5 comments about Cafe Flora Cookbook.

1. The recipes in the book are really something of a revelation to me. I live in Seattle and have dined at Café Flora dozens of times. Still I didn't really expect what I found in the cookbook. In addition to signature recipes the book presents a very well thought out structured approach to vegetarian gourmet cooking. So not only do you have recipes, but you are given a pretty good idea of what sorts of things you should make in batches on weekends and save. That for me was really the key to being able to make something other than bland vegetarian fare.
   I've not generally been fond of the Moosewood or Laurel's Kitchen sort of recipes. They generally seem unelegant, a bit off, and mostly dull. The recipes in this book are in fact quite elegant, well honed, and exciting. Combinations like balsamic-fig reduction and gorgonzola will have you planning week of dining around the book.



2. For almost 15 years, the most popular dish I've served to friends and taken to potlucks has been one cut from a magazine and attributed to Cafe Flora. Knowing this dish appealed to both vegetarians and non, I would periodically check to see if there was an entire Cafe Flora cookbook "out there". Then, just before a spate of seasonal visitors were scheduled to descend, I googled up what is now my most used and reliable partner in terms of taste, nutrition and dependable results. I ended up amazoning another one to a vegetarian family member who, like me, is always trying to bridge the tastebuds of meateaters and veggers. And, the recipes are FUN to make.



3. Chiming in to agree that this is terrific modern, gourmet food. Well flavored but not fussy. Everything I've made so far has come out perfectly. I've learned new flavor combinations that work well together, and I feel like I can put that information to use when I cook other things.
   
   There are plenty of vegan choices, and these recipes are all marked in the table of contents. There are no dessert recipes. Sections are starters, soups, salads, dinners/suppers, pizza, sandwiches, brunch, beverages, side dishes, sauces/spreads. They list sources for some ingredients (like arame, miso or fenugreek) and often give you an easier to locate alternative.
   
   For recipes that require a number of steps, they've been extremely organized about breaking it down into manageable sections. There are number of fairly involved recipes mixed in with easier things like pizzas (their herb pizza dough is spot on), but the results of the more time consuming recipes are well worth it. Besides, I have enough of those "veg. meals in minutes" type books for quickie meals. Cafe Flora is something else altogether - elegant and original vegetarian recipes that have broadened my cooking horizons.



4. So far I have made three recipes from this cookbook and they all turned out great. Most of the recipes seem very simple, no unusual ingredients which helps since I am living in Alaska. I see this becoming a staple of my everyday cooking.



5. I love to dine at Cafe Flora in Seattle so I was excited to see they had a cookbook. I was not disappointed with this cookbook. It is excellent. Wonderful recipes. I bought two and gave one as a gift and they loved it. A great gift for any vegetarian or actually just about anyone.

5 comments about Gourmet Meals in Minutes.

1. 
   Wonderfully organized with just enough tips and pointers
   about food types and how to prepare. Beautifully illustrated
   (just not for every recipe) with simple and straightforward
   directions. Excellent collection of classic and innovative
   recipes that cover virtually all the bases. The only
   cook book you need to keep you very busy. Outstanding!



2. I have to weigh in with a dissenting vote on this book. I had great expectations for this beautiful book from the Culinary Institute of America. I am a personal chef who is continually seeking quick and easy recipes with the wow factor, but to date none of the recipes I've tried in this book have delivered.
   
   The Chicken with Artichokes and Mustard Sauce, Walnut Chicken,and Stir Fried Garden Vegetables with Marinated Tofu were all incredibly bland; I found myself acting as a physician of mercy, desperately trying to revive these dishes. Ditto for the Fruit Salad with Orange Blossom Syrup. The Manhattan Clam Chowder was good, but not memorable.
   
   I was expecting a lot more from the CIA, which turns out so many great chefs. If you're looking for a book that has some great quickie recipes, I would spend my money on The Gourmet Cookbook, which has over 1,000 recipes. I've yet to make a bad one out of that book, and each recipe lists how long it will take. There are a great many recipes in the book which take under 30 minutes. The CIA should take a lesson from Gourmet Magazine before they put out another mediocre cookbook.



3. I love cookbooks. I have an extensive collection. I taught myself how to cook using cookbooks so I believe a good cookbook is one that inspires and should be understandable and reasonably easy to use; with that in mind I love this cookbook.
   
