5 comments about East of Paris: The New Cuisines of Austria and the Danube (Ecco).

1. David Bouley is one of America's great chefs. He could be our greatest culinary creator. Bouley's first cookbook is only a peephole into his talent and creation.
   In trying several of the recipes offered by his book, I was initially optimistic. The concepts are interesting, the preparations are layered with different nuances of flavor, and the pictures are lovely. The first hesitation I had, was when i noticed that the recipe for Mushroom Goulasch corresponded only abstractly with the photo of the dish. In the recipe, the dumplings are not dumplings, but more of a spaetzle. the spaetzle is not yellow with pieces of chive, but totally green. Finally the beautiful buttery foam in the photo is in actuality a heavy green sauce. So much for truth in advertising.
   the potato salad we made was first class.
   the tuna dish we made was fine in most respects yet sorely lacking in detail as to the slicing of the tuna (which is critical in the cooking process).
   the dishes were very involved, yet the final result was mediocre at best. What a waste of time!
   I have eaten in Bouley's restaurant (Bouley's} and followed his career from a distance for some time. He has undoubtedly squandered a great talent in some ways. Yet, I would love for him to publish i true compendium of his creations. Bouley is so talented. I feel very disappointed as i can only assume that the bulk of his oeuvre will be forever out of my reach and understanding.



2. I don't thought I would like this book so much. But when I get it, I sat down and for 2 hours I was reading the book. As a German, this recipes sound often so familiar. My grandma kam from Prague, so her cooking was similar. For me, the recipes are easy to follow but you need your time. I am sure in the next time I will cook a lot from this book. The last year's I was in Italian-cooking, then California-cooking, now it is a change with this book. My husband will love it.



3. What can I say, many of the pictures in this book are wonderful and present the cuisine in fabulous splendor, but the recipies tend to be complex and will not come out exactly as pictured. Some of the dishes seem convoluted, particularly the dishes that require minute amounts of over a dozen ingredients.
   I understand that David Bouley is held in a high regard, just reading Charlie Trotter's review is enough said, but, I think that is based largely inpart on Bouley's restaurant, not the book itself. I also beleive that much of what is in this book is not meant for the novice cook. I consider myself experienced and more than capable of preparing an out and out quality meal, but this book is not helpful in explaining technique or corresponding the text and pictures to an actual outcome.
   I say beware of this book. Check it out from a library or borrow a copy from a friend and try the recipies first. I think that if you were to buy this based upon reviews or a cursory glance, you will be disappointed in how the recipies translate into stunning dishes in your own kitchen. If you struglle or fail, as I did, it is disheartening and should in no way reflect upon you as a cook. I will be honest, I was discouraged, but I had to sit and think about the audience for this book and the level of skill it is written for. I think anyone considering this book as a gift or addition to their own library needs to consider these two factors prior to making a purchase. And, if in doubt, spend some time looking it over carefully in a bookstore coffeeshop before you buy.
   Make no mistake this book is wonderfully photographed and well constructed, but contnet wise, I cannot say that it is among my favorites nor do I find it a very useful or insightful text.



4. I bought this book and a book about Austrian wine. I found the recipes to be a bit complicated, but quite wonderful. I also found some Austrian wine from an online shop (www.winemonger.com) to go with the food!



5. This chef is a guy I spent time with in high school, so I bought it for personal reasons. The food is beautiful and very sophisticated, upscale, like his restaraunts. He lost his bakery in 911, but quickly set up an elaborate food stand there to feed volunteers who were working around the clock, hungry and exhausted. Thanks, David

2 comments about Mr. Food's Old World Cooking Made Easy (The Mr. Food Series).

1. If you are looking to learn how to cook, look no further! Mr. Food cookbooks are the best I've ever tried. I am a teenager and am just starting to build up my cooking skills, and Mr. Food makes it so easy and fun. I can impress my family with dishes that seem like they took a lot of time but really took no effort. So don't hesitate in buying Mr. Food, this one especially. It's my favorite. So far!:-)



2. I have several cookbooks in my home. This one is my favorite of all! Everything I have prepared from this book has been a hit with my friends and family. In addition to making the dishes tastes "soooooo good" he really does allow me to cook soooooooo easy. Mr. Ginsberg, you have made St. Patrick's Day alot more fun at my house (my Irish ancestors would be so proud)! I get to wow my friends with recipes from other foreign countries, too. You make me look like a great cook even though I am just a mere novice in your shadow! Thank you for making cooking fun!

