5 comments about Damn Good Food: 157 Recipes from Hell's Kitchen.

1. The title says it all...thank you Hell's Kitchen for including ALL of your recipes as well as step-by-step pictures for several. The bonus was the mesmerizing story of a mad man (bipolar) who's been to Hell and back. This most unusual cookbook/memoir deserves the accolades which The New York Times and Village Voice gave you (I visited your restaurant during a convention in Minneapolis years ago and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it mentioned in BOTH papers)



2. This book rocks! Takes you on adventure. This book shares truth and recipes you won't ever want to forget! Definately a keeper!



3. I bought this cookbook immediately after eating the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, the Bison Bread, and sampling some of their amazing home made peanut butter at the restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. I have yet to try my hand at making these delicious items, but I have read the stories behind the dishes as well as the history of Hells Kitchen. It's a great cookbook (and history book) and I recommend it to all.



4. Product as described; super fast shipping; arrived in plenty of time to make a great Christmas gift. Would definitely do business with again!



5. This book takes the story of Mitch Omer and pairs it with recipes from each part of his life which makes for a great read! I could almost taste the food! I would recommend this book and also visiting the restaurant. I have had the pleasure of eating at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis and it is truly an experience that should not be missed!

5 comments about 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix.

1. This book has some great recipes that are fun and easy to do. I also noticed, a lot of the recipes are cost affective too! :)



2. So many wonderful, fast recipes. People will think you have spent all day in the kitchen when you have baked something in little time. My husband's favorite cookbook and what a time saver. No fuss and you will get raves about your baking.



3. This little cook book has something for everyone. As per the title, every recipe is made from a cake mix...which makes for simple baking! I appreciate that the book is divided into sections (Brownies and Bars, Cookies, Fruity Cakes, Fancy Cakes, Bundt Cakes, Muffins and Breads, and Children's Delights). That way I know which section to leaf through depending on the type of dessert I want to make.
   
   As I try more and more of these recipes, I am amazed at how good many of them are. Often, you can't even tell the treat is made from a cake mix.



4. This book makes it so easy to turn out truly delicious desserts and cakes. The ingredient lists are simple, so you can usually get started with things you already have in your pantry.



5. Its great when you have to come up with a dessert. The book lays flat so you can use the book without fighting the pages.

5 comments about The Tra Vigne Cookbook: Seasons in the California Wine Country.

1. I collect cookbooks. I like this book because the recipes are original and the ingredients aren't too esoteric. I don't like the coffee table size, it's too hard to browse through. I recommend if you are an experienced cook and always searching for new, interesting recipes.



2. We bought this on Amazon after eating in Napa, and are very pleased with the recipes. The recipes are not overly intimidating for a casual weekday meal. In contrast, the Mustards' Grill cookbook gives a number of more advanced recipes, with complex ingredients. This cookbook avoids the need for ingredients from a high, high end grocery store. We were so pleased with this cookbook we checked out another from the same chef (casual cooking), and ended up purchasing this book as well. If you have fresh ingredients available, this is a nice cookbook for a dinner party or a weekday meal. Overall, very pleased with this cookbook.



3. We like both Michael Chiarello's show on PBS and the wine country. This is a beautiful cookbook that combines both, so it is a perfect addition to our cookbook collection.



4. The recipes in this book are a bit on the "over the top" aspect for me (a home cook). However I'm just in the process of making the "Very Green Broccoli Soup" from the book and this recipe is straight forward. However I enjoy the chef tips and various stories that Michael has in his book. I happened to buy this used from Amazon and it is well worth the price. I would not have been interested in paying full price, though. Note: I do own two other of Michael's cookbooks "Entertaining" and "Casual Cooking" as well as his "Napa Stories" book so you could understand that I enjoy his approach, stories, style, recipes, etc. All three were acquired used, and in my opinion, well worth the the few bucks (<$15 each) I paid for each.



5. I bought this cookbook at Tra Vigne 15 years ago for the Fusilli Michelango recipe which everyone in my family loves. Another incredible, melt-in-your-mouth dish is the Lemon Braised Artichokes with Fettucine. I make this for special occasions for my husband who is crazy about it. Lots of other incredible recipes in this book. I heartily recommend it.

5 comments about Canyon Ranch Cooks: More Than 200 Delicious, Innovative Recipes from America's Leading Health Resort.

1. One of the best purchases I've ever made. The food is fantastic, the recipes easy to follow and best of all, everything is very healthy for you.



2. has become one of my favorite cookbooks. Love all the photos of the recipes and so far all had turned out good.



3. This cookbook is all that it represents--photos are attractive and inspiring. Recipes are innovative yet simple and easy to follow, logical preparation and healthy ingredients = delicious meals! LOVE the book!



4. Wow, if you want some really healthy and interesting meals, this is the book for you. The range of foods is awesome, the taste and presentation come out really good. It is so like being at the spa. Love this book!



5. This is not a fabulous cookbook. I have made several recipes from it and not been impressed with many of them. There are also typos. The recipe for zucchini bread called for one tablespoon of baking soda. While I