Book Description
An award-winning author who has "made good, better, and best a career" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and a USA Weekend food columnist known to millions of readers for her "sensible perfection" (Philadelphia Inquirer), Pam Anderson is also a busy minister's wife who entertains often. Having people over, she says, is no big deal, as long as you have the perfect recipe for the occasion. In this book, Pam presents two hundred of her favoriteseach one tested and retested to make it foolproof for companyfrom Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese to Butterflied Glazed Cornish Hens. Every recipe is as convenient as it is perfect, and many of the dishes are designed to satisfy everyone on the guest list, from vegetarians to carnivores and from sophisticated parents to picky kids. Pam provides more than a hundred accompaniments to mix and match with the main courses, from appetizers like Lacy Cheddar Crisps, to side dishes like Orange-Glazed Asparagus, to sensational desserts like Molten Chocolate Cakes. Each recipe includes a thumbnail sketch with suggestions on what to serve with the dish, how to vary it, how to take shortcuts, and how to make it ahead. Richly illustrated with color photographs, Perfect Recipes for Having People Over brings both perfection and practicality to the party.
Customer Reviews:
LOVE THIS COOKBOOK!.......2007-08-23
This is one of my favorite cookbooks I own. I have had success with every recipe I have tried so far. The menu suggestions are great. She even gives suggestions for leftovers! LOVE IT!
Entertaining made simple.......2007-04-18
I love to entertain and I do it just about every weekend whether it's entertaining family or friends. Usually I like to make up my own appetizers or entrees but when I ran across this book I had to buy it. I would have to say some of these recipes might be scary for a first time cook but a lot of them are easy to follow and so great to look at. If you love to entertain then I highly reccommend this cookbook for you.
I love this book.......2007-03-23
This is a book I keep reaching for when entertaining. I've made many of the recipes and they've all been just great. It's set up so that there are main recipes and then lots of other variations. She also suggests appetizers and sides. It really makes for effortless entertaining. It's an especially great book if you are a bit new to entertaining or nervous about it.
need more vegetarian entrees.......2007-01-16
I love the way this book is organized. There are tips for each dish: when to serve it, what to serve it with, how well it saves over time etc. My only complaint is that there were really no vegetarian entrees. I don't know about you, but every time I have a dinner party, there is bound to be a vegetarian in the crew. This book was much more meat and potatoes. I therefore have yet to cook from it, although I'd like to if I get different friends.
Terrific book.......2006-12-09
I love this book. It has become a real 'go to' when I'm having guests but haven't the luxury of time to spend planning or cooking. I've picked up some great ideas for everyday cooking as well. I enjoy cooking and cookbooks and this is at the top of my list in the Entertaining category. Definitely some great recipes and tips here.
Product Description
How do you throw a party without stressing out? Plan ahead and do-ahead. This entertaining guide from Diane Phillips, the Diva of Do-Ahead, with help you get out of the kitchen and into your own party. She presents nearly 500 recipes that can all be made ahead of time--some days and even weeks--that taste delicious, and are designed to be served buffet style. Handy icons show which recipes are just right for a backyard barbecue, an elegant cocktail party, or an all-night blow-out bash. Dozens of menu suggestions, templates for figuring out the menu range and quantities, easy decorating tips, and guidelines for stocking a bar complete this essential guide to entertaining.
Customer Reviews:
The Best!.......2007-05-16
This immediately has become my number one entertaining book. I opened it for a dinner party and was able to prepare appetizer through dessert - to rave reviews. I love her "do ahead diva" instructions on how to preprep, she does it in several places along the recipe, so you can choose where you want to finish prepping.
Everything You Need to Know for a Party and Beyond.......2007-05-13
This book is a MUST for anyone who likes to entertain. It's packed with delicious recipes, but what I really love is that the book is full of great tips for food preparation as well as what you can do in advance. I love that! I never know how long you can freeze something, or if you should add the layer of cheese to the casserole before you freeze it or after you thaw it. Diane has all the answers! I liked the book so much that I bought 3 more -- one for my sister, my mom and my sister-in-law. I give this book 5 stars. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!
Best cookbook ever.......2007-03-09
Thank God for this book (well, Diane Philips should get some credit, too!). It is PACKED FULL of great recipes, plus tips for doing them ahead of the party so that the hostess isn't totally frazzled by dinnertime. It has variations of many of my favorite standby recipes, plus new ones with updated flavors. Excellent.
Perfect Party Food.......2007-03-08
Long my idea of the perfect recipe - make ahead - now amassed in a fabulous collection. But, Ms Phillips goes so much further with guides for every aspect of your party. Honestly, you'll feel empowered just thumbing the pages.
Not just for parties!.......2007-02-24
I have used this book for everything from a quick salad dressing to cornbread to easy do-ahead recipes for entrees. The recipes are accessible, healthy, and sophisticated enough to please gourmet as well as comfort food eaters. I find myself referring to this book more than my other cookbooks for everyday cooking, including my Betty Crocker and other "general" cookbooks. Of course, it's perfect for stress free entertaining and holiday time as well. Worth every penny...
