Book Description
With Cover & Bake, the editors at Cook's Illustrated set out to revive the venerable casserole. From Turkey Tetrazzini and Chicken Divan to Crab Imperial and Hoppin' John, casserole cooking represents the ingenuity and practicality of the American cook. In Cover & Bake, the editors set out to investigate the old standards and in the process have re-imagined the art of the one-dish meal to meet the demands of today's cook.
Here you will find classic assemble and bake casseroles like Macaroni and Cheese and Creamy Chicken and Rice as well as more inventive dishes like Mediterranean Chicken Bake and Polenta Casserole with Italian Sausage. We've experimented with techniques that allow you to cook everything in just one pot where possible, avoiding the need for hours of preparation and clean up just to get a casserole in the oven. And nearly every recipe can be made ahead allowing busy cooks to serve these wholesome dishes on a busy weeknight.
Looking beyond what most people consider to be a casserole, the editors offer a rather original take on the subject with inventive skillet "casseroles," slow cooker meals that are really worth serving, pot pies with multiple topping options (many of which you can make ahead), oven braises and stews that cook in a low oven for hours so you won't have to stand over a hot stove, and breakfast and brunch dishes that can be assembled the night before.
In addition, this book contains all the relevant tastings and testings conducted in America's Test Kitchen. Learn which casserole dish is our hands-down favorite. Are all storage containers created the same? Want to know which slow cooker has the best combination of features?
In short, Cover & Bake is filled with 200 one-dish meals for everyday cooking. We've made these casseroles a whole lot better tasting while making sure that what everyone loves about casseroles remains - the fact that they are practical one-dish meals that require a minimum of fuss and last minute attention.
Customer Reviews:
Good recipes.......2007-04-26
I have made several recipes from this book and they have been great and easy to follow. this is the first cookbook I own from Cook's Illustrated and I'm now adding one more to my collection.
My Favorite Cookbook.......2007-04-03
This is my favorite cookbook, and I use it often. It not only has wonderful recipes that I use often, but also features little snippets and articles such as which tomato paste is best, how to know if your eggs are fresh, and how to choose a dutch oven.
My favorite recipes are the Macaroni and Cheese, which is a favorite at pot luck dinners, the Beef Stroganoff, Beef and Guiness Stews, 4 cheese pasta with basil and tomatoes, and there are dozens more I haven't attempted yet.
This book is not about your mother's (or maybe just my mother's) casseroles. The ingredients are top notch and the result is fantastic. I've given it as a gift on several occasions and can't recommend it enough.
There is not, as another person mentioned, an abundance of photos, and I do wish there were more, but I'd prefer great recipes and fewer photos over fabulous glossy photos and lackluster recipes, which I've found in plenty of other books!
Hungry for more pictures.......2007-03-08
I am inspired by photos of the finished products in any cookbook. So, this one disappointed with only a handful of photos. I would pay a few $ more for an abundance of delicious looking pictures. Cook's Illustrated is very dependable for excellent recipes and continues to be in this book. They have ironed out the wrinkles and achieve perfection with these recipes.
Great recipes.......2007-02-05
When I look at reader reviews of cookbooks, I want to see names of specific recipes that were outstanding, so here's one I tried last night: page 61, Chicken Casserole with Spring Vegetables and Tarragon Cream Sauce (oh, gosh, I just noticed it says it's for 6-8 people, and my husband and I snarfed down half!) Any other recommendations out there??
SO GOOD I BOUGHT TWO.......2007-01-09
This is a great cookbook for anyone that has to cook for a group or just likes to cook dishes that can be enjoyed for the next few days. It is filled with warm and comforting recipes from a wide range of backrounds. Every recipe I have tried has come out as wonderfully as it was described. As is the case with all of the Best Recipe Classics cook books by the Cooks Illustrated editors this book includes comprehensive descriptions of the history of the recipes as well as the trial and error lessons that the test kitchen discovered in the process of perfecting the recipe. I have enjoyed this book so much that I gave it to a friend for Christmas.
Amazon.com
The mysteries of cream of tartar revealed! How to make maximum use of blackening bananas! The hidden meaning of folding in dry ingredients until just blended! Perfect pie crusts for perfect fools! It's all here in Baking Illustrated, from banana bread to pecan bars, and everything imaginable in between--500-plus pages of densely packed, illustration rich, photo finished information all devoted to baking. Tools, techniques, ingredients, tips, and perfect, tested recipes.
There's cooking and there's baking, and the two should never be confused. Good cooks are ever commendable. Good bakers, on the other hand, have something about them bigger than skill or imagination, something that reaches back to the beginning of agriculture and the first inklings of civilization. Good bakers are their own mystic society. So hats off to Cook's Illustrated for throwing open the doors and sharing the mysteries with the rest of us. Baking Illustrated absolutely has it all. You'll find chapters devoted to "Quick Breads, Muffins, Biscuits, and Scones"; "Yeast Breads and Rolls"; "Pizza, Focaccia, and Flatbread"; "Pies and Tarts"; "Pastry"; "Crisps, Cobblers, and Other Fruit Desserts"; "Cakes"; and "Cookies, Brownies, and Bar Cookies". No mean undertaking, all that. Tools are tested and names are named. Techniques are stripped back then rebuilt. Cook's Illustrated carries all this off with a style and relish for inquiry and detail that sets a standard. Nothing is taken for granted because there's no fudge room with baking. It works or it doesn't. So trust is a big issue. And the end result of all the mighty labors of the Cook's Illustrated staff is text you can trust. This is a baking book that works.
