5 comments about SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life.

1. Try the white bean soup! I love a book that uses accurate measurements and ingredients for their recipes. After having this book for years and enjoying the reading knowledge, I finally tried the recipe for white bean soup. I was surprised at how accurate it was and how great the soup tasted. Try to use homemade meat stock for an even more perfect soup. I have tried store bought stock and homemade and still have excellent results.
   
   The information in this book is easy to master and incorporate into your everyday shopping program.



2. This a really interesting and enjoyable book, which can be used on many different information levels, depending on how deeply you want to delve into the research behind it. It is well set out and easy to follow and certainly inspires you to improve your diet and hence your well-being. I have been following the advice and already feel that I am well on the way to a healthier and more energetic lifestyle. Loved it!



3. I have re-read this book several times. It has excellent information on nutrition & health as well as very good recipies to utilize the 14 foods. It is a wonderful reference.



4. Bottom line: it's nutritionally beneficial to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables! Plus, drink tea.
   
   Boring. I was hoping for some juicy details, but what I got was a bland recitation of so-called facts and statistics. The addition of "sidekicks" to the "superfoods" really lessens the potency of the superfoods' superness.
   
   More fun to read a few issues of Vegetarian Times and Real Simple - you'll get similar nutritional info with the added bonus of recipes and decluttering tips!



5. OK, so I'm kind of a health nerd. I admit it. I like the science in this book. I like hearing about the chemicals in the foods and what they do in your body. Maybe that's not for everyone, but I really appreciated it.
   
   When I first read it, I turned it into a game. How many Superfoods (and foods in the related "family") can I eat in a day? It made the "diet" fun, and I certainly did feel better.
   
   From everything I have been seeing in the news lately, Pratt got it right on. All these foods have stood the test of time. I would still recommend this book, even though I know the research has evolved somewhat since he wrote it.

5 comments about The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco.

1. The book is a combination cookbook, and character study -- all the characters of the Sopranos give their favorite recipes and living tips (!) -- and stay in their character.
   
   It is most interesting, and the recipes are good!



2. Book was a gift to a Sopronos Fan. Was able to get a collector's 1st edition - that arrived a few days after placing order in brand new condition. The book was more than I expcted it to be - the recepies are fantastic! I'm ordering one for myself!



3. Fantastic Cookbook. It was a gift and friend loves the book.
   Quick Shipping. Excellent condition and price.



4. The book arrived in Alaska in the time allowed. The service was great! Thank you!



5. It is a nice book, with beautiful pictures of the TV show. If you are a fan, doesn't matter if you like cooking or not, this book is very pleasant: besides the recipes, it has interviews, statements, curiosities, etc

5 comments about Home Sausage Making : How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home.

1. I bought it as a wedding shower gift. I opened it and read a little of the book and it seemed really cool. The recipients were thrilled.



2. There are many recipes for sausage making in this book, but those that I've tried were not really great. It's an informative book, but I'm not crazy about the recipes.



3. This book has everything you need to know about getting started in sausage making. It is well written and informative. It remains in my reference book collection for some of the outstanding recipes inside. I have won BBQ contests with the Bavarian summer sausage and the Polish sausage recipes, no kidding! This is a must have if you are interested in making sausage at home.
   
   How does fresh sausage taste? You may never eat store bought sausage again, not willingly at least!



4. This book came with a sausage making/stuffing kit I purchased from Lem Products. (5 lb stuffer kit.) It gives you just enough information to get started safely, without overwhelming you with all of the details and nice-to-know stuff you can learn later when you find yourself addicted to sausage making. I have made several of the recipes and they turned out great! While this book is not the definitive text on the subject, it gets you making sausage.
   
   I recommend this book to any beginner. With a handful of useful tips and solid recipes the authors have insured that you will be successfully making great, fresh sausage in no time.



5. Home Sausage Making : How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home
   
   The book is great. You can't put it down. It gives information on equipment, choices, sources for spices, different casings and more. It gives stories on histories on various sausages, recipies on veal, pork, chicken, game, vegetarian and more. A great find that inspires you.

