Holidays Books - Page 7

Perfect Vegetables: Part of "The Best Recipe" Series

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

Editorial Review:

Perfect Vegetables is the work of Cook's Illustrated magazine, a publication devoted to providing the "best" American recipes. Like the magazine, from which its contents is largely drawn, the book offers super-tested recipes--as many as 18 tries for stuffed tomatoes, for example--for an A to Z vegetable range, artichokes to zucchini. The book also includes dozens of technique and equipment notes ("Stir-Fry Basics," is one), plus a short section on vegetable soups. An impressive recipe range is here and accounted for--classic dishes like grilled eggplant and braised fennel, plus "newer" formulas for the likes of Grilled Red Peppers with Mint and Feta and Glazed Curried Carrots with Currants and Almonds. Are these the ultimate versions of the dishes included? Certainly they represent exhaustive investigation--and most cooks will find the Perfect Vegetables take, which offers many technical refinements (preheat your baking sheet to ensure golden oven-baked fries, for example) enlightening.

Vegetable entries begin with a detailed discussion that highlights the cooking methods for each that ensure best results. (Steaming, for example, gets the nod for artichokes, as it yields the "deepest, most pronounced flavor.") Master recipes follow, such as that for steamed artichokes, plus formulas for tasty accompaniments like Lemon Mint Vinaigrette, or variations, such as Roasted Baby Artichokes with Roasted Garlic Aïoli. Techniques are beautifully illustrated with line drawings and photos. The ingredient and equipment investigations, which often include ratings, are mini consumer reports. Devotees of Cook's Illustrated and those new to its "obsessive" approach to dish making, should happily embrace this encyclopedic compendium. --Arthur Boehm

Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Collected Comic Strip and Italian Holiday Cookbook

Robert Tinnell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A wonderful christmas present - for young and old 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am not Italian. But this makes for a great Christmas gift.

For once, the story is great. A hysterically traditional Italian American Christmas Eve celebration that anyone with a family will appreciate. Grandpa Johnny Oliverio is a riot.

Comics tell the story which makes the book hard to put down. It's also what makes this a unique gift. Part history, part comics, part cookbook - all fun.

By the time you get done reading about grandpa Oliverio's cooking, all you want to do is try it yourself. The recipe section at the end of the book comes at a perfect time.

Buon Natale.

2006 EISNER AWARD Nominee For Best Graphic Album - Reprint 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I discovered this book when I heard it had been nominated for an Eisner Award (the "Oscar" of comics) for best graphic album - reprint.
Initially I was interested in it for the story and art - but the cookbook and essay sections were a real pleasant surprise. It's one of those great little books you want to bring out and put on the coffee table during the holidays. This is what my whole family is getting for Christmas. It would make a great movie too...

Editorial Review:

The Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition comes to life in this popular online comic strip collected here for the first time, complete with a foreword by Steve Geppi and a cookbook for serving up your own Feast!

Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living

Martha Stewart Living Magazine

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Favorite Halloween Craft (and more) Book!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I found this book at my local library a few years ago. I loved it so much, I kept it until finding it on Amazon. The book has fantastic colorful pictures that get you in the spirit of Halloween no matter what time of year it is. It has fun craft ideas, spooky recipes and costume ideas for all ages.

Most of the crafts in this book are fairly easy for anyone to attempt,however you may find a few that require tools that you might not have unless you an avid Craftster.
She has a large chapter on Pumpkin carving/decorating that has ideas for children and adults. The book has a great deal of very unique Halloween crafts that are sure to impress and spook your friends and family.

As for the recipes,they aren't too difficult. I recommend "The Hot Spiced Concord - Grape Juice"(A new twist on spiced cider) "The Great Pumpkin Cake", "Ancient Eggs" and of course The Lady Finger's and Man toes. These recipes will be a hit at any Halloween gathering.

I haven't tired out any of the makeup/costume ideas yet,however they look fantastic and not very difficult. She has included the best Mummy makeup I have ever seen, and only requires everyday kitchen ingredients.
Even Martha appears as a few frightful characters with complete how to instructions (I had no idea she was the model in a few of the photos!)