3 comments about The Art of Handmade Bread: Contemporary European Recipes for the Home Baker.

1. Interesting and unusual recipes. But the prescribed techniques just don't work for me. When I revert to using the formulas with my standard baking methods, I usually get good to outstanding results.
   
   If the methods work for you, hurrah! If not, you still get some unusual recipes to try.



2. This is actually Dan Lepard's English book, "The Handmade Loaf" converted to American measures. I own over 20 bread books and Lepard's intermittent minimal kneading method beats all other methods, hands down, for delicious, country style artisanal breads and sourdough starters.



3. It's a nice book for beginners who start to bake with sourdough. The recipes are rather clear, many of them are time consuming. I have started to bake bread four years ago and I liked this book very much. If you start to bake bread only with yeast it's better to buy Peter Reinhart's books. This book needs a little bit knowledge about baking and patience. Some recipes had been published with mistakes and Lepard clear them on his website.
   If you are serious home baker you may need something more advanced like books by Jeffrey Hamelman or Andrew Whitley.

5 comments about From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant.

1. I enjoyed this book for the most part, but found it poorly edited. The author mentions the same things over and over again in different parts of the book. When the same idea or scene is repeated, it is as though it is being mentioned for the first time. I found this highly annoying when I was reading the book.



2. I started out prepared to like this book, after all, I love France, having visited it many times, and my Grandmother on my Mothers side was French. However, after only a few sentences, alarm bells started to go off. The more I read, the worse it got. Basically, -here are the problems. The authors appalling use of Grammar, the tortured sentences, the overuse of adjectives, the misplaced adverbs and verbs, the use of American slang, {as in "I wanted to get the "skinny" on the matter,-meaning the inside info.}The mixed use of Ameringlish, Franglais,and slang.
   Just read it yourself, and you will see what I mean. Michael Sanders badly needs a} a good proof-reader, one who is literate as well as literary, and b}someone to edit his work and be prepared to slash many tortured sentences with a red pen.I gave up before I was even half-way through, as being a retired English teacher, it was too painful to read further. Sorry, but I cant recommend this book to anyone who is half-way literate.



3. I found a link to this book on the site of the B & B in Albas I was planning to visit during my trip to France last year. I bought & read the book and had to see for myself. Since my traveling companion & I were going to be in the area we e-mailed the owners of the B & B to make us a reservation.
   
   It was the most marvelous meal I've ever had. Three hours long and there was no sense of time having passed. The owners were lovely and I have never seen a cleaner kitchen ever, anywhere. My only regret is that we didn't have time to see much of the village he writes about.
   
   My dream is to go back & do it again. I'm so glad I read this book.



4. Sanders has captured the life in a small French village and its wonderful restaurant. My wife, best friends and I organized a trip to France around Sanders' book. It did not disappoint. La Rec was unbelievable. My friend and I could not figure out how the restaurant makes money at 30 Euros a person for a wonderful meal (five courses, including some of the most elegant dishes we had in France -- the Lobster bisque and ravioli are beyond description, for example). We took many of Sanders' other suggestions, including a lunch at the cooking school in a nearby village, and found the experience to be wonderful. The only downside to Sanders' work is that Les Arques has been bought up by northern Europeans, with virtually no French people living there.



5. I just now finished reading the celebrated "foie gras" section; as a Francophilic reseller checking prices for this title, I noticed some of the reviews and got curious.
   
   For all I know the large-scale editing could be better (or the book might be intended to stand as chapter-independent), but the 5-6 pages I read were quite well crafted, with varied and sensitive sentence pacing and inclusion of many insightful details.
   
   If you can't get from one end of a compound or (perish the thought) complex sentence to the other, like so many young video-game-deranged ADHD cases apparently have trouble doing, this lovely slice of a beautiful if hard way of life will probably be too taxing to enjoy.
   
   But for seasoned readers, it's a delectable read as far as I've seen (and it's fun to handle a book with traditional, ragged page signature edges for a change).
   
