Book Description
A comprehensive introduction includes step-by-step recipes for creating the perfect stcok and suggests garnishes for a professional finish.
Customer Reviews:
none.......2007-08-23
i ordered this on 7/17/07 to date i am still waiting for this book. what is the problem?????????????????i see that the monies for this has
already been deducted from my account. i either want the book or a refund
this is the first time i have had a problem. i hope you can resolve this
issue. i really wanted this book and hope it is still available. thank
you for your immediate attention to this matter
trish hine
For soup lovers.......2007-01-10
This book has over 200 recipes. I have used many of the recipes and enjoyed most of them. I have given copies of the book to friends and other friends have chosen to buy this book after seeing it at my home. It is an essential book in my cooking book library.
A World Tour of Soups.......2006-07-27
When the days become long, the body becomes lethargic and even the tar is beginning to melt, the last place one wants to be is in a hot kitchen. Summer is the season for quick, light meals that don't take a lot of time, but restore your energy. But if you do have to get into the kitchen, rather than throwing together the customary salad, how about a bowl of soup after that dip in the pool?
Consulting editor Debra Mayhew has combed the four corners of the globe to bring together a collection of wonderful recipes in The Soup Bible.
Stirring in tips for making stock, garnishes, and notes on how to pick the best ingredients, these soups are designed not just for summer, but those occasions that call for something special, as well as those chilly winter nights when all you want to do is curl up with a good book and a warm hearty bowl:
Light and Refreshing: Gazpacho (the ultimate in summer soups), Vichyssoise, Summer Tomato Soup, Watercress and Orange Soup (what an interesting combination)
One-Pot Meal Soups: Seafood and Sausage Gumbo, Spinach and Lemon Soup with Meatballs (traditionally known in Greece as Avgolomono without the meatballs), and Creole Shrimp
Hearty Lunch and Supper Soups: Lentil Soup with Rosemary, Italian Arugula and Potato Soup, Pistou (a scrumptious French vegetable soup), and New England Clam Chowder
Special Occasion: Butternut Squash Bisque, Tomato and Fresh Basil Soup, Spinach and Rice Soup (a nice and sneaky way for parents to add a vegetable in a meal for those picky-eater kids) and Saffron-Mussel Soup.
The book is full of exquisite, mouth-watering photographs and even the soup bowls both rustic and elegant are beautifully displayed.
With over 200 recipes to prepare for friends and family, it's a world tour of soups.
Fresh bread required.
Well organized and staightforward.......2005-02-18
This is a very good collection of a few classic and quite a few not so classic soup recipes which are easy to follow and are accompanied by glossy color photos. You will also find a few garnishing ideas to give some extra dimension and flair if you want to impress your guests. Well worth the price
Soup's On!.......2004-08-07
The Soup Bible is a wonderful collection of soup recipes divided into six sections: light & refreshing, rich & creamy, warming winter, hearty lunch, one-pot-meals, and special occasion. The variety is excellent, and there are soups from around the world. The front section on making stocks is very helpful as it includes not only the standard vegetable, chicken and meat stocks, but also fish stock and stocks for Chinese and Japanese cooking.
Each recipe comes with beautiful end-result pictures as well as pictures of some of the steps involved. The directions are clear and simple. Many of the recipes come with suggestions for variations and all of the vegetarian selections are marked. Most of the soups use easy-to-find ingredients, but the exceptions often have tips on where to find the unfamiliar items.
I've tried several of the recipes with no problems and delicious results. One of my personal favorites is the Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup. I'm looking forward to cooking and eating my way through these soups.
Amazon.com
Everyone loves soup, the world's most versatile dish. James Peterson's Splendid Soups, first published in 1993 and now updated, celebrates that fact with stunning comprehensiveness. Offering almost 300 tantalizing recipes ranging from the most pristine consommés to the heartiest peasant stews, the book also provides extensive technical information, tips, and serving suggestions that make it a true soup tutorial. The book's "ultimate goal," says Peterson, "is to give the reader the tools with which to invent," an aim he realizes with clarity, warmth, and precision. It's hard to imagine a cook who wouldn't embrace this authoritative yet companionable work.
The recipe range is vast. In 10 chapters that cover all the soup bases, including yogurt, bread, and fruit mixtures, Peterson offers an encyclopedic dish array. Among the entries new to this edition are Roast Garlic and Acorn Squash Soup, Thai-Style Hot and Sour Blue Crab Soup, and Dried Fruit Soup, a traditional Swedish specialty. Especially noteworthy is Peterson's introductory section on ethnic soups; a section offering strategies for reducing a soup's fat content (don't let meat broths boil, which homogenizes fat and liquid); and advice on what to drink with soup. With 40 color photos taken by the author, an equipment guide, and a useful chart for soup improvisation, the book is better than ever and a must-have for any kitchen library. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
Praise for the fully revised and updated Splendid Soups
"Jim Peterson's Splendid Soups is a comprehensive and mouthwatering atlas of the world of soup. It not only covers soups of all nationalities and every garnish, but provides a handy list of sources for every hard-to-find ingredient and kitchen tool, too. More importantly though, through his gargantuan world tour Jim empowers home cooks to strike out on their own and invent new soups. It just makes me want to get into the kitchen and start cooking!" -SARA MOULTON Host, The Food Network's Cooking Live; Executive Chef, Gourmet magazine; Food Editor, Good Morning America
"We love James Peterson. Splendid Soups is a bountiful source of enticing ideas!"-the moosewood collective Authors of the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbooks
Customer Reviews:
Learn to Make Stocks.......2006-08-18
The most useful thing about this book is that it teaches you how to make a good stock. I can't tell you how much it has made a difference in my cooking. I do like the recipes in the book, but more often his techniques are being applied to other recipes vastly improved by my new ability to make a good stock. Once you get into the habit of making stock, you will be horrified at the thought of throwing away bones! Use them to make stock now, or freeze them and make stock later. The recipes are loose, but if you read the opening chapters you will not need absolute precision because you will know what you are doing!
