3 comments about The Best in the World: Fast, Healthful Recipes from Exclusive and Out-Of-The-Way Restaurants.

1. This slim volume of vegan recipes, collected from wonderful world-wide restaurants, is extraordinary. This is truly the best haute cuisine imaginable. I've been a vegan for 25 years, mainly because I want to minimize the cruelty inflicted on animals. My veganism has never been an abstemious exercise....basically, I like good food! This book does not disappoint. The soups are flavorful and full-bodied. The entrees are imaginative and satisfying. And the desserts are divine, including a chocolate cake to knock your socks off. This is a sensitive point with me. When I want cake, I want cake....not whole wheat bread pretending to be dessert! I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to eat well without all the guilt of exploiting animals.



2. It gets a "so-so" for me. On the down side, the recipes are not that exciting - nor is it the "BEST burrito in the world." I was looking for something more than cooked mashed pinto beans and chopped canned jalapenos in a flour tortilla shell (that's REALLY all the burrito was stuffed with!) covered with a red enchillada sauce. On the plus side - the chocolate cake recipe is very good - and is the same as one found in Regan Daley's "In the Sweet Kitchen." Many of the dessert recipes contain more sugar than is probably healthful, but they are lower in fat. There are better vegan cookbooks out there. I recommend some of the books by Robin Robertson (Vegan Planet) or Donna Klein (Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen), or even recipes from Dr. John McDougall's website www dot drmcdougall dot com, which are free!



3. I bought this book hoping to explore the possible vegan options out there. When I read through a great deal of recipes it was overwhelming how many vegan dishes sounded good to me. This book gives recipes for appetizers, vegetables/grains, soups/chili, main dishes, breakfasts, and desserts I did not even know where to begin. I just picked one and started. So far everything has been tasty, not to mention filling! My favorite so far is the Veggie Fajitas. There are also helpful tips on where to find obscure ingredients and what substitutes you can make to lighten a dish.

5 comments about The Tummy Trilogy.

1. As far as I know, Calvin Trillin and I disagree on almost everything in government, economics, and legislation. However, he writes so well, that I prefer to forget the other and just remember how much he delights me with the music and fun of his words. This book is actually three books in one and all of them are about food. Trillin writes about food in a wonderfully charming way by using his family, friends, as well as the patrons, and restaurateurs he meets during his journeys in search of good eats.
   
   "American Fried" is from 1974, "Alice, Let's Eat" from 1978, and "Third Helping" from 1983. The compilation has a new introduction that is, like the book, from 1994. America eating in the 1990s was much different than the way American's ate in 1974. Through the author's eyes (and tummy), we can recapture what it was like in those inglorious years for America's non-cuisine. Oh, there is plenty of bad food even in 2006, but it is much easier to find great food if you care to eat it.
   
   Trillin is a wonderful storyteller. He has an eye for the telling and humorous detail and a great way with dialogue. These books are packed full of delightful anecdotes that illustrate local delights from all over the country (as well as horrors from all over the country). He has a special kindness that is never mean even while pointing out the ridiculous.
   
   These remain fun books that I can recommend enthusiastically even though eating out on the American scene has changed a great deal since the years in which these books (this book) were written.
   
   Enjoy!



2. I seriously doubt when Calvin Trillin was knocking out this purple prose back in the early `70s that he ever considered himself a "food writer." I expect no one at the time save the M.F.K. Fishers and Elizabeth Davids of the world even considered that label for themselves. Besides, Mr. Trillin was--indeed, still is--funnier than hell about his gastronomical habits and so was likely slotted under "Humor" in disco-era bookshops--a fate, I'm sure, worse than literary death. I mention all this as a eulogy to how far we've come, category-wise; Mr. Trillin is indeed a food writer and a great one to boot. And even though he's been at this over thirty years his essential approach--*bon vivant* foodie, not frustrated chef or that hideous modern invention, "food critic"-- remains unique.
   