   Foie gras production is a pretty inhumane business, but non-vegetarians won't be learning anything totally new about how the other half lives. The people are wonderful and real. I wish I too could visit the area, as one reviewer said she did, before it becomes a part of a bygone age!
   
   P.S. Anyone generally interested in the proud and warring nations of France and Paris are encouraged to read "Fragile Glory" by Bernstein, a former NY Times Paris Bureau Chief -- it's delightful and informative!....

No comments about The New Orleans Italian Cookbook.

No comments about The Bagel: A Cultural History.

5 comments about Food of Greece: Cooking, Folkways, and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece (Fireside Cookbook Classic).

1. I think this book is very helpful for people that want to know more about food and cooking in Greece. I read this book or looked through it for my greek project in school and found it very helpful to find recipies and info.



2. I stumbled across this book in a bookstore down in Texas about four years ago and it's become my favorite Greek cookbook. The author collected these recipes back in the 70's when she went on a trip and traveled all over Greece. She would go to someone's house or out to a restaurant, and if the author liked the dish, she would ask the cook for the recipe. She took these recipes from all the different regions of Greece, put them together, and compiled this cookbook. I love this book because the dishes are very traditional like - the ones my yaya (grandmother) use to make. This book isn't about Greek food trying to be French, or anything else...but Greek. I also like the fact that the author gives the reader some background on the historical origins of the recipes. The one drawback of the book is that it doesn't have any pictures, so it might be difficult for a beginner or someone who is not familiar with Greek food. My suggestion them is to get a book with pictures so you can see what the dish is suppose to look like...but definitely use this book for the recipes. "Kali Orexi"!!!



3. This book gave a touch of Greek history with easy-to-follow recipes. I highly recommend it.



4. If you're looking for a cookbook with authentic Greek recipes like your grandmother (yiayia) used to make then I would highly recommend this one. As a Greek woman I was searching for an authentic Greek cookbook a few years back and I happily came across this one. I love the background history associated with the chapters and individual recipes and my Greek and non-Greek friends rave about the dishes I make from this book. I've even given it as gifts to others. As far as I'm concerned, this is the "bible" of all of my Greek cookbooks.



5. Excellent recipes and a travelogue of Greece and the Greek Isles. I foolishly gave away my first copy so I had to order another.

3 comments about The Best of Czech Cooking.

1. If you want to eat Czech Food go no further than this book. Excellent,and Brings back memories of my travels to Czech.



2. The major handicap of this book is the almost complete lack of pork dishes, so typical and essential in Bohemian and Moravian cooking. More or less authentic Czech sausages and hams may be hard to come by in the US, but is there a shortage of pork meat? So, the book misses a major part of the better dishes that Czech cooking has to offer. I would advise the editors of Hippocrene Books to check the subjects in their publications a little bit more carefully.



3. This new and expanded edition of an ethnic culinary classic provides a solid and important introduction to a cuisine which all too rarely receives its own book outside of general European cooking. Three new chapters to this edition of Peter Trnka's Best Of Czech Cooking add focus on pork, mushrooms and drinks, while the remainder is filled with Czech basics. No photos, but the recipes are easy enough without them.

No comments about Popular Greek Recipes.

2 comments about Biro: European-Inspired Cuisine (Kitchens of Biro) (Kitchens of Biro).

1. A wonderful cookbook for luxurious celebrations -- see Superchefblog review at http://www.superchefblog.com/2005/07/biro-european-inspired-cuisine.html



2. Marcel Biro and his wife Shannon Kring Biro , his wife who markets their 'business' I have taken many cooking classes in this Milwaukee metro area and was shocked when I found the same recipes in the Biro school's curriculum and book as I had done at the Ecole de Cuisine. They make many claims to fame but in reality he worked for that cooking school as an assitant while the owner was out touring with her PBS show and for her cookbook. That school owner, Jill Prescott, of Ecole de Cuisine, is an author and PBS cooking show host. Many recipes that appear in this cookbook were taken directly from Jill Prescott's Ecole de Cuisine's television series, cookbook and class materials. Grand Marnier Chocolate Cake, Steak with Cognac Madacasgar, Glace de Viande and more. He even renamed her French Vanilla Custard Ice Cream "gelato". His 'famous' Wisconsin restaurant closed, his famous 'schools' take place in Kitchen and Bath shops.