Good compilation of recipies, but poor quality of each recipe.........2006-03-11
First of all I have to say that I am spanish and I am not writing in my mother tongue. So I have to apologise in advance for my poor English skills.
When I read a review I like to know who write it in order to guess what he expected to find in the book and what sort of judgment he is going to give us.
I am an Spanish Food Engineer. I am not a professional chef but, I dare say, I am an advanced amateur cook.
I read the cookbooks form cover to cover at least twice. I underlain it and even it compare the recipies with other books.
I dont want a compilation of recipies that I left in my shelves for checking a recipe from time to time.
What I expected to find in this book was:
1-A classification of soups.
2-A correct description of the techniques for cooking the soups.
3-A collection of really splendid soups. I dont mind how many recipies the book has, but I mind the quality of each recipe.
I want a perfect recipe for each soup. Whether I like or not the soup, once I have cooked it, it depends on my personal taste.
So with this in mind, here is my review.
1-The book is organized by ingredientes (meat soups, fish soups, vegetable soups..). It makes easier to find a recipe if you have some ingredientes in the refrigerator and you wants to know what to do with them. But it should be arranged by technique as the book "Professional Chef" (CIA) does (consommes, hearty broths, cream soups, puree soups and bisques).You cant remember all the recipies but you can remember the techniques. This is the most didactic way of organize the book if you want to read it from cover to cover.
2-The general description of the techniques are omitted. The author goes straight to the description of the preparation of each recipe. What it is good if you want a compilation of recipies, but it isnt very useful if you really want to learn how to cook soups at your will.
By the other hand, the description of the preparation of the recipies are detailed and correct. Neither it is "over-detailed" nor ambiguous.
3-At first sight, the number of recipies seems to be huge. But once you have read some chapters you will realise that some recipies are almost the same. Organizing the book by ingredients its easy to repeat recipes because you only need to change an ingredient.For example, "Miso Soup" and "Miso soup with egg plant", the first one appears in the chapter of broths and the second one appears in the chapter of vegetables. But both are the same .Another example "Puree of Artichoke", "Puree of Asparagus", "Puree of Cauliflower"...etc.
The number of recipies has been falsely increased
4-I cant say the recipies doesnt works, but I cant say the recipies are excellent.In some cases I am sure the recipe is wrong. As I said I am spanish, and I cant assure that Gazpacho doesnt contain neither chicken broth nor lime. I understand the author wants to transform/interpret some exotic/ethnic soups. But the changes should not become the dish into another thing. Another example is the Bisque. He uses vegetable puree to thick the soup. By definition a Bisque is a soup that only contains crustaceans and the vegetables are only use for give a subtle taste and it should not distort the crustacean taste.
I wouldnt say that from the 400 soups all of them are "splendid". On the contrary, only few ones are good (but not excellent). He should be more concentrated on the quality rather than in the quantity.
5-There are few photographs (8 pages). The "soups" showed by these photos has got so many solids and so few liquid that you would need a fork and a knife for eating it. So it isnt soups, because you dont use a spoon for eating it.
6-The style of writing is a bit arrogant. I agree with other review. He uses a lot the word "I". I think he is too worry about demostrating that he has cooked each soup, because he repeat many times "Each time I cook it..." "I like to eat it.." "I cant image a summer without it.." and so on.
I dont think he has cooked all the recipies, or at least, I dont think he cook the soups with frequency he try to show.
The book contains 400 recipies, really do you think that he eats so often all them during the 365 days of the year?.
On the other hand, he is too precise with very tiny details (add the parsley just 1 minute before serving, for example) but he is too loose with other matters.
Does he pretend to be exquisite? an epicurean?
7-This book has got some good points. The chapter of ethnic soups is excellent. He describes some ethnic and exotic ingredients and also incorporate soups from Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, China, India Morocco, Mexico etc...
After reading the book you will be able to prepare a soup freely just watching what you have got in the refrigerator.
All in all, I doesnt believe its a masterpiece as other reviewers does. The recipies arent totaly perfect and if you are purist the book will disappoint you.
But if you arent a purist, if you doesnt look for the perfect soup, and if you only want to find a recipe and cook it from time to time, this is your book.
