3 comments about Sugar: Simple Sweets and Decadent Desserts.

1. I watch Sugar on Foxtel in Australia - so was very happy to see the accompanying book !
   Quite simply - if you love desserts this book is for you! The recipes range from the very easy to the more complicated - there is something for everybody from simple cookies , to coffee sour cream cake, to the wonderful phyllo bananas - and peanut btter chocolate cups -
   Anna also includes handy tips on choosing the right tools and using the right techniques - the only problem I have with this book is that it should include more photos - there are only a handful - but other than that you won't regret buying this book



2. As I always see Sugar on TV, it was a very nice surprise to find out that you had the book, but I would have liked that the book had more pictures. All the recipes are excellent.



3. the book is very complete, she explains everything so you dont mistake, has a lot and very good reciepes.

3 comments about Have Your Cake & Eat It Too.

1. It is truly amazing how delicious these recipes are--- and easy too! I have gotten rave reviews from everyone that I have served these desserts to, and they are just astonished that they are lowfat. I would highly recommend this to any cook looking to impress (and eat healthier).



2. I have made several recipes in this book, and they do not taste low fat. They also dont have that rubber like texture that alot of healthier sweets have (she does go into detail about that among other things just before the recipes start). I am very happy with this book. Its a rainy day as Im doing this review, and she has a recipe in there for a pineapple banana cake. It takes no time at all to put it together and the smell makes the house so inviting and pleasant. I will use this book many times!



3. What a great book,I have had this book for 5+ years now.The fruitcake (I know)was really great.Don't get turned off by the big list of ingredients it is truly delicious and wards off all the horror stories about fruit cake.I have made a lot of cakes from this book,never been disappointed.Would have loved more pictures though!!!!

5 comments about Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple.

1. This book is a joke if you are interested in baking --even sophisticated bakers and pastry/cake decorators such as myself would be hard-pressed to find the ingredients (pistachio paste?) or the time to attempt any of these. Also it should be noted that while the concentration of this book is on presentation, NOT ALL OF THE RECIPES INCLUDE PHOTOS. So much for re-creating the recipe in your home kitchen. It is very entertaining, however, if you want to sit and page through it, at the library, as each page is more spectacular -- and astounding -- than the prior.



2. BEAUTIFUL presentations of Amazing desserts! I am a pastry chef for a resturant and I use this book ALL the time to start the new ideas flowing. This book may be useless for the home baker, I usually simplify Leach's ideas when making one of the desserts because of time restraints. All desserts have MULTIPLE aspects/items and steps.... I wish I could find more books like this one!!! (I heard about the book from a CIA chef, best advice he ever gave me....)



3. I recommended this book for those who love desserts.



4. OH MY GOSH what a beautiful book. I haven't actually tried a recipe yet but just the photography alone made me drool. When a cookbook makes me WANT to invite friends over so I can produce something from the book, I consider that a successful cookbook. The recipes (not necessarily all) appear to be very doable and I look forward to experimenting with this.



5. Great cookbook, with great ideas. I work in a professional pastry kitchen, and this book gave me alot of great ideas - not just for the cakes, ice creams, tortes, etc - but also for the plating and garnishing ideas. This cookbook will really inspire you!

5 comments about The Olives Dessert Table: Spectacular Restaurant Desserts You Can Make at Home.

1. Desserts that come from one of the best restraunteers around. Unbelieveably delicious and satisfying.



2. I bought this book last year,at first I did not want to try any yet because i don't see the pic how it should come out! Until couple months later, I try with the banana cake recipe which I saw the picture. And that's it, it is simple to follow the explaination and after finish---taste great. I have to try another even I don't see picture but I believe now that it will come out fine.



