General Books

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients

Ina Garten

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

It's Important to Get Back to Basics 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Back to Basics is a great cookbook for me, easy to follow for - the cooking challenged. During these stressful times cooking presents a great creative outlet and I am determined to get better and relax into it and this book really helps. I wish some of the recipes were a bit healthier since food and mood correlate and we do have an obesity epidemic fueled by stress and empty hearts. As I discuss in my book, Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life, you can develop your personal emotional menu for building a healthy body and an immunity to stress and negativity. You can use life recipes along with food recipes from both books to get back to basics in your own life.

always love ina!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book the day it came out and it's been great because these are the recipes from this seasons show. I'm such an Ina fan!!! Her recipes are always simple but always impressive. I strongly recommend this book!

Editorial Review:

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients By Ina Garten"Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics is the essential Ina Garten cookbook, focusing on the techniques behind her elegant food and easy entertaining style, and offering nea

Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book: Her Biggest Ever Collection of All-New 30-Minute Meals Plus Kosher Meals, Meals for One, Veggie Dinners, Holiday Favorites, and Much More!

Rachael Ray

Amazon Price: $14.97 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House - Model: 0307383198 Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $14.25

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Quintessential Rachael 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 25 people found this review helpful.

If you watch Ray's show or have other cookbooks by the author, and you looked through Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book without glancing at the cover, you would immediately know it was hers. To begin with, it's loaded with her unique language--EVOO (extra virgin olive oil,) "sammies" (sandwiches,) and more.

The largest section of the book is comprised of Ray's famous 30 minute meals. This section is broken down to soups & sammies, pasta, chicken, beef, ham & pork and fish.

Ever since my husband got back from a business trip in California and told me about a delicious meal of fish tacos, I've been experimenting. So, when I saw "My-oh-mahi tacos," I had to try them. They were delicious! The best part was that the recipe has you first wrap the filling with a corn tortilla, then a flour one. I think the corn tortillas taste and texture are great, but I hate how they always break, spilling taco contents everywhere. With the flour tortilla wrapped around it, everyone plays nice and stays inside.

There is a vegetarian chapter. Now, I assume if you are a vegetarian, you would not buy this book for the one chapter. However, be warned if you make Winter Greens Pasta for a vegetarian eater--the recipe calls for ANCHOVIES! Anchovies are FISH--therefore, this is not strictly a vegetarian dish.

Other chapters include kosher, family recipes, entree burgers, starters and snacks, holiday menus and dishes that take more than 30 minutes to prepare.

I also made Broken Florentine Lasagna Bake, because I love swiss char and am always looking for new ways to prepare it. This was very good and a very healthy meal.

Recommend.

By the author of the award winning book, HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.

Editorial Review:

Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book By Rachael Ray"In the 10 years since she served up her first 30-minute mealùand thousands of delectable dinners laterù Rachael Ray has learned just about all there is to know about getting a great tasting meal on the table in

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! (Food Network)

Guy Fieri, Ann Volkwein

Amazon Price: $11.97 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: William Morrow Cookbooks Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $9.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Interesting Profile of American "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-in's and Dives is a very interesting concept for a book, adapted from his hit show. Each restaurant is profiled with some history and claim to fame. The book is sorted by part of the USA, rather than the type of meal. The photos are of the restaurants and owners, not of the recipes in the book.

In the back, the book lists all the recipes by breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. and also lists all the restaurants profiled along with their addresses and a checklist, if you manage to make your own road trip. There are a few places profiled within 2 hours of our house that I'd have never known about without this book, and definitely will try to venture out and try those places the locals love and others may not know about.

Recipes are adapted from the restaurants and include items such as: Cap'N Crunch French Toast, Lobster Quesadillas, Pork & Sweet Potato Empanadas and Chunky Monkey Pancakes. Lots of comfort food items but you'll also find some surprises like Pho and ahi tuna burgers.

One thing I would have liked to see (true for any cookbook) would be photos of the recipes. However, this book isn't primarily a cookbook, the recipes are more a "bonus" to the content profiling the diners & dives. It's more of a travel book / slice of Americana for food lovers. I recommend the book for anyone who loves Guy's show, road-tripping or eating at diners, drive-ins and dives.

Editorial Review:

Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America's most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia.

Packed with Guy's iconic personality, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives follows his hot-rod trips around the country, mapping out the best places most of us have never heard of. From digging in at legendary burger joint the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, California, baking Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or kicking back with Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich from Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama, Guy showcases the amazing personalities, fascinating stories, and outrageously good food offered by these American treasures.

Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook

Martha Stewart

Amazon Price: $29.70 List Price: $45.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Martha Stewart - Model: RH04500 Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $15.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Not For The Beginner Cook, Too High End. 3 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

My thoughts are if you're a beginning cook then this is too high end a book for you. I'm not saying that to be mean but I'm saying it because a beginner would be too intimidated by Martha Stewart's style. A beginner needs "How To Cook Without A Book" by Pam Anderson, or even better, "Betty Crocker Basics". Another great one but it has no photos is "Saving Dinner Basics" by Leanne Ely. All of which are books that teach beginners how to begin cooking. These books tell you how to make, cut, chop, dice and then actually give you the recipe so you can do all that step-by-step while preparing a complete meal. Which is what we need for everyday to bring families back to the dinner table.

I have all 4 cookbooks and by far would turn to the "Betty Crocker Basics" over and over. This Martha Stewart book (while I am a Martha fan) gives you instructions for making your own lemon curd, Cassoulet, Pate a Choux, court bouillon, etc. I just don't see a beginning cook tackling these dishes.

This book is for making scrambled eggs with caviar in eggshell cups which is on page 87. And for steaming eggs inside artichokes and making homemade Hollandaise Sauce which is on page 83. And making Fish Fumet from scratch, page 55. And Duck Confit, page 232. The list goes on and on.

This book is published in the typical Martha Stewart fashion. It has beautiful photographs, heavy weight pages, the book is 503 pages so it is huge and overboard on everything. But if you really want real recipes and real cooking lessons and real everyday meals, turn to the other three books I mentioned. If you had to choose I'd start with the Betty Crocker Basics, it has pictures and clear instructions. It also has a complete entertaining section so if you do need a fancy recipe they're in there. The other two I recommended don't have pictures.

I also have "How To Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman but I would pass on that one as well.

I just don't know that this is for the real home cook, and if you're a Martha Stewart type cook then you already know how to do most of these dishes. Good luck and Happy Cooking. I hope this helps.

Editorial Review:

Class is in session, and Martha Stewart is your instructor! This amazingly informative cookbook features over 200 delicious recipes with step-by-step photographs that don't just teach you what to cook, but how to cook it.

Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World

Lisa Lillien

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: St. Martin's Griffin Amazon Marketplace: 65 new & used starting at $9.74

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Diets & Weight Loss -> Diets -> Low Fat

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 258 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

simply delicious 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The recipes don't have a ton of ingredients but they have a ton of flavor. Easy for even the novice cook. I can't wait for the next one!

GREAT POINTS FRIENDLY RECIPES, AND EASY 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

GREAT COOKBOOK IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING WEIGHT WATCHERS. POINTS FRIENDLY RECIPES. AND EASY!

Editorial Review:

Hit the Kitchen with Hungry Girl

Just because you're watching your waistline doesn't mean you need to go hungry. Recipes from Hungry Girl--like the Fiber-Fried Chicken Strips featured below--feed your every craving without piling on the calories. What's more, Lisa Lillien's lighthearted love for food and fun shines through in every recipe, making it easy to follow her healthy example and even come up with your own simple calorie-saving shortcuts.

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Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites

Giada De Laurentiis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Giada does it again 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I am a huge fan of Giada's. This book is definitely my favorite of hers so far, in that the recipies are less intimidating, and in my opinion more appealing. She provides great ideas for entertaining and moves away from strictly Italian offerings. A wonderful and useful cookbook!

Good addition to the kichen library 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have earlier acquired and used one of Giada De Laurentiis' cookbooks, "Everyday Pasta," which was jammed with good pasta recipes. None that I ever tried turned out to be a dud. So, I took a look at another of her books, "Giada's Kitchen." Again, this is a fine resource.

She begins be speaking to her approach (Page 10): "These days, my palate responds most to clean, vibrant, simple flavors, and my eyes can't resist the undeniable freshness of great ingredients and bursts of bright colors." So, presentation of dishes is an element in her selection of recipes for this volume. And, indeed, the pictures of the finished product are mouth-watering and aesthetically appealing!

I married into an Italian family, and one of the benefits is my introduction to dishes such as stuffed mushrooms. Giada presents a recipe for Tuscan Mushrooms as an appetizer. Not quite the same as my family recipe, but a filling of red bell peppers, olives, cheese, and scallions spooned into mushroom caps sounds awfully appetizing.

A very attractive dish (see the photo on page 79) is simple to make--Asparagus and Zucchini Crudi. A couple zucchini (shaved) and a bunch of asparagus (trimmed and sliced into small pieces), tossed with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. After tossing, shave some Pecorino Romano cheese and sprinkle over the vegetables. Like I said, both simple AND tasty.

Pasta? Take a look at the photo on page 104 and the recipe for Asparagus Lasagna on page 105. Instead of using tomato sauce as the basis for the lasagna, she suggests sun-dried tomatoes. I have not yet made this, but it is on my list to try out in the very near future.