1 comments about Sugar Animals (Twenty to Make).

1. good book to have for making cute little animals - gives step by step instructions and easy to make

5 comments about The French Chef Cookbook.

1. I opened this book with great expectations, all of which were fulfilled. Julia's memories of the taste of food that she had decades earlier are incredible! It's as if you were with her at the very moment in France when she tasted her "first" French meal...you can taste and smell and feel the moment.
   A real must have for not only Julia fans, but anyone who takes the art of cooking anything seriously.



2. I am very pleased with the service and the book. Delivery was quick and I was kept informed about the progress of the delivery. The book arrived in perfect condition and I will order again on Amazon.



3. As I said in my review of Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, it seems the whole world is into Julia Child's cooking, well at least my cooking friends are anyway. She was a wonderful cook and an engaging personality. I got these two books at an estate sale in Laguna Beach and they have really overwhelmed me. Especially this one. Starting with the cover. Julia Child is so thin and so young. She did French cooking for a long time.
   
   And in this book, which originally came out four years shy of half a century ago, you'll find more delicious recipes than you can shake a stick at and you'll get a little education into the fine art of French cooking. The book starts with a Note on Wine and if you're going to cook and eat French cooking, the wine is important.
   
   This book came out before we were all interested in low fat diets, so don't go looking for a whole gang of low cal meals here, because you won't find them. However, you will find really, really good, delicious and better than scrumptious dining. For us, Hubby Dub and myself, we watch what we eat, well I watch for both of us, five days a week. I try and cook delicious, low fat, meals, so that we stay healthy and live longer.
   
   But two days a week we don't watch our diet at all. We eat what we want and if a recipe calls for heavy cream, I bloody well put it in. This book is great for those two days. If you can't eat like this a couple days a week, then what is the living business all about anyway. Besides if we healthy five-sevenths of the time we're way, way better off then those who don't watch their calories at all. So we don't feel the least bit guilty about indulging our taste buds and stuffing ourselves with food to die for a couple times a week. And that's what you'll find in THE FRENCH CHEF COOKBOOK, food to die for.
   
   Review sincerely submitted by Captain Katie Osborne



4. Simply this, I own it and I love it. I think Julia Child was a wonderful French Chef, I ABSOLUTELY HATED HER VOICE! I watched her on TV growing up. I have several of her cookbooks and use each one for technique and suggestions. The lady (rumor has it) was a spy for the United States during WWII, working for the OSS, that became the CIA. But it's only a rumor.
   While not everyone's cookbook, there is a wealth of information and some wonderful recipes.
   
   Reviewer:
   I am a former "Flying Tigers" 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Information/Public Relations Specialist. I review things honestly, fairly and don't hold back if there is a problem and praise the good. I majored at the University of Toledo in Public Relations and Education with minors in Nutrition and Safety/Health and a former writer.
   My regards, John Marshall



5. julia child is the mother of cooking, and food tv. introduces
   new chefs and takes fear out of cooking

5 comments about The Mixer Bible: Over 300 Recipes for Your Stand Mixer.

1. I just got a New Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas. I asked myself...'Now what am I gonna do with it?' I searched online for a recipe book that....well got good reviews and decided to give it a try. I have not had it long enough to try some of the recipes that require attachments. I don't have any as of yet...Birthday is coming. I have however tried some of the sweet desert recipes and some of the bread recipes and Mmmmmm....mmm...boy did they turn out yummy! I have decided to have a bit of fun with my cookbook and Kitchen Aid by handed this book to each family member to randomly pick a recipe they would like me to create. So far SO 'GOOD'.



2. This book was a gift for my wife, and she's made a few things from it. It's very detailed, with long explanations for just about every phase of making something (such as for soufflés and types of crust).



3. I bought this cookbook based off the reviews (as everyone else did) and i didn't let me down!!! The first thing I made was monkey bread! the best ever. then i made lots, and lots, and lots of other stuff :) The layout of this cookbook is ideal... the ingredients are in order of use, it has a make ahead section on every recipe, an tells you how to keep it after cooking (refrigerate, room temperature, freezer) as well as how long it will keep.
   Just buy it, you will love it!



