Holidays Books - Page 2

Gooseberry Patch Christmas, Book 10 (Gooseberry Patch)

Gooseberry Patch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good, but not Great 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I was a little disappointed with this years Christmas book. The format had changed and there weren't as many simple crafts as before. I saw some crocheted dishcloths on one of the pages and searched for the instructions only to find out it was just a picture, no instructions.

The recipe section looks good and I have already made one of the recipes and it turned out great.

I don't know, just not up to the usual Gooseberry Patch standard.

Editorial Review:

This tenth volume in the popular Yuletide series is no exception – it’s filled with beautiful full-color photography, simple craft instructions, and Country Friends illustrations that fans love. Gooseberry Patch is renowned for its catalog of books featuring farmhouse-fresh recipes and ideas for crafting and decorating.

• 160 pages of handcrafted decorations and gifts, recipes, keepsakes, and activities

• Categorized recipe index and craft index

• Recipes from the family of Gooseberry Patch readers

The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style

Rebecca Rather, Alison Oresman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just buy it. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Of all the cookbooks I got this year for Christmas (they're my favorite holiday gift, even over jewelry), this was my most treasured. As a relocated Texan now living in NY, I was worried this would dissapoint and/or embarrass with a wrong impression of good Texas cooking. Nope. It's great.

I've fallen asleep with it in my lap several nights already!

Editorial Review:

The annual Fredericksburg Christmas parade marks the beginning of the Hill Country's holiday season, which means the Pastry Queen is kicking into high gear at her Rather Sweet Bakery and Café. As party invitations pile up in the mailbox, Rebecca Rather is up to her elbows in sticky meringue, gooey chocolate, and a sleigh's worth of savory indulgences to meet the Texas-sized entertaining-to-go orders of her neighbors. In THE PASTRY QUEEN CHRISTMAS, Rebecca shares nearly a hundred traditional recipes reflecting her made-with-love-from-scratch philosophy and the tastes of small-town Texas. Tree-trimming, open houses, cookie decorating, and Santas running down Main Street . . . Christmas time is here.

Feast: Food to Celebrate Life

Nigella Lawson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you consider eating with friends and family a joyful, indulgent celebration chances are you love a good feast. And who better to carefully guide you through the daunting task of preparing that Feast than the domestic goddess herself Nigella Lawson. Written in the tradition of Nigella Bites and How to Eat, Feast is a cookbook for the sensualist that wants to eat very well, but also wants to spend time enjoying the company of their guests instead of struggling with the creation of the meal. What sets Lawson apart is not that she's a good cookbook writer, but a strong writer period. Similar to her other books, Nigella's Feast is presented as part personal memoir, part educational, and part recipe presentation. There is a nice blend of occasions including the obvious (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Easter), a few culturally specific ones (Rosh Hashanah, Georgian Feast, and Venetian Feast), feasts for kids, for vegetarians, and an elegant cocktail party. Each chapter begins with an overview of that particular "Feast." Generally, there is a personal story and experience told, an overview of the cultural importance of the feast, and a description of foods that are associated with each occasion. Impressively, every recipe begins with a personal anecdote giving that impression Nigella didn't just throw it in the book, but is experienced with the recipe and has used it with success. Take her twist on the decadent Chocolate Guinness Cake for example: "I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting to echo the pale head that sits on top of a glass of stout. It's unconventional to add cream but it makes it frothier and lighter which I regard as aesthetically and gastronomically desirable." Who can argue? The cake is to die for. So next time you need to prepare a dinner party let the goddess be your guide, and remember: Keep the preparation simple, use easily available ingredients, and take time to enjoy your guests and your meal. Feast may not be the most advanced cookbook you will own, but if you want to create excellent food with relative ease in a short amount of time, you can not beat Nigella. --Rob Bracco

Cooking Light Holiday Cookbook (Cooking Light)

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

"Eat Smart, Be Fit, Live Well." 5 out of 5 stars.
34 of 35 people found this review helpful.

Lushly photographed and filled with stunning winter holiday recipes from breakfast and cocktail parties to the Big Events themselves, this cookbook features lighter versions of many old favorites and some great ideas for reducing the fat in your own recipes. Ingredient substitutions, decorating tips, make ahead meals, and even wine and food pairings are included, as the editors make the holidays a joyful time, foodwise, even for those on special diets. Clearly printed nutritional information appears with each recipe so that those on special diets, such as cardiac patients, can choose among the many selections.

Many appetizer recipes feature veggie-based dips and salsas--Tomato Crostini, Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip, and Warm Mushroom Spread all feature less than 1 g. of saturated fat per serving. "Creamy" dips use lower fat cream cheese to keep these appetizers at about 1 g. of fat per serving. One appetizer made with phyllo dough, usually a no-no for those on diets, uses butter-flavored cooking spray between the layers, instead of butter, to save fat and calories. Vietnamese spring rolls and Chicken/Lemon Pot-Stickers, use rice paper and won ton wrappers, lighter than pastry.

