Average customer rating:
- wonderful book with great recipes/wine pairings
- Entertaining As Well As Educational
- Fantastic menus with great wine pairings!
- Another wonderful book from Karen MacNeil
|
Wine Food & Friends
Karen MacNeil
Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Spirits
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Wine & Winemaking
| Wine
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Food & Wine
| Wine
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Essays
| Gastronomy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Special Occasions
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Wine Bible
-
The Wine Lover's Page-A-Day Calendar 2007 (Page-A-Day Calendars)
-
What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers
-
Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food
-
Everyday Dining with Wine
ASIN: 0848731220 |
Book Description
Wine and cooking enthusiasts will know immediately that they have uncorked something truly magical with Karen MacNeilsWine, Food Friends. This book combines the culinary expertise of Cooking Light with the wine connoisseurship of Karen MacNeil, todays preeminent wine authority. Award-winning author, lecturer, and television personality, Karen is a champion when it comes to the enjoyment of food and wine, which she summarizes in The Only Ten Principles of Matching Wine and Food Youll Ever Need. Pair Karens zeal for the art of wine with more than 150 Cooking Light kitchen-tested recipes and you have all the ingredients you need to reach new levels of gastronomical glory. Features nBuild your culinary knowledge base by combining 30 top-rated menus and recipes with wine recommendations for every season and any occasion nMore than 125 full-color photographs give visual cues for presenting casually elegant dishes nDemystifies wine terms with Karen MacNeils tried-and-true food and wine matchmaking concepts nOffers Karens own Sip Tipseasy-to-remember wine descriptors and non-intimidating advice on buying, ordering, and serving wine
Customer Reviews:
wonderful book with great recipes/wine pairings.......2007-09-24
I already am a fan of Karen MacNeils Wine,Food ,and Friends on PBS.Shes very eloquent and soo knowledgable.She presents her ideas in a friendly way as well.The recipes are phenomenal also.I tried the meatloaf with sundried tomatoes and the stuffing so far.They turned out great and the less expensive wines were not difficult to find.I cant wait for her Season 2 series on PBS.
Entertaining As Well As Educational.......2007-09-13
I may love wine, but I'm by no means an expert. As a food writer and long-time cook, I know my way around the kitchen, have no trouble whipping up a dinner party, and enjoy feeding people. However, I needed some help/advice for wine pairings. Oh... I know enough to know which whites work best with poultry or seafood, and I know a heavier beef dish calls for a more substantial red wine. Beyond that, I'm a novice learning my way. This book provides loads of information, suggestions, tips and encouragement in an entertaining style that isn't intimidating or condescending. The author knows food and wine, she loves food and wine, and it shows!
I highly recommend this book if you want to brush up your pairing skills, or if you simply want to learn a little more about wine and food for deliciously entertaining dinners. Those very seriously into wine (who know much more than I do) will also find the book a useful addition to their collections, as her recipes are wonderful.
Fantastic menus with great wine pairings!.......2007-01-03
This is one of the first cookbooks I have used since I have taken up cooking and I found all of the food recipes to be easy to follow and complete. The ending food product from these recipes is high quality and are great tasting. I found her wine pairings to be right on the money as being a knowledgable wine advocate. For those who are looking for great food menus to entertain freinds or family, this book is a "must have".
Another wonderful book from Karen MacNeil.......2006-09-09
I pre-ordered Wine, Food and Friends by Karen MacNeil and could hardly wait to receive it. In her true fashion, Ms. MacNeil has created another wonderfully accessible book on wine and food. The Wine Bible (her first book) is a staple in any true wine enthusiast's library and her new book is also a must. The recipes, along with wine pairings, and sharing of Ms. MacNeil's vast knowledge and expertise in wines and the wine world, make this more than just a visually beautiful book ... but a book one will turn to again and again for advice on entertaining with food and wine. Ms. MacNeil exhibits a warm, witty and personable style of writing that is universally appealing. I will be sending many copies of this book to friends and family!
Book Description
The tiki volcano is erupting all over again, and now Trader Vic's, the legendary purveyor of Polynesian food, drinks, and fantasy, wants to help us bring it all home. Step behind the bar and into the kitchen at Trader Vic's and learn how to create the kind of tiki magic that made the Trader famous. It's all here: recipes for 95 of the restaurant's best-loved tropical cocktails and after-dinner drinks along with more than 35 party-friendly recipes for pupus, tidbits, finger food, entrees, and desserts all adapted from the past and present menus of Trader Vic's. Dozens of tips and ideas for inexpensive, easy tiki decorating and entertaining at home are included, as is a guide to the basics of bartending equipment and techniques. Whether it's a blowout tiki party for friends or a spontaneous occasion to dust off the shaker, this book brings favorite concoctions from Trader Vic's into your home.
Customer Reviews:
Memories of Trader Vic.......2007-09-09
If you're planning a Luau you NEED this book - decorations, drinks and food - along with the background of "Vic" - his other books won't give you the background of this great guy - whose rum conconctions are still legend today.
