2 comments about Where Does Pepper Come From? And Other Fun Facts.

1. I used this book in my Science class to get my kids to "wondering"- funny book!



2. Very fun book for adults. Read it with your children though because they might have a lot of questions.

1 comments about English Bread and Yeast Cookery (Cookery Library).

1. I love this book because I learn something every time I open the pages. Approximately half the book is an extremely comprehensive (one chapter on salt alone) history of bread and breadmaking in the UK, and the other half is recipes. These recipes are not set out in the way one might be used to from other cookery books - there's no 'one recipe on each page with a glossy picture on the other' going on. This work could best be described as a compendium of recipes historical and more contemporary. There are a few pictures, but more for historical illustration than to make one rush out and buy the ingredients to make the item.
   Why I love this book so much is that it's pretty impossible to get tired of it. There's simply so much to learn, little simple things about bread making which make things so much easier. I've learned so much about yeast - you could even make your own at home if you wanted to, following the instructions, although I kinda skipped that part! All measurements are in imperial measurements with metric equivalents. Many of the recipes hail from the English country house tradition and were written down by housekeepers: some require 'seven bushels 'of this or that, which really doesn't matter, as realistic equivalents are given and it's really easy to make the recipes for a household of one or two people if the original quantity of ingredients stated seems rather excessive.
   I live in a high altitude zone and this can cause problems with baking, but I have never had a problem with any of the recipes in this book, although I have noticed it is necessary to be extremely strict (to the minute) with cooking times. Everything has turned out beautifully and what does not get devoured immediately from the oven gets put in the freezer and warmed through in aluminium foil in the oven at a later date. It tastes exactly the same. I am an expat and these recipes remind me of home so much, but nicer, becase a) you have all the fun of making them yourself and b)whereas you might remember some mass-produced product (hot cross buns for example) from UK they're a million times better when you do them yourself, not even mentioning the sense of accomplishment one achieves. The book includes every regional speciality one could think of; my Mexican husband has developed a thing about Staffordshire pikelets with bacon. If you love not only baking (and I'm not much above the experienced novice stage) but would like to know more about it - WHY you're doing a particular procedure for example, then this is the book for you. There are quite a few 'little old lady' recipes as well - the teacakes from the old lady on the Isle of Wight are fabulous.
   All in all, if you want shiny pages and large glossy photos, this is not the book for you. If you want one of those books which has heritage recipes like granny made which are pretty fool-proof and don't mind not having a shiny picture of how the finished item is supposed to look, AND you are prepared to be educated, absorbed and entertained by Ms. David's style, snap this book up.

No comments about Food: English-Spanish: La comida (Bilingual First Books/English-Spanish).

No comments about SPICES, SALT AND AROMATICS IN THE ENGLISH KITCHEN.

1 comments about Complete Traditional Recipe Book.

1. Love this book- many fine recipes. Only problems I found was the need for a food glossary, as many items contained in the book are not found in the US. (i.e.) Golden Syrup, blood pudding, ratafia biscuits. I was able to go online and search most of these out though, so it was ok, and really interesting to hunt ingredients down. The color photos are wonderful, and it is a high quality book, produced by the National Trust.

5 comments about In the Royal Manner : Expert Advice on Etiquette and Entertaining from the Former Butler to Diana, Princess of Wales.

1. This lovely little book discusses the many aspects of elegant entertaining -- from perfect table setting, to eye-catching flower arrangements. Burrell's passages on entertaining and party planning are peppered with touching stories about his employment as former butler to Diana, Princess of Wales.

   Burrell demonstrates his knowledge and class on each beautifully photographed page. No wonder he was held in such high regard by the royals!

   A Few Notes:
   - I would not call this an "Etiquette" book, as it deals much more with proper table setting and party planning. As such, I think it would be better labeled as an "Entertaining" book.

   - The range of party/theme ideas is impressive. Some of Burrell's examples include a sit-down dinner, afternoon tea, and childrens' party.

   - For those interested in the life of Princess Diana, this gives you a tasteful and telling behind-the-scenes look. Frankly, some of Burrell's Diana anecdotes were some of the best parts of the book...

   Enjoy!




2. I have to say that at the beginning I didn't want to get the book but now I think that is one of the best books about etiquette I've ever bought, and I have lots of them.
   The recipes are incredible and very easy to prepare.
   The elegance and the exquisite taste is really unique, and the flower's centrepieces awesome, is something that anybody can do without a professional training.
   I think is a MUST TO HAVE BOOK.



