5 comments about Chinese Snacks (Wei quan shi pu).

1. My wife studied Mandarin in Taiwan before the PRC opened up. She's had this book since it was published. The recipes are time consuming - that's how Taiwanese and Chinese cooking is . The chef does all the work , and the food is designed to be shared and eaten with chopsticks. That said , this book is a good choice given the pictures of the finished dishes and prep. The recipes are accurate . The Pork Chop Noodle , for example , is identical to what I've had in China -a little better in fact. In addition , its a cookbook designed for real cooking. That laminated cover doesn't get ruined when the oil spatters. Sure it's work , but if you live somewhere where the Dim Sum is dismal this is one way out.



2. This book contains a lot of good dim sum recipes and are very authentic. The instructions are easy to follow and the pictures are faithful to the recipes. The recipe for potstickers or jiaoze dough I use is from this book. The har gau and shiu mai recipes are quite good as are the several others I have tried. Be warned, however, dim sum is not something you can whip up quickly. Having this book will not replace going to your favorite Chinese restaurant for dim sum. This is not the fault of the book but the nature of dim sum. There's a reason so many Chinese people go out for dim sum instead of cooking it at home--it takes time and effort to do!



3. I was really excited when I got this book...i cracked it open and couldn't wait to create my very own dim sums...to my disppointment, the recipes in this book was totally WRONG!!! There are key pieces of information that are not stated in the recipe and it's literally impossible to make it properly if you didn't have that information. I am tempted to burn this book. Really mad and it's a total waste of my time and money.



4. I basically got this and a few other Chinese cookbooks from my parents when I moved out. I am half Taiwanese and love Chinese food, especially snacks and street food. Where I live now, I can get Cantonese dim sum, but not any other kinds of snacks and so once in a while, when I've got a full day, I will go through this book and make one of the recipes that I miss most. I am not exagerating when I say that it usually takes a full half day or day to make some of these. It's especially tough when I make some dessert and then realize at the end of the day that despite a full day in the kitchen, I still need to cook dinner. Don't bother buying this book if you never spend more than half an hour in the kitchen at a time.
   
   I do really love the recipes. There are shortcuts if you can buy pre-made wrappers (ex: wonton). And many of the snack are freezable so you can make a whole bunch for future eating pleasure! ex: shu-mai, leek turnovers, dumplings... Note some are not as freezable, ex: yeast dough used for pork buns and red-bean paste buns.
   
   I am not completely unfamiliar with Chinese cooking techniques so the recipes are easy for me to follow - the diagrams and simple pictures are sufficient for me. I do understand that it could be challenging if someone has no idea how what they're making is supposed to look like. Also, it does use ingredients, such as lard, that are not always found in US supermarkets.
   I recommend this book for the home cook who either cannot get great Chinese snacks at the store or loves to cook and who once in a while has a day to devote to cooking.
   
   My last point is about the Wei Chuan collection. I have this one and 2 on rice dishes. I like the way these books are organized and am thinking about buying one of the more general books, such as the one one Chinese Cuisine or Chinese Cooking for Beginners. Much of Chinese cooking (from observing my mother, grandmother and aunt) seems to be about tasting the food as you cook and eyeballing the amounts to put into the dishes. While the snack dishes require strict recipes, the other books were good for me to get an idea of the right ingredients to incorporate and approximate proportions. I'd love to know more about how others use the books, and which ones they like most.



5. This is a great recipe book that contains some very traditional Taiwanese food. The instructions are reasonably easy to follow but the illustration could have been more clear.

No comments about Stonewall Kitchen: Appetizers: Finger Foods and Small Plates.

4 comments about Williams-Sonoma Collection: Seafood.

1. Lots of great recipes in this book. Williams Sonoma always offers great cookbooks. The photography was wonderful (as usual) and the recipes are pretty simple if you enjoy cooking. I would recommend it!



2. All of the Williams Sonoma Cook books are very nice. For the price, you simply cannot go wrong The recipes are good with beautiful pictures for each one. The books can be displayed on a book holder on the counter of your kitchen. I plan to purchase more of them.



