2 comments about One Child, One Seed: A South African Counting Book.

1. "One Child, One Seed: A South African Counting Book" is an excellent book for children age 4 - 8. It teaches counting, and tells the story of a South African child, her family, and their garden, and a seed that grows into a plant and yields a harvest of pumpkin that is made into . . . Isijingi. There are actually three texts in this book that can be read separately or together: the counting text; the story of the seed; and background about South African family life. The book is illustrated with a couple dozen color photographs, and also includes a map of Africa and South Africa. This book teaches more than counting, something just as valuable: a look at another people and their culture. Younger children will like the counting text, with its large font and big pictures, slightly older children will appreciate learning about South Africa, its people and food.



2. I was happy to buy this book to send to a school in Rwanda.

No comments about North African Cooking.

4 comments about Real Men Cook: Rites, Rituals, and Recipes for Living.

1. This book is a culmination of recipes and stories from a unique annual family event "Real Men Cook", which focuses on the joys of fatherhood and cooking. This book is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone who finds joy in preparing meals for the ones they love.



2. Kofi and his wife, Yvette, are co-founders of Real Men Cook for Charity. They sponsor the Real Men Cookout, which is a Father's Day Charity event designed to celebrate black men as positive role models--everyday men, as well as celebrities. The charity started in Chicago and today, it is celebrated in over twelve cities. The cookbook is more than just recipes. There are stories/essays and poems to help celebrate the African American culture by and about many different people. The stories are just as good as the food. Enjoy!



3. A cook book, a history book a great gift! I love a man who cooks, and Real Men, do cook. My husband James cooks brunch each Sunday and my friend Terry Allen (p. 40) of Dallas, has found his place in cooking history with his heritages dishes preserved in the book. Real Men Cook highlights exceptional, amazing men cooking mouth watering dishes. Give your favorite guy a copy of this `real men' cookbook and you can support a great non-profit that celebrates ordinary American men being extraordinary in major cities; Dallas, Chicago, Los Angles, New Orleans, and all across the America.



4. This will help you try some meals that you love but can't find someone to make for you. Now you can stop calling your mama, sister, and bugging your wife to find out how to make great dishes. I know it is hard for us to read instructions but this is an easy read and fillingly rewarding.

5 comments about Couscous: Fresh and Flavorful Contemporary Recipes.

1. This is a wonderful book for people who want great meals fast. The recipes are for the most part quick( the couscous takes only five minutes to cook), easy to prepare , and they are big on flavor. The author begins the book with traditional recipes, but the bulk of the books focus are contemporary recipes for this versatile grain.



2. My husband and I traveled with Kitty on her last Moroccan culinary tour and we highly recommend it. We also highly recommend this book from which we have prepared several dishes including the delicious Rock Cornish game hens with dried fruit and couscous stuffing. Our dinner guests have loved the Moroccan foods that we have prepared - a departure from the usual party fare. We have found all of her recipes unique, flavorable, fun to prepare and delicious to eat! Also recommend her "Cooking at the Kasbah". Our guests have raved about the chicken b'stila which is quite unique, a "production" to prepare but can be made ahead of time, frozen and then baked right out of the freezer.



3. My first attempt was "Couscous Fritters with Fresh Corn and Tomato Salsa". Delicious! Every recipe tried was well seasoned and was what I'd call an "eager to repeat winner", if you don't mind fighting past all the errors.

   In "Couscous Fritters", the instructions you're supposed to turn to page 20 for her technique on how to peel and seed tomatoes. There is nothing about tomatoes on page 20. It's really page 22. The recipe calls for 2/3 cup broth, but what kind? Step 1 puts all the ingredients for the salsa together while in step 2 you are asked to prepare the fritters. Among the ingredients you're supposed to mix together is the "remaining salt". What remaining salt? You used it all in step 1 for the salsa. I think she meant the cumin.

   Recipes are well thought up but somehow, either the test kitchen or the editors goofed. If you are someone who really needs recipes to be right, skip this book. You'll pull your hair out trying to figure out what's wrong. If you can work around the mistakes and really want to try couscous, you'll find some really tasty meals in here. My copy has lots of notes and cross-outs. I'm sure yours will too.