You don't have to be a fan of Martha Stewart to enjoy this book. Its filled with tons of ideas for all ages. I seriously recommend this book to anyone that enjoys DIY holiday decorating and of course the Halloween food is ...to die for! This book is worth every cent, It has been my go to Halloween craft book since 2004 and I have no intention of finding another (unless it's an update)

Happy Haunting!

Editorial Review:

Halloween books abound, but none is as elegantly spooky or as eerily opulent as this gorgeous guide from Martha Stewart Living. Set the scene for the ultimate Halloween party with a magical yard full of pumpkins glowing with vibrant geometrics and sparkling with Christmas lights. Welcome guests with shadow lanterns flickering with bats and haunted windows. Strew the house with chiffon ghosts and fill the air with haunting sounds. Then host a pumpkin-carving feast, a crafty party, or a ghoulish supper, and whip up eyeball highballs, croaked messieurs, and spider-web sundaes. And don't forget the creepy makeup: follow along as willing victims transform into a skeleton, mummy, and several other creatures (Martha herself becomes an astonishing black widow). Excellent directions, full recipes, beautiful photographs, and an extremely detailed source list should inspire anyone to celebrate All Hallows' Eve with style. --Amy Handy

Delia Smith's Christmas: 130 Recipes for Christmas

Delia Smith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Updated traditional fare 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful recipes for any time, but particularly Christmas. I enjoyed Delia's mincemeat strudle at an English friend's house, made with Delia's delicious mincemeat recipe - not at all like the ghastly, oversweet stuff you buy in jars. Just had to order a book for myself.

A stalwart at Christmas time. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've owned this book for years and utterly rely on it during the madness that is Christmas. Beautiful traditional recipes and some different twists on Christmas lunch/dinner.

Essential reading.

Editorial Review:

This collection of Christmas recipes from Delia Smith includes five different Christmas cakes, a complete vegetarian menu, recipes for gifts such as chocolate truffles, and many traditional favorites. There are also ideas for festive occasions from drinks parties to dinner parties, with dishes such as Roast Goose with Potato, Sage and Apple Stuffing, Caramelized Orange Trifle, and a Terrine with Four Cheeses.

Williams-Sonoma Entertaining: Thanksgiving Entertaining (Williams-Sonoma Entertaining)

Lou Pappas

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Thanksgiving Entertaining

Thanksgiving is perhaps the most American holiday of all, a celebration of beloved foods, and customs that evoke happy memories of good times shared with family and friends. Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining is a complete guide to creating those favorite traditions in your own home. Equal parts cookbook and how-to manual, it presents five menus for entertaining over the Thanksgiving weekend, including three distinctive ideas for the holiday feast.

Fot traditionalists, there is a classic New England Thanksgiving dinner featuring roasted turkey with pan gravy and all the trimmings, including an old-fashioned oyster stuffing,, cranberry relish, and buttery mashed potatoes. A contemporary California-style holiday menu showcases a butterflied turkey and light, seasonal Mediterranean-inspired accompaniments, while an elegant southern buffet offers a glorious glazed ham, spooned bread, and collard greens.

Because Thanksgiving entertaining often extends beyond the holiday meal, this book includes menus for a casual Day-After Lunch, with turkey sandwiches and snacks, and a homey weekend breakfast, with French toast, smoothies, and an irresistible Pumpkin Bread.

In addition to the nearly fifty recipes, there are step-by-step instructions for decorating your home, setting an attractive table, and making a variety of festive drinks -- all lavishly illustrated with color photographs. Detailed work plans accompany each menu, and helpful reference sections provide guidelines on tableware and glassware, setting up a buffet, pairing food and wine, and more. You'll find everything you need to know to host a memorable Thanksgiving that both you and your guests will enjoy.