3. This is another wonderful book to add to my collection! There are many great recipes to try - from the stove top, the oven and the grill - we can't wait to get started! We love seafood just any way it can be fixed and this book just broadened our horizon just that much more! Thank You!!!



4. Absolutely loved shrimp recipie. My husband made it for our family dinner and everyone wanted to know the recipie. Other recipies were great too. Loved it!

No comments about 3 Books in 1: Kraft Cheese Casseroles & More, Nabisco Appetizers & More, and Velveeta Crowd-Pleasing Recipes (3 in 1 Cookbooks).

5 comments about Tofu 1-2-3.

1. This is such a great book. I have yet to make a recipe that is not tasty. The great thing is that the recipes are easy, fast and taste great! If you are trying to learn to cook with tofu, this is the best book!



2. I've been in a tofu kick recently but I was getting tired of the usual Asian tofu stir-fry recipes. This book features classic American recipes that feature tofu in them, thus making them much much healthier. I love that the book is very approachable for both meat and non-meat-eaters alike. I love trying out the recipes that camouflage tofu in them. I mean, who would've thought that one can make cookies with tofu? Not only are the recipes simple and healthy, they are also very delicious! Most of the ingredients required are accessible and can be easily found in most supermarkets. I like that the author also takes the time to introduce the less familliar ingredients and how to store and pre-treat tofu (eg. draining, rinsing and drawing out most of the moisture) to optimize its flavor. Overall, this is a great buy for anyone who wants to incorporate this healthy food into his/her diet!



3. As a newbie to tofu cookery and tofu baking, this book is truly helpful. Ms. Abrams does a fantastic job of laying out necessary details for those not familiar with this big, white blob. (These details are probably also great for experienced tofu users.) She introduces the reader to tofu varieties and describes each of the ingredients she uses, noting why each is used and where odd items can be purchased. The recipes cover everything from breakfast to appetizers to desserts, so it has something for everyone!
   
   One reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because she uses pure maple syrup to sweeten all the desserts. I have found many recipes online that use honey or other options, which happen to be a whole lot cheaper. I have tried to substitute honey for some of the syrup and that seems to work just fine. Also, I didn't like all the finished products that I've tried (but I liked most).
   
   If you're looking to incorporate tofu into your diet, then I recommend checking out this book.



4. I'm a lifelong vegetarian who loves to cook. Until recently, I was dating a vegan who was learning to cook. He picked up this book randomly at the store one day, and I have to say, I was stunned at how good the recipes are. There are a ton of unusual and unique ones that I've never heard of before, which is a nice change since most cookbooks tend to stick to the same vegetarian standbys. The sunny carrot tostadas on pg. 150 are absolutely fantastic and easy to make. I would highly recommend this book to any vegetarian who wants to expand their repertoire to include some easier but still delicious foods.



5. Let me outline the good stuff about this book because I really don't want you to miss anything and can't say enough great things about it!!
   1) The first 3 weeks I cut out meat from my diet using recipes only from this book, I dropped 10 pounds without even trying.
   
   2) My family didn't even know I was using tofu and they asked for 2nd's much more often and even when I told them it was tofu, the recipes I used were requested by them again.
   
   3) I get to be adventerous in the kitchen (or at leas I feel that way) My favorite recipe (super hard to pick just one!) is Thai style tofu with Butternut Squash SUPER DUPER YUMMY! You have no idea! I'd never cooked anything with butternut squash before using this book.
   
   4) I've never cooked with tofu before using this book. It has the tofu for dummies (my own title) section in front w/the simple basics PLUS more. Then, multiple sections of foods such as: entree's, desert, soups, etc etc to prepare. The recipes are simple and easy enough to modify to add your own zest (I prefer additional spicy and extra veggies). Every single recipe (at least half of them now and almost all of the entree's) I've used from this book were beyond fantastic.
   
