Food and Culinary

Kitchen Confidential

6/28/2009
in
Inside look at the chaos that is the culinary world.
Julie Terry

Before Anthony Bourdain was on TV, he was a chef and later an author. 'Kitchen Confidential' was the book that catapulted Bourdain into celebrity chefdom. I love his television show, 'No Reservations,' and had been meaning to read his nonfiction for a while.

The book begins with how the author first became interested in food. A sailing trip to France introduced the future chef to something he had never experienced: cold soup. This was to be the first of many revelations on young Bourdain's trip abroad.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars
ASIN: 
60934913

Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

12/14/2008
in
Learn the tricks to get the most from your ingredients.
Jill Marino

Ina Garten's sixth cookbook, Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics, lives up to its title. While the recipes sound extravagant, the ingredients and techniques used are simple for any cook (professional or rookie) to understand.

Garten, the Food Network's resident East Hampton sophisticate, is known for her easy, breezy style of cooking. She believes in good food where you can taste every spice in a soup or experience the intensity of real chocolate. That is what this book is about.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars

Deceptively Delicious

2/14/2008
in
Sneaking Good Nutrition onto Your Child's Plate
Lisa Benton, MA, Psy.D.

Never has a cookbook become a national bestseller as quickly as Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. Fed up with the constant power struggle that happens at most household dinner tables, Seinfeld decided to create her own answer to one of motherhood's greatest frustrations: getting kids to eat their vegetables. As she says during her introduction, 'this is nothing more than one mother's attempt to cope.'

Seinfeld divulges her secret to getting kids to eat their vegetables: she hides them in tasty treats.

Reviewer Rating: 
3.00Stars

Deceptively Delicious

2/14/2008
in
Sneaking Good Nutrition onto Your Child's Plate
Lisa Benton, MA, Psy.D.

Never has a cookbook become a national bestseller as quickly as Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. Fed up with the constant power struggle that happens at most household dinner tables, Seinfeld decided to create her own answer to one of motherhood's greatest frustrations: getting kids to eat their vegetables. As she says during her introduction, 'this is nothing more than one mother's attempt to cope.'

Seinfeld divulges her secret to getting kids to eat their vegetables: she hides them in tasty treats.

Reviewer Rating: 
3.00Stars

Teens Cook

8/28/2007
in
Really quick and easy normal foods written by teens.
Kimberly Lovisi

We've all been in the position of being hungry, but staring into the bare fridge, right? What is your plan of action for a night like this? Pizza? Chinese? Well this book will help a lot with that and give you quick, easy recipes to try. Okay, if you haven't gone to the store in a month and there is literally nothing in there then it probably won't be all that much help; it's not a magic book.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars
ASIN: 
978-1580085847

Entertaining with the Sopranos

4/21/2006
in
A combination of Italian-American tradition and Sopranos stories.
Maria Spanadoris

This beautifully illustrated hard cover book makes for a very entertaining read, especially for an Italian American. Although there are some terrible stereotypes related to the Sopranos television series, I found 'Entertaining with the Sopranos' charming and a lot of fun. If you are a fan of the Sopranos, the book makes the characters come alive as they write about their experiences including family traditions and those yummy Italian feasts. Many characters give advice on their area of home entertaining expertise.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars
ASIN: 
446579114

101 Things to Do With a Cake Mix

12/2/2005
in
You would never believe all the delicious things youcan make with cake mix!
Margherita Miserandino

I enjoy baking cakes but very often don't because it can sometimes be very time consuming. "101 things To Do With A Cake Mix" by Stephanie Ashcraft makes it way too easy to bake beautiful cakes as well other baked goods such as bars, cookies, muffins and breads. Most of her recipes are cake recipes and they are separatedinto three categories- fruity cakes, fancy cakes and bundt cakes. Some of my personal picks include Peach Cake, Caramel-Pecan Chocolate Cake and Banana Bundt Cake. The recipes are very easy to follow and often only need very few ingredients besides the cake mix.

Reviewer Rating: 
5.00Stars
ASIN: 
1586852175

The Golden Door Cooks Light and Easy

12/2/2005
in
Chef Michel Stroot from the Golden Door shares hisrecipe secrets.
Margherita Miserandino

The Golden Door Spa in Escondido, California is apremier and exclusive destination where guests arepampered and dine on fine spa cuisine. You can now sample some of Chef Michel Stroot's renowned recipes in your own kitchen. The recipes in this beautifully illustrated cookbook are nutritious as well as delicious. The book begins with a beautifully written introduction by Chef Stroot as well as illustrations of some of the recipes.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars
ASIN: 
158685254X

Everything Wine Book

11/9/2005
in
The best guide to wine I've ever read
Michael Mardings

I'm sure it's considered odd by some to list this book as one of the best that I've ever read. In addition, to claim a book that is in a series called, 'Everything Guide' might make some wine snobs quite irate.

That said, the reason the book holds over as one of the best I've ever read is that it is simple, straightforward and clear. It's written in a language that all of us can understand and better yet, it doesn't talk 'down to you'. I can admit wholeheartedly that I learned more from this wine book than from about four others in the same genre I checked out.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars
ASIN: 
1593373570

Seasons: A Year of Great Tastes

10/31/2005
in
Different meals for different seasons
Margherita Miserandino

Many nutritionists advise that you eat foods that are in season. This collection of recipes ensures that you not only eat what it is season but that you are having delicious meals as well. The recipes in this hard cover, beautifully illustrated book are as one might guess divided into four sections- spring, summer, fall and winter. Each section begins with a brief description of the foods that are in season followed by recipes. The recipes all are accompanied by pictures and are easy to follow.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars
ASIN: 
756614031
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