informal get-together, or entertaining the "boss," she's got it all in this book and in a language we can all understand. The pages are filled with beautiful photos of her unique and uncomplicated. sense of style.
Forget all of those "restaurant owners'" recipes that seem to need an exotic ingredient you've never heard of, or where to get them. This cookbook 's only assumption is that the reader shares the excitement of the simplicity with which great food can be prepared with fun new and different ways of presenting them. I think it gave me faith back in myself of actually being able to make a great meal.It showed me how to present it either "dressed up" or "dressed down"(and it looked like the picture!) Who knew that someone would finally be honest and fun about fabulous food?? I think that this book will become one of the top ten essential cookbooks for any and every kitchen. It's already become a staple in mine. I have already bought 3 for gifts. Pass it on.
Customer Reviews:
.......2005-09-27
A good book for the beginner, nothing too complicated, don't expect stunning displayes for buffets etc.
why paperback?.......2005-09-12
I love hardcover for culinary books.Economic issues explain my question.In this particular book ,which use demands it opened all the way,the hard cover cries for help!
The step-by-step photos are fantastic.
Be prepared for Xmas.
Great introduction........2003-07-05
In its roughly 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.
This installment, the Book of Garnishes, starts with a brief presentation of the utensils necessary for the preparation of garnishes, and then presents recipe suggestions for all major types of food decoration, from savory garnishes to fruit and sweet garnishes. Two special sections at the end of the book are dedicated to the "how to"s of serving savory and sweet garnishes, respectively. Note that most garnishes are be edible - and this slim volume contains many great suggestions, from classics such as various fruit and vegetables cut into fans, carrots and cucumbers cut and curled in multiple other shapes, bacon rolls, radish roses, as well as pastry and chocolate garnishes, to less traditional variations like leek bows, potato and lemon baskets, lobster butterflies, lemon swans, onion waterlilies, mango hedgehogs and lime camelias. (The sole exceptions from the "edible" rule contained here are waxed and sugared flowers.)
From slivered almonds to zucchini twists, this collection of recipes is a great introduction to the infinite possibilities of dressing up a meal - and at a relative bargain price, to boot.
Simple but Useful.......2002-11-03
This book is full of simple little ideas for sprucing up any dish. None of the garnishes are very difficult, but they contribute so much to the eye appeal of any meal, and subconsciously, they contribute to the taste. (If it looks good, your mind subconsciously tells you it is good.) I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to add just a little flair to their meals, but doesn't want to have to learn any fancy knife cuts or buy any special equipment/blades.
Definitly for beginners!.......2001-09-13
This book considered is easy. When I take a glance at this book the garnishing techniques are often seen in dishes serve in regular restaurant. So to be honest this book isn't fill with glamour decoration. The garnishes are easy & you can make it yourself by looking at the first glance. Easy step by step guide with fully colored pictures. The level of difficulty for cutting and carving are none but surely helps to improve your food appearances. For those who know nothing about garnishing this book can be a starter. But for others that want fancy styles and more on 'how to garnish' better look some place else.
Average customer rating:
- A good Library book..,
- A cute book on food art ... but overly thin on content
- Play With Your Food
- There's Always a New Way To Look At Cuisine
- Unbelievably Clever!
|
Play With Your Food
Joost Elffers
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
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ASIN: 1556706308 |
Amazon.com
You can play with your food. In fact, you should. All the details are in Joost Elffert's remarkable Play with Your Food, which introduces readers to a new way of seeing the food they eat, then shows them how to transform that food into creatures of extraordinary personality.
Put a navel orange on its side, pip facing you. See anything yet? What do the folds suggest? Carve ovals and insert beans and sliced almonds--voila, two eyes. Cut ears from the sides of the orange and pull them forward. Now you have it--a cat's face of amazing and endearing character. But that's only the beginning. Learn to make artichoke-leaf aphids, bok choy buffalos, okra grasshoppers, green-pepper camels, and pear mice--just a few of the 75 ingenious projects.
