1 comments about Farm Journal's Best-Ever Vegetable Recipes: A Fresh Approach to Main Dishes, Appetizers, and Snacks, Soups, Salads, and Desserts--With 400 Never-Fail.

1. Every recipe I have tried in this book is top notch. They are easy to use and succinct. To begin with it clearly discribes a large vareity of vegetables and shows availability, how to pick the best in quality and basic cooking instructions. There is a unique section devoted to instructions for making edible centerpiece art. Of course there are salads hot and cold but also dressings, dips and sauces all a hit every time I use them. The Main dishes are both meaty and meatless. And how about desserts? A personal favorite is Carrot Cheese Cake. Then there is a large section devoted to canning and preserving your summertime and garden bounty. It also includes a spice chart to most effectively flavor your meals. Keep it handy for a lifetime of eating pleasure.

No comments about A Salad a Day : Scrumptious Salads for Every Day of the Week (Cookbook Ser. : No. 3).

5 comments about !ceviche!: Seafood, Salads, And Cocktails With A Latino Twist.

1. What drove me down to only one star was the lack of even a basic discussion of curing and the parameters that can be varied. Rather that discuss basic marinade in a detailed chapter at the front of the book, its relegated to the appendices.



2. My country is world famous for ceviche, so I can recognize a good recipe when I see one. I was looking forward to this book, but was dissapointed by its sophistication and complex recipes, two non- existing elements when making a true ceviche. To us, (latins), a good ceviche is made always keeping the freshness and flavor of fish or seafood and not masking it with heavy sauces or complex additions. This book has nothing to do with the real thing.



3. Ceviche! by chef Guillermo Pernot and Aliza Green, offers 48 ceviche recipes-and everything you need to know about this little side dish-along with chapters on salsas, salads and cocktails-all tied together with extraordinary full-page color photographs. That's the good news. The bad news is that ingredients called for in most of the recipes are not readily available. To their credit, the authors have a chapter on special ingredients and sources, as well as a glossary of 54 entries pulled out of the recipes. Nonetheless, to make the dishes in this book requires a commitment to shop for and stock the pantry with niche spices, condiments, veggies, fruits and booze. The material on escabeches, salads, salsas, vinaigrettes, garnishes and cocktails is more user friendly, but even here the ingredient requirements are daunting.

   The book is impressive from the culinary point of view. Pernot's techniques are well grounded. The text is to the point and fun to read. His interest in Japanese fresh fish cuisine influences his ceviche creations in inventive and delightful ways. The food presentation, serving dishes and settings for the photos are terrific. In all, Pernot presents an in-depth look at ceviche.

   But there is more to this book. Upon reflection while in the process of selecting some recipes that I might use in class, I now conclude (a week or so after writing the above) that Pernot takes civiche to new and creative heights. This book is "way out there," in the manner of chef Keller's The French Laundry. It is full of ideas that experienced cooks will ponder and use. Which, come to think of it, is a desired outcome of reading any cookbook. Few chef/authors, however, reach this level of creative substance




4. When I order this book, I was very excited. Upon receipt of the book, I was not impressed with the elaborate presentations. The chef did not give enough basic information for using raw fish in many of these recipes. In two instances, I could not find the ingredients for the dishes I wanted to try. Overall, I did not like this book at all.



5. A great book for all those who like fish. Extremely well conceived and very easy to follow. Just envoy the preparation, the cooking and the pleasure of eating what you have prepared

5 comments about The Best Vegetarian Recipes: From Greens to Grains, from Soups to Salads: 200 Bold Flavored Recipes.

1. Shulman has authored a number of cookbooks, and although she is a former vegetarian, she knows food and cooking and she is familiar with the goals and hopes of current day vegetarian cooks. Her latest volume represents a good overview of veg cuisine, apart from the absence of most meat substitutes likes seitan. The book contains a very good soup selection, with a variety of both simple and complex stocks upon which to build soups. There are numerous frittata recipes and good selections for winter and fall dishes, for those who want to eat seasonally. Yellow Squash and Rice Gratin and Potato and Chard Gratin stand out. Shulman presents a number of polentas. Of the vegetable dishes, Leeks in Wine is the most unique. She emphasizes freshness and flavor in each recipe. The book includes cooking tips for beginners and enough of her philosophy with food to make for interesting reading. For someone needing a basic cookbook, this would be a fine selection.