I made my first risotto yesterday (featuring mushrooms), and was well pleased with the results (I can't say that every dish I try comes out wonderfully!). The Lemon Risotto presented here is another approach. Arborio rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, shallots, white wine, grated Parmesan cheese etc. One thing that I learned when making my first risotto is also emphasized by de Laurentiis: one must stir pretty much constantly as you add the broth bit by bit to the cooking rice.

One nice feature comes at the end of this book--recipes that kids can help out with. The author says that (Page 203): ". . .my hope is that these recipes will help kids be more comfortable in the kitchen and give them the confidence to try new foods and to ultimately create their own dishes."

To conclude, this is a very nice cookbook, filled with recipes that are (and promise to be) tasty. The recipes are, for the most part, accessible to the amateur chef, not so fancy that you need a sous chef to help out! And the photos are attractive indeed.

Editorial Review:

Giada's Kitchen, New Italian Favorites By Giada De Laurentiis"SheÆs taught us every facet of Italian cookingùfrom traditional and regional to seasonal and contemporary. She even made us fall in love with pasta again by opening us up to lighter, healthier

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

Alan Richardson, Karen Tack

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin - Model: 0618829255 Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $7.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 99 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Cute! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a really great book for cupcake ideas!. I made the pumpkin ones. It can be hard however to find the ingredients or supplies needed. I still can't wait for an occasion to make another.

Cupcake Delight 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have not yet tried any of these but the photos and ideas are wonderful!

Great ideas! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I love this book! Although I have been cake decorating for 25+ years I found this book to be very useful and easy to follow. There were a lot of really cute ideas. I have only tried a few so far but I know I will be using it alot more in the future. My 9 year old can't wait to make the tv dinner cupcakes!

Great cupcake book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

This book is so much fun. Anyone can make these cupcakes, it is so much fun to do in a group...with kids or adults!

Editorial Review:

Hello, Cupcake! shows you how to use easy cupcake decorating and fun cupcake design to turn your neighbors into cupcakes, make a tasty treat out of your pet, or serve up a platter of spaghetti and meatball cupcakes so real looking your friends will have t

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)

Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harper Perennial Amazon Marketplace: 90 new & used starting at $7.81

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 321 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Don't Believe the Hype 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 9 people found this review helpful.

While the author makes many valid points about the benefits of consuming locally grown food, she is guilty of one (literally) fatal error: eating animals for food is neither necessary nor healthy for humans, the environment, or, of course, the animals themselves.

Moving from a vegetarian diet to a flesh-based diet is not progress, either physically or spiritually, and teaching children that slaughterhouses are bad, yet killing and eating animals whom they "know" is perfectly acceptable, is unconscionable.

Not only is our flesh-based diet destroying the planet, making excuses for and/or shielding ourselves from the true reality of unnecessary bloodshed desensitizes us and makes us less compassionate towards all types of suffering, human and otherwise. Anyone who can't admit that just doesn't want to face it.

Editorial Review:

Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.

Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life

Jamie Oliver

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I knew this was a great book - therefore a great gift 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

There are many celebrity chefs, but Jamie Oliver, if only he would curb his TV swearing, is by far the best - the most enthusiastic, in touch with kitchen reality and home cooking limitations. this is a great book - I don't cook and I've made some great meals just by following the instructions

Editorial Review:

Home is where the heart is . . .

This book is very close to my heart. It's about no-nonsense, simple cooking with great flavors all year round. When I began writing it, I didn't really know what recipes I would come up with, but something began to inspire me very quickly . . . my vegetable patch!

I came to realize last year that it's not always about looking out at the wider world for inspiration. Being at home, feeling relaxed and open, can also offer this. I love to spend time at home in the village where I grew up, working with the boss, Mother Nature, in my garden and seeing all my beautiful veggies coming out of the ground.

Inside you'll find over one hundred new recipes, plus some basic planting information and tips if you fancy having a go at getting your hands dirty as well!

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Jeff Hertzberg, Zoe Francois

Amazon Price: $18.45 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Dunne Books Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $16.54

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Total reviews: 177 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread to fill a kitchen with warmth, eager appetites, and endless praise for the baker who took on such a time-consuming task. Now, you can fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a French bakery every day with just five minutes of active preparation time, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you how.



Coauthors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François prove that bread baking can be easier than a trip to the bakery. Their method is quick and simple, bringing forth scrumptious perfection in each loaf. Delectable creations will emerge straight from your own oven as warm, indulgent masterpieces that you can finally make for yourself. In exchange for a mere five minutes of your time, your breads will rival those of the finest bakers in the world.



With nearly 100 recipes to put this ingenious technique to use, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will open the eyes of any potential baker who has sworn off homemade bread as simply too much work. Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, and this innovative book will teach you everything you need to know.