3. Great pictures and recipes that can be used in many different ways. It is a real book for real cooks



4. This is my FAVORITE dessert cookbook. Every single thing I have made from this cookbook has turned out amazing. I love that all the recipes have multiple parts to them so I can choose just to make Banana Bread for Breakfast or I can make White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Caramel Semi Fredo and Boozy Caramel Sauce (my favorite recipie so far) for a dinner party. The cookbook also gives beautiful pictures and lots of details to make sure that you do it right. Be careful though- I am now the required to make the dessert every Thanksgiving!



5. among our cook club members where we gather together once a week to learn a new dish, whether is a main course or dessert,
   after experiecing many other cook books, we find his is always the most clearly written, easy to understand and to follow.
   i wish he writes a few more cook book.
   i buy it for friends to like desserts during the holidays ,and it is always so much appreciated :)

3 comments about Desserts (Best of Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library).

1. I let my 13 year old daughter pick the first dessert from this book and she chose the Peanutbutter Cheesecake. While the picture looked good - peanutbutter? In cheesecake? My husband and I turned our nose up at the thought and were pretty sure we would not be eating it, but let me tell ya...it was freaken good! I can't wait to make more desserts from this book. The pictures are beautiful and my finished product was pretty darn close to the photo. I weighed my ingredents instead of measuring them and the results were fantastic. I only gave this book a four star rating instead of a five because I have not made any other recipes from it, but I highly recommend this one.



2. I was hoping this book would have a similar selection from the small, but amazing "Desserts : Collection" book from WS. The desserts listed in this book are pretty good, but of the ~150 recipes, only a small percentage of those are really appealing. About 1/3 of the book is dedicated to frozen and fruit desserts. Traditional desserts, such as cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, custards, mouses, and cheesecakes are given little coverage in comparison. While the recipes for the sorbets and ice creams do look good, you must have an ice cream maker/freezer to make them. Compared to the "Desserts : Collection" WS book, which only had about 40 recipes, this one misses the mark in my opinion. It isn't a bad choice for someone looking to make unique fruity or frozen desserts, but for traditional dessert making and preparation, you may have to look elsewhere. I picked up this book for less than Amazon retail, so it wasn't a bad purchase, but for the money, there are better books out there.



3. I have made 2 recipes from this book - orange pound cake and chocolate decadence. They turn out delicious and look exactly like the pictures. I am one of those who need pictures as reference points. I really appreciate the details given in the recipes (i.e. beat til ... it looks like ...; approximately ... 5 mins ...) as I am still a novice baker. I also have Nigella Lawson's recipe book ... the recipes here are easier and for my own experience, the results turn out better. I only give it 4 stars as another review pointed out, this books has a lot of frozen desserts that require the use of ice cream maker which are not as important for me who like to bake. However, for those who love ALL desserts, this is a very pretty and easy to follow cookbook.

3 comments about Elizabeth Alston's Best Baking: 80 Recipes for Angel Food Cakes, Chiffon Cakes, Coffee Cakes, Pound Cakes, Tea Breads, and Their Accompaniments.

1. This book is just great. The recipes are simple, easy to follow, and they taste wonderful. The explanations given are so helpful.



2. I haven't made all the cakes in this book, but I've made over half of them, and all have worked out well. My primary interest is in the pound cakes and angel food cakes; I've made all of these. In particular, the fresh raspberry and the lemon-vanilla cakes have turned out extremely well. In the pound cakes, I had the best result with the sour cream/chocolate chip and the soaked orange cakes. I've also made almost all the chiffon recipes, with the best reslts with the orange-and-lemon and the chiffon spice cakes.

   This book has detailed instructions to accompany the recipes, making it easier for beginners to follow. Too often, smaller books such as this will sacrifice instructions for saving space, and this one doesn't.

   My only disappointment is the quality of the book itself. There are no photographs, and the quality of the paper and binding don't bode well for heavy use. I plan to transcribe a few recipes out into the computer and the book won't be used again. The recipes are a good buy for the book's price, though. Just don't expect to hand this volume down to your children!