Consisting primarily of color photos of the creatures, first in portraiture and then in step-by-step "recipes" for their creation, Play with Your Food teaches readers above all to see. In addition to limning techniques, the minimal text provides a short look at manmade and natural imagery that suggests or embodies the possibilities of metamorphosis. Then it's on to the creatures themselves and the fun of constructing them. Anyone who enjoys play and the magic of transformation will want Joost's book--and having seen it, will never look at eatables in the same way again. --Arthur Boehm
Customer Reviews:
A good Library book..,.......2007-09-10
This is interesting and amusing to look through ONCE. I wish instead of buying it I just took it out of a library. I had hoped I'd get loads of ideas to add on a plate of food gifts or something but there was nothing much to learn here except for the fact that Black eyed beans make good "eyes". The great photography sold this book. I passed it on to my daughter who is more artistic than I. With just a little inspiration she will do some great pumpkin carvings ETC. However, if you're not born with artistic abilities don't expect it from this book. The real point of the book is for the author to make money.., mission accomplished!
A cute book on food art ... but overly thin on content.......2007-08-20
A friend of mine gave me a copy of this book a few months back. I'd flipped through it a couple of time, but I finally got around to reading it cover to cover today. It's a fast read ... the edition I have is only 109 pages, and most of them are photos. I finished it during a 1 hour workout at the gym earlier today.
The author basically takes the approach of looking at various fruits and vegetables like a rorschach diagram ... selecting oddly shaped examples and looking at them from all different angles, while looking for standouts that display some unusual inner character or expressiveness - and then, with only a few minor cuts and tweaks, turns them into living art.
It's a very clever book, and some of the results that the author achieves are extraordinary. I was particularly impressed with the author's pumpkin carving ability.
In any case, this book is more about making art than it is about carving food ... the produce is just the photographic subject.
Nits ?
I thought the author dealt with the subject a bit too briefly and narrowly. Although the book is 109 pages, 90% of that page count is mostly photos ... the book can be read in well under 1 hour. I'd like to have seem more page count devoted to discussion and things like carving technique.
I'd also have like to see the author include some examples taking a less ultra-simple and ultra-minimalist course ... by doing some more extensive carving and alteration. Things like carving melons, and cutting interesting & amusing garnishes for parties. Such material could have taken the book a bit out of the land of avante garde whimsy, and into the realm of practical home entertaining.
Still, for what it is, the book is very enjoyable. It's still coffee table fodder, to be sure, but enjoyable none the less.
Play With Your Food.......2005-07-07
Excellent, although it may have been directed toward children, it is a great source of information and pictures for catering and decorating food tables. I use it all the time and marvel at how I now look at fruit and vegetables prior to buying.
There's Always a New Way To Look At Cuisine.......2004-07-02
Don't think for a moment that the insane food presentation ideas in this book are only meant to delight children; adults I've entertained become hysterical when served okra lizards or pigs carved from citrus fruits. Two caveats if you try any of these techniques: choose the right sized knife, and make sure it is sharp. Another good idea is to have spare food on hand; you'll ruin an attempt or two for sure as you slice your way up the learning curve.
Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com
Unbelievably Clever!.......2002-12-06
If you have never had the pleasure of flipping through the pages of this book, then buy it today! At first glance, it is merely a whimsical, albeit beautiful, series of photos. However, upon closer inspection, the expressions on the faces really start to come across. And, yes, I'm talking about produce! This is a great book to put on your coffee table and share with your friends.
Book Description
Here are clear instructions on how to create 30 stunning displays of flower designs carved from common vegetables, as well as 22 arrangements for holidays and special occasions. Instructions are easy to follow and no special tools are required.
Book Description
Nearly 200 recipes for fish, cheese and meat fondues, oriental hot pots, tempura, sukiyaki, and dessert fondues. Advice on accompanying wines and bread recipes are also given.
Customer Reviews:
Broad treatment of fondue pot use.......2007-08-11
I grew up thinking that fondues were just cheese, cheese, cheese, so I leapt at a book that would broaden my understanding. This is exactly that I got in this book. Coverage of various styles may not be deep, but the authors present a sampling of an enormous range of fondue pot uses from various cuisines around the world.
A small nit to pick is that the text is somewhat clumsily translated from German, and it pays to read the recipe instructions carefully prior to starting. The instructions are not particularly well segmented and laid out for you to read as you go. Nevertheless, for the one and only fondue cookbook in my collection, this was a great pick.
