Special Occasions Books - Page 17

Off The Shelf: Cooking From the Pantry

Donna Hay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Off The Shelf 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

A great find- this book offers reader's with limited time how to create great meals with a few ingredints and tasty too.
Great photos with varied recipes to choose from.

Ok 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I was really excited when I brought this book home from the library. I thought it would contain dishes that will become regular at my home. I love cooking from ingredients that are found in the pantry...but unfortunately there weren't that many recipes that caught my fancy here. I just liked the lamb shanks with lentils, the cannelini in tomato broth and the prawn in tomatoes recipes...the others were very uninspriring. I've already made the tomato broth and liked it too...the tomato flavor shines through very well.
UPDATE: Made lamb shanks......was HORRIBLE....ZERO stars...yuck! *GAG*

Editorial Review:

In Off the Shelf, Australia's bestselling food writer Donna Hay shows you how to fill your pantry with convenient and basic ingredients. Save time with these easy to put together recipes -- for everyday meals or special occasions, and especially when unexpected guests arrive.

Off the Shelf is packed with the information and inspiration to create a great meal at short notice -- anything from a simple pasta dish or the slippery slurp of Asian-inspired noodles to a tempting berry tart. All you need is a well-stocked pantry and a handful of fresh ingredients.

An essential handbook for everyone who loves to cook and to eat.

Test Kitchen Favorites: The 2007 Companion Cookbook to the Hit TV Show (America's Test Kitchen)

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: America's Test Kitchen Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $9.57

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Holidays

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

another great, but slightly flawed, cookbook from ATK 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

America's Test Kitchen is similar to Consumer Reports, but for food. They will try a recipe 100 times, with every variation possible, experimenting with ingredients and techniques, until they can give you an informative article and a winning recipe.

I have tried about 14 recipes from this book and every one has been terrific. The carbonnade has a more complex flavor than carbonnade I ate in Belgium! We've also enjoyed the chicken parmesan, fish and chips, , chicken kiev, the pepper-crusted filet mignon (with a fantastic cherry-Port reduction), , stir fried chicken, hot and sour soup, potstickers and buttermilk coleslaw. And the strawberry cream cake is gorgeous and delicious. I am so confident in ATK's recipes that I've made a recipe for the first time when company was coming over, and it was wonderful.

Articles are supplemented with terrific sidebars that typically rate ingredient brands, compare kitchen tools or show a technique.

My only complaint about the whole series of ATK books is that they are organized idiosyncratically (sorry, but that is anathema to a librarian!) and have extremely poor indexes. For example, I knew the recipe for carbonnade was in the 2007 book. I looked in the index -- nothing under "carbonnade", nothing under "beef"! So I went to the table of contents. Nothing about carbonnade, but a chapter called "Best Beef Stew" -- could that be it? Luckily, yes, but that is no way to run a cookbook!

You cannot go wrong with these great books -- consistently reliable and delicious recipes.

Christmas Joy : A Keepsake Book from the Heart of the Home

Susan Branch

Amazon Price: $8.76 List Price: $10.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 115 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Christmas & Hanukkah

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

A wonderful Christmas gift book ! 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This book has it all and is delightful. I bought this as a gift for my sister-in- law and am I ever glad I also got one for myself. Itis beautifully illustrated and is filled with recipes, decorating ideas and special thoughts. Its one of those books that you get out each year at Christmas time and you read it again and again.

Great gift. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Purchased this as a Christmas gift for my nephew's wife. She loved it!

A Delightful Book to Help get in the Spirit of the season 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Susan Branch is a wonderful author. Not only does this book allow the reader to cook but also to become part of the wimsy and the fun that is a book from Susan Branch

Cute. A little tiny 'tho 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I purchased the autumn book and really enjoyed it, so I ordered Christmas Joy. I was tad disappointed to see this was such a small and slender volume. It has the same cute recipes and suggestions but fewer of them. It is also fairly short- only 46 pages. I read it in about 15 minutes.

Overalll, a cute book, but I was expecting more.

Editorial Review:

A hand-decorated miniature book of recipes for Christmas cookies and candy-covered wreaths, decorative snowflakes, gift ideas, and holiday trivia makes a delightful stocking stuffer. 75,000 first printing.

Christmas With Southern Living 2006 (Christmas With Southern Living)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not Up To Snuff 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Like many of you, I collect these books year after year. This year was very disappointing. The book really is mainly recipes. I don't buy them for that, although the few I try are good. I buy this book mainly for the decorating and gift ideas. This year the book is really lacking in them. In years past they've shown how to decorate the outside of your house, the mantle, the table, and just about anywhere in a house that you could put a decoration. This year you basically have one mantle. That's it. Sorry, this book had me saying to myself, "I paid full price for this!!"