   So how is it that someone scribbling about *eating* (not, mind you, *cooking*) can have me laughing out loud? And wouldn't a self-confessed "big eater" feel at least some desire to whip up what he puts away? Part of the answer lies in that essential dichotomy: Trillin seems vaguely aware that writing about consumption is ridiculous, but he lets us in on the game and, like any good comedian, takes his craft *very* seriously. Most of the stories in these three hilarious volumes have long been published elsewhere but taken together (they can easily be consumed in any order) they betray a level of culinary detail that I doubt any European 3-star Michelin grader could approach.
   
   From the first pages a wonderful informality reigns; Trillin seems to write like I'd imagine he speaks, which in this context is near-perfect. Being invited to the kind of BBQ joints, Chinese restaurants, and fried chicken houses that he describes *demands* this kind of chatter and rather than rambling, the author's language almost seems made for his venues. (Starting with "the best restaurants in the world are, of course, in Kansas City. Not all of them; only the top four or five.") The folksiness not only serves the purpose; when it comes to food, Trillin makes it clear: it *is* the purpose.
   
   Another delightful device is familiarized repetition: bringing back an issue (the paralyzing fear that unreadable Chinese on menus hides unimaginable gastronomic delights, for example) from a previous story helps us identify with Trillin's angst--but also betrays his quiet confidence that we *read* the previous part and know its importance. Bringing whole characters (e.g., Fats Goldberg, the pizza baron) back into the mix regularly is even more fun.
   
   To be sure, after nearly four hundred pages the author has a few overlaps (at least a few titles start with "Confessions of ..."), but they're minor compared to his comic genius. Reading `The Tummy Trilogy' was delicious from start to finish and the only dated portions--best exemplified by continual slams against "continental cuisine" (exemplified by `La Maison de la Casa House')--still rang somewhat true, even playing to a thinly-disguised inverse snobbery.
   
   My only regret after this satisfying meal was not getting a better picture of the author himself, despite his occasional family references. Perhaps that's not all bad; I doubt Mr. Trillin and I would get along. From his recent writing, he appears to be indulging in political fever-swamping (especially against Mr. Bush) which is a tragic waste of talent. While he admits his days as a "sausage-eating crank" may be behind him, I can only fervently wish otherwise.



3. This review refers to "Tales From The Tummy Trilogy" by Calvin Trillin(audio cassette)
   He is in search of the perfect bagel. He researches the history of Buffalo Wings, and can tell you if the stain on your shirt that gives away you've been eating them, is from very hot or medium hot wings. He stresses greatly if his favorite cheese shop closes for a holiday. And has stories that will make you both laugh out loud, and ravenous for each and every dish he describes.
   
   Calvin Trillin gives us an hysterical look at the serious foodie. He confesses all, and is proud of it! " Tales From The Tummy Trilogy" include selections from "American Fried","Alice, Lets Eat" and "Third Helpings" He travels the world looking for the best cuisine. No not your high priced fancy shamancy stuff, he's looking for some good old down-home BBQ, making friends with guys who's wife are from the old country and can make a decent dish without adding cream of mushroom soup to everything, and he shows his appreciation for a meal well done, by what else..having third helpings. This to the frustration of his wife, who is trying to keep him on a healthy diet.He pokes fun at his own food addiction and his need for passing it own to his own daughters.
   
   His accounts may make you run to the fridge. I practically ate my way through this very funny book. I took to listening to it on the treadmill in the gym(to help burn off the extra calories i was consuming). I laughed out loud several times, and when I got stares from the other gym rats, I just smiled and held back what I was listening to, for fear of getting hit with flying water bottles!
   
   This audio edition has 2 cassettes, for a total running time of about 3 hours. The reading itself was told with a very unique sense of humor, told in such a serious tone. The sound quality was very good. It is an abridgment. I had never read any of the books that had these selections, so it was all fresh and new to me. So I would say if you have already read them, this will all be repeat stuff(my reason for 4 stars).
   
   Well, as much fun as this book was, I am glad I have finished it and can back to my protein bars and salads!
   
   Enjoy the read....Laurie



4. amusing but not as clever or bitingly witty as Traveling with Alice. Trillin is a great food writer but at times he needs to edit himself. His shorter works are more entertaining



5. I still have not received my book and you or the seller have not responed to my emails. ARE you going to send me one or give me credit??????
   
