5 comments about Tapas (Revised): The Little Dishes of Spain.

1. This book is great, it has all the recipes I was looking for, except one, Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce. I had tapas party at my house and all of the food was gone. I made 7 dishes, there were 4 of us and polished everything of. Plus three pitchers of Sangria. We are skinny too and normally do not eat like that, it just the food was so good.



2. This is a reprint of a book first published in 1985, with a few new recipes thrown in. I was very disappointed, the photos and recipes are very dated and I would imagine you will find my copy in a second hand book store soon.



3. This is the kind of cookbook that begs you to methodically work through it, cooking every recipe! (Well, almost all of them; a few used ingredients that didn't appeal, but that's a matter of personal taste.) The recipes range from delightfully simple to baroque (I had to draft multiple family members to produce the scallops with the pomegranate sauce). Everything can easily compete with what I've had in tapas restaurants, and if you use it for entertaining, the dishes will knock the socks off your guests. Most of the ingredients are easy to find, although I did have some trouble finding smoked Spanish paprikas locally and had to resort to the Internet. After cooking for a few weeks with this book, I went out and got Casas's other book, "The Foods and Wines of Spain," which is also great.



4. This book is totally about the food and culture of Spain! I have all of Penelope Casas' books and use them in my Spanish classroom. ¡estupendo!



5. I have an older edition of this book so my review may not apply to the revised edition. However, I heartily recommend this book. Yes, some of the tapas are involved, but sometimes extra effort is worth it. If you are interested in getting meals on the table in 30 minutes, go to Trader Joe's frozen food section and buy one of their delicious pizzas. If, however, you want a taste of Spain and some darn good food, try this book.
   
   There are some recipes for things most people might not eat (tripe), and things I don't eat (meat), but each section is ordered with the pure vegetarian dishes first, seafood dishes second, meat following. You don't really need to wade through the sheep's liver recipes if you don't want to.
   
   The biggest advantage of this book over other tapas books I've seen is that she is realistic about the ingredients available to the American cook. Some other books rely on fresh anchovies, octopus tentacles, cheese from some small part of southern Spain, you get the drift. She uses ingredients I have (mostly) not had trouble finding, but the recipes still taste very Spanish.

5 comments about The Big Book of Appetizers: More Than 250 Recipes for Any Occasion.

1. I was so pleased with the last book that these authors wrote that I really looked forward to this book. It is very well thought out in it's presentation of recipes and handy tips, and the recipes themselves are to die for. What I especially like about this book is the "Find it Fast Index", which breaks down the recipes into several categories from "Quick and Simple" to "Freezer Friendly" and several in between. It also has a very helpful Menu Planning Chapter for those of us who appreciate help in figuring out what to serve with what! I am still working my way through the recipes, but my favorite right now is Pear, Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Bundles. It is so delicious, and so quick and easy to prepare. I really like the variety of recipes, all the way from Nachos to more sophisticated recipes. The icing on the cake is that this book has been nominated for the best book in America in the Entertaining Category of the James Beard Foundation Awards, which is the equivelant of the Academy Awards, so I must not be the only one who loves it. I'm glad it's being recognized for the great book that it is!



2. Just got it and very impressed with recipes, breadth of ideas, and innovativeness. And don't take my word for it: This cookbook was one of three in this category nominated for a James Beard Award!!! Didn't win but a wonderful honor for these up and coming cookbook authors.



3. This book has more than 250 recipes but not a single photo except the cover. I am sorry, but I don't care how good those recipes are because I need beautiful photos of each dish to make me want to cook. I put this book back on amazon for sale as soon as I got it.



4. I am an avid party giver and always appreciate a good cookbook for those miniature 'meals' I like to serve. This book whacks a punch and has some wonderful recipes that are both delicious and easy to prepare. Great addition to anyones collection.



5. There are plenty of good recipes in a well organized format in this cookbook. The recipes are relatively simple and include "make ahead" suggestions to assist in party planning. I tried a couple of them recently for a big party and the ones I made were excellent. The major drawback for me is that there isn't a single photograph.

