4 comments about The Bread Machine Cookbook II (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks).

1. This book has a great section on sourdough breads that I have used again and again. The author provides an accurate description of each bread with suggestions of menu accompaniments. I would consider this author an expert on bread machine breads! And so easy to follow.



2. I checked this book out of my public library and cried when it needed to be returned! I absolutely loved it. I tried many of the recipes and found all to be wonderful. The 4 star rating is due to the directions not always being super clear. The book tends to deal on the level of one having had experience with a bread machine. Highy recommended!



3. A friend lent me this book three months ago and I kept making excuses for not returning it. In the end, she came for lunch, and feeling guilty I thought I would just write out my favourite recipes, and ones I wanted to try ... an hour later and I was still writing! She came for lunch (I served Corny Bread, my favourite so far) and during dessert I was STILL writing. She felt so bad, she told me to keep it longer. She also suggested I tried Amazon, and here I am and have ordered all the books in the series, plus copies for some of my friends. This is the best Bread Machine Cookbook. It is simple, with no uneccesary information. The joy of Bread Machines is that once you have done a couple of recipes from your Instruction book you can cook anything and don't need to be told the same information over and over again. I love every recipe I have tried so far from this book. Everyone with a bread machine should have one!



4. This book has a whole section on calzones, pizzas, and hand tossed breads which is my favorite! Everything I have made turns out WONDERFULLY!!
   
   This is an AWESOME cookbook, I love the way the recipes are listed in the book, very easy to follow. The ingredients are listed in order to how they should be placed in the machine, there are instructions for 1, 1/2, and 2 lb loaves. The print is large which also makes the recipes easy to follow. I own her whole series of BM cookbooks because I like them so much!! Great variety also--if I have a certain ingredient that I want to use up in my cupboard, 9 times out of 10 I can find a recipe for bread that I can use it in!! Can't say enough good things about this cookbook!!

5 comments about Great German Recipes.

1. For the price, you can't beat this little spiral-bound book! It is surprisingly loaded with over a hundred authentic German recipes and many little tidbits and facts about German cuisine. Even better, this little item won't take up a lot of space on your hutch or cookbook shelf either! It can fit easily in a drawer or nook somewhere out of the way. Of course, you'll want to keep this one close at hand anyways.
   
   If you are into pictures for your cookbooks, though, you might be a tad disappointed as it has none. The recipes are easy to follow, though, so it really should not pose any problem for you. I'm the type of cook who can take or leave pictures in my guides; it really depends on how well I know the ingredients. Also, another great feature about this book is that the ingreidents themselves are not rare, exotic or hard to find. You need not know a German butcher or importer to make the recipes contained herein.
   
   Overall, for under $7, this is one of the best bargains and best finds you will ever encounter for German cookery, or any other regional cookbook for that matter! I highly recommend this product for anyone either looking to expand their horizons in European cooking or just looking for something unique and delicious from time to time!



2. I was raised in a family where German foods were often the main fare for dinner. My grandmother and my mother cooked so many German dishes. Many of their recipes are in this cookbook. What a joy that I can now make those childhood favorites!



3. I really enjoy this cookbook and for the price it can't be beat. Some of the dishes (carrots and peas) were too salty for my taste. But I really enjoy the (mashed)potato ring - kartoffelring.



4. The recipes are authentic and represent a concise collection of dishes one can actually prepare with relative ease. I have a few other books about German cooking, some of which with several hundred pages, but I always go back to this one when I'm in the mood to try preparing something new.
   
   The section on German culture is of the same quality as the recipes. Concise, helpful, no fluff.



5. Just about every recipe is from the states. I miss lot's of main course dishes, soupes and desserts.
   I feel the price is way to high.
   There are many lands in Germany who have different Recipes and I couldn't find any that where from Hessen.

5 comments about The Science of Cooking.

1. A little to heavy on the science for my liking!...but there are some useful theories for beginners!
   
   Ian
   
   http://www.bragazzis.com



2. This book will teach you the chemical secrets of the techniques that usually are used in gastronomy, from the basic concepts to most complex. Knowing the scientific basis of the culinary processes, Peter Barham describes kitchen recipes in detail, of this way, will not fail any more.
   This book also has some very interesting experiments to do at home, and that will offer help to understand of more practical way, the physical-chemistries concepts that try to explain.
   If you are interested in cooking, and science doesn't bore to you, read this book!