Amazon.com
Barry Sears got a lot of attention--and royalties--with his diet books The Zone and Mastering the Zone. Sears believes that the food you eat is one of the most powerful drugs you will ever encounter, and a lot of people get fat and sick using food in misguided ways. Sears believes that using it the right way can lead to increased physical stamina, sharpened mental focus, and a reduced likelihood of developing chronic diseases--and you'll probably shed unwanted pounds along the way. Sears calls for a diet based on "hormonal thinking," not the usual calorie counting and fat measuring. Some of the rules of the diet are eating small meals throughout the day, having some protein at every meal, always eating the necessary amount of fruits and vegetables, and taking cod-liver oil. To make all of this as painless as possible, Sears has created 150 "Zone"-perfect meals that are easy to prepare and require little planning.
Book Description
Two million people are already in the Zone, enjoying peak mental alertness, increased energy, and a reduced likelihood of chronic disease –– all while losing excess body fat. Want to get into the Zone but don't have the time? Now, in this all–new collection of easy and delicious recipes, Dr. Barry Sears, the bestselling author of The Zone and Mastering the Zone shows you how to prepare more than 150 Zone–Perfect recipes in minutes.
If you want to think better, perform better, look better, and live better, Zone–Perfect Meals in Minutes will get you there and keep you there.
Customer Reviews:
It's not as complicated as Sears wants you to believe.......2006-08-15
Sears wants you to think he has come up with a complicated system which he calls The Zone.
In reality, all you need is to eat naturally, like our ancestors did thousands of years ago. Eat greens, vegetables, berries, fruit, mushrooms, nuts. Eat lean meat (our ancestors hunted for healthy, lean animals). Eat egg whites, but avoid yolks. Most of the modern contaminants stick to fat molecules, and yolks are mostly fat. Plus it's the wrong type of fat, as chickens are not fed properly. Eat wild fish (but not too often; don't forget about pollutants).
That's it. Forget grains (and everything made from them). Forget potatoes and hard beans, soda and juices. Forget vegetable oils. All that junk is completely unnatural for humans to eat; our ancestors couldn't imagine that was edible. And that's why we have diseases that they didn't have.
Forget milk. Milk is only good for babies under 3 years old. Studies show that milk (and even yogurt) causes hyperinsulinemia (insulin "spikes" that lead to diabetes etc.) in adults.
Yes, his advice to take fish oil is great. Farm-raised animals are fed with junk food; consequently, they lack certain fatty acids that are vital for our health. Fish oil is a convenient way of restoring the balance. But Sears' fish oil is not the purest and cheapest on the market.
I'm a physiologist, and I've helped a number of people to change their eating habits. Those people have gotten rid of many problems, like obesity, allergies, asthma, arthritis, and excessive fatigue. And they don't complain that the food is not delicious enough. They learned to use their imagination a little bit and combine various healthy foods to create their nice and simple "recipes", and realized they enjoy their food even more than before.
More figuring out if you're female.......2006-07-04
The Zone is a great diet if you have good recipes (not many in here) and if it has the proportions that you need for your personal meal. I've gotten a few good ones out of "What to Eat in the Zone". There are two different weekly menus - for women and for men. Not so in this book. It is based entirely on men. If you are a woman, you have to figure it out for yourself how much to cut down on the ingredients. Some things are obvious - if it calls for 4 oz of meat, you go to 3 oz. But the rest of the recipe is too difficult to figure out. Some people say the Zone is complicated enough as it is, and this book doesn't make a case against that, unless, of course, you are a man.
Also, the desserts are usually figured for 4 to 8 servings. If you're the only one in the house on the diet, too bad. These aren't things that freeze or store well either.
I'm glad I didn't pay full price for this book, as I'd be disappointed.
Not enough edible recipes.......2006-06-12
This book was good in that I could skim through 3 short chapters and understand the Zone concept completely. It's really all I needed to know to get going. Also, the quick list of food blocks in the back was great. However, the recipes are gross. I have never seen so much cabbage in a cookbook. Just gross. The Formula has better recipes.
Ludicrous is right!.......2006-03-28
I'm a Zone diet believer - but this book is a serious letdown. Two major problems with this worthless book:
1. Almost all of the recipes involve *far* too much preparation - the title is *very* misleading.
2. I find it hard to believe that anyone actually prepared these recipes, and thought they were *good*! Most of the meals are horrible due to the *huge* proportion of vegetables. I mean, an omelet with over 3 cups of asparagus???
More like meals in an hour.......2006-01-26
As usual, I was impressed with Dr. Sears' commentary on his Zone diet, but I was fairly disappointed with the recipes in this book. I was happy I bought it used because I never really open it. The only thing I actually use from the book is the list of mix-and-match snacks at the very end. The recipes are horribly complicated, time-consuming and call for ingredients you probably wouldn't normally have in your kitchen. I have yet to actually make a meal from this book because I simply do not have the time. I'm sure that if I did, it would taste wonderful, but because the title of the book "Meals in Minutes" is so far from the truth, I'm giving it a 2 out of 5. If you're thinking about purchasing this book, go with a used edition, and keep in mind that you won't be getting quick and easy meals ... but rather gourmet meals that will take about an hour to prepare and make.