And those blackening bananas? Simply keep adding them to a Ziplock bag you store in the freezer, then use them when you wish and as you like. --Schuyler Ingle
Book Description
Packed with 350 recipes and 500 illustrations, Baking Illustrated brings you inside America's Test Kitchen, where the test cooks and editors have exhaustively examined every ingredient, technique, and piece of equipment that is critical to your baking success. Have you ever wondered how long you can keep that can of baking powder in your cabinet or what brand of chocolate will yield the best brownies or flourless chocolate cake? Or puzzled over the key to making pizza crust that is thin and crisp or cookies that bake evenly? The editors at Cook's Illustrated have pulled back the curtain on the seemingly complex world of baking to give you the answers to these and thousands of other questions.
Recipes range from quick breads and yeast breads to pizza, cookies, cakes, pastry, crisps, and cobblers to all manner of pies and tarts. And they feature American home classics (including Southern Cornbread, Pecan Sandies, and Sour Cream Coffee-cake) as well as more contemporary favorites (such as Rosemary Focaccia, Orange-Almond Biscotti, and Chocolate Truffle Tart) and European baked goods (such as Brioche, Black Forest Cake, and Tarte Tatin). Every recipe has been exhaustively researched and tested to bring you the "best" recipe (we'll let you be the judge), along with detailed and precise explanations from everything from why you should use unsalted butter to what is the best oven temperature and why it all matters. We've also tested every kind of baking equipment available, from mixers and food processors to the humblest spatulas and loaf pans, and the results of our experiments are described throughout so you can benefit from our trial and error.
And because we know that good baking depends on understanding basic techniques, Baking Illustrated features a 16-page, full-color insert that shows you how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls in baking, such as overmixed egg whites, cheesecakes that crack, and bread dough that has overproofed. (We know a lot about mistakes - we've made them all.) We don't want you to take the time to bake a layer cake from scratch only to settle for the "homemade" look. The visuals in this insert show you how to do it right. Color photographs demonstrate good results as well as bad, and hand-drawn step-by-step illustrations help you to perfect your technique for fail-safe baking.
Baking Illustrated also gives you the handy tutorials on baking basics, including how to stock your pantry and how to store and measure ingredients, cream butter and roll out pie dough. A master baking class between two covers, Baking Illustrated takes the guesswork out of baking and will expand your repertoire without ever losing sight of your ultimate goal: making family favorites that taste better than ever.
Customer Reviews:
Great book for learning the ins and outs of WHY in baking.......2007-09-23
I just read through all the reviews and I have to say, some people don't make sense... wanting an ice cream recipe... it says BAKING Illustrated, Complaining that it is full of text when on the cover it says "The Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home Baker". I agree some more photos would be nice, but it does say "illustrated" not baking photographed.
Now, I don't own this book YET, but I have it checked out from the library and have been reading it cover to cover practically and as a pretty good home cook and as someone who is just starting a cake business from home, this book is EXCELLENT. Way too many books are just fancy photos, fancy ingredients that are hard to find and complicated beyond reason. They aren't things you can make from just opening your refrigerator and pantry. Too many books skimp on HOW to do things and WHY. Let's face it, most of us didn't have the opportunity to learn to bake at home with grandma or mom on a regular basis. We don't know what it really means when it says to roll out a dough in a certain way. Most of us don't have enough practice to know which flours are good for what and so on. This book really helps with TEACHING the basics and with introducing us to products that are better for this or this.
And, I have to agree with most of their evaluations. With my own learning of 14 years of baking, I too agree about the Rolling pin, the whole wheat flour, the way to cut in fat into dough, the type of measuring cups/spoons and so on. But, I'm also learning things I didn't know - about corn meal and protein content in leading flour brands - ALL good stuff.
I also like that these recipes are BASIC. I have an old Better Homes and Garden cookbook which is my go to cookbook for basics, but I was VERY dismayed that their newer cookbooks have gone all fancy. Gone are the simpler cobbler recipes. Now it's Polenta cobbler! We all need to START with the basics and only then move on to the "gourmet" stuff. Plus, at least for me and for my customers so far, it's the basics people like.
So... I'm buying this book. I've looked through a LOT of baking books and this is the best I've seen. I thought the Cake Bible would be the one for me, but that book stinks... Well, the cakes do. Some of those recipes are great, but in general the recipes in that book make DRY cakes and a lot of people in an online cake community say the same thing. Learned that the HARD way! Ugh!
I'm very excited about this book and can't wait to try most of the recipes. I'll update when I actually BAKE more from here. Right now I'm just excited from all the tips and new things I've learned from the text.