   A big reason I love this book is because it does not try to trick you into believing that a great meal will just magically appear in 30 minutes. This book educates you on how to organize your kitchen so you will be able to produce gourmet meals with minimal cooking time. This includes practical suggestions on how to stock your kitchen pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Detailed time-saving techniques on how to prepare herbs, spices and other ingredients ahead of time so that their flavor is preserved and you have minimal prep-time when cooking. There is also advice on equipment and a lot of time is spent on techniques; each individual technique or set of techniques are explained step-by-step and illustrated when necessary.
   
   I find that knowing my skill level helps me to determine if a cookbook is written for me; so far my stages of development have been total disaster, occasional disaster or novice, beginner, experienced beginner, advanced beginner/almost intermediate, and now I consider myself an intermediate cook. I am not a gourmet or professional by any means. I would not recommend this cookbook for a novice or beginner but for an experienced beginner through intermediate cook who wants to expand his or her repertoire and wants suggestions on technique, food preparation and stocking up their kitchen. I imagine this would be too simple for someone who is really advanced. If you fit in the categories I described above then this is a great option.
   
   For the reviewer who described dishes she prepared as bland I have not had that experience. Although I follow the recipes from cookbooks as closely as possible I have found that it is always important to taste a dish when I am cooking and making changes if needed.



4. From a pure novice's standpoing this book is gold. Clear instructions and straightforward recipes come together in amazingly sophisticated dishes. I almost feel guilty serving them to guests - feels like cheating somehow.



5. I love any book by the CIA and this one is fantastic. If you want to create impressive meals at home, this book is for you. The book is packed with great meals and very easy to follow instructions. Make a great dinner to impress guests or your own family. I have used many of these recipes in my personal chef business.

5 comments about The Diabetic Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 200 Healthy Recipes from Homestyle Favorites to Restaurant Classics.

1. My mother loves it and I love it too. I first ordered this book as a gift for my mother who has type 2 diabetes. After enjoying the recipes that she made, I went ahead and picked up a copy for myself at the local store seeing as I can use a good dose of healthy eating. Of the main dishes we tried, I found the servings to be quite filling and the recipes were easy enough to make. I also found the sections about diabetes to be very helpful and easy to understand. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid getting diabetes like my mom by following the advice of cookbooks like this. Definitely gets a thumbs up from us.



2. I was impressed with the extent of information about diabetes and cooking that preceeded all of the recipes. What a great resource this has turned out to be for me. I have enjoyed several of the recipes very much and was especially pleased to find that they include more nutritional analysis than other cookbooks I have (including saturated fat, sugars and fibre). Lots of recipes low in fat, sugar, salt and cholesterol and lots of real, whole food instead of processed foods and chemicals. I think this book was worth every cent and recommend it.



3. For me , it was really a very good choice to get this book, and I recommend it to averyone who has to follow a special diet for diabetic, and also anyone who want to learn to eat better.



4. A great book with lots of good food. Very healthy, and good for you even if your not diabetic!



5. Being a diabetic, I am always looking for great recipes. This cook book is an answer to my prayers. It gives me a broader spectrum of selection instead of the normal recipes. I don't feel like I am tied down to every day foods. With the recipes in this book, I feel like I am not diabetic and am eating sinful foods.

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

1. `Simple to Spectacular' is the second of two collaborations by the dynamic duo of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and New York Times columnist and cookbook writer, Mark Bittman. The first, `Cooking at Home with chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten' is very good. This book is even better. To my seven (7) categories of modern cookbooks, I would add an eighth category for this and a select few other books such as Tom Colicchio's `How to Think Like a Chef', Paul Bertolli's `Cooking by Hand', and `Jeremiah Tower Cooks'. These are all `master class' texts on cooking techniques. If cooking is not your hobby or you are not a professional cook, your money would probably be much better spend on one of the `big' cookbooks such as the `Joy of Cooking' or on books by one of the fast cooking gurus such as Rachael Ray.
   
   I have often thought that learning cooking is a lot like learning chess. There are lots of general strategies and tips, but you really cannot master the game until you actually play lots of games and see how the strategies play out in many different situations. One of the cleverest techniques for teaching chess is the method of playing through successively more difficult games in which the same rule(s) are applied with increasing sophistication. This book promises to do exactly the same thing with cooking, per its subtitle, `How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication'.
   
