3 comments about The Cool Cookbook: A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats.

1. The pressure is off. I've found the perfect gift for my sister-in-law on her upcoming birthday. An avid skier as well as a lover of fine food, my sis-in-law is sure to adore "The Cool Mountain Cookbook: A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats" by Gwen Ashley Walters.

   When the book arrived, I leafed through its pages and found them as inviting as a down comforter on a snowy night. Detailed stories about the 20 featured ski lodges supplied me with miles of satisfying armchair travel. I knew that my sis-in-law had been to a few of the featured resorts and I imagined her reading the book, revisiting them like old friends. For those she hadn't yet experienced, Walters helpfully supplied addresses, as well as information about accommodations and activities.

   Walters' evocative descriptions make the reader feel at home before he or she arrives. This passage about the Strater Hotel in Durango, CO made me feel as if I were a guest at this historic hostelry. "The rooms have diaries for guests to jot down their thoughts and experiences. Page after page tell of special moments remembered by couples, families and travelers. In another time, you might have spotted Bat Masterson polishing his six-shooter or Louis L'Amour penning a new western novel, as both were guests of the hotel."

   Postcard pretty photographs of resorts transported me from the classic colonial Equinox in Vermont to the rustic chic of Deer Valley Resort in Utah. But it was the gorgeous color photographs of dishes such as Three Onion Tart, Chorizo and White Cheddar Breakfast Burrito, and Honey Soy-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Ginger Butter Sauce that sent me rushing off the slopes and into my kitchen.

   First up, Orange Mustard Pork Tenderloin. Huge, huge hit with the family. I sometimes skip marinades to save time and this recipe proves what a big mistake that is. Soaked in a mixture of Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, orange juice, herbs, spices, and a few other goodies, this pork was absolutely succulent. A definite keeper recipe.

   An oven-roasted Tomato and Avocado Soup sounded just right for the next sample (after all, I wanted to make sure my sis-in-law would like her gift). Just the aroma of the Roma tomatoes baking in the oven with fresh basil, fresh tarragon, and fresh parsley was worth making this dish.

   Some overripe bananas dictated the next recipe choice. Banana Chocolate Chip Bread was a snap to whip together and bake in a loaf pan. Seasoned with a bit of orange zest, it was the pinnacle of yumminess.

   I could tell from the glitch-proof recipes that Walters, a professional chef and Certified Culinary Professional, had worked hard to translate these chefs' creations into home-cook user friendly recipes.

   At this point, "The Cool Mountain Cookbook: A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats" is becoming a bit creased and there are all those stickies marking recipes I still need to try. And, darn it, my sis-in-law's birthday is fast approching. If I give her the book, how will I find out for myself which chocolate dessert-the Warm Vahlrona Chocolate Tart, the Chocolate Volcano on page 132, or the Warm Chocolate Cake on page 140-is worthy of a serious chocoholic's attention?

   I may just have to purchase another copy for her birthday gift--while I further explore the "The Cool Mountain Cookbook: A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats" for more tips on my favorite winter sport: dining on fabulous fare in front of a roaring fire.




2. This is a marvelous cookbook/travel guide. It's gorgeous to look at, full of engaging descriptions and great color photos of both the retreats and their food. The information provided is well laid out. Broken down by state, each section features 20 top-notch winter retreats and a sample of their breakfast and dinner menus (recipes included in the book are marked with an asterisks). Finding a recipe is easy as the table of contents is broken down by recipe category and a "thorough" index is provided.

   When I first glanced at the pictures showcasing many of the recipes, I was a tad intimidated. My style of cooking is casual while what I saw fell in the realm of chic plated fare. To my delight, Mrs. Walters and the retreat chefs have converted their goodies into achievable recipes for the home cook. Except for the rare use of an unusual ingredient like elk loin, the only other consideration is time. A few of the items, especially from the dinner menus, may take awhile to prepare. Caramelizing the onions for "Spicy Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions' takes an hour but the results are more than worth it. Use her suggestion and make them a day ahead to save time.

   I had no trouble preparing any of the recipes I did try and the results were delectable. "Chocolate Volcano with Raspberry Coulis" looked complicated yet was easy to make and impressive. It was also scrumptious! "Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes" are easy to make and addictive to eat. Flip them once during the baking time to get them good and crispy.

   These are good fall/winter recipes that will get you through a day of skiing or snowshoeing.