"Light" does not mean "dull" here. Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Individual Beef Wellingtons (using phyllo sprayed with cooking spray, instead of puff pastry), or Ultimate Roasted Turkey, with gravy, are all on the menu. A wide assortment of side dishes--soufflés, Caramelized Onions, Potato-Gorgonzola Gratin, Pumpkin-Sage Polenta, and even Leek, Potato, and Caraway Latkes with Spiced Sour Cream--perk up the plate and the palate. The Salad section is outstanding, with unusual combinations of ingredients--Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a knockout. Fruit relishes, chutneys, salsas, and even candied cranberries are used as garnishes.

The editors have gone "all out" in the dessert section. The traditional pecan pie is here--regular pecan filling inside a lowfat, cookie-like crust--along with Vanilla or Pumpkin Cheesecake (made with 2 ½ pounds of reduced fat and non-fat cream cheese), gorgeous cakes made with less fat and fewer egg yolks, and pies with lowfat gingersnap, graham cracker, or vanilla wafer crusts. Over forty recipes are included for use as gifts--Apricot Amaretto Bread, Cranberry-Hazelnut Coffee Cake, Orange-Pistachio Baklava.

With over 500 tasty recipes offering a huge selection of elegant and even exotic recipes, this is a cookbook useful to everyone who is health-conscious, including vegetarians. Twenty pages of meatless main dishes and a vegetarian Hanukkah menu are included. A terrific compilation of healthier preparations for traditional holiday foods, this is a cookbook that has it all--and that will be used long past the holidays. n Mary Whipple

Editorial Review:

This is one present you’ll definitely want to open early—the first-ever holiday cookbook from Cooking Light magazine, the world’s most widely read food magazine. No one likes to scrimp around the holidays—now you can stay on track and still dazzle friends and family with memorable holiday feasts and delectable treats. Share the joy with everything you need for seasonal cooking—and less—from Cooking Light.

Features:

* Brighten—and lighten!—with this first-ever holiday cookbook from Cooking Light

* More than 350 seasonal recipes

* Beat holiday stress and save time with super-quick menus and make-ahead meals

* Holiday Helpers special section: serving tips, table settings, decorations, and more

* 50 clever gifts from your kitchen with festive packaging ideas

* Beyond the Bird: Top 10 ways to transform leftover turkey

Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday with America's Thanksgiving Expert

Rick Rodgers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Getting ready for your first turkey or dissatisfied with the dry results you got last year? Not to worry--"Mr. Thanksgiving," Rick Rodgers, is here to teach Thanksgiving 101. And he ought to know. For the last eight years he has been traveling the country to teach his class as the media spokesperson for Perdue Farms, an industrial giant among turkey producers.

Before getting to what he calls the "Main Event," Rodgers has advice about how to plan ahead and coordinate the labor to make the day itself more enjoyable. He opens with sections on appetizers and beverages (Glittering Spiced Walnuts, Spicy Cheddar and Pecan Balls, Bloody Marys and Ramos Fizzes) and soups and salads.

The "Main Event" is everything, absolutely everything, you would want to know about buying, thawing, prepping, and roasting a turkey. You needn't look any further. There's a long question-and-answer-style section that anticipates any questions you might have. Then it's right on to everything from Perfect Roast Turkey with Best-Ever Gravy to Holiday Meatball Lasagna.

Follow all that with sections on stuffings and dressings, side dishes, yeast and quick breads, desserts (there's more to do with that pumpkin than make pie--how about Pumpkin-Walnut Roulade with Ginger Filling?), and leftovers (Turkey Tetrazzini), and you can see how Rick Rodgers's Thanksgiving 101is the cookbook equivalent of one-stop shopping for your holiday meal. --Schuyler Ingle

Gooseberry Patch Christmas: Book 9 (Gooseberry Patch Christmas)

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

Editorial Review:

Ready, set, celebrate the holiday season with the heartwarming projects and activities in Gooseberry Patch® Christmas, Book 9. Homespun charm glows from every page of this country-inspired classic, with scrumptious holiday recipes, holly-jolly crafts, and fun projects that bring everyone closer for Christmas.

Gooseberry Patch® Christmas helps fulfill the promise of Christmas in so many truly authentic ways. Create lasting memories with events and activities that will delight family and friends alike, from cookie-making and ornament-exchange parties to game night and stenciling projects. New holiday decorating themes include whimsical polka dots and farmhouse cheer with vintage linens. And, of course, tasty homemade gifts from the kitchen and too-cute gift ideas are always welcome treats from the good folks at Gooseberry Patch.

Features:

Larger photos and even easier-to-read instructions make Gooseberry Patch® Christmas, Book 9 friendlier than ever.

