5 comments about Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses.

1. I bought the book mostly to look at once in awhile when I needed a break from feeding everyone mac 'n cheese and frozen pizza (hey - I'm a working mom, cut me some slack). I was quite surprised when the Strawberry Souffle and Dutch Baby recipes both worked out amazingly well with very little fuss. I'm eager to try more dishes - much like Barefoot Contessa, these seem to be rich and delicious, yet easy to make and with a "wow" factor because they look and taste swanky. Works for me!



2. I should have paid closer attention to the previous reviews. This book really doesn't contain anything special and had I been able to thumb through it in advance I likely would not have made the purchase.



3. WHO NEW THAT THIS BOOK WOULD BE SO APPROACHABLE. I HESITATED TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK BECAUSE
   I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FULL OF UNKNOWN VEGETABLES, AND SPICES, THAT MY LOCAL GROCERY STORE
   DOES NOT EVEN CARRY. WORSE I WOULD NEED A DEGREE FROM THE CORDON BLUE TO UNDERSTAND IT.
   JUST THE OPPOSITE, IT'S FULL OF VERY EASY AND USEFUL RECIPES, START TO FINISH. FROM THE MAIN
   COURSE TO LIBATIONS(DRINKS). THE FOOTNOTES AT THE BOTTOM ARE VERY USEFUL AND HELP GUIDE
   IN CHOOSING THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS, THE RIGHT PREP, LOTS OF LITTLE POINTERS. SO THAT EVERYTHING
   COMES OUT SUCCESSFUL. I MUST SAY THIS BOOK HAS MORE HELPFUL HINTS AND POINTERS THAN
   MOST COOKBOOKS I'VE BOUGHT. ANYWAY, I LIKE THE BOOK, AND LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING LOTS
   OF NEW THINGS OUT OF IT. PLUS, IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE.



4. excellent source for upgraded versions of the tried and true's. Such a nice book that my sister has already "borrowed" it. Very enjoyable



5. I am not a big cook, but found the recipes here to be interesting, reasonably simple and, most importantly, delicious. The book is beautifully done and full of lovely photos. To top it all off: it helps support cancer patients! I gave this to everyone for Christmas and the response was terrific.

5 comments about Tavern on the Green.

1. I bought this book after having Saturday brunch at the restaurant. I loved the history of the piece of property, the various owners, and famous people that have been "seen" there. The recipes had worth because they contained the gravies and the sauces that really make a dish special. As I age I am always on the lookout for something else to surprise my taste buds.



2. Wish I had checked the "Tavern On The Green" website before I purchased this book.



3. I proposed to my wife at Tavern on the Green in the middle of winter when NYC received record snowfall. It's a wonderful place and great restaurant. The book is fantastic, for memories, recipes and ideas. We had one before but the dog ate it. No joke, she destroyed it.



4. This is a great momento of Tavern on the Green. The recipes are fabulous, but also the photos are reminiscent of our visit to the great restaurant which will be greatly missed. Tavern on the Green



5. I Love this book! It is SO beautifully made and put together, I live in NYC and have eaten in "Tavern" many times over the years, and it was always a joy in the Crystal Room. This book tells the entire History of Tavern with photos from the beginning to the end, little antedotes throughout, tidbits about events, who ate there, stories, etc. and great recipes. Tavern's last night under the LeRoy Family was this past New Year's Eve, 2009. I live near the restaurant and went to it about 7:00 that evening just to have one last look and walk through and I wanted to go to the gift shop and purchase, but to my surprise, they already had it closed out. So I sadly enjoyed my last walk through, enjoyed seeing all the guests coming in for their one last dinner there, it was very heartwarming and sad. Came home went to their website and found the store was closed on it too. Came here to Amazon and found the book I wanted! Was I HAPPY, for this is what I went to purchase at the restaurant, couldn't and found it here. Thank you, Amazon. People, buy one of these while they are still available, soon they may not be, it is SO well worth it. Tavern IS going to re-open under the management of the Central Park Boathouse Restaurant, after it is remodeled, so it WILL be back to start a new chapter (maybe under a different name as the LeRoy's may legally own Tavern's), but this era of it is gone. Warner Leroy and family, you did great, thanks for all the memories. Oh, Warners wife and daughter Jennifer are who wrote and put this book together, awesome job, it is a treasure.

5 comments about Staff Meals from Chanterelle.