3. I have a number of Elizabeth Alston's books, and she is true to form in this one. I would venture to bet she is from England, or at least has an English heritage due to her taste in cakes. You won't find sheet cakes or layer cakes calling for lots of super sweet icing in this book. These cakes are for the purists out there who appreciate the complex flavors and textures of unadulterated cake. Each one is unique and delectible. The point is that the CAKE itself is the star of the show here. I truly enjoy some of her unique flavor combinations and variations in these recipes. (A note about flour: I have found that using cake flour does not give as good a crumb and weight to the pound cakes or the heavier coffee cakes. Not only does it cause the cake to be too "crumbly", but the cake dries out after a day or two. Reserve the cake flour only for recipes that are for light cakes such as Angel Food cakes.)

   Another thing I appreciate about this book, and her baking for that matter, is that you can bake more than one batch at a time. In fact, I think the cakes taste better when done that way. With the flavor combinations she has assembled, her suggestion to allow the cake to rest one day before serving or freezing is a good one. This allows all those wonderful flavors to mingle, or as my grandfather used to say, to let the flavors "meditate".

   None of her recipes are hard, complicated or time-consuming. In fact, they are pleasingly quick to prepare for baking. When I am not baking a cake, muffins or scones from one of her cookbooks, I am reading them, scouring them for inspiration to be creative. She has taught me a lot about expanding my horizons in this area, for which I am thankful. My husband is thankful as is his coworkers. This morning he took a freshly baked creation to work to share with his department. Shortly after noon I received an abrupt e-mail saying that if I ever wanted to see my husband again I would have to send at least five of those cakes to the office!! The staff must have loved them to want cake ransom for my husband's return. Get the book and watch with pleasure as your loved ones and friends pig out on your creations in a wild food orgy. But be careful...you might find yourself chained to the kitchen with someone holding a gun to your head as you are trying to get YOURSELF out of ransom!

1 comments about 500 Chocolate Delights: The Only Chocolate Compendium You'll Ever Need (500 (Sellers Publishing)).

1. I like the recipes in it and the different variations for them. All recipes are made from scratch and this is something I look for in a recipe book, easy to follow instructions and the best of all it has a lot of pictures. It's a good selection for someone who likes chocolate.

1 comments about Fried and True: Crispy and Delicious Dishes from Appetizers to Desserts.

1. OK, so all of us have steered ourselves away from fried foods & towards poached chicken breasts (skinless, of course) and steamed vegetables. How about just a little taste of good eating from the past? No one is recommending a return to deep-fried foods as an everyday meal, but the taste treats in this book are just too good to ignore!

   Rodgers' chatty writing style and well-tested recipes combine to provide accurate and easy-to-follow instructions. Since working with a deep fryer is something that many us have not done in years (if EVER!), he provides detailed background info on the types of equipment available, different varieties of oil & shortenings, and many good tips to avoid excess greasiness and off-tastes in cooked foods. Appetizers, entrees, and desserts are all covered, with great photos of completed items.

   Some of the recipes are incredibly simple, such as the Cornish game hens (hens, oil, lemon, salt, pepper) and can be prepared in under 15 minutes. Others are a little more involved, but well worth it (the apple fritters, with just a light dusting of powdered sugar, are fantastic). There's even a foolproof recipe for doughnuts with a cider glaze--great for weekend mornings!

   I have to say it again--I'm not going to be cooking deep fried foods every day, but when I want to prepare something just a little bit special, this is a book that I will turn to time after time.

4 comments about Caramel.

1. Besides the wonderful recipes that are included in this book, the most valuable part of the book is that dealing with how to make basic caramel. Specific directions on the types of sugars, butters and creams to use and to avoid. The range of recipes for candy is wide but attention is also paid to carmelized salmon, vegetables, and other meats. I think you'll want to spend some time with this book before taking into the kitchen. The photographs by Marie-Pierre Morel with tease you senses.
   