4. Tired of rice and potatoes, I've been keeing an eye out for recipes about couscous. Not too long ago, I caught Kitty on a television program. I think it was Sara Moulton's show on the Food channel. They prepared "Couscous-Parsley Salade with Preserved Lemons." The recipe called for 1 or 2 Tsp of pine nuts and Sara dumped about a cup in! Hey, but that's okay. I like crunch! So, I bought the cookbook and set about preparing the "Rock Cornish Game Hens with Dried Fruit and Couscous Stuffing." I substituted dried cherries for the prunes. The recipe was easy to follow and came out just fabulous. A welcomed twist from the usual game hens and wild rice. The next recipe I want to try is "Tongolese Couscous in Peanut Sauce." While there's no photo, it sounds delicious. Thank you Kitty!



5. This book is for the adventurous cook who is bored
   with pasta and rice and who is interested in ethnic
   and fusion cuisine. From cover to cover, it impressed
   me. The book is informative, mouthwatering and
   creative and respects current eating trends.

   Recipes range from 1 to 3 hours of preparation time.
   There's a generous introduction on the history and
   relevance of couscous and a listing of sources for
   spices and traditional couscous cookware.

   I chose this recipe because it contained interesting
   ingredients which I had on hand, and I felt most
   readers would find it easy to prepare. I learned how a
   combination of spices can create a dish that is
   flavorful and delightfully fragrant. I would
   definitely make it again, perhaps with more saffron

   next time.

   GAME HENS WITH COUSCOUS STUFFING

   Serves 2-4

   21/2 cups chicken broth

   4 tablespoons butter

   10 threads Spanish saffron

   1/2 cup couscous

   2 tablespoons olive oil

   1 teaspoon ground turmeric

   1 teaspoon sweet paprika

   2 12-ounce Cornish game hens

   1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) slivered blanched almonds,
   toasted

   1 cup (about 5 ounces) golden raisins

   1/2 cup (about 5 ounces) pitted prunes, coarsely
   chopped

   2 tablespoons honey

   3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

   1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

   1/2 teaspoon salt

   1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

   1 medium onion, diced

   1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium
   saucepan, bring 3/4 cup of the broth, 2 tablespoons of
   butter, and half of the saffron to a boil. Add the
   couscous in a stream. Stir once. Remove from the heat.
   Cover and let stand until couscous is tender, 12 to 15
   minutes. Set aside.

   2. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil with the
   remaining saffron, the turmeric, and paprika. Using
   your hands, coat the hens inside and out with this
   mixture. Set aside.

   3. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the
   slivered almonds with the raisins, prunes, 1
   tablespoon of the honey, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon,
   1/4 teaspoon of the ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt,
   1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the remaining butter.
   Set aside.

   4. In a food processor, in increments, grind the dried
   fruit and spice mixture until it acquires a thick,
   gritty consistency. Transfer to a medium bowl and
   combine with the couscous.

   5. With a large spoon, stuff equal portions of the
   couscous mixture into each hen. Place them, breast
   side down, in a medium baking dish. They should not
   touch. Surround them with diced onion and add the
   remaining broth. Cover and bake 50 to 55 minutes. Turn
   hens over and baste. Bake, breast side up, uncovered,
   until the hens are brown and the juices run clear when
   a thigh is pierced with a fork, 30 to 35 minutes.

   Transfer hens to a warm serving platter. Keep warm.

   6. Drain the pan juices into a medium saucepan over
   medium heat. Add the remaining honey, cinnamon,
   ginger, salt and pepper. Reduce by a quarter. Spoon
   over and around the hens. Sprinkle with remaining
   almonds and serve.

   Per serving: 1347 calories, 65 g protein, 125 g
   carbohydrates, 69 g fat, 173 mg cholesterol, 1559 mg
   sodium, 10 g fiber. Calories from fat: 45 percent

2 comments about Cooking the East African Way: Revised and Expanded to Include New Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes (Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks).

1. This is a good book for your 10 year old. There are exactly 22 recipes
   in the book and no unfamiliar ingrediants. I think the spiciest
   dish calls for a a tsp. of red pepper. The most exotic spice I saw
   was cumin. It does have a few pretty pictures.
   For an adventurous cook forget this book it is to African cooking
   like taco bell is to Mexican cooking.



2. This entire series of Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks are wonderful for kids. I used them frequently when I was a nanny, and my boys loved them. The recipes are simple and not too intimidating for chefs-in-training! The bits of background information on the culture, history, and sample menus are wonderful as well. From someone with several years of childcare experience, and a woman who loves to cook (especially ethnic foods), this series of books are highly recommended to anyone who wants to introduce their kids to a variety of cultural foods.