Great Party Book.......2007-05-29
It's clear and wonderful. I had a hard time choosing what I wanted for the party. Great for big parties!
Great Little Book.......2006-11-12
I enjoyed reading this, b/c of the tidbits of history, good illustrations, and well written recipes. I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but they seem easy to execute and sound delicious.
A Campy, Kitschy Delight.......2006-09-04
By Bill Marsano. Trader Vic's Tiki Party!: Cocktails & Food to Share with Friends," by Stephen Siegelman, is perfect for retro theme parties. Trader Vic, with his famous rival Don the Beachcomber, ushered in the Tiki Bar Era of American partying, which centered mainly on the 1950s and 1960s (which of these two men actually invented the Mai Tai, signature drink of the epoch, remains in dispute--both claim it.) Those were days of restaurants blanketed with faux-Polynesian decor, when pupu platters were the rage and drinks came in bowls serving four or more and were decorated with paper umbrellas, which folks later learned to call parasols. Relive that glorious and joyously ridiculous time with this collection of tropical cocktails and food recipes for everything from finger food to entrees. The recipes are interesting, mostly pretty easy to make, and generally fun to eat or drink. The photos are very nice but the main appeal is that the recipes are clearly presented and easy to follow.--Bill Marsano is an award-winning writer on wines and spirits.
Let's Hula.......2005-12-26
The book contains "recipes for 100 of the restaurant's best loved tropical cocktails like the Samoan Fog Cutter, Potted Parrot, and of course, The Original Mai Tai, invented by Trader Vic himself in 1944." (summary from Buch Gourmet)
This has some terrific ideas for outdoor parties. Think of having a luau and how much fun it would be. Besides drink recipes, the book has nibbles. How does Crab Rangoon, Cha Siu Pork or Crispy Prawns sound? With this book, you are ready for Polynesian-style entertaining.
Book Description
Sisters Megan and Jill Carle know all about leaving Mom's well-stocked kitchen to face an empty apartment fridge with little time to cook and very little money. From cheap eats to midnight sweets, the Carles teach starving students everything they need to know to cook and feed themselves well--and have fun while they're at it. Filled with mouthwatering home-style dishes and easy-to-make study-break snacks, COLLEGE COOKING shows how to impress a date, plan parties, and feed a household of roommates, making it the only textbook no student should be without.
Customer Reviews:
NOT 27 WAYS TO CHANGE UP RAMON NOODLE SOUP.......2007-07-03
Campus Bound? Here's
College Cooking:
Feed Yourself and Your Friends
By: Megan & Jill Carle
A review by: Marty Martindale
It's rare a dorm-dweller heads out equipped with knowledge to eat well and how to prepare it. It's even rarer when two daughters from one family head out so well-equipped. This is the case of the Carle sisters, Megan and Jill, already authors of a cookbook, College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends (also when budgets are slim and space is limited.)
They aptly organize the Contents into sections for Survival, Avoiding the Freshman Fifteen, Toga Party, Cheap Eats, Cinco de Mayo, Eat your Greens, Tapas Party, Just Like Mom Makes, Oktoberfest, Food for the Masses, Impressing your Date, 80s Party finishing off with Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth.
Between this and the recipes, they help out with some Kitchen Basics, Tools and Equipment and Stocking your Pantry.
Some overviews:
Chicken with Rice: Merely cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix, white rice, water and chicken pieces....
Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Stacks: Just exactly as the title suggests, great looks!
Tzatziki: (Greek night must): Cucumber, onion, garlic, feta cheese, sour cream and pita breat
Spachetti Carbonara: Spaghetti, bacon, garlic, eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese
Black Beans and Rice with Recaito: Water, rice, olive oil, recaito (see ingredients list), can of black beans and can of diced tomato
Zucchini Olive Salad: Zucchinis, garlic, fresh basil, lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, black olives and sunflower seeds
Chicken Salad Pita Sandwiches: chicken pieces, celery, cucumber grapes, mayo, pita and lettuce(s)
Grape Jelly Meatballs: onion, ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, grape jelly and chili sauce
Potato Chip Cookies: butter, sugar, crushed, ridged potato chils, pecans, vanilla, flour and some confectioners' sugar for dusting
Peanut Butter Cup Bars: butter, jar of peanut butter, graham crackers, confectioners' sugar and chocolate chips
Brownie Bites: chocolate chips, butter, can sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, flour and chopper walnuts
Blueberry Turnovers: cream cheese, egg, sugar, sheet of puff pastry and blueberries
After all. Being a capable and gracious host/hostess is another hoped-for outcome from higher education. That plus also starts here!
Marty is owner of: FOOD SITE OF THE DAY.
Carles' College Cooking is Advanced Course.......2007-05-30
I'm not a foodie, but I like to cook. I've also found its one of the greatest ways to pull together people from diverse backgrounds--nothing like closeting a group of unrelated people in a cozy kitchen, pulling out some good food and drink, and chatting. Beats the heck out of the cardboard pizza most study and discussion groups serve. So, when I received a copy of Megan and Jill Carle's College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends, I have to admit I was more than ready to give it a go.
