No comments about California Style Cooking.

No comments about Mendocino/ Lake Counties (California Wine Tour).

No comments about California Cooking: Favorite Recipes of 4-H Families.

No comments about California Wine Drink Book.

No comments about California Brewin': The Exciting Story of California's Microbrewing Revolution.

5 comments about California Squisine: Healthy Food That's Fast, Fun And Squeezable for Kids.

1. Ask any child, "What are the four basic food types." You may be surprised when they respond, "Fast, frozen, instant, and take out." Informational and entertaining, Malcolm Kushner addresses a timely and important issue faced by American's today, that of childhood obesity.
   
   The book includes over 100 recipes that have met the criteria set forth by the author and his team of consultants. The recipes had to be squeezable, be approved by their medical advisor, had to be made without cooking, and had to be approved by the taste tester.
   
   The book is divided into six basic groups of recipes: Dressings, dips and spreads, sauces and syrups, snacks, sandwiches and other stuff, desserts, holiday squizine, and ethnic squizine. A blender is the only appliance needed to prepare these, cleverly illustrated, mouthwatering recipes.
   
   The easy to follow instructions also provide suggestions for getting children involved in the preparation of the meal. This involvement adds a touch of family time fun to meals and the ownership the child feels insures less stress at the dinner table.
   
   In addition to the valuable background information and recipes I especially appreciated the humorous quips in the "food for thought" sections, generously spaced throughout the book. Malcolm Kushner has given the reader a sample of his wit and lived up to his reputation of "America's Favorite Humor Consultant."
   
   This delightful book should be in the hands of every mother of pre-school through pre-teen children. It should be displayed and available in book stores and in the waiting rooms of pediatricians across America.



2. Of all the cookbooks for kids I've read to date, this one is by far the best. It covers all the bases -- it's Easy, Fun & Healthful -- and as a bonus, the running commentary by author Kushner couldn't be more entertaining. Let's take those bases one by one.The recipes really are easy for kids to follow. They are divided into two parts, "What You Need," and "What You Do." Unlike some kids' cookbooks that purport to have simple recipes but require you to use ingredients one finds only in gourmet stores or overseas markets,the recipes found in "California Squisine" are comprised of items everyone typically has already in the fridge or kitchen cupboard. There are only a few steps that go into the preparation of each item, and they are clear and concise. As far as fun is concerned, children will love the concept of "Squisine." I was a teacher for 12 years and currently work with pre-school children and know how much children enjoy tactile activities. And the foods really are healthful! They are packed with anti-oxidants, are low in sugar and are just good for kids (and adults) to eat -- without being boring. I not only highly recommend this book for children, but also for special needs people of all ages. My adult daughter is autistic and loves to cook. However, she becomes frustrated with complicated recipes -- and I am not comfortable with her using the stove. She loves these recipes and it gives her a great deal of satisfaction to be able to prepare the different foods in "California Squisine" with confidence on her own.(And of course she loves "Squisining.") Kushner has done more than write a cookbook -- he's created a concept and should be heartily congratulated for it.



3. "America's Favorite Humor Consultant" Malcolm Kushner presents California Squisine, a unique cookbook consisting entirely of recipes that are healthy, easy-to-make, and squeezable - perfect for introducing kids to the joy of making tasty treats. Best of all, no actual "cooking" is required! Though not specifically a weight-loss cookbook, California Squisine is pediatrician-approved and provides emphasis on salads, vegetables, and other healthy foods make it ideal for building positive attitudes toward good nutrition. Recipes range from Tuna Pate to Peanut Butter Pizza with Everything, Vegetable Kebabs, Pineapple Pudding, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for harried adults with little time to invest in cooking as well as for kids.



4. Reviewed by Susan Pettrone for Reader Views (1/07)
   
   According to the author, Malcom Kushner, "squisine is a combination of the words squeeze and cuisine." Basically put, anytime you take a squeezable foodstuff such as ketchup, relish, or anything else that "squishes" and add it to what you are eating, you are creating "squisine." The easy-to-use part of squeezable food is not the main importance of "squisine" however, it is the fun part of squeezing the food to add it to a dish that makes it truly squisine and the fun is what makes it worthwhile and entertaining for kids.
   
   Throughout this book the author takes us through the art of squisine, telling us simple ways to add variety and fun to dishes by using this easy-to-apply technique. Because his instructions and ingredients are so easy to use and simply found, the child in your life can happily apply this technique to even the most boring of foods, making them squisine works of edible art! One of my favorite ideas presented in this book is to squeeze messages for someone using a squeezable medium. I have used this on many occasions myself, serving an open-faced sandwich with the message "I Love You" in mustard on top of bologna or cheese. The look on the face of the person receiving not only lunch but a message of caring, is priceless and well worth the extra few seconds it takes to turn an ordinary sandwich into a message of caring.
   
   But, ideas on how to use squeezable food aren't all this book is made up of. It also is packed with recipes including BBQ sauce, honey mustard dip, parmesan yogurt dip, maple chocolate syrup and even strawberry cream cheese spread...all of which work extremely well as squisine for the young chef in your life!
   