2. Because I am a fan of Marth Rose Shulman's books, especially her classics Mediteranean Light, Feasts and Fetes, and Light Basics, I decided to try her new book. I have already cooked myself delicious meals and dazzled friends with her inventive recipes.
   What is best in Shulman's books, besides the recipes of course, is her ability to describe what she is up to and to add interesting commentary. Her recipes are obviously carefully tested and, as a result, are almost foolproof. She is obviously someone who loves food and wants the rest of us to enjoy her healthy and delicious discoveries.
   A real winner.



3. I own a number of Martha Rose Shulman's cookbooks and when THE BEST VEGETARIAN RECIPES arrived, I thought, uh oh, it's a greatest hits album. It's much better than that. True, earlier versions of several of the recipes appear in her other books but all are invested with a freshness here, with the latest wisdom in method and equipment. Shulman has a Mediterranean sensibility that lends itself to all the cuisines she draws from. The dishes are earthy yet sophisticated. I've made several of the recipes and they always turn out as intended. They are satisfying even for the roast beef eaters who have turned up at my table. This is a book for weeknight dinners and to cook out of when guests are expected.



4. I've owned a number of vegetarian books, and this is probably the most well written out of them. The organization is clean, the directions clear, and recipes delicious. I've made a few of her pies and salads, and all of them came out very well. Even though there are no photos in this book, in this case it's not a problem because she's pretty specific on what end product should look/taste like.
   In terms of recipes, I find the egg/dairy, and the salad section, to be the strongest. The pies and frittatas are all delicious, and just the right amount of oil for modern taste. Ms. Schulman mentioned that she lived in France, and it is clear from her recipe selection that her cooking has been strongly influenced by French, followed by Italian, cuisine.
   
   The only serious downside to this book is that there is a shortage of legume and bean main dishes. In fact, there's only really 2 or 3 of them, and one tofu dish, with different marinade suggestions. Also, if you are looking for Indian or Thai inspired vegetarian dishes, it's best to look elsewhere. However, I suspect the reason is that this is a "Best of" book, and Ms. Schulman's main strength does not lie in that area.
   
   That being said, I still rate this a 5 because when I just have random vegetables lying in my fridge and I want to make a quick comforting dinner, nothing beats this book.



5. I own several vegetarian cookbooks, and this is one of the few I actually use. The recipes are easy to follow, delicious and nutritious. I especially love the potato and chard gratin. The only complaint I have is there aren't any pictures--a minor complaint for such a fabulous book!

No comments about Sauces for Salads and Chilled Dishes.

2 comments about Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad, and 38 Other Wild Recipes.

1. This is the first wild-foods book I have found that is ideal for children. Preteens and young teenagers can be intimidated or overwhelmed by Billy Joe Tatum, or tuned out to the personal story flavor of Euell Gibbons. This book is so clear and so beautifully illustrated-- it is perfect to get young people involved in the foraging lifestyle. It's botanically precise, as well, to assuage the fears of worried mothers! The book is not just for young people, of course; it is a joy for foragers of all ages.



2. Simply fascinating book on ordinary plants in your own yard. Great recipes and very entertaining. I did not know you could eat half of this stuff! Wowie!

5 comments about Salad Days: Main Course Salads for a First Class Meal.

1. Do you love ordering meal-sized salads at restaurants but never make them at home? Then this is the book you need to buy. The salads in this book are scrumptious and colorful. The interesting thing to me about this book is that it presents a couple of variations on each salad. For example one of the recipes in this book is Penne Pasta and Spinach with Oven-Roasted Plum Tomatoes, Toasted Walnuts, Curly Endive, and Cracked Black Pepper Vinaigrette. It has two variations, the grilled chicken breast variation and the pan-seared salmon variation. I would consider this book appropriate for someone with intermediate cooking skills but if you are a novice cook the instructions are excellent and would help you build your skill set.



