5 comments about The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion.

1. I LOVE this cookbook! It is packed full of great information and organized based on how many people you want to feed. None of the recipes are complicated, just delicious. Colleen also includes a ton of other tidbits of information that are great for those of us just getting started on our vegan journeys. This was the perfect addition to my growing cookbook collection.
   
   My favorite part, however, it is that unlike many other cookbooks, it includes the nutritional information! Very helpful for those of us looking to get and/or stay healthy.
   
   I've been making the red lentil artichoke stew several times a month! Yum!
   
   Can't wait for Colleen's next book!



2. VegNews Magazine named The Joy of Vegan Baking, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's first effort, 2007 "Cookbook of the Year." With The Vegan Table, it's obvious Patrick-Goudreau is neither a one-hit wonder nor suffering from a sophomore slump. The Vegan Table is stunning in every detail: concept, photography, design, and, of course, recipes. "I am an entertaining maniac," she boasts, which just might be the understatement of the year. Throughout, Patrick-Goudreau offers advice on entertaining, chef's tips, and veg-food trivia. She also pairs her recipes with a brief nutritional analysis. Table would be an enjoyable read even for non-cooks. It is a classic, a beautiful work of art. Any book that states "Eating more of my desserts will make you healthier" deserves attention, don't you think?



3. This a gem of a cookbook, perfect for entertaining guests as well as feeding your family. So many books aren't really substantial fare for vegans. This one has a wealth and variety of recipes. We intend to make good use of it.



4. I am a big fan of the author, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and was not disappointed with the purchase of this cookbook. There is a wide selection of yummy recipes to try as well as Colleen's commentaries which I have found very useful as a new vegan. I'm so grateful for the choice of veganism and Colleen has made the transition to vegan eating very, very simple yet extremely satisfying.



5. Being new to veganism, I got a little purchase-happy with a ton of new vegan cookbooks. A few have been disappointing, but they were well worth it for eventually guiding me towards this book! First of all, the book itself is beautiful, and I love everything down to the texture of the pages! There are pictures for almost every recipe in the book (of the finished product, of course), and the set-up of the book is new and refreshing! The author separates the recipes based on what sort of company you'd be entertaining -- whether it's for you and that "special someone," casual get-togethers, parties, formal occasions, et cetera. She also has the recipes further separated by what kind of dish it is (appetizer, main course, dessert) and what time of year to have it! The book is filled with informational tidbits -- food history, "did you know"'s, cooking tips, decorating tips (for the occasion), and other things like that. There are even recipes for vegan tea parties!
   
   My family and I tried the panini and herbed scalloped potatoes -- the panini looked just like the picture in the book, and my family (who is definitely NOT vegan -- they love their meat!) said it was absolutely amazing and that they would do nothing to change it -- not even add any cheese! Of the dishes I've made so far, those two are my favorite :). Flavorful, delicious, generally easy recipes to follow in this book! (p.s. She even tells you how to improvise if you don't have the correct cooking materials -- genius!)
   
   My new favorite cookbook, for sure!

5 comments about Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are.

1. 
   Many reviewers have hailed the excellent variety of vegetarian menus in this book. What really surprised me was some of the unusual and creative techniques for using a slow cooker for things like bread and desserts. These more esoteric offerings get a little complicated and require an insertable pot and a very large slow cooker, but they show you ways to use a slow cooker that you might never have imagined.
   
   I think the author unnecessarily limited the scope of this book by providing only slow cooker variations for her recipes. As you put together most recipes in this book, you realize that they could just as easily be baked in an oven, stewed on a cooktop, or simply microwaved instead of slow cooked. Slow cooking serves an important purpose and produces great results, but the author could have highlighted the versatility of her recipes by also including options for baking, microwaving, or stewing them. Occasionally I see a cookbook that provides multiple cooking options; most recipes in this book deserve that kind of showcasing.
   
   One disappointment I had with the book was with the bean recipes. With the exception of lentil and split pea dishes, all the bean recipes called for precooked or canned beans. The author seems to think that you can't cook dry beans and vegetables at the same time. Maybe so, but she should have explained her reason for that somewhere in her text.
   
   Overall, this is an excellent collection of vegetarian recipes. But don't make the mistake of thinking these recipes are just for your slow cooker - these recipes are much more versatile than that and can be cooked in a variety of ways.
   
   ****



2. The Onion soup is wonderful. I just made it for Saturday lunch, cooking the onions as directed all night Friday night. It works, and it couldn't have been better. My sister is visiting and she said it was as good as the soup in France. A lot easier and cheaper, too. Can't wait to try more.