Best Soup Cookbook Ever.......2006-02-18
Every recipe was easy to follow and came with set-by-step instructions. All of my favorite soups are from the Splendid Soup cookbook. Everytime I make a soup from this cookbook (which is once a week) I get a thumbs up from my family, especially from the hard to please little ones!!!
A fantastic book, but not for beginners.......2002-10-12
I am a self-described soup addict. I make soups at least once a week year round, even when the weather in my hometown is well above 100 degrees! This book is an excellent book, great for someone who has spent a lot of time making soups and is willing to put the time and effort into getting the ingredients, and doing the chopping and cooking that is required. It has nearly every soup imaginable in it and is great for coming up with great ideas for your own new recipes. However, the reason I can't give it 5 stars is that, as others have mentioned before, it does not go into intimate detail in the instructions, it includes some hard-to-find or largely unfamiliar ingredients, and some of the recipes are difficult. If you are a beginner, you should probably stay away from this book. If you are soup obsessed like me, this book is well worth buying and will become an invaluable source of information for you.
great book.......2001-12-01
great book. i tend to use it as a base for creating soups (e.g., a turkey soup that was based on 3 different veggy soup recipes). i've bought a copy for a buddy and for my brother-in-law and they both love the book (for some reason, men in my family do the cooking!!)
Book Description
When I said I was working on a soup book, the response was often, “Oh, I love soup!” People enthuse about soup in a way that’s so heartwarming it makes me feel as if I’m in the right camp... The soups in this book are based on vegetables, and many of these recipes are new ones for me. But some are soup classics, by which I mean some of those that have stood the test of time in my kitchen, (Quinoa, Corn, and Spinach Chowder) and those that are classics in the culture (Boston-Style Black Bean Soup). I’ve tried to streamlined these dishes as much as possible without sacrificing goodness, so that you can easily enjoy them in your own kitchen. I hope you do enjoy making these soups and add them, one by one, to your repertoire.
—from the Introduction
In Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen, America’s favorite vegetarian cookbook author presents more than 100 inventive and straightforward soup recipes guaranteed to satisfy appetites all year long.
Deborah Madison has shown millions of Americans how to turn vegetables and other healthful ingredients into culinary triumphs. In her newest collection of recipes, She serves up a selection of soups ranging from stylish first courses to substantial one-bowl meals.
Madison begins with a soup-making primer and streamlined recipes for vegetable stocks and broths (such as the Hearty Mushroom Broth), which serve as the foundation for many of the recipes that follow, for those who wish to make their own. Soups like the Mexican Tomato Broth with Avocado and Lime can start a supper or stand alone as a simple, light meal. Cooks looking for heartier choices will find satisfying dishes such as Potato and Green Chile Stew with Cilantro Cream or grain-based soups like the Wild Rice Chowder. Organized by seasons, the recipes make the most of the produce–from a springtime Fennel and Almond Soup with Saffron and Ricotta Dumplings to a deeply flavorful autumnal Roasted Squash, Pear and Ginger Soup. When time just isn’t available and prepared soups take the place of home made, Madison offers a battery of suggestions for how to make them your own with simple additions from delicious oils and herbs to an invigorating Cilantro Salsa.
Featuring fifty stunning full-color photographs by Laurie Smith, serving suggestions, wine notes, and a host of ideas for creative finishing touches including caramelized pear “croutons” and souffléd cheese toasts, this friendly soup lover's guide gives the reader a hundred delicious ways to enjoy the benefits and flavors of vegetables by the bowlful throughout the seasons.
Customer Reviews:
I love Deborah Madison's work.......2007-07-04
When I first bought this cookbook, we lived from it. I love the clear broths, the roast vegetable soups, the bean soups (although I think some of the lentil soups in Deborah's big vegetarian book are better), the fennel and chestnut soup (better than the earlier version) ... And, now my brother's moved house, I've bought him his own copy.
Caution.......2007-05-18
The layout of this book is terrible. The recipes don't start at the top of the page. Rather, they run onto the pages... in a jumbled mess. It takes away from this cookbook significantly. Why did they print it this way? To save on paper, printing costs? Whatever the reason, we the buyers have to turn the pages just to get the whole recipe... inconvenient. There are other great vegetarian books on soups... that are much better to cook from.
Oh, the joy............2006-12-30
.....Of my whole family thinking I am the "Soup Goddess" since I bumped into this book in my local library.I am a vegetarian, but my husband isn't, and neither is his family, but I do love to cook for them,but they are all too easy to scare with tofu, tempeh,roots and twigs they haven't even heard of.(things I do enjoy though.)But ever since I have been cooking tasty soups from this book, they love everything I make.It is not a 15 minute meal book,thank god, because there is something to taking one's time, and cooking with love and care.The fall and winter soups,especially the roasted vegetable ones are sooo goood!They do require fresh veggies, but you can still use canned tomatoes, if you don't have fresh, canned beans occasionaly, and the food comes out great.The idea of making the stock from the trimmings is great too,since most of the time they would be thrown away anyway, so why not make the soup tastier with them.I have a small kitchen and no place for gadgets,but I was able to use this book without those,and the outcome was always delicious, fragrant, wholesome food. And I have not found one single recipe in this book that was not superb.I mean, how many times does it happen, that you buy a book, and most of the stuff is either too complicated, too simple, too blah?Even Goldilocks would be happy with this one!Every single thing I have tried,which is most of the cold weather soups came out even better than I thought it would.Of course I had to get my own edition because I could not bare to part with this book when it was time to take it back.Since than I got a few more books from Ms Madison, but this was the first and so it is special.Good luck,and enjoy!
Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen........2006-11-10
Very nicely illustrated and laid out however for anyone in smaller towns some of the ingredients may not be available. It would be helpful to give a directory of the more unusual ingredients,a description of them and perhaps a buying guide.
Inspiring.......2006-03-10
I'm not a vegetarian but I found this book a great inspiration. Lots of practical information and clever recipes make this book much better than average. In fact, great.
Book Description
Where the best-selling Big Book of Casseroles brought bubbling cheese and golden bread crumbs, The Big Book of Soups and Stews brings succulent meats, tender vegetables, and creamy, savory goodness with 262 comforting recipes for soups, chowders, and stews. From a hot and hearty stew for a cold night to a cool, refreshing Vichyssoise for a sizzling afternoon, there's a recipe here for every occasion. Also included are nostalgic classics (like everyone's favorite Chicken Noodle Soup) as well as innovative new creations inspired by the cuisines of the world--from Thai Ginger Chicken to Mexican Seafood. With a wonderful selection of quick bread recipes and a crockpot full of tips and hints to help soup-makers hone their skills, The Big Book of Soups and Stews is the ultimate one-stop comfort food cookbook.
Customer Reviews:
Clear, concise and tasty..........2007-01-27
I have slightly above-average cooking skills, and must employ them at least 5 nights a week for my 6'4" husband and 9 year old daughter who both eat like they have hollow legs. This book is extremely easy to use, which is essential for my time-strapped evenings.
After a brief introduction about technique and tools, this book is organized by food type, i.e. meat, poultry, seafood, vegetable etc., with additional brief sections about garnishes and bread-sides. The recipes are not exotic, meaning you won't need a specialty grocery for every recipe. They are however intensely flavorful, utilizing plain, old-fashioned techniques like sautee and simmer to bring the flavors together.
The editorial review of this book complains about its lack of sophistication in the descriptions of each recipe, but I prefer the simplicity. The page layouts remain uncluttered and (more importantly) un-intimidating, which is important at 6:30 pm just walking in the door from work and faced with a hungry kid and a blank kitchen!
Included in this book are several standards like chili, beef stew, chicken soup, and vegetable ministrone in addition to some surprising and refreshing ideas such as cold avocado soup with cashews, white chili with chicken or turkey, and lamb shanks with gremolata. All retain their simplicity, flavor, and ease of preparation.
There is nothing more heartening than the bouquet of steam rising from a pot of fresh, homemade soup in these cold winter months... unless it's watching your family smile around their spoons!
good recipes, no fluff.......2006-09-16
I really like this book, for , as stated by others, it is a hearty collection of soups and stews, with a great variety ranging from vegeterian to meat-filled to cold and even some fruit. I have some definte favorites, especially the smoked salmon chowder (just straight up chowder, nothing weird like peas or cocktail onions like another recipe I have seen!), but I do have to say that not all recipes have worked out for me. It could have been my taste, but I think a little more instruction, or perhaps tips/recommendations, from the author on the selection of certain ingredients would have helped the bad recipes turn out better. I would definitely recommend this book, especially with soup season starting up soon!
Delectable Book.......2006-04-02
I got this one for Christmas and have tried perhaps 18-20 recipes since (I'm addicted to soups and stews).
Often, I have followed recipes in other books which were very disappointing, and sometimes very poorly seasoned. If I repeated the recipe, I often had to adjust seasonings, etc., to make it more palatable. However, every single one turned out perfect! Though I have a habit of improvising, I'm confident that I will not likely change these recipes.
NOT MUCH BETTER THAN A GOOD BOWL OF SOUP.......2005-02-01
I'll admit..I'm mainly a soup person only in the fall and winter months when it's cooler and you don't mind a nice pot of soup simmering on the stove for several hours. Soup and winter just goes together even though this book contains many lighter receipes that can be enjoyed all year round.
This is a follow-up to the Big Book of Casseroles and contains receipes for over 250 soups, stews, and chowders. Some very elegant soups perfect for a formal dinner party to go along with stick to your ribs soups for tailgating before a big game. There's old classic favorites such as Chicken Noodle, Motzah Ball and Clam Chowder to go along with more exotic soups such as the Thai Ginger Chicken Soup and Spicy Cuban Pork Stew. One of my favorites is the Chicken with Buttermilk Thyme dumplings which is just fantastic in the dead of winter like it is now. There are several potato soup recipes which I absolutely love including the baked potato soup.
The recipes are fairly simple to make and most of the ingredients are availabe from the grocery store but a few will require a visit to a gourmet food store if you really want to do it right. This book is a soup-eaters dream!