Now, normally a cookbook labeled "College Cooking" is going to have 101 things to do with Ramen Noodles or 100+ ways to microwave canned foods so that they no longer resemble canned foods. The Carles didn't take this approach, however. They've put together real recipes, using real foods. The catch is, you're going to need a real kitchen--or at least access to one--to make their dishes. Sometimes that's not such an easy item to come by when you're still in college--even if you are a graduate student.
What do the Carles have to offer? Let's take a look at last week's brunch: fresh tomato soup (ripe tomatoes, salt, milk, and pepper), chicken salad pita sandwiches (real chicken, lettuce, celery, cucumber, grapes and a peppery mayo), zucchini olive salad (strips of crisp zuchinni, garlic, basil, lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, Parmesan, black olives and sunflower seeds), and lemon sugar cookies (made with real butter). Everyone had fun lending a hand with the meal and it was absolutely yummy!
Unfortunately, everything in this meal--with the exception of the zuchinni salad--required access to a full kitchen; and that particular fact applies to almost every recipe in the Carles' book. Also, the Carles give quite a few tips on making vegetarian dishes using their recipes; but few tips on making their recipes either low-cal or low-fat. All of which explains why I'm reviewing this particular "College" cookbook on the graduate school site and not the colleges site--graduate students have been out of the nest long enough to have learned a few tricks to manage these particular issues.
If you do have access to a full kitchen (and a nice enough bank balance to afford some of the more particular ingredients these recipes call for--like fresh black olives as opposed to canned), the Carles have put together a really nice collection of recipes covering everything from comfort foods to party foods in College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends.
Eat well in college!.......2007-04-10
Most college kids eat abysmally. I know; I still remember that period of my life. In "College Cooking: Feed yourself and your friends," college students Megan & Jill Carle decided to create a no-fail collection of recipes and tips to allow college students to cook delicious, reasonably healthy meals on a shoestring budget with a minimally-furnished kitchen.
The book starts out with a few "kitchen basics" including notes on their assumptions and decisions regarding ingredients. They've truly taken a college lifestyle into account; after all, your average college student doesn't have a ton of spare cash and probably doesn't have a car to go fetch groceries with.
There's a section on necessary tools and equipment--what you can get away with purchasing in terms of quality and quantity that'll allow you to make the widest array of recipes with the least outlay of money.
The simplest recipes in the cookbook--and the best place to start if you've never picked up a spatula before--can be found in the first main chapter, "Survival Cooking." Here is where you'll find a variety of recipes primarily made with a handful of simple ingredients, including classics such as chicken recipes that use cans of cream of mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix. Fine dining it isn't, but that isn't what we're looking for here--we're looking for something that'll teach a college student to cook and keep her in basic healthy food. It serves this purpose beautifully.
Many of the recipes include handy little sidebars featuring everything from tidbits of food trivia to suggestions for converting recipes to vegetarian versions, reducing the fat content of a recipe, substituting other interesting ingredients, or even finding cheaper options for some ingredients. Other chapters include healthier options, themed party dishes, and more.
These recipes and more could get any student through four years of college without having to resort to a solid diet of fast food and sugar. All you need are a minimal kitchen and the desire to give cooking a chance. When I was around college age I found that students were so desperate for a good meal that you could trade a home-cooked dinner for almost any sort of favor you needed done, and Alton Brown himself has waxed rhapsodic about the utility of being able to cook in wooing college dates. There are as many reasons to try out cooking in college as there are recipes in this book--so if you have any kind of kitchen facilities at all, I urge you to ask your own parents to pack this book along to you as a basic tool of college life.
Product Description
New, from Barbour's best-selling author of fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is the must-have cookbook of the season. Her Amish Friends Cookbook collection is a treasure trove of recipes and interesting facts from the heart of Amish country. With recipes divided into sections including breads and rolls, desserts, main dishes, sides, jams and jellies-and more!-you'll find only the best of home cooking between the pages of this delightful book. As an added bonus, you'll find featured facts about Amish life preceding each section of mouth-watering recipes. Topped off by one amazing package and an even more amazing price, cooks of all ages will have a hard time passing this one up!
Customer Reviews:
Great Amish Recipes.......2007-10-01
We have Amish friends in Indiana and Pennsylvania and have enjoyed
many of the dishes that are in the Amish Friends Cookbook. I love
this book and would recommend it to anyone that loves good cooking.
Favorite author offers hearty recipes.......2007-05-17
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (5/07)
Favorite author, Wanda E. Brunstetter, who has skillfully written many fictional stories about the Amish and Mennonite communities, is back, this time offering a wonderful collection of 200 hearty and appetite satisfying recipes right from the recipe boxes of the individuals themselves. Everything you expect from a cookbook is offered here, and more.