5 comments about George Crum and the Saratoga Chip.

1. Hip Hip Hooray! A fabulous biography that is not only multi-cultural, but will hold the interest of every child who reads it! Thanks go out to author Gaylia Taylor, who must have researched many months to find enough details to bring George Crum half Native American, half African American, back to life. Embarrassed and laughed at in school as a child because he couldn't count to one hundred, George decided to live his life by making his own choices, not those of society. There are strong messages about self esteem and perserverance in this story, yet they never beat the reader over the head.
   Frank Morrison's illustrations are both interesting and fun.
   This book is a must have for all Elementary School libraries. I loved it so much, I bought one for each school in our district!



2. I purchased this book for my 7 year old grandson who is biracial. He is having problems with classmates calling him names and I thought this book would show him that race has nothing to do with accomplishments. The book was a little to old for him. The pictures were very dark and not at all bright. He really didn't enjoy the book at all. I don't recommend this book for young children.



3. I enjoyed this story of George Crum, who in 1853 invented the potato chip while working as a chef at the prestigious Moon's Lake House in Saratoga Springs.
   
   Crum was confident of his cooking skills but as a person of color, part African American and part Native American; he faced difficulty finding a position as a chef. Hired by Moon's Lake House, Crum's menu soon brought the rich and famous to the restaurant in droves.
   
   He felt great frustration and chafed at the pettiness of wealthy restaurant patrons. After one customer complained about the thickness of some French fries, Crum, in retaliation, sliced the potatoes wafer thin and fried them at a very high heat. The rest is history.
   
   This book works well for kids on many levels. It is a skillfully told story from history. Morrison's illustrations are bright and engaging and evoke the time period. In the dining room of the restaurant, the patrons are white and the waitstaff is black.
   
   Readers will applaud George Crum's independent spirit and his determination to follow his own path. This story of one of our favorite snack foods is a terrific read to share with students.



4. Frank Morrison's illustrations are the best thing in this biography of the inventor of the potato chip, Mr. George Crum. I've seen Morrison's work in both "Sweet Music in Harlem" and "Jazzy Miz Mozetta," but I think this is his best work to date. Sure, he has those signature elongated limbs and faces, but his backgrounds also curve around, inviting you into the picture. His choice of colors is outstanding, rich greens and browns make you taste the Adirondack mountains, and his precious orchid tones suggest the high-minded, precious ambience of the exclusive restaurants where Crum eventually works. Morrison commands each scene, whether the action table side or in the kitchen, (where George whips up a batch of French fries--their return by yet another horrendous customer prompts an angry George to invent the dish we now call the potato chip), or in a fish-shaped lily pad floating on the river where George lays down his pole.
   
   The story depicts mid-18th century America, and includes some interest-provoking material about George and his sister and supporter, Kate. An early scene that show George's frustration at school sets up George's later feisty personality, and his "revenge" on the fussy french fry complaint. However, it seems a little contrived, and the details about his entire life seem somewhat superfluous. Not to make too fine a point of it, but I also wondered at the cozy racial integration shown both at school and at the cafes. Perhaps this is useful for educational settings, but it's internally inconsistent with Crum's difficulty procuring a chef position, and is very probably contradictory to the times.
   
   While some scene-setting is necessary, perhaps a better tact would have been conclude the story at its dramatic high point (the invention and fame of the potato chip), and include some of the early and later details in the excellent afterward by Ms. Taylor. Still, any story about a food as familiar as the potato chip will attract lots of interest, and Morrison's pictures make this a tasty read.



5. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip is a informative and interesting book that tells of the invention of a favorite food of the U.S. It is a wonderful addition to any library seeking to add multicultural depth to the collection. It has great illustrations.

2 comments about California Wine Country Bed & Breakfast Cookbook And Travel Guide.

1. I am not a lover of "recommendation books," and usually prefer to experiment and find my own "jewels" and "coal."
   But, in this case, I am happy to report, I was wrong. This book has given me many a wonderful taste of "B&B cuisine" and a delightful weekend or two.
   Buy this book and enjoy its many delights!



2. The Arbor House Casserole was the best breakfest I have ever made. I made it in a muffin pan so that I could serve it individually rather then in slices. My guests loved the taste. Will try other recipes and let you know.

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.

4 comments about Egyptian Cooking: A Practical Guide.