3. Pros: Scientifically informative and solid. Knowing the chemical and physical facts behind cooking methods applied to certain group of food would definitely help one to produce constantly good cooking result. And the text is very well written, _no_ part of this book is boring to read.
   
   Cons: This book is focused on western cooking methods, many highly interesting cooking methods which are very popular, even dominating in East Asia are not even mentioned in this book. For example, there is a chapter for sauces but soup was hardly mentioned in this book, as if soup is not a kind of dishes. However the art/science of soup cooking is very important for many people. I, for one, really looked for information for soup cooking in this book but was disappointed. And, the author seems think any sauce has to be at least a bit thick (containing reasonable amount of starch). But this is not true in Asia countries. We have many kinds of really tasty sauces which are totally fluid, almost as light as water. These light sauces are not only tasty but also have really nice aroma, nice colours, contains very little energy and they attach onto the main food very well. In the fish chapter, he said salted/dried fishes are very difficult to regain the good texture and taste, and wrote up 2 pages about a Norwegian disaster of fish making. But in east China, people steam salted sea eels and the result is so, so delicious. He should really have tried it out himself. In this book, the science of vegetable cooking is not mentioned. Nevertheless I think vegetable cooking is very important and I really want to learn the science of vegetable cooking from the author, I like his writing so much! And, in this book all doughs are baked but there are many people (mostly from East Asia) who steam doughs and the results are excellent too. For beef steak cooking, many professional cooks saute/shallow fry every side of a 2-3cm thick steak first (every side one minute) and then put it into pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes. This cooking method is not mentioned in this book and actually I did want to know the advantage of the post-fry oven handling of a beef steak.
   
   I really hope there will be a second edition of this book. I seriously suggest the author travel to Hong Kong and try out reasonably many different kinds of food in non-western restaurants in Hong Kong. Especially the famous soups, all kinds of vegetable dishes and all kinds of steamed dough-based snacks....



4. A review for science teachers:
   
   Peter Barnam's The Science of Cooking (Springer, 2000) is a classic, much quoted in New Scientist and The Science of Christmas. After a general introduction at about a year 9 chemistry level it quickly moves on to Maillard reactions (which develop the flavours in cooked meat), the formation of insoluble gluten (from the proteins gliadin and glutenin) when flour is hydrated and kneaded, and the role of fats and oils in carrying aromatics (or emulsifying finely ground cocoa to make chocolate).
   
   Most of all I enjoyed this book for the experiments it suggested (adaptable to inquiry learning). For example: How could you prove fructose is sweeter than glucose? Easy: Use a control, such as an artificial sweetener. But not all people will give the same interpretation when faced with the sugars. How can we show that they are detecting the control in a consistent way? And so on...Secondly, the text is punctuated with anecdotes about demonstration lectures on the Physics of the Black Forest Gateau or Soufflé Chemistry ...you can almost hear this born teacher, winner of the Institute of Physics Prize for Promoting the Public Awareness of Physics, script a unique lesson for your students.
   
   This little recipe book promises a few mouthwatering improvements to my own kitchen alchemy, and comes highly recommended.



5. Good book, easy read and to follow. A good way to learn about the chemistry and the science of foods.

5 comments about The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook.

1. I love this cookbook. Full of some fantastic recipes and mounds of information on low carb products. Try the chili recipe with black soybeans, I couldn't tell the difference from any original recipe using kidney or pinto beans. YA gotta have this one.



2. Recipes are good but loaded with fat and calories...don't use unless you are a strict Atkins's dieter.



3. There are some useable recipes in this cookbook, but for someone sensitive to dairy it is almost useless. There are no suggested substitutions for dairy free cooking and believe me if you don't tolerate whey powder you will not like this book. Full of sour cream, whey powder, gluten etc. you will be in a world of hurt if you are like me who gets arthritis and rheumatic pain from these allergens.
   
   Nice try, MD's. Too bad you know next to nothing about alternative nutrition!



4. I haven't tried a single recipe in this book. It just made food much more work than I, personally, am willing to do. I'd rather just go without high carb foods or find a low carb substitute, lol.
   