3. In The Cool Mountain Cookbook: A Gourmet Guide To Winter Retreats, Gwen Walters prevailed upon twenty outstanding ski lodge resorts from around the country to provide more than 150 delicious recipes that can be easily duplicated in any family kitchen. These wonderful dishes are augmented with up-to-date travel guide information on accommodations, rates, and activities. There are beautiful color photographs of both the food and the lodges. From Spring Onion Risotto with Tomatoes and Almonds (Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn, CA); Spicy Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions (Sundance, UT); and Warm Chocolate Tart with Banana Compote (Lodge at Vail, CO); to Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles with Strawberry Mint Sauce (Lake Placid Lodge, NY); Chile-Encrusted Pork Tenderloin (Vista Verde Guest Ranch, CO); and Huckleberry Creme Brulee (Spring Creek Ranch, Jackson Hole, WY), The Cool Mountain Cookbook is as much fun to browse through as it is to prepare a meal from!

4 comments about The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American.

1. This is a wonderful cookbook. I have used many of the recipes multiple times. When I first got it I read all the comments and liked it but after a while they get annoying. If you use the same recipe frequently you can't help but feel 'preached at' after a while.



2. I really love all thoseHistory stories about GeorgeWashington, Thomas JeffersonThe Pilgrims Etc. that went along with the recipes.I hope that Jeff Smith will return to Television very,very soon.



3. This is a great book, not only in the recipies (which are all wonderful), but in the stories BEHIND the recipies: where it all came from. I used this book quite a bit in the States, and now that I live in Germany I don't know what I would do without it. Our friends are always asking me for TRUE American dishes (not just the hamburgers everyone associates with the States.)



4. The Frugal Gourmet' Jeff Smith shows us some great American standards with interesting historic information to boot with this authentic American cook book! This is an excellent cook book for everyone. Jeff Smith has another winner here! It's full of great recipes and stories by a very talented cook and writer. This one focuses on American cooking. I have used many of these recipes and found them to be very good. Being a home grown cook myself and having a mother who is a fantastic cook, I found this book to be very helpful in expanding my culinary taste buds.
   
   Jeff Smith entertained us for years on his PBS program 'The Frugal Gourmet'. Not only did he teach us many savory dishes, he also educated us. Not satisfied with just cooking delicious meals for his viewers, he would give detailed history lessons about the origins of the dish and made it all a lot of fun!
   
   This may be Mr. Smiths best cook book and it is a worthy edition to everyone's cook book library. I own and have read many, if not all of his cook books, not only for the man's knowledge of cooking, but his incredible wit! This guy was funny and I would have loved to have hung out and throw a few beers down with him.
   
   Unfortunately, this man had some very seriously bad press released about his personal life and well..... I am not one to spread rumors.....he seemed like a great guy and sadly he died before he was able to clear his name.
   
   R.I.P. Frugs!

5 comments about The Uncommon Gourmet's All-Occasion Cookbook.

1. This book is elegant, simple (to the point of being foolproof), and full of variety. It's one of my very favorite cookbooks. I wanted to send it to a friend as a present, and I was astounded to find that it's unavailable, because it deserves to be a best seller! I hope it comes back soon.



2. I have been trying to find a copy of this book for a year and a half! I have been borrowing it from friends who own it! Why is it out of print? Please bring it back. Anyone have one to sell?



3. I just picked up a copy of this book (and the original Uncommon Gourmet) ... and it wasn't [amount] only [amaount]. I was also told that there is a new book coming out by Ellen Helman in November. They are both wonderful books and I am glad that both are now readily available.



4. I managed to somehow pick up this book in a remainders section while it was out of print and it proved to be incredibly good luck. All the recipes are very easy to make and almost all have recieved rave reviews.



5. I love to cook and have many many cookbooks - this is the one I take with me when I travel to a cottage - I know it will have something for every time - the company, the family, the lazy night - all delicious and nothing too intricate - you can put together a great meal relatively quickly- I particularly love the suggested menus in the margin on each page - makes life pretty easy - lots of "a bit different' touches in this book - I now give it regularly as a gift, which is how I got it! buy this book if you like to cook!

5 comments about The Low-Carb Gourmet: 250 Delicious and Satisfying Recipes.