My favorite cookbook for the past year!.......2005-01-27
I love soup, but I don't like to spend all day making it. Maryana has "boiled down" every recipe to the simplest yet tastiest way to make it. Try the Sunriver Soup for company...it is delicious. I have had this book for over a year, and have made over 20 of the recipes...they have all been fantastic. Both of the Gumbo recipes are super, the seafood one is divine. The Gazpacho is perfect, and I love the Mexican Chicken and Corn soup too. I like how she doesn't require a million and one ingredients but just selects the perfect combination of spices for each soup.
Average customer rating:
- One of the more well-used books in our collection.
- Not-So-Real Stews
- Great addition to any cook's shelf
- THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD BOOK--THE WRIGHT STUFF
- For those who care
|
Real Stew: 300 Recipes for Authentic Home-Cooked Cassoulet, Gumbo, Chili, Curry, Minestrone, Bouillabaise, Stroganoff, Goulash, Chowder, and Much More
Clifford A. Wright
Manufacturer: Harvard Common Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Soups & Stews
| Meals
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
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ASIN: 1558321993 |
Amazon.com
The global scope of stews and other long-simmered, richly warming dishes is vast. Clifford Wright's Real Stew offers 300 recipes for this delicious fare--everything from basic Irish stew through stroganoff, bouillabaisse, gumbo, feijoada, and much more. What makes Wright's dishes--and cookbook--different from similar efforts (besides its "all-under-one-roof" commitment) is his insistence on authenticity. Readers will find, for example, a recipe for the famous French Daube Provençale that calls for salt pork in addition to slab bacon, plus beef or veal foot, among other ingredients. Wright's devotion to the real thing will excite most readers, and while it may discourage others, all will find the recipes clear and easy to follow. The results of Wright's devotion to formulas in every way justify the kitchen (and shopping) duty required.
The recipe selection is definitive. The section on lamb stews, for example, contains over 50 mouthwatering recipes, from the paprika-hot Classic Lamb Stew of Andalusia; piquant Abruzzi Lamb Stew with Egg and Lemon Custard; and Sweetly Saffroned Lamb, Onion, and Golden Raisin Stew of the Jews of Morocco; to Indian Rogan Josh and Martinique-Style Mutton Curry, among others. Other sections, like those on seafood stews and vegetable stews, are equally comprehensive--and enticing. Wright also provides inviting background material, and sidebars such as "What's a Cardoon?" and "Cuisine of the Poor," which details the birth of many stew-type dishes. With notes on equipment and a comprehensive list of ingredient sources, the book is full of worthwhile information as well as wonderful cooking. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
In this book, the author takes cooks on a culinary voyage around the world to discover the favorite comfort foods of nearly 50 countries.
Customer Reviews:
One of the more well-used books in our collection........2006-11-06
I generally do not review cookbooks, but I felt obliged to review Real Stew after seeing so many questions raised about its practicality.
I have owned this book for several years, and both my partner and I cook from it regularly. We give it as a gift to our friends and recommend it often and wholeheartedly. A number of the recipes are on very high rotation with us (the Austrian beer stew comes to mind) and it is never put away for very long in the colder months.
Wright is clearly interested in the history of these recipes as much as he is in the practical side of cooking. That is one of the things that I enjoy so much about it as a cook book. The historical side bars are fascinating and fun, and I really liked the chance to try out some of the ancestors of family favorites. Readers should use their common sense about how far they want to follow him down the road of some of the more historical recipes-- some of them are clearly included for the fun of it. I found that even the less practical entries added texture and humor to the work.
It is true that this isn't the book if you are looking for quick one-pot recipes which you can make in a half an hour and toss into the oven. This is more the kind of book for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon cooking together as a family.
As to the ingredients, it is also true that while some of them may be hard to pick up in the local supermarket, most of them should be able to be found with no real difficulty. You will need access to a good butcher and to a market or organic store which has some of the more out-of-the way vegetables. I live in Amsterdam, very far from the source and target market of most of these recipes, and I have still been able to locate most of the ingredients. (I almost expect to need to substitute with US cookbooks.)
In short, if you are someone who likes to cook and enjoys taking your time and making a bit of a ritual out of it, then this is a book that I would highly recommend.
Not-So-Real Stews.......2005-12-28
This book reveals just how precious and convoluted the process of cooking has become for the self-consciously culinarily sophisticated. As a previous reviewer has mentioned, many of its recipes require obscure ingredients or time consuming procedures which when closely examined would appear to have been included for the sake of sheer novelty. Case in point: the author asks the cook in several of the recipes to braid a "rope" from flour and water which is then placed inside the lid of the cooking pot, ostensibly as a seal. After cooking, this "rope" is discarded. Since most well-made casserole dishes or large stewpots include tight-sealing lids, this extra maneuver can only be viewed as the sort of one-upsmanship beloved by upscale cooks with too much time on their hands. Likewise, complex steps such as rendering one's own lard (which the author requires the cook to do in more than one recipe) or tracking down expensive, obscure spices which will in all likelihood be used only once, and then in minute quantity, simply do not justify the time or effort involved. The basic idea of a stew is to create a tasty, satisfying one-pot meal from available ingredients. When it takes weeks to assemble the ingredients and more than a day to prepare the dish, somebody is definitely missing the point.
