No comments about Essential African Cookbook (Contemporary Kitchen).

2 comments about No Mush Today.

1. Nonie is fed up with her baby brother's crying and with the cornmeal mush served at breakfast. She decides she wants to leave her family and live with Grandma next door, because at least Grandma pays attention to her and prepares better food. But later that day at the church picnic when Grandma just wants to sit, Nonie cannot resist her father's offer of a paddleboat ride and a push on the swings. Nonie and her dad see a group of ducklings swimming with their parents, and Nonie reconsiders living at home with her family.
   
   No Mush Today may appear to have a simple premise, but underneath the surface is an important lesson about the time demands of providing care for children. Caring for a new baby is particularly time consuming, and as the older sibling, Nonie feels she is bearing the cost when her parents are less attentive to her own wants and needs. Going to live with Grandma seems appealing, but Nonie soon realizes that there are tradeoffs when she misses her family. The rich illustrations add emotional depth to this engaging story.



2. Sally Derby's No Mush Today will have young children smiling and some may nod in agreement while identifying with the spunky heroine who feels unfairly put upon on two counts: by her breakfast menu and in her new role as big sister. Nicole Tadgell's colorful and animated illustrations instantly drew me in.
   
   M. LaVora Perry, Author of Taneesha Never Disparaging

4 comments about Great Book of Couscous: Classic Cuisines of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

1. I consult this book after just about every trip to the farmer's market. It's an excellent source of fairly exotic, easy to prepare dishes, almost every one of which turning out a great success. Several lamb stews, one with dried prunes and raisins, another with parsley and fennel, kumin-seasoned carrots, couscous with chickpeas and onions and stuffed cornish hens with apricots, almonds and honey have all received rave reviews at our table. No recipes are overly elaborate, the problem is, to not become overly enthusiastic and try to cook up a whole chapter at a time.



2. This author certainly knows the subject matter of this work and offers much in the way of descriptive background and recipes.

   A favorite from the book is the Kesksou Bil Djedg (Chicken couscous) a staple dish of Algeria. It is so good and healthy with vegiies and all the spices of this region.

   Included also are the typical fare of the area, tagines, and bastilla.

   I prefer Wolfert's works on this fare.




3. I bought this book because it is very difficult to find an Algerian cookbook, especially in English. Although it is divided into Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, the Algerian recipes are authentic. The recipes are simple enough to make with ingredients that are readily available; and even if you can't find something, just improvise.
   
   It is always interesting to find out how a non-native of a country became interested in its culture/cuisine. Throughout the book there is a "dialog" he has about how he was introduced to various dishes (people he met and knew in these countries), as well as background information on the religion practiced by the majority of the people in these countries, Islam. The downfall is that some of the religious background is related more to customary practices of the regions rather than actual Muslim teachings. Moreover, the dessert section is minimal, but this book has recipes that are reminiscent of dishes "back home."



4. Trying to learn Algerian cooking without reading French has been next to impossible until I discovered this book. The recipes are authentic, easy to follow and (mercifully) in terms and using measurements that an American can understand. I am so grateful for this book!

No comments about The Essential Guide to South African Wines.

3 comments about Food of Morocco: Authentic Recipes from the North African Coast (Food of the World Cookbooks).

1. If you love Moroccan food but have never made it, this is the book for you. The steps for preparation are easy to follow and the food is delicious. However, the recipes are not as well categorized as they should be. Recipes seem to follow a certain indexing, but once you flip through the pages they are all over the place. I want all my main dishes under main dishes ... not the case here.



2. If you love lamb, this is the cookbook for you. But if you are looking for more, and in particular if you are searching for side dishes or vegetarian recipes, you will be disappointed. Some of the recipes call for ingredients not readily found in the US.



3. This is a good book to start learning how to cook Moroccan food. Nice pictures to go along with the recipes. But if you are cooking for a Moroccan some of the recipes aren't what they are used to eating.

No comments about Karibu Welcome to the Cooking of Kenya (Kenway Publications Imprint).

