Culinary Arts & Techniques Books - Page 10

The Splendid Grain

Rebecca Wood

Amazon Price: $15.61 List Price: $22.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: William Morrow Cookbooks Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $7.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Cooking by Ingredient -> Rice & Grains
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

These recipes are consistently excellent, and wholesome too. 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 25 people found this review helpful.

I knew nothing about this book when I checked it out of the library, except that it had recipes for some of the more unusual grains. It is only now that I looked it up on Amazon that I discovered that it won the James Beard award. I am not the least bit surprised, however, because all the recipes I have tried have been consistently delicious, wholesome, and creative. You will find very few run-of-the-mill recipes in this cookbook.

I check many cookbooks out of the library, but for many I can't find any recipes that I want to make, or if I do find recipes to try, once I make them I am generally not impressed. So I was amazed when I opened this cookbook to find so many intriguing recipes, each of which turned out better than the last.

Some highlights: The grilled millet and butternut squash cakes had so few spices I was sure they would be bland, but they weren't. They were subtle but sweet and crunchy and addictive. The millet, quinoa, and burdock pilaf again looked underseasoned, but the burdock adds a great earthy depth to the pilaf, and again, I could not stop eating this dish. Wood's recipe for Locro, a South American soup, has a large number of ingredients, but it is well worth the effort. The barley and beans that make up the bulk of this soup make it substantial and extremely filling. The celeriac is sweet and delicious, the anise seeds add a subtle mysterious note, and the roasted New Mexican chili and the kombu create a great tasty broth with more depth than a typical vegetarian soup.

The only recipe that I was disappointed in was her basic recipe for "steamed" amaranth. Wood swears it's the best way to cook amaranth, but I thought it turned out exactly the same as it always does when I cook it--gooey, but tasty. Also, as a previous reviewer noted, Wood doesn't use too many green vegetables in this cookbook, but since it is a grains cookbook I can forgive this one shortcoming.

Overall, this book is full of healthy, nutritious, creative, well-tested recipes that please the palate and the body, and are reasonably quick to prepare. The flavorings are generally subtle, but perfectly balanced, allowing the taste of the ingredients to shine through. If you like very strong tasting food, however, you might find the recipes a bit bland. The recipes are not all vegetarian, but there are enough vegetarian recipes that I just returned my library book and ordered this book on Amazon.

Editorial Review:

With 250 luscious recipes, along with eight pages of color photographs, The Splendid Grain dramatizes how you can incorporate extraordinarily healthful grains into your life without changing your lifestyle.

Grains can transform taste and texture in unsurpassed ways like these:

• Nutty, sweet oats form the delicious crust of fried chicken

• Piquant quinoa heightens and absorbs the savory juices of gingered lamb

• Hearty buckwheat becomes a sweet, delicate, Parisian-inspired crepe

• Thai black sticky rice flavored with coconut makes unforgettable exotic banana dumplings.

The natural and native history of each grain is also explored along with its health benefits.

Secrets from a Caterer's Kitchen: The Indispensable Guide for Planning a Party

Nicole Aloni

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HP Trade Amazon Marketplace: 74 new & used starting at $2.69

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Professional Cooking -> Quantity
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Some good information, some problems 3 out of 5 stars.
11 of 14 people found this review helpful.

Overall a good resource, especially for the price.

Pros:
-- excellent lists and tips for making lists
-- good section on portions and quantities
-- interesting menu ideas
-- tips on how to find help and when to use hired help
-- good decoration ideas


Cons:
-- some of the recipes don't work
-- most recipes serve 8 people. If your party is for 50 it would be helpful to have recipes that serve more people or more specific information on how to scale the recipes (both those in her books and favorites from other sources).
-- could use more sketches/diagrams on table settings. The few she has are good. Possible layouts for rooms and buffets would be helpful as well
-- some information is obvious or redundant

Editorial Review:

From the author of Secrets from a Caterer's Kitchen, the only 55 recipes you'll ever need to entertain with style and confidence.

Features:
€ 55 essential dishes with lots of variations for every occasion
€ 38 versatile menus-from casual meals to elegant repasts
€ The basics of how to roast, grill, or steam meat, fish, and vegetables
€ From napkins to utensils-what every home entertainer needs
€ Hints and tips from the professionals to make every gathering as much a pleasure for the host as it is for the guests
€ Crowd favorites and exotic cocktails
€ Expert wine selections

101 More Things to do with a Slow Cooker

Stephanie Ashcraft, Janet Eyring

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gibbs Smith, Publisher Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $4.20

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Appliances
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

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

More Vegetarian Recipes 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 28 people found this review helpful.