5 comments about The Cheese Bible.

1. This book is amazing, it has changed my life in many ways, people now want me Mr Ian Fry to start my own religion, and they want me to read from this bible for the sermons. Buy this book and become a slave to the cheese!! Go on spoil yourself!! i did!!



2. Not to be cheesy but this was the most arousing and dare I say gyrating read of my life. I thought I knew my cheeses but I found out that my cheeses know me, oh yeah, they know me. The cheese bible is the finest piece of theology ive read and has opened me up spritually to world of cheese and its various manifestations. My girlfriend loves the cheese that I prepare for her. This book is useful for people who do not know their cheddar from their cheddar. When i showed my girl my cream cheese (from this book) she lapped it all up like a savage. When I finished this book I said to my partner - "e-DAM this is good!". May the cheese be with you.



3. This book is OK for Yuppie wannabes who wish to impress their peers but not for those of us with refined taste for cheese who enjoy cheese for cheese's sake.
   I purchased the book expecting recipes on how to make various cheeses. Instead I got a Limited wikipedia on cheeses. Perhaps i should've read the advertising more carefully.
   Very disappointed in the book, not because of its content but because of the expectations i had about what i was buying. I seriously considered returning it but thought better of it and morally felt obligated to pay for my mistake, but if i were authorized by Amazon to return it I would without hesitation.



4. As a semi experianced cheese maker, this is a great reference aid. It is the tome of what I need to know and for the price a bargain.
   Blessed are the cheese makers, as long as it is good.
   If you contemplate trying to start making cheese this will give you some basic information as well as preventing some learning curve mistakes.



5. Good and informative book like all the books by this author. Recipes are very good and can be done easily in an average kitchen. Sometimes ingredients are hard to come by, especially when one lives in a small town at the West Coast. It was written for the European market, great pictures.

5 comments about Chinese Rice and Noodles: With Appetizers, Soups and Sweets (Wei-Chuan Cookbook) (Chinese and English Edition).

1. I purchased this book from Amazon last week and am already using it all the time. I grew up in Taiwan and wanted to make recipes that were genuine chinese. My mother always used the Wei Chuan cookbooks so when I found this one I had to have it. It's been a real treat. My sister and I looked at the recipes and reminisced about our childhood and all the yummy dishes we missed, many of which are in this book. The Kung Pao chicken alone made the book worth buying. The recipes are easy and don't call for a lot of ingredients. There is also lots of variety between the meat dishes, noodles, soups, fried rice and dessert recipes.



2. I am a big fan of the Weichuan cookbook series (maybe because my mom based her cooking on them when I was growing up) but was a little disappointed by this one. I was not expecting such a large section about dishes served over rice, but rather more recipes using rice and noodles as a central ingredient. Having said that, a lot of the staples are in here so it still serves a handy reference manual (I tend to improvise and add more ingredients than suggested, using the recipes in this book just as a general guide).



3. This cookbook is great for beginners.. the recipes I've tried so far turned out exactly like they should look and taste. It's a great edition if you're doing everyday cooking for two.



4. Chinese Cuisine. Rice & Noodles. By Su-Huei Huang and Mu-Tsun Lee
   
   More that 174 pages of wonderful food with step-by-step Chinese and Enlish text and colour photos to guide you through each recipe.
   
   Mrs. Su-Huei Huang established the "Wei-Chuan Cooking School" in Taiwan in 1963 together with Mr. Mu-Tsun Lee, chief professor of Chinese culinary cooking, now a resident of Japan. More than 200.000 students from Taiwan and other countries have matriculated in this school throughout the years and many of the graduates have become successful restaurant owners or chefs all over the world.
   
   Something from the history from China:
   In Taiwan the cooking tradition going back to "The ruling Emperers of China" and their Royal kitchen and cooks". This fine art of cooking was lost in China during the revolution. However when the famous general, later President "Chiang Kai-shek" ( / ) escaped in 1949 from mainland China to Taiwan with thousands of the upper class and the former Chinese government officials, they also included some famous Chefs from The Imperial Kitchen. During the time of the Emperors power in China they were never allowed to write down any Royal recepies, or to give them away. The recepies were only for the Emperor and his entourage. Those who gave away recepies lost their heads..., very quickly.... Those Chinese who came to Taiwan brought with them many old and great Chinese cooking traditions which have fortunately survived.
   