1. I just got this book from a book club and even though I didn't pay $35 for it, I think it would be worth $35 just for the Donald's Deep Dish Pizza Quiche recipe! I made it today, and it's outstanding. Both my daughters were begging for slices. I was just getting so sick of scrambled eggs for breakfast, and the author suggests several alternatives on the breakfast main page, including recipes from other sections of her cookbook. There are a number of recipes I'm looking forward to trying, like Brussels sprouts with cream cheese and nutmeg (she swears it'll make a sprouts eater out of anyone) and Chicken with bacon cream and thyme.



2. I love this book! I have been low-carbing for just over a year now, with great success in the weight-loss department. But I was bored and generally disappointed with the recipes from diet books, such as The South Beach Diet (all 3 books): a few of the recipes were good, some were bad and most were boring.
   
   I was so excited when I found this book. I was already familiar with Karen Barnaby - her first book, Pacific Passions, is one of my alltime favorite cookbooks. So I was sure her recipes would be great tasting. And they were! So far, I have made about 1/2 the recipes in the book and I LOVE THEM ALL! Even my non-low-carb husband enjoys them.
   
   Some of the best of the best are:
   * Mom's Cauliflower Salad - I made this for a party and everyone raved about it, several people asked for the recipe.
   * Chilled Cucumber & Avocado Soup - quick, easy & great on a hot day
   * Scalloped Savoy Cabbage - my husband does not usually like cooked cabbage, but he loved this.
   * Twice-Baked Cauliflower - so good I could eat it every single day.
   * Oven-Fried chicken - nearly as good as the "real thing".
   * Turkey Snackin' Cake - all the traditional Thanksgiving flavors in one easy dish.
   * Shepherd's Pie with Smoked Cheddar - one of the best recipes in the book. My husband said it was the best shepherd's pie I'd ever made, much better than the potato-topped kind. And he is a HUGE potato lover!
   * Keema - I made this with ground lamb! I noted in the book to always make a full batch or there aren't enough leftovers.
   * Donald's Deep Dish Pizza Quiche - I was a bit skeptical, but this was quite fabulous. Really cures pizza cravings, and it's quite quick to make.
   
   The list goes on and on, but these are some of the best recipes I tried, low-carb or otherwise. Some of the recipes are very "gourmet" (KB is a restaurant chef, after all), but most are fairly easy to make and don't require a lot of hard to find ingredients. If you're bored with other low-carb cookbooks, give this one a try!
   
   Also, check out Karen's website. She herself is a low-carb success story.



3. As stated previously by other reviewers, the recipes in this book are awesome. I have purchased many low-carb cookbooks over the years (at least 15), but this is by far the most used cookbook I own. The instructions are clear, the ingredients are easy to find and the flavors are great! I have found that many of the low-carb cookbooks that I own focus on getting the carb counts within a certain range without really paying attention to the ingredients being used. Fortunately, this is not the case with this book. Every recipe that I have tried has turned out wonderfully. I still have plenty of recipes that I need to try out! The dessert recipes are a standout for me because most of the ingredients used are those you can find in a well stocked supermarket (you can find almond meal at any Trader Joe's or from an online source). I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for new ideas and really tasty food. This is definitely worth every penny; it is the most expensive low-carb cookbook I own, but also the most used!
   Just an aside: the recipes really do work. There were times when I was skeptical about some of the ingredients or the amounts used, but every time I have made a recipe, it has turned out wonderfully. Give this book a try!



4. Good but when you want fast recies not this book. But nice stuff.
   Just not fast.



5. This book is the one on my bookshelf (and there are many) that I continually pull off just for entertainment purposes alone. Everything I have cooked is delicious and I am on Atkins. Granted some are not for induction but her style is wonderful and the food is so good you can serve it to guests. The twice baked cauliflower recipe is very close to twice baked potatoes and out of this world. I highly recommend this book. My only complaint is that there isn't a volume II yet.

5 comments about The Uncommon Gourmet.

1. I can rely on the Uncommon Gourmet to prepare impressive meals in little time. Most recipes require five to seven ingredients, which I usually have on hand. I've made quite a few meals that people keep requesting (such as the spinach, goat cheese and smoked salmon salad). I have seven friends who want this book. They think I'm holding out on them, so I'm amazed that this cookbook is out of print!



2. I have shared this book with many friends. Every meal is an award winner that I prepare from this book.



3. I love to cook and own many classic cookbooks, but there is none that I use more frequently than this one. The recipes are uncomplicated, yet delicious, and are suitable for both entertaining and every day meals. Unfortunately, after several years of continuous use, my book is falling apart! I hope the publisher reprints it soon, so that I can purchase a couple of spare copies!