If you really want this book, buy it used or look at it first in the library before you make your decision.

Editorial Review:

Readers flock to this gorgeous book year after year because it’s always filled with fresh ideas for fun-filled Christmas celebrations—in that special Southern Living way. Decorating, crafting, gift giving, cooking, party planning—they’re all here, with tips and tricks that will have family and friends thinking you’ve been preparing for months.

Christmas from the Heart of the Home

Susan Branch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The perfect holiday book 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book when I first discovered Susan Branch books. I loved it so much I gave it to all my sisters and sisters-in-law. They have all used it as a reference during the holidays and even through out the year.I have given this book to so many others as well and they all love the book. I can only state that this book stands up with all the Susan Branch products and is wonderful and so useful.

After Thanksgiving dishes are done, this book is the first thing I reach for. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

As with Susan Branch's other seasonal books, I use this Christmas treasure to kick off the season! Serioualy, I've dog-earred some of the recipes that have become family traditions since I first got this book. I've learned how special it is to replace all sheets with fun holiday flannel sheets. I do much more than simply put up a tree these days. In short, I must attribute my refreshed zest for holiday living to re-reading this book every year before do anything else. (It's also a nice gift!)

Editorial Review:

Branch captures the very best of the holiday season with the same warmth and charm that have made her Heart of the Home and Vineyard Seasons so popular. Each page of her new book is filled with the joy of the season, featuring enchanting paintings, mouth-watering recipes, handy decorating tips, and more.

The Little Big Book of Christmas

Lena Tabori

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Designed by Tim Shaner and lavishly illustrated throughout with nineteenth-century artwork, this book will remind you of the origins of Christmas, the roots of modern celebration, and the current significance of the holiday in each of our lives. There have been many successful Christmas titles before The Little Big Book of Christmas, but none so complete, timeless, and delightful, and none in such a beautifully designed format. A great big fat international Christmas book chock-full of stories, songs, biblical verse, Christmas lore, and the best recipes ever, including:

Gospel stories, including those of St. Luke and St. Matthew

Poetry of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Robert Frost, Clement Clarke Moore, Ogden Nash, W. H. Auden, and Lewis Carroll

Stories from Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, O. Henry, Langston Hughes, Norman Vincent Peale, Lincoln Steffens, and Selma Lagerlof

Christmas lore from Dorothy Thompson, Norman Vincent Peale, and Francis P. Church

Carols galore including "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," "The First Noel," "Joy to the World," and "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

The best holiday recipes, including New England Eggnog, Classic Sugar Cookies, Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Sticks, A Brownie Christmas Tree, Swedish Gingerbread Cookies, Refrigerator Cookies, and Scandinavian Glogg.

There have been many successful Christmas titles before The Little Big Book of Christmas, but none so complete, timeless, and delightful, and none in such a beautifully designed format. A great big fat international Christmas book chock-full of stories, songs, biblical verse, Christmas lore, and the best recipes ever, including:

Gospel stories, including those of St. Luke and St. Matthew

Poetry of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Robert Frost, Clement Clarke Moore, Ogden Nash, W. H. Auden, and Lewis Carroll

Stories from Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, O. Henry, Langston Hughes, Norman Vincent Peale, Lincoln Steffens, and Selma Lagerlof

Christmas lore from Dorothy Thompson, Norman Vincent Peale, and Francis P. Church

Carols galore including "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," "The First Noel," "Joy to the World," and "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

The best holiday recipes, including New England Eggnog, Classic Sugar Cookies, Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Sticks, A Brownie Christmas Tree, Swedish Gingerbread Cookies, Refrigerator Cookies, and Scandinavian Glogg.

The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea

Helen Simpson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Added to the whole series.....Putting on The Ritz! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I just returned from London where I enjoyed the "Ritzual" of Tea in the gorgeous Palm Court. This is my second time and even with the insane prices with the weakening dollar I would still do it all over again. This book is a great reminder of that very special event for my 50th birthday. Try to collect the whole series-wonderful, wonderful!

Afternoon Tea! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

what a great book! my idea of luxury is to attend afternoon tea in a great hotel-and now I can recreate some of the recipes (but not the harpist) at home. If you like tea, good food, and learning about creating a mood or an atmosphere for your guests, this little book is just great!

Editorial Review:

Afternoon tea is the english meal-time institution, a social as well as a culinary event.

It is precisely this atmosphere which is embodied in the Palm Court Tearoom at the Ritz in London, which for many years has been one of the most delightful and traditional places to take tea.