   Many of the recipes call for ingredients that I couldn't find at my local supermarket, even though I think I have the most LC friendly supermarket I've ever seen. (Not saying much, I know.) Drs. Eades even recommend that it's cheaper to get many of your ingredients in the mail, which might work for advanced planners. I'm just not one of those.
   
   And forget about making low carb 'pasta' or 'rice' if you don't know where to buy a pasta-making attachment. I'm showing my lack of cooking skill, maybe, when I say I've never even heard of such a thing! And tack on another 30 minutes if you want to do it by hand. I find it's much easier (and cheaper) to buy a package of shirataki noodles if I'm jonesing for pasta.
   
   And I can't tell if the carbs listed per recipe are net carbs (total carbs minus fibers, etc.) or total carbs. Some people absorb sugar alcohols, etc., while others don't. So, I would be cautious about using this book while dieting if you find you're sensitive to different varieties of carbohydrate (fibers, starches and sugars). But if you're not, and you enjoy cooking, have at it! Also, if you don't need to lose weight but like to eat low carb, this might be a good cook book for you.
   
   Bottom line is I'm too lazy to make any of the recipes that sounded good to me. If you like spending time in the kitchen, though, and you don't mind grocery shopping online, it could work for you.



5. Haven't made but a couple, but they were really good - close enough to the originals. The overall information on how to cook with the carb-heavy replacements also means I can adjust my own favorite recipes.

5 comments about The Bread Machine Cookbook.

1. I bought this book for a friend with a new bread machine. I have enjoyed all the books for the bread machine by Donna R. Gorman. The books all contain. a explanaion of bread machines, ingredients and corrections for common problems. I am on my second copy of the book, I wore out the first one. There measurement for both one-pound and one and a half pound loaves for every recipe. This a great pick if you only have one book for your machine.



2. We received this book about two weeks after we started using our new bread machine. The two loaves I baked with recipes that came with the machine were only OK - so I was a bit worried our machine would soon find a place in the hall closet, never to be used again. But the recipes in the book are wonderful. We have made a total of 20 or so loaves using 6 or 7 different recipes. And there has not been a disappointment among them! The only reason we haven't tried more recipes is that we keep wanting the tasty breads we've already tried. Our three favorites: whole wheat, cottage cheese with dill, and ricotta. My one concern when I first read the intro was the caution that many recipes, such as those with "wet" dairy products (cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc.) or wet fruit, should be baked without the timer (so that the cycle could be tuned to the variation in rising time); although I have not prepared many of these recipes, we have used the timer on 3 recipes that have needed wet dairy products and been fine every time. Our machine is a Zojirushi BBCC-X20; but I'm sure the recipes work well for all machine types.



3. This tiny booklet is promised to be a huge update to a previous version. However, it is so short (150 pages) and small (fits in your pocket), written in a large font. This appears to be a book for a fifth grader or so. And, the whole book still reads like it would be at least 10 years behind all other bread books. The information is indeed quite un-authorative, as another reviewer pointed correctly out. The recipes that I tried did not do well in my Zoshiruji bread machine at all. Plus, they did not taste either. What I find worse is the imprecise recipes. There is no way that I could bake a bread from these recipes without having to change them. Each recipe leaves you guessing behind what amount and which order one should add the suggested ingredients. The book gives recipes for small, medium and large bread. However most often the different ingredients don't scale proportionally and even within a category the amounts vary by 50%. I have not figured out why that is.
   There are zero pictures in this booklet and not much useful text. Therefore, I find this for almost nine dollars expensive compared to what you can get for the money. The books self-description is a big PR joke and many of the exaggerated reviews are completely unexplainable. The writing style is as weak as the content of this book. On page one you'll find sentences like "When the first Bread Machine Cookbook was published in 1991, there were no other books on the market, ..." (I guess, that's why it was the first book!).
   You might find a better text then this for your money. For example "The Bread and Bread Machine Bible: 250 Recipes for Breads From Around the World" by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter is a real nice book that inspires good bread baking. Over 500 pages of thorough descriptions, lovely introductions and fantastic photography to practically every bread described.



4. I've used this book and only this book since 1995. Never had any failures and never opened another book, because this one is all I need. I've sent my Dauther In Law some ideas from it and told her to get a copy.



5. This book has everything. I love it. The recipes are easy to use and they list the different loaf sizes. I would recommend this book for everyone especially beginners. Love this cookbook. I hope I will have it forever

5 comments about Simple to Spectacular: How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication.