4. Cooking is my main hobby and I collect cookbooks. This is by far my favorite and most used one. I turn to it time and again for the simple, yet extremely tasty recipes. It never ceases to amaze me that they all produce marvelous results. This is even more amazing given the wide variety of recipes from every type of cuisine. Easy to follow intructions and simple lay out add to this book's appeal. WHY IS THIS BOOK OUT OF PRINT?



5. I just picked up a copy of this book (and the The Uncommon Gourmet's All-Occasion Cookbook) from the publisher (Font & Center Press -- Massachusetts). I ordered it directly but Amazon.com should be able to order copies -- and it wasn't $125.00 only $21.95. I was also told that there is a new book coming out by Ellen Helman in November. They are both wonderful books and I am glad that both are now readily available.

No comments about The Justin Wilson Gourmet and Gourmand Cookbook.

5 comments about Making Your Own Gourmet Coffee Drinks: Espressos, Cappuccinos, Lattes, Mochas, and More!.

1. If you want to know all about the culture and art of coffee making then buy this book. If you want a bit of help to impress your friends than this is not the book.



2. After purchasing my Nespresso machine I enjoyed churning out Gingerbread lattes from an online recipe. My daughter requested a turtle latte and I decided a few fun espresso recipes would be great!
   
   So I went in search of the perfect coffee drinks book. Sadly, this was not it. This was very disappointing. The espresso section was a few brief pages AND did not really include any speciality recipes.
   
   Not a good choice for good coffee drinks.



3. I'd hoped there'd been more recipes. This book gives very basic information and shows little creativity. Explore further if you're wanting a real recipe book to make flavored coffees.



4. There is only one recipe for espresso drinks. There are other recipes for drinks with brewed coffee, but they have ingredients that most people do not normally keep in their house. The sections on the history of coffee and some tips on how to make a better coffee/espresso, are pretty good. If you are looking for some recipes for some different drinks, this is definately not the book you are wanting. I'm going to keep the book only because I don't want to go through the hassle of returning it, but I will not be recommending it to anyone to buy.



5. I just bought an espresso machine, because I was spending more money on starbucks and dunkin donuts than I do on cigarettes... So, got the machine used coarsly ground beans, and I got the weakest shot of espresso ever... I brewed with a ese cert pod and the espresso was so yummy, thought to myself i wonder why that is... so i broke open the pod and dicovered OHHHHHHHH, i'm supposed to have these beans ground as fine as beach sand... so once i got all that figured out, i was thinking whats the differance between a latte and a cappuccino? and just generally wondering what kind of recipes i could make with the espresso... went to B&N this was the only book they had, so i bought it... read the two maybe three pages of recipes that i was curious about and the book sat on my counter next to the espresso machine for a few weeks untouched...
   
   I'm not saying that i wasted my money on the book, i wanted a book now! and bought the book, learned the three things i could've just searched online for.... now i'm going to look for a espresso book with more recipes because i'm so addicted to espresso now... it's 90-95% cheaper than going to shops and buying coffee...... MMMMM latte.....

5 comments about L'Atelier of Joel Robuchon: The Artistry of a Master Chef and His Proteges.

1. This cookbook/textbook is beautifully written and photographed. I recommened it to anyone who is a chef or aspires to be one. The recipes are a bit intense, so a lot of knowledge would help in the creation of the dishes. Caviar, truffles, potatoes, mushrooms? These are some of the finest things that the culinary world has to offer. Reading about one of the greatest chefs in the world will humble any cook. I admire him for his life long devotion to cooking. Robuchon is not a Chef who's idea of "making it" is resting on his laurels.



2. Yes it is true, one of the best chefs in the world writes a great book that covers the styles of modern and traditional French cooking. YOU should definetely buy this book, it is a classic.



3. Very interesting to analyse the signature recipes of the master, but the bulk of the book contains recipes of Robuchon proteges -- of the 48 recipes in total, only 8 are by Robuchon, which was rather disappointing.