Baking Illustrated.......2007-08-03
I found this cookbook to be very interesting, and helpful.It explained a lot of techniques that were especially useful.
A little disappointing..........2007-04-24
As a beginner baker I found this book totally uninspiring; 500 pages thick without very many photos. Normally I would never buy cook books without beautiful illustrative photos, but because this one said "Baking Illustrated" with excellent ratings from other customers I assumed it would be wonderful. I'm not even motivated to try any recipes here because they are really text-heavy and written in such a complicated language like others previously commented. I am now further turned off by the fact that some of the reviews here say the recipes contained typos.
great baking guide.......2007-04-03
I got this book as a gift. It is really great for dessert, with a large variety of baking projects from blueberry cobbler to anise biscotti. The best part about it is that each recipe comes with a prologue where the writers describe in detail their process in choosing the recipe, so that you as a reader know what can go wrong.
The only problem I have with this book is that many recipes are very large, so I always have to halve them. When I halved the (extremely delicious) peanut butter cookie recipe, it still made two baking sheets full of cookies! The default quantity in here seems to be for huge parties, and sometimes the recipes don't divide easily (how do you split three eggs?). It would be nice if they were sized more appropriately for everyday use. A very minor complaint for a really great cook book.
I love this book!.......2007-03-16
I call it my baking bible, and I'm very protective of it. I'll gladly share my baked treats with friends and family, but I don't want to take away the magic of how I went form an average baker to having the confidence that everything coming out of my oven will be amazing. This book has also taken away my fear of trying new things. In the past if I found a good recipe I would hold on to it like glue, now I have a whole book full of them.
Average customer rating:
- I have been looking for a cookbook just like this one....
- Easy Delicious baking
- YUMMY!
- Great Book!
- I'm a mom and I like this book!
|
Mom's Big Book of Baking: 200 Simple, Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Family Treats to Get You Through Every Birthday Party, Class Picnic, Potluck, Bake Sale, Holiday, and No-School Day
Lauren Chattman
Manufacturer: Harvard Common Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Bread
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Quick & Easy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Mom's Big Book of Cookies: 200 Family Favorites You'll Love Making and Your Kids Will Love Eating
-
Icebox Desserts: 100 Cool Recipes for Icebox Cakes, Pies, Parfaits, Mousses, Puddings, and More
-
The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook
-
Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs, All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving
-
Instant Gratification: No-Hassle Desserts in Just About No Time
ASIN: 1558321942 |
Amazon.com
Lauren Chattman is both a pastry chef and a mom, so she's in the perfect position to offer Mom's Big Book of Baking, a cookbook filled with recipes the whole family will love. This collection of 200 recipes for simple, home-style baked goods lets already busy moms bake for bake sales, slumber parties, the family cookie jar, and other special occasions, without spending what little spare time they might have tied up in the kitchen. Tips called "Kids Can Help" describe different ways to involve children in the kitchen, and there are also plenty of funny sidebars, entitled A Good Excuse to Make..., that will give you a chuckle whether or not they convince you to try the recipe. Chattman includes favorites like Caramel Swirl Brownies, Rolled Sugar Cookies, Lattice-Top Apple Pie, and Chocolate Milk Pancakes. You'll be well prepared for birthdays with recipes such as Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream and Strawberry Roses, a "magical" Marble Pound Cake, and Chocolate Birthday Cake Frosting. --Leora Y. Bloom
Book Description
If your mother made the world's best apple pie, you probably know that baked goods made for and with children are the stuff of family memories. But before creating warm and fuzzy memories, you need recipes that allow you to bake without fear and don't keep you chained to the kitchen for hours. Find those recipes in Mom's Big Book of Baking, which has more than 200 recipes tailor-made for today's extremely busy mom. The recipes are all tested in a real mom's kitchen (Lauren Chattman's) and tasted by real kids (her own). Chattman has created streamlined recipes that produce the highest quality baked goods with the least amount of fuss, striking a balance between familiar favorites and new twists. Try Caramel Swirl Brownies on a rainy afternoon, Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream at the next school bake sale, Thin and Crispy Pizza for a slumber party, and Chocolate Milk Pancakes at breakfast the next morning. Chattman provides you with advice on when and how to let kids participate. There are loads of tips on vital topics including how to mass produce cupcakes, how to make the most Christmas cookies in the least amount of time, and how to make a birthday cake your child will remember forever without losing your own mind.
Customer Reviews:
I have been looking for a cookbook just like this one...........2007-09-01
for years! I always have the ingredients in the house, and the recipes taste wonderful. With Cheap Fast Good and Mom's Big Book of Baking, I can get rid of the rest of my cookbooks!
Easy Delicious baking.......2007-08-31
I checked out this book from the library and was inspired to buy it, I had to have my own copy! My favorite recipe is the blueberry muffins with the crumb topping, so easy to whip up. My 14 yr. old daughter loves to use the book often and surprises us with delicious treats. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to bake, specially with such easy, delicious recipes.