Book Description
• Step-by-step recipes for great pictures
• Demystifies lucrative fashion and beauty photography
• Beautiful examples with diagrams and instructions—everything the photographer needs in the studio or on location
Learning to set up, use, and control lighting is the biggest challenge for photographers in the field of fashion and beauty. Never fear! This book shows exactly how to become a lighting master. Dozens of stunning examples—some taken in a studio, others on location—are analyzed with set up details, lens choices, composition decisions, and lighting diagrams, plus step-by-step directions on re-creating the look. From an inventory of every essential piece of equipment, with a full explanation of how, when and why to use each one, to an in-depth discussion of the film versus digital formats, The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty Photography is the complete guide to mastering this popular and lucrative genre.
Customer Reviews:
A good beginning book.......2007-10-10
This is a good starter book. It begins with basics of lighting and begins to introduce more and more complicated setups.
It helped me understand the basics of lighting equipment and how to use them and this is particularly true for some of the initial lighting arrangements in both the womens and the mens sections.
My biggest criticism of the book is that it great to learn the craft, but not the art. Do not expect that this is your last lighting book if you're going to be serious about fashion and beauty photography.
My key takeaways were basic lighting arrangements for women and men, reliance on makeup artists, and basics of equipment. It's a good way to learn by copying---"If you want a shot like this, do this". The "cookbook" phrase in the title is a very correct claim. It will not teach you how to create a new recipe, but if you know what you need, it will tell you how to make it.
There's a show-offy feel to some sections which I could do without.
Someone who reads this book will be able to then move on to more sophisticated portraiture books like Grecco's Lighting and the Art of the Dramatic Portrait. I found it far easier to understand subtleties in Grecco's book after I had thoroughly read the cookbook a few times.
Very good introduction to fashion photography.......2007-07-31
This is a very good book that accompishes it's specific topic, and does deliver simple "cookbook" recipes for portraits.
I got my money's worth, as I can "read between the lines" on many of the photos and the diagrams, however there are other authors more articulate in describing what that do, and more helpful in terms of having more thorough diagrams. This is a relative critism, as a novice may wince at some lights being 2 EV more than another, and not be comfortable with the lack of precise f stops or ratios of main to fill lights.
Yes, I could take off a point for there not being a "behind the scenes" photo of the actual set as some books have supplied. I also know that that such photos of actual studio sets could intimidate those with home studios from even trying to duplicate these images, lacking $10,000's of equipment that is at the beck and call of pro fashion photographers.
While a few model's makeup is clearly on the garish and gaudy side (Halloweenish comes to mind), that's fine with me, as I'm just interested in learning the lighting, and not bothered by the funky models- some look as if they are outer space vampires, with others made up as if from the 1930's.
One thing I've realized is the value of a good makeup artist. They really make a pleasant face into a stunning image suitable for a full page ad in Vogue, and know how to apply suitable makeup to handle the contrasty light that abounds in some magazines, making the model's face "pop out" at you, and justify the hefty advertising dollar$$ and similar model fees for the few lucky models who made it to the top. Same goes for hair stylists. It can often take 2-3 hours of work by these artists before a model is ready for the photographer.
For photographers using more everyday models and friends and families, and interested in picking up a few good hints on recreating some Vogue/fashion images with "real people" subjects, this 144 page book is well worth the price. It is worth trying out the different techniques that are not in the usual bookstore publications, as you try your hand at "fashion" style images.
Great information and great photos.......2007-07-16
This book is full of great and professional photography. Many different lighting principles and schemes are explained in detail, and it shows that the authors know what they are talking about.
Outstanding.......2007-05-14
Pros: This book had excellent ideas for lighting, with several examples, and also several modifications to "popular" lighting techniques. For fashion and beauty lighting, I haven't found a better book.
Cons: The makeup and styling in several of the examples is somewhat dated-looking...so I would only use it for lighting, not styling.
Good book, could have been much better.......2007-01-06
The diagrams are good, but could have been much better. They should have included EXACT exposure readings, EXACT size of lightsources such as softboxes, EXACT distances of light(s) from subject, EXACT exposure used (as opposed to metered incident exposure).
Many of the photos are, sadly, so "over the top" in styling that they are useless as models or guidelines. Most readers trying to do pro-quality stuff would not want such bizarre styling.
If a new edition comes out, it should have more complete data, it should concentrate on straightforward shots/lighting of the type most readers are interested in, it should cut way down on the bizarre over-the-top shots ... and would then be pretty much perfect.
Average customer rating:
- Fantastic book!
- a simple and easy book for the everyday baker
- Lightened Desserts Done Right. Buy It.
- Reduced Calorie Desserts
- Another winner from Nick Malgieri
|
Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs, All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving
Nick Malgieri , and
David Joachim
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Desserts
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Quick & Easy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low Cholesterol
| Special Diet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low Fat
| Special Diet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low-Fat Diet
| Special Conditions
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
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Chocolate and Vanilla
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A Baker's Tour: Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World
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Tartine
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Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate
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King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains
ASIN: 0060779292
Release Date: 2006-10-17 |
Book Description
Everybody loves dessert, but nobody loves the calories. Perfect Light Desserts offers recipes for desserts rich enough to satisfy any sweet tooth -- but with sensible calorie counts.