3. Move over, Miss Manners and Emily Post! Mr. Burrell's devotion to his princess and her reliance on him are well known, which only adds to his credibility as a new author of etiquette and entertaining! Mr. Burrell tells we commoners how to set a table with style and entertain our guests with elegance and ease. He also includes tasty recipes, some of which were favored by the late Princess of Wales. Highly recommend to any hostess or anyone wanting to learn more about real etiquette.



4. If you recognize the name, then you know this was the butler who almost went to jail for supposedly stealing personal items belonging to the late Diana. He was saved by a timely intervention from the Queen, who suddenly recalled being told that he was intended to have the stash. Speculation on why she waited until he was on trial abounds; especially since he immediately walked off the stand and over to the tabloids and sold his story there.
   
   But if you can overlook that blatant act - it's simply Not Done to expose your employer, even if she is dead - this book is a pleasent and colorful glimpse into serving royalty. But it is just a glimpse - nothing very substantial, nothing complete. The pictures of food served at a few different social occasions are delicious by themselves, but any coffee table cookbook will offer more of the same with more recipies as well. This one might be a good second hand purchase, if you like this sort of thing.



5. I'm sure the Royal Family would not apporve of Paul Burrell's "cashing in" on his relationship with Princess Diana. Having said that, people in the USA love this kind of thing. We can hold our noses in the air if we read this book, we feel priviliged. We are special. Burrell, however, may be a nicer version of Martha Stewart. She wins the prize for cold psycho-perfection. Paul Burrell, like Martha, has now gone on to merchandize furniture, wine, rugs, and just about anything else in this world. I am waiting for him to open a "royal theme park" in Florida. I must add a post-script to this review as I just recently purchased a copy of this book from E-bay that was signed by Paul Burrell. I too am now guilty of joining the curiosity seekers who want to have an inside look at the so-called "royal life". So hit me with a large blancmange and call me snobby.

2 comments about Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.

1. One of the best cookbooks of the time period. I use this cookbook to recreate 18th century receipts (recipes) for a living history museum. This book is not only informitive on 18th century cooking in general, many of the recipes can be cooked today. Try an onion pie and with the left over pie crust make kickshaws, a type of cookie with jam. This book will become your primary source for 18th century cooking and with its glossary it is better than many other editions.



2. This book is a must-have for collectors of antiquarian cookbooks, even if it is a facsimile of a posthumous edition published in America. Makes me wish I had the appropriate kitchen.

   To appreciate what Hannah Glasse's work did for cooking, it's necessary to understand what place it had in the market of the 18th century -- it was the book for English-speaking cooks, even in Revolutionary times as popular in the Colonies as it was back home in England. It's a bit more in scope than a typical modern cookbook as well, including things like beer/wine/mead recipes and preserves that are usually in separate books today, and even an occasional home remedy. The recipes cover much classic British Isles cooking, including Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding, meat pies, Scotch Broth, and a good number of seafood recipes.

   The recipes in question probably don't lend themselves much to modern kitchens, unless you've got a fireplace with pothooks and a beehive oven in the chimney. But it's still enough to make you imagine, and to realize that while the techniques have changed, food hasn't changed much in two hundred years and change. The recipes are done in a conversational style that seems strange in a cookbook but should feel familiar to anyone who's learned a recipe at someone's elbow. Don't expect precise measurements everywhere either; you're expected to be able to figure such things out on your own. (One bit of advice: unlike modern recipes, where you can pick out the ingredients and work as you read, it behooves the reader to study the recipe before hand and take notes if necessary.)

   As I said, it's a facsimile of a later edition from 1804 or so, and includes updates that aren't distinguished from Glasse's original text (thus my one-star deduction, which is a highly subjective decision). That said, it's likely a faithful rendition of how early America ate, and an invaluable reference to anyone who wishes to learn how it was done back in the day.

5 comments about McGuire's Irish Pub Cookbook.

1. I admit that I was really excited to find this book. We ate at McGuire's in Pensacola a couple of times, and I desperately wanted their Shepard's Pie recipe. It's not in the book! It's one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant. Furthermore, the recipe for that incredible brown bread that they serve at the table is not in the book either!
   I was planning a special birthday party for my very-Irish mother, and really wanted to make both of these for her. It was pretty disappointing. However, the dessert choices were amazing.
   If you are buying this to be able to have recipes from your favorite dishes from the restaurant, you may be disappointed!



2. McGuire's Irish Pub is an institution in Pensacola, Florida. As the premier Irish pub on the Gulf Coast, they serve up some of the best pub fare to be found in the area. The range of dishes available is amazing--from casual to special. If you've ever been to McGuire's and you've loved the food, you have to pick this up. If you haven't been to Pensacola, pick this up and see what you're missing.