YUMMY!.......2007-07-13
I have made about 10 of the recipes out of this book and we have loved all of them. I am looking forward to baking my way through it. The microwave brownies are so simple and our families quick chocolate fix.
Great Book!.......2007-05-21
As the mother of 2 little girls, I am finding a huge need for baked goods for all kinds of functions. So far everything I've made has been awesome - and simple. If you have children, this a great book to add to the collection!
I'm a mom and I like this book!.......2007-04-08
Like the author, I am a mother of 2 small kids and a professional chef. I work, I can cook fancy dishes with the best of them, but for birthday parties, playdates and bake sales. I have to put on a different hat and make simple, delicious things kids love - this is the book I use for that purpose. I've made a number of the recipes - the brownies and their variations are particular favorite. After I discovered the Microwave Brownie recipe, I think I gained 5 pounds, because I can now make brownies in 10 minutes from start to finish and I usually have all the ingredients in the house!
Amazon.com
In A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking, Goldman defines Jewish cooking as a combination of influences from religious laws, holiday and seasonal events, what is locally available, and cross-cultural adaptations created as Jewish families moved around. She also explains much about Jewish dietary law and other food customs.
Holidays, in particular, call for foods with symbolic as well as sensory resonance. This leads to baking a special, spiral-shaped challah--a reminder of life's continuity. This egg bread is reserved for the Sabbath and most holidays, while triangular Hamantaschen, a pastry resembling the three-cornered hat of the evil Haman, are unique to the lively holiday of Purim.
Novice cooks will appreciate Goldman's list of "Winning Recipes for the Bakery Challenged." Her discussions of yeast (five pages) and sensible equipment (seven pages) are an education for any baker, while everyone will enjoy her killer frozen cheesecake, which you can keep for unexpected guests; flourless and rich, rich Espresso Truffle Torte; and Smoked Salmon, Dill, and Cream Cheese Pizza. Whatever your persuasion, Marcy Goldman's A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking belongs on your bookshelf. --Dana Jacobi
Book Description
Here at last is the first lovingly assembled, comprehensive collection of delicious, fail-proof baked goods--for the Jewish holidays and throughout the year--compiled and interpreted by Marcy Goldman, a professional baker who is also a professional writer on food.
Even if we don't have time to bake on a regular basis, holidays are something different--special occasions that encourage us to pull out the cake pans and present our family and friends with a gift of homemade love. And this is particularly true of the Jewish holidays, which are so centrally focused on special foods--and, of course, special desserts.
From the round raisin challah that symbolizes the sweetness and continuity of life for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, to triangular, jam-filled hamantaschen for Purim, to a Chanukah dreidel cake, to the best flourless Passover cakes in the world, Marcy Goldman offers recipes that are traditional as well as those with an innovative flair.
Jewish or European-style baked goods--coffee cakes, strudels, cheesecakes, rugelach--are so universally popular that they have become as American as apple pie, and now, with A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking, every home baker will have access to the secrets of how to make them. As if she were a mother passing down techniques to her own children, Marcy Goldman's voice is warm, encouraging, and inviting, as well as authoritative, clear, and knowledgeable. She provides not only detailed instructions that yield delicious baked goods every time, but also a wealth of information on holiday customs and history.
Here is, indeed, a treasury to be welcomed by those who grew up with such recipes, those who are seeking to reestablish traditional holiday celebrations in their own home, and those who simply want to know the secrets for producing a wide range of delicious cakes, pastries, and pies.
Customer Reviews:
I've become famous for the brownies in this cookbook!.......2007-06-03
I have many Jewish cookbooks, and bake a lot for all the holidays and Shabbat, and this is by far my favorite book for desserts. Marcy Goldman's brownies recipe is quick and easy, and the resulting amazing, chewy brownies have become my Shabbat hallmark, with everyone requesting the "famous" brownies when they visit.
Goldman also includes wonderful recipes for honey cake, bagels, apple cake, cookies, and more. One of my favorites is her unusual etrog cake: it's moist, tart, and divine, and an original way to use up the etrog after Sukkot. Last Passover, my mother used this cookbook, and baked a rich, creamy Passover chocolate cake. It tasted like cheesecake - though it was parve - and didn't taste "Passover" at all. We all tried to guess what was in it, but couldn't. When I got home, I looked it up, and was surprised to see the secret ingredient was sweet potatoes! (It sounds wierd, but like everything else in this book, it works.)
This book never misses. Definitely a great resource, chock full of solid classics, with a few ingenious new twists.
Essential.......2007-05-09
Marcy Goldman's "A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking" is one book I keep going back to again and again. It's packed with delicious recipes, great tips, funny little stories, and (for us non-Jews) interesting information about every Jewish holiday.
What I love most about this book is the breadth of the recipes. There is something for everyone -- beginner, novice or expert. And Marcy's Classic Cuisine d'Or Carrot Cake recipe alone is worth the price of the book. (It is hands down the best carrot cake I've ever tasted.)
If you love baking, you need to buy this book. Highly, highly recommended.