Stephanie Ashcraft and Janet Eyring love to cook and also love teaching. They enjoy sharing their recipes and if you tried the recipes in their first book, this one might become another favorite cookbook. There are recipes for beverages, fondues, dips, soups, stews, vegetarian delights, turkey, chicken, beef, pork and desserts.

So, for everyone who wanted more vegetarian recipes you can now look forward to Zesty Bean Burritos, Corn on the Cob, Thanksgiving Dressing, Veggie Lasagna, Honey Wheat Bread and Cranberry-Orange Bread.

Holiday Recipes:

Christmas Hot Chocolate
Raspberry-Chocolate-Caramel Fondue
Apple Cider Turkey
Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs
Dulce De Leche (South American Caramel)

The authors also give a list of helpful hints. Each recipes has a short list of ingredients and the instructions are so short you may think you are dreaming. They are divided up into sections for the steps, which is perfect. A few have extra tips at the end and some give serving suggestions.

~The Rebecca Review

Editorial Review:

With the continuing slow cooker craze, 101 More Things to do With a Slow Cooker. With two new sections-Vegetarian Delights and Turkey-this book will be flying of the shelves. More great recipes like Raspberry Chocolate Carmel Fondue, Southwestern Chili, Cajun Chicken Pasta, Mandarin Orange Steaks, Apple Cranberry Pork Chops, and Gooey Cherry Chocolate Cake will make your mouth water just by reading the ingredients. So throw a few ingredients in the slow cooker and go have fun with your family and friends-when you're done, your meal will be too!

The Roasted Vegetable

Andrea Chesman

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harvard Common Press Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $5.73

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Vegetables & Vegetarian -> Vegetables
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Not just for vegetarians... 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

My husband and I were bored, bored, bored with vegetables until we picked this up. Easy to make recipes with a minimum of cleanup and absolutely delicious. We use our gas grill to roast the veggies for extra kick and ease of preparation. All the recipes use common ingredients- many of them you can just whip up with what you've got in the house left over from your weekly shopping! Serve any recipe in the book with a nice grilled steak or piece of fresh fish for an exquisite meal.

A Gem 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I thought I knew what you needed to know about roasting vegetables: a 425 degree oven, vegetables drizzled with oil, an hour for sturdy root vegetables, less time for everything else. Then I found this book at the local library and discovered that I knew diddley. I went out and bought it.

Chesman offers recipes for appetizers, entrees and other dishes. She makes magic with the vegetables anyone can easily find in the supermarket or roadside stand. She uses fresh herbs frequently, but is not fussy about any specifics, so you can work with what you have. The first thing I discovered, as someone who is gas-grilless in this age of the grilled vegetable, is that many of Chesman's roasted vegetables, particularly the spring and summer ones, do a great stand-in for the grilled variety. She provides a general chart for roasting times and temperatures of various vegetables and I've been able to extropolate off it and make up my own dishes. My balsamic and cardoman roasted mushrooms have transformed pizza.

The recipes all revolve around vegetables and none call for meat of any kind. That's okay. You don't miss it.

Editorial Review:

Andrea Chesman assembles a mouthwatering collection of 150 meat-free recipes, from simple sides to main dishes.

Kids in the Kitchen: Recipes for Fun

Gooseberry Patch

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gooseberry Patch Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $9.59

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Kids Cookbook! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great 1st kids cookbook. The book is constructed to withstand the normal wear and tear and the additional wear and tear of kands covered in batter and stuff. These features are great for the young cook and their parents!

Great cook book for the kids 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book a few weeks ago cause I run a in home daycare. The only book my kids want to read is this book now, they love too cook and make things that are non-edible like giant bubbles and dog treats too. I love that the recipes are all easy and quick to make and prepare. So if you are bored and looking for something for you and your kids to do I strongly suggest this book for ideas.

Editorial Review:

A Gooseberry first...just for kids. Our Kids in the Kitchen Cookbook was designed for little chefs...it's full of goodies they can make themselves like breakfast banana split and easy-as-pie spaghetti bake plus crafty recipes like homemade face paint. This cookbook is brimming with thoughtful safety reminders, fun facts and charming full-color artwork too. A wipeable cover and 80 durable pages make it a clever gift.