Master baker Nick Malgieri and healthful food expert David Joachim have joined forces to create 125 exceptional desserts without the usual quantities of fats and sugars. The focus is on flavor and texture achieved through balanced ingredient combinations and superior baking techniques. Not a single recipe has more than 300 calories per serving.
The results are nothing short of spectacular, with desserts that range from devil's food cake (complete with fluffy icing) to a lemon custard highlighted with a colorful raspberry sauce. Old-fashioned American favorites such as hermits mingle with sophisticated treats like rum raisin semifreddo and white chocolate raspberry tartlets. Best of all, while these desserts are low-calorie, they are high in flavor. Moist coconut poppy seed coffee cake, juicy blueberry pie, and fudgy brownies don't taste like “diet desserts”; they simply taste great.
All of the recipes here achieve great flavor without resorting to artificial sweeteners or synthetic substitutes. The recipes use moderate amounts of real butter, sugar, flour, and eggs in perfect proportions. Every recipe includes a complete nutritional analysis as well as serving and storage notes. Everybody loves dessert, and now no one has to go without it.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book!.......2007-02-14
I have by now made six of the recipes in this book, one of them (the brownies) three times. Most cookbooks that I keep have an eight in ten success record. This book, however, is ten out of ten. The brownie recipe is one of the best I've ever tasted and certainly the best I've ever made. The fruitcake ended up being the highlight of a recent holiday potluck. The coconut poppy seed cake was the perfect birthday cake, and the reason I'm reviewing the book at this moment is that I handed a slice of spice cake to a co-worker who praised it for a good three minutes.
I always knew Malgieri was a great baking book author. I didn't realize how great until just this moment. I haven't had a failure yet from this book, and I can't even say that about classics like "The Joy of Cooking." Bravo, Mr. Malgieri!
p.s. Buy this book if you want to make some scrumptious, lower fat and calorie, desserts.
a simple and easy book for the everyday baker.......2007-01-06
I am a starter baker, so my husband bought this book for me as a Christmas present. I love the concept presented here by Nick Malgieri - real ingredients (real butter, real sugar, etc), less the amount, and still delicious desserts. I have tried two recipes so far, and both have turned out well (even though the tart crust contains only THREE tablespoons of butter, a minor miracle indeed!). What I also like about this book is that the ingredients and the equipment are simple and common in local supermarkets. None of the recipes requires fancy, exorbitantly priced rarities from the other side of the world. In addition, the recipes cover a range of dessert genres: chocolates (with an entire section devoted to it), cakes, tarts and pastries, ice creams, cookies. Nick also teaches you the basics of ingredients and baking techniques, along with helpful tips - so the book is educational as well (my husband was reading it for fun the other day!). One thing that this book doesn't have, but that I would've appreciated having, is prep time. Otherwise, no complaints from me. I look forward to trying all the recipes in 2007!
Lightened Desserts Done Right. Buy It........2006-12-29
`Perfect Light Desserts' by baking teacher extraordinare, Nick Malgieri and veteran cookbook author David Joachim is a classic meld of baking technique and substitution cooking, fitting the skills of the two authors. There is probably no other baking writer's work on a `healthy' baking book I would expect more from than Malgieri, since I always go to his books first whenever there is a specific kind of recipe I wish to make. He doesn't always have what I want, but every time I use his recipe, the results exceed my expectations. I have even found better recipes in his book, especially `How to Bake' than I have in books which specialize in the subject I am searching.
David Joachim's contribution is utterly appropriate, as his latest opus was `The Food Substitutions Bible', being an encyclopedia of what ingredients, as in lower calorie for higher calorie, can be swapped for what.
The authors' introduction shows their technique is entirely in the direction I would have hoped. They use no `non-fat' ingredients and no artificial sweeteners, although they do use `lowered' fat products. Just as I am fond of Rachael Ray's take on fast cooking without relying on prepared convenience foods, these authors fill their book with low calorie and low fat recipes by concentrating on those recipes which tend to be lower in the bad stuff to begin with.
There is little mystery to how the recipe slimming is done. First, as stated above, the authors choose recipes that are not high in sugar and fat to begin with. Second, high fat ingredients such as dairy products are replaced with `moderate' fat substitutes or dairy products with extra body such as buttermilk or yogurt. Third, fat is replaced with vegetable products such as applesauce. Fourth, rich icings are removed, so bulking up with rich stuff is an option. The classic examples of all these techniques put together would be a cheesecake recipe replacing cream cheese with ricotta and a carrot cake which makes heavy use of vegetable textures to begin with. Both these examples are also classic cases of picking good recipes to begin with. The ricotta cheesecake is not a diet faddy invention, it is based on an old Neapolitan recipe.
The authors claim to have maintained reasonably sized portions. I suspect a good symptom of the Americans' inflated notion of portion size is that these portions seem just a bit on the small size. When I am not in `dieting' mode, I would not imagine getting 8 portions from a 9-inch fruit pie or even less 16 portions from a 10-inch Bundt pan cake. But, the portions all seem to be of reasonable size, and most of the time, the calorie count for the portion is actually well below the target of 300 calories per portion.