2. This is just a marvelous example of the chef who is inventive and researches the items and prep with the at-home type cook in mind. He presents very original, creative salad entrees with a huge array of ingredients, e.g. nuts, berries, fish, fowl, beef, etc. but then adds item options as well as prep and presentation advice along with two additions to the basic salad recipe if so inclined. The possibilities are endless! So good to those of us who enjoy just a great salad as the meal! Marcel is one of the best cookbook producers around .... from chocholate to burgers to salads.



3. Marcel Desaulniers, author of some of the most wickedly good dessert cookbooks in my cupboard, releases a cookbook full of more virtuous dishes, probably for those of us who've indulged one time too many in his myriad chocolate desserts.

   One thing I particularly like about this book is the serving sizes. Unlike many cookbooks, where the number of servings listed is sometimes (or usually) optimistic, when a recipe in THIS book lists 4 servings, it means 4 VERY generous servings. Also, love or hate the ingredients that go into the salads, all of them turn out looking so delicious that it's (ironically) almost a shame to eat them.

   Be warned, however - I would NOT recommend this cookbook to beginners. It can take several hours to prepare one of these salads. When I purchased it, I was expecting dozens of recipes for salads consisting of 6 or 7 ingredients, tops, which you can toss together and serve with a dressing. Wrong. Many of these salad recipes are actually 2 to 4 small recipes combined into one dish (even more if you decide to compliment the salad with the extra "variation" recipes), and the number of different ingredients required for these recipes easily goes from 12-15. Also, many of these ingredients are not things casual cooks will have lying around the house (I have no idea where to find Moutarde de Meaux Pommery mustard), so you have to specifically be in the mood to make a certain salad - you can't just whip one of them together right when you come home from work. Rainy weekends are ideal for many of these recipes.

   One thing that I don't believe this book tells you (I may be mistaken), but which many people should guess anyway, is that all of the pasta recipes in this book can easily be substituted with the plain dry kind you buy in supermarkets. If the pasta is flavored (green onion fettucini, for example), you can simply add a bit of the herb/vegetable that was to go in the pasta directly into the salad.

   One minor quibble with this book is that compared to other books by this author, there doesn't seem to be as many recipes, perhaps because due to the fact that each salad recipe is composed of several smaller recipes. Most of these are quite good, and the dressing recipes can obviously be made on their own for every day salads. Also, a grilled lemon chicken breast recipe accompanying one of the pasta salad recipes makes an outstanding ciabatta sandwich. In the end, the recipe(s) that make up one salad can often be made on their own for any number of occasions, which is a major plus.

   Overall, the salad recipes as a whole are too difficult to make for me to recommend it to beginners, but cooking enthusiasts and/or people looking for substantial, nutritious meals should definitely give it a whirl!




4. These are main-dish salads. Each recipe has several components to it, and two variations on top of that to top things off. One of my favorite recipes in this book is "Sliced Beets with Curly Endive, Red Bliss Potato Salad, Honey Mustard Roasted Walnuts, and Meaux Mustard Vinaigrette." I'm not normally fond of beets, but they're fantastic in this recipe. The honey mustard roasted walnuts have the perfect blend of sharp and sweet tastes. There are a couple of ingredients you might have trouble finding, but they're generally things you can easily substitute for. The first variation for this recipe is the Walnut-Crusted Striped Bass, and there's also a Honey Duck Stir-Fry variation.

   Each recipe has the same "Chef's Touch" section as in "Death by Chocolate," giving suggestions for substitution (the aforementioned mustard), storage, and so on, including even wine suggestions in some cases. My only negative comment on this recipe was that the vinaigrette was too oily for our taste, but it's easy enough to reduce the amount of oil. Each recipe serves four hungry people, and could easily be stretched to 6 or 8 as a side dish.
   
   If you're familiar with Desaulniers' "Death by Chocolate" series, then you're already familiar with his cookbook style. He describes everything in detail, not because it's necessarily complex, but because he wants to make sure he doesn't leave anything out or confuse the reader. Also, while his recipes are usually calculated to be not overly difficult, they do tend to be time-consuming, and often involve a handful of different components that need to be put together. You don't need to be an expert to use his cookbooks, but you do need to be willing to spend time and effort in the kitchen.