3. I've made a wide variety of these recipes since I got the book a few months ago--I'm addicted! (I particularly recommend the No Hurry Vegetable Curry and Vindaloo Vegetables.) It's worth noting that most of these recipes are low-sodium as well as healthy and delicious. As someone on a low-sodium diet, this book is a godsend. It is not advertised in the book, but almost all of the recipes are (or can be) made using virtually no sodium. The main source of possible salt is canned beans, but there are instructions in the book for how to cook dry beans. Not only are home-cooked beans sodium-free, they are notably cheaper than canned ones. Soups often call for vegetable stock, but you can find very low sodium versions of these if you look around. Even when recipes rarely call for soy sauce or other salt-heavy ingredients, it's almost always a very small quantity, which is quite negligible when divided among the multiple servings that the slow cooker yields. Recipes often call for "salt to taste," but you can omit this (as I do) or use a salt-substitute. Otherwise, you're just cooking with naturally sodium free vegetables and spices.
   
   The best part is that you don't even miss the salt in these recipes. Given the long cooking time and the wonderful combinations of tangy spices and fresh vegetables, meals come out delicious and salt-free everytime.



4. This cookbook has two huge problems. One, the cooking times have NOTHING to do with reality, unless you want your food so overcooked it's like baby food mush. I might be willing to live with that (though why would I buy a slow cooker cook book if I wanted to do all the experimenting myself to figure out how long things should cook?) But the second problem is that the recipes really aren't very good; there's been nothing so far that I would make a second time, let alone enough times to really figure out the correct cooking time.
   
   I've tried five or six recipes and I keep thinking I should try more but I just can't make myself. Some of the leftovers of what I did make went in the garbage, some of them we managed to finish but with no gusto, so it's not very encouraging.
   
   Also, a LOT of the recipes have multiple steps, dirtying plenty of pots and dishes than just your slow cooker. So, even if the times were right, these really aren't recipes to throw in the cooker in the morning and come home to at night.



5. I recieved this book for Christmas and was thrilled to get it. I returned to being a vegetarian just over a year ago and when I still ate meat I would use my crock-pot atleast weekly. Since going to the dark side, my crock-pot was collecting dust because I wasn't exactly sure what to cook in it. This cook book solved many of those questions. I have made the blackbean soup, chicken potpie, and several other recipes. The blackbean soup was delicious, not quite the typical Cuban style, but my Cuban husband still loved it. The potpie also came out very tasty. There is a tip in the book to make a drier crust by removing the lid for the last bit of cooking, which I did, and was happy with the outcome. Most of what I have made from this book even fills my meat and potatoes eating husband up with no complaints! There are also many other kinds of recipes in the book besides dinner. There are breakfast foods, sides, desserts, and drinks. The drink part could have been left off, b/c really and truly what drink isn't vegetarian? None the less, I still gave the book 5 stars because of the in depth recipes in the remainder of the book.

5 comments about Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

1. I couldn't wait to start using some of the recipes from this cookbook. First, I scanned over the entire cookbook, clipping pages of the recipes that peaked my interest. I just purchased a new belgian waffle iron, so, the Waffles w/peach-berry compote sounded "tasty". It didn't dissapoint. Being an avid reader, the success stories of the featured individuals gave me motivation to start my own fitness program as well. I give this cookbook two "thumbs up".



2. This book not only has recipies in it but also a diet guide. I thought that the recipies were easy and tasty. I would recomend this book to anyone who loves to eat and wants a lower fat and calorie version.



3. This is a wonderful cookbook with easy to prepare recipes with items most will have on hand. It does compile the recipes of the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbooks of 2008 and 2009 with about a dozen other recipes. I have both those as well and probably wouldn't have purchased this one had I known it was a compilation of those two books. I've used many of the recipes from those two books over the past couple years and have enjoyed them all and used them many times. I'll pass the old books on to my daughter and keep the single one.



4. Although I haven't tried the recipes yet, they do look good and not hard to make. I just don't cook all that much and wanted it for the baking recipes. All and all, it's a nice cookbook.



5. I was disappointed! Recipes are not that unusual. The portion sizes have just been reduced.

5 comments about Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes.

1. I am a big fan of Lidia, as well as the owner of one of her earlier cook books. I found this particular cookbook chock full of easy to follow recipes that even a less experienced cook would be able to prepare. Instructions were clear and precise. Ingredients were readily available in the neighborhood supermarket. An all-around delightful book, picturesque, enhanced with Lidia's personal touch.



