No comments about Recipe for Trouble (Nancy Drew Notebooks #53).

1 comments about LORD PETER WIMSEYS COOKBOOK.

1. The idea behind this book is unique. Taking passages out of Lord Peter Wimsey novels and turning them into practical cooking. You get the added fun of remembering the passages and feel that you are one of the company.

   There are no slang recipes as Spotted Dick or Toad in a Hole. Evidently these people are too sophisticated for that sort of thing. However what may have proved to be a good recipe is expanded into the exotic.

   I did find one I could make with out buying things like kidneys, PIPER'S PARRITCH:

   "In general, porridge is not a regular feature of Lord Peter's breakfast table, although he does on occasion, 'tak` a bit o' paritch' with is eggs and bacon while on holiday in Scotland (Five Red Herrings.)"

   In chapter 4 "An Orgy of Teas" just about every recipe from cookies to sandwiches require an inordinate amount of butter.

   "The lord Peter Wimsey Cookbook" does make a nice coffee table conversation book.

5 comments about English Bread and Yeast Cookery.

1. Not just a cookbook, though there are plenty of recipes. Not merely a history, though abounding in historical sources and anecdotes. Not a textbook, but with enough theory for just about anyone. Not literature proper, but Ms. David's prose flows beautifully. The book is simultaneously informative, thoughtful, engaging, useful and most of all a pleasure to read. The book is equally at home in the kitchen as the living room. Simply a wonderful book.



2. The sensuous aroma of baking bread filled my mind as I read the exquisite prose of Elizabeth David. Perfect for those who have the original old English oven and owning your own flour mill will increase the enjoyment of making these rare breads. As I devoured my domestically produced delights, an almost orgasmic pleasure assaulted my sensory organs. There are no greater pleasures in the world than these.



3. `English Bread and Yeast Cookery' by Elizabeth David hides, behind its very unassuming title, one of the very best books on bread baking I have seen and possibly Elizabeth David's very best work, in a body of work which includes some of the great classics in culinary writing from the last 60 years.
   
   For starters, the book is much more than a collection of English bread baking recipes. In the 592 pages in this edition, bread recipes don't even start until page 255. The first half of the book deals with just about everything you ever wanted to know about how residents of the British Isles, beginning with the pre-Roman Celts ground wheat into flour, what kind of ovens they used to bake bread, and how all this evolved through the Roman occupation, the Saxons, the Normans, and the modern English, especially how things changed with the industrial revolution.
   
   The first part, nearly half the book covers `History and Background' with chapters on:
   
   Grains, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, and Pease
   Milling
   Flours and Meals
   Yeast
   Salt
   Liquids and Fats
   Eggs, Dried Fruit, Sugar, Spices and Flavorings
   Malt Extracts
   Bread Ovens
   The Bread Factories
   Shapes and Names of English Loaves
   Moulds and Tins for Bread
   Storage of Meal and Flour
   Storage of Bread
   Weights of Loaves and the Assize of Bread
   Weights, Measures and Temperatures
   Weighing and Measuring Equipment
   The Cost of Baking Your Own Bread
   
   It should be evident from this list of chapters that the material in this book goes far beyond bread baking on a largish island in the North Atlantic. The analysis in the last of these chapters alone may be worth the price of admission. What is doubly surprising is that these chapters include material which seems more at home in a book like Rachael Carson's `Silent Spring' than a book on bread recipes. This is a bit less surprising when we realize the book was written in the 1970s, not too far removed from food rationing left over from World War II and before the widespread popular concern in England with the nutritious value of food.
   
   The second half of the book, the recipes, clearly also goes beyond what you would expect from the average English tea room. The chapters here are:
   
   Bread
   Baps and Rolls
   Manchets and Mayn and Payndemayn
   Crumpets and Muffins
   Notes on French Bread
   The Pizza and the Pissaladiere
   Quiches with Yeast Dough
   Sausage in Brioche Crust
   Yeast Leavened Pancakes and Oatcakes
   Dumplings and Doughnuts
   Regional and Festival Cakes and Fruit Breads
   Yeast Buns and Small Tea Cakes
   French Yeast Cakes
   Soda Breads
   Bakestone Cakes or Breads
   Toast
   
   Since there is a chapter on Soda Breads, it is evident that the book covers more than just yeast breads. The yeasted pancakes also highlights the fact that our modern baking powder leavened hotcakes are a relatively new invention, as baking powder was not commercially available until the middle of the 19th century. Yeast, on the other hand, has been around and used in beer making since prehistoric times. And, with just a little technique, it was free for the asking from ambient spores in the air.
   
   In case you are curious, a bap is the breakfast roll of Scotland and manchets and mayn and payndemayn are old English names (found in the `Canterbury Tales' and other old documents) for enriched white breads baked for and eaten by wealthier classes.
   