An oldie but goodie.......2007-01-04
I have tabbed this book like crazy!! My father in law gave me a fondue pot for my b-day. I remember my mom her friends playing cards listening to Al Green records(am i dating myself?) and eating out of one pot. That was the depth of my experience with fondue. I bought this book so that I would have a clue as to what to do with my gift. I have tried about half of the meat and cheese recipes and the majority have been well recieved. The pictures give it a bit of a dated look but the good simple food transcends the time that has passed since this book was first published. It is simple and easy to follow. This is a great primer for those new to fondue.
Good fondue book.......2006-05-16
This book has lots of good recipes but it does seem to repeat itself some what by printing out new recipes for variants on a theme. That being said it is still my favorite book of fondue recipes and ideas.
While you're buying this book take a look at the Le Creuset Fondue pots. In my opinion, they are the best!
Recipies are as easy as they are delicious!.......2004-02-09
I found many amazing Fondue recipes in this book. My favorites are the Classic Fondue (always a hit); the Dill Fondue and the Toblerone Fondue. I throw a big fondue party every year, featuring four types of cheese fondue and two dessert fondues. The recipes in this book have never let me down. They are delicious and easy to prepare. This book is highly recommended.
favorite Fondue Cookbook.......2003-12-06
This is my favorite Fondue cookbook, and you could tell if you saw the folded pages of my fav recipes. I have not tried even half of the recipes and am thoroughly pleased with this. I have not tried them, but them, but there are Asian inspired dishes to try.
I am wishing for a Raclette for Christmas, and there are also recipes for that grill in this book also. It is nice to know if I get my Raclette, I already have recipes.
Highly, Highly recommend this cookbook.
Amazon.com
Author Rosalind Creasy has written extensively on edible gardens: The Edible Herb Garden and The Edible French Garden are some of her past titles. The Edible Flower Garden focuses on plants that not only enhance recipes, but also turn the plate into a painting--a visual as well as gastronomic enterprise. For the reader who thinks such things are only for true gourmets or Metropolitan Home magazine aesthetes, one look at the photographs in this book will seduce you. The images are so beautiful and unusual as to be hypnotic: rose petals served as a bowl of ice cream (Rose Petal Sorbet); salads that look like wildflower meadows.
Creasy interviews Alice Waters of Chez Panisse about her use of flowers in meals at her famous Berkeley restaurant; Waters recounts the curious effect cooking with flowers has on diners. "The flowers are a fascination. People really focus on them and are curious." This curiosity stems from a cluster of superstitions: that all flowers are somehow poisonous, that beautiful things should not be touched or consumed, that vegetables are the sturdy, useful plants while flowers are "for show." Reading The Edible Flower Garden, I remembered the summer I forgot to pick my artichokes, and they basked in the sun long after they were ripe. One day I looked out and it was as if a spell had been cast: the ugly green artichoke scales were gone, transformed into blinding purple flowers. Color is always hiding somewhere, and it is wonderful to allow it to flourish, like Creasy does, in places where it is not expected. --Emily White
Customer Reviews:
A Splash of Edible Color.......2006-05-18
The genre of edible flowers and their strictly culinary use has not received a tremendous amount of literary attention. Many similar books hail from Great Britain authors and exhibit a decidedly British tilt in taste.
Author Rosalind Creasy has written extensively on edible gardens and her books are somewhat formulaic in nature. She repeats much of the same materials such as the section on compost is duplicated in each of her companion titles. This is at times an annoyance and waste of money to buyers of multi titles.
She interviews Alice Waters of Chez Panisse about her use of flowers and fortunately, for the reader, Creasy's recipes are a bit more obliging on the palate than Water's occasional unseemly combinations.
The photography is stunning. The information is basic.
Stunning book.......2003-03-30
The photography in this book is stunning. The information in the book is extremely well done. I love the way the book is set up. The recipes come last and make you want all of the flowers necessary to make them. I make organic rose petal jelly, so I am always on the look out for rose recipes, the rose petal sorbet is great. It can be made as a sorbet or as an ice cream with a bit of tweaking. I have enjoyed chive flower butter, but the first batch I made was a tad potent. The chive flower imparts a much stronger taste in much less volume. The photos are full of great ideas to decorate with the flowers. I often put flowers in pasta and salad, but had certianly never thought of serving my rose butter in roses! Great book all the way around.
Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind Cresy.......2002-05-02
I found the book beautifully illustrated and for the most part interesting and informative. I also found the book a bit vague and by no means comprehensive. I am a chef trying to acquire a colorful palate for my presentation but I did not find enough variety. I wondered why at least a list of more flowers wasn't included somewhere. Overall a very enjoyable book, especially the recepies...
Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind Cresy.......2002-05-02
I found the book beautifully illustrated and for the most part interesting and informative. I also found the book a bit vague and by no means comprehensive. I am a chef trying to acquire a colorful palate for my presentation but I did not find enough variety. I wondered why at least a list of more flowers wasn't included somewhere. Overall a very enjoyable book, especially the recepies.
Create a Garden full of Edible Flowers.......2001-01-24
Use what is fresh. In this case, that means the flowers too! In The Edible Flower Garden, Rosalind Creasy shares and explains the beautiful world of cooking with colorful and tasty flowers.
Emphasis is given to creating gardens that will supply those flowers. It takes a lot of flowers for most recipes, so it is good to know how many of each to plant and when to harvest. While traditional herbal flowers like lavender and borage are included, there are also selections on vegetable flowers, as well as, some more unusual flowers like lilacs, apple blossoms and begonias.
I particularly enjoyed Ms. Creasy's experiences with Alice Waters of Chez Panisse and the edible flower gardens they create to supply fresh flowers for their world renowned restaurant.
Of course, the beautiful photos of the Edible Flower Canapes, the Pineapple Sage Salsa and the Rose Petal Sorbet weren't bad either.
Amazon.com
There was a time in America (the dark ages of the 1960s and early 1970s) when fondue was synonymous with cubes of white bread dipped in melted Velveeta. After a brief craze, fondue went the way of lava lamps, shag carpeting, and leisure suits, its pot and skewers retired to the back of a high kitchen cupboard where they're forgotten until the next garage sale. Now, however, fondue is making a comeback, and--like Barbie--it's gotten a whole new look. In Fondue, Rick Rodgers takes the three basic fondues--cheese, chocolate, and fried--and mixes in the flavors of the '90s--everything from sun-dried tomatoes to espresso. He even adds a fourth category, Asian fondue, for those fat- and calorie-conscious cooks who prefer their food simmered in broth. Swordfish Fondue with Tapenade Mayonnaise; Gingered Curry and Cheddar Fondue; Vietnamese Beef Fondue with Rice Vinegar Stock and Anchovy-Pineapple Sauce--the '60s were never like this! In Fondue, Rick Rodgers proves that, once again, it's hip to dip.
Book Description
Fondue is back, bigger and better than ever, popping up in kitchens everywhere! Rick Rodgers presents more than fifty sensational recipes that combine the newest tastes with traditional favorites, creating versatile and mouth-watering fondues that will thrill fondue lovers.
Rediscover the pleasure of cooking food at the table with your friends and family as contemporary flavors and ingredients -- roast garlic, fresh ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and espresso-are stirred into today's fondue pot. This is great food that is simple to make and perfect for entertaining.
If you love the classic cheese version, try dipping cooked shrimp or artichoke hearts into Italian Fontina and Porcini Fondue; or vegetables and apples into Gorgonzola, Port, and Walnut Fondue. Dunk focaccia or Italian salami into Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza Fondue, bite-sized cubes of bread or even chicken breast into Classic Swiss Fondue, made with three cheeses for a deliciously authentic masterpiece.
Meat lovers will go for Fondue Bourguignonne, where chunks of table-fried meats (or poultry or fish) are dipped into a variety of quick-to-make sauces. Serve boneless leg of lamb with Balsamic Vinegar-Mint Sauce or turkey breast with Cranberry-Lime Mayonnaise.