   This is truly valuable resource. It has reached the market with two addiontional books on Chocolate and Soups.



2. After Chocolate - who could resist Caramel!!! One page is more delicious than the next!!!



3. To me a good cook book should contain a variety of recipes (both novel and traditional), easy to follow directions, and an ingredient list that reads more like what I already have than an alchemy potion. This book is all that and much more. The book looks and feels more like a coffee table book than a cook book, with lush photos and a quality feel. The photos illustrate what to expect and even inspire you to actually make the dishes, and the easy to follow, often refreshingly brief instructions won't diminish your enthusiasm. The results speak for themselves, and there is always something else to look forward to making.
   
   Buying cook books sight unseen can be a risky endeavor, but you will be rewarded with quite a gem in this case. Highly recommended.



4. this book is very pretty to look at lovely to hold , but as a cookbook don,t waste my time

5 comments about Everybody Loves Ice Cream: The Whole Scoop on America's Favorite Treat.

1. This book has it all! It's a recipe book, a travel guide, a history manual, and a fun filled fact finder for every ice cream. Easy to read and fun to flip through. Don't miss "Flavors Worth Finding," "Get Sauced," and "Phosphates Preserved: Great Ice Cream and Soda Fountain Museums." I don't know how I survived so long without this guide to my favorite food! Note to My Relatives: Expect to receive this book for all holidays in the upcoming year!



2. This book is the most comprehensive guide to ice cream. It's a history lesson, travel guide and recipe book all scooped together deliciously! I found the writing fun and engaging. Arnold brings ice cream to life in a way that had me wanting to chant "Ice cream! Ice cream! We all scream for ice cream!" Makes a great gift along with a pint of a favorite flavor. Highly recommended.



3. I opened this book with a few free minutes while sitting on my front porch and was still looking at it long after my family was asleep. It's good clean fun. It's so much more than a tribute to ice cream, I swear I couldn't stand it any more and tip-toed downstairs to see if I had peanuts to make a "tin roof" before picking it back up again. The first thing I'm going to do is have great family fun by letting my kids make "Coffee Can Ice Cream". This book brought back such great childhood memories of cranking the old rock salt & ice machine we had all those years ago. In addition to the great text in the book, the graphics and photos put you back in another place and time. I almost feel like taking that trip down old Route 66 after looking at it.
   
   This book will not get stuffed into my crowded bookshelf - it's going to be a great, often-reached-for, home decoration for my kitchen island from this summer forward!



4. This is by far the most complete book about ice cream I've ever seen. It's ideal for both adults and kids with fun facts. For example, here's one of the entertaining Did You Know? entries: "In Newark, New Jersey, it is illegal to eat ice cream after 6 P.M. without a doctor's note." The ice cream making tips and recipes make it a wonderful resource for an activity the whole family can enjoy at home or you can visit top ice cream parlors in the U.S. Check out the state-by-state listings included in "Everyone Loves Ice Cream." You'll happily refer to it again and again.



5. So far, this book has garnered only five-star reviews, and I absolutely agree with all the raves the other reviewers have given this book. I bought it for a research project along with quite a number of other food history books, and this is probably the best of the lot. It's more than history and facts - yes, it teaches you more than you ever wanted to know about ice cream, but it's fun and entertaining at the same time. The pictures and graphics are fantastic, and make the whole reading experience extremely enjoyable. The book is crammed full of the most interesting facts from what must be hundreds of different sources (for example: Did you know that your favorite flavor may indicate what your personality is like? Or did you know that there is a portable non-electric ice cream maker that makes ice cream after being attached to any moving object or person for forty minutes?)There is also a complete history of ice cream, ice cream recipes, reviews of top ice cream shops, and much, much more. Plus, if you haven't had enough at that point, there's even a bibliography in the back for you to find even more information about ice cream.
   
   My only complaint about this book is that it gave me VERY intense cravings for ice cream - not good for my diet!!!