So good this library girl had to buy it!.......2007-03-04
I found this book in our branch library a week or so ago and, always on the hunt for new Hamantaschen recipes, decided to check it out. Eight dozen Hamantaschen later I love the book so much I'm ready to find a place for it on our crowded cookbook bookshelf! The traditional hamantaschen dough recipe made a really lovely dough - very short but easy to work. The results were amazing. Her filling recipes are great too. I'l be trying the chocolate dough tomorrow and my husband is ready to tackle Bialys. I've already ordered our own copy1
Perfect!.......2007-01-05
I haven't tried all the recipes, but I make the New Year's Challah all the time and it is one of my favorite things. The Hamentaschen are also excellent.
The Most Indispensible Cookbook EVER!.......2006-07-16
I collect, read, savor, and love reading cookbooks. This cookbook is a KEEPER. Every recipe in it is a 100% success. The one recipe that totally separated this book for all others is Bubbie's Orange and Oil Hamantaschen recipe. We've all tried to make hamantaschen with the dough collapsing or sticking all over. Not any more, with Ms Goldman's amazing recipe you too can make wonderful hamantaschen. I did it at home, with kids I teach, even made them at camp. Buy this cookbook, You'll be glad you did!
Book Description
This is the fourth of the successful Baker's Field Guide books. It brings the user-friendly approach of the series to the ever-popular cupcake with 15 master batter and frosting recipes on which the 60 cupcakes in the field guide are built. This book features creative, fun ways to decorate cupcakes for a wide range of special occasions and holidays for children and adults, with a beautiful photograph of every cupcake.
Customer Reviews:
What a great book!.......2007-08-25
I purchased 2 of this title and gave one as a gift. I enjoyed the basic instructions (recipes and types of cup cake pans and icing techniques) as well as all of the recipes and pictures. I will make several items from this book the next time I want to make cupcakes. I may even use the recipes for cakes; they sound so good.
Easy ideas!.......2007-08-24
I want to preface my review with a little information about myself. I'm a working mom that is also a Girl Scout leader. I initially bought the book to do easy cupcakes with my Girl Scouts because they like to bake, and sometimes I'm just not organized enough to come up with a project on my own and make sure I have all of the ingredients for it. I also stay at home with my kids (and half the neighborhood kids) all summer. And I live in Arizona where kids play indoors all summer.
There are so many good and DO-ABLE ideas in this book. I have a stack of cake and cupcake decorating books a foot high, and most of the techniques are too advanced for grade school and middle school aged children. Heck, most of them are a little too advanced for a busy mom that can't put a whole day into cake/cupcake decorating. This book has VISUALLY APPEALING designs that are easy enough for kids to do (well over half of the cupcakes) AND best of all, the kids think they are cool. I'm sorry that one of the reviewers didn't like the sheet of fondant over the cupcake... but guess what... THAT was by and large the favorite around here. Plus, I had never worked with fondant before (I'm an 1980s wilton cake decorating class-trained cake decorator) and this easy introduction gave me Fondant Confidence and now I won't hesitate to try to use fondant on my next large birthday cake.
All of the Halloween designs are favorites here (even in June), and we have made the ones that look like Hostess cupcakes more than once now. In addition to the fun designed ones, there is another whole batch of favorites that are new "flavors" rather than new designs. The Cookies and Cream cupcakes were a big hit with everybody, and so were the Zesty Orange Pound Cake cupcakes. They reminded me of some orange hostess (i think) cupcakes I had as a child.
I have not tried all the cake and frosting recipies since I do have tried and true recipies that I prefer to use. However, everybody here did enjoy the carrot cake recipe, and I found that it didn't really matter what the design was, my kids would eat the carrot cake as long as there was some kind of frosting. (The beach scene cupcake with the umbrella works so well with the carrot cake.) The Fluffy Meringue frosting is also a nice departure from the usual heavy buttercream that I use. It can make a kid cupcake into a grown-up pastry dessert.
One final thing to say, what I ended up doing since there were so many cute designs and I didn't really have a use for 24 of any particular one, was make a few dozen cupcakes ahead of time and freeze them in ziploc bags of 12. Then as my kids begged for cupcakes, I'd pull a dozen out along with frosting that I had made and pre-frozen, and we had a one hour project rather than a whole day project.
All in all I'm very pleased with this book. There is something in there for every age and every preference, and nothing is so difficult that you need formal pastry training to make it look good!
Great Ideas.......2007-05-13
I love the pictures in this book. Awesome ideas! Very clear instructions on what is needed to create top of cupcake. Spiral bound, which stays open while you're working.
But I'm a woman on the move and didn't go for the cupcake recipes themselves, I just used boxed cake mix. Which worked out fine.
Recipes Don't Stand Up.......2007-03-12
You will learn to decorate -- sort of. That is if you want to put a robe of inedible fondant over a cupcake to make a ghost.
The master recipes don't hold up. The "moist, chocolatey" recipe is going to need a lot more than a bunch of sugar and a little cocoa to turn out the way they appear in the book. You'll need a recipe with some coffee and perhaps vinegar in it. But of course that doesn't appear here, although the photos would give you the impression your cupcakes will turn out dark and delicious. They don't. A very mild tan at most.