   5) The only thing I recommend, is if you have a question, go check it out online, eg.. I didn't know what 'Nutritional Yeast flakes' were but looked online, went to sprouts and got some and add it to tofu recipes that have it added (most of the time it's optional) as well as add it other things now too. There were only a few similar things in there that I'd never heard of, otherwise, a cookbook for anyone, simple, easy to follow, very very healthy.
   
   6) I really meant it was easy to use - the index in back is great, just look up zuccini and it tells you every recipe in the book that contains zuccinni, as well as listing each one by it's titled recipe name. Most of my cookbooks just have the title of the recipe. This was great last time I had extra zuccini and wasn't sure what to make, found a few recipes that include it and went to town.
   
   7) I really love knowing that I'm putting more healthy, home prepared meals on the table and again can't say entough how easy it is, and even more yummy than you could ever imagine tofu being!!
   
   Great health and happy cooking!

5 comments about Bite Size: Elegant Recipes for Entertaining.

1. This is one my favorites - so much so I have bought copies for staff and friends. Enjoy the beautiful and interesting ideas.



2. The recipes are too gourmet for my tastes: ceviche, foie gras, monkfish mousse with tomato gelee, caviar, and salmon roe. Maybe others salivate over fish mousse, but not me! And while the author suggested providing vegetarian options for your guests, there weren't many included in the book.
   
   This book does include beautiful full-page color photos for most recipes, although I didn't like the paper quality.



3. Truly elegant, unusual and delicious canapes with enough of a twist to enliven what can be very ho-hum food these days. Also, enough to inspire the home cook who wants to do more than just open packets and jars.
   Excellent photographs that show the food as it should look instead of the arty irrelevant photos we see in too many recipe books these days.



4. Contrary to some other reviews, these recipes do not have to be that difficult. For most of the recipes, there are suggestions on ways they can be done faster or with less exotic ingredients. Most are simple, elegant bites that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.



5. I recommend this book for people who wants to create appetizers or entertaining food. Easy recipes, lovely pictures. Not for professional chef but great for amateur!

5 comments about Sips & Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Coctktails and Appetizers.

1. Kathy Casey has another perfect book of recipes. I never measured a drink until I tried cocktails in her other books, now I know why. They just taste better, like a real recipe...having the perfect ingredients measured well makes all the difference.



2. This book is a great primer to 'cocktail culture'. The introduction challenges you to step away from premade mixes and make your own, and like any well crafted recipe, to measure. I like the use of all kinds of liquors, making each cocktail idea exciting and affordable. You might like to stock your liquor cabiniet with imports and top shelf selections, there is room to upgrade in every recipe, but for the rest of us, a bottle of pear vodka and a few fresh herbs is a economical inspiration for a backyard brunch. I'll take a Peach 75 at sunset anyday. Sip resposibly.



3. A friend and I recently hosted a "Girl's Getaway weekend" to Sunriver, Oregon. As a hostess gift the girls gave each of us "Sips and Apps". This is a great book to reference for fun cocktails and apps. It will inspire you to make unique creations that you may not normally attempt. It is impossible to choose what recipe to try first, they are all so tempting and proven to be fabulous! The apps are great and fun! All the recipes are super easy to follow and the photography is great I love being able to see what the finished product should look like. I now have a few books on hand for a last minuite hostess gift.



4. I have so many appetizer and cocktail cookbooks, this one looked good...it doesn't really give you that much different than most other books...nice book to have if the price is right.



5. I love this book...received it as a gift and now have purchased it for a friend and my brother for his 50th birthday. Recommends glass selection, many tips and very fun to make very interesting cocktails and appetizers. I will continue to buy it for other gifts!

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 Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America.

1. I purchased this book for my husband who wanted to have a tapas party. I read a short story by Jose Andres, All by Myself,in the book "Don't Try This at Home."
   
   Upon completion of his review of this book; he is ectastic and planning a party. His biggest problem is narrowing down the list of tapas to prepare.



