Amazon.com
The titular neighborhood of Frank Pellegrino's Rao's: Recipes from the Neighborhood is Manhattan's East Harlem, home to an Italian immigrant population. The area also boasts Rao's, Pellegrino's Southern Italian restaurant that was discovered by local "worthies" and is now New York City's toughest reservation. The book, a follow-up to the bestselling Rao's Cookbook, offers 125 recipes for the kind of fare offered Rao's, and by Pellegrino's extended family and neighbors--dishes like Pizza Rustica, Penne Rigate with Cauliflower, Veal Milanese, and My Mother's Stuffed Calamari. This deeply satisfying, utterly unpretentious cooking is easy to do, but must be handled with care to avoid debasing an already hybrid cuisine. The book scores in this, offering exemplary versions of Old-to-New World dishes, and is neighborhood-authentic down to the use of American convenience products like garlic powder. Readers will also relish the wide recipe range, which includes sweets such as Simple Ricotta Cheesecake and Noni's Chocolate Ravioli, as well as Pellegrino's headnotes, which reveal who made what when. (Of the contributor of Wedding Soup, for example, he says, "his grandmother and my grandmother ... both came to America in 1911 in the same ship.") This flavorsome background, plus homey photos and other memorabilia like Our Kitchen Table make this modest book particularly welcome. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
With Rao's Cooks For The Neighborhood, Frank Pellegrino-of New York's celebrated East Harlem restaurant Rao's-returns to what he knows best: authentic Italian food. With over one hundred recipes and beautifully illustrated with both full-color and vintage black amp; white photographs, Rao's Cooks For The Neighborhood is Pellegrino's tribute to the place he grew up and the women who taught him how to cook. From Ida's baked chicken to Rose Milano's Spaghetti Frittata, everything a home cook needs to reproduce their favorite home-style meals is in this book. This classic cookbook is filled with newly discovered recipes of generations past, as well as holiday cooking, kitchen secrets, and some of the favorite menu items from Rao's. It's a love story devoted to Italian family cooking and its heritage. Every single dish is easy to prepare and satisfying to eat. Rao's Cooks For The Neighborhood will be eagerly awaited by readers who loved The Rao's Cookbook, but will also attract new fans who have come to know Rao's through the successful national brand of sauces sold throughout the U.S.
Customer Reviews:
Great book!.......2007-01-09
I love this book! It brings me right back to Brooklyn, and reminds me so much of my roots. In our home there was always cooking, good food and lots of family and friends. These recipes are the same good cooking, simple Italian cooking to enjoy. I also have Rao's other cookbook which I also enjoy. Bought this for my son for Christmas and then had to get one for myself. Get this and enjoy!
Can't put it down..........2006-03-21
This book completely revitalized my interest in cooking. I was growing tired of the highly complex, noveau recipes requiring obscure ingredients, and the end result was hardly worth the wait. Instead, these recipes accentuate the essence of Italian cooking - simplicity and quality ingredients. A great meal doesn't have to take all day to prepare and cook, and shouldn't require more than a handful of ingredients. Most of these recipes can be prepared with minimal effort after work and are great for family style cooking all week long, leaving great left-overs that only taste better with each re-heating. Cancel the magazine subscriptions and try this book. You will not be dissapointed with these recipes that haven't fallen short for over 100 years. Even the mediocre recipes are better than most.
Rao's Recipes from the Neighborhood.......2005-08-26
If you love Italian food and love to cook, nothing beats the
Rao's cook books. The recipes in this book are quite simple and easy to follow and even a novice cook can make a great meal.
A glimpse inside one of NYC's legendary eateries.......2004-12-20
Rao's has been a top eatery in New York City for decades. It's atmosphere was, is, and always will be a "rat pack" type of atmosphere, with a long line of people hoping for a seat to open up in one of the most intimate in-demand spots in the city.
Now, co-owner and actor Frank Pellegrino has put his restaurants' most popular dishes in book form, so that people crazy about traditional Italian fare can take a stab at making it themselves.
Boasting friends like actor Danny Aiello (who wrote the book's preface) and former New York Times food critic Mimi Sheraton (who wrote the forward), Pellegrino's book is part cookbook, part family album, as he takes a look at his childhood, his family, and the part that Rao's, owned then by his aunt and uncle Anna and Vincent Rao, played as he grew up around the neighborhood in it's East Harlem location.