1. Great book
   The recipe's are extremely well written for a cookbook and the technical abilities of the chef are well represented.
   
   if you are looking for a picture book though this is not for you as there are none.
   
   this book leaves it all to you to decide how it is presented.



2. Buy this book. I try to cook at least one item a week out of it, and sometimes several. Tonight I had the basic roasted chicken and the mustard and shallot potatoes with a side of lemon-garlic satueed spinach.
   
   The recipes are relatively easy, quick considering the end result,help sharpen your technical skills as well as build your creativity.
   
   I would also recommend Michael Robert's Secret Ingredients. These two books will make people rave about your food.
   
   Bon Appetit!



3. I bought the book because it received high rating in the review. When I received the book today, I expected to see nice pictures to show the changes of a simple recipe then being presented in spectacular way. I am not sure whether the writer refers spectacular to some exotic, expensive or unusual ingredients or some cooking techniques in French terms. The recipes are pretty much grouped into each main ingredient and that ingredient is cooked in 4 different ways.
   
   I am not a chef nor pro cook, only an enthusiastic home cook. Those are pretty much what I do at home. I use the same main ingredients and cook them in different ways on different days such as stir frying, roasting, grilling, with different seasonings or different filling etc.
   
   If you have a collection of good cooking books from different regions even good family recipes, I don't think that you need to spend on this book. Thank God I didn't pay full price for the book.



4. This is a great book that any cook will actually use. The recipes are organized as variations on a theme, inviting improvisation on the reader's part. If you cook, you'll love this book.



5. What a wonderful cookbook! I have a solid cookbook collection and have always loved the books by Mark Bittman. This book, however, is absolutely a wonderful compilation of gorgeous recipes. An outstanding partnership. Buy it, you really won't regret it. From the best chicken stock I've ever made to wonderful desserts, this is one cookbook you will reach for again and again. From simple to spectacular is the perfect title. BUY IT!!!

5 comments about The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking.

1. This book is a fantastic, user-friendly book that is overflowing with recipes. The recipes range from common to uncommon, easy to difficult, with everything in between. There is such a large variety of recipes that you are sure to find something to make regardless of what ingredients you have in your house. The recipes do a good job of explaining exactly how to make each dish, including specific details about how to do things such as "melt" onions. For even the mild German fan, it is neat to see both the English and German names for each dish, especially since many German dishes are often known by their German names.



2. We,ve been enjoying this cook book since we,ve gotten it.There is a huge selection and variety of recipes to chhose from.We're very pleased with the book.



3. Has most every recipe you can think of. I found recipes that most other German cookbooks didn't have. Easy to follow. Highly Recommend!!!



4. I borrowed this book from a neighbor, fell in love with it then bought it. Just like my gradma's cooking, and she came from Bavaria...



5. Have only made one meal out of this book and plan on one tonight. But the recipe for Schnitzel was great! I thought this was a great purchase and would highly recommend it!

5 comments about Cupcakes, Cupcakes & More Cupcakes!.

1. I bought this book for the wonderful photos -- sometimes it's hard to create a recipe or decorate a cake/cupcake without seeing what I need to do.
   
   But the ingredients are ridiculous.
   
   OK. I'll spot you
   quinoa, tahini, rose water (BUT it has to be FRESH that has not been sprayed with pesticides...???), gluten (I think I could find it, but I'm not sure), mascarpone (which is extremely expensive), dulce de leche (we have hispanic foods here in some grocery stores), I could probably grind some poppy seeds although I don't own and will not buy a spice or coffee grinder, semolina, anise stars...
   
   But there is no way I know how to find or would bother to hunt down, just to use a tablespoon or two of:
   black sesame seeds, dried lavender flowers, tapioca flour, dried lavender leaves, citrus extract (not orange, not lemon), DEMERARA SUGAR???, corn flour (I know what corn MEAL is but I've never heard of corn flour), whole candied chestnuts, liquid cinnamon extract (you're KIDDING, right? why can't I just use cinnamon??), date honey, gooseberries (the author finally admits we call them currants), golden syrup? sugar crystal rose petals??.....
   
   Why do people write cookbooks with outrageous ingredients? I'm not going to bother to search high and low for stuff when I only need a teaspoon or a 1/4 cup. Finally on page 92, when the author calls for "apricot neutral glaze," she finally admits that you will have to shop at "stores specializing in pastry making." Oh. Thanks. So I have to mail order most of these ingredients. She doesn't even have a resources page to aid me.
   