In addition to the standard categories of recipes one would expect, Brunstetter offers tidbits of information about the Amish and their way of life including their history, church, schools, weddings, quilts, homes, transportation, communication, occupations and clothing. If you desire to learn a bit more about the Amish and you enjoy cooking, this book would be a great addition to any recipe shelf. Included throughout are also short words of wisdom to make reading through the interesting recipes even more enjoyable. For example, "A smile adds a great deal to face value," is a statement worth remembering. And, "Don't ask God for what you think is good; ask Him for what He thinks is good for you," is another fun but true item to contemplate!
I highly recommend this cookbook by an author I have come to enjoy. Her interest in and knowledge of the Amish fascinates me, and it emanates throughout the pages of her current book.
The dessert section of "Amish Friends Cookbook" is particularly extensive with several old-fashioned pie and cake recipes. I was particularly intrigued with Pilgrim Pie, Frozen Fudge, and Baked Doughnuts. And if you like cooking with rhubarb, you should be especially thrilled, for there are numerous recipes using this tasty plant, including Rhubarb Punch. Apples and oatmeal are two more ingredients that appear often throughout the pages of this delightful cookbook. From Quick Root Beer, German Pizza, Cheeseburger Soup, and Dutch Slaw, there is sure to be something to entice almost everyone. There is even a recipe for Kidney Stone Remedy!
"Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook" features a spiral binding, perfect for keeping a page lying flat while using a recipe. Each page also contains multiple colors, and there are full color photographs of Amish families also. Overall, this is a very attractive cookbook, and it is educational too. "Amish Friends Cookbook" is sure to delight any cook who likes to create special recipes from scratch. I definitely plan to add this book to my cookbook collection of frequently used recipes. I recommend it completely.
Amazon.com
In the 70s, The Vegetarian Epicure set the table for the counterculture. It earnestly introduced a generation of youth to now commonplace ethnic foods like polenta and to the philosophy of good food. Thomas' new book, packed with all new recipes, still resonates with the earnest enthusiasm of an amateur but in the best sense of the word. She is eager to share with readers her love of good food, ethnic flavors and the pleasure of cooking for friends and family. Places like Provence, Italy, Mexico and southern California, where Thomas lives, often provide inspiration for her recipes along with her Polish roots. Sweet illustrations evoke her philosophical and culinary roots.
Book Description
Anna Thomas, author of the best-selling The Vegetarian Epicure, which became the bible of vegetarian cooks in the seventies and remains a classic, now returns with an exuberant new cookbook that reflects the way we live and eat today. The 66 menus are geared to busy, health-conscious families who are drawn to good fresh foods and lighter fare, filled with the pungent ethnic flavors that Anna Thomas loves.
Here are more than 325 recipes for every occasion, from seasonal family meals and little dinner parties to picnics and holiday feasts. For example:
A Simple Autumn Dinner Party that includes a freshly made Focaccia, Lima Bean Soup, Torta di Polenta with a Roasted Tomato Sauce, and Parfaits of Fruit and Mascarpone
A family meal of a Salad of Bitter Greens with Gorgonzola Cheese and Walnuts, Oyster Mushroom Chowder, Fast Buttermilk Rolls, and an Apple and Pear Crumble
A celebratory Cinco de Mayo Dinner of Nopalito Salad, Tamales with Zucchini and Cilantro Filling, Chile Ancho Salsa, Garlic and Cumin Rice, and Flan with Caramel and Pineapple
There are easy Salad Lunches, Soup Suppers, Pasta Dinners, Dinner in a Bowl, and A Casserole Supper--all foods that children love. And there are salad lunches for hot days, mezze (hearty little Middle Eastern dishes) for a crowd, a variety of teas, brunches, and a wine-tasting.
Freshness is all-important to Anna Thomas, and she offers great tips about growing tomatoes, gathering wild mushrooms, and understanding chiles, as well as suggesting strategies for getting children to eat well.
The captivating voice of Anna Thomas, which inspired a whole generation, is now even more irresistible as she persuades her contemporaries, pressured by all the demands of the day, to carve out a little time to prepare delicious, healthy meals and to experience the joy of sharing with family and friends the pleasure of the table.
Customer Reviews:
NOT a vegetarian cookbook!.......2007-07-24
Don't be fooled by the title of this cookbook, it's not a vegetarian cookbook at all - unless of course you consider TURKEY to be a vegetable! The author mentions something to the effect of "..... even vegetarians enjoy the turkey ....."
It wouldn't bother me if she had said something about "even vegetarians ate the food although it contained cheese or eggs" (that's fine as some vegetarians do eat cheese and eggs) but to say that vegetarians would eat turkey is totally ignorant. I'd suggest the author needs to look up the definition of "vegetarian" before writing a cookbook for vegetarians.