   I getting tired of no one responding. What gives???

5 comments about Chevys Fresh Mex Cookbook.

1. My only complaint with this book has more to do with amazon than this book. The book I received was an earlier edition, not the updated version as shown in the pictures. The recipes are wonderful with beautiful pictures and explanations. It also gives unique ideas for hosting your own Mexican theme celebration.



2. As a fan of Chevy's Fresh Mex restaurants, I was surprised to see they'd give away their secret recipes to the public. But it probably increased patronage of the restaurants. A smart move. A great little cookbook. To me, worth it for just three recipes alone -- the "master sauce" Chipotle Puree (that I always make with canned chipotles in adobo, by the way, not dried chilies), the Sweet Chipotle dressing, and the fish tacos. I always keep a jar of that chipotle puree in my frig. Just a tablespoon seasons so many recipes and it keeps for weeks. As expected for most restaurant cookbooks, many recipes are not simple, but require other recipes as "ingredients". The fish tacos is one, but is well worth the effort. As a local cooking teacher where I live, I've taught several classes based on the recipes in this book -- all to raves!



3. I bought this cookbook at a Rio Bravo restaurant about 6 years ago. The only recipes I use often are the pico de gallo and guacamole, although the rest of the book looks scrumptious. The pico and guac recipes (you need the pico to make the guac) are superb. I make them often at family gatherings and parties and get rave reviews. That said, neither recipe tastes anything like the versions served at Rio Bravo or Chevys. Really, the book's recipes are better - they are fresher and have more flavor.



4. Great cook book with a lot of GREAT FOOD inside their spice mix recipe is worth the price of the book!!! Jerry



5. I bought this book because it said it has tortilla soup receipe. LIE LIE Lie!!!!!! FALSE ADVERTISING!!!!!!!!!! I'm returning the book !!!!!!!!

5 comments about New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants.

1. This book has the best spaghetti sauce recipe --my husband and I loved it--it was a way to bring NY cooking to Hawaii since there are not many good italian restaurants out here like in NY, which I miss. On the downside, not all recipes were good. For ex, I did not like the Madison Square burgers nor did I like the Pad Thai noodles (I tried recipes from Keo or Cooking light for Pad Thai which were better). I will try some more recipes from this book and hopefully will have better luck.



2. Cooks Magazine recommended this cookbook as being very authentic. I bought it because of their review. They were absolutely right. The recipes are original/authentic New York complete with history and original photos. It's a great read even if you never make any of the recipes.
   I highly recommend this book.



3. As a native New Yorker, I consider this a classic ... wonderful anecdotes and recipes from a vast array of people who live in the city. Molly's affection for the city is evident (her brother, Paul, played for the Yankees), and her knowledge of both food and the city makes this cookbook a gem.



4. Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook is a celebration of the New York Food world. She is the food columnist for The New York Times Magazine and spent five years working on this amazing book. The first recipe I tried was "Katie's Café au Lait Cheesecake with a Mocha Crust." The ingredients looked delicious with cinnamon and chocolate wafers for the crust and a rum and coffee flavored filling. I made it for Easter and everyone was very impressed.
   
   Since the author is a food columnist I knew she would be selecting winning recipes and so I felt confident enough to make the recipe for a big occasion without even trying it out at least one time for myself. I was very pleased with the results and can recommend the recipe to you for any occasion.
   
   Whether you are interested in trying lots of new recipes or you just enjoy reading cookbooks, the New York Cookbook has so much to offer. Page after page of delicious information mingle with the even more delicious recipes. Some of the fun recipes include:
   
   New York Penicillin - a chicken soup made by Aunt Marie Stacey. This stock/soup is then used in a variety of recipes and is very easy to make.
   
   Irish Soda Bread - Make two loaves of bread in no time at all.
   
   Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce - The perfect sauce for pasta made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and a little brown sugar.
   