4. I expected the book to be about baking, but it contains all kinds of foods and recipes to try the attachments with. Not what I expected, but a good general cook book. I don't think I needed it since I don't have attachments and I already have lots of cook books.



5. I received my book quickly & perfect, no damage! Excellent book to introduce you to your mixer. Many delicious recipes & ways to use your mixer. I always had used my mixer for basic mixing, yet with this book I've ventured out to new things. I own the shredder attachment & this book had new uses for that attachment too.
   I would suggest this book as a gift or part of a gift pkg,(mixer or attachment & this book), to get a new mixer/attachment owner started. I use it quite often/weekly = good purchase!

5 comments about Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World.

1. If you are even so much as looking at this book for any reason, just buy it. It is beyond fascinating. I got it because it had some information on reishi mushrooms... and it just goes on and on and on about more than you could ever think of about fungus, growing fungus, the uses of fungus.... just plain WOW! Color photos everywhere. It will pull you in reading it for days.



2. When research biologist Paul Stamets suggests fungi can help save the world, he is absolutely serious. In fact, he contends they can rescue it in several different ways. There are the medicines to be derived from fungi, probably more than we can yet imagine. Fungi for insect pest control. Fungi can absorb and often digest toxics from their environments---toxics as diverse as heavy metals, PCB's, oil spills, and radioactivity. Fungal partnerships can revolutionize our farming methods. And we can heal the ecosystems of damaged forest lands by introducing selected fungal species into those environments. Paul Stamets is one of the visionaries of our time. He is revolutionizing the ways we look at fungi.
   
   This book starts by teaching the basics of mycology. Mycelium are fungal threads that form a network, usually underground. Mushrooms are just their fruiting bodies. Mycelium are so tiny that one cubic inch of soil can contain enough to stretch for 8 miles. But mycelial networks can cover as much as thousands of acres, making certain varieties of fungi the largest organisms in the world, as well as some of the oldest. Fungi build soil by breaking down organic matter, and even cracking apart rocks. Besides that, fungal mycelium enter into symbiotic relationships with trees and other green plants, helping
   them get water and nutrients from the wider environment by surrounding and even penetrating the roots.
   
   Paul Stamets believes mycelium are information sharing membranes in their environments. He says they are aware, react to change, have the long term health of their host environment in mind, and devise diverse enzymatic and chemical responses to challenges. He cites research to back up these ideas. In other words, he is telling us fungi are intelligent, sentient organisms. Because they regulate the flow of nutrients through the food chain, we can use them to bioengineer ecosystems.
   
   It has been estimated that three fourths of our medicines come from nature originally. Fungi, Paul Stamets claims, show incredible promise as sources of future pharmaceuticals. Many kinds of fungal mycelium compete with bacteria and viruses in the soil, and in doing that, they secrete a variety of chemical substances that kill those microorganisms. So fungi could protect us from microbial infections in three ways: as antibiotics, by increasing our immunity to fight diseases, and by constructing mycelial mats to filter disease contaminated water. He says, "Preliminary studies on mushrooms have revealed novel antibiotics, anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents, immunomodulators, and a slew of other active constituents." Stamets himself has discovered and patented fungal extracts effective in protecting human blood cells
   against pox viruses. This particular fungi that kills pox viruses lives only in the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, as do many other fungal species in that wet climate. He reminds us that these have been logged to the point where only 5% of the old growth are left standing, and who knows what other medicines have been, or still could be lost by this practice. He also discusses the effectiveness some fungal species have shown against the HIV virus, so research is actively continuing on that front.
   
   This book contains information on using selected mycelium as "mycopesticides" to control certain insects, such as ants, termites, or beetle blights in forests, with negligible damage to other species or the environment. And these mycelium will continue to grow and offer long term protection.
   