   If you are a serious foodie, a serious amateur or professional bread baker, or simply seriously, or even frivolously interested in bread, you must get a copy of this book. Even if you don't read it from cover to cover, it's a great reference on the history, science and technique of breadbaking. It's only weakness may be that it is not as up to date on modern American bread ingredients as you may find in a King Arthur cookbook or `bible' from Rose Levy Beranbaum. But then, there are hundreds of pages of material you will find here and virtually nowhere else in an in print book.
   
   Very highly recommended!!!



4. This book is what culinary writing should be: comprehensive, thoroughly researched, reliable, unimpeachable. My only complaint is the title: this book is about the history of English baking, not a cookbook of baking as it currently exists in England. If you have ever wondered what English bread used to be like, and are conversely appalled by what is sold by the English today as bread, this book is for you. The author has systematically studied entire libraries of cookbooks of centuries past, and culled and adapted recipes that are of current interest.
   
   The author reveals the true travesty of modern English bread baking. Most such recipes use chemical leavening, e.g. baking soda and/or baking powder, which produces what we have come to know of as English bread, e.g. masonry material but not human food. Indeed, much flour sold in England today is `self rising' flour, which is the English equivalent of American pastry flour with a little baking powder mixed in. The author has revived the original bread and pastry and baking recipes of centuries past that use yeast as leavening; as such, they are airy, light, chewy, good baked goods. The author has devoted entire chapters to rolls, fruit breads, crumpets and English muffins, bread, and cakes, all of which use yeast and are closer to baked goods in modern day France and Italy rather than England.
   
   The chapter on fruit cake (bread) is especially illuminating. Current incarnations of said recipe conjures images of inedible bricks. The recipes expounded by the author are authentic, historical ones thoroughly vetted, and resemble panettone, brioche, and stollen of modern baking, and not the travesties of American holiday sales.
   
   The first half is an impressive reference of tools, ingredients, history, techniques, and stories about bread in Britain of centuries past. It is a valuable book for bread bakers to have on the shelf. Many bread baking book authors give large credit to this book.
   
   One complaint about the format. The TOC lists only the chapter titles, and not the recipes contained therein; some chapters, like the bread chapter, have dozens of recipes. Like many current bread books, this one has disappointingly vague descriptions about how long to knead breads, properly proofed, and how to tell when it is properly baked. Judging by the recipes, the author tends to prefer softer, under developed breads.



5. The introduction to the original US edition by Karen Hess has been replaced by a puff-piece of foodie journalism and to add insult to injury the table of contents lists the original introduction. Get the original!

1 comments about The Beatrix Potter Country Cooking Book.

1. I originally bought this book as a gift for a Beatrix Potter fan, but soon realized I had to have a copy for myself. Potter fans and cookbook collectors alike will relish the fine color photos and illustrations as much as the tasty, and very English recipes. How about a nice "Steak, Kidney and Oyster Pudding with a Guiness Gravy"? (page 50). Ms. Williams, the author, also does a fine job with the introduction in which she gives us a synopsis of Beatrix Potter's life, from London to her beloved Lake District where many of the book's recipes were collected. By the way, if you have ever worried about how to deal with such "English" ingredients as "dark treacle", a Glossary of British Terms with American Equivalents is included (dark treacle = molasses). Book length is 176 pages, about 3/4 inch thick, with photos or illustrations on nearly every page - very satisfying for those of us who like our cookbooks to be pretty as well as functional.

2 comments about Apicius, a Critical Edition Wi an Introduction And English Translation.

1. No wonder they didn't want to release this into the open market. The publisher is way too proud of the packaging. Releasing this at a more reasonable price would have at least doubled or tripled the sales! The work is excellent, with many new insights on Roman cooking by two noted scholars in the field. The new and fresh look, the background data, the recipes themselves, are all worthy of your time, but the price of the book has kicked it out of the hands of the casual cook and put in into the price range of severely dedicated hobbiests and scholars, a great disservice to the many readers who have an interest in this subject. There are several almost as good works for a much more reasonable price. I'd wait for a used or discounted version, unless you are really into the subject! I confess, I am happy to own the book, but I did NOT and would not pay full cover price for this work!



2. It's true that there are editions that cost less. But despite the steep price, it is worth every penny.
   The cooperation between Latin scholar Grocock and recreatonal cook Grainger has resulted in a book that can be used for serious research as well as creating your own Roman meal. To do that however, you'll have to have some experience in interpretating recipes that give no amounts, cooking times or oven temperatures. If you want to have a ready-made Roman cookbook, I'd advise Cooking Apicius: Roman Recipes for Today, also by Sally Grainger. But then you won't have ALL the recipes, and you'll miss out on the thirty recipes from the 'Extracts of Apicius' by Vinidarius (5th century), who used another redaction of 'De re coquinaria'.
   Worthwile extras: a glossary, original sources on Apicius, cooking and luxury dining, named recipes in Apicius, an article on garum and liquamen, and a concordance of recipes with earlier editions.