Another problem with "Real Stews" is its seeming obsession with the exotic over the familiar. All cultures have delicious culinary traditions -- well, at least most of them do -- but to insist that American cooks precisely duplicate the ingredients and cooking conditions necessary for ethnic verisimilitude smacks of snobbery at best and condescension at worst. A little more emphasis on user-friendly and, dare it be said, familiar recipes would have made this book considerably more useful. As it is, for most home cooks, it's likely to gather considerable dust.
Great addition to any cook's shelf.......2004-10-25
I have owned this book for about a year now, and it's fantastic. The recipes are not instant, but if you have the time and inclination to make wonderful, authentic tasting (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) food, buy this book. My particular favorites are the chicken and sweet potato curry, spinach bouillibaise, and the full-length traditional bouillabaise. However, I have never made a recipe from this book that I didn't like. After buying loads of seasonal vegetables at the farmer's market - this book is one of my first stops in finding ways to use the vegetables. I'm buying a copy today for my brother; I'm sure he'll love it. I'm also looking forward to using Mr. Wright's Meditaranean cookbook which I'm buying.
THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD BOOK--THE WRIGHT STUFF.......2004-08-09
This book, like all of Clifford Wright's books, is a pleasure and a treasure. The man is a genius. Most of the recipes are extremely easy and extremely delicious, like the Hungarian Smoked Sausage and Prune Stew, which has a total of 4 ingredients, including water (a garnish/enrichment adds 2 more). Wright makes the recipes easy by giving authentic ingredients but including substitutes that you can find in any market. For example, he says to use a prosciutto bone or a ham bone; goat milk or cow milk plus cream, etc. Many of the stews have only 3 or 4 ingredients after water and salt and pepper; many include ingredients that are just throw-ins that require no preparation, like olives, capers, tomato paste, nuts, or raisins. The more adventurous cook can try recipes that include things like preserved lemons--Wright tells you how to make them. He also makes the book idiot-proof with the organization: "Stews With Beef," "Stews With Pork," "Stews With Vegetables"--you get the idea. If you don't like some of the ingredients, you can substitute what you do like. You can't go wrong with Wright.
For those who care.......2003-12-04
I was dismayed to see that 25 of 27 readers found the panning review by "Houston TX Reader" (December 12, 2002) to be helpful. His review is seriously flawed, and very much misses the point. For one, Wright's "Cliff's No-Name Stew," which "Houston" lambastes, is clearly a tongue-in-cheek finale, a freezer-and-fridge-emptying fun project, and not one of the carefully researched ethnic recipes that Wright offers. While sometimes complex, these recipes and his notes give a clear and richly detailed account of a world of classic, authentic, and distinguished stews. "Houston" seems preoccupied with counting ingredients, and lacks the cook's common sense to omit or substitute -- there is no need to despair of parsley root or duck fat, or to vacate to "chefs with unlimited access." My concern, really, is not with "Houston," but with the 25 readers who may have given this book less than a fair look. Please try again.
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!
Book Description
No, there is no chicken stock in this soup. What you'll find here is page after glorious page of the loveliest, most delicious soups and stews - each and every one entirely vegetarian. Brimming with international flavors, Paulette Mitchell's easy-to-follow recipes are paired with unique accompaniments, garnishes, and toppings that add tremendous visual appeal. Witness hearty Pumpkin Stew baked and served in a pumpkin shell; classic onion soup updated with crunchy goat cheese toasts; and Spicy Sweet Potato Ancho Bisque swirled with bright Roasted Red Pepper Cream. From Mediterranean Saffron Stew to Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup, these colorful dishes are simple enough for every day, yet sophisticated enough for elegant dinner parties. Instructions for making tasty vegetable stock from scratch, a selection of delicious vegan soups, and a helpful "tips" section make this gorgeous cookbook an important addition to any kitchen where good food and good health are on the menu.
Customer Reviews:
A Truly Lovely Addition to your Cookbook Collection with a minor exception........2007-09-10
I love this book. Not just for the recipes but for the clean design and beautiful photographs. Everything about this book makes you want to use it over and over.
I do have one word of caution. Her miso soup recipe calls for you to boil the miso. She makes an effort to explain how beneficial miso is for your health but unfortunately, boiling miso destroys all of the good enzymes.
Add it at the end by turning off the heat, mix in your miso, and wait a few minutes before serving. Heat activates the enzymes but, again, boiling will destroy them.
Aside from this small detail, it is one of my favorites amoung my vast collection of cookbooks.
Better than I expected...great book for soup lovers!.......2007-08-11
This book is the perfect soup cook book. I really love soup and wanted some new and interesting recipes. This book definitely delivered! I have tried many of the recipes and all of them were delicious. Each recipe is very unique and my favorite so far is the roasted vegetable soup. The roasting causes a sweetness and carmelization that is delicious and even though there are a lot of ingredients prep is quick because it is mostly just chopping up veggies.
One of my friends was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and this book is helping her through her tough time with her new dietary restrictions. She is not able to use any canned broths or bouillions that you could buy at the store so the vegetable stock recipe in this book is helping her to be able to eat the soups she loves again.
This is a great book!
hungry for soup?.......2007-07-28
Excellent and easy and delicious recipes for anyone who likes soup and doesn't like to go to a whole lot of trouble.