The book is divided into chapters, each covering a specific type of food, and each is filled with family photographs, reminiscences from other members of his family and Frank's wide array of friends, as well as the recipes that made Rao's famous, sure to set the mouth watering. Some of the dishes Rao's is renowned for, such as Fettuccine Alfredo, boiled stuffed lobster, and the restaurants well-known homemade Marinara Sauce, are often less complicated than one tasting the dishes at the restaurant would probably believe. Each of those recipes, as well as all of the others, are explained in enough detail that it should be fairly simple to make near-Rao quality Italian fare in the average kitchen.
Although a bit pricey for its smallish size (a mere 197 pages), the book is nonetheless well worth it's price. The simple step-by-step instructions make this a great book for the beginning Italian cook, or for that matter, an experienced one as well.
If you're looking to take a stab at authentic Italian cuisine, New York Style, then look no further. Pellegrino offers up a cookbook filled with food, family, and style just too hard to resist.
Excellent Survey of Italian-American recipes. Pricy.......2004-12-18
`Rao's Recipes From the Neighborhood' appears to be a publication by restaurateur / actor Frank Pellegrino of his family's scant 196 page cooking scrapbook from the last two generations of the Rao / Pellegrino family which have lived in New York City, for a list price of $40 bucks a pop.
Before you get the notion that this is a cranky review of negatives and hit the `Not Influenced' button, let me say that this book really succeeds in giving us something interesting and useful, if not entirely new. It is certainly good enough to give it four stars, and the only thing keeping it from five is its relatively high price.
On the face of it, this appears to be a brand name rip-off, cashing in on the success of the restaurant, the original cookbook of restaurant recipes, and the Rao line of supermarket products. However, this book is not similar to other culinary publishing rip-offs such as the Alton Brown blank book and the Mark Bittman subdivision of his book into three booklets.
I will say that St. Martin's Press has used the lucre they expect to get for this price to good effect. The design of the book is crisp, the photography is good, all photographs are CAPTIONED and appear at an appropriate place in the text, and not much of the precious 196 pages are taken up with poorly written family stories.
The first thing to notice is that these are NOT recipes from the restaurant, Rao. They are recipes from Frank Pellegrino's friends and family labeled in a 72-point font with the name of the famous restaurant and forwarded by family friend and restaurant reviewer Mimi Sheraton, who put Rao's on the map with a three star rating in a New York Times restaurant review. So, this book is borrowing luster from the restaurant rather than serving as a promotion for same restaurant. The restaurant doesn't need the business, as I suspect not even Donald Trump or Bill Clinton could get a reservation at one of their eight (8) tables.
And, the recipes are really very good and most are exceptionally simple, but many are sophisticated when they have to be. This simplicity is all to a good cause, since the heart of the Italian genius with food is to create a pantry of exceptional ingredients, then don't mess them up. (Pellegrino does an homage to this principle in his introductory section on pantry items.) Sometimes, you can only appreciate this quality when you look at non-Italian interpreters such as London's River Café and Jamie Oliver. The simplicity really shines in recipes such as the Puttanesca sauce where the constant problem of not burning the garlic is solved simply with nary a need for a cautionary note by simply not adding the garlic until after the anchovies and olives have been added. As no ingredient is left out, I am hard pressed to believe this will taste any worse than the very fussy (but very good) version from `Cooks Illustrated' magazine.
When a cookbook is good, that quality usually shows itself on the first or second recipe and this book proves this rule. Even though this is a book of `Italian-American' recipes, the very first recipe is a perfect implementation of a classic unfussy Italian `Brodo di Pollo' which is made with coarsely chunked vegetables, is simmered for a scant hour and 15 minutes, and retains the poached chicken meat for some other purpose. The recipe even includes an optional enhancement I do not recall seeing elsewhere, with a thickening of the stock by adding a puree of the cooked carrots, leeks, and celery.
Another application of pure Italian culinary tradition is in the recipe for the wedding soup, where each green is carefully blanched separately, blanching water is saved as a later ingredient, cannellini beans are carefully pureed, and savories are gently sautéed, all before making the final assembly. Marcella Hazan could not have done it better. Aside from the opening chapter on soups, there are chapters on Salads; Egg Dishes; Pizza, Calzone, and Bread; Pasta, Rice, Polenta, and Sauces; Seafood; Chicken; Meats; Vegetables; and Desserts. While the bread chapter does not match the depth of understanding provided by a specialist's book by, for example, Peter Reinhart or Carol Field, it is really pretty good.