   
   The Publisher:
   The wonderful cooking school "Wei-Chuan Cooking School" in Taiwan has published a whole series of wonderful cookbooks. Lee Wha Lim have written more than 19 different books covering food from all the different regions of China.
   
   And all his books are excellent!!! - They are all written in two languages English and Chinese. Each dish is described in preparations, step by step, explaining everything in English and is so crystal clear and easy to understand that one would wish that many western cookbooks couls be that concise.
   
   This cook book:
   All the major parts of China is representated in this fine cooking book (Szechwan, Cantonese, Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwanese).
   And it start explaining about the different types of rice and noodles you can buy, and with photos in colour so you can relate to the different types. Then there is a comprehensive chapter on different kind of cooking oils, frequents used spices and dried goods, as well as vegetables and herbs, meats and vegetables and stocks.
   
   You will learn how to shop, prepare all food and ingridiences, step by step and you will learn how to cut the meat and seafood the correct way. You will learn how to prepare rice in several different ways from boid to steamed and fried, etc.
   
   If you love rice and noodles, you will also love this book. It is one of the best books I have seen and it is written by the Chinese themself! Can't be better.
   
   PER GADE
   Denmark, England, USA & Japan.
   Music Professor,
   author of 56 books,
   prize winner in international cooking and gourmand food,
   for friends and special parties



5. it's very helpful for a beginner interested in making different noodle or rice dishes as a main dish.

5 comments about Betty Crocker Just Cupcakes: 100 Recipes for the Way You Really Cook (Betty Crocker Books).

1. Anyone who has kids or just loves a party should have this book. Wonderful pictures and cupcake ideas.



2. Like because recipes are with boxed mixes and also gives you homemade batter recipes. Easy to follow and creative. Simple enough designs to do at home. Most recipes are for 24 cupcakes. Could have included or shown how to scale down to 12 because just cutting recipe in half doesn't always work.



3. More like a Cake doctor book, to many cake mix recipes....but full of great decorating itea.



4. I don't like using box cake mixes for anything so I was extremely disappointed in how many recipes used them. Granted, perhaps I should have guessed because the cookbook was from Betty Crocker ... but they make many items. There are some things I can make using this cookbook but there are so many good cupcake books out there now, this is probably not the one I would grab first. If you like it easy and fast and out of a box, then you'll enjoy this one. I didn't.



5. I was hoping to see more decorations on cupcakes. But this is more like a cookbook with cake mix. There's still some good idea in there, but nothing new.

No comments about Gourmet Game Night: Bite-Sized, Mess-Free Eating for Board-Game Parties, Bridge Clubs, Poker Nights, Book Groups, and More.

5 comments about Tastefully Small -- Finger Sandwiches: Easy Party Sandwiches for All Occasions.

1. I don't know which is better,the photos and the layout that are indicative of a fine, arty gift book, or the unusual and welcome recipes that are so meticulously presented. Kim Hendrickson's "Tastefully Small Finger Sandwiches" is that rare combination of a cookbook whose pictures you want to drool over,and a serious recipe trove you want to actually use.
   
   I don't think there are any other books out there that offer such a wide assortment of savory goodies suitable for a grand tea or luncheon.
   I especially loved the curry cashew bites, and the caviar-tipped rolls.



2. This book would be the ultimate on finger sandwiches if only there were more pictures. Interesting recipes and interesting ideas. I wish I had this book last year when I made some finger sandwichs for a baby shower. My biggest complaint is the lack of pictures. Like desserts, finger sandwiches are a visual art when done well and it would have been nice to see pictures of the many ways they can be presented.