4. Lancelotpad 8 3813EW Amersfoort Holland



5. Joel Robuchon is arguably the greatest living, working chef in the world. Patricia Wells is arguably one of the leading culinary journalists writing in English. And, Wells has already done a work on the cuisine of Joel Robuchon in the volume `Simply French' that won a James Beard award for best international cookbook in 1992. All this suggests this should be a great book. I also found things in this book that were not in `Simply French' which made this book more interesting to the reader; however, I did not find this a great, inspiring book for the cook. For the little concerns that lessened the overall impact of the volume, I give it only four stars rather than five.

   I rate culinary works according to several different criteria, depending on the intended audience. The major accomplishments I value are lots of good, attainable, interesting recipes as in `James Beard's American Cookery'; masterful description of culinary technique as in Thomas Keller's `The French Laundry Cookbook', thoughtful reflections and revealing comments on culinary terroir, history, or culture as in Patience Gray's `Honey from a Weed'; accurate portrait of a regional cuisine as in David Downie's `Cooking the Roman Way', or exceptional presentation of a particular ingredient or branch of cooking as in Sherry Yard's masterful `The Secrets of Baking'. Memoirs such as Ruth Reichl's `Tender at the Bone' and straight journalism as in Tony Bourdain's `Kitchen Confidential' have their own special criteria, most of which is simply based on successfully telling an interesting story.

   After all these reflections, I have to rate this volume somewhat below the very highest rank. The book addresses three subjects related to the career and art of Joel Robuchon.

   The first subject is a brief chronicle of Robuchon's career, plus some comments on the careers of six of Robuchon's most prominent students. This section is a bit thin, but it does contain some interesting connections. It explains, for example, Robuchon's connection with and appearances on the Japanese produced show `Iron Chef' which appears regularly in translation on the Food Network. It turns out that Robuchon became enamored of Japanese cuisine early his career and he has a restaurant in Tokyo. He was also a very successful competitor in French culinary competitions early in his career. This section also reminds one of the practice of Thomas Keller. Wells describes Robuchon's kitchen as being quiet as a monastery, almost exactly the same description given by Michael Ruhlman of the kitchen at the French Laundry.

   The second subject is a catalogue of Robuchon's favorite ingredients and their suppliers. Here is another parallel with Keller's French Laundry book, as Keller insisted that the book include profiles his of most important suppliers. Robuchon's hallmark ingredients are potatoes, caviar, scallops, cepes, sweetbreads, truffles, chestnuts, and almonds.

   The third and largest section is a presentation of five or six recipes for each of the eight ingredients. Each recipe is the creation of Robuchon and one of his six disciples. Every recipe is spelled out in exquisite detail rarely seen in the methods of merely mortal chefs. Cooking times are given from exact milestones such as the time at which a pot of blanching water returns to a boil after adding vegetables. I confess some times and instructions are quite surprising to my totally amateur experience. I almost feel I need an explanation for why they poach asparagus for a full twenty minutes. I find asparagus totally limp and unappealing if it spends much more than five minutes in boiling water. Another major surprise is when a recipe puree's cooked scallops to be formed into quenelles on a mushroom puree. This brings back the comment of French cooking as being designed to suit people with bad teeth. In spite of the exquisitely detailed recipes, I did find a missing step here and there, where, for example, the recipe asks that cheese and potato slices be overlapped in a gratin without having given any instructions on how to slice the cheese.

   A truly expert photograph of each finished dish accompanies every recipe by Herve Amiard, Robuchon's personal photographer. All are done with the food plated on a white plate, photographed from directly above the dish, with lighting always coming from the upper left (at about 2 o'clock). Dishes requiring special techniques as with grilled wild mushrooms with eggplant caviar are accompanied with detailed photographic montages and instructions to be certain that the reader can understand and follow the technique. This technique alone uses sixteen well-executed photographs.

   This book includes two supplementary tables that enhance its value as a collection of recipes. The first is a tabulation of cooking times for each recipe, by ingredient. Don't get any impression that this book is a resource for quick cooking. The average prep and cook time is 90 minutes and some are as long as 10 hours. The second is a detailed table of contents. It is a little odd that these two tables duplicate a lot of information and their objectives could have been accomplished on two rather than on four folio-sized pages.

   I am truly impressed by the modesty of the principle subject of the book and his collaborators. I just reviewed a book by a lesser French chef which might have been subtitled `An Advertisement for Myself'. In all, I found less new knowledge in this book than I found confirmation of statements by other great chefs. Robuchon, for example, confirms an observation made by Daniel Boulud that a cornerstone of culinary technique is repetition. You prepare a dish many, many times over until you know your ingredients and your techniques intimately.