The biggest question one faces when considering getting this book is `Do I really need another Italian or Italian-American cookbook?' There is simply very little here which is new. I would definitely recommend this book in preference to Rocco DiSpirito's book he did with his mom. A perfect example is their Puttanesca recipes which Pellegrino does in 15 minutes with basic ingredients and which Rocco does in 20 minutes, needing a prepared sauce that takes additional time to make.
And, I would consider this book the equal to John Mariani's book as a source for `Italian-American' recipes (but without Mariani's excellent historical perspective and wine notes). It is also as good as `Eleanora's Kitchen' by Eleanora Scarpetta, and maybe just a touch better, as it is a choral work rather than just a solo effort. As a definitive presentation of `Italian-American' cuisine, it is not quite as good as Lydia Bastianich's excellent PBS series tie-in book. When I compare the Italian-American classic sausage and peppers from all books, I find Bastianich' version to be by far the most tasty (although I have a sneaky suspicion that her recipe has more to do with her northern Italian origin than it has to do with Mulberry street in Manhattan).
If you have no `Italian-American' cookbooks, this volume is an excellent purchase, especially if you can get a good discount.
Amazon.com
There are a lot of laughs and a lot of photos in this retrospective of the food served on the hit TV show "Friends". Oh yeah -- and plenty of great recipes, both comforting (like Mashed Potatoes for the Broken-Hearted, Rachel's Soothing Chicken Soup, Oatmeal in the Buff) and adventurous (like Potato Casserole with Spinach, Mushrooms and Gruyere, Chandler's "Could THIS Be Any More Fattening?" Cheesecake, and Peaches Poached in Red Wine with Lemon and Fennel). The next best thing to hanging out in Monica's kitchen or at the Central Perk!
Customer Reviews:
must for friends fan.......2007-08-19
i got this book for not only some good recipes but also for all the quotes &stuff which were VERY entertaining. although a lot of the quotes are liike season 1-3, it's still a good buy! i can't wait to start cooking some of the recipes~
My Mom's Take On This Book.......2006-10-12
I purchased this book for my mom. She began flipping through it. She then said "This book must be good, they are so skinny."
Love it!.......2006-07-01
The Mac and Cheese is amazing! Try substituting croutons for the bread crumbs for a different flavor. I've given this book to anyone who a). loves to cook, b). loves 'Friends', or c). is moving into their own place or as a graduation present.
Awesome Book.......2005-07-28
I bought this for my sister for her birthday. She is OBSESSED with Friends. This has great reciepes plus on the side of every page is quotes from the show. This is a great book to get for anybody who loves Friends.
Cooking with big city flavor...........2005-07-27
This is one recipe book that with the photos and lines from the show has kept me entertained anytime I pick it up, and that's often. I've tried almost every recipe from this book and I tell you if my child and his friends really enjoy the dish, then, it's a keeper. You will find recipes for everyday, holidays, and vegan recipes...they are easy, with very accessible ingredients. So if you want a great menu for family or friends, take a look at "Cooking with friends", it is the best!
Book Description
Remember your favorite meal when you were a kid? Maybe it was a hearty helping of Mom’s fabulous meatloaf, a side of creamy mashed potatoes, and a slice of chocolate layer cake for dessert. Maybe that’s still your favorite dinner, only now you use a mixture of ground meats and a handful of chopped herbs for the meatloaf, stir roasted garlic into the potatoes, and tuck fresh raspberries into individual molten-centered chocolate cakes—just like the owners of Stonewall Kitchen. When it comes to re-invigorating classic flavors, nobody does it better than Stonewall Kitchen, whose condiments, preserves, and dressings have tickled the taste buds of millions across the country for more than fifteen years. Now, in their follow-up to the IACP Award–nominated Stonewall Kitchen Harvest, Jonathan King, Jim Stott, and Kathy Gunst share their all-time favorite recipes for America’s favorite dishes.