2. I gave a Tapas Party for 11 last night. The guests, who ranged in age from 19 to 60, helped prepare dishes from this cookbook. The recipes are well-written and pretty easy to follow. We all had a blast, loved the food, and learned a lot. Our favorite recipes were Traditional Astrian Bean Stew; Rack of Lamb with Honey Allioli; Tortilla de Patatas; Artichokes Sauteed with Ham; and Rustic Bread with Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Salt (Really! You've got to try it!). For a special occasion, it is worth taking the trouble to gather the authentic Spanish ingredients, because they make all the difference. Our local stores stock many of the ingredients and can order others. I ordered chorizo, Serrano ham, and Spanish beans from La Tienda (latienda.com). I am going to buy this book for passionate cooks.



3. This is a great cookbook for people who want to dine sensibly but to dine "fine." My wife and I have been enjoying its recipes about once a week. For us the small portions inherent in the "tapas" idea and their healthy Mediterranean ingredients have opened up a new way to cook and to eat. Recipes typically defy characterization by course since many of the dishes presented include not only(smaller) amounts of meats, poultry or seafood but also vegetables, fruits or legumes, nuts and so on. That quality of combining wide-ranging sources of nutrition makes each dish suitable to become the center of a sensible meal. In fact, we recently returned to Barcelona and found that Spaniards are increasingly doing just that in their tapas restaurants, combining different tapas into a "tasting menu" approach to dining.
   
   The recipes in this book have winning features: ingredients are simple and are increasingly available in mainstream markets as well as in Latino food stores, dishes are quick to prepare and to cook, little or no special equipment is needed and the results are as tasty as you make them by purchasing quality fresh or processed ingredients. Online sources are given for those persons wishing to do "authentic" versions of each recipe or people who don't have hispanic sections in their food markets. After all, Jose Andres does most of his cooking in his three Washington, D.C. restaurants with ingredients he can find in America.
   
   I can not recommend this cookbook highly enough. Spanish food is neither greasy nor spicy and has little in common with the folkloric foods of Texas, Mexico or the Caribbean cultures. Jose Andres is a pied piper when it comes to leading an American audience to appreciate the culture and the foods of his Spanish homeland.



4. tried quite of few, very very good. this book is laid out great. by setting up receipes in sections pertaining to the main ingredients is a fantastic design.



5. Tapas are great and this is a great way to learn about them. A few points may help you use this book to the full. Often, in Spain, a dish is available as a tapa, a half order, or a full order. This is because a restaurant really wants you to stay and eat there and not leave to try somewhere else. So, if it seems like the portion is large, it is. You should either share it, or plan on making it a main course, not a tapa. Second, to get the true feeling of what tapas are, try doing a tapear yourself. Get a group of friends together and pick an area with a number of restaurants. Then, start at one, have a drink and a something to eat, either an appetizer or an entree shared among the group. Talk and enjoy then, move on to the next place an repeat. This is a great way to spend an evening, and you don't even have to go to Spain. Then try at home with several of the recipes from this book. You will have a much better idea of what tapas are all about.

5 comments about 500 Appetizers: The Only Appetizer Cookbook You'll Ever Need.

1. I purchased this recipe book thinking, like everyone else, there were 500 recipes in there. There are only a hundred or so and four variations to each. The recipes themselves aren't bad but definitely not the norm. If you have a picky eater in your house, like my fiance, you probably wont have much chance to use it.



2. Have not gotten to try anything out of it yet but there are a lot of great looking recipes. Most recipes also have modifiers so that you have lots of ideas on how to change things to tweak them to your personal taste. A+ on that.



3. The first thing that "500 Appetizers: The Only Appetizer Compendium You'll Ever Need" has going for it is the use of the word "compendium" in the title. That is one of my favorite words! OK, so that might not do it for you. Let me try some more ways!
   