Cookin' with Home Storage (Cookin' With Home Storage)

Peggy Layton; Vicki Tate

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peggy Layton Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $8.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Reference
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

The information itself is Recommended but if spelling errors annoy you, stay away from this one. 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

A helpful book in that it includes information on rehydrating freeze dried and dehydrated foods, how to cook and combine them, how to substitute stored foods in place of fresh ingredients and includes many recipes that a normal person would eat on a normal basis - soups, casseroles etc. But there are so many typographical and grammatical errors it is hard to believe this book made it through any proofreader at all. Although that aspect is very annoying, it is still the best reference cookbook available in this category and the most helpful.

Great Book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is a must have if you have the book Food Storage 101 Where do I begin?

Many good options 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I love that it includes everything from making ketchup, from powdered tomato or tomato paste, to sloppy joe mix. I can see how this alone would save a lot from purchasing more expensive and less healthy store brands.

I wouldn't call much of it "health food" though and it's pretty basic, not exotic. I like exotic bean dishes that use all kinds of spice and flavors. This is very simple and basic.

Editorial Review:

This best-selling cookbook is full of delicious recipes all made from your personal home storage.

Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter (Gourmet Cook Book Club Selection)

Charlie Trotter

Amazon Price: $16.50 List Price: $25.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ten Speed Press Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $15.53

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Thank you Charlie 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is so fantastic! It's worth the price just for his beet salad recipe, let alone soup, etc. We are vegetarians and are thrilled to have such nice recipes, for non vegetarians there are wonderful meat recipes..Charlie Trotter has brought his wonderful restaurant food to a home cooking level.

Editorial Review:

Charlie Trotter's most approachable cookbook, "Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter" is designed for casual home cooks who appreciate top-quality cuisine. Trotter begins by discussing classic methods of preparing food, from braising to grilling to sauteing. He then presents a variety of uptown traditional-as well as an assortment of exotic-starters, entrees, and desserts that have been streamlined with an eye for readily available ingredients and straightforward techniques, while still bearing the master chef's signature style.

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes: 200 Recipes for Memorable Meals

Suzanne Bonet

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Fair Winds Press Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $8.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Not for me 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Most of these recipes are based on canned ingredients. Since I prefer using natural ingredients as much as possible, this book is a disappointment. See my review of the 5 ingredient book.

The Best Cookbook for the Busy Person 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I just began a new schedule and I was having a very hard time adjusting to having dinner on the table and not getting home until 6:30 at night. My daughter was starving by then so I couldn't just start cooking - I needed something ready when I got home. Hence the slow cooker meals. I tried using the slow cooker recipes that I found in other cookbooks but the food prep before hand meant that I would have to wake up 2 hours earlier just to chop, dice and assemble.
This cookbook is so easy and the recipes are quite good! I love it. Put the main ingredient in and add some prepared soup, gravy, spices, fruit, etc and voila...when you come home it is done. Now, I said prepared ingredients. My biggest objection to the book is that the recipes call for a lot of prepared/processed ingredients that I would not normally cook with. But, I figure that it is a whole lot better for you than a meal from a fast food restaurant or eating out. I usually serve the meal with rice/potatoes/noodles that I prepare the night before and heat up in the microwave plus a fresh or frozen veggy.
If you are a busy person who needs help with feeding your family - this book will not disappoint you.

Editorial Review:

People love the convenience of their slow cookers. What could be better than walking in the door after a hard day's work to the smell of beef stew, ready and waiting? A beef stew that only requires three ingredients, that's what!

The problem with most slow cooker recipes is that they require lots of ingredients and steps before you actually "fix it and forget it." Not this book-these are truly simple recipes, and best of all, they are memorable, not mushy!

You'll find recipes like:
*Rosemary Lamb Stew
*Chicken Curry
*Three-Alarm Chili
*Spicy Pot Roast with Onions
*Coq au Vin
*Pork Roast with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Plus, you'll find recipes for desserts like cheesecake and custard and appetizers like chicken wings and artichoke dip!

Leadership Lessons From a Chef: Finding Time to Be Great

Charles Carroll

Amazon Price: $27.00 List Price: $30.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $22.30

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Leadership
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Professional Cooking -> Professional

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

Editorial Review:

"Chef Charles Carroll has answered our prayers and delivered a book, a bible, a life's journal shared by a real chef in today's modern kitchen."
Chef John Folse, CEC, AAC

"From time to time, I buy motivational books for my managing partners and chefs, and this book is my all-time favorite gift. What Chef Carroll has to say is the real thing."
Johnny Carrabba, founder, Carrabba's Restaurant

A unique guide to leadership in the culinary arena, by a chef for chefs

Leadership Lessons from a Chef is about creating excellence in the professional kitchen. Here the difference between good and great comes down to the details, and attention to these details comes from the right attitude reaching across all staff. A good culinary manager, according to author and award-winning Certified Executive Chef Charles Carroll, skillfully cultivates this attitude for success, and so leads the way toward kitchen excellence.

