No comments about The Mandeer Ayurvedic Cookbook.

5 comments about Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook.

1. Having lived in Asia for years, and having a highly particular taste for authentic flavors, I can tell you without reservation that the "Asia, the Beautiful Cookbook" is the most perfect for authentic savory Asian cuisine. Novice cooks can easily obtain exquisite Asian flavors successfully. Experienced chefs can use the receipes for launches into their own creations or cusine nouveau. The beautiful photograpy and graphic design will make you want to keep it on your coffee or reading table for culinary inspiration, and visual pleasure.

   I am very picky and critical. I have used the "Asia, the Beautiful Cookbook" since it was first published. I find no flaws in this Asian culinary creation text. I find no flaws in any of the "....., the Beautiful Cookbook" series. Worth every cent that I paid for them. (No, I'm not in any way associated with the publishers or Amazon sales departments.)

   P.S. Say, how about getting the "Mexico, the Beautiful Cookbook" back into print too!




2. This is a beautifully put-together book with a number of great recipes. My rating is simply due to the fact that there are VERY few Korean recipes in this book. I mistakenly believed that since Korea is second in the list of countries covered, a significant number of recipes would be included. This is an excellent sampler for anyone wanting to experiment with the dishes of a variety of countries, but don't buy it if your interest is in the cooking of a specific country.



3. This is an excellent cookbook. We have enjoyed EVERY recipe we have made - my Chinese father-in-law (who politely overlooks my need to follow recipes) declares many of the dishes from China, "authentic." The pictures are fabulous and the historical information about each country/region is very interesting. This book offers a delicious "peek" at select culinary delights of each culture represented. The hardcover version rates 5 stars - the paperback is the same oversized format/dimensions as the hardcover, making it VERY cumbersome. There is virtually no way to store nor use the book; hence, the 3 stars for the paperback.



4. This is without a doubt one of the best "practical" cookbooks I have ever seen. It also offers spectacular views of the lands, people and especially, food of the region.
   
   Each nation has an individual section, starting with a general introduction as to the factors that influence the cuisine of that particular land. Interspersed with the colorful recipes are incredibly luscious landscapes. Many of these photographs are of museum quality.
   
   I have made many dishes from every country and all turned out well. The Indonesian section was a suprise and the Nasy Goren was a hit for a dinner party. The Korean beef, the Thai lime beef, all the Chinese food - everything looked and tasted sumptous.



5. Just that,...The title says it all. Beautiful photographs of the finished products with both American AND metric measurements included in the directions for each recipe.
   ASIA-The Beautiful Cookbook starts in Japan and ends in Sri Lanka. The two main countries of focus with the most recipes and pages, would be China and India. This book includes all types of dishes from each country,.. appetizers, soups, salads, desserts and main dishes. The only thing I can think of that would make me like this book more,... a larger section on Korea. ASIA-The Beautiful Cookbook includes recipes from each country and a history about the unique cuisine that represents it. A cultural background surrounding the people and their food is also lightly explored in this book. It's part cookbook, part history text book. I love it.

No comments about 101 Best Ever Curries: Triple-Tested Recipes (Good Food 101).

1 comments about Meena Pathak's Complete Indian Cooking.

1. My wife gave me this book a couple of years ago and I have never tried any of the dishes. The book had wonderful pictures and very elaborate recipes. I decided one day to try the shrimp in coconut curry which is pictured on the front cover of her book. My wife loved the dish. I made it for her friends as well and they could not believe that I made it. I then started cooking a different curry every week. I have now made 5 different dishes. I have to tell you, of all the cookbooks that I have, this is by far the best one. What I like about it is that she explains the process in detail. She tells you the exact amounts of water or oil to use which is great for beginning cooks. I also like the various masalas she shows how to make. The other unique thing I like about this book is that it features dishes from all parts of India. I am from Goa and she even had 4-5 recipe's from there. I don't have to go to Indian restaurants anymore because her book teaches you all the tricks the restaurants use. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Everyday Tofu: From Pancakes to Pizza.

1. I have read over 50 books on vegetarian cooking and how to use tofu. This book is one of the best that I've seen. I have already made several of the recipes in the book and gotten rave reviews from my family (who thinks tofu is of the Devil, but have eaten it unknowingly) as well as a couple of vegetarian friends who cook on limited budgets and have no access to gourmet or exotic ingredients.

   The recipes are all very simple to follow, don't require much prep time, give useful tips on how various handling methods effect the texture of the tofu, and just plain taste good.

   The most impressive aspect is that all of the ingredients listed in the book are things you can buy in a normal grocery store and will require no great "treasure hunts" to find difficult or exotic ingredients. I highly recommend this to people who are used to the "Average American Diet" but have gone vegetarian or just want to get soy in their diets.

   Some of the recipes include "Tofu Rarebit", "Yam Pie" "Tofu Pancakes" "Noodleless Lasagne" "Tofu Tamale Pie" "Corn Custard" "Baked Potatoes With Cheese" "French Toast" "Muffins" and a "Tofu Cheesecake". No recipe takes more than one page in the book and many are desserts. I think you'll like this.