I feel this book may have been rushed to press to ride the cupcake wave. The finer points in such books are often left out, leaving bewildered home cooks wondering why their work doesn't look like the picture in the book.
If you are going to pay money for something, you deserve better. Take this "field guide" and lose it in the woods.
Great for learning to decorate!.......2007-03-05
I was expecting this book to have more recipes in it, but to me the focus seemed to be on decoration-- which was fine! I like how it explains which tips to use and how to use them. Great for cupcake decorating!
Customer Reviews:
fruitcake memories of truman capote & sook.......2001-01-15
Marie Rudisill is absolutely fabulous with this fruitcake book. This is by far the most wonderful cook book i have ever seen in my entire life. I was also able to read other of Rudisills books and she is one of the best writers there is and has ever been. Two thumbs up to Rudisill on the Jay Leno show. She was funny keeping Jay and Mel Gibson in line. I strongly recommend everyone to try this delightful fruitcake book. Check out The Southern Haunting of Truman Capote, it was inspiring learning about his childhood in the south.
FRUITCAKE MEMORIES.......2001-01-03
MARIE RUDISILL HAS OUT DONE HERSELF WITH THIS FANTASTIC BOOK. IT NOT ONLY GIVES WONDERFUL RECEIPS IT ALSO SHARES MEMORIES OF TRUMAN CAPOTE AND SOOK FAULK..THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THIS BEST COOKBOOK I HAVE EVER OWNED. I ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING MS. RUDISILL ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO AND MEL GIBSON, THIS WAS THE BEST EPSIODE I EVER SAW..SHE HAD NO TROUBLE KEEPING THESE TWO MEN IN LINE, AND IT SEEMED THEY ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF IT...
DYNAMITE.......2000-12-17
A wonderful reflection of a generation as much as a collection of effective recipes. It doesn't just seem appropriate that the subject of fruitcake stirs this focused book. The times were tough and the cake ingredients reflected that. Speaking of charmingly tough, Marie Rudisill's moments with Mel Gibson and Jay Leno should make the Late Night hall of fame. As a Capote aunt, you'd almost expect a wry scolding, but with both men up to their wrists in fruitcake batter, the pleadings to be careful with her prized recipe were loving and comfortable. So is this book.
Average customer rating:
- A great resource for distinctive recipes
- You want cookies? These guys got cookies!
|
The Complete Cookie
Barry Bluestein , and
Kevin Morrissey
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Cookies
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0385477732
Release Date: 1996-08-01 |
Amazon.com
The Complete Cookie covers everything about baking cookies. Chatty yet precise, Bluestein and Morrissey explain what equipment works best, describe ingredients you might use for all manner of cookies and provide valuable guidance on technique. The recipes, more than 200, include complex productions and comforting ones. The chapter on holiday cookies includes every occasion from Christmas to Passover. The "Healthy Cookies" chapter is inspired. Cute as a cookie jar, The Complete Cookie offers a charming blend of sophistication and comfort.
Book Description
Who doesn't love cookies? Milk and cookies evoke memories of childhood treats. The delicate cookies served with coffee in so many restaurants provide a small indulgence without excessive guilt. Chocolate chip cookies are as American as apple pie.
In The Complete Cookie, veteran authors Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey present home cooks with a single-source reference for producing the best-ever cookies of every kind: filled, rolled, drop, bar, shaped, pressed, and molded. There are chapters highlighting decadent holiday cookies, as well as those of the healthful persuasion (sugarless, flourless, nonfat, and low-fat). Sidebars offer hints and tips galore on decorating, frosting, cutting, and storing, as well as instructions for homemade fillings, flavorings, and candied fruit. Special sections provide a wealth of essential information on ingredients, equipment, and techniques.
Illustrated with eight pages of glorious full-color photographs, The Complete Cookie is an up-to-the-minute guide for modern cooks. You'll find recipes not only for the classics, including big, chewy chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, but also novel twists on old-time favorites -- such as chocolate rugalach (out of this world!) and ginger biscotti (divine!) -- to suit sophisticated tastes.
Just reading these pages will be enough to have even timid bakers reaching for the nearest sack of flour.
Customer Reviews:
A great resource for distinctive recipes.......2000-08-05
If you're looking for a collection of traditional recipes, look elsewhere. If you're looking for interesting twists to old favorites and distinctive new recipes, this is your book. I loved the Devil's Food (with frosting), Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk, and Java Jive Mocha Snaps. There are a number of other recipes I look forward to trying. I wasn't crazy about a few of the rerigerator cookie recipes, though.
You want cookies? These guys got cookies!.......1998-10-28
This is a good book, if you're not going to hold them to any strict definition of "complete". If I want a special cookie, this is the book to which I turn.
Average customer rating:
- beautiful but
- WOW!!! This is an AWESOME book to add to your collection!!!