Here is the food we crave, updated for today’s tastes with ingredients such as fresh herbs, citrus zest, fresh ginger, and spices. A swirl of basil puree enlivens Spaghetti Carbonara, adding yet another dimension of flavor to this celebrated dish. New Eggs Benedict trade their heavy, complicated hollandaise sauce and Canadian bacon for a light, quick chive-lemon butter, smoked salmon, and baby spinach. New England Five Onion Soup with Cheddar Croûtes puts a decidedly American spin on France’s most famous soup. Given Stonewall’s passion for condiments, naturally the sauces and salsas are spectacular, with everything from Winter Parsley Pesto to Orange-Miso Dipping Sauce. To keep these dishes fresh for years to come, nearly every recipe includes up to a dozen “favorite variations.” With chapters including Breakfast; Soups and Chowders; Salads; Sandwiches; Seafood; Pasta, Potatoes, and Bread; Poultry and Meat; Vegetables; Sauces and Salsas; and Dessert and tips on everything from eggs to bacon to cheese to chocolate liberally scattered throughout the book, Stonewall Kitchen Favorites celebrates and rejuvenates the time-honored American cuisine we all love.
Complete with 125 irresistible recipes, 150 stunning full-color photographs, and a foreword by Ina Garten, author of the bestselling Barefoot Contessa cookbook series, here is a new, tempting look at America’s most cherished dishes—the food you’ll want to eat night after night. Stonewall Kitchen Favorites helps families create new memories of favorite meals at the table.
Customer Reviews:
Sounds yummy..........2007-08-02
I just received the book last night and immediately sat down to look through it. I liked what I saw. The recipes don't seem daunting, the ingredient lists aren't lengthy or esoteric, the techniques are simple, and, my favorite feature, most recommend what I like to call "go-with's," i.e., a suggestion of what to serve with the featured recipe, usually some other recipe in the book and not just "chicken," or "roast beef." My only complaint, and the reason I gave it only four stars, is that the would-be beautiful photographs are way over-exposed and bleached out. One photo in particular, of a roast tenderloin of beef, seems oddly saturated after-the-fact with a deep red, making the meat undesirably artificial looking. Such a shame in such a nicely layed out volume.
A good gift.......2007-07-16
The book (cookbook)is good, of course. More importantly, it's condition was perfect and made a good gift.
Well worth investing in!.......2007-02-23
This recipe book is packed with delicious, inspiring recipes. I'm an average, though not avid, cook, but reading through this selection from Stonewall left me wanting to try nearly all the recipes! Most of them have a fresh, yet easy, twist to them. I heartily recommend this for your recipe book collection, whether you're an expert or average in the kitchen.
A fine pick.......2006-12-12
The owners of Stonewall Kitchen specialize in updated versions of comfort food, adding condiments, preserves and spices to jazz up these American favorites, so Stonewall Kitchen Favorites is packed with seemingly familiar dishes spiced with new flavors and approaches. Here's a Chopped Greek Salad with Lemon Caper Dressing or a Spaghetti Carbonara with Basil Swirl. Even the lowly Waldorf Salad receives jazzy embellishment. Any who like the familiar favorites but desire more variety will find this a fine pick, packed with color photos throughout.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
avidcook.......2006-11-13
Great cookbook! All the recipes I've tried have been fantastic. I'm a big fan of stonewall kitchen products and now of their publication.
Book Description
The tiki volcano is erupting all over again, and now Trader Vic's, the legendary purveyor of Polynesian food, drinks, and fantasy, wants to help us bring it all home. Step behind the bar and into the kitchen at Trader Vic's and learn how to create the kind of tiki magic that made the Trader famous. It's all here: recipes for 95 of the restaurant's best-loved tropical cocktails and after-dinner drinks along with more than 35 party-friendly recipes for pupus, tidbits, finger food, entrees, and desserts all adapted from the past and present menus of Trader Vic's. Dozens of tips and ideas for inexpensive, easy tiki decorating and entertaining at home are included, as is a guide to the basics of bartending equipment and techniques. Whether it's a blowout tiki party for friends or a spontaneous occasion to dust off the shaker, this book brings favorite concoctions from Trader Vic's into your home.
Customer Reviews:
Memories of Trader Vic.......2007-09-09
If you're planning a Luau you NEED this book - decorations, drinks and food - along with the background of "Vic" - his other books won't give you the background of this great guy - whose rum conconctions are still legend today.