   Mycoremediation is the name Paul Stamets gives to the "use of fungi to degrade or remove toxins from the environment" by using mycelial mats. Fungi can be used to clean up mercury, polychlorobiphenols (PCB's), fertilizers, munitions, dyes, estrogen-based pharmaceuticals, neurotoxins--including DDT, dioxins, and stored nerve gas. Fungi can also break down oil spills, although several patents on some species are stopping the use of them for clean-ups, he tells us. Mycoremediation apparently takes quite a bit of skill in choosing the best fungi for a given situation, considering both beneficial and hostile competitive microbes in the environment. Also in some cases, these toxin-absorbing mushrooms need to be harvested and taken to toxic waste sites to be stored, incinerated, or otherwise recycled, he advises.
   
   This book advocates no-till farming, because tilling breaks up mycelial mats, which then lets the soil erode. No-till farming also disrupts wildlife less, uses less energy and fertilizer, and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. He tells us that polysaccharides secreted by mycelium bind soils from erosion. And many temperate fungal species produce glycoproteins to protect mycelium from freezing with the added benefit that they protect green plants during extreme cold. Mycelium decomposing organic matter also raises soil temperatures. So by encouraging mycelium formation, farmers can
   build soils while creating mycofiltration membranes to trap farm pollutants, such as water run-off contaminated with manure. Mycelium Running has a large section of detailed information on farming and gardening with mycelium.
   
   Paul Stamets explains the principles of mycoforestry, which preserves native forests, recovers and recycles debris, enhances replanted trees, and strengthens sustainability of ecosystems. He describes methods of introducing certain species of fungi into recently logged or burned areas to aid in forest recovery, using native fungal species and matching them to the trees they usually partner. When the mycelium eventually put up mushrooms to reproduce, those are eaten by birds and other animals, who further fertilize the soils and drop seeds from other plant species there, so the new ecosystem
   develops quickly.
   
   The last approximately one third of this book is devoted to detailed information on many individual fungal species, their natural habitats, methods of cultivation, how to harvest and cook them if they aren't poisonous, their possible medicinal properties, and their potential for mycorestoration of ecosystems.
   
   Paul Stamets has a retail company called Fungi Perfecti, which sells equipment for growing fungi, spores, kits to grow them, fungal medicinals and other fungal derived products, books about fungi, gifts, etc. All the products are certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. He also offers classes in growing mushrooms and other fungi, and occasional classes in mycorestoration at his place near Olympia, Washington. You can get a color paper catalog from Fungi Perfecti, or visit his web site: [...]
   Paul Stamets has received many awards from environmental organizations for his research on fungi and repairing damaged ecosystems. He has written numerous articles and academic papers on medicinal, culinary, and psychoactive mushrooms,
   and several books on mushroom cultivation.
   
   Mycelium Running is a beautiful book with color photos and illustrations on almost every page. This is THE book to read if you are interested in using mushrooms medicinally, ridding environments of toxic chemicals, recovering damaged forests, or practicing sustainable agriculture, particularly permaculture.
   
   review by Sher June, [...]



3. When one considers mushrooms, one often thinks of a salad topping or a hallucinogen, but rarely does one consider mushrooms as a means to save the world. In Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, mycologist Paul Stamets proposes that mushrooms can provide much more than a nutritious snack. Stamets is revered as a leader in the field of mushroom cultivation, having published five books on mushroom cultivation and use. By providing strategies by which mushrooms can improve both human and environmental health, cultivation techniques, and a species guide, Mycelium Running serves as an excellent addition to Stamets' other publications.
   Mycelium Running is divided into three parts: The Mycelial Mind, Mycorestoration, and Growing Mycelia and Mushrooms. The three different parts provide the reader with a better understanding of mycelial structure, four unique mycorestoration strategies, and a detailed guide on how to grow mushrooms. Information is provided on how one can implement some of the proposed restoration strategies.
   In the Mycelial Mind section, Stamets' passion for mushrooms shines through as he discusses the ubiquity of mushrooms, referred to as "mycomagicians," even claiming, "without fungi, all ecosystems would fail." The mycelium, which is a web of cells that fruits mushrooms, is "so pervasive that a single cubic inch of topsoil contains enough fungal cells to stretch more than 8 miles if placed end to end. I calculate that every footstep I take impacts more than 300 miles of mycelium." Stamets' introduction to fungi goes beyond standard textbook fare, while still providing introductory information on mycelia to any reader completely new to the topic. Stamets then goes on to discuss the medicinal applications of mycelium, including the role of mushrooms in fighting HIV. Other exciting mushroom applications presented in the text include mycorestoration and mycofiltration, where mycelium are used as a means to clean up contaminants, such as oil spills, and filter water.
   This book presents many exciting ideas to help clean the environment, prevent further contamination, and improve human health, and Stamets managed to convince me of the role mushrooms will play in saving the world. I would recommend Mycelium Running to anyone interested in mushrooms, biology, the environment, human health, or innovative scientific ideas.