   The editing errors also really bothered me. In a Hazelnut Cupcake recipe the author talks about the addition of chopped walnuts, in the Toffee Square recipe the author wants you to make your own toffees and pour them into a "small cake pan," (that's NOT helpful at all, give me a SIZE). The Chocolate Mint Cupcakes recipe, when making the ganache topping, calls for cutting the chocolate mint into shavings, but the ingredients call only for regular chocolate and cream, not mint or any explanation of what she means. The Honey Cupcakes call for clove. Clove what? Clove honey? Ground cloves?
   
   Admittedly, these recipe are beautiful. But no way am I going to make them.
   
   You will want to ignore this foreign tome and go for the MUCH BETTER "Crazy About Cupcakes" by Krystina Castella (with wonderful, rich, decadent recipes and lots of photos too), or the Beautiful "Hello, Cupcake" by Karen Tack or the Fun "Hello There, Cupcake!" by Clare Crespo. Most of these choices are cheaper books, too!



2. I LOVE this book. I'm interested in the culinary field and this book quenches my baking needs. It has classic recipes and other creations that can be a little challenging, but are definitely worth the attempt and aren't impossible for the average chef-at-home at all. The pictures are completly stunning and vivid and i've already purchased many copies for my friends and family for the holidays. it's a guaranteed perfect present.



3. I love this book.
   "Out of the box" recipes!
   It is hard to find a professional cooking book that doesn't compromise on ingredients, excellent recipes and creative presentation.
   Yes, yes, the ingredients in few recopies might be less common, but once you taste it, you understand it is gourmet cupcakes book.
   My daughter and I tried the pistachio cupcakes and they were delicious.
   The honey and almonds are fabulous and easy to do.
   I bought it also to couple of friends as holiday gift, and they loved it.
   The pictures are magnificent and the cover is so colorful and happy, like the cupcakes.......
   The only thing I would add is the relative difficulties between the recipes.
   Thank you Lilach.



4. Cupcakes are philosophical stuff when you think about it, a canary in the cultural mineshaft of our lives. My relative new fondness for cupcakes is probably reflective of the zeitgeist, as cupcakes are contining to increase in popularity along with flavor. Cupcakes make sense nowadays, one of those "bowling alone" deals. How many of us have enough people in the house to slice up a six layer cake? Everyone wants what they want nowadays. And let's be frank, a lemony zesty cupcake is nothing like a chocolate fudgey cupcake. Say nothing of timing and freezability You know how it goes, it's like 3-4 AM and you sneakily brew a pot of Earl Grey tea -thrilled to have the house to yourself and being tiptoe quiet to keep it that way - and the Bernese Mountain Dog (who is basically a $4,000 Swiss-engineered farm dog) is snoring loudly in his purple faux suede dog bed and suddenly a cupcake bell goes off in your head.... "Hey, I've got Sprinkles brand red velvet cupcakes in the freezer and they've got cream cheese frosting." Hence, the icy digging begins. I'm sure we've all been there... 'er maybe that's just me.
   
   So, when you consider that the Sprinkles cupcake mix cost $14 and makes 12, and the butter and eggs and frosting stuff are all additional costs along with the actual workiness of mixing, baking, finding the little papers and pan and then measuring out the batter in each, (it took me three hours to baby a double batch of Sprinkles cupcakes to perfection the other day) you realize that the whole cupcake deal has changed pretty dramatically. It used to be that an $.89 cake mix would give you 20+ lightweight semi-edible cupcakes, batter slopped all over the pan, probably dry from being left in the oven too long, smeared with confectioners sugar frosting or far far worse, canned frosting, and that was that. Now, we know exactly how mediocre that effort was is helpful to know perspective-wise because I never liked those cupcakes and I kind of wondered if I wasn't just a bit wrong. I wasn't. Sprinkles cupcakes ARE a lot better. But side-note-wise it was amazing to me on a baking blog how many people couldn't get the Sprinkles mix to make a good cupcake. Mixed it too long and beat up the gluten and they got tough, left them in the oven too long and they were dry and tasteless, turned the beaters on high and hit the dry mix and got it all over the kitchen, and so on. I'm thinking if you need the Sprinkles people to come to your house, find a bakery.
   