Great Party Book.......2007-05-29
It's clear and wonderful. I had a hard time choosing what I wanted for the party. Great for big parties!
Great Little Book.......2006-11-12
I enjoyed reading this, b/c of the tidbits of history, good illustrations, and well written recipes. I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but they seem easy to execute and sound delicious.
A Campy, Kitschy Delight.......2006-09-04
By Bill Marsano. Trader Vic's Tiki Party!: Cocktails & Food to Share with Friends," by Stephen Siegelman, is perfect for retro theme parties. Trader Vic, with his famous rival Don the Beachcomber, ushered in the Tiki Bar Era of American partying, which centered mainly on the 1950s and 1960s (which of these two men actually invented the Mai Tai, signature drink of the epoch, remains in dispute--both claim it.) Those were days of restaurants blanketed with faux-Polynesian decor, when pupu platters were the rage and drinks came in bowls serving four or more and were decorated with paper umbrellas, which folks later learned to call parasols. Relive that glorious and joyously ridiculous time with this collection of tropical cocktails and food recipes for everything from finger food to entrees. The recipes are interesting, mostly pretty easy to make, and generally fun to eat or drink. The photos are very nice but the main appeal is that the recipes are clearly presented and easy to follow.--Bill Marsano is an award-winning writer on wines and spirits.
Let's Hula.......2005-12-26
The book contains "recipes for 100 of the restaurant's best loved tropical cocktails like the Samoan Fog Cutter, Potted Parrot, and of course, The Original Mai Tai, invented by Trader Vic himself in 1944." (summary from Buch Gourmet)
This has some terrific ideas for outdoor parties. Think of having a luau and how much fun it would be. Besides drink recipes, the book has nibbles. How does Crab Rangoon, Cha Siu Pork or Crispy Prawns sound? With this book, you are ready for Polynesian-style entertaining.
Book Description
Everything you need to know about starting a wine club. This sassy handbook teaches you and your girlfriends the art of selecting, sampling, and sipping the fruit of the vine (while you indulge in the latest gossip, of course).
A foolproof month-by-month plan by sommelier, Maureen Petrosky, highlights all the pesky details, so you and your girlfriends can sit back and sip.
From still to sparkling and delicate whites to rich reds, each month's chapter singles out a grape for study and enjoyment-school was never like this! This course with class includes easy-does-it entertaining tips, taste-testing know-how, and tantalizing wine facts.
Expert recommendations for brilliant wines at killer prices! What woman doesn't love a bargain?
Wine-laden tidbits such as how to collect bottles for a personal wine stash.
Outrageously scrumptious recipes that teach you simply to pair wine and food-it's a no-brainer.
The latest on the snazziest wine gizmos and gadgets. Shoppers, start your engines.
Demystified terminology: a short course in “wine speak” makes any wine novice comfortable when shopping for and serving wine.
Customer Reviews:
Thank you Maureen.......2007-07-09
I love this book. It makes wine easy to understand and the recipes look awesome. I haven't tried any yet but am looking forward to trying the pairings. Thanks for a fun, easy to understand book!
Wine Tasting.......2007-06-11
I bought this to share with a wine tasting group we started. We started one 7 years ago in another city and it was really successful. Trying to introduce wine to people in Texas in the dry counties is a challenge, however. I also bought a copy of this book as gift for someone. Very helpful.
This book is awesome!.......2007-01-09
The recipes are phenomenal and the wine suggestions really do teach you about the different wines. Our wine club has had so much fun with the month-by-month guide.
Start your own wine club for and with your friends and learn about wine .......2007-01-07
Start your own wine club for and with your friends and learn about wine with the help of THE WINE CLUB: A MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE TO LEARNING ABOUT WINE WITH FRIENDS. A seasonal arrangement offers monthly varietal focus in a title which includes recipes for complimentary dishes, tips on how to taste and learn, overviews of wines and glass styles, and much more.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Great "How To" book.......2006-08-08
This book has it all. I love the suggestions and recipes that accompany the wine selections. It is very simply written and easy to follow.
Book Description
For everyone who appreciates the pleasure -- and the importance -- of preparing a meal for family and friends, the editors of Victoria At Table present over 175 of their favorite recipes, along with a bounty of serving suggestions and entertaining advice, all richly illustrated with color photographs. Here is the true joy of cooking for loved ones, from traditional meals to intimate afternoon teas, from sunny breakfasts to grand holiday parties.