3. What a wonderful book - full of ideas for interesting sandwich fillings and beautiful presentation techniques. Inspirational for a traditional English tea as well as a great source for everyday delicious treats. I love the "Little Bits" and "Other Bites" at the end of each recipe with ideas on how to modify the recipes for endless interesting possibilities. The author not only provides delicious, interesting and creative recipes but encourages creativity in the reader.
   
   Beautiful presentation ideas. This is a book I will reference often!



4. Book had good ideas for the sandwiches. Fillings were a little different. I had a party with tea sandwiches but didn't use any of the recipes just construction ideas.



5. This is nice little book full of sandwiches, i think they could have put more pictures to show what they meant would have been better.

5 comments about Hors d'Oeuvres.

1. I just used this book to throw a party for between 60 and 70 people. It was an invaluable resource. Not only are the recipes excellent, they include helpful guides on planning ahead and alternative ingredient ideas for added diversity. The recipes are uncomplicated and each one has a beautiful color photograph. This is definitely my new favorite party cookbook!



2. ...this is by far the best!
   
   I am a self confessed hors d'oeuvre fanatic and have been for years. I love how tiny bites can satisfy partygoers without a full meal and look great on a plate. I have most of the hors d'oeuvre books on this site, including the highly rated one by Martha Stewart and another by Gillian Duffy; ones on puff pastry; others on vegetables; even one just for the Holidays. Until I bought this book, I used most of my books consistently, going back to a number of "stand-by" recipes that seem to not disappoint at parties, large or small. But I found myself recycling the same recipes over and over, even trying to mix it up a bit by using different ingredients/same technique.
   
   So it became my quest to obtain another hors d'oeuvre book; it didn't have to dazzle me but I wanted something fresh. I quickly discovered to my great disappointment that the recipes that I had been recycling were also in the new books that I was considering purchasing. It became frustrating and a little puzzling - was there not one book out there that could give me recipes that are fresh and modern?? But...when I opened this book, there they were - recipes that I had never seen before! YES!
   
   The most important reason why a cookbook is purchased should be taste - the end results need to taste good to you and your guests, or else, what's the point? This sometimes gets lost in the effort of wowing guests through presentation. And you don't really know what you're going to get in a cookbook ordered online until you get it into your hands and start testing, even if there is the "look inside" feature. I've tried recipes after purchasing a new cookbook, only to throw the finished product out (which I hate to do) because it tasted awful. But these babies taste GOOD.
   
   There are plenty of photographs, which I always look for in a cookbook, to help with the imagination. Even though I know what "polenta crostini" is, I want to know what it looks like - what shape is it cut into?, how brown should it be?, etc etc. The techniques are not off-putting, even the ones I've not yet tried, because I have the photos to guide me on the final outcome. I've never made Mini Peking Duck Pancakes with Plum Sauce but I am not afraid! There's something about this book that makes you think you can accomplish anything.
   
   I also appreciated how they broke down the book contents, although eerily similar to Martha, it makes for a great reference tool, divided out by how food is presented: Wraps and Rolls, Sticks and Skewers, Stacks and Cases, and so on. As a bonus, there are a couple of chapters at the end I didn't expect that walk you through "Techniques", "Presentation" and "How to Throw a Party", complete with menu suggestions that blend ingredients, technique and prep time.
   
   You just can't beat the price - a little more than $10 for hundreds of recipes, not just one recipe with several variations like other books on this site, there are literally hundreds here. Truly a great value.
   
   OK, the cons:
   
   If I was just starting out and trying to build my kitchen, I would definitely be intimidated by the number of cooks' tools they suggest you purchase to create a "myriad of professional looking hors d'oeuvres." I went for years without half of what they mentioned and managed to get by. The tools certainly make your job easier in the kitchen but aren't critical to success, as you can use other everyday items you already own to do the job (instead of a pastry cutter you can use the rim of a glass, for example).
   
   Also I have to admit I was a little surprised when I opened my shipment box and pulled out this somewhat large cookbook. By "large" I mean tall and wide, not necessarily thick. I don't know why I didn't look at the dimensions listed except that I knew it was paperback, so it never dawned on me that it would come in this size. I am used to "textbook" sized cookbooks, and even smaller than that if it is not hard cover. With that being said, it still fits in my cookbook holder. It's just going to take a little getting used to.
   