9 decorating sections to inspire your home holiday decor

Fun-to-make gifts, papercrafts, card-making, and clever wrapping techniques

Homemade goodies from the kitchen make welcome gifts from the heart

Dozens of holiday recipes plus complete party and Christmas menus

Light and Healthy Holidays: First Place 4 Health Devotional (First Place 4 Health) (First Place)

First Place 4 Health

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Editorial Review:

Light & Healthy Holidays provides staying power during the tempting holiday season and encouragement to reflect on the true reason for the holidays. This complete resource includes devotions, holiday helps, holiday menus and recipes, and a small group guide. Topics Included: Devotions on giving thanks and God's gift of love, Read about replacing fear with joy, Holiday menus and recipes, How can you achieve your holiday goals?, Holiday survival tips.

The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook: Healthy Recipes for Entertaining Family and Friends (The South Beach Diet)

Arthur Agatston

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With more than 19 million copies in print worldwide, the best-selling phenomenon continues with fabulous all new recipes for healthy, delicious

South Beach Diet-friendly entertaining

The famed Miami Beach cardiologist who has helped millions of people worldwide to lose weight and eat healthier with his best-selling South Beach Diet books now addresses the special challenge that can undermine anyone’s willpower—the irresistible lure of diet-busting dishes at festive occasions.

As the more than 20 menus and 150 easy, all-new recipes in this cookbook prove, there’s no need to give up favorite holiday and party dishes to stay on the South Beach Diet. Dr. Agatston explains that healthy entertaining is not a matter of deprivation, but of "simply making as many good choices as possible." His new book provides those choices, putting a healthy twist on favorite entertaining meals for every occasion, whether it’s a family Christimas Eve dinner, a Thanksgiving feast, a Passover seder, a football fest in front of the TV, or a backyard barbeque with the neighbors. Readers will also find:

• practical tips and helpful (and healthful) hints throughout—including make-ahead suggestions, ideas for nonalcoholic cocktails (mocktails), ways to use leftovers, and more

• 55 full-page color photographs that illustrate the finished dishes along with ideas for stylish table settings and centerpieces

Cover & Bake (Best Recipe)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With Cover & Bake, the editors at Cook’s Illustrated set out to revive the venerable casserole. From Turkey Tetrazzini and Chicken Divan to Crab Imperial and Hoppin’ John, casserole cooking represents the ingenuity and practicality of the American cook. In Cover & Bake, the editors set out to investigate the old standards and in the process have re-imagined the art of the one-dish meal to meet the demands of today’s cook.

Here you will find classic assemble and bake casseroles like Macaroni and Cheese and Creamy Chicken and Rice as well as more inventive dishes like Mediterranean Chicken Bake and Polenta Casserole with Italian Sausage. We’ve experimented with techniques that allow you to cook everything in just one pot where possible, avoiding the need for hours of preparation and clean up just to get a casserole in the oven. And nearly every recipe can be made ahead allowing busy cooks to serve these wholesome dishes on a busy weeknight.

Looking beyond what most people consider to be a casserole, the editors offer a rather original take on the subject with inventive skillet "casseroles," slow cooker meals that are really worth serving, pot pies with multiple topping options (many of which you can make ahead), oven braises and stews that cook in a low oven for hours so you won’t have to stand over a hot stove, and breakfast and brunch dishes that can be assembled the night before.

In addition, this book contains all the relevant tastings and testings conducted in America’s Test Kitchen. Learn which casserole dish is our hands-down favorite. Are all storage containers created the same? Want to know which slow cooker has the best combination of features?

In short, Cover & Bake is filled with 200 one-dish meals for everyday cooking. We’ve made these casseroles a whole lot better tasting while making sure that what everyone loves about casseroles remains – the fact that they are practical one-dish meals that require a minimum of fuss and last minute attention.

Thanksgiving (Williams-Sonoma)

Michael McLaughlin, Noel Barnhurst

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

Editorial Review:

Williams-Sonoma, purveyor of choice gourmet products and kitchenware, has also created a collection of succinct yet comprehensive cookbooks. Part of the series, Thanksgiving offers 40 recipes that reflect the company's signature good taste. From traditional and "new" holiday starters like Butternut Squash Soup and Mixed Greens with Bacon-Wrapped Figs to desserts including Creamy Pumpkin Pie and Ginger-Pear Torte, the book offers delicious options for a hearty, homemade feast. Main-course birds, dressings, breads, and other accompaniments are represented with the likes of classic roast turkey and Hickory-Smoked Roast Turkey with Horseradish-Apple Sauce; Cornbread Dressing with Oysters and Ham; and Cranberry Sauce with Cider and Vinegar, while a chapter entirely devoted to potatoes provides exemplary "mashed" formulas as well as Candied Yams and a knockout Two-Potato Gratin with Cheese.

Accompanied by color photos that show the dishes in all their glory, the recipes are completely doable, and will appeal to a wide range of cooks. Throughout, sidebars (like "Biscuit Savvy") offer useful information on techniques and ingredients; a glossary and basics section are also helpful. Though small in size, the book provides an inclusive store of superior recipes and instruction. --Arthur Boehm