- Christmas Feast
- Sumptuous photographs, great ideas, clear directions
- Wonderful!
|
Colette's Christmas: Spectacular Holiday Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Other Edible Art
Colette Peters
Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Desserts
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Christmas & Hanukkah
| Special Occasions
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Christmas
| Holidays
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Colette's Cakes: The Art of Cake Decorating
-
Cakes to Dream On: A Master Class in Decorating
-
Colette's Birthday Cakes
-
Creative Cookies: Delicious Decorating for Any Occasion
-
The Confetti Cakes Cookbook: Spectacular Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City's Famed Bakery
ASIN: 0316702765 |
Book Description
Colette Peterss extraordinary Christmas confections have adorned the White House and Tiffanys windows. With Colettes Christmas, bakers at all levels can create Colettes magnificent holiday desserts and edible decorations, including: Christmas cookiesfrom easy drop cookies to marionette cookies, with arms and legs that move, to life-size stocking cookies that hang from the mantel, A Swiss chalet gingerbread house, a chocolate pumpkin pie wreath, and a raspberry-and-lime no-bake Christmas cheesecake, Gorgeous centerpieces like chocolate-and-almond pine cones, a greenhouse made of piped icing, a mosaic candy tree, chocolate ornaments in a chocolate bowl. Her specialty: beautiful and delicious cakesfrom a single-layer Stained-Glass Poinsettia Cake to a multitier Victorian Holiday Cake, the recipes in Colettes Christmas enable home as well as professional bakers to create Christmas magic in their own kitchens.
Customer Reviews:
beautiful but.......2007-03-27
when will i have the time to make these cakes. some look so outdated. duh i should have known. but i love Collete Peters and am glad to have one of her books.
WOW!!! This is an AWESOME book to add to your collection!!!.......2004-07-11
I'd definately give this book six stars if they had the option!!! The descriptions on each item are incredibly detailed making it so ANYONE can follow the directions and have it turn out as nice as the pictures. The book takes what looks INCREDIBLY complicated and makes it so even the novice could recreate it. Definately a must have in any Christmas or baker's collection!!
Christmas Feast.......2004-04-09
If you're a Christmas junkie like me you'll *love* this book. The author manages to make breathtaking edibles that capture the season and will have you trying them out regardless of the time of year. Truly inspirational!!
Sumptuous photographs, great ideas, clear directions.......2002-07-21
I treated myself to "Colette's Christmas" by baker extraordinaire Colette Peters while on vacation. It seemed a strange thing to read while at the beach, but I was absolutely captivated. What a fevered imagination Ms. Peters has! The showstoppingly gorgeous desserts and projects she shows within include a layer cake covered with fondant that has been pieced and quilted to resemble and antique quilt (and it surely does); a chocolate bowl filled to overflowing with spectacular chocolate spheres (the cover photograph); hinged, jointed cookies which really move and make splendid Christmas ornaments (all in human forms, like Santa, Raggedy Ann, and so on); gift boxes made entirely of decorated cookie dough; a shimmering "stained glass" cake; and a three-dimensional Christmas gazebo constructed around a towering decorated Christmas tree made of piped icing.
Even if the projects herein appear way too complicated or time-consuming for most people--as they do for me, I'll admit--Ms. Peters gives splendidly clear, concise directions in a conversational tone that make starting your own gingerbread house seem, somehow, not as daunting as it really should be.
Wonderful!.......2002-05-11
Each year I prepare the desserts for my husband's office Christmas party (over 400 guests). I always try to come up with one special "show stopper" and Colette's chocolate bowl and ornaments was it for last year! I'm certainly a beginner but, with a little practice and Ms. Peter's clear instructions, I was able to create pieces that were the talk of the night. Several people even asked to take one home to show their family. I can't wait until next Christmas when I can try something even more amazing!
Book Description
Come holiday time, there’s no better way to celebrate than by baking up some special cookies. In Christmas Cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse, mother-daughter bakers Kaye and Liv Hansen share their most enchanting cookies, from simple to showstoppingly beautiful. These irresistibly pretty cookies are perfect for snacking and gifting, decorating the tree, and, of course, leaving for Santa.
And they are definitely not your grandmother’s cookies! With both classic and creative flavor combinations and adorable designs, the Hansens’ cookies have been pleasing loyal customers at their cozy upstate New York bakery for years. Now they bring their customers’ favorite recipes home to you. Kaye handles the baking, imbuing the cookies with the traditional flavors of Christmas, like cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla, but also more modern touches like coconut, chocolate, and pistachio. Her daughter, Liv, provides the artistic flair, using innovative techniques and plenty of colored (yes, colored!) chocolate to yield truly special cookie creations that look as good as they taste.
All of the Hansens’ best cookie creations are here, from simple roll-and-slice cookies to bars and cutouts, including Coconut Dreams, Chocolate Pecan Rounds, and Creamy Christmas Butter Cookies, as well as step-by-step instructions for making truly impressive decorations. Imagine a dazzling 3-D Christmas cookie tree decked with silver dragées, or a breathtaking gingerbread house. From chewy Apricot-Chocolate Triangles to tangy Lemon Drop Cookies, Christmas Cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse is a fanciful, fabulous take on everyone’s favorite holiday treat.