2. I collect cookbooks and am an experienced amateur chef. Sometimes you buy a cookbook and get one recipe from that book that is worth the price of the book. Lidia's treasure chest of regional recipes is just that, a treasure.
   Oh, that one recipe that was worth the price of the book? Spinach alla Genovese, page 107. I did take liberties with the recipe as Lidia often suggests and added red pepper flakes. I grilled rib eye steaks and served them on a bed of this spinach.
   She suggests we make sandwiches of the leftovers - this dish will never have left overs at my house! I had already planted a Swiss chard bed and plan to have Swiss Chard alla Genovese Lidia - The Julia Child of Italian Cooking.



3. I have all Lidia's cookbooks and I enjoy cooking her recipes. I also enjoy the history of Italy that is always a part of her books as well as her family experiences. The photos of her food makes me hungry so there is only one thing to do,--go cooking. My dream has always been to take my fork and head for her kitchen. Thank you Amazon for this wonderful service you provide for cookbook addicts like me. And the price is right too.



4. My only complaint about this book is that there are very few photographs of the prepared dishes. We also eat with our eyes and Lidia's book could have been superb with the additions of photographs of the food and any out of the ordinary preparations. Other than that, yum!!



5. Lidia does it again with another book filled with fantastic recipes. This is my third of her cookbooks. Her directions are always well-written and clear. She's a genius.
   It is also a bonus to watch her make many of the dishes in this book on PBS.

5 comments about The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal Plans and Recipes to Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life.

1. I was inspired by this book to eat better for life. My co-workers and I are trying to change our eating habits into better, healthier habits. This was my second book to read about the Mediterranean diet and by far the best. It has recipes that are easy and delicious, and easy to "Americanize". I would highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about making a diet change for a healthier LIFETIME.



2. My doctor recommended this book for health reasons. Since my husband needed to lose weight he decided to join me and give it a try.
   I found the recipes easy to follow and most were fairly quick to prepare. We enjoyed the meals and both lost weight without starving or feeling deprived.
   The first part of the book details the health aspects and I was interested in learning about that. For others be aware that only half the book is recipes. But I still recommend the book.



3. I chose this book because I was looking for a "jump start" plan utilizing fresh, healthy foods that would taste good and remain a part of my choices after I had lost the weight. It has been an excellent choice. The menus are varied, the meals easy to prepare and delicious.



4. I found the book an excellent resource for long term health and longevity. The short introductory period is too low carb for my taste, so I haven't tried it yet. The recipes that we have tried have been very tasty, although we aren't big fish eaters so we tend to keep away from most of those. I would recommend the book to someone for healthy recipes or someone wanting to quickly lose weight.



5. We have two teenage boys, and I don't like fish, so it was a bit of a gamble to try this diet. It is amazing how wonderful things can taste with such simple ingredients. We love the recipes, have been feeling better--yes, even the boys admit that--and have been losing weight. My youngest son hates vegetables, but loves the lentil soup, even though all of the ingredients are vegetables. Even he can't believe it. Not only is everything delicious, yes even the fish, but the recipes are simple and very quick to make. This book is great. Who knew that losing weight could taste so good!

No comments about The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook.

5 comments about Everyday Food: Great Food Fast.

1. I really love this cookbook. I don't think there's anything that I've made from it that a) wasn't simple, and b) wasn't absolutely delicious. It's wonderful, and the photos are beautiful. I especially like how it's broken down by season, making eating what is in season a snap.



2. This is a great cookbook. I watch Everyday Food on PBS it is my favorite cooking show. So I was excited to get this book. The food is simple fresh and delicious! I practically cooked my way through this book, skipping only a few recipes, and my whole family enjoyed every recipe, especially my hard to please husband. You will not be disappointed with this book, and it also is helpful because every recipe has a picture with it. So in short, I LOVE this cookbook, and can't wait for the new one to come out in February.



3. The food actually turns out looking like the pictures. And there aren't too many ingredients and you can check the calories, fat, and protein per serving easily in the index. My friend received the book for Christmas and was so enthusiastic I bought one too, even though I rarely cooked (preferring frozen Lean Cuisine). We've made about 15 different recipes and brought each other samples from our dishes. Since I'm new to slicing and dicing, the recipes take me a little longer than what's suggested, but I think the results are worth it. It's an exceptionally useful book for someone learning to cook!