1. I have had the pleasure of using this book in my kitchen for two years now. I can honestly say that there is not a week that goes by that I don't find use for it! Although it is a bit difficult to ignore the page numbers and concentrate on the numbers assigned to each recipe, the outcome is well worth it! This book supplies an amazing number of recipes from every imaginable region of Egypt and many of the variations for each. I applaud the writer's insightful inclusion of such items as a spice index at the end of the book, and technoiques for handling foods not commonly used by Westerners. I would have liked some illustrations to assist with presentation, but all in all I am very pleased with the outcomes of my endeavors



2. This is a must have cookbook for anyone interested in Egyptian cuisine. Samia Abdelnour selected a variety of recipes that are easy to prepare with ingredients that are available locally. She cleverly included a glossary explaining the different foods, spices, kitchen utensils and also some useful hints. This is a value priced book considering the amount of recipes included in it. I have other Mediterranean cookbooks, but I find myself using this one more often. It's size makes it also very handy to use in the kitchen.



3. This is an authentic cookbook, it's been around for almost 20 years, and I've happily made a variety of recipes. The instructions are brief, and helpful. The Iman Bayaldi is prepared different than the style I'm used to..and still very good. Most dishes have 6 or less ingredients...pretty easy to gather up! If it had pictures, I'd have rated it higher--it's so helpful to have the right "look" for authenticity. There's over 300 recipes. The recipes are for 4-6 persons, easy to adjust.The table of contents is sparse; the index can have you running around a bit through the book. Chicken gizzards are not under "chicken" but are under "gizzards"! Beans are separate from lentils...logical, but not always intuitive...not a big drawback! some ingredients are, of course, hard to find if not near a Middle Eastern market...the internet should take care of ordering mastic grains, molokhiya (fresh or frozen), etc...Most ingredients are easily available in the USA. It has recipes for the classics, and also for brains, pigeon, rabbit, trotters, tripe, sheeps head etc...this is not a frou-frou book!
   If you want a broader taste of Middle Eastern foods, get Roden's New Book of Middle Eastern food.. to get a rich feel for Egytian and other similar cuisines which blend together...



4. I've had this book for a couple of years now. This is a good book that gives a lot of Egyptian recipes made by every-day Egyptian people. I recognize many, many of the recipes as ones that are made by my husband's family. So I feel it is a pretty good source for the basics.
   
   That being said, it leaves much to be desired with the instructions, which would be difficult for someone who doesn't really know how to cook or isn't already familiar with Middle Eastern cooking. For example, the recipe for Ta'maiya, or Falafel instructs you to soak the beans overnight, then drain and "mince" with dill, coriander, etc... Now if I took that literally and attempted to "mince" those items with a kitchen knife, the result would be a disastrous effort in futility and frustration. I know that I need to "mince" them in a food processor, and not your garden variety food processor, you need a good one (i use the cuisinart), to do it, otherwise you will quickly tire out your motor, and will have to process this recipe in about 8 batches, with rest time between each (like I used to do when I had a smaller Oscar food processor). Not to mention that she does not give any indication of how finely the mixture should be minced. This is one example of where some prior knowledge of Egyptian or Middle Eastern cooking (or cooking in general) is necessary to be successful at cooking some of her recipes.
   
   The set up is also a bit annoying, with the recipes numbered, and indexed that way (the index gives the number of the recipe, maybe #198, which just happens to be on page 95.) This is hard to get used to and I can't imagine why it was done this way, unless that is the way cookbooks are written over in Egypt. Not to mention that you may have to do some running around as one recipe's ingredient list may have you running to 3 or 4 other recipes.
   
   She has a good glossary, and list of spices in English and Arabic which is helpful, as well as a list of kitchen utensils that are used in Egypt.
   
   Some of the ingredients are not accurately translated, such as "Tomato Juice" in the recipe for Tomato sauce, stewed. I am pretty sure that she is not referring to Campbell's tomato juice or V-8, instead it should be tomato sauce (like from the can), all the Egyptian people I know that make this dish use the tomato sauce from the can.
   