This cookbook is just a glorified "mostly vegetable cookbook". It's definitely not suitable for vegetarians of any persuasian. Spend your money on something that's REALLY vegetarian - like "Vegan Planet" by Robin Robertson or "Very Vegetarian" by Jannequin Bennett, or "Passionate Vegetarian" by Crescent Dragonwagon. Note that the first 2 books are vegan and the 3rd book contains eggs and cheese, but easily adaptable if you're vegan. Amazon sells all three books.
Doesn't properly belong with the vegetarian cookbooks.......2006-04-12
Unfortunately this book does not live up to the standard set by the original Vegetarian Epicure; the ingredients suggested are sometimes difficult or impossible to obtain without access to specialty food stores, and not inexpensive when they can be found. Prep times are lengthy and sometimes require what appears to be the use of every pot in the house; perhaps Ms. Thomas's target audience has become those familiar from her primary career as a film producer, who can pay someone else to do the washing up?
While I commend Ms. Thomas's husband's desire to be accommodating to guests, presumably those accepting an invitation to dinner at the home of someone who has made a reputation by publishing cookbooks aimed at vegetarians would not be expecting to be served turkey?
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone would be a better -- and more accurately marketed -- investment.
BEST COOKBOOK EVER.......2006-01-12
This is the cookbook I rely on to deliver the goods - every single time. I return to it over and over again, always with gratifying results. I can't even count the number of times friends have asked me for the recipes from this classic. My all-time favorite.
NOT A VEGETARIAN BOOK!!!.......2005-11-26
Vegetarians DO NOT eat turkeys or eat gelatin. There is a wealth of other great vegetarian cookbooks out there. Don't bother with this one.
Excellent Flavourful Dishes - My copy is very dog-eared and stained from use.......2005-11-17
I have had this book for almost 7 years now. I love it and it is still inspiring. What I think I love the most though is how many times I have prepared a menu from this book when having meat-eaters over for dinner and wowing them everytime - they are always surprised at the end of the meal that they didn't miss the meat. I love fruits and vegetables and the recipies in this book do a wonderful job highlighting the different flavors and textures of produce. As for the review that said this was "health food" implying that's a bad thing, these recipies are healthful - but she's still not afraid to call for butter, eggs, cheese, and milk. There's a wonderfully luscious carmalized onion flan that has plenty of cheese for anyone! I highly recommend it for vegetarians and those looking to eat less meat.
Average customer rating:
- GREAT BOOK
- Full disclosure
- A Cook's Book
- The Only Cookbook You'll Ever Need For Daily Life!!!
- FABULOUS WHETHER YOU LIKE TO COOK OR EAT
|
Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day
Serena Bass
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Special Occasions
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Tablesetting
| Special Occasions
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
John Ash: Cooking One on One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher
-
Simple Soirees: Seasonal Menus for Sensational Dinner Parties
-
Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen
-
Rick Stein's Complete Seafood
-
Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Southampton's Favorite Bakery for Homestyle Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Muffins, and Breads
ASIN: 1584793473 |
Book Description
When chic Manhattanites absolutely must throw an amazing party, there's only one name programmed into their speed dials: Serena. With a client list that includes Sigourney Weaver, Nathan Lane, Bernadette Peters, and Iman, the woman knows how to host a gathering. It's no wonder New York magazine called her company, Serena Bass, Incorporated, "the best food in the city, hands down."
In Serena, Food and Stories, the fabulous Ms. Bass shares 100 choice recipes, from Guadalajara Hash for brunch, to Chicken Curry Tea Sandwiches, to a mouth-watering Italian buffet. Organized into menus for 11 occasions, large and small, the focus is on ways to make guests feel both well fed and welcome. Part entertaining cookbook, part dishy memoir, this fun read includes charming anecdotes about Serena's family, friends, husbands, and her one faithful companion, Ruby-her little Westie. Between Serena's infectious, highly social vibe and the to-die-for dishes, it'll definitely keep home cooks-and their hungry pals-turning the pages. AUTHOR BIO: London-born SERENA BASS is a high-profile caterer based in New York City. In addition to her successful catering business, she is the namesake behind Serena, the bar/lounge in the basement of the Chelsea Hotel, which she opened in 1999 and has since sold. This is her first book.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT BOOK.......2005-08-06
My family and I love Serena, Food & Stories and have given copies to each member of our family and special friends. It combines extremely delicious and easy to follow recipes with lively illustrations, beautiful photographs, and totally engaging stories; it is so much more than a cookbook. The Raspberry Frangipane Pie with Almond Whipped Cream is fantastic. Serena Bass' warm hearted spirit and love of cooking set this book apart. My daughter and I whole heartedly reccomend this special cook book.
Full disclosure.......2005-06-26
While I have to admit first thing that my wife and I are friends of Serena's and mentioned in the acknowledgements, let me also say that we were used repeatedly to test, taste and attempt to prepare the dishes in the book as it was written. I have eaten nearly all and endeavored to cook a great number of the recipes and I can personally attest to their appeal. Serena's way with straightforward, high-quality ingredients and a restless imagination produces extraordinary food that can be prepared by us, mere mortals.