4. This is my go-to book when I'm making the week's list of meals. Check these out and lots more:
   
   Zucchini and Chicken Salad: got us all to clamor for more greens, and we ate it so many times over the summer we needed to take a break until next year!
   Turkey Burger: Never tried turkey burgers before, and this was easy enough to tempt us, and tasty too.
   Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers: One of my favorites in the whole book, they're spicy, not difficult, and they manage to taste incredibly fresh. Terrific for lunch the next day too.
   Chicken Stir Fry Wraps: The stir-fry is tucked inside lettuce wraps--I wasn't sure I'd like this one, but it turned out to be so fun to make and eat with friends, and very flavorful.
   Sole with lemon butter sauce: One of the few things I didn't wholeheartedly love, but very easy--5 ingredients.
   Mushroom tart: Much more packaged food than a lot of these, and I liked it but my bf was less impressed.
   Spicy black bean cakes: They made even my die-hard meat-eating bf declare they were delicious and he didn't miss the meat from the meal at all
   Baked ravioli: Like lasagna, only way easier than any lasagna I've made.
   Cherry Tomato Crisp: incredibly delicious and a huge hit
   Grilled Sweet Potatoes & Scallions: Summery & tasty
   Blueberry Crumb Cake: I'm not an experienced baker, and this took way more time than I was expecting due to my own slowness. But the cake was delicious, coworkers and family approved.
   Grilled chocolate sandwiches: only made once, because they're so indulgent, but what could be bad?
   
   Even when I don't end up using a recipe from this book, the pictures almost always give me an inspiration. I would buy this anytime in a heartbeat!



5. I've owned this cookbook for quite some time now. In fact, the pages are starting to come loose because I've used it so much. This is a great everyday cookbook to give you a little help when trying to determine what to make for dinner. I love cooking for special occasions, but the monotony of cooking day after day gets me down! This cookbook is a godsend when you need a little inspiration. There are full-color photographs of every recipe, which I love. It's arranged by season, which is a another huge plus in my book. And the recipes are easy to make, easy to adapt, quick, and delicious!
   
   I'm hoping her Martha Stewart's new Everyday cookbook is just as good. It will be hard for it to live up to this one!

No comments about The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook.

5 comments about The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less.

1. I love this book!! The recipes are easier to cook and literally takes no more than 30 mins. Which is all I have! I also like the way the book tells you which category the recipes are in (e.g., phase 1, phase 2 phase 3) This is excellent and more practical for everyday cooking!



2. Dieting can be tough for me because good food is such an important part of my quality of life. The recipes in here are quick and simple, but most important to me are flavorful and satiating. I was successful on the South Beach Diet several years ago, but distinctly remember spending so much time cooking to make sure I was eating the right food. This cookbook provides many great quick and easy recipes, chili, chicken quesadillas, sausage and kale.... It's been a lifesaver and is one of the primary reasons I've lost almost 20 lbs in a month. Make enough at dinner to ensure you have leftovers for lunch the next day. Double the recipe if necessary.



3. I have been using this cookbook for about a month now and I absolutely love it! The recipes are delicious, healthy and simple. Having the right tools to cook with fresh foods is a must: food processor, garlic press, great knives. After working a long day, it's nice to be able to prepare a healthy dinner in about 30 minutes. My husband and I have each lost 10 lbs and we always have plenty to eat. Our son is 9 and he is loving the tasty meals. It is not a diet, it's a lifestyle and we LOVE it!



4. This book has excellent recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and fairly easy to prepare. My only complaint is that my copy is falling apart. Pages have fallen out chunks at a time.



5. This is a "lifestyle change" cookbook that everyone can enjoy! This is the proper way to eat for the long run! Yummy - fast - easy and no one knows that you are feeding them healthy food!

5 comments about The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition.

1. With the vast array of recipes available online this is the only cookbook you truly need. The thing I like best about the book is that it not only has recipes it tells you the how's and why's of each recipe. For instance, the chocolate chip cookie recipe explains why just barely melted butter is the best and how to shape the cookie to make it turn out bakery quality. The explanations make the chemistry of baking and cooking understandable. I think these recipies and explantions have helped elevate my cooking and baking.



2. This book is great and filled with excellent information. It has tried out many was to cook an item and they are all covered I highly recommend this for every cook who want to know the best way to create a recipe.



3. great cookbook!!
   
   explains basic cooking concepts.
   
   great recipes!!
   
   i love this cookbook



4. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in really learning the basics of cooking. It offers an in-depth description of each recipe so you learn why you're performing each step, allowing you to learn more about the process of cooking instead of just following a recipe.



5. Great book for the inner chef. You should know some cooking techniques to appreciate the instructions in this book. This is not a quick fix, make it simple and cheap kind of recipe book. It has detailed instuctions, trial and error recipies, and I love this book. It has made me a better cook !