   One of the very few disappointments in this book is that it doesn't really follow this agenda. For each recipe title, it certainly begins with a very simple example and at least one of the later recipes certainly is more complicated with more expensive ingredients, but in practically no cases is there a clearly defined progression where the later recipe simply adds either ingredients or techniques to the earlier, simpler recipe. But this is simply not a big thing, as recipes, like chess game paradigms, simply do not evolve linearly. Another inconsequential deviation from the advertised plan is that there are often more than four variations on the same recipe and sometimes as many as six.
   
   One of the unadvertised virtues of this book is that many of the most basic preparations are amazingly simple, and this is from a very important French influenced chef. Two of my favorite examples are the recipes for quick chicken stock and the `Best scrambled eggs' recipe.
   
   I concede that many expert chefs, including those who teach other chefs recommend very long simmer times for their chicken stocks. In this book, Vongerichten and Bittman are recommending a single hour's cooking, using easily acquired chicken legs and just a few common vegetables, with practically no knife work. I am certain that a stock simmered for 12 hours may have some virtues that a one hour stock does not have, especially in the amount of gelatin picked up from the connective tissues, but you got to love this express recipe.
   
   Similarly, some people such as James Beard have given us recipes for scrambled eggs done in double boilers which, according to our authors, can take up to 40 minutes to complete. Now, having done Beard's recipe myself, I know his method is less prone to error and is probably great if you are cooking for a dozen people, but the Vongerichten/Bittman recipe will have your pillowy soft scrambled eggs on the table in 10 minutes flat. If you never quite understood the difference between scrambled eggs and omelets, this book is worth its price for these recipes alone. After the plain eggs comes a recipe for eggs with tomato and basil, eggs with cream cheese, smoked salmon and sorrel, eggs with crispy potatoes and prosciutto, and eggs with caviar.
   
   In addition to the section on `Eggs, Crepes, and Savory Tarts', there is are chapters on:
   
   Soups, with variations on squash soup and gazpacho.
   Salads, with variations on Frisee and Mesclun salads.
   Pasta, Noodles, and Rice with variations on fresh pasta, cannelloni, sauces, spaetzle and sticky rice.
   Vegetables, with variations on stuffed tomatoes, mashed potatoes, sautéed veggies, and tomato confit.
   Seafood, with halibut, slow cooked salmon, red snapper, beurre noisette, raw tuna, shrimp, and poached lobster.
   Poultry, with roast chicken and sautéed chicken.
   Meat, with steak dishes, braised ribs, veal stew, roasted pork, venison and rabbit
   Seasonings and sauces, which is simply the typical chapter on pantry preparations.
   Desserts, with sorbet, ice cream, crème brulee, poached pears, and tarts.
   
   Except for the recipes of rabbit and venison and the occasional caviar and foie gras, virtually all of these recipes are for dishes which are popular today and which the casual Food Network / Public Television / Today Show TV chef audience would be more than happy to try and wish to learn how to do better and with more variations. Some may argue that spaetzle is just a little obscure, but it happens to be very similar to gnocchi, and even easier to make, as long as you have the right kind of collander or spaetzle maker.
   
   I have heard Ina Garten and some others say that all you really need are to know about a dozen recipes well. I disagree with this number. If I repeat any dish more than once a month or even repeat an ingredient (other than for breakfast) more than once a week, I get complaints. The only dinner exceptions to this rule are for corn and tomatoes when they are in season locally. Therefore, this book is a really great source of recipes that are easy, popular, and highly adaptable.
   
   While I am not a professional dietitian or nutritionist, my sense is that the recipes are also extraordinarily healthy. A perfect example is the egg, smoked salmon, and cream cheese recipe used to replace the high carb, high calorie bagel, lox, and cream cheese.
   
   This book is easily among my top five favorite cookbooks for foodies.



2. I loved this book, its "going from simple to sophisticated in one same recipe" format is amazing, really enabling you to practise with different levels of difficulty. It also gives room for improvisation and uses ingredients readily available in any supermarket. It is worth it alone just for Jean George's technique for cooking eggs, a total revelation!!! Don't miss it! The recipe on the cover is his most famous in his restaurant in New York. So if you don't have a trip planned soon, DO TRY IT AT HOME, it is amazingly simple and renders spectacular results. Your guests will be amazed. The only downside is, you will never want to eat eggs the old way again!!



3. 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.



4. 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!



5. 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.

5 comments about A Twist of the Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes.

1. Really disappointing. Boiler plate in almost every recipe, almost all of which is way below the author's usual standard.