The first part of Victoria At Table, "The Bountiful Table," is a straightforward tour of recipes tailored to traditional family meals: soups and salads; vegetables and side dishes; main courses of meat, fish, and poultry; and the sweetest indulgences for dessert. Consider, for example, Wild Mushroom Bisque, Sorrel and Nectarine Salad, Celeriac and Potato Bake, Broiled Ginger Chicken, and Brownie Torte.
The second part, "A Cordial Invitation," welcomes you to parties, celebrations, and seasonal get-togethers -- brunches, sit-down dinners, holiday buffets -- with a wealth of inventive and elaborate special-occasion dishes and entertaining ideas. Tempt your guests with such foods as Smoked Salmon Canape's, Sage and Cheddar Melties, Mushroom Strudel, and Mascarpone Coeur a' la Creme, and toast tem with a Claret Cup.
Finally, "The Cook's Pantry" is filled with easy, delicious recipes for butters, jellies, chutneys, and herbal preparations to have on hand year round or to give as gifts for any occasion.
Throughout the book are menus for every kind of meal picnics, teas, birthday parties, Mother's Day celebrations, Thanksgiving spreads as well as a delicious helping of cooking lore and serving information.
Customer Reviews:
A MUST HAVE BOOK.......2004-04-21
This I purchased for my mother as she wanted this book. It is a very well illustrated and the recipes are wonderful. The showing of how to put on a spread is great!! The collectible dishes they show and the presentation is so nice. My mother leaves it out on her living room table and it gets picked up quite a bit. A really nice book to sit and read and glance through the beautiful pictures. A must have~
elegant and lovely book.......1998-02-09
Have owned this book for about 3 years, yet I find that I open it and use it often. Also, just a lovely book to sit in the garden with a nice glass of wine (or ice tea) read. Good presentation ideas as well.
Book Description
In a similar format to Storey's very successful Country Tea Parties, Tea with Friends presents a year's worth of occasions to bring friends together around a pot of tea. Includes 13 original, little-fuss party ideas illustrated with elegant watercolor
paintings. Each party contains menus, tea recipes, and things to make or do to enhance the celebration.
Customer Reviews:
Very Disappointed in the Lack of Content.......2007-07-25
I was very disappointed in the lack of any substantial material which would give tips on how to plan a tea party. Especially lacking were the recipes that were referenced -- only one recipe for each event was printed. How are you supposed to plan a party when you don't have all of the recipes??
Considering the author has all of the experience outlined in her reviews, she does not share much with the reader that you could not find in any other book about tea. I don't believe this is a credible resource for planning a tea event.
Perfectly Charming.......2006-07-31
This book would be a lovely addition to any tea lover's bookshelf. I heartily recommend it for the charm and great information contained therein.
Awful.......2006-03-14
I don't recommend this book at all....It was a complete waste of money, No information a regular person wanting to put on a little teaparty or have tea-friends over could use.
A Wonderful Book.......2002-10-31
TEA WITH FRIENDS is a terrific resource for those who need specific ideas for year round tea parties. Each chapter suggests one theme party for each month of the year. Within each chapter is background information on the theme, a section entitled "Setting The Scene" in which the author gives suggestions on what service and accessories you could use, as well as ideas for centerpieces and music. She also includes a menu, a featured recipe and a craft project or activity relating to the theme, My favorite is November's Victorian Afternoon Tea. Knight gives insightful background information on how tea became a British obsession during the reign of Queen Alexandria Victoria and the causes behind rise in the popularity of black tea, (one of the menu offerings she suggests). In essence, she not only makes menu suggestions, but she provides the background you need to understand why she is making these suggestions. She also includes an example of what an invitation for your November tea might look like. In "Setting The Scene" she lists excellent suggestions for accenting the table with Victorian charm, as well as detailed instructions on how to make a Victorian centerpiece. There are also music suggestions that would be appropriate for this setting. Knight also includes a full menu with a featured recipe for Watercress and Stilton sandwiches. Finally she incorporates detailed instructions on how to make lavender sachets. Sidebars tell about various traditions of the Victorian royal family. In just a few short pages, you have the background, recipes, serving ideas and special touches for a monthly theme tea party anytime of year.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves tea and is looking for simple, creative ways to share the pleasures of tea time with friends.