One corollary to the fourth technique above is that there are very few double crusted pie recipes in the book. And, the pie crust recipes are all for a single 9 inch piecrust or maybe a 10 inch tart crust. Virtually the only caveat I have about the book is that unlike some of Malgieri's other books, this is not a serious tutorial on baking techniques. This is not to say there are no good guidelines and lessons here. Just the opposite. It's just that you will do much better with this book if you are already a fairly adept baker. The recipes for the pastry crusts, for example, assume you know most of the tricks of the trade in making a nicely flaky crust with a food processor. I am not overly fond of using the food processor and I do fine with my old-fashioned dough cutter. But, since these recipes use less butter and even less water, I suggest you go along with the recommended food processor technique, as this will work better on the smaller quantities.
On the other side of the coin, I find things in this book that I would expect and do not find in a lot of other books. My favorite is a little table showing when many popular fruits are in season. Unless you are a strict carbophobic, it is clear to both me and the authors that fruit is one of the very best ingredients for healthy desserts.
One thing to take very seriously is that this is not a book on baking in general, but only on DESSERTS. This means there are no recipes for lower calorie biscuits, breads, muffins, or breakfast pastries. But, you do get a generous helping of recipes for vegetable bulked breads.
It is no surprise that the book starts with chocolate, as that seems to be everyone's favorite dessert ingredient (except for my mother, probably because she spent several decades working in a candy factory). The very best news about chocolate is that not only is it not, in itself, fattening, it is literally good for you, just like tea and (dare we hope) coffee. The bad side of chocolate is from the level of sugar added to cut its natural bitterness. The authors accommodate this by using sugar-free baker's chocolate plus complex sweeteners or use Dutch process cocoa power, which is less bitter than unprocessed cocoa powder. My only regret here is that while there are many fine chocolate recipes, a classic chocolate layer cake is not among them. The authors redeem themselves by giving us a `healthy' recipe for chocolate chip cookies (sorry, no nuts). Even better is the even healthier oatmeal raisin cookies. Now why didn't I get this book before Christmas!
Reading this book in December makes one regret that all the best berries and stone fruits are out of season. Just Wait!!!
Reduced Calorie Desserts.......2006-10-27
Malgieri certainly is a fine baker, as his extensive cookbooks demonstrate. Here he teams up with healthfood writer Joachim to provide dessert collection with reduced caloric recipes, each said to be under 300 calories. Each recipe has nutritional breakdown.
They achieve this by reducing or eliminating amount of sugar, butter and eggs. They do not use articial sweeteners or egg substitutes or whole grain flours. One can try and substitute some of this out if glycemic index is important.
There are some fine recipes in this collection with nice large format, paper stock and color photos galore, along with Source recommendations, Ingredients & Equipment discussion. I'm into the likes of Gratin of Summer Berries (with a magnificent sabayon topping); Honey and Hazelnut Biscotti; Earl Grey Panna Cotta; Strawberry Meringue Tart; Chocolate Banana Custard Tart.
Another winner from Nick Malgieri.......2006-10-26
I always trust his books. They have been better than any other baking books I have used. I was a litttle put off that with so few calories the desserts would be good. No need to worry. The brownies alone are worth the price of the book. This is a wonderful book to have right before the holidays.
Book Description
Expect this book to soar to the top of the bestseller list in its field with the most complete coverage of the subject anywhere, from the glass to use, the ice to mix to the garnish to finish it perfectly!
Start with a world-renowned expert's unequalled instructions for preparing virtually any cocktail anyone might ask for.
Add the essential facts of bartending with a professional's master guidance for hosting any gathering in the perfect atmosphere.
Pour in an encyclopedic collection of information about every drink, including brandy, gin, rum, tequila, and vodka; whiskey and bourbon; champagne and wine; bitters and other spirits; punches, cups, and eggnogs; liqueurs and shooters; hot drinks and nonalcoholic drinks.
Mix with Calabrese's recipes for 780 of his personal favorites, from old classics like Negroni, Bellini, and Sidecar, to new and exotic modern reinventions like Cosmopolitan and Apple Martini. And that leaves 775 more to choose from. Stir in hours of fascinating insider tales about how all the classic drinks came to be, the romance of the drink, and glorious photos and art of a sparkling visual history.
Garnish with:
. Live-action pictorials of techniques such as shaking, floating, layering, muddling, blending
. Thirst-inciting color photos that display drinks at their most elegant
. Easy-to remember icons symbolizing each type of glass to use in every situation
. Concealed spiral binding that lays flat so you can follow recipes with your hands free
. Hard-cover edition jam-packed with 256 information-filled pages at an amazing value price
It's the only bartender's guide you'll ever need. Even the right ice cubes are noted!
Customer Reviews:
Great Party Item.......2007-01-11
I loved this book because the recipes are simple, yet it offers some new twists.
Great recipes and great design.......2006-04-11
We've purchased a number of martini and other drink recipe books before coming across this one. One of the best things about this book is its spiral design. It lays flat, which means you don't have to try to hold it open or prop it up while mixing up a drink. Can't tell you how frustrating it is trying to whip up a martini or other stylish drink while trying to hold a book open! This book has great recipes, both old and new, is organized by type of liquor and even gives you ideas for the best glass to serve your masterpieces in. I just purchased another copy to give as a wedding/shower gift for a young couple.