2. This cookbook does not deliver on its premise.
   
   Often the only "larder" ingredient is a single box of pasta, can of tuna, or a jar of roasted peppers. The olive oil or mayonnaise may also come from a jar, but that's hardly revolutionary. I would have preferred the book to include classic larder cooking, old family secrets, and novel twists on larder cooking. If you are an experienced cook, and you already know that you can make a dinner out of tuna, capers, and some olives, and this book will provide you with little insight. As in many Nancy Silverton books (I have several), many recipes have a feeling of "I just slapped this together for dinner, and I thought it was good enough to publish."
   
   The book also fails to include any Asian, or specifically Japanese dishes, which are renowned for springing to life from simple ingredients like noodles, miso, nori, etc. Dried ingredients, such as seaweeds, mushrooms, beans, or rice and mung bean noodles are not addressed. Frozen ingredients, a secret to many kitchens, are ignored. Coconut milk and peanut butter, staples of asian and african cooking are neglected.
   
   Mostly, this cookbook provides a suite of FRESH food, with garnishes made from jars, cans, bags and boxes.
   
   As a point of contrast ... An entire restaurant (Quimet i Quimet, a tapas bar) has been based on conserva, or preserved food. Silverton's book does NOT cover conserva, but if you are interested, see article "Canned Heat" by Amanda Hesser, in the New York Times (September 1, 2002).



3. Chef Nancy Silterson is the original dessert chef at Spago and founder of the La Brea Bakery, but here shifts her attention to compiling a list of favorite products that come in convenience jars, cans, and boxes, along with recipes which need less than 30 minutes to prepare. From a Cream Corn Soup with Bacon and Cheddar Crostini to Seared Lamb Chops with Ratatouille, mouth-watering color photos of finished products accompany tips on how to blend quick ingredients with fresh for optimum home cooking. A 'must' for any public lending library catering to busy - but gourmet - home cooks.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. I'm very disappointed in this cookbook. I purchased a second one to give as a gift, but cannot give it to anyone.



5. I'm very disappointed in this book. I enjoy the quick and tasty recipes of the Dinner Doctor and other cookbook authors like her, and I also like the more adventuresome cooking offered by chef-authored writers like Silverton herself in her earlier Campanile cookbook. This book is an annoying blend of the two. The recipes in Twist of the Wrist are complicated; the ingredient lists are long; the canned and jarred items featured are expensive, and for the most part, I cannot find them in the big city grocery stores of the major metropolitan area where I live. I'd rather cook from scratch than mail order ingredients or fruitlessly search for ingredients in stores all over town.

3 comments about Nobu West.

1. I don't really read cookbooks. I don't believe all the great words on the back cover and flyleaf about how wonderful this cook is. Instead I start by scanning the table of contents. And in this book, the top item on the second column is Nobu-Style Paella. Hold On! This is a Japanese cookbook. Paella is a traditional Spanish dish, and one of my favorites. So I had to look. Now I've go to try it.
   
   One problem with esoteric cookbooks is that they often have esoteric ingredients that you can't get in my little town. The Paella recipie calls for Dashi, a soup base made from konbu and bonito flakes. A quick scan on the computer and behold, Amazon, in their Gourmet Foods section sells both of these. So I'll be trying this one day soon.
   
   Then I find Ice Cream Tempura - two good things that have to be better together. And this book has a section on coctails. I have my own recipies for things like Martini's, Cosmopolitians, etc. But I'm always open to suggestions. How about a Lychee Martini?
   
   All in all, several new things to try and what more could you ask of a cookbook.



2. We all knew that Nobu Matsuhisa is a great cook, but the way he combined the west cooking with the east and his influences from Peru is just grandious.
   
   I would consider the best book I bought in years. Simple to follow, extremely well documented and the pictures are just marvelous.
   
   For an amateur like me, an excellent purchase to explore further the pleasures of life.



3. The book has a good presentation but is almost impossible to find the ingredients to do the dishes

5 comments about The Gourmet Toaster Oven: Simple And Sophisticated Meals for the Busy Cook.

1. As an empty nester and avid cook, this book is perfect. Very tasty recipes without making huge quantities. The author has done her research and deserves credit for filling a rare niche
   in this cookbook category. Shhh, don't tell my away-at-college children, but they will be receiving a copy of this book along with a nice toaster oven for Christmas. This is a cookbook everyone could use for fresh ideas, from Anzacs to Yogurt Baked Chicken with wine pairings suggested for many dishes. I wish I had thought of it first.