No comments about A Kitchen Safari: Stories & Recipes From the African Wilderness.

5 comments about Food for the Soul: A Texas Expatriate Nurtures Her Culinary Roots in Paris.

1. This book isn't just a collection of recipes. The author has gathered family recipes and shared family memories as well. The recipes aren't overly complicated, particularly good for people like myself that don't have a lot of time for cooking. Ms. Wells has provided some of the history behind different ingredients, alternate ingredients if some are hard to find, and laid out the recipes in a very easy to follow manner. I love how she has shared some of her own family's history in this book. The photography of the food is outstanding. This is a book to enjoy reading start to finish, as well as trying out the recipes.



2. The recipes in this book turned out to be the same old ones you get over and over but here, the author has cleverly cushioned them with "stories" that hype them up and flush them out to make up for a lack of culinary skills. Nice try, but I can get better recipes, and stories, off the internet.



3. I found the recipes to be nothing new. Yes, there were stories thrown in to disguise Ms. Wells lack of culinary skills. The illustrations and the photography were quite pleasant, I found myself looking for these two things. Ms Wells I think needs to try again.I was sorry I purchased this book.



4. In my view this is a good book for someone who remembers home and wants to duplicate some of home in a far away place. I grew up in New Orleans and now live in Texas. If you don't know it, we New Orleans people are picky about our food. I have also spent a lot of time in a lot of places outside the US. Sometimes you just want to taste some of those simple things you grew up eating. The hardest thing is finding the "stuff" you want and deciding on a reasonable substitute when you can't find it. So, I really appreciate the list of where to get the "hook-up" in Paris. There is noting worst than being in Paris or Lisbon for a few weeks and just wanting some red beans, greens and corn bread and not knowing where to go to get the dish or the ingredients. Now I know it is not just me. I love the art work and the background material.



5. This cookbook was a HUGE disapointment! These recipes are the same ones that you can get on the boxes and labels at the grocery store for free! Fried eggs? The pictures are nice, tho they don't name the pictured food. If you want a good soul food cookbook, get "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" for 1/4 the price.

2 comments about Casablanca Cuisine: French North African Cooking.

1. The secret of life is Aline Benayoun's mint soup. Trust me, this book is fabulous and if the only recipe you do is the mint soup, you're way ahead. But don't stop there. The thing is, I'd marry someone who makes mint soup like this. Come to think of it, I did... her! Bon appetit. /JR



2. I'm giving this book 5 stars, and that's still not enough. The recipies are simple to make yet delicious. The meals are healthy and well balanced. Trust me, it's really very good. I definately recommend it to anyone who likes to eat good food.

1 comments about A la Carte.

1. Lainey, at age seventeen, is an innovative cook. When she whips up tasty treats in the kitchen at home or the restaurant where her mother works, she is content. She scribbles her recipes in a notebook and dreams of having her own cooking program on television. She shares her creations with her classmates and her mom's co-workers. Judging from their reactions, she definitely has a future in culinary arts.
   
   Sadly, her best friend Sim does not share her determination nor her direction. Laine and Simeon were once extremely close, but in recent months, he has been skipping classes and hanging out with different people. Now, whenever he does talk to Laine, it's usually to ask for her science notes. He acts as though everything is okay, but she can tell something's up. Sim sinks deeper and deeper into trouble until he leaves his home, his school, and his town completely. Only knowing part of his plans, Lainey is unsure how much she should tell her mother and Sim's parents.
   
   Lainey is a great leading character. Full of questions and opinions, she is simultaneously looking forward to her future and appreciative of her past. She is proud of her abilities and her chosen career. Handwritten recipes appear through the book, complete with cross-outs, rings of condensation, and smudges, looking as though they were torn out of Lainey's notebooks. I love that she's a vegetarian, and that she tries to make her recipes both as healthy and as tasty as possible. The cooking sequences will make readers hungry (I know I was!), and the overlying mystery/worry about Sim will compel readers to keep on reading.