No comments about Harrods Book of Traditional English Cookery.

3 comments about Alphabet Puppets: Songs, Stories and Cooking Activities for Letter Recognition and Sounds.

1. I first saw this book in the library about 10 years ago and then decided to buy it after I had my 4th daughter. It is an economical program to use to teach your child their alphabet. You can make the puppets out of material or use paper lunch sacks which is what I use. One of the games for the letter C is a variation of "Mother, May I?" in which Ms. Coudron makes it "Captain, May I?" My four-year-old likes the cooking activities the best. For the letter C we make carrot curls and hot cocoa. Very simple inexpensive cooking recipes. For B we made butter which my daughter thought was lots of fun. This book is great if you only have time for 1 or 2 letters per week.



2. I found this book in the library and checked it out several times. I loved it and used a lot of the ideas out of it. I decided to start a preschool and went to purchase the book only to find it was out of print! I looked for it everywhere and couldn't find it...even on EBay! But I finally found it on Amazon.com and I'm thrilled! It's a great book and I highly recommend it.



3. It's all fun and games with Alphabet Puppets. My three year old & I have taken on a new letter every two weeks and are really having fun at it. During the week while she's playing around the house, she sings the songs from the book to herself. And she's learning letter names and sounds! We love it!

3 comments about Seven Centuries of English Cooking: A Collection of Recipes.

1. This book is a very well put together cookbook, that I have throughly enjoyed. This book deals with some period recipes as well as more modern ones. The recipe book is simply filled with tons of recipes, she does an excelling job of incorporating a wide variety of recipes into this book. There are no pictures, but she does offer some background info on many recipes.
   This book is worth its price for its Apple Orange Tart, which makes up the best apple pie recipe that I have had the pleasure of enjoying. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking to flesh out your British collection of recipes, or if you are looking for a cookbook that offers a good selection of very good tasting period recipes.



2. Even if you never make a single recipe out of it, just the information and the wording of some of the older recipies makes it a worthwhile and delightful read.



3. This wonderful book is a history of English cooking from the fourteenth century to today, complete with recipes! Each of the five chapters examines how English cooking developed during that time, and is then followed by a great number of recipes organized into: soups, eggs, fish, poultry and game, meat, vegetables, desserts, sauces, breads and cakes, pickles and preserves, and forcemeats and garnishes (though not always in that order). The text is very well written and interesting, and the recipes are very good.

   My one complaint against this book (1973 edition, but purchased here) is that the text runs so close to the binding that you have to stretch the book to read everything, and a paperback will not stand up to that for too long. But, that complaint aside, this is a great book, and I am very glad that I bought it (the Toad in the Hole was great, and I look forward to trying many other recipes). I highly recommend this book!

5 comments about Cooking up a Storm (Black Lace).

1. Emma Holly's stories are exciting... I don't mean adventursome so much as... exciting! This strayed into uncomfortableness for me as I'm not into guy on guy, but the rest was hot!



2. I love Emma Holly's books, but I'm having such a problem reading this one because the characters are so one-demensional. I'm used to excellent, intelligent storylines from Ms. Holly and so far I'm not getting even a glimmer of her usual excellent writing.
   
   I'd recommend "All You Can Eat" over this one.



3. i purchased "eating up a storm" from venus bk. club long b4 i knew amazon
   existed. i love food, cooking, the east coast & of course erotica.
   no one is messing w/someone elses partner. it's light, easy & charming.
   i've read it 3 times. makes me want to open an inn on lake michigan.



4. Was disappointed in this book. I read All You Can Eat and really enjoyed it but this one really didn't have a full story line to me. It was Ok.



5. Cooking Up A Storm really held my attention through the first third. It has a good plot that's not about saving the world, but is believable and interesting. Hunky Storm is ready for a change in both women and job, when he comes across an ad posted by a Cape Cod restaurant in need of a chef. The photo of the restaurant strikes a chord with him. He had a rough childhood softened by a kind woman who taught him to love cooking, and he longs for a home. This restaurant looks homey--perfect. He applies for the job and hits it off with Abby, the owner.
   
   The sex in this book is really well-described and different enough that it held my attention. I didn't like that after Abby and Storm bond and are really close, Abby has a quickie with another man she doesn't care about.
   
   Still, I recommend this book. It's far better than many other hot/erotic books I've read. Emma Holly is an auto-buy for me. Also recommend her Fairyville. But my fav of hers is Menage.

1 comments about Scottish Heritage Food and Cooking: Capture the tastes and traditions with over 150 easy-to-follow recipes and 700 stunning photographs, including step-by-step instructions.