1. This is my favorite go-to cookbook for a weekend meal when I am not craving any particular cuisine and just want to try something new. The chatter is lively, and the recipes fun to cook, both reducing well and expanding to suit a bigger crowd. While the dishes do not reflect a "pure" ethnic sensibility, the blending of flavors and seasonings lead to delicious results sometimes even exciting. I return to many of these recipes again and again. My (spoiled) husband who sometimes doesn't know what he is eating but certainly knows if he likes it, is a big fan of this cookbook.



2. With several shelves full of cookbooks to choose from, this is the one that I pull down when I need some inspiration for good, hearty, tasty, basic foods that are easy to prepare. This is my most used cookbook, and everything I've made from it has turned out well. Pop culture cookbooks come and go but this classic stands the test of time. Highly recommended.



3. When you open the book you feel as if you are walking in the front door of Chanterelle and David Wartuck says to you, "Come on in. Grab an apron and join me in the kitchen. I opened up early today so you and I can make something wonderful for lunch." This is a unique book. Unlike every other cookbook I own, this is a sit down and read me book. You learn about his family, his staff, his friends, and how everyone has contributed to his menu over the years. The recipes are for more than one or two people, but you can always find some friends to invite over for a memorable breakfast/lunch/brunch/dinner. This is a big book, y'all. Lots of pages of the kind of food you want to cook every day or once or twice a week. Chicken, shrimp, beef, fish, scallops, breads, vegetables, sides, soups, desserts. It's all in here. Easy to follow instructions. Recipes for sauces, salad dressings, gravies, you name it. Nothing in the book requires you to fly to Hong Kong to buy the ingredients. You can find everything in your local stores. Except, of course, if you live on the North or South Pole. I really like this book a lot. I have lived in NYC for years and never went to this restaurant. However, this is my new goal. Before 2008 comes to a close, I am going to Chanterelle! Hope David Waltuck is there so he can sign my book!



4. So good that I keep hoping it will go out of print! (Thereby making it more difficult for my friends to get their hands on these excellent recipes.)
   
   More seriously, this fine cookbook distills the essence of what made Waltuck's Le Zinc so special (even though it name-checks the mighty Chanterelle). Plus, it contains a large number of recipes aimed at feeding a crowd, which is pretty unusual in-and-of itself. But the star of the show is the food, and Waltuck's stuffed cabbage, his lime-marinated flank steak, and so many others have become some of my absolute favorites.
   
   The book is informative, opinionated, charming, and truly deserves a spot on your shelf. I can't recommend a cookbook more highly.



5. Every recipe that I've tried from this cookbook has turned out well! Many of the recipes are high on the time scale (braising, stewing, baking) but low on the effort scale. This is perfect for me. Everything is so easy!
   
   My favourites: mac & cheese, short ribs braised in beer, chicken with 40 cloves garlic, and peanut butter cookies. The peanut butter cookies are always a hit as they're so round and rich that they stay moist for days.
   
   The only complaint I have about this cookbook is the lack of a Table of Contents. The sections are organized by meat, vegetable, sides, desserts, but there's nothing in the front listing all the recipes available in the book. I would've liked to be able to see everything that I could make and then flipping immediately to that page instead of having to go through each recipe.

5 comments about The Frog Commissary Cookbook.

1. I have 500 to 600 cookbooks and this is one of my top 5 favorites. Very interesting recipes that always turn out. It doesn't have pictures which may be a problem for some but it's well worth picking some recipes that sound interesting and giving them a try. A couple of the dessert recipes are a bit too decadent for my taste, but I did try and enjoy them. Most are recipes for interesting, nutritious food that tastes wonderful! I've been using the book since soon after it was released.



2. Over the years, I have probably owned over 1000 cookbooks. This is the best one!!! You can trust the recipes. It's just a fun cookbook. It's too bad that they didn't write another cookbook. Have you ever seen a cookbook reviewed with such great reviews? That should tell you something. I even have back-up copies in case something happens to my original copy! You won't find the kind of recipes in this book, on the Internet. Buy it, you won't be sorry!



3. I first received this cookbook as a shower gift in 1987. It is a hard copy and it is stained, dog-eared, and pages are falling out! I love it! The recipes are fun and fancy, but not hard to make. The comments in the margins are invaluable, especially for one like me who likes to entertain a lot. The chicken satay is easy and yummy; the bay scallops with champagne cream sauce is very elegant; and of course, the carrot cake is the best ever! I tried to buy this book for a friend many years ago, but it was out of print, so when I found it this time, I was so excited to be able to give it to my friend who loves to entertain as much as I do. It really is a great gift for those who enjoy good food!