   I would highly recommend "California Squisine" for any and all individuals that have a special child in their lives that likes to help in the kitchen. Not only are the recipes found within kid-friendly; they are tasty and fun to prepare as well. In fact, I found many of the recipes perfect for all ages within the pages of this book and ones that I foresee using time and time again even when my children don't help me with their preparation. It is an interesting book, not your typical recipe book for kids, having within its pages recipes, quotes and simple entertainment for kids of all ages. It would be a perfect gift for anyone who works with children as well. Many of the recipes could easily be used in a classroom setting making this a book that would be welcome by teachers as well. Simply said, this book is a great book for m any ages and many types of people. Check it out your self and I'm sure you will agree that it is a book that not only useful but fun as well!



5. MY GRANDDAUGHTER LOVES MAKING RECIPES FROM THIS BOOK WITH HER MOM. THEY'RE FUN TO MAKE, TASTE GOOD AND THEY LOVE DOING IT TOGETHER. THANKS!

No comments about Winewrights Register and Marketplace for Small California Wineries.

No comments about California Favorites Cookbook.

5 comments about Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook.

1. There's a lot of good sense and good food in this book, but the California style is getting a bit past mark of mouth, if you'll permit an archaic phrase/pun. I've made a few of these dishes, and they're fine, but somehow this isn't the book I pick up and flip through, asking myself, "what's for dinner?" With Jody Adams, Daniel Boulud, and Pat Wells on the shelf, I'm not sure I'd call this a "must have" addition. But, if you're a Waters fan, go for it .



2. American foodies owe a debt of gratitude to Alice Waters. She is the patron saint of California cooking, or new American cooking, or whatever you want to call it. She's the one who gave us goat cheese croutons, roasted beets, mache, and so many other now-ubiquitous dishes. "Former Chez Panisse chef" is just as much a brand name as the brand named meats and produce she serves at her restaurant.
   
   For those reasons, I actually read The Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook cover to cover, the way one reads an MFK Fisher book - to get an understanding of the cook's philosophy as well as recipes. Both women write in a formal style and have strong ideas about ingredients, preparation, presentation, and consumption. Unfortunately, Water's writing is more spare, perhaps as befits a patron saint, and lacks the pithy humor that leavens Fisher's books. Reading her prose is more like learning a lesson than being entertained.
   
   Which may be why this book struck me as an essential book for someone who wanted to learn to be a restaurant chef, but not particularly useful for someone cooking at home. Most of the menus require some final preparation of the next dish after the preceding one has been served - possible in a restaurant, but not much fun at a dinner party if the cook wants to eat with the guests.
   
   The individual dishes are also complicated or labor-intensive, causing me to often think as I read, "I'd eat that if someone made it for me." Waters is particularly fond of leg of lamb, lobsters, and quail and her recipes for these show the difficulty in preparing them at home. First, most of the lamb recipes call for spit-roasting the leg of lamb. She even explains how to build a spit. In my spit-deficient kitchen, those recipes are not possible.
   
   Second, while I find a steamed lobster to be a wonderful treat on a special occasion, Waters takes the fun out of it with instructions to semi-cook a lobster, then remove the meat and make a fumet with the shells - a process involving roasting the shells, making the broth, putting the shells in a blender, then straining the whole thing through a fine sieve - then finish cooking the lobster. Whew!
   
   Finally, quail do not usually show up on my dinner table, but if they did, I do not think I'd have the dedication to follow Walter's recipes. In most of her quail recipes she gives similar instructions: "Marinate the quail in a cool place overnight . . . turning the quail four to five times during this time." No little boney bird is worth losing a night of sleep.
   
   Reading this Menu Cookbook made me want to spring for dinner at Chez Panisse, but it did not make me want to don an apron and start cooking.



3. Having heard about Chez Panisse and my sister finally having the opportunity to dine at the restaurant, I gave the book to my sister as a gift. She seems quite happy to have the cookbook (she is a fabulous cook!) and says she has plans to try a number of Alice Water's wonderful recipes!



4. I know good food. I grew up in California and I've lived in Europe for over twenty years. At our house we say we like our meals "delicious, fast, cheap and easy." Alice Water's Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook inspires by reminding the reader when to eat what and how. Perusing the menus makes you want to rush off to the market at dawn. I love Alice Water's advice, "Steer clear of that safe, old chocolate mousse and try something new for a change" (I paraphrase). Now at home we like "delicious, fast, cheap, easy and NEW". Highly recommend to the adventurous cook.



5. Having dined at Chez Panisse, I anticipated being able to recreate some of those mouthwatering dishes, but not all are included -- an admittedly impossible task, since they change menu every single day and rely upon whatever local food is fresh at the time. While there are a lot of recipes here, they are not as accessible as I had expected, and I haven't tried any of them yet. But there is a wealth of great advice within these covers and I hope to be able to take advantage of Alice Waters' insights and tips.

1 comments about Backroad Wineries of Southern California: A Scenic Tour of California's Country Wineries.

1. This book was very helpful for wine tasting in a sometimes neglected area of California. The book should also point out that some, if not most of the wineries mentioned also have outstanding restaurants! Some of the restaurants require reservations for even a chance at getting a table.

   Also, since printing some of the vineyards have had name changes.

   Overall, the book helped make our trip to southern California very pleasurable. It was certainly a good choice to bring along.