And just when I think I've heard all the stories Serena can muster she blithely unearths another nugget of her past, recent or otherwise, and surprises me with how many lives she's lived.
This is a great cookbook and an tantalizing look into one of the
most interesting and dynamic women I've met. A star in the making.. you heard it here.
A Cook's Book.......2005-05-17
A dinner party is not simply the food that you prepare. It is the care taken in the preparation, the friends with whom you share it and the reminiscence after-the-fact with your significant other or friends. If you are lucky, you will get plenty of "oohs" and "aahs" during the event, but the mark of true success is when your guests are still talking about it days and weeks later.
Serena, Food & Stories has all of the necessary ingredients for a fabulous event. This is both a cook book and a cook's book. Complete with easy to follow recipes, great stories, and photos that make your mouth water. I keep all of my cookbooks together in a cabinet, this one I keep on my counter-top. I grab it when I need a great recipe or when I simply want to read and daydream about my next dinner party.
The Only Cookbook You'll Ever Need For Daily Life!!!.......2005-05-17
I have worshipped Serena Bass from afar for many years. I arrived back in New York City too late to eat at her Chelsea basement retreat, but knew of her from many who had and adored her cooking. She has not catered for me because I haven't had an event that needed catering. However, I have kept up with her through interviews and food magazines. I was delighted to see she had written a book of her life and adventures and bought it. She does not disappoint. The book is like Serena Bass: Beautiful and brilliant. Full of wonderful stories and practical recipes for those items you cook on a daily basis. Or want to cook but are afraid to. She makes it oh so easy for you. The photographs are stunning and make your mouth water. Everything from Vanilla Cupcakes to tasty Vinaigrettes. My favorites.
I lived and worked in London in the late 60s and early 70s and miss the country, the people and the food. Yes, the food. There is something warm and homey about English cooking and she has filled this beautiful book with lots of recipes that bring back happy memories of my time there. You can sit for hours reading this book from cover-to-cover and I heartily recommend that you do. Fix yourself a nice hot cuppa and sit back and be swept away. It's truly Serena's world. We only live in it. Or wish we did! Buy this book and you will never have to spend another dime on anything else. Glorious!!!!
FABULOUS WHETHER YOU LIKE TO COOK OR EAT.......2005-03-07
I'm a huge fan of eating but not cooking - and I loved this book (and am making my boyfriend, who does like cooking, do all the recipes for me...) The photographs are mouthwatering, the recipes the perfect blend of comfort and posh food, and Serena's own life stories entertaining and moving. Plus I love the large amounts of highly practical advice scattered throughout about how to entertain, serve and hostess effectively - lots of things I would never have thought of but which make fantastically good sense. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Fran Warde's informal approach to cooking and her easy-to-follow recipes make this a must-have cookbook for everyone who loves to share good food with friends and family. Her book is arranged by theme, each with its own distinctive style and delicious menu to match, including Dinner in Advance, Everyday Entertaining, Effortless Entertaining, Parties and Celebrations, Drinks and Fingerfood, and Party Buffet. With something to please for every budget, season, and occasion, and beautifully photographed by Debi Treloar, this is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to entertain.
Customer Reviews:
The book that started it all..........2006-09-07
I had to write a review for this book b/c I owe my cooking skills to Fran Warde. Before this book, I was afraid to entertain. I'd make lasagna again and again. Something safe and easy. And then I happened to come across Fran's book at Z Gallerie and it changed everything. This book showed me that cooking can be simple, fun, and entirely worth it. Fran's recipes are easy to prepare, fun to look at (tons of colorful pictures), and is good for a cook at any level. Pictures are so important for the novice chef b/c it helps with plating and setting the tone and the photographer took such excellent pictures of the dishes. The cookbook is also very well written and easy to follow. Also, the end products are very complex, but you'd be surprised how easy it was to get the ingredients (all available at your local supermarket). I am planning to get Fran's other book as well. Anyway, it was because of this book that I moved onto more advanced cookbooks. I think everyone should give this book a shot! Thanks, Fran!
Superb Quick Menu Source.......2002-10-12
This is just an outstanding production of great, creative menus served with flair and taste and style and all presented in glorious full-color photos throughout with great instructions and helpful advice.
It is organized around events, e.g. Weekend Dings --- Sage and Stilton Flatbread; Roast Rib of Beef with Yorkshire Puddings, Carrot and Spinach Butter Mash, and Vin Santo Trifle.
With each is A Work Plan, Wine Suggestions, and Serving Suggestions.
Outstanding work which is so well done and very creative food!
Book Description
Spiced with stories of family and friends, sweetened by memories of holidays and celebratory meals, Brown Sugar is a slice of life from African American communities across the country. In this collection of recipes and tales, Joyce White passes along generations of kitchen wisdom and dessert favorites, as well as fresh and creative variations on classic sweets.