   Shrimp Fried Rice
   Shish Kebabs
   Meat Loaf
   Rosemary Chicken
   Chicken Paprikas
   Pan-Fried Sole
   Yoko's Japanese Salad Dressing
   Marrakesh Carrots
   
   Some of the sweet treats include: "Coney Island Fudge" made with cream and semisweet chocolate, "Zoe Morsette's Oatmeal Macaroons," "Aunt Olga's Cardamom Cake," and "Katharine Hepburn's Brownies." If you love ice cream, you may want to try out the recipe for Hot Fudge Sauce and Butterscotch Sauce.
   
   A few of the highlights in this book include:
   
   Food Walks - Wander through food markets
   A Few Essential Ingredients in Italian Cooking
   Manhattan Clam Chowder
   In Search of New York Steak
   A Trip Down Menu Lane
   Festivals
   
   The New York Cookbook is an extremely well-researched feast that will satisfy the cerebral appetite as well as please your family and friends when you try out the delicious recipes. These recipes have been created by some of the best cooks in New York and you can use them with confidence, knowing you are making something wonderful for dinner or dessert. This cookbook was a wonderful gift from a friend who loves visiting New York and I already have plans to buy copies for friends and relatives. This is a highly collectible cookbook with recipes you will look forward to making year after year.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



5. This book was published the year I married....I received SIX copies as shower gifts! It was a sign....I was destined to use this cookbook forever. And, so far,that has been the case.
   I have found very few recipes to disappoint and many to thrill. The steamed lobster with ginger and scallions is always amazing-especially with lobster fresh off the boat. Singer's stuffed lobster is excellent, though not for the squeemish as you need to kill the bugs before you cook them. Jerry Giorgio's stuffed mussels are also a crowd pleaser.
   A friend recently cooked Chicken Adobo for our book club and everyone took the recipe home. Katherine Hepburn's Brownies are delicious and a perfect end to every picnic. And where else was I to look when assigned to make matzoh ball soup for my daughter's kindergarten class?
   If you love to cook, you will love this cookbook.

5 comments about Mama Dip's Family Cookbook.

1. Mama Dip is a legend in NC. Her recipes are wonderful. This was a gift for my brother-in-law in who lives in the Pacific Northwest, but loves Southern cooking. His family will certainly benefit from some TRUE Southern recipes from a TRUE Southern cook.



2. Just can't say enough about Mama Dips cook books. If you buy one you should buy the other ( Mama Dips kitchen.)I am a misplaced southern girl, living in the mid-west, and you don't find much soul food in our parts. She has all the recipes I grew up on with my grandma's good ole southern food. Lots of the things I had stored in my memory bank, but there were so many more. I am so glad I found these two books! Believe me you will be also!



3. Everyone has there own style of doing things. To me, it's just another cookbook, not anything significant.
   
   If, you're not able to cook at all. By all means, purchase Mama Dip!



4. This is a colorful look at some "down home" cooking, using local ingredients and recipes. Not a choice if you are watching cholesterol, and fat content. As interesting as a read as a cookbook



5. The book is a culmination of a lifelong of hardwork and serving others. I was glad to pay homeage to Mama Council for sharing her exprience at a reasonable price. I would have loved photos of the finish product which is why there were only 4 stars.

5 comments about Mccormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Cookbook.

1. I like the recipes in this book for being realistic for the average kitchen and fairly unpretentious. There's nothing too exotic here, just good solid combinations of flavors. However there's little in the way of soups or sides or salads, mostly just different ways of handling protein. Also, if you are hoping to reproduce the meal you had at the restaurant, abandon that hope, because these have either been dumbed-down or changed slightly from what the house actually serves.



2. I bought this book after having visited several McCormick & Scmick's restaurants, and really loved their food. The recipes are easy to follow, simple to make and are very tasty.
   The reason for my rating, is that their are HUGE errors throughout the entire book. A few examples: Crab Rangoon recipe calls for yellow cornmeal in the ingredients list but makes no mention of it in the instructions. The recipe for Stuffed Salmon with Crab & Shrimp has no salmon in it! The photo on the facing page shows a stuffed salmon fillet, but the recipe calls for halibut.
   This book suffers from poor editing. It smacks of being rushed for publication before the editing was completed.
   This book would be a great addition to any home cooking library, but be prepared to find confusing recipes.