   So now, in this book, we kick it up a couple more notches. Just when you thought that buying a $4 cupcake or baking it yourself and having it cost close to $2 each along with hours of work was over-the-top, comes this decadent cupcake book. Ingredients may be a little unusual, but aren't we all about uber-ific stuff. I am anyways. Well, on a small doable scale. Actually, I have a lot of the less common baking stuff she uses so it wasn't a total reach but things like candied flowers, dried lavender, citrus and spice extracts, seeds, specialty flours such as tapicoa and corn are found at any fine-foods kind of stores, specialty sugars like demerra, turbinado and maple and golden syrup are not THAT unusual and can usually be found pretty easily at most advanced grocery stores. And, you can make your own apricot neutral glaze from a $4 powder mix (it has pectin in it for a shiny gel mirror finish - not a huge stretch), or, if the glaze is more for flavor and under a frosting just thin down apricot jam and brush it over the cake. I like that she is an baking expert who pushes the envelope. Excellent. Let's face it, Sprinkle only has three flavors that I care deeply about (red velvet, lemon and chocolate)... I'm going to have to conquer new ground cupcake-wise at some point.
   
   By the by, the cocomut cupcake kit by the Barefoot Contessa is way cool. Makes ten uber-cupcakes for $10 plus cream cheese, butter and eggs.
   
   By the by, I like that Lilach German uses rosewater. It's a funny ingredient that can go either way, but it can really work. Some of the best lemonade ever has rosewater in it, but you can't identify it easily. It is a secret ingredient thing, like mixing anchovy paste with a bit of butter and tossing it with freshly boiled green beans.
   
   I just pre-ordered "Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes" due out January 5, which ought to include multiple revelations of top patiserie chefs, some who probably kick cupcake butt. Clearly, not for everyone, but then again is anything? Meanwhile, choose between the hazelnut-honey cupcakes and the marzipan cupcakes... or should I go for the pavlova cupcakes? 's all good.



5. What a beautiful book! The photographs are gorgeous, which is what attracted me to the book. However, I was most plesantly surprised by the unique recipes. There are so many unusual and interesting recipes. I have served these cupcakes at a dinner party and a luncheon. I made the Campari grapefruit cupcakes for a luncheon and got rave reviews. I made the marzipan cupcakes for a dinner party and, again, rave reviews. And I thought cupcakes were just for kids. Wrong. I have to disagree with the reviewer who said that some of the ingredients were difficult to find. Where does she live? Probably North Dakota or some place like that.

5 comments about An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro.

1. The knife information Chad Ward provides here is fine, but if you already know even a modest amount about knives and handling, you won't learn anything new here. The vast majority of this book is spent on how to sharpen and "sharpening systems" -- those uber-expensive gadgets that fly-by-night companies try to get rubes to buy. If you're looking for cutting techniques, I learned far more from "The Professional Chef" book by the Culinary Institute of America. Therefore, this book holds little value for the fractional amount of informative content it provides. Save your money because right here on Amazon you can find a far better guide by Josh Feldman at http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/R2VODKYZA1FUV6/
   
   This book retails for $35, but the production value is as if it were put together by the high school yearbook crew -- cheap yellow pages, poor grainy B&W images throughout (imagine old, old newspaper clippings!), and yes, good ol' Chad uses three frickin' knives for everything. That's not necessarily bad advice; however, that, friends, constitutes a pamphlet, not a book. Chad also makes fun of the Santoku's utility, saying he has no idea which "three virtues" the Santoku comprises. Chad, those three virtues include its marvelous chopping, dicing, and mincing abilities. The author also glosses over most knives except for providing a grainy photo of them. I have several others for other minor tasks, but still, his flippant treatment of anything other than a chef's knife is humorous indeed. Show me a woman who can comfortably handle a 8- or 10-inch chef's knife for hours and I'll want to meet her. I haven't met one in 25 years in kitchens.
   