From the wedding reception-ready Coconut Peach lake to the simple joy of Gingered Tropical Fruits, these are desserts for any occasion. The flavors are comforting and festive, as are the many poignant stories that White shares. A sublime Sweet Potato Cheesecake is passed along from a hardworking mother in California, while Three Sisters Coconut Pie is White's composite of three good friends' favorite pie recipes, each reflecting their unique backgrounds. The results are at once innovative and familiar.
Whether you are looking to make the perfect Lemon Meringue Pie or to preserve summer fruit, these recipes will satisfy your sweet tooth and add heirloom-quality recipes to your collection. The complex flavors of Star Anise Peach Ice Cream and West Indian Christmas Cake are within reach of any home cook, thanks to White's masterful guidance and the tips and cook's secrets that she provides. White's recipes encourage creativity, offering suggestions for variations as well as a solid foundation for your own soul-inspired sweets.
Brown Sugar is warm, memorable, and universal, and you will be eager to share its recipes and stories, to create your own sweet memories.
Customer Reviews:
Delightfully delicious.......2005-11-06
As warm and homey as the smell of freshly baked bread, Brown Sugar welcomes you to enjoy a rich and diverse collection of sweets. Candy, cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream and more are all featured in a collection of recipes featuring a wide variety of classics and favorites.
This is also one of those delectable cookbooks you like to snuggle up with and read cover to cover. Mixing practical advice with a wide range of personal family history, White writes the book in such a way that when you close it, you feel like a member of her family.
But even better than that, the recipes themselves are crafted with simple, everyday utensils, using ingredients that are common and can be found at the local store.
There are no pictures of the food, but that is a small price to pay for such a rich bounty of delicious, easy to make desserts.
Highest possible recommendations!
Emotional Bliss.......2005-01-29
"Food for the soul" is an excellent way to describe the wonderfully soothing experience a person feels after eating any one of the treats from Joyce White's cookbook "Brown Sugar." Right now, just thinking about the "sweet potatoe pie" brings a smile to my face and that "chocolate cheesecake" makes my mouth water. ummmmmm, "Brown Sugar."
"Learning so much".......2003-07-19
This book is fantastic! I truly enjoyed the stories leading into each recipe. It made me feel as if it let me into a warm and personal side of Joyce White's life. This made reading these recipes interesting and fun.
I've always had a problem with picking out fresh fruit. However, Brown Sugar takes the guesswork out of it. I was so enlighten with the details on how to select the freshest fruits. With the knowledge I've gained, I ventured into preparing a scrumptious dessert for friends. My choice was the "Fresh Berry Compote". It was a hit and the instructions were so easy to follow.
Brown Sugar is a wonderful soul food dessert book that I really enjoyed.
SIMPLY DELICIOUS!.......2003-05-11
BROWN SUGAR: SOUL FOOD DESSERTS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS is a cookbook filled with mouth-watering, delicious treats. There are seven chapters in the book devoted to various sweet reasures including, cakes, cookies, pies, puddings, candies, ice cream, and fruit desserts. Inserted before each recipe is a homey vignette describing a personal experience of the author or contributor.
The recipes are easy to follow, and Ms. White provides common sense advice throughout the book on obtaining maximum results from the recipes. Even the novice baker will be able to follow the instructions and end up with winning results. BROWN SUGAR is a "must-have" cookbook for discerning and freshman bakers alike.
Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD)
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Book Description
Finger food is fun food. Shake off the conventions of cutlery and invite your friends to mingle, with a drink in one hand and a delicious morsel in the other. You'll discover how easy it can be to feed a crowd, whether it's a casual impromptu gathering or the most gorgeous of cocktail soirees.
Customer Reviews:
TINY AND DELICIOUS.......2004-12-15
FINGER FOOD:
Bite-sized Snacks to Share with Friends
Katherine Gasparini, Editor
Another imprint of the Advantage Publishers Group by
Laurel Glen Publishing
This beautiful little book, on glossy pages, spares no color with lots of tempting photographs. These small foods are rather like non-Spanish tapas, much Mediterranean influence however, and a lot of Asian touches. Several quick, little foods can make up a meal or a delightful snack with someone special. The book is divided into four groups of Finger Foods: Nibbles, Cold, Hot and Sweet. Here's some of the quicker choices:
* Olive Tapenade made with garlic, anchovies, capers, thyme, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and a little brandy, if you wish.
* Spinach Pate is made with butter, coriander cayenne pepper, garlic, scallions, almonds and sour cream.
* Corn Salsa with Cumin. Make this with olive oil, jalapenos, sun-dried tomatoes and cilantro.
* Spiced Soy Crackers. These contain flour, soy flour, garem masala, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice.
* Green Mexican Salsa made from tomatillos, onion, jalapeno chili, garlic, cilantro and lime juice.
* Warm Cheese Dip. Fix this with butter, scallions, jalapeno chilies, cumin, sour cream and grated cheddar.
* Parmesan Puff Straws. For these you need only puff pastry, butter, Parmesan and one lightly beaten egg.
* Chicken Liver Parfait needs only butter, shallots, whipping cream, cognac, melba toasts and baby gherkins.