2. I love using my toaster oven to make things, and was extremely excited about this book. But I'm a visual person and it's hard to be motivated to try out these recipes because most of them do not have photos. So if you like to see what you're about to make, I don't recommend this cookbook.



3. Excellent set of sophisticated recipes downsized for small servings & simple execution. If you take the next year to practice each recipe you'll be well on your way to gourmet-hood! For example: Authentic English "High tea" scones.



4. "Gourmet" and "Toaster Oven" in the same title? You bet! I usually don't review cookbooks unless I feel they are special enough to encourage others to purchase them, and this one I recommend highly.
   
   My family has downsized but my cooking enthusiasm has not and I am entertaining more often but with smaller guest lists. Heating up a gas oven for a small quiche to feed four seems a waste of energy (the planet's and my own) and time (my large toaster oven takes four minutes to reach 400 degrees: my oven, almost 15.) Also, with most recipes in the book serving 2-4, there is not the problem of reducing larger recipes and the resulting dreaded calculations. Quality ingredients well combined and engagingly presented replace long grocery lists and too many leftovers for a small family, singles, empty-nesters and the diet conscious (I mean, who of us really wants that chocolate cheesecake that serves 8 sitting temptingly in the 'frige after a dinner for 2-4?!)
   
   The book itself is a quality paperback, large enough for lovely photos, a brief description of the recipe and suggestions, as well as print that is easy to read.
   
   Well organized, with a good index, the book is divided into five sections, (as well as an informative description of toaster ovens and their features) which makes finding a recipe quick and easy. And, sit down for this, there are even wine suggestions for many of recipes...from toaster-oven cooking! Too cool.
   
   The recipe chapters are: Breakfast, Lunch, Appetizers and Sides, Dinner and Tea and Goodies. Short lists of commonly available ingredients make it easy to take a basic recipe and imagine many substitutions for variety and what is available in your larder.
   
   The Herbed Oven-Fried Chicken, Quiche Lorraine, Artisan Whole Wheat-Walnut Loaf, Banana-Walnut Muffins, Savory Cheesecakes (yup, that's what I said), Turkey, Tarragon, and Apple Meatloaf, Chocolate Lava Cakes...if I have to pick "favorites" these are just super. Yes, you can probably find similar recipes in your cookbook collection, but again, you don't have to do the arithmetic. I guarantee that no one will associate that toaster oven sitting innocently on your kitchen counter as the source of these lovely dishes. And you don't have to tell them, you know.
   
   Of course, you will have to re-think baking pans, casserole dishes, etc. for these smaller amounts, but I have found some lovely and very useful such items on sale in most all places that carry cookware. Besides, if you are a true "foodie" imagine how happy your friends and relatives will be to have something new to give you for birthdays and holidays! And, think of all the room you can free up in your kitchen (large baking pans and huge casseroles can be stored under the bed with those "extra cookbooks"...well, it works for me!)



5. I received the book yesterday and must say I am disappointed. Many of the recipes are not very specific regarding amounts, weights, etc., something that should be basic information available in every cookbook. For instance, the author writes about baking a chicken, to cut a chicken in half (or quarters), to bake it, but as everyone knows chickens can range from 3 to 5 or 6 pounds or more. So which it is? This might not be critical information for a conventional oven but is crucial for the small size of a toaster oven. There are too many dessert recipes, in my opinion. Overall, I find this book to be very amateurish and a very disappointing purchase for me, as an avid cookbook collector and experienced cook.

5 comments about Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook.

1. I've owned this book for 2 years now and use it so much that I've given copies of it as Christmas gifts to 20 food-loving friends and relatives on both sides of the Atlantic. Everyone loves it. The recipes are mostly uncomplicated, foolproof and delicious. The book is also a great read: Shannon is an amusing, enormously knowledgeable person who will inform and entertain you with delightful style. I just bought her new book, "The Farmer and the Grill", a fascinatingly different slant on a familiar subject with a surprising and very promising Argentinian flavor. Can't wait to try it.



2. Yummy recipes. I've finally found how to eat chicken livers so that they're palatable. More than palatable actually; the chicken liver mousse is delicious as is the California pot roast. Grass fed meats are the only way to go!!



3. If you are new to grassfed meats, this book is a must have. If you've tried grassfed beef, and found it to be "too tough", get your hands on this cookbook, grab a meat thermometer, follow Shannon's recommendations, and you will never go back to grain-fed beef, I promise! For everyone else, the recipes in all of the sections (beef, lamb, pork, chicken) are a pure joy.