Customer Reviews:
DISAPPOINTING.......2007-06-20
Cover cookie - NOT IN BOOK - NOR IS PRACTICALLY ANYTHING LIKE IT. Has some good 'cookie' recipes - however, bought it for state of the art style impressive decorating, as seen in upscale merchandise (like the cover picture) - also saw their 'cake' book - ALSO HAS GORGEOUS COVER - VERY LITTLE INSIDE ABOUT HOW TO ACHIEVE THIS LOOK. I would say it borders on false advertising.
Christmas cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse.......2007-01-06
Service was excellent and prompt. The book arrived in excellent condition. Triple A-OK satisfaction on our part. Thanks.
Super Cookie Book.......2006-01-19
I was delighted with this book. I love the recipes and especially the directions on decorating these special treats. Would recommend!
Not what I thought.......2005-12-06
I purchased this book with high hopes and great expectations. I have the Whimsical Bakehouse and was thrilled by it. This book was not what I assumed it would be. It is a collection of Christmas cookies of varying types. There are bar cookies, gingerbread, and cutouts, to name a few. I was hoping to find a book with wonderful decorating ideas for Christmas cutout cookies since that is what is displayed on the cover. In fact, they only give a template for that cookie but no real instruction as to how to achieve the look. Now, I am quite proficient at decorating, but sometimes need some great ideas to kick start my creativity. In fact, there were quite a few truly adorable cookies in the front section of the book, but no further information on them.
If you are one who prefers to figure out on your own how to achieve a certain look or don't mind the trial and error method then maybe you will like this. If you are looking for a collection of cookies to add to your library than this is a good option. However, if, like me, you are wanting to "WOW" people with spectacular, highly detailed Christmas cookies, this is probably not what you are looking for.
Average customer rating:
- Sophisticated
- SIMPLE and DELICIOUS
|
Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets and Savories
Leslie Mackie , and
Andrew Cleary
Manufacturer: Sasquatch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Bread
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Desserts
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Northwest
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Holidays
| Special Occasions
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets and Savories
-
The Greyston Bakery Cookbook: More Than 80 Recipes to Inspire the Way You Cook and Live
-
Buttercup Bakes at Home: More Than 75 New Recipes from Manhattan's Premier Bake Shop for Tempting Homemade Sweets
-
At Home with Magnolia: Classic American Recipes from the Owner of Magnolia Bakery
-
Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations
ASIN: 1570615047 |
Book Description
Macrina’s irresistible creations, from rustic potato bread to pear and cracked pepper bread to crisp, crackly baguettes, have made Seattle a culinary destination for fans of scrumptious baked goods. Author Leslie Mackie, revered by chefs and artisan bakers throughout the country, brings her talent and passion to this beautiful cookbook. The recipes here run the gamut from simple morning muffins to impressive European pastries and show-stopping desserts. Now customers, cookbook buyers, and food lovers everywhere can experience the delicious offerings of Macrina in their own kitchens.
Customer Reviews:
Sophisticated.......2007-08-23
This is not for the amateur. The text and the recipes are exceptional and appealing to those accustomed to quality and superb baking. But, when going to Seattle, ah, a must !
SIMPLE and DELICIOUS.......2007-05-07
I bought the first copy as a gift. I have not purchased a new cookbook for myself in years, as I have dozens and dozens. I did not think there was anything new under the sun for me in the world of cookbooks - WRONG!
I have enjoyed the Macrina bakery since it opened, and Leslie's cookbook faithfully includes all the best of her breads, sweets, and savories.
The recipes are soooooooooo straightforward, simple, yet are unique combinations of everyday ingredients. So, I purchased two more - yep, one for me and one more gift.
Books:
- Culinaria Germany (Culinaria)
- Culinary Mexico
- DAISY COOKS!: LATIN FLAVORS THAT WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD
- DietMinder Personal Food & Fitness Journal (A Food and Exercise Diary)
- Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems
- Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
- Everyday Pasta
- Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)
- Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology (7th Edition) (MyA&P Series)
- George Foreman's Indoor Grilling Made Easy: More Than 100 Simple, Healthy Ways to Feed Family and Friends
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Information Technology Project Management, Fourth Edition
- Bridge Called Hope: Stories of Triumph from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams
- Social Studies Readers Theatre for Children: Scripts and Script Development
- The Southern Debate over Slavery: vol. 1: Petitions to Southern Legislatures, 1778-1864
- Trick of the Eye
- Children of the Dragon: Selected Tales from Vietnam
- A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
- The Tao of Negotiation: How You Can Prevent, Resolve, and Transcend Conflict in Work and Everyday Li
- The Digital Multimedia Cross Industry Guide
- The Care and Training of the Executive Wife
The Best 30-minute Recipe: A Best Recipe Classic (Best Recipe Series)
The Best Make-Ahead Recipe (The Best Recipe)
The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition with 1,000 Recipes
The Best Light Recipe (The Best Recipe)
The Best Soups & Stews: A Best Recipe Classic (Best Recipe Series)