   But as always, he truly comes through in the flavor department. Peppered Honey Peaches with Warm Pecan Cakes, "Bitter" Salad Greens, and Sour Mash Vinaigrette. Variations: Turkey Scallopine with Basil and Zinfandel; Pecan-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab. Or maybe you'd prefer Mandarin Orange Basmati Rice with Sesame Stir-Fried Vegetables, Tangy Red Cabbage, and Szechuan Peppercorn Vinaigrette. Variations: Orange and Cilantro Barbecued Catfish; Charred Flank Steak. Truly, there's something in here to appeal to almost anyone.




5. I love this cookbook. I have been using it for about 5 years and still find things of interest. I particularly like the fact that the book tells you how to prepare and present the whole meal, with each menu broken down into: the dressing, the salad itself, assembly of the dish and always two choices of meat or fish to accompany the meal. I often spice up a meal with just a part of a salad - ratatouille tonight and maybe saffron infused arborio rice cakes another day. The ingredients are easy to find and the methodology easy to follow. If you like salads and want something a little different, then this is the book.

No comments about Look & Cook: Superb Salads.

5 comments about The Big Book of Vegetarian: More Than 225 Recipes for Breakfasts, Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Main Dishes, Sides, Breads, and Desserts (The Big Book of).

1. This is an excellent cookbook, lots of variety, well-written, visually pleasing...definitely a good choice for anyone who appreciates easy-to-prepare, delicious recipes.



2. This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I have been vegetarian for many years and I am an avid cook, and this book has provided nothing but perfect food, without meat, every time I have used it. The salads are great, the breakfast foods are great, the entrees are great. You name it, in this book, it's all good.
   The recipes are well-tested and well-written recipes. A must have.



3. Great cookbook, has trendy new way to look at origional ingredients.
   Made Tomato Bisque today.... Yumm..



4. I received this book as a present, and I am very pleasantly surprised by this book. This book contains modern and creative twists on traditional American dishes as well as other food of ethnic origin making its way into mainstream. All the dishes I've made from it have turned out to be very delicious, the steps are simple to follow, and most of the ingredients are available at well-stocked supermakets. I was surprised how many things I used to have to buy can be made so easy with so little time or effort. This was what I had hoped my Moosewood cookbook would be, but this book actually succeeds because of it is more focused, placing emphasis on beauty through simplicity rather than purely just inventiveness.
   Another part I really like about this book is that it actually contain a decent breakfast section. From now on I no longer have to rely on omlettes or toast for breakfast, but instead I can have banana french toast, different muffins, etc.
   The recipes here are very straightforward, so they are suitable for most levels of cooks. The only possible drawback is that there are no pictures (though you won't need them), and there are no directions on preparation techniques, so I would suggest this book for those with at least some rudimentary kitchen skills.



5. This really is a great cookbook. Easy to follow recipes (although some ingredients are hard to find in a small town in the middle of nowhere, where we live), and everything tastes good. I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanting to expand their cooking.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Dressings.

1. This book provides more information than just dressing recipes. The author gives useful suggestions for creating interesting salads, how to buy and store ingredients, and nutritional information for each recipe. I'm planning on making good use of this book.



2. This is a wonderful book! It is well organized and contains lots of ideas for variations. Each recipe lists the nutritional values, and there are many recipes that fit easily into a low fat/calorie diet. The author explains what purpose each ingredient serves, and also discusses substitutions and their consequences. Each recipe is on a separate page and are formatted so they are easy to read. Nice use of artwork and variation of fonts, if you like that. I do. This book is a bargain, too!



3. I had tried to use my usual stock of cook books (i.e. NY Times, JOC, etc) but found them wanting in this department. Since purchasing this book I have received many compliments on the variety of my dressings. Although I was often complimented before obtaining this resource--this really expanded my repertoire.



4. I love this book! It has so many great ideas, and not just for plain old lettuce... great suggestions for fish, chicken, fruit, etc. I love the fact that it describes different vinegars, oils, lettuces... it gives you a better understanding of what flavours go well together. Very informative. The recipes are simple and quick to prepare as well. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking to expand beyond oil & vinegar.



5. I have been using this recipe book for almost ten years and have not tired of it because it remains the most inventive and simply delicious book of dressings I have ever come across.