   All in all, this is a great purchase. This is now my "go-to" hors d'oeurve cookbook and will be for a very long time. I highly recommend it!



3. I have tried several recipes in the book and my guests loved everything. The techniques and presentation chapters were helpful - I learned so much. I have purchased additional copies for gifts for my friends.



4. This is my favorite "go to" book in my pantry. sometimes I use it just for ideas, I may change up ingredients and sometimes I actually follow the recipe. Either way...it is awesome!



5. I wanted some new party recipies. I purchased several different titles and read thru all. By far this was the best. I do agree that the editing is a little off. You need to be careful that you read the ingredients and make sure you know which dish you are preparing. What I really love is the way this book is organized. It makes it easy to select several completely different hors d'oeuvres that will keep your guests interested. I have already tried 3 of the recipes and had great results. BUY IT!

5 comments about Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook.

1. Best thing I have ordered from Amazon so far.
   Great pictures, great ideas.
   Really gave my catering head a boost.



2. The days I need to make something for a bunch of foodie friends, who hold me to high standards,I bring out this book. Not only does it have the most unusual recipes but they are plated so well, that it makes all the difference.
   
   From Figs in a Blanket to Skewered Beef Bulgagi, this book had the most enticing recipes. Coloured photographs almost show step by step instructions - which makes it simple to follow.
   
   If there was one thing I didn't enjoy its that ALL the photographs are at the beginning of the book and all the recipes at the back. This made it very unwieldy to use cause one likes to look at the pictures while making appetizers.
   
   Great for parties, where you need to impress.



3. this book is great for home cooks as well as professionals...one of my favorite aspects of the book is that it includes all the pictures as well as the recipes...it also has an abundance of ideas and different ways to use the same things over again.



4. Only Martha and her staff could come up with a book like this. I really love the concept of this book. The 1st half of the book contains beautiful colored photos of every single item. The 2nd half of the book is all the recipes. There are 2 built in ribbon bookmarks. Take 1 ribbon and mark the photo and take the other ribbon and mark the recipe. The majority of the recipes you have never eaten or dreamed of. If I was wealthy and had a chef---I would hand the book over and show them what appetizers I wanted prepared for the party. Years ago my mother purchased the book and she made many of the recipes. They were delicious. I wanted my own copy. If you are a fan of fancy appetizers this is your book. If you are looking for chicken wings and potato skins this is not your book.



5. Lots of ideas, good photos. Typically 'chatty' from Martha. Both simple as well as more complex items (i.e. yeast bread straws).

5 comments about Hors d'Oeuvre at Home with The Culinary Institute of America.

1. I expected so much more from this book! There are so few photos, and the ones they do have are duplicated! There is only one recipe on each page and some of them are so unbelievably basic, it's silly. There is no information on making ahead, which busy cooks are always interested.



2. Interested in making hors d'oeuvres purchase - The Professional Chef's Art of Garde Manger. It was written by Chef Frederic Sonnenschmidt, CMC and Culinary Dean at the CIA, and John Nicolas. The 'Art' has a similar feel as the Joy of Cooking and has only a small glossy section of pictures but this book trumps the CIA Hors book three times over. Just because the book has a fancy backer doesn't always mean it is worth it. The pictures are very nice and appealing and I guess for a casual cook the book would be fine.



3. The recipes are tasty and very good.They are easy to follow.I was interested in Hors'Oeuvres .I like cooking and have only a few cookbooks on Hor d'Oeuvres. I also like to know how other people cook.Even the people that cook for a living.



4. Really great recipes in this cookbook. Reliable CIA always gives great recipes, with a unique flair. Should buy this to have in your cookbook collection. Prices on Amazon much cheaper than going to the CIA website!



5. My son who is just starting out as an assistant chef in the restaurant business really likes this recipe book for hors d'oeuvre