The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea captures the essence of this traditional British occasion and provides the reader with all the Ritz expertize in the ceremony as well as over 50 recipes, illustrated with passages from Dickens to Oscar Wilde and charming drawings.

Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season

Bridget Albert

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Seasonal

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

Has a drink suitable for every season 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The cocktail has long been the symbol of cultured elegance. Now Bridget Albert (a Master Mixologist at Southern Wine and Spirts, and the director of the Academy of Spirits and fine Services in Illinois) with the assistance of Mary Barranco (whose own career spans twenty years in the adult beverage industry) presents "Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails For Every Season", a veritable compendium of recipes and instructions for making memorable cocktails for every dining, partying, and celebratory occasion. Featuring both traditional cocktail recipes and contemporary innovative versions of this popular drink, "Market-Fresh Mixology" has a drink suitable for every season. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this compendium of recipes are organized into cocktails appropriate for Spring, Summer Autumn, and Winter. Of special note are the chapters on 'Home Bar Essentials' and 'Infusions'. An ideal and thoroughly 'user friendly' guide, "Market-Fresh Mixology" is enthusiastically recommended for both personal and community reference collections.

Editorial Review:

Today’s diners and drinkers are seeing a bold new integration of culinary art and cocktail culture. Market-Fresh Mixology shows how fabulous additions from the farmer’s market, garden, or pantry can elevate classic cocktails to the next level. It introduces an entirely new dimension to the ideal of seasonal cocktails, with a clean, contemporary approach that uses fine spirits and fresh ingredients to create cocktails for every occasion. Hot day? Blustery night? Snowbound? No matter what the weather, season, or event, Market-Fresh Mixology offers a recipe, from the refreshing summer mojito to the cozy hot buttered rum, that’s as easy to follow as it is delicious. With its gorgeous full color photos, the book is a treat for the eyes, but it’s also eminently practical, with tips on cocktail mixing techniques, garnishes, enhancements, glassware, and bar tools, as well as amusing lore surrounding classic cocktails.

The Tra Vigne Cookbook: Seasons in the California Wine Country

Michael Chiarello, Penelope Wisner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Gorgeous pictures, in depth content, delicious recipe 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

I have had this book for over a year and have tried several of his recipes which all comes out great. It is one of the few cookboos that I have which I use often. The recipes are easy to follow, simple, and most important of all, delicious. I espcially like the stuffed pepper recipe. It is also a book one can sit down to read for leisure. Plus there are lots of tips, not just recipes.

He Can Write AND Cook 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful culinary book. It's more than a cookbook, as it focuses on various vegetables, etc. of the season, then uses those featured ingredients in several great recipes. If you've ever eaten at Tra Vigne in the Napa Valley town of St. Helena, you can even picture in your mind Michael in the kitchen, and almost taste the restaurant's just-pressed olive oil. If you know anyone who likes to read culinary books (like my mom, who literally reads cookbooks cover to cover, then goes back to earmark certain recipes), you should give them this book for the holidays. It is a beautiful, coffee table-quality, glossy work.

Editorial Review:

This classic cookbook from Food Network star Michael Chiarello is at last available in paperback. It's vintage Chiarello: blending simple yet sophisticated recipes from Napa Valley's famed Tra Vigne restaurant with the grace of Wine Country living and the warmth of his Italian heritage. More than 80 rustic recipes are enhanced by personal stories, detailed descriptions of how to choose ingredients for seasonal perfection and deliciousness, and Chiarello's personal philosophy of life as it relates to cooking—and feeding—those you love.

The Gluten-free Gourmet Makes Dessert: More Than 200 Wheat-free Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies and Other Sweets

Bette Hagman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the leading expert in gluten-free cooking, more than two hundred recipes for delicious cakes, cookies, pies, and other desserts
Bette Hagman's four cookbooks have sold more than 220,000 copies and established her as the leading expert in the ever growing market of gluten-free cooking. She is the premier creator of recipes for those intolerant to gluten and for those allergic to wheat.
In the latest addition to the Gluten-free Gourmet series, Hagman turns her hand to that most loved part of the meal, dessert. At the core of this book are more than two hundred easy-to-follow recipes for delicious cakes, pies, cookies, puddings, and other sweets, including Chocolate Peanuty Cupcakes, Raspberry Bars, and Gingersnaps. The nutritional information and dietary exchanges that accompany each recipe will make these desserts fit easily into any diet. Hagman also answers common questions about gluten-free baking and provides a list of sources for gluten-free baking products you can order by mail. With The Gluten-free Gourmet Makes Dessert no meal will have to end without dessert again.