They even got the Singapore Sling right!.......2006-01-16
This bartender guide is both colorful and full of photos. It's not also reasonable organized but has color codes for the different types of drinks (Gin, Vodka, etc.) to make it easy to navigate the cocktails. Also, I was happy to see a bartender guide that has the CORRECT Singapore Sling ingredients listed. So many others don't even have the real one used by the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. One thing that makes sense about this book, is that its spiral bound a real plus!
Thoroughly informative guide for the first-timer or the enthusiast.......2005-09-20
I found a used copy of this book at a local bookstore, and bought it out of sheer curiosity. I knew nothing prior to mixing drinks or even how to use a shaker, and was thoroughly amused at how drinking enthusiasts around the world could come up with 780 unique -- and sometimes downright perverse and ridiculous -- names for the world's finest cocktails.
There are two things that I love about this book -- it's brilliantly arranged as a reference guide, and it's geared for both the entry-level hobbyist and the more experienced enthusiast in mind.
Unlike many other bartender guides that are tiny paperbacks or printed on thicker paper that is harder to flip-through, Salvatore Calabrese's book is built like a true index in mind: it's a hard-cover with spiral-bound pages inside printed on glossy color paper. The 780 drinks are divided into logical categories (brandy, rum, wine, vodka, shooters, punches, nonalcoholic, etc.) and each drink's mixing instructions are designed to be read in less than 30 seconds. As a quick reference, I have not seen a book that is better written with clarity and brevity in mind.
Any book I'm willing to pay for as an introduction into a hobby needs to me interested with the history, the basics on how-tos, and the fine science of becoming an enthusiast. The book's opening chapters cover everything from tools & equipment, glassware, and bar terminology to flavors & garnishes, proper techniques for juicing limes, and how to properly use ice!
Nearly every single recipe includes a brief history as to where the naming scheme caming from, and there's some description to the regional origins of certain spirits and bases as well.
I'm not planning on becoming a professional bartender, but if I were going to, I'd imagine this text would easily be one of the required reads and "keeper" books for someone truly interested in pursuing a long-term education into the fine art of drink mixing.
best home bar guide .......2005-08-27
this book is awesome...lots of pics, easy to follow instructions, everything you need
Book Description
The best-selling Picture Perfect Weight Loss books, with more than a million copies sold combined, received rave reviews from people who were unsuccessful with other diets but got results with Dr. Shapiro's unique program. The focus here is on being thin forever by changing your relationship with food. Whether you are just discovering the program or are already a fan, here are great-tasting recipes that let you lose weight while you eat the food you love. It includes: -Recipes for more than 150 delicious dishes for the whole family -Highlighted 'quick' recipes that are ready to eat in 30 minutes or less -Every occasion is covered, from a quick lunch to a lavish dinner party -132 color photographs of meals, recipe demonstrations, and food comparisons -Health tips, food lore, and cooking and shopping tips featured throughout Special recipes are offered from prominent chefs around the country-such as Lidia Bastianich, Michael Romano, Guillermo Pernot, and Jerry Traunfeld-as well as some of the New York City firefighters who participated in Dr. Shapiro's program (and lost a total of 2,544 pounds!). Fascinating personal food stories are featured from a dozen celebrities, including Beverly Sills, Denise Austin, and Montel Williams.
Customer Reviews:
more food less weight.......2005-08-09
Super great cook book everyone losing wiegt should try this book.
If there is a better cook book for wieght loss I havent found it.
Easy and simple to use with great tasting food.
So great i bought 3.One for me an 2 for friends
Innovative, creative recipes that work.......2004-05-31
I am rapidly trying all the recipes in this book and have gained confidence that they all will work. I am being introduced to condiments and ingredients new to me. Lower calorie isn't plain and bland, but exciting. The results are spectacular and could be served confidently to the most discriminating guests with gourmet palates. I am very grateful for this collection of easy to prepare recipes and for the subtle ways they are teaching me to eat lower calorie foods and think out of the box. This cookbook is now my decided favorite and I will purchase more copies as gifts.
ANOTHER [CHEAT].......2003-10-07
I was actually a client of Dr. Shapiro's and he is only interested in one thing-MONEY! He has made a nice living for himself with his books, but the nutritional education he offers is minimal and his books don't really offer anything but a fad diet. He drained my pockets, offered me disgusting powders as meal supplements and to top it off I did not lose more than 5 pounds during my entire two months as his patient. I followed his diet religiously everyday with zero result. I never reached my goal weight. I have since been successful after joining Weight Watchers and a local gym. Trust me, this book is NOT worth the money (not even for free) and I would have been better off spending my money at Barney's (across the street from his office in New York).
Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss Cookbook.......2003-01-31
The recipies are very tasty, but many of the ingredients are things that were not routinly kept in my home. Most of the recipies involve salads of some sort which was disappointing. On a better note most of the recipies can be completed in less than 30 minutes which is nice when you are in a rush.
The book also opens with his plan for healthy eating and therefore you really do not need to buy his weight loss book as well.