* Smoked Salmon Breadbaskets call for sliced white bread, olive oil, mayonnaise, vinegar, fresh dill, horseradish sauce, some salmon roe and dill sprigs.
* Spinach and Feta Triangles. Just gather olive oil, scallions, parsley, fresh dill, nutmeg, Parmesan, ricotta cheese, eggs, butter olive oil and phyllo pastry.
* Basil Mussels. Cook them with butter, shallots and white wine. Make the Basil Butter with basil leaves, butter, garlic and dry breadcrumbs.
* Mediterranean Twists are bread twists made from olive oil, onions, white wine, sugar, Italian parsley, anchovies Gruyere cheese, butter and phyllo pastry.
* Toasted Figs in Prosciutto calls for butter, orange juice and sage leaves.
* Feta, Arugula and Mushroom Bruschetta calls for Italian bread, garlic olive oil, butter and fresh basil.
* For something sweet, yet simple, make Fennel Wafers from sugar, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, flour, olive oil, beer and anisette.
The author states, "Finger Food is fun food to share. Shake off the conventions of cutlery and dig into bite-sized snacks and dips, perfect for taking the edge off of hunger in any dimension."
© Marty Martindale, 2004, Largo FL
Gorgeous!.......2004-07-08
It's very simple: I can't resist finger food, nibbles and the like. When I am confronted with a huge plate of something I feel overwhelmed, so I definitely prefer small bites.
This book has got what I need: 200 recipes for gorgeous nibbles and small bites that will make you drool as you flip through the pages.
The book has a strange "chunky" format, it looks a bit like a brick and it sticks to the essential, so there is no introduction, no glossary, no introductory chit chat about the recipes, BUT there is a gorgeous picture facing each recipe and the more exotic ingredients are explained in notes. You open the book and you find the table of contents (nibbles, cold, hot, sweet and the index) and then, straight away, the first recipe.
Some of the recipes are well known like the ones for hummous, tapenade, aioli, guacamole and some others, but I found a number of interesting original ones and new twists on something familiar. I'm really happy I found the recipe for Bitterballen (a Dutch appetizer), which I had been looking for for a while. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems similar to the one I tasted. What I have tried is the Hot Crab and Lemon Dip, and we all loved it! Sinfully rich with crab, shallots and cheese melting together, mmmm...
And the Herbed Lavash, easy and so tasty that you can't stop eating it; and the Herb Pikelets with Pear and Blue Cheese Topping, small herbed pancakes that contrast beautifully with the creaminess of the blue cheese topping and the crunchy sweetness of the pears. And the cute mini frittatas baked in muffin tins: they have a very professional look and taste divine.
There is something to suit every occasion, from the posh "oysters with lemon herb dressing" and "mushroom pat? on Melba toasts", to the homey "Mexican bites" and "small salmon-lemon cakes", from the exotic "sesame and wasabi-crusted tuna cubes" and "Thai beef salad rice paper rolls", to the vegetarian "vegetable shapes with cr?me fra?che and fried leek" (really stylish) and "lentil patties with cumin skordalia".
I haven't tried them yet, but they sit high on my list of plates to try.
The recipes are well laid out: one recipe per page, ingredients on one side and clear, step-by-step instruction on the other, on the opposite page there is a picture of what you are supposed to get. They range in complexity from very simple to fairly time consuming, but it is easy to choose.
In short, this is a simple, down-to-earth guide to wonderful food, both for special occasions and for everyday treats. Yum!
Good Range.......2003-03-02
I've been looking for a good book of finger food for awhile and was happy to find this one. Usually, the recipes for finger food are too exotic or time comsuming, this book has a few of those but there are plenty that are not too complex. Finger Food also has a range of ethnic styles, such as Mexican, Asian & American flavored foods.
Customer Reviews:
BEST COOKBOOK EVER.......2004-03-19
This is the best cookbook I have ever purchased. It is very user friendly and ALL of the recipes make sence AND work! John Ash's quote on the back cover is very true. "[It] makes the home cook a star." You must add it to your collection if it is not already.
Books:
- Writer's Market 2007 (Writer's Market)
- A New Way to Cook
- A Table for Two: Recipes from Celebrated City Restaurants
- A Twist of the Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes
- Aquavit: And the New Scandinavian Cuisine
- Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon
- Baking by Flavor
- Barbecue! Bible : Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes
- Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
- Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook: Everyday Meals, Easy as 1-2-3
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards
- The Working American Bulldog
- Objects and Meaning: New Perspectives on Art and Craft
- Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict With a New Introduction by the Author
- The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars: The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the
- Trading Chaos: Maximize Profits with Proven Technical Techniques
- The Nuclear Imperative: A Critical Look at the Approaching Energy Crisis
- Peterson's the Ultimate Series
- Rational Behaviour and Bargaining Equilibrium in Games and Social Situations
- Living & Working in New Zealand: How to Prepare for a Successful Long or Short Term Stay