Cris Cunningham
More than just another book about tea...........2002-03-02
Amazingly, Elizabeth Knight's book achieves the Herculean task of providing a primer for beginners as well as delighting the avid and informed hostess with creative and polished tea themes. The menus serve as both a journey and a destination; have a look and enjoy both!
The art, coupled with the quotations and introductory material make this a delightful book just to leaf through, but the ideas and the warmth of them sing, "It's time for a cup of tea with friends."
The initial chapter, "Taking Tea," launches the novice but serves the informed as a succinct reference. Keep this volume in an easily accessible place!
Book Description
Make simple meals special and special meals simple...that's what Come on Over Cookbook is all about! It's filled with recipes and tips for easy, come-as-you-are dining from morning 'til nighttime. Try cooking up some overnight coffee cake, sweet berry popover, spicy buffalo bites, pizza by the scoop, Dutch oven stew, herb biscuits supreme, Cheddar ziti bake, Santa Fe sandwiches, 4-layer cookie bars and red velvet cake. It's loaded with helpful ideas for memorable gatherings too.
Customer Reviews:
Some Good ideas.......2007-01-16
This is the first Gooseberry Patch cookbook I've owned. Flipping through it, I've found most of the recipes to be simple crowd pleasers. My in-laws were visiting this past weekend and I made 3 recipes from the book. 2 of them turned out very well, and the third was truly awful (the macaroni and cheese). As a reviewer for another book in this series noted, sometimes saving time sacrifices taste. Overall a good buy and I'm sure I'll use more recipes in the near future.
Amazon.com
Marion Cunningham, editor of the revised The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, is also the author of The Supper Book and The Breakfast Book, two gems of American home-style cooking. This simple but delicious fare is once again onstage in Lost Recipes, a collection of almost 150 easy formulas for largely forgotten American classics. These recipes, which include the likes of Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Fresh Tomato Gratin Stew, and Salmon or Tuna Loaf might, in other hands, seem dated; here, they're just what the doctor ordered. Why? Cunningham has devised exemplary versions, which eschew bastardizations like convenience ingredients that have compromised--or replaced--the originals over time. (Her creamed corn, for example, requires fresh corn and real cream.)
Among the soup-to-nuts chapters, "Yesterday's Side Dishes--Today's Vegetarian Centerpiece," scores with main-dishes like First-Prize Onion Casserole and Welsh Rarebit. "Real Salads and Dandy Dressings" offers equally revivable fare like Brown Derby Cobb Salad and Green Goddess Dressing, while chapters on breads and sweets present the "nostalgic" likes of Monkey Bread, Lazy Daisy Cake, and Dainty Pralines. (Readers should know that other versions of some recipes have appeared in previous Cunningham works.) Illustrated, and with pithy excerpts on food and dining from writers ranging from Brillat-Savarin to Eric Schlosser, the book is another Cunningham treasure. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
From:Marion Cunningham
To:The American home cook
Subject (URGENT):The family table
We need to lure our families, friends, and neighbors back to the table, to sit down and eat together. It is important that we be in charge again of our cooking, working with fresh, unadulterated ingredients. Enclosed you will find many simple-to-make, good-tasting, inexpensive dishes from the past that taste better than ever today. I urge you to try them.
· Good soups—satisfying one-dish meals that can be made ahead
· Dishes that can be made with what’s on hand—First-Prize Onion Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie, Salmon or Tuna Loaf
· Vegetables baked and ready for the table
· Real salads, substantial enough for lunch or supper, with snappy dressings
· Breads and cookies, puddings and cakes that you loved as a child
PS: There is nothing like the satisfaction of sharing with others something you have cooked yourself
Customer Reviews:
Really Enjoyed.......2007-03-11
Thank goodness I read all the reviews and not just the one from "Reader" since I would have missed out on a wonderful cookbook. I also appreciate the ability to peruse all that particular "readers other reviews" since "Reader" had nothing positive to say about anything they reviewed. I also loved the beef stroganoff as did my family. I have cooked many of the recipes for other guests and the response is always the same...what a treat!
Just lovely.......2006-12-19
What a lovely book and wonderful collection of recipes. This reminds me of all the things I have been meaning to cook for my family - but updated recipies to make it easier and healthier than my Mom's versions.