Amazon.com
Creamy bisques, fresh vegetable purées, hearty meat-and-potato potages--soup delights one and all. Recognizing its primal appeal, The Culinary Institute of America Book of Soups provides over 100 exemplary recipes for the adored dish as well as detailed technical information all cooks can use. The book concentrates on the whys and hows of soup production; over 50 step-by-step photographs display basic methods for preparing a complete range of soups, from broths and cream soups to bisques, chowders, cold soups, and more. The soups themselves are enticing and include supper specialties like Purée of Split Pea, elegant specialties such as Cantaloupe Soup with Lime Granité, refreshing cold soups like gazpacho, and down-home treats including Cream of Tomato Soup and Seafood Gumbo. Soups from the global kitchen are well represented, too, with recipes for the likes of Thai Hot and Sour Soup and Leblechi, a delicious Tunisian chickpea soup. With recipes for dessert soups--one made with strawberries is particularly pleasing--and for accompaniments like Cheddar Rusks and Sage Dumplings, the book is a completely informative exploration of a dish much loved but too often neglected. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
From the Culinary Institute of America comes the definitive soup cookbook, now available in paperback. Whether a beginner or an accomplished cook, Book of Soups can help you create any type of soup.
Customer Reviews:
Deliciousness in a bowl . . . .......2007-07-31
This book is fantastic. In fact, the recipe for the most delicious soup I've ever had -- Minnesota Wild Rice Soup (with carrots, celery, leeks, heavy cream, and white wine) came out of this book. Of course, I may be a bit biased, being a Minnesota girl, but I don't think so.
Dang it, now I'm hungry for soup.
Book of Soups.......2007-07-16
The Culinary Institute of America Book of Soups contains over 100 recipes for soups including soup basics, broths, hearty soups, cream soups, pureed soups, bisques and chowders, and cold soups. This book also includes recipes for a variety of soup accompaniments such as breads, biscuits, crackers, dumplings, and vegetable chips.
As I was looking through this book, I realized how uneducated I was on the wide variety of soup possibilities. Though I enjoy soup, particularly homemade soup with fresh ingredients, I hadn't really ever considered the fact that soup came in so many different varieties, textures, and tastes.
For best taste results, I suggest using garden fresh vegetables and fresh seafood. I also suggest making up large quantities of the various types of broths for use as you need them. As many of these soups are freezable, I am making up large qualities of different soups using fresh seasonal ingredients and then freezing them for later use. This way, I can have some really delicious soups even when the ingredients are no longer seasonally available.
So far so good!.......2007-01-19
I purchased this book for my boyfriend for Christmas and we just cooked our first soup from it last night. We made the Vietnamese spinach and beef soup. It was delicious! Can't wait to try more of the recipes!
BOOKS OF SOUPS.......2007-01-09
SOUPS, SOUPS AND MORE SOUPS-WOW! GREAT RECIPES AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR SOUP LOVERS. EASY TO PREPARE AND SERVE. INNOVATIVE AND EXCITING. IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS WITH YOUR KNOW-HOW. ENJOY!
The Recipes are Wonderful!.......2007-01-04
IF you want to make super-tasty soups, what a great variety this books has. You will love it!
Amazon.com
Perfect Vegetables is the work of Cook's Illustrated magazine, a publication devoted to providing the "best" American recipes. Like the magazine, from which its contents is largely drawn, the book offers super-tested recipes--as many as 18 tries for stuffed tomatoes, for example--for an A to Z vegetable range, artichokes to zucchini. The book also includes dozens of technique and equipment notes ("Stir-Fry Basics," is one), plus a short section on vegetable soups. An impressive recipe range is here and accounted for--classic dishes like grilled eggplant and braised fennel, plus "newer" formulas for the likes of Grilled Red Peppers with Mint and Feta and Glazed Curried Carrots with Currants and Almonds. Are these the ultimate versions of the dishes included? Certainly they represent exhaustive investigation--and most cooks will find the Perfect Vegetables take, which offers many technical refinements (preheat your baking sheet to ensure golden oven-baked fries, for example) enlightening.
Vegetable entries begin with a detailed discussion that highlights the cooking methods for each that ensure best results. (Steaming, for example, gets the nod for artichokes, as it yields the "deepest, most pronounced flavor.") Master recipes follow, such as that for steamed artichokes, plus formulas for tasty accompaniments like Lemon Mint Vinaigrette, or variations, such as Roasted Baby Artichokes with Roasted Garlic Aïoli. Techniques are beautifully illustrated with line drawings and photos. The ingredient and equipment investigations, which often include ratings, are mini consumer reports. Devotees of Cook's Illustrated and those new to its "obsessive" approach to dish making, should happily embrace this encyclopedic compendium. --Arthur Boehm
Customer Reviews:
Great book!.......2007-05-23
Has helped me to improve my vegetable consumption with cooking techniques and tasty recipes.
Perfect Vegetables.......2007-03-09
This book on vegetables covers every thing you need to know about selecting and preparing vegetables. There is also a nice variety of recipes using the specific vegetables. I have found it an excellent addition to my collection of cookbooks.
Excellent.......2007-01-23
My goodness, they cover almost every vegetable from A-Z and even sometimes tell you which cookware they tested to be the better out of the rest - such as V-slicers, potato mashers, salad spinners...even balsamic vinegar.
Veg-o-rama.......2006-08-04
A well written, detailed book wherein each chapter brings a new vegetable and great ideas. I was primarily looking to make vegetables play a more central and creative role in my cooking, and this book has been the answer. You'll be carmelizing onions and braising endive in no time.