2. This book is great! I'd never really eaten much tofu before, but I wanted to start including it in my family's diet. The recipes are easy to follow, all of the ingredients are readily available, and the results are delicious. After having this book for about a month or so, I've made 2-3 recipes a week. The desserts are fabulous (especially the cheesecake). Highly recommended -- especially for novice tofu eaters. Even my 12-year-old eats it now!



3. Prepare to accept tofu as a delightful healthful permanent staple in your diet. Everyday Tofu makes it easy to be politically correct, have your tofu and eat it too. Almost 100 recipes featuring tofu in main dishes, breads and desserts are presented, as well as using frozen tofu. All are brief, simple, and imaginative. The versatility of tofu is properly celebrated. Delicious examples include Yam Pie, Tofu Chapaties, Tofu Quiche, and Tofu Tamale Pie. Spare attractive presentation, blue tint photos, and simple highlighted preparation instructions make a fine collection. And to answer that ever-popular question, Why eat Tofu? Just read Sharon Elliot's introduction.

   Nancy Lorraine Reviewer




4. Almost all of the recipes in this book are for everyday items with mashed, pureed or crumbled tofu added; while the few things I've cooked have been good, I was hoping for some variety of method. The author only explores one way of using tofu, and for that reason I found the book a little disappointing.



5. If you are expecting this to be a book of vegetarian recipes, be forewarned. Several of the recipes call for beef or chicken flavored bouillion cubes. Of course, you can usually find vegetarian versions of these seasonings.

   To be fair, the book does not claim to be vegetarian and the dessert recipes are yummy.

No comments about 60 Hot Wok Recipes: East-to-Cook Asian Dishes Shwon in More Than 300 Step-by-Step Color Photographs.

1 comments about Curries & Bugles: A Memoir & Cookbook of the British Raj.

1. If you want a book on Indian cuisine that is unlike any other, do not hesitate to get this book. It is a treasure. It earned an IACP award in 1990. Fascinating to read from cover to cover for its stories on the British Raj and full of receipes that are intriguing and delightful. These are not the same receipes that you will find in Madhur Jaffrey's books since they are derived from British influences on the traditional indian dishes, such as tea-time and weddings and club dinners. A must have for anyone who is fascinated with India and Indian cuisine.

2 comments about Heartsmart Flavours of India.

1. Has some great recipes. Helped my dad who had a heart attack with his cravings for Indian food. A must-have for Indian food lovers.



2. I've used this cookbook so many times and each time the food has turned out really tasty with so much flavour... Her meat masala can be used in so many different ways, the best part is different dishes taste different even after using the same masala... Her recipes are easy to follow and most importantly - Good for the Heart!! Highly Recommended

5 comments about Amma's Cookbook: From Indian Village to Internet.

1. I like this book. The tips on the side are very good and the recipes are authentic..



2. It is so refreshing to come across a cookbook where the cook is fondly and confidently explaining the intricacies of cooking without ever revealing how many pakoras she/he can snaffle down while waiting for the remaining batches to be fried! And, thank God, there is no chastising of food fascists (the current favourite word of celebrity cooks), no repetition of "use the freshest of ingredients only (How many of us go to the grocery store and pay to buy wilted lettuce?)". You get the point. Delightful to read , Amma (is it really a woman?)seems to be a brilliant cook. Just try her Dum ka Murgh - were Proust to eat that as a child (apart from the Madelienes), literature would have been richer by, hopefully, another memory recall and another million words! I cannot recommend this enough.



3. I like this book and have developed several great recipes using it as a good starting point. I'll get right to the point of my quibble. The measurements for the liquid portion of several of the recipes is way off, as in totally off. For instance: in the recipe for Malai Kofta one part of the recipe calls for making a paste of several ingredients using 1 cup of water. When I first saw this I thought "Way too much water". However as a first run I followed the recipe exactly. As expected the blend was a watery soup, not at all a paste. I arrived at the right paste by dry grinding the ingredients then regrinding them in a mortar using 1/8 cup water. Perfect paste. So the recipe in the book was off by a factor of 800% on the liquid required. I experienced the same problem of way too much liquid on other recipes. The liquid portions are so far off I've wondered if there is a translator mixing up tablespoons with cups. I've started ignoring the liquid quantity in the recipe and using what seems right to me. Following that path the results have been excellent, so the book is worthwhile. I just have a problem with a cookbook that is so wildly off on such a key ingredient. If you're an experienced Indian cook who can use your own judgement this book is a lot of fun. If you're looking for a cookbook where the actual recipe followed exactly produces good results, look elsewhere.



4. I am an American woman married to an Indian man. "Amma" is talked about so much that I thought this book would be great. And the pictures DO look great, but I never have all the ingredients to make more than a handful of the recipes! I have a lot of Indian spices at home, but this calls for weird spices that I've never even seen in Indian grocery stores.
   
   The recipes are not difficult, but as I said, the ingredient list is exhaustive. I would not recommend this book unless you have obscure spices in your kitchen (this goes WAY beyond cardamom, turmeric, and cumin!!!)



5. About a year ago, I bought Amma's Cookbook. Now, almost a year later, having cooked my way through all the recipes, all I can say is, well, it is a damn good book. Practical instructions, a sincere narration and delicious end product - well, what more do you want from a cookbook?

No comments about Better Homes and Gardens Easy Stir-Fry Recipes.