Try the beef stroganoff - a real winner!
Note to review with the binding problem - use a cook book holder - keeps special books like this clean and it will solve your problem. Personally, I think the book is a beautiful presentation and I have already tucked a few clippings into the recipe pocket.
Wonderful Book.......2006-08-10
I really enjoyed reading this book. I bought it because I was looking for a recipe of chow-chow, something my Grandmother used to make. There are great bits and pieces of information and wonderful recipes. I want to buy more of her books.
Lost Recipes.......2006-03-22
This is a good read. The critics who talk about the recipes not really being lost miss the premise of the book. What Marion Cunningham is telling us is that these old family-style recipes aren't in use much anymore, because only 30%-40% of people cook at home these days. Mrs. Cunningham was a food maven in the San Francisco Bay Area for years, and I always enjoyed her column in the San Francisco Chronicle for her wit and common sense approach. Alas, I heard from her daughter, Catherine, that Marion (in her 80s now) is failing. This is probably her last book.
The Best Cookbook I've Used In A Long Time!.......2006-03-08
Every recipe I have used so far has been wonderful! I highly recommend it to everyone!
Book Description
This book is the follow-up to the successful Perfect Party Food. Happy Holidays from the Diva-of Do-Ahead brings the same how-to and do-ahead approach to creating menus for 12 holidays-with special emphasis on Thanksgiving and Christmas-as well as tips on recipe variations, decorating, and serving. Featuring a beautiful 16-page color photo insert, this is the perfect book for anyone who wants to take the stress out of entertaining and enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
Customer Reviews:
Great ideas for do ahead entertaining!.......2007-09-27
This is a great book with ideas for recipes to do ahead of time. Last night I made rice for a party I'm having in a few weeks.
Outstanding guide to preparing great feasts.......2007-09-11
I'm an experienced cook but I bought this book for assistance in learning how to do more of my cooking in advance of a party, etc. Philips more than delivers on her promises, offering thoughtful, delicious menus with recipes that don't cut the corners on flavor or excellence. Most of the recipes can be adapted by an experienced cook to your own favorite recipes. I found it invaluable to learn what can and can't be done in advance, definitely making entertaining easier and more enjoyable.
If I had actually looked at the recipes I wouldn't have bought it.......2007-08-28
This book has less than a dozen photos at the very beginning and they're not that great of photos to begin with. I like to see what the dish is suppose to look like and I would think the food editors could have found a decent food photographer. The recipes don't seem to make sense with the holidays, like Father's Day is chicken fajitas and margaritas. Isn't Father's day about steak? and beer? That could have been any meal, nothing special about it for Father's Day. The paper the book is written on is matte finish, almost like cheap recycled paper and the print is not a dark black, some of it is actually hard to read especially where it's gray. I think the Sandra Lee holiday book is better or even the Celebrations book by Betty Crocker. Don't pay full price for this and certainly don't give as a gift, the polenta crust cheesecake was awful as was the marcapone berries parfaits. You can see why it's down to $3.00 used.
Just O.K. on the diva of do-ahead.......2007-01-21
I was disappointed in the recipes. Nothing great!!
Everyone Needs This Cookbook!.......2007-01-10
No matter what the occasion, I am "finally organized" with excellent "Do-Ahead" recipes! At last, I can relax and enjoy my company and family! I plan to give this book as a birthday gift to my three grown children this year before their busy holiday season arrives!
Books:
- Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade)
- Simply Sensational Desserts: 140 Classics for the Home Baker from New York's Famous Patisserie and Bistro
- Splendid Soups: Recipes and Master Techniques for Making the World's Best Soups
- Splendid Soups: Recipes and Master Techniques for Making the World's Best Soups
- Starting With Ingredients: The Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Cook
- Talk About Good
- Thai Food
- The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef
- The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes
- The Baby Bistro Cookbook: Healthy, Delicious Cuisine for Babies, Toddlers, and You
Books Index
Books Home
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General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking
Patsy's Cookbook: Classic Italian Recipes from a New York City Landmark Restaurant
An Evening at Rao's: Songs from an Italian Restaurant
The Arthur Avenue Cookbook: Recipes and Memories from the Real Little Italy
Christmas at Rao's: A Celebration of Family, Friends & Holiday Spirit