3. I love this cookbook!!! Most of the recipes are one-page in length and are gourmet quality. It's restaurant quality recipes done at home - for those very special dinners. I tested over twenty of the dishes and all are award winning in taste and in presentation. I would recommend this book for the advanced cook who knows the basics and likes to experiment with seafood and sauces.



4. There are too many errors in this cookbook. For example the Jamaican Rum sauce starts with remove from the heat but at no time does it list when to start the sauce on heat. It seems like there is a step missing from every recipe which is shame because this could have been a really good seafood cook book. Does anyone know who to contact about the missing steps?



5. The McCormick & Schmick Seafood Restaurant Cookbook is THE BEST SEAFOOD COOKBOOK available today !!! Congratulations to my favorite seafood restaurant for this Cookbook. The recipes are complete, straight-forward and relatively easy to execute. The photography represents the food as if it came right out of the restaurant's kitchen rather than some plastic/fake looking "perfect" food. I appreciate that. Maybe I haven't been able to quite duplicate the great taste at home that their Chefs create in the restaurants, but I have been able to come close on the look of the food at home . . . and again, I'm getting close on the taste. With these tough economic times, we just aren't able to go out for dinner as often as we used to. What a compliment to this company to not be all about the GREED and to be willing to share their recipes so we can enjoy good and healthy seafood at home (which I never had the confidence to try and prepare until now), trim our budget, and still make McCormick & Schmick's our first restaurant of choice when we do dine out. Thank to them. Kudos to the book!!!

2 comments about The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden: Creative Gardening For The Adventurous Cook.

1. This is an easy-to-use and easy to read book with helpful tips on not only selecting and growing, but cooking with your veggies, edible flowers and herbs. There is also a great list of mail-order sources with descriptions of supplies. I especially liked the design section for its simple and straightforward approach to considerations and approaches towards my garden layout.



2. It's called "a gardening book for cooks and a cookbook for gardeners." David Hirsch has updated and revised this different and terrific cookbook. The subtitle ("Creative Gardening for the Adventurous Cook"), encapsulates quite nicely why this is a cookbook far beyond the norm. Written specifically to help in growing vegetables so that we can cook with them, each flower, herb or vegetable is accompanied by tips for its best use in the kitchen.
   
   Published originally in 1992, the 2004 update includes more information, resources and recipes. The text is simple yet thorough, and is chock-full of tips, ideas, illustrations and charming anecdotes. In simple, straightforward text, Hirsch gives instructions for growing, harvesting, and cooking with over 75 vegetables and herbs.
   
   The cookbook is accessible for beginners, while being complex and satisfying enough for more experienced gardeners. Chapters are devoted to gardening techniques, crop rotation, seed starting, and natural ways to defend against insects. Another chapter covers various kinds of gardens, from hillside, to walled patio, to container gardening, while the 70+ recipes will showcase the fruits of your labor and help transform them to the the pleasures of the table.
   
   The recipes are delicious and comprehensive, from soups, dips and salads to appetizers and main dishes. Hirsch also includes information on cooking times and techniques, as well as the effective use of herbs (with advice for planting, compatibility and cooking). It is hard to pick favorites, but the Vegetable "Pasta", Summer Rolls, and Portuguese Kale Soup are among my favorites so far.
   
   The recipes are not all vegan (although of course they are vegetarian), but vegan options can be substituted (soy cheese for non-soy, etc). A must have cookbook for gardeners and cooks alike.--By Lisa Steele

5 comments about Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno.

1. This is a fabulous cookbook. Many, many delicious recipes with easy to follow instructions. This book is a classic that you will use over and over again to prepare loads of great Italian foods.



2. I really like this cookbook, but am I the only one who thinks it's odd that their chicken stock recipe says that it makes 2 quarts when in fact it's more like 2 gallons?



3. There are great recipes in this book that have become favorites of my family. If I could only have 5 cookbooks, this would be one of the 5. The Red Pepper Pasta, Fig Crostata and Conchilglie al forno with Mushrooms and Radicchio could not be lived without.