4. I brought this recipe book from the Commissary restaurant when I was a student at Temple Univ. back in late '70's early 80's. It was such a great place to go for Sunday Brunch and the carrot cake was to die for! The recipe for that cake, even though labor/ingredient intensive, is the best I have ever had. It will make a lovely gift for those who love to cook and bake.



5. I purchased this book on the strength of the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and I wasn't disappointed. The cookies are so delicious - between me and my family - when they came out of the oven they all vanished within seconds. The book is well laid out and the recipes are well written and easy to follow. It's a charming little cookbook. Worth the purchase for the cookie recipe alone.

5 comments about Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York.

1. I started this wonderful book not knowing what to expect. In it I found not only meticulous research but also an evocation of a past New York. We travel with the author from the brawling port of early nineteenth century New York where cuisine would hardly be the word to describe eating habits into the increasing sophistication of an International destination. Filled with references to actual dishes and menus , to the individual restauranteurs who risked and won or lost, and the chefs, waiters and busboys who manned the kitchens the book reveals through the lens of food the excitement , brashness, and vigor of New York over almost 200 years. In the final chapter we find a personal memoir of Grimes' tenure as critic at the Times. It reveals the author's serious dedication to establishing an analytical approach to food criticism as well as revealing the truly nutty and competitive world of restaurants in contemporary New York. Grimes has a ability to encapsulate in a single phrase many convergent social, philosophical and historical forces that spread the narrative far beyond food and into how we live our lives. I recommend this book heartily to anyone who likes to eat, dines out, and is interested in New York.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Grimes is an excellent writer who really brings his subject to life. I found myself immersed in the tastes and excitements of New York from the 1800's until the present. In the author's capable hands, food becomes a fascinating prism in which to understand the history of a great city.



3. This book took me by surprise. I could not have imagined that a tale of defunct restaurants could be so lively and so funny. Mr. Grimes has managed to summon up, generously and with great wit, bygone places, people, and an entire era.



4. I enjoyed this book immensely until I read his lines on page 283..how Politically Correct..how dismissive of 2 airplanes commandeered by rich,educated Saudis..who determined to kill Americans..and this author so offhandidly says"..on September 11 ,after two jetliners slammed into the Twin Towers.."
   that was just too much. How liberal of him..
   My parents and my husband and I danced and dined at the Windows on the World..my brother and I ate meals there..my friend,neighbor,Patrick O'Keefe died,as a firefighter with Rescue 1,trying to save the lives of all those innocent people.
   No,I won't buy another copy of this book.The cowards,the politically correct,don't deserve a cent of my money.



5. My overall impression of this book is that Mr. Grimes was exhausted after doing the research, which I must say was extensive and scrupulously done. I can only imagine the vast amounts of information that were available. But, having found it all and strung it all together, he failed to find the statue hiding in the marble. As he approached the end, it became more of a timeline: and then there was, and then there was, and finally. Where was the editor on this project? In my opinion, what should have been a lively history of a rich topic read more like a somewhat humorless dissertation. There were moments of comic relief, but overall I feel that the subject deserved better.

5 comments about Chanterelle.

1. Beautiful book. We already cooked a few items from it and improvised some to our taste. However this is not a book for beginers



2. A few years ago we picked up a copy of Waltuck's Staff Meals cookbook and it has become our go to book for family meals. We were particularly impressed not just with the creativity of these recipes but also how well they had been tested. We have made 2/3 of the dishes in Staff Meals and all of them have turned out as expected. Having dined a few times at Chanterelle, we were excited to see this title published and looked forward to reading not only the recipes but also the back stories about the restaurant and service. Once again, Waltuck does not disappoint.
   
   First the recipes. Again, they are very well written, illustrated and clearly properly tested. Since the dishes are more formal than the ones in Staff Meals we particularly appreciate the attention paid to presentation detail which is a key to any good company dish. Second, the book is beautiful. The photography not only captures the beauty of the food but also the feeling of the restaurant, both front and back of house. It's a great comfort to us to see Waltuck in the Kitchen, Mets cap on his head rocking out dinner service.



3. CHANTERELLE: THE STORY AND RECIPES OF A RESTAURANT CLASSIC comes from the owner of the classic New York restaurant Chanterelle, an establishment specializing in French-inspired innovations and which has become an award-winning establishment for nearly 30 years. Some of its top classic innovations are presented here, adapted for home cooks and accompanying anecdotes by David Waltuck on his early days as a chef. Over 150 recipes accompanied by lovely photos present dishes ranging from Chicken Breast with Crayfish and Beef Rib with Red Wine to Butternut Squash Ravioli. Any library catering to serious home cooks seeking innovative cuisine will find this a winning acquisition.