Using stories and examples drawn from his many years' experience, Chef Carroll gives you a leader's tour through the working kitchen. Offering proven wisdom in plainspoken terms instead of abstract management theories, the practical tools and ideas found in this groundbreaking book can be used immediately to motivate and develop an effective team environment among kitchen staffs.

Leadership Lessons from a Chef features:

• Chef Carroll's formula for managing kitchen staffsSEF: Scheduling, Empowering, and Follow upand how the formula works in practice
• Take-away boxes that reinforce key points
• Chapters that progress logically, helping you evaluate and refine your goals, develop a mission and principles, and implement these in a motivational and positive way
• Helpful forms for both greater efficiency and esprit de corps
• Inspiring quotations, as well as life and work tips from Chef Carroll

Whether you're a student just starting your culinary education, or an executive chef seeking to take your operation to a whole new level of excellence, Leadership Lessons from a Chef is an indispensable resource for all stages of your culinary career.

How To Break An Egg: 1,453 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, Emergency Substitutions and Handy Techniques

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taunton Amazon Marketplace: 75 new & used starting at $3.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Culinary Arts & Techniques
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Reference
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Need a cool way to handle hot chiles? Looking to cut down on kitchen clean-up? Let the readers, contributors, and editors of Fine Cooking magazine show you the way. How to Break an Egg is a one-of-a-kind resource of more than 1,400 kitchen-tested tips, shortcuts, and ingenious solutions to culinary emergencies, all organized in an easy-to-access format for quick reference or more leisurely reading. Look under Basil in the Ingredients chapter and you'll find tips for drying it, keeping its bright green color, and making your pesto go further. Look under Cookies in the Cooking chapter for clever ways to roll out cookie dough without it sticking, or to form perfectly shaped cookies, or to get just the right texture you want in your chocolate chip. You'll also discover tips on cookware and utensils, serving, storage, clean-up, and kitchen safety.
If disaster strikes, flip immediately to When Things Go Wrong, an invaluable chapter of troubleshooting charts, whether your soufflé is falling, your cheese sauce is curdling, or you've just discovered you don't have the right size pan for the cake you're in the middle of mixing up. In Handy Kitchen Techniques, you'll find 42 basic prep techniques, from trussing a chicken to clarifying butter, illustrated step-by-step in full color.
The perfect reference for cooks at any level, How to Break an Egg will be your indispensable go-to kitchen resource.
"In my cooking classes and on my radio show, I get those thorny questions regarding recipe disasters. Phew! Now I won't hve to make up 'creative answers' anymore. For the solution to every culinary dilemma, run out right now and pick up a copy of ,How to Break an Egg."
--Tom Douglas, restaurateur and author of Tom's Big Dinners
"No kitchen is totally complete unless this book is on the shelf. It's a wealth of information, and I personally could not do without it!"
--Paula Deen, author of Paula Deen&Friends: Living it Up, Southern Style
"How do you create a warm place to proof bread or make a quick cup of buttermilk? Ever think of cutting cheesecake with a fishing line or defatting stock with ice cubes? The answers to these and hundreds of other practical questions rarely addressed in even the most sophisticated cookbooks are provided in this revolutionary new reference manual no serious cook can do without. I've waited a lifetime for an authoritative, sensible, reliable kitchen companion such as How to Break an Egg and cannot recommend the book highly enough. Just reading through it is an invaluable class in itself."
--James Villas, author of Crazy for Casseroles and Biscuit Bliss

"This is a terrific resource reference book and one that I think every cook, whether just beginning or old pro, will find helpful on a regular basis. Fine Cooking has been one of my favorite culinary magazines for a long time and How to Break an Egg reflects their friendly, researched, and illustrated approach that I look forward to reading every month."
--John Ash, restaurateur and author of John Ash Cooking One on One
"A good chef never serves his or her mistakes. Now you don't have to. Finally a fix-it manual for your kitchen."
--Tom Colicchio, Chef/Owner of Craft restaurants and Gramercy Tavern