3. `McGuire's Irish Pub Cookbook' by cookbook author for hire, Jessie Tirsch is a book-length add for the bar and restaurant in Pensacola, Florida by the same name. While this may immediately discredit the book in some people's minds, I found this to be an excellent presentation if Irish-American bar food, with the Irish influence being dominant.
   
   Two words of warning to people whom may be encouraged to visit McGuire's Irish Pub. The first is that like Boston's `The Bull and Finch', the model for the bar portrayed in the TV series, `Cheers', `McGuire's' promises to be very busy, turning over a chair about once every half hour, in their public rooms. When I visited `The Bull and Finch', I barely had time to have a pint of beer and score a beer class including the `Cheers' logo plus a tee-shirt. The second is that many recipes in this book are not actually served at the pub today. But, neither of these considerations detracts in any way from the quality of the book.
   
   My basis for evaluating this book is my recently reviewed `The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook' by Kay Shaw Nelson. The first thing that comes home to me is the similarity of available shellfish in Scotland and Ireland compared to the shellfish available in the Gulf of Mexico. Both `terroirs;' have ample supplies of fresh shrimp (prawns), oysters, mussels, and clams. Thus, subtropical Pensacola can do a great imitation of dishes from the oceanic fauna of the North Sea and the North Atlantic. The second thing where I find a great parallel between American pubs and Scotch - Irish pubs is the fact that the hamburger in its many permutations is a staple bar food for both regions. I was so surprised to find so many good hamburger recipes in Ms. Nelson's book that I was tempted to believe the hamburger was an Irish invention.
   
   This book begins with a very long illustrated Foreword by the bar's owners, McGuire and Molly Martin which chronicles the history of the bar, supplemented with many excellent pictures of some of the bar's more interesting interior decorations, featuring the mythical Uncle Nathan and some of the 12 huge moose heads.
   
   The book begins, I am very pleased to say, with a chapter on breads and brunch. This is appropriate not only because it begins with brunch, but it also has all the recipes for the breads and rolls used for hamburgers and the like in later chapters. Most recipes are recognizably Irish, although at least three are clearly from that very un-Irish country, Italy, with the very similar flag.
   
   The remaining chapters are:
   
   Finger Foods: Appetizers and Party Picks
   Between the Bread: Creative Sandwiches
   The Kettle: Soups and Stews
   Creature Comforts: Fish, Fowl, and Meat
   Under Cover: Savory Pies and Tarts
   Noodles And: Pasta and Crepes
   And With It All: Side Dishes
   The Eating of the Green: Salads
   Celebrations: Passionate Potables
   Sweet Sign-Offs: Heavenly Desserts
   St. Pat Tricks: Tips, Techniques, Stocks, Etc.
   
   I just had to check if the salads chapter included a recipe with watercress, the original shamrock. Oddly, I found that close to half of the salads recipes were based on pasta and seafood, but with lots of representatives of the spinach, cabbage, and carrot clans.
   
   The last chapter on general techniques is useful, but pretty familiar to experienced amateur cooks. The desserts chapter is generally true to Irish puddings, tarts and use of fruits. I was just a bit surprised at the many desserts including chocolate, as this is not a big ingredient in native Irish recipes.
   
   Every chapter seems to be a bit over half of true Irish recipes, with the remainder being imports from French and Italian cuisines, especially Italian. Several of the new inventions are interesting, but my favorite is the `Baby Reuben Egg Rolls with Honey-Beer Mustard'. Like basil and tomatoes, the pairing of corned beef and cabbage (or sauerkraut) is so great that the pairing seems to work in just about any preparation, especially with its constant companions, beer and mustard.
   
   If you don't want the ad and the blarney in the headnotes, and want something a bit more authentic, get `The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook', but if all you want are good Irish-American bar food recipes, you will not be disappointed with this offering.



4. Very interesting recipes. I guess they weren't exactly what I expected... they seem truly authentic to this Americanized Irish girl. I thought "pub" food was more like bar food... nachos, pizza, etc. I was very far off. So if you want authentic, this is the book for you.



5. I actually purchased this as a gift for a friend that loves her Irish heritage & loves to cook even more, and she hasn't stopped raving about how great this cookbook is. Apparently it's become her favorite cookbook. Giving it 5 stars for this reason.

5 comments about Time for Tea: Tea and Conversation with Thirteen English Women.

1. You'll love this book if you like England or tea. The writer is an unusally skilled interviewer and her subjects reveal more than you would ever expect from an English woman. They don't always say the expected thing!