   Unlike Boulud's `Letters to a Young Chef', I don't think this book is required reading for foodies or professional chefs, but I think it is good stuff. It does several good things, but nothing great.

5 comments about The Dancing Gourmet: Recipes to Keep You on Your Toes!.

1. Written by professional ballet dancer and skilled cook Linda Hymes, The Dancing Gourmet is a celebration of elegant recipes, each presented with extensively detailed instructions, and enhanced with mouth-watering color photographs by Derek Gaffney. From Asian Red Cabbage Slaw; Sea Bass Wrapped In Pancetta; and Miso Sesame Noodles; to Grilled Tuna with Orange and Thyme Scented White Beans; Irish Soda Bread; and Capellini Scampi, The Dancing Gourmet offers lusciously tempting dishes, each of which is meant to be created with a keen sense of balance -- a quality as important to cooking as it is to dance!



2. This book has won several awards including the Gourmand World Cookbook Award and the ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year. I was shocked at the actual quality of the book. The publishing is excellent.
   

   
   As a dancer, I know that one thing you have to maintain is discipline, and with all the tempting recipes out there, it's hard. Surely one of the most attractive things about this cookbook is its pictures. Almost every other page has a beautiful photo of one of the recipes. At the beginning of each chapter, there's a picture of a dancer, and these alone make the book worth buying. Alright, enough said about the images - let's consider the food.
   

   
   I was really surprised to find that one of my favorite recipes was an appetizer. Edamame, which I'm really not sure how to pronounce, is simply prepared, salted soy beans, which you take out of the pods and eat. They aren't too filling and they make a great replacement for the traditional crackers and cheeseball appetizer.
   

   
   The second section of the book is devoted to soups. While these aren't entirely easy to make, all the preparation is well worthwhile. The Gazpacho Andazul was my favorite; it's basically a really complicated version of tomato soup. It tastes like something that you would get in a cafe in Europe, but maybe that's just me. There are a lot of spices added in, so if you accidentally overdo it a bit, it can taste rather strong. (By the way, there are a ton of adorable cooking quotes scattered throughout the pages, and for this soup the quote is "Only the pure of heart can make a good soup.")
   

   
   Moving on to third chapter, the salad selections are phenomenal. There are recipes for European salads, like the Taboulleh with Shredded Baby Spinach, which is really good and the Panzanella, which includes a recipe for the dressing as well. I don't know if you are anything like I am, but I'm not entirely used to gourmet food. I'm the girl who ends up getting the tossed salad and mixed vegetables in most restaurants, so it takes a bit of getting used to. But if you give them a chance, you won't be sorry.
   

   
   A lot of these recipes are not veg, so you may have to weed through the ones you don't want to try. Lucky for us, there is an entire section devoted to Vegetarian and Meatless Entrees! Many of these recipes took the longest to prepare, especially the Fresh Spinach, Roasted Eggplant, and Mushroom Lasagna. While this took a while, it serves eight and you can easily hang on to the leftovers. There are a lot of other really great meatless recipes including sesame noodles and a really great pizza recipe. But this is one section where some of the more culturally diverse food comes in. The curried banana balls were a bit different, I'll admit, but it doesn't hurt to try them once.
   

   
   Lastly, we have the land of desserts. No complaints here! These were amazing with a couple of great biscotti recipes and Irish soda bread. There is also an applesauce carrot cake that is to die for.
   

   
   In the back of the book is a glossary filled with both ballet and cooking terms and more pictures. It's a great ending to a great cookbook. Overall, I would highly suggest adding this to your kitchen. It is a great way to impress any guest that comes along and an even better way to treat yourself.--Courtney Jones




3. What a wonderful cookbook! The recipes are a really nice collection of international foods. All are healthy and very delicious. And what a surprise it was for me when I realized that this is a fantastic toddler cookbook! So many recipes in this cookbook are easy to cook, nutritious, and appropriate for adults and small children alike (you must adjust level of spiciness of course.) To name a few, Udon with Tiny Gingered Pork Balls; Asian Noodle Soup with Grilled Chicken; Chicken Sate; and Fresh Spinash, Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Lasagna. Great for those of us who want to train our little ones to have sophisticated taste buds and to eat healthily.