4. If what they say is true, "We eat first with our eyes", then that just makes these recipes that much more delicious! This cookbook is filled with beautiful photography and wonderful easy to prepare recipes. I find myself reaching for this cookbook and coming up with meals that leaves everyone asking for more.



5. Do not order from this seller. I ordered this book from this seller on July 3 and have not received it and they do not respond to emails and there is no other way to contact them. I am asking Amazon to remove them from sellers as they are nothing but web based pirates that are stealing our money!!!

5 comments about Fast Food Nation.

1. The author offers reader a book behind the fast food industry which mushrooms around the county with their joints which the majority of working class rely on for their quick meals.
   
   His research on the growers, suppliers, processors, laborers, politics and health issue behind the smiling teenager order takers leads reader to the composition of the hamburger in blood, tears and sweat from thousands of cattle, handled by the chain of workers before going to your mouth. It also makes you wonder who is eating the steaks and leaving the "residue of fats, noses, ears, trims" grounded into a mixture enhanced with artificial favor - a virtue"100% beef".
   
   Does fast food industry cost you an arm and a leg? By eating the cheap fast food, we may pay a dear price for healthcare later!
   
   This book illustrates the Tao of food: good and bad, healthy and junk, natural and artificial, slow and fast, traditional and modern, real and illusion.
   
   Who program the population in acting "the allegiance to the flag of fast food industry, one fast food nation under God with franchises around 50 states in offering cheap hamburgers and freedom fries for all"?



2. received the book quicker than expected. the book was in excellent condition. I highly recommend this seller



3. Outstanding You: Discover, Design and Achieve Ultimate Fitness
   
   This book should be required reading at all American schools. The purpose behind this book is not to convert people to vegetarian/vegan diets, but instead to educate them about the disastrous state our food supply is in. Though I use this book for information to support my vegan/vegetarian diet, I found it incredibly detailed and thought provoking. Highly recommended for anyone seeking more information on where their food comes from.
   
   Ron Betta
   Author - Outstanding You



4. This book is truly interesting in that it explains a process that many consumers thought that they were already familiar with.
   
   This book will explain why:
   
   1) it always seems the person at the register is being "trained".
   
   2) kids flock to most fast food joints.
   
   3) the fast food industry exploded with growth in the last 30 years.
   
   4) This country needs an alternative to our current and growing feeding trends!



5. I'm a vegetarian who doesn't eat at fast-food restaurants. I thought this book was going to be an interesting expose of the fast-food industry. Instead, it was a series of meandering stories that weren't all that compelling. I got about halfway through the book and realized there was really no point in finishing it.
   
   I noticed that whenever someone was portayed negatively, the word "Republican" invariably cropped up. When one meatpacking company owner became less sympathetic to workers, Schlosser goes out of his way to let the reader know that he went from being a liberal Democrat to a conservative Republican.
   
   It's this kind of political posturing (Schlosser is obviously a liberal Democrat who can't keep his disdain for Republicans out of his writing), along with the fact that Schlosser just isn't that good of a writer, that helps to sink this book.
   
   I kept wondering when I was going to learn something interesting that wasn't obvious. All I learned was what I already knew. Fast-food is a giant industry that pays teenagers low wages and uses a lot of potatoes from giant agribusiness companies and beef from giant cattle companies. Oh yeah, and they use flavorings from companies in New Jersey.
   
   Stop the presses.

3 comments about Remarkable Service: A Guide to Winning and Keeping Customers for Servers, Managers, and Restaurant Owners.

1. As someone that prides themself on customer satisfaction, I have to say this was not a bad little book. A lot is common sense, but some would learn from this. People like to be taken care of from start to finish in any industry and this is a good reminder in service.



2. A big disappointment from a distinguished institute like the Culinary Institute of America. A little book with even less info. Headings with a paragraph or two will not help menager or even servers keep customers coming. This book needs a more explanations and examples - give incites to experiences.



3. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve the table service in their establishment. Well thought out and laid out. I really enjoyed the history aspect of the book. It was an interesting read and a very helpful manual.