4. I gave two copies as Christmas gifts. All I hear is favorable. I did not have much time to examine the book before parting with it but the author's approach is pretty much the way I already cook. I keep a milk cow, raise a grassfed steer every year anad love to cook so the author and I think alike.
   
   Joann S. Grohman author of Keeping a Family Cow



5. This is a really good book for anyone interested in improving his or her health by making simple lifestyle changes.

5 comments about More from the Gluten-free Gourmet: Delicious Dining Without Wheat.

1. After going gluten free a year ago, I thought I'd never bake anything good again. But this book and its predecessor, The Gluten-free Gourmet, changed my mind! Because I'm also sugar free, baking is an extra large challenge. But these recipes along with xylitol sweetener have gotten me back in business. What a great find! Thanks, Bette!



2. Thanks to Bette Hagman's clearly written, informative cookbooks, it is very easy to enjoy a gluten/wheat free lifestyle. This book is not only power packed with excellent recipes, but with tips on maintaining a gluten free lifestyle.
   
   It makes me think of the spiritual, "Free At Last." A modified version for the Hagman books could be "Wheat free at last, wheat free at last..."
   
   Thank you, Bette Hagman!



3. I purchased this cook book as a gift for a friend who is restricted to a gluten-free diet. She is a fabulous cook and it has been a challenge finding creative ways to cook on her now, three year wheat-free diet. The cook book is a hit! JC is having a terrific time trying new gluten free recipes and her family has been the recipient of several gourmet meals found in the Gluten-Free Gourmet. The family is amazed how tasteful the meals are and the cook book has been an inspiration to them all. They often shop for gluten free products to be served up by their favorite gourmet cook, JC! A good find and a great gift. CJ



4. We haven't had a "wheat substitute" aftertaste from Bette Hagman's recipes. Her books are the gold standard in living with wheat/gluten sensitivity, and she doesn't use just one substitute flour mix. Also she educates on Celiac disease and issues around wheat sensitivity that impresses my wife, who is an RN. My favorite RN states that Bette Hagman has done more for wheat sufferers than anyone else she knows of, medical or laymen.



5. Very simple and easy to follow recipes for the beginner to understand. Thanks for the great book!

5 comments about Vegetable Love.

1. Kafka is opinionated and I don't always agree with her. (For instance, she hates dilly beans, thinks lambs quarters are far inferior to spinach, and loves ramps). But, I don't mind that - the world would be boring if we all agreed all the time. This is a fun cookbook with imaginative, good, and easy to prepare recipes, and I use it regularly.



2. This book is called "Vegetable Love" and it is a great encyclopedia for cooking vegetables. It is well written, fiesty, and fun. It is NOT a vegetarian cookbook, and I am not sure why anyone would even think that it was. Vegetables are a side dish for most people in the western world and Kafka does a very good treatment of the subject. I have purchased several copies as gifts in addition to the copy I purchased for myself.



3. One of the best cooking books in my library. A must when you are short of ideas and hungry. Bravo !



4. I am always looking for this book! Although I cannot fault the recipes, and there are truly some grand offers, the best part is the blue section in the back that explains what, when and how to best prepare this particular vegetable. When in a hurry, wondering if the microwave will destroy flavor, etc., this section gets opened on the table. It is already dog-eared and I have had it less than a year. Besides that - it is a pretty book! Great Gift for gardeners and a wonderful reference.



5. I've been using this book for a couple of years at this point. I joined a CSA and this book is often what I pick up when I just need to know the correct cooking times and best way to simply prepare said vegetable. By using the book as a reference (because it really doesn't lend itself to cover to cover reading), I feel I've covered most of the book. I have made the following observations:
   
   1. Barbara doesn't love all vegetables (despite the book's title). And Barbara has opinions about the best way to prepare vegetables. If she doesn't like a certain preparation or a certain vegetable, it will get the short end of the stick. I consulted the cookbook tonight for information on roasting cauliflower (a method of preparation that is very popular) and encountered the following: "I do not care for roasted cauliflower." Period. No instructions. End of story.
   
   2. Barbara's recipes tend to have a lot of ingredients.
   
   3. Barbara loves her microwave.
   
   That said, this is still a wonderful reference. If you cook a lot of vegetables, this is a great book to have. It is far from the best vegetable cookbook out there though.