4. I am always hesitant to purchase a restaurant cookbook as quite often the recipes are too complex for home cooks but this one is well written, and I found it simple to recreate the dishes in my home kitchen. I did think that adding 5 bottles of red wine to the sauce for the Butternut Squash Ravioli was a typo and I added only one with outstanding results.



5. With Chantrelle closing, this is a wonderful reminder on how special the place was. My daughter was introduced to the wonders of cheese.
   She cooks from Staff Meals and now with this book. The photos brings many wonderful memories of the magnificent meals that my friends
   and family have enjoyed. Even for the spur of the moment meal, it was spectacular. It will be missed. Thank you Karen and David.

No comments about Atlanta Kitchens: Recipes from Atlanta's Best Restaurants.

5 comments about Moosewood Restaurant New Classics.

1. I received this book as a Christmas gift recently, and many of the recipes are very good. However, the blurb on the back misrepresents the recipes as vegetarian. While most are, quite a few contain fish or other sea animals. Their other books, too, claim to be collections of vegetarian recipes. This sort of dishonesty really, really turns me off.



2. I'll start off by saying this is my first cookbook, so, true I don't have much to compare it to but I'll try to give it a solid review anyway:
   
   first, if you are a vegetarian, I'd say this cookbook is definitely worth owning. I never cook meat at home, and am continually frustrated when I try to look up vegetarian recipes online and discover the only recipes that don't call for meat in one form or another are salads. So, if you want to get creative with some vegetarian entrees, this book is for you!
   
   Second, there are a great variety of dishes in here, so you really feel you get your buck's worth for this cookbook. There are breakfast dishes, soups, salads, sides, grans, wraps/rolls/sandwiches/burgers, drinks&snacks, casseroles, sautes, stews, sauces, breads, and desserts! (and that's not even a complete list!). I really enjoy that I can go to one cookbook for every meal of the day, plus all the sides and extras and even something sweet.
   
   Third, there are a few things I'd like to reiterate that other reviewers said: 1)Their "curries" and generally many of their ethnic dishes don't have the spice and flare of the traditional dish it is trying to be. For example, I made the curried corn, and I couldn't even taste the spices! very mild, bland, and blah. 2) They rely too heavily on fake meats a lot of the time. If you are a the type of vegetarian that always has tofu and seitan on hand, you may not mind, but I don't particularly like either of those foods and just try to eat tons of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains, without the meat substitutes in the picture. 3) their desserts are not exactly healthy. Another reviewer said she was surprised at the copius amounts of sugars in their desserts and I agree. There are not many fruit-based sweets or desserts that at least use maple syrup/agave or something besides just REFINED SUGAR!. oh well, this to me is a minor flaw because if you make the dessert, just eat it in moderation :)
   
   Last, here is a list of what I've tried and what I thought:
   
   *Moosewood Muffins = awesome! made w/ whole wheat pastry flour, healtheir AND good!
   *Spinach coconut soup = soo good. kindof like a tom yum khai
   *Warm potato salad = to die for. not good reheated tho for some reason.
   *Curried corn = blah. don't waste your time.
   *Hot Flash Cooler = best. thing. ever.
   *Sour cream onion dip = very tasty, but a total heart attack
   *Homespun pot pie = easy breezy and YUM! can make with whatever veggies you have on hand, will def be making this again!
   *Deep chocolate vegan cake = great. would never suspect its vegan.
   *Chocolate rasberry glaze = this "glaze" hardens to the consistency of chocolate chips once cooled, but if you micro it and eat it like a lava cake then it's great!
   *Muhallabia massawa = very tasty. like a chai pudding. but use only half the sugar or you will gag from the sweetness.



3. I stumbled on this, my first cookbook, in a pile of books left in my trunk months before by an old boyfriend. What a find! Not to mention, this was right after I went vegetarian.
   
   Basically, this book showed me what I didn't realize cookbooks could be. I was impressed by the variety and uniqueness of the recipes, not to mention that every one made my mouth water!
   
   The recipes are easy to understand, call for whole food, widely available ingredients, and are accompanied by valuable advice and menu suggestions.
   
   I later got the moosewood "cooks at home" and liked a bit less than this one (no section on casseroles and baked dishes!)
   
   Love New Classics!