   Chad also has a gripe with factory edges, which reveals his lack of blade science, and this is where he's dead wrong since his content is either outdated or he's grossly misinformed and hoping you won't know the difference. His information seems to be about ten years old in the blade industry. He should know very well that the angle of the blade and how it is sharpened from the factory is determined based on the type, thickness, steel, hardness, strength, ductility, and edge retention among other qualities. Quality knives with high carbon/molybdenum/vanadium alloy have elasticity and can easily be realigned by a sharpening steel or ceramic rod. Most kitchen cutlery is 4116 Krupp (cold) Stainless Steel. 4116 is a fine-grained, stainless steel made by ThyssenKrupp in Germany and is also used for hygienic applications (medical devices and the pharmaceutical industry) and food processing which make it a superb material for kitchen cutlery. The balance of carbon and chromium content give it a high degree of corrosion resistance and also impressive physical characteristics of strength and edge holding. Edge retention in actual cutting tests exceeded blades made of other stainless steels. Point is, when you put that "factory edge" under a microscope, those fine serrations on the blade actually make the knife sharper, making your meat and veggies part before it. Chad should know this.



2. Yep, there are no shortcuts. Well, there actually are some that work quite well. kearned plenty and am very happy to have this book around.



3. You sort of feel almost embarrassed to call a book about kitchen knives a "page turner," but for me that is exactly what this one is. Not only is this work quite informative, but on a certain level, it is also quite entertaining. The author seems to have a writing skill in that causes the reader to get in the "I can't wait to see what is next" mode. What a delightful and informative read this book is!
   
   Having received my first knife at the age of five, an old single blade Barlow (and immediately cutting my finger with it), I became a life long enthusiast as to knives. I have collected, bought, traded and used them for over sixty years now. I also cook. Not as well as my wife by any means, but I am no stranger to the kitchen. For some reason though, I was never really focused on knives of the, and those used in the kitchen until recently when we decided to purchase new ones. I suppose I just have taken them for granted for many years. I suddenly found there was much I did not know. Hey, we are talking a significant financial outlay here and I do not want to make a costly error!
   
   I began doing some research. Enter this wonderful book.
   
   Chad Ward has done a magnificent job of simplifying a rather complicated and mystifying area of knowledge. Make no mistake, choosing the proper cutlery for kitchen use is not a matter of common sense that the ill-informed might think. No, no, no! There is a myriad of questions that need to be answered and a very deep knowledge in several areas is necessary to make the correct choice. This work goes a long way into helping not only the neophyte cook, but also the more advanced. Again, I certainly do not consider my self anywhere near a Master Chief, but on the other hand I did not just fall off the back of a turnip wagon either.
   
   This book begins with a section on selecting the correct knife for the right job and some of the many considerations needed in making that choice. Who will be using the knife and for what! What are the physical properties of a knife and which ones are desirable and which ones should you avoid? There are certain myths concerning knives and what are they? Are knife sets good or should you purchase a mixed set or should you even own or need a set? What do you look for in a good knife? What are good knives made of and how are they made and why are they made like they are? These and many, many other questions are answered before the author addresses cutting boards, quite an important subject, by the way.
   
   The next portion of the work concerns the proper use of the knife and cutting techniques for both meat and vegetables. Having had some small bit and modest bit of training in this area, it was probably of least interest to me but I read it anyway and can attest to the fact that the author gives very sound advice, especially for the beginner. This section was quite well illustrated and overall is a good building block for further learning. You have to learn to walk before you run you know, and the author brings us up to a nice fast jog, at the very least.
   
   Now the last section of the book, and one of the most important for many reasons, deals with keeping your knife sharp...simply that. This may not sound like much, but there are probably more dull knives in drawers in this country than there are dishonest politicians, which make that a whole lot of dull knives! This must have been a rather difficult section for the author to tackle as I am sure he was aware of the controversy surrounding this ancient art...i.e. sharpening a knife. If you take 25 old men, knife men, and put them into a room together and ask them to tell the best way to sharpen a knife, you will get 25 different answers. You could say the same if you put 50 in the room.
   
   I meet periodically, with a group of men (and women) who collect knives and deal with knives on a daily bases. These are passionate hobbyists and professional dealers (in their own way) and they know their business. Hours upon hours have been spent with these people discussing sharpening techniques and I have yet to find one meeting where there was any agreement what-so-ever on the subject. When it comes to the area of sharpening knives, everyone, and I mean everyone, is an absolute expert! Hey, I have been known to pontificate on the subject myself from time to time, and I promise you that I do have strong opinions in this area and have old, mystic family secrets of sharpening that I will take to the grave. Now all of that being said let me assure you that Chad Ward has not given one bit of advice here that is bad. In fact, his dissertation on the subject of sharpening knives is one of the better ones I have had the pleasure of reading. The illustrations are great and he has again explained a very complicated procedure in words that most will be able to easily understand. He has discussed the various methods and has even addressed several of the sharpening systems on the market today. Again, I have first hand experience with many of these very systems and again, the author is spot on as to his commentary, observations and recommendations. I learned much here, which was a nice thing as it pretty well put to bed the old myth that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks. It certainly taught me a few.
   