Holidays: The Best of Martha Stewart Living

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Nobody knows the holidays like Martha Stewart, and here she gives you all the information you need to have a spectacular Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Martha and her crew provide you with a hearty Thanksgiving feast featuring Quail with Brussels Sprouts and Shallots, Garlic Roast Potatoes, and Roast Fennel. Later she offers up a tasty but simple family breakfast for Christmas morning and a sumptuous Christmas dinner centered around a Loin of Venison with Red-Currant Bordelaise and Roast Capon with Wild Rice Sourdough Stuffing. The lower-key New Year's Eve dinner of five dishes may be more appealing to kitchen novices.

Even if you're not planning a huge party, you'll still find the book useful for more simple ideas--chapters on homemade gifts, gift-wrapping, and wreaths and garlands provide easy-to-follow directions and lots of advice. The chapter on cookies features 23 different classics, and another chapter offers recipes for six pies plus tips on their assembly and even a list of "our favorite baking apples." Throughout the book you'll find interesting sidebars and beautiful photographs to tempt and inspire you. Maybe you're a new convert, maybe you missed one of the fabled Martha Stewart Living holiday issues, or maybe your copies are too dog-eared to read anymore--Holidays: The Best of Martha Stewart Living will help you make your holidays spectacular. --C.B. Delaney

Swedish Christmas

Catarina Lundgren Astrom

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A delightful Christmas album 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 15 people found this review helpful.

Since both authors are professional photographers, it is to be expected that the photographs in this book are all excellent and many are artistic. I was in a dilemma as to how many stars I should give to rate this book. As a Christmas album it deserves at least five stars. However, as a book about Christmas customs I would only give it three (therefore on average I give it four).
Firstly, I would like to say that the content of the book is often written in a very warm and readable way and it is full of childhood reminiscences and vivid description. For other readers I must admit, this style might well be preferable. Personally, I had hoped that the book would have had a much greater folklore content (something analogous with Kathleen Stokker's "Keeping Christmas: Yuletide Traditions in Norway and the New Land", 2000). There is a minimal amount of interesting allusions to folk customs. However, they are not described in detail. Moreover, another problem comes from the actual translation into English. A translator should never translate certain words. For instance, on p. 32 there is a reference to the St.Lucia day (Dec. 13th) custom of boys "wearing tall, funnel-shaped hats (like dunce caps)". It would have been nice to have included the actual Swedish name for this cap (some Swedish friends of mine call it a 'strut' or 'cone' but I am not sure if there is a 'proper' name as well?). Swedish is one of the languages I speak and I believe that more Swedish terms would have improved the work and given more local flavour. Similarly, on p.12 there is a reference to the "Advent candelabra" with four candles (one for each week of Advent). Here it should have been explained that this is called an 'adventjusstarka'. Again the ubiquitous "Christmas goat" should also have been given its proper name (julbock). Such a detail is important since the word 'julbock' is very different from the related cognate terms of the Finnish 'joulupukki' (who is Santa himself) and the Norwegian 'julebukking' (which refers to Christmas mumming). Likewise, "Santa's rice pudding" on p. 69 in which there is a hidden almond is called 'risgryngrot' (with an umlaut on the 'o'). This reminds me of the lucky coin hidden in the Greek 'vasilopita' or St. Basil's new year pie). Moreover, the "sheaf of straw" mentioned on p. 44 which is a bundle of oats left outside for the birds is called a 'julkarve'( with an accent on the 'a' and which corresponds to the Norwegian 'julenek'). There are indeed some fascinating references to traditions such as the fortune-telling with lead (molybdomancy) on New Year's day. I also enjoyed the superstitions mentioned in connection with the early church service on Christmas day (on p.121). This service is actually called the 'julottan' - again a word that the authors had neglected to share. There are also several basic details and customs which have not been included. For instance, no mention is made of the lucia buns being called 'lussekatter'(i.e. Lucy cats) and neither is there any mention of the custom of 'kasta julskomme' or throwing a type of braided straw figure (the 'julbock' is just one such type). This custom was performed as a joke on a neighbour's door or as a courting ritual. Another weakness is that the photographs (though beautifully taken) are not labelled. Captions would have been most useful. For instance, I wanted to know the significance (and word for) the oranges that are studded with cloves in photographs on pages 57 and 132. I have met this custom in the Ionian islands where it was called a 'prokado portokali' and it was given to solicit gifts on New Year's day. It is also reminiscent of the Welsh 'calennig'. It should also be mentioned that the book provide many enjoyable recipes (even if the names for these recipes are not supplied) as well as some practical tips about making Christmas crackers and a gingerbread house. The authors have done a great deal of work and, despite my comments (coloured by my own personal taste and preferences), I am sure that this would be the ideal Christmas book for many readers. If you are looking for a beautiful Christmas souvenir from Sweden then it is the perfect gift. For this reason I would actually buy another copy of it for certain friends - however, I could not buy it for any of my colleagues. Dr. M. Sfaellou.