4. I work seasonally as a family style chef, and use this cookbook constantly. When I get in a rut, I open it up and always find something new and intriguing to try. My copy is dog-eared and covered with notes where I have altered or expanded the recipes, or written my own in the margins. I have taken to buying this book for my assistants, budding chefs all, so they don't have to hand copy a dozen recipes. Great desserts and breads, and a training manual for flavor combinations. If you're not vegetarian or "fishetarian," a lot of the recipes can be used as side dishes. Highly recommended.



5. This book has been a mainstay in my kitchen for years. I have two young children and they can be difficult to cook for. I have had nothing but sucess from all the recipes we have tried in this book and we have made most of them ! Many of the recipes are versatile enough to change up to accomodate what is on hand in the kitchen. I am a working Mother and Full Time Student and this book has made the chore that cooking can sometimes be..into a soul satisfying experience. I recommend it for anyone. Our particular favorites are the soups and breads/desserts.

5 comments about Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to New York City.

1. I faithfully watch Mike's food show on NJN Public television. I bought the book when I found out about it. After reading it, I bought one for my two daughters to share when they visit New York City. I read it off and on for pleasure. Mike is down-to-earth, well-read, and a literate describer of the food neighborhoods of New York. I don't go to NYC often, but now I have a real food resource. When I go there for a day or a weekend, I need to know where I am going to eat, otherwise I am overwhelmed. I do check the city restaurant guide and am always reassured by the Zagaat sign. However, Mike's book is more useful because it covers a range of tastes and prices. I appreciate his index of restaurants by price and by location. I would not mind having a simple map of Manhattan labeling the neighborhoods tucked in there somewhere just to orient us outsiders. I can always get the address information online. Another great feature is his guide to the markets and specialty stores.



2. Mike Colameco gives you an in-depth review of many restaurants in New York City. He was once a chef and the reviews are very detailed. He also includes markets and restaurants for many different budgets.



3. Saw all of the good reviews for this book and purchased it for an upcoming trip to visit our daughter in New York. Found the book difficult to use. The restaurants are in alphbetical order and to get a sense of where and what to eat you must exclusively use the index in the back. Would have been nice to have the restaurants in the book be segregated by area like downtown, upper west side, midtown east, etc. The index lists restaurants by location and expense - but not both together. Also doesn't index restaurants by food type - say italian, japanese, etc. It's an OK book, just not particularly helpful to someone who visits twice a year. I think that Yelp online is a much better resource, especially if you are looking for spots to go near where you are staying.



4. I love Mike's views on New York and the different places to eat and shop! I have bought copies of his book for all my friends and guests who come to visit me in the City! This is a wonderful book!!



5. I liked the reviews of the resturants, but I wish it wasn't set up alphabetically. I wish it was mapped out of the city. Being a visitor I would like to know the great places to eat around where I am staying or going.
   It is not easy just looking at the address.
   I also wish it had more categories, Fish, Steak, Chinese, ect... It is not an easy book.

5 comments about The Candle Cafe Cookbook: More Than 150 Enlightened Recipes from New York's Renowned Vegan Restaurant.

1. Cooking from this cookbook has been a delight. My girlfriend and I have cooked perhaps ten recipes from the pages of this Vegan gem. I can say comfortably that none of the recipes we've cooked are anything less than extremely tasty.
   
   Ingredients can tend towards being expensive; the stroganoff we cooked last night, for instance, would have called for $24 worth of dried porcini mushrooms if we'd followed the recipe exactly. Recipes are not necessarily written for the beginning cook, but are not horribly complicated and have all yielded good results without much deviation from the original recipe.
   
   This is a cookbook that I have recommended to non-Vegans as a way to demonstrate that Vegan food is no less delicious than any other.



2. I am a vegetarian but many of my friends and family are not and every single recipe I have ever made has been a huge hit!



3. I bought this cookbook at the Candle Cafe itself, after eating there several times and enjoying the food. As other reviewers have noted, this book is filled with serious errors that render many of the recipes inedible. For example, the oatmeal date bar recipe calls for 4 cups of oatmeal, 4 cups of oat flour, and only 1/2 cup of dates. The result is a solid slab of oatmeal with a thin streak of brown in the middle. Standard recipes call for 1 cup of dates for 1-1/2 cups of oatmeal.
   
   What is especially annoying is that there was no insert with corrections - even at the restaurant itself.



4. The book looked interesting and the recipe seemed creative at the first glance. I have tried Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Split Pea Soup and Curried Potato-Spinach Soup. The measurements were all wrong in these recipes. I am an experienced cook and I was able to salvage or modify the recipe on my own. The book appears to be put together very quickly without anybody testing the recipes. I am very disappointed.



5. This is a great book. Lots of different recipes and very fun to experiment with.