4. This book jump-started my middle-age gardening career. You must consider going this route in this failing economy. There is no downside to investing in this book.



5. This book is great. Totally great. I pick and eat wild mushrooms all the time with its guidance, and I'm not totally whacked out because of it. GREAT.

5 comments about Confetti Cakes For Kids: Delightful Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City's Famed Bakery.

1. Had so much fun with this book!! Everything is explained and easy to understand! The recipes can stand on their own feet!! This is a great book for anyone who wants step by step instructions and some foot notes!! Great buy!



2. This book is very informative. The examples and instructions are fantastic.
   Highly recommend this book.



3. Elisa Strauss has dazzled me again! She is undeniably talented. Her first book is also a keeper. I prefer her books to Sylvia Weinstock's two books. Her Red Velvet Cake recipe is too die for! I cannot wait to make these cakes for my kids.



4. Lots of good ideas, and wonderful cakes. But as for a beginner like me, i don't think i'll be able to do any of the cakes. This book has lots of great pictures but not too clear on HOW to instrutions.



5. i'm so excited when i receive the book, the instructions are clear.
   also there's drawings to show how the cake is constructed.
   i want to make the monster cake just for me on my birthday (selfish me).
   i just wish there's a step-by-step picture, because i'm new in cake decorating so sometimes i'm just not sure
   but i really love the book

5 comments about The Wine Trials 2010: The World's Bestselling Guide to Inexpensive Wines, with the 150 Winning Wines Under $15 from the Latest Vintages (Fearless Critic).

1. This useful guide proves itself consistently by our tasting experiences. We gave it as XMAS gifts this year and received surprised agreements from our friends.



2. Clearly blind tasting is the only even semi-scientific way of evaluating wine. We should value wines that we like, that taste good, rather than for nebulous qualities of their reputation and label. The fact that wine critics are not much better at identifying good wine than we are is a disturbing fact. And the shameful overpricing of wine in the United States, both with the government-mandated middle-men and the restaurant multiplying level, is a crime. Who could imagine spending $20 for a bottle of wine in Spain or Italy? Or that amount for anything but an old Bordeaux in France? Yet that's the bottom, the two buck chuck, of the US restaurant wine pricing.
   
   Anyway, philosophy and overall guidance aside, this guidebook isn't all that useful. It highlights a scattering of good wines (to someone's taste) at a good (sub $15) price point and they are supposed to be widely available wines as well. The first ones I tried though were nothing special at all, and nearly all of my inexpensive standbys were missing from the book. With that lack of luck, I've moved on. Good wine ideas but only so-so on the guidebook side of things.



3. Familiarity breeds liking -- one of the oldest psychological truisms, supported time and again by social psychology research. The authors of The Wine Trials 2010: The World's Bestselling Guide to Inexpensive Wines, with the 150 Winning Wines Under $15 from the Latest Vintages (Fearless Critic) neglect to address (pro or con) this simplest of explanations for their findings but as they are not psychologists themselves, I didn't expect them to. Nor does this omission damage my love of this book. Considering this, it is no surprise that the average wine drinker is pleased by the flavors found in average-priced wine while the distinguishing flavors of top tier wines would be preferred by posh winos.
   