4. This is a gorgeous cookbook, beautiful picutures of the dishes (courtesy of the author's talented husband) and delicious eclectic recipes. You can make sushi, spaghetti & meatballs, french onion soup, this book really covers alot of ground. Truly a treasure. I'll be purchasing one for my mother and grandmother who love to cook as much as I do.



5. Wonderful recipes, easy to prepare, yes. But most households won't have all the needed ingredients. I'm not talking about needing to buy some scallops. Some of the herbs and seasonings aren't common to keep, and some of the ingredients can be difficult to find, even in my area where Russian, Indian, and Chinese markets are as common as your run-of-the-mill grocery store. However, if you see cooking as an adventure and are willing to spend the time hunting down hard-to-find ingredients, go for it.

5 comments about Gourmet to Go: A Guide to Opening and Operating a Specialty Food Store.

1. Although, as the name suggests, this book is geared mainly towards gourmet to go operations (specialty food stores with emphasis on catering and gourmet take-out) it is an invuluable resource for anyone thinking about entering the gourmet food industry.

   I wasted all kinds of time and money on general business start-up books and learned little more that nothing about starting a gourmet food store (or any business for that matter). The business plan section alone is better than a whole book I purchased on the subject. I found every bit of Gourmet to Go to be extemely useful and after reading it couldn't believe I had even considered going into business without it.




2. Having some experience with new product projects for major corporations, this somewhat smaller scale, but nonetheless similar principled look at the operations and craft of specialty food store biz is well-done.

   It is full of relevant and cogent thoughts for anyone interested in this market niche. What I found very well done is the sections of writing the biz plan and the steps therein critical to putting together and then implementing such.

   Also included are fairly thorough lists of resources such as consultants, trade journals, suppliers, etc.

   What could possibly have been additionaly useful was stress on two key areas: concentration on obstacles and their probability of happening (i.e. scenario plotting) and finding and use of two key players from the outset: attorney and accountant/tax specialist.




3. This is an excellent treatise of starting a specialty food store or, perhaps is even more beneficial to one who wishes to wholesale food products to place in food stores or delis..

   People wanting to cash in on the current trend towards take-out convenience need this book, as well as From Kitchen To Market and How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets.

   The three books are invaluable for overlapping reasons. A prospective store operator needs to understand how to setup his or her store and, just as important, how their competition operates. Beginning store operators also need to understand their industry in detail not merely from the viewpoint of their competition and from their customers, but from their suppliers position.

   Gourmet To Go does a great job from a narrow viewpoint. Probably the only topic not suffriciently explored is the hands'-on advice. Perhaps the next edition will detail the possibilities for including rollergrills, microwaves and how to earn what the industry refers to as "Plus-sales." I'm speaking of the technique in all fast food chains and convenience stores to get customers to spend more money.

   Other hands-on topics that should be discussed are controlling theft and the experience of many store operators who have lost significant chunks of money in providing lottery tickets. I know of a feww whose losses exceeded $10,000. Adding insult to injury, lottery only reimburses stores from one to three percent of gross sales and pay-outs for winning tickets. Despite such a poor return on investment, many stores consider it mandatory to provide lottery.

   Further, computerizing the store could be considered, as well as installing UPC readers. It is not uncommon to see even the smallest store using such equipment. Yet, those installing such systems all seem to have to reinvent the wheel.

   Again, buy this book but augment it with From Kitchen To Market and with How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets so you can keep up with and, perhaps, improve upon your competition and keep customers, suppliers and yourself happy!




4. I have been working on opening a specialty food shop/cafe and got stuck on the logistics of planning. After using several guides and books I randomly found (and getting NOWHERE) I decided to buy Gourmet to Go on a recommendation. It is THE best thing I could have ever bought, hands down. It seems that all the questions I had were answered in the book, and the structure of the book leads readers down a logical path through the maze of planning for this type of business. If you are to buy any book on this topic, this is the one. The money spent on this book will save you thousands later on. Two thumbs up!



5. A friend recently opened a store and this book has acurately addressed some of the issues we are experiencing. The author has a knack for addressing both personal issues such as self doubt, fear, relations with partners as well as topics related to the business. He compels the entrepreneur to think hard about the objectives of his undertaking and then walks him through it step by step.
   
   The sections on site location and templates for creating a business model, mission statement and feasability study are better than two other books that I had purchased.
   
   Most of the book has little to do with specialty food and more about the decision and execution process of opening a new place. I would recomend it to both someone just toying with the idea and someone who is already established.