1. `Scottish Heritage Food and Cooking' by British food historian, Carol Wilson and Myres Castle Highland Hotel chef, Christopher Trotter is a great archetype of how to do an introductory book on a less familiar cuisine. After looking at a few pages, this great format started to look remarkably familiar, when it occurred to me that the same style was used to give us the `The Irish Heritage Cookbook' by Biddy White Lennon and Georgina Campbell.
   
   The book begins with two chapters on Scottish history and cuisine. `The Flavors of Scotland' details the foreign influences on Scottish cuisine and the historically important Scottish food resources. It is not at all surprising that in place of a rhapsody on the country's wines, there are long chapters on the origins, history, and techniques for the production of Scotch whiskey. And, even this humble subject can offer up a few secrets, when I discovered that blended Scotch whiskeys were not only a blend from multiple distilleries, but also a blend from two very different grain preparation and distilling techniques, the old traditional barley malting procedure and `pot stills', and grain whiskeys produced in a `patent still'.
   
   The second is `The Scottish Kitchen' which itemizes the primary ingredients of the Scottish cuisine. These hallmark items are fresh fish, smoked fish, fresh shellfish, game (on hoof, paw, and wing), domestic meats, dairy and cheese, fruits, wild mushrooms, vegetables, oats and barley, and Scotch whiskey. Aside from replacing wine with whiskey, the salient differences between Scotland and Western Europe seems to be the importance of oats, barley, game, and preserved fish. While salted cod is a staple throughout inland Europe, Scotland has many more different fish preserving modalities, since no spot in Scotland is much more than 2 days ride on horseback from the sea, especially on the four Island groups, the Inner Hebrides, the Outer Hebrides, the Orkney Islands, and the Shetland Islands.
   
   I couldn't take the author's claims of foreign influences too seriously, as Scotland is so removed from the main stream, I'm hard pressed to see how much influence the Romans, Scandinavians, and Anglos from England could really have on this very insular landscape. But, the authors do profess some substantial foreign influences. The most important to us may be the `Auld Alliance' between Scotland and France against England. The most prominent event in this history was the tale of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Catholic pretender to the English throne. Unlike some of the very best culinary studies, such as Arthur Schwartz' `Naples at Table' and Coleman Andrews' `The Catalan Cuisine', these subjects are just touched on, just enough to whet one's appetite. One small fault I cite on this book is that it gives no bibliography to assist us in following up this stuff. The authors also claim major influences from the Dutch and the Italians, primarily through trade in the former case and immigration in the latter case. One can probably attribute the Scots' mania for frying anything in sight to the Italian influences on fast food in Scotland, especially with their invention of `fish and chips'. My only other fault with these two chapters is that they end up visiting various subjects twice, such as the history and current state of Scotch whiskey making. They may have done their readers a greater service by treating each subject once, from start to finish.
   
   The very first thing which made me take this book seriously from a culinary point of view was its treatment of Scottish baking. With the smaller resources for raising wheat, bread may not be as big a thing as it is in France and Italy, it is still important, so I was especially happy to see it presented so well here. The centerpiece of breadbaking is the Bannock, which seems to be a cousin to Irish scones and soda bread, in that it's flat and a common part of breakfast, but it is a yeasted bread and not a quickbread like the Irish specialties.
   
   The importance of Bannock and other breads make it all the more easy to understand the discovery that fruit preserves are high on the list of important Scottish culinary products. The authors even go so far as to say that the famous English marmalade was invented in Scotland. It is in the chapter on `Preserves, relishes, and sauces' that we discover that the great Scottish whiskey is an important ingredient in a lot more than the Scotsman's kilted tummy. My only warning on the preserves recipes is that true canning for preservation is a bit more complicated than these recipes make it out to be, so you should either be adept at canning or get a good book on canning (see the `Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving') before attempting these recipes.
   
   While many other influences are cited, I get the constant sense that this cuisine is remarkably similar to great Irish mainstays, especially in their styles of bread and vegetable dishes, featuring potatoes, cabbages, leeks, bacon, kale, and wild greens. In fact, many of the potato dishes look identical to their Irish counterparts, with just a small name change, such as in replacing Colcannon with Kaikenny. The primary difference between Ireland and Scotland seems to be the higher incidence of oats in Scottish `signature' dishes.
   
   With England, Scotland shares a love of a certain kind of sweet pudding and candied fruitcakes.
   
   The most useful chapter in this book may be the one on breakfasts, as it is a prime selection of recipes for a Scottish themed brunch. You even have a dish of lamb kidneys, made famous by association with the opening chapter of James Joyce's `Ulysses'.
   
   The book makes few compromises on calling for local ingredients, especially as it is published in the UK, where ingredients from the British Isles are more common. The only lapse seems to be in its providing little information on sausage making (although some readers may be thankful for being spared the details of blood sausage).