   In graduate school one of my English professors and Dean of Humanities at the time said such a strange and wonderful thing (a thought I already held dear). He said--this during the first five minutes of class--a dear little man of Irish extraction--"Just holding a book in your hands can give you a sense of what's inside." To begin, the book jacket is plasticized paper, so has that distinctive feel. Flip it off and you will flip off a maroon jacket only to find a bright, bright orange hardcover. Awesome!
   
   For a thick book--some 288 pages--it holds open fairly well. You will still need something to hold down the sides when you are toward the front and back. After awhile, the book will probably prop open with ease. The spine seems to be designed for ease of use. The book is also small in size--6 inches x 6 inches. Altogether a great feel for what is inside.
   
   Inside, ah, inside are the best recipes for appetizers. Here it comes, oh yes, it's a compendium of appetizers! Pop open one page in the middle--"garlic & chili shrimp." Your first instruction is: "Serve these delectable shrimp with chunks of crusty bread for soaking up the garlic and chili-infused oil." Of course, following the new trend in cookbooks, there is a picture with every recipe--all color on semi-slick pages (that feel again!).
   
   Pop open toward the beginning: "quail's eggs with black olive tapenade"--my only complaint is that I have no clue where to obtain quail's eggs or if I want to. The directions give no clue either. OK, let's try again: "avocado salsa" (note: the book does not capitalize titles, so I'm not). A familiar recipe, a comfortable recipe.
   
   And toward the back: Oh yum! "mashed pea and ham crostini"--Those smashed peas begin as frozen green peas, cook, process until chunky in the blender, rub bread with a slice of garlic, spread peas, fold a slice of prosciutto across, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Does that sound good?
   
   Susannah Blake explains the source of her recipes in the introduction, international in variety, some hot, some cold, some as first course (an example is golden polenta), all either little snackers or little taste-tempters. Then she discusses necessary equipment. Do you know what a debris dish is? It's a necessity at a party where people need to be able to dispose of olive seeds, chicken bones, and the like without tucking them into your houseplants.
   
   Her Table of Contents gives the reader all sorts of choices:
   
   chips and sticks (interesting)--"poppy seed grissini" (breadsticks)
   dips and salsas--"fiery pumpkin dip"
   mini mouthfuls--prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with lemon mayo"
   big bites--"grilled polenta with blue cheese and arugula"
   tapas tasters--"green pea tortilla"(this looks so tempting!)
   amazing meze--"garlicky tomato and eggplant stacks"
   asian flavor--"chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce"
   quick canapes and hors d'oeuvres--"walnut toasts with warm goats cheese and fig"--oh heaven!
   mouthwatering salads--"baby spinach, roasted squash and gorgonzola salad"
   elegant starters--"phyllo tartlets with cherry tomatoes, basil, and ricotta"--a gorgeous dish!
   index
   
   If you are wondering how Ms Blake could fit in 500 recipes, here's how. After she gives main recipes, she ends each chapter with variations of several of the recipes. For example, she takes "zucchini pancakes with tomato salsa" and offers these variations; "with sour cream and chives," "with sour cream and caviar," "with pesto cream," "with salsa and sour cream," and appropriate directions with each. I think she can count each one as a different recipe. You can imagine how different each would be.
   
   I am going to have so much fun during the holidays making some of these fine recipes. I also see several wonderful evening meals. Mention goat's cheese and figs and I swoon. Although I don't have fresh figs, I did can several jars of fresh figs as substitutes. Maybe not a compendium, but a few.



4. Looking forward to making some appetizers from this book. Book is in excellent condition and am very happy with my purchase.



5. The 500 appetizers provides 125 recipes for a variety of appetizers, salads and tapas from everyday to exotic variations. Each of the 125 recipes has four minor variations that tweak the item into a different version by adding a new flavor profile. Like all of the books in the series this provides excellent recipes that are customizable so if you are familiar with flavors it Is easy to create your own variation. This book provides everything from quick bite appetizers to more substantial appetizers for tapas dinners. It has a wide variety including a big Asian section and covers some unique ideas. It also has a thorough dip section for those looking to explore that field. Overall a great job and for those who frequently host parties they will find this book very helpful.