   I felt that the biggest drawback of this book was, after having read it nearly cover to cover, was that there were hardly any recipes I was "dying" to try out. Usually when I read a cookbook, by the time I get to the end, I have a bunch of scrap papers stuck here and there marking recipes I'd like to try. Not so with this one. Maybe more pictures would have helped, maybe a little more "tasty" of a description, I don't know....something to tickle your taste buds and get you feeling a little hungry.... Perhaps some of the dishes were too mundane (would you want a basic American cookbook with directions for grilled cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs with salt and pepper, or mashed potatoes? This might be helpful if you wanted to know about the basics of everyday American cooking but not so appealing to actually hurry up and try to make)
   
   The directions were too instructive, often 3 or four lines, and not written in a way that made the dishes sound appealing. (no one could guess how delicious ta'maiya is by reading the recipe, and that is unfortunate because there are probably countless delicious recipes in this book that just don't sound that great)
   
   For example, minced meat with vegetables:
   Mince beef with vegetables (in this case beef, onion, tomato, parsley, S & P) twice or pound until smooth. Shape into fingers, skewer, and grill basting 1-2 times with cooking oil, or shape into round cakes and fry.
   
   I don't know about you, but I am not running out to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make this tonight!
   
   This is a good basic Egyptian cookbook. There are few of them out there, so if that is what you are looking for specifically, get it because there is little else to choose from (believe it or not, one month after I bought this on Amazon, my father in law showed up with the exact same book that he had bought in Egypt!), and this does give you the basics of Egyptian cooking. I have ordered her other cookbook to see what's in it, as well as another Egyptian cookbook that I just spotted on Amazon. I am interested to see how both of those turn out to be.
   
   If I was rating this book solely on the fact that it is specifically an Egyptian cookbook, I would have given it five stars based on the fact that it is only one of three I have found (one of the others is written by this author)
   
   If I was rating it as a cookbook in general I would have probably have given it 1 or 2 stars because of the above comments.

5 comments about The New Ebony Cookbook.

1. Delicious is the word for the easy-to-follow recipes in the New EBONY Cookbook. I loved Charlotte Lyon's new twist on soul food classics. Cajun Fried Chicken, sauteed collard greens, sweet potato salad, black-eyed pea salad, and walnut sweet potato pie. Recently I got lots of compliments for a brunch I prepared using the recipes for Fresh Tangerine Mimosa, Shrimp-Filled Deviled Eggs, Champagne-Mushroom Chicken, Stir-Fried Asparagus, Virginia Ham Biscuits and Buttermilk Pie with Mixed Berry Compote. The color photos help inspire you to try the recipes. The timely tips at the end are also helpful.



2. As a novice cook, I really do not prepare a lot of meals. When I got this book, all of the recipes looked so appetizing and easy to follow I couldn't wait to get started! The coconut shrimp, cajun fried chicken, skillet greens with balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar pound cake are my favorites! This is a great book I would recommend to anyone who wants to spice up their kitchen!



3. this cookbook is perfect for cooks like me who really don't know how to cook!!! the language is plain, the ingrediants are simple, and the results.....for me... is usually tasty!!!

   the timely tips in the back of the book are especially helpful. they teach me how to make substitutions, when i don't have certain ingrediants the recipes require.

   i also found this to be the perfect cookbook for my 14 year old son to learn the basics of functioning in the kitchen.




4. This book was a huge disappointment. I have Frieda Knight's wonderful _Dinner with a Dish_ (from Ebony), so really looked forward to this one. But it was so coldly written, with no introductions, anecdotes, or descriptions of the recipes. In the aforementioned _Dinner with a Dish_, it tells how a minted pea recipe became very popular after someone mistakenly used mint tea instead of water to cook some peas. I like that sort of intro/description, and missed it here. For example, all recipe collections include some that are quick-and-easy, some that use up ingredients we keep on hand, some that are very cheap, some that are out-of-this-world delicious show-stoppers, some that have sentimental value, etc. -- and it is important to know which are which before wasting your time and effort. (For example, I'm a northerner, and have never seen or tasted collard greens. A recipe describing them as delectable would tempt me to locate and try them -- but, without such a description, I have no way of knowing if the recipe is listed because collard greens are readily available, or because they taste good.) is book doesn't provide any clues about time or effort involved or results expected. I was horribly disappointed, and will be returning it.

   However, I gave it three stars rather than one, since the above criteria may not matter to all people.




5. No thank you, I won't be having seconds. I already own the original Ebony cookbook so I picked this one up with high expectations. What a let down! The New Ebony cookbook is full of bland recipes that I will never try. Considering that the orignal book is a treasury of Americas finest Black cooking there is no excuse for this new version to be so poor. Stick with the original.