Soups a Plenty.......2007-07-17
If you like soup and are a vegetarian you"ll love this book of receipes. The book itself was in great shape. Thanx Seller
I wish there was images.......2007-06-20
I think a good cookbook should have an image for every recipe.
This cookbook has beautiful images, but I wish they would show me an image of the cooked soup instead of images of the ingredients. I know what a raspberry looks like, but I have no idea about raspberry soup.
Else than that I think that the yummy titled of the recipe make up a little bit for the lack of images, they all sound good. They are simple yet not obvious soups. They have refined ingredients, but not obscure, you can find everything at the grocery store.
My only other critique would be that the organization of the explanation is trying to simplify the flowing of the making process, but I think it is just confusing. I would like a 1-2-3 kind of book, but this one is more like a flowing text wich makes it hard to follow once you are in the kitchen with your stuff cooking fast.
Over all it seems to be a good book, full of nice little recipies. I just wish there was more images...
Book Description
Ah, the comforting allure of soup, as brought to you by the creative experts at the Cooking Light Test Kitchens. With 56 easy-to-follow soup recipes, this new cookbook is as beautiful as it is practical; a handy reference for delicious recipes that are nutritious as well as satisfying. Sure to be well-thumbed, its smaller size and hardcover design lend themselves to frequent perusing and planning. This attractive volume will be a must have for beginning and seasoned cooks alike.
Customer Reviews:
satisfied customer.......2007-02-21
I had seen this book at Meijer for 17.95. I really wanted it. Got a good price and rec'd it very quickly. I have nothing but good things to say.
Amazon.com
Diane Phillips, celebrated cookbook author, culinary school instructor, and brand spokesperson, presents a pantry full of helpful, timesaving suggestions in The Soup Mix Gourmet. Packed with over 375 recipes, the book uses soup mixes, starters, and pre-made condensed soups as key components for all of the dishes, making them easy and quick to prepare. But her recipes should surprise and delight even those who enjoy spending hours in the kitchen. The use of Lipton Savory Herb with Garlic makes a nice rub for a Holiday Standing Rib Roast, while Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken soup creates an appealing element when used in Chicken Piccata. Lipton Onion Soup is mixed with sour cream for a chip-and-dip staple; Top Ramen Salad is suggested for potluck dinners; and Beef and Onion Soup enlivens the standard pot roast. For every vegetable, pasta, meat, and marinade, there appears to be a soup mix destined to enhance it. With the time saved in this comprehensive and inventive book, the family and guests may slow down enough to actually enjoy a meal. --Teresa Simanton
Book Description
Mainstream short-cut cooking at its best, with 375 recipes that use dry soup mix or canned condensed soup as a key flavor ingredient.
Customer Reviews:
A great Cookbook.......2004-04-07
This cookbook is one of the best I have come across. I love cookbooks and I'm always trying different recipes. But this cookbook has really got me trying one recipe after the other.
If you like to cook and like tasty and delicous food and most of the recipes are pretty easy to prepare you should purchase The Soup Mix Gourmet.
A great Cookbook.......2004-04-07
This cookbook is one of the best I have come across. I love cookbooks and I'm always trying different recipes. But this cookbook has really got me trying one recipe after the other.
If you like to cook and like tasty and delicous food and most of the recipes are pretty easy to prepare you should purchase The Soup Mix Gourmet.
A New Favorite.......2003-12-08
After finding this book in the library and looking through it... I knew I HAD to buy it. There were just too many recipes I wanted to try. I usally only buy canned soups, and while I have used them in creative ways I never dreamed that they, along with dry mixes could add so much to so many foods! I plan on making one of the shrimp dip recipes for our department pitch in, and a co-worker is going to make the Tomato Soup Spice Cake. This book is for the novice as well as the experienced cook. Keep it handy.. you will use it often!
Good variety - Easy Prep & Cooking.......2003-11-09
This cook book is a must have for anyone needing new ideas for the family. A short grocery list is all thats needed to provide variety. I found that most of the items required were things I already had in the pantry. These dishes have very simple ingredients and I have found many that are winners with my sometimes picky young adult children. They are quick which is great for the working mom. Vegetables are used throughout, so it's not just a cheese and starch book. What impressed me most was the layout of the book itself - it's just as easy to find a new recipe as it is to prepare one.
It would be great without the MSG..........2003-11-07
I checked this out from the library after reading the great reviews. It gives some very helpful advice with a list of must have spices, herbs, and a list of the different soup mixes with an explanation of what each can be used for. There's also a section on recipes for dry rubs and seasoning mixes which was great.