   As a sociologist myself, I find The Wine Trials to be fascinating. The breadth of flavor in, say, red wine, is vanishingly narrow relative to its price ladder; so it makes sense that some other structuring characteristic is operating here. Goldstein and Herschkowitsch seem to believe that reviewer bias and an insular industry are to blame.
   
   The simpler explanation the authors give is that wine is good, and broad variance in wine prices cannot reflect the relatively narrow variance in wine quality. Yes, there is bad wine; and there is phenomenal wine. But the way things are being done now, wine is clearly not being priced by how much the readers of Wine Spectator will actually like it. That much is clear, and the industry cannot ignore it.



4. The first part of the book was mostly just description on the process of their blind tasting, nothing really that interesting. However I gave 5 stars based on the recommended wine list. I have to saw that after more than half a year, i have tried a good many of the highly recommended list and I'm really happy with their quality. Also they have included wines that are mostly easily obtained at local and large retail shops that carry wine. Recommended for beginners that need cheap wine to start out.



5. Got the book a few weeks ago and have tried a several of the bottles they listed and I must say the wines are absolutely delightful! Buying this book to use as a wine buying guide is a no-brainer. Best ten bux I ever spent!!

5 comments about Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook.

1. This cookbook is a wonderful treasure chest full of forgotten gems. If you're looking for a how-to book to recapture the all-but-dead traditions of making your own lemonaid; baking a cake, cooking meals (real meals, not something that follows the diet-of-the-month game plan) then this is the book you want.



2. Thanks for the great service and quality of the cookbook. I had a much earlier version of the Betty Crocker Cookbook that was given to me as a young girl by my parents. It managed to get misplaced during our recent move from California to North Carolina. I was thrilled to get a replacement copy that has meant alot to me over the years. I look forward to making the cake donuts once again. Thanks again, Sheila



3. this book is wonderful to use in cooking and teaching kids to learn to cook.



4. I found out about Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book in an article in Reminisce Magazine that I found in the laundromat. There was a photo of a reader's copy of this cookbook. I looked it up here on Amazon and read all the reviews for it and was interested in buying it.
   
   Unlike most of the other reviewers here, I didn't have this cookbook in the past and neither did my mother. This cookbook originally would've been popular around my late grandmothers' times, but they were country girls who made simple rustic dishes, and I never saw them even use cookbooks. They may have had their recipes handed down to them from their mothers.
   My mother was much more of a career woman than a homemaker, so cooking wasn't as much a priority for her - just something that had to get done - usually by means of a crock pot or pressure cooker. I didn't care for most of her cooking, and her cookbook was by Fannie Farmer.
   
   Women of my generation had some Home Ec. classes to teach us the basics of nutrition and measurements and food safety, but we were raised more to focus on our careers. Besides, there are so many foods out there that can just be popped into the microwave, as well as restaurants just about everywhere I look, so it seems that learning to really cook isn't such a necessity. But I bought this book because I love retro things from the 50's and I was also hoping to replace all those cookbooks and card recipes cluttering up my kitchen with one that would get more use. I have too many other cookbooks that I rarely or never even use. I hate the ones that don't stay open on the counter and more than that, I hate when pages fall out. Most other cookbooks are so dry and boring.
   
   The price is so much better here on Amazon than in stores, even taking shipping into account. I received my book even before the e.t.a. that Amazon.com gave me. The binder is lovely and the glossy, ring-bound pages are a pleasure to flip through. I love the tabbed dividers between chapters and the whimsical illustrations of animated foods as well as the lovely photos of delicious dishes. The language of the text is colorful, so it's very engaging as well as educational. I have learned not only how to make tasty foods that smell great, but also how to present them attractively and how to get more vegetables into my diet in an appetizing way, which was more than I had bargained for! Having made several tasty dishes from this book, I'm thinking about giving all my other cookbooks the heave-ho!



5. Product delivered in a timely manner. The product itself is the quintessential midwestern cookbook. If pressed to have only one cookbook in my kitchen this would be it. Reminds me of being a child when my mom used this extensively.