   As a side bar, I must say I admire the author's bravery in putting in book form for all to read the subject matter discussed here. This is the type of book that will run the drug store cowboys out from behind their tables...you know the kind, they are in ever three booth café in America; the "I done been there and I done did that and this here author don't know enough to...." Well, you know the type. My, this author is daring...I admire that.
   
   Anyway, for the dollar, I do not feel you will be able to find a better book on the subject of kitchen knives anywhere. Goodness knows I have read enough of them recently and this one is absolutely the pick of the litter. Before purchasing your next kitchen knife, or for that matter, your next cook book, give this work a read. I doubt you will be sorry.



4. Excellent book, made especially useful because it names names. The only quibble I have, and it's not the author's fault, is that because of his rating Messermeister knives so highly I went out and bought one, a 10 inch chef's knife. I am quite disappointed in the edge, but due to good sharpening instructions in the book, I will fix that.
   Using an idea presented in the book on using a stack of quarters to set the height of the knife spine on a sharpening stone for any desired edge angle, I even made myself an Excel spreadsheet that, when I enter the desired edge angle and blade width, will automatically tell me how many quarters and dimes are needed for that angle.



5. Everyone that is interested in great kitchen cutlery at a reasonable price should read Chad Ward's "An Edge in the Kitchen." Part One gives excellent reviews on types of knives available in today's market and recommends specific knives for the budget conscious. Part Two is a visual field manual of knife skills that are commonly practiced by professional chefs and tips to improve everyone's speed and enjoyment using knives in the kitchen. Part Three challenges the reader to try knife sharpening or at least understand how to care for knives and what to questions to ask in the search for a professional sharpener.

5 comments about Culinaria Germany.

1. Upon receiving this book from Amazon, I turned to the chapter on Hamburg, the home towm of my German mother. I was delighted to see an image of my late father's office in the freeport of Hamburg. Also, I now have the recipe for "Lapskaus". I have been driving my family nuts with all of my cooking of North and Eastern German dishes. This volume now has a special place in my library and will be an important part of the cultural heritage that I pass on the the next generation.
   
   This is an outstanding volume within an excellent series of books on the joys of food.



2. I have unfortunately destroyed my copy of this book with my uncontrollable salivating on its well written and beautiful photograph filled pages. I will most certainly replace it with a new copy! I am not a chef but would suspect that this would be a great addition to a chef's library. It is an incredible work that would be interesting to anyone interested in food, German culture, or great photography of people and food. I can't believe I never knew of this book until my girlfriend picked it up for me off a bargain table at Borders.



3. [...]
   From north to south in Germany, this book gives clear and concise explanations of the history and preparation of various German foods.
   EVERY foodie should have this volume!
   Many BORDERS bookstores have this volume available for just $9.99 - be careful before you order it online!
   This is just one volume of the whole CULINARIA series - all of which are worth reading!
   The CULINARIA series is far more than a cookbook - these books explain, in detail, the cuisine of the country in question (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, ETC.)
   Anyone who is seriously in understanding a particular country's cuisine should own these books!



4. Bought this for a Xmas gift for a friend and he loves it! Full color pictures are great, has a range of recipes from simple to gourmet. Also has some neat blurbs about Germany and it's cuisine. Very nice for a gift or simply to read for fun.



5. I received Culinaria Germany for Christmas from my soon to be wife. Being of German heritage, we are always looking for some really good German cookbooks.
   Not only does Culinaria Germany offer many fine recipes, but it shows the various types of food present and/or unique to each of the German states or regions. This it does in beautiful color and photography that has no equal. A best-in-class encyclopedia on German foods and cooking that is a real bargain. I felt it was such a magnificent collection that I gave one to my brother and his wife also as a Christmas gift. Definitely a five star rating! Gary Grimm & Carol Wurm