   The photography and presentation are excellent. Recipes are included. This is a lovely gift for someone else or for yourself. It's a charmer.




2. I feel like I have had Tea with 13 different women and come away with 13 delicous recipes! The description of the countryside,and cities made me feel as if I was right there, I think I could actually hear the church bells ringing! The sharing of their lives was a fascinating read. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for such a book!



3. This book is enchanting, it touches the soul and reaffirms traditions such as tea time, in its many forms. The ladies in each chapter are as different as jasmine tea and Earl Gray and delight, each in their own way. The recipes are wonderful as well. I would recommend this book for any tea lover, or lover of tradition in our lives, the special rituals that shape us early on and touch us deep insde.



4. If you love tea and all that goes with it, you'll certainly enjoy this book. It doesn't have a lot of technical information about tea, but that doesn't matter and that's not the focus of this book. What it does have is "coziness" to spare. As far as I know, this book is unique in the tea literature in that it explores how people view the tea ceremony (or tea break) and the part that having tea plays in their lives--and who knew it could be this fascinating?
   
   One elderly lady is an expert (and award-winning) maker of clotted cream and bemoans the fact that the standard loose tea bought in the market is just dust anymore instead of leaves (a result of mechanization where leaves are not left whole but are cut, torn, and curled). Another lady works for D. J. Miles tea company, a small privately-held tea business in the country side, and gives an interesting glimpse into the business end of tea. The ladies interviewed by the author come from different walks of life, but their commonality is they take time out for tea. They have found it to be a comfort, a break and respite from the cares of daily life, and a time to gather friends and loved ones and enjoy each others company. It's a shame that the traditional afternoon tea is apparently falling on hard times in England, but not with these ladies. They recognize the value of taking time out for tea and just the sheer pleasure of a cuppa with a bite to eat--no apologies needed! Each lady, by the way, also provides a few recipes for tea time treats. I've not tried any of them, but they generally sound tasty.
   
   One little side note: I work for an English boss who introduced me to English brand teas. Let me tell you, they are FAR superior to anything you can buy in American markets. Even though they are not premium teas, they are stronger and have more complex and interesting flavors than American brands. I highly recommend PG Tips, Yorkshire Tea (Regular and Gold), and Barry's (an Irish brand) for hot tea--all loose leaf, of course. All make excellent hot or iced tea. The British have not taken to iced tea, probably because the only kind they've tried comes in bottles and cans--no wonder they think it's nasty! You can find English tea all over the internet, (...) You'll get your purchase quickly, and some companies put in a few samples to try.
   
   Put the kettle on, brew some English tea, and sit back and relax with this charming, entertaining, and fascinating little book. I guarantee that stress will vanish!



5. When I started reading this book, I quickly became engrossed and decided to read one chapter everyday with a cup of tea envisioning myself in England sitting and chatting with the ladies or maybe just listening to their stories.
   
   One of the ladies, married with children, was once a ballerina who then enrolled in a school to study law when she was in her mid thirties. She shared her story about how awkward she felt when she found her classmates were all teenagers and how she juggled in her study with the support of her family.
   
   I truly enjoy reading this book. It gives insight and make me reflect on my own life experiences.
   As the other reviewer wrote, put the kettle on, brew some English tea or any kind of tea, sit back and relax with this charming, awesome and inspiring little book. Blow away the stress from our mind !

5 comments about Kitchen Spanish - a Quick Phrase Guide of Kitchen and Culinary Terms.

1. When I got Kitchen Spanish 3 years ago, I didn't speak a word of Spanish. I really don't know it now either, but I speak to my kitchen assitants every work day using Kitchen Spanish and it works. I guess if I really wanted to learn proper Spanish, I would get a Berlitz immersion program or something, but for me, in my job, Kitchen Spanish works like magic. I don't know what I'd do with out it.



2. This little book is so helpful to me. It's great! and so cute too. Fits right in my pocket and it's always there when I need it. Yahoo for Kitchen Spanish!



3. I found this booklet to be outrageously priced, incomplete and not user friendly for a publication intended for use in a commercial kitchen. Any standard English-Spanish phrase book would do just as well.



4. This book contains a multitude of little errors and it jumps between the formal (usted) and informal (tu) forms without distiguishing between the two.
   It does the job "more or less" if you're in a pinch, but there has to be something better than this out there.



5. This book has really helped me at work. All these people talking about imperfections in the book are missing the point. Spanish scholars don't need this book. Regular folk like me are the people who need it. Believe me, this book helps.