Good book, but many repeats.......2006-01-07
I love Cook's Illustrated. I subscribe to their magazine, I subscribe to their website and I own several of their cookbooks. Very rarely have they ever steered me wrong with any of their recipes and tips. This is one book that I was disappointed with, however---not because the recipes aren't great or the layout of the book isn't up to par, but because many of these recipes can be found in their comprehensive cookbook "The New Best Recipe" (a great book, btw. It has just about everything you could ever need). There are only a few different recipes in Perfect Vegetables that cannot be found in the New Best, and the money I spent to get a handful of new veggie recipes was not worth it, in my opinion. If you already own the New Best, than I would be very hesitant to spend any money on this book. I would physically look through the book at a bookstore before buying to see if this is something you would really like to own. If you don't own New Best and are looking for a wonderful veggies cookbook, than this one is for you!
Book Description
This gorgeous book is actually two in one: page after page of recipes for fabulous desserts combined with all the information anyone will need on choosing a dessert wine. Peach Tarte Tatin with an intensely flavored ice wine brings out the fruit's summery spirit in this French favorite. A full-bodied vintage port with berry flavors provides the perfect foil to an amazingly decadent Chocolate Souffl Roulade for a little piece of heaven. A user-friendly chart cross-references wine types against typical dessert flavors for quick and easy matching advice. Add to that mouthwatering photographs of the recipes and anyone can discover a whole new world of sweet wines and the desserts that love them.
Customer Reviews:
Lovely cookbook!.......2006-02-01
This is a notch up from the usual Chronicle Book publication! I say this because I often find that this publisher puts out cookbooks that are all "beautiful pictures" and very little information. It is clear that the authors worked really hard to deliver good information and content and tips - this book isn't just a vehicle for the photographs. There is lots to read and absorb for each recipe, and the recipes themselves look extremely do-able in one's own humble kitchen. I bought a copy after glancing through it in the bookstore because I know this is definitely a book that I can use (and not just leave around looking pretty). I would say, though, that it functions really well on its own as a dessert cookbook - I'm less interested in the wine pairings - which would interest only those who are sticklers for such things!
great ideas.......2005-11-29
A marriage made in heaven: that of wine and desserts. What a wonderful idea!! The bringing together of two of the world's best offerings (wine and dessert) is a decadent inspiration that Ms Cech and Ms Schacht bring to perfect fruition with mouth watering recipes and superb wine suggestions to accompany them. The book is very friendly even for a novice like me in the art of wine appreciation, and it gives easy to follow recipes. I am up to the challenge of indulging my craving for sweets and wine! I plan to send a book to all my friends and family to create a network where all the recipes will be cooked or baked and later shared and combined with the wine suggestions to improve our palates, delight our spirits while giving us the perfect excuse to get together. I have tested a few of the recipes, and the results have not disappointed. I recommend this book greatly and think at the very least it makes a perfect gift.
55 Great Reasons to Buy this Book, but You Only Need One.......2005-10-27
Worth it for the Chocolate Souffle Roulade alone! But there are 54 other recipes too.
The other reviews already have told you all the logical, rational things you need to know. Now for emotion: fabulous recipes and pairing advice that takes the mystery out of what to do with those little bottles of sweet wine that your friends have taken to bringing as hostess gifts. And it's a really gorgous book besides--the photo of the Raspberry Baked Alaska on page 55 looks for all the world like Marilyn Monroe took the bite and left lipstick all over the meringue. My Christmas shopping is done.
Appetizing.......2005-10-22
Two culinary pleasures come together in this book, "The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook" by Mary Cech and Jennie Schacht: dessert and wine! Not only are the recipes delicious but the wine education and suggested pairing make wine selection a breeze!
Mary Cech is an award-winning chef and instructor. She has been a pastry chef at a couple of the more prestigious restaurants, and has taught pastry making at the renowned Culinary Institute of America. Her recipes have been featured in numerous publications including Bon Appetit, Chocolatier, Veggie Life and several cookbooks.
Jennie Schacht is a culinary writer who has worked on several cookbooks. She has her own consultation firm, Scahcht and Associates, which aid clients in the food and health care industry.
This beautifully photographed book is loaded with information on selecting wines dependent on the dessert being served. The recipes are delicious and very inspiring. With Mary Cech's expertize at teaching, the recipes are very clear and easy-to-follow.
Some of the delectable recipes found within this book are Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Fresh Peaches, Tropical Fruit Crèpes, Pumpkin Pots de Crème with Candied Pecans and Lemon Cream Mousse.
For the wine-wary, there is an index of complicated wine terms to help you understand wine and how to select wines based on your food.
With the holidays approaching, this would be a wonderful gift to help celebrate!
Books:
- Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook
- Pork and Sons
- Quick Fix Meals: 200 Simple, Delicious Recipes to Make Mealtime Easy
- Quick & Healthy Volume II: More Help for People Who Say They Don't Have Time to Cook Healthy Meals
- Raw
- Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads
- Simple Italian Sandwiches: Recipes from America's Favorite Panini Bar
- Small Bites
- Small Business Management: An Entrepreneurial Emphasis (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac®)
- Tamales 101: A Beginner's Guide to Making Traditional Tamales
Books Index
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