Editorial Review:

Swedish Christmas is not just a cookbook but an inspiring book full of Christmas memories, recipes and tips of how to make Christmas enchanting. With its atmospheric photographs and engaging stories, it can be used as the ultimate handbook to a magical Christmas or simply be enjoyed as an armchair book. All the recipes have been adapted to the American kitchen.

The Quick Recipe (The Best Recipe Series)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great book! 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I have tried a handful of recipes so far and haven't had any problems with them. My absolute favorite is the Banana Muffins (I've made it at least 10 times!)....people rave about them and I have to constantly give out the recipe. I've tried lots of banana muffin recipes, but it is by far THE best and the only ingredient I don't usually have is buttermilk, but I am finding it should be a staple for cooking! I tried the Cranberry Cornmeal Cookies yesterday and they were great. I love that they made the recipe makeable with only a bowl, whisk, and wooden spoon. No mixer required. I look forward to making many more of the desserts in the book and also more of the entrees that make my mouth water. A really good book for a cook like me who isn't a novice, but doesn't know many of the reasons why we use certain cooking techniques.
I will be giving this book to my family members for Christmas this year!

Editorial Review:

From scratch dishes ready to serve in under an hour and many in less than 30 minutes Winner of the 2004 James Beard Cookbook Award The Quick Recipe offers 300 exhaustively tested real recipes for real food, all with contemporary flavours from around the world. There are chapters on appetizers, salads, vegetables, grains and beans, pasta and noodles, soups, poultry, meat, fish and shellfish, grilling, stir-frying, eggs, biscuits, cakes and cookies, fruit desserts, ice cream and puddings.

Autumn in the Country Cookbook (Gooseberry Patch)

Gooseberry Patch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Autumn in the Country Gooseberry Patch Cookbook 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Another great cookbook from Gooseberry Patch. I have many of their cookbooks and love them all.

Very nice 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a grand cook book! Yummy recipes, charming drawings, nicely bound. I'll use this quite a lot!

Editorial Review:

Inspired by harvest hayrides, pumpkin picking and small-town festivals, Gooseberry Patch's cookbook, Autumn in the Country, celebrates the very best fall has to offer. It's filled with more than 250 delicious recipes and over 225 tips and ideas.

The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas

Jeff Smith

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

A great Christmas cookbook -- Not just your standard meals 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book takes you through the history and traditions of Christmas, with full meals illustrated. My favorites - The crown roast of pork, with sausage stuffing. Favorite side dishes include brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and baked onions. A great read, and a must-have for the holidays.

The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is the first recipe book I ever sat down and read from cover to cover. It has become one of my Christmas traditions, and one I share with friends and family by giving it as a gift.

Jeff Smith shares a lot of his personal feelings about the significance of Christmas, and his writing is obviously based on historical research. In a charming progression, he takes us through the events of the first Christmas and designates a feast including a special dish for each of the characters involved, from the Christ child Himself, to the angels, to even the beasts.

Editorial Review:

In his latest book, Jeff Smith provides dishes and tradition for every aspect of the holiday season. To celebrate the feast itself, he offers his family recipe for roast goose, then a pot roast and latkes for Hannukah, a roast lamb the shepherds might have eaten, mince pie, gingerbread men, mulled wine, and more. He also devotes a section to the traditions, from mistletoe to stockings to carols. Color photos throughout.