Many Asian cuisines have their own versions of fondue that are popular choices for communal meals. Known as hot pots, they're an exotic mix of ingredients in a special savory stock. Try the famous Japanese version, Shabu-Shabu, with paper-thin slices of beef and a sesame dipping sauce, or the Classic Chrysan themum Hot Pot, composed of a variety of meats and fish to be dipped in a soy-sherry sauce.
For the confirmed dessert fanatic, nothing will please the palate more than sweet and rich tastes from your fondue pot. The choices are intoxicating-fresh strawberries, pineapples, and cherries, and chunks of pound cake can be swirled into Classic Chocolate Fondue. A sinful concoction of peanut butter and milk chocolate is made to be savored with bananas or brownies. And who can resist dipping a cookie or two in Venetian Espresso Fondue?
Intense in taste and flavors, innovative in form and preparation, fondue is the way we want to eat today.
Customer Reviews:
Not the best..........2005-08-10
Some of the recipes just don't seem too appetizing.......liked "The 125 Best Fondue Recipes" better!!!
Great Fondue for Grownups!.......2005-02-09
This book is chock full of excellent recipes that would be a hit with any grown-up dinner party. If you are going to have a get-together with friends and are looking for recipes that not only look and taste good but will also be impressive, this is the book for you. I really just wanted a fondue book with tried and true recipes that would appeal to my family. There are a few simple recipes in the book, but most of them have names like Italian Fontina and Porcini Fondue, Welsh Cheddar and Bacon Rabbit Fondue, Lobster Newburg Fondue, Smoked Salmon, Capers and Triple Creme Fondue, you see the trend. So if you are having an adult dinner party with friends and want to have something that sounds trendy or exotic, then this book is the one for you. If you want some simple family-type recipes, I would suggest looking for something different.
Excellent food history lesson and delicious recipes.......2004-12-28
This is my first exposure to Rick Rodgers' writing and I am already looking to buy more of his cookbooks. He is thorough in his explanations of what equipment, chocolate, cheese, etc. to buy without being wordy or condescending. Each recipe comes with a paragraph lesson of its origin (e.g. Swiss, French, Italian) and/or American fondue versions and/or to whom the recipe would appeal. This book has such a variety of recipes that both the more and less adventurous eaters in your dinner party will be gastronomically satisfied. For a real Swiss experience, I recommend the Classic Swiss Three-Cheese Fondue and the Classic Chocolate Fondue. Recipes I'll be trying at my next fondue party are: Italian Fontina and Porcini Fondue, French Gruyere and Onion Fondue, and the Original Toblerone Fondue. This book offers years of interesting entertaining. Rick Rodgers' recipes and dipping suggestions can be trusted to provide a superior dining experience.
No photos needed!!!.......2004-03-25
Since when are photos needed when the book is clear and as well written as this one? In my mind never.
This was my first book for fondue and frankly ALL the others books I either bought or looked at may have had photos but were so lacking in details, originality and interesting recipes I haven't used the two others I bought and haven't bought anymore. This book is simply the best fondue book you can buy, not only does it have good recipes it has clear instructions on how to use a fondue pot the differnt kinds of fondue pots as well as a comprehensive list of cheeses, breads, meats and other ingrediants good for fondue.
Anyone with a fundimental skill in cooking doesn't need a photo to know how to grate cheese or cut bread into cubes.
Dip It Fun Food Cookbook.......2003-12-29
Rodgers is a prolific cookbook writer of all types and sorts, including his Christmas and Thanksgiving 101 books, as well as the more serious and magnificent cookbook on Vienna, et al Bakery.
This is focused on a comeback entry, fondue. Many of us from sixties and seventies went through the rage for this and had not thought of it for awhile. Now this resurrgence, and Rodgers provides us with a quality work to explore this new appetizer, main course and dessert entry.
He provides equipment section, that although brief is usuable and reliable info. Would have been nice to have photos and source info, but these aren't really that vital to this food venue.
His creativity in collected these recipes is what makes this book valuable: feast your fondue spear on such as: Sun Dried Tomato Pizza Fondue; Caribbean Edam and Habanero Chile Fondue; Rosemary Ragna Cauda with Vegetables; White Chocolate and Raspberry Swirl Fondue; and Double-Berry and Riesling Fondue.
Each is helped by a "What To Dip" box with many times dozen and more items suggested.
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