I made the meatloaf last night with the beef onion soup mix and used cornbread stuffing in place of plain breadcrumbs and spread the ketchup on top. It tasted so good! Then I realized that I wasn't feeling like myself which usually happens after I have something with BHT or MSG (monosodium glutamate). All the Lipton soup mixes contain MSG. I was so disappointed. Unless I can find another brand of soup mix without MSG this book won't do me much good. :(
Amazon.com
Offer your guests a big bowl of warmth and comfort--stir up some homemade soup! Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, author of From a Monastery Kitchen, follows the months of the year with simple recipes using seasonal ingredients. The soup recipes are international as well--try some Polish Pearl Barley Soup in February and Traditional Austrian Cheese Soup in November. Brother Victor-Antoine recommends chilled soups in the summer for refreshment; June's creamy Chilled Carrot Soup features the zest of ginger and lemon, and the Cold Zucchini Soup in August is delightful with the recommended lemon basil. The simplicity of the recipes makes them suitable for beginning cooks, who will learn that a great variety of flavors can be produced just by changing the order in which the vegetables are sautéed or by using vegetable broth instead of beef bouillon. Twelve Months of Monastery Soups is a delicious introduction to the art of soup making. As Brother Victor-Antoine notes, "soup remains a faithful friend during all of life's occasions."
Book Description
"Of soup and love, the first is best." Brother Victor-Antoine makes a passionate case for this Spanish proverb in Twelve Months of Monastery Soups, bringing easy, delicious, soul-satisfying soup recipes from the monastery to your kitchen. From simple, clear broths to thick, hearty soups, there's a recipe to appeal to every taste. Arranged by month with an eye toward seasonal variety and at least one recipe for every vegetable native to North America, the 175 soups include classic favorites such as Cream of Corn and Tomato and more unique recipes such as Jerusalem Artichoke, Provenþal Rainbow, and Danish Onion-Champagne. With inspirational quotes proclaiming the goodness of soup sprinkled throughout and beautiful period block prints, Twelve Months of Monastery Soups is a celebration of the art of soup-making.
Customer Reviews:
Tasty!.......2007-03-15
I bought this originally just wanting another soup cookbook, as I tend to live off soups. While other soup cookbooks seem to thrive off 20 different competing flavors, these soups thrive on their very simplicity. It makes both eating and making the soup like a meditation. You'll be amazed how a soup so simple can taste so good. You dont need tons of spices and different steps to appreciate the basic(and yummy!) taste of the vegetables.
Excellent Sourcebook for Vegans or New Cooks.......2006-08-24
'Twelve Months of Monastery Soups' is my second-favorite cookbook, by virtue of the copies I've given to other cooks. (Bernard Clayton's 'Complete Book of Soups and Stews' is #1) Complete Book of Soups and Stews
In my many years of cooking, I've enjoyed soupmaking because:
1. It doesn't take a lot of work to make a soup,
2. It is pretty hard to ruin the dish if you follow the recipe; and
3. You can make a good recipe even greater with a little ingredient experimentation and fine-tuning.
4. The more you do it, the more confident you get with your skill.
In 'Twelve Months...', Brother Victor raises the soup cooking consciousness by providing a fine variety of seasonal selections presented in a very readable recipe format.
Here are my reasons for recommending this fine soup cookbook:
Recipe Simplicity: I loathe the `Joy of Cooking' because of the cryptic recipe language it is written in. Brother Victor lays it out plain and simple here, making the construction easy for the new or challenged cook. Anyone can make one of these fine soups.
Seasonalness: The soups are arranged by month when the vegetable ingredients are most readily available and fresh. For not-too-adventuresome cooks, the combination of ingredient seasonality and recipe simplicity tempts you to try new things you'd probably never try before.
Recipe Selection: The mix of recipes is very good. Even though the selection leans heavily toward the Vegan side, there is something here for everyone. Try Clayton's book if you seek more meaty varieties.
One last thing. Several Amazon reviewers were critical of the `blandness' of the recipes. Pshaw, I say! If there isn't enough garlic, salt, pepper or spice in the recipe, I add more (and make a note of it in my cookbook.) Soup recipes should not be blindly followed, but spiced by the cook's good taste!
yummy.......2006-04-25
I bought this book for my mother, who has loved it for the last 7 years. She has systematically made every soup in the book. Aside from the beer soup... they were all delicious.
Have fun!
Delicious!.......2005-10-04
I tried several of these recipes, including cream of broccoli soup and pumpkin soup. They were quite good and simple to make, using ingredients that weren't hard to find at the store. My family enjoyed them as well.
There is quite a variety of soups to choose from--175 recipes in all, according the blurb on the back of the book. They are grouped by month; recipes with seasonal vegetables appear in the appropriate month. Each page has a proverb or commentary about using the recipe, and many have a charming medieval woodcut as an illustration. In addition to the soup recipes, there is information on making soup stock, sauces and homemade croutons.
One thing that might have made this book a little better is if the names of the recipes were indexed, instead of just the main ingredients. The names of the recipes do appear in the table of contents, however.
This is a good collection of tasty soup recipes, and also an enjoyable book to read and browse through if you enjoycooking.
Twelve Months of Monastery Soups.......2005-02-21
As a "homemaker" I have used Brother Victor-Antoine's soup cookbook as reference when I need to get a good meal on the table. I especially find it very easy to prepare from it because it doesn't matter whether one is living in the country, as I am, or the city with access to large and "luxurious" supermarkets.
A person can simple start from what is available in the pantry or refrigerator and find that from these simple ingredients a delicious soup can be made. There are many soups for many tastes, varying with ingredients through the seasonal months.
With most of them the author gives short explanations of origin of soup or childhood memories. I find these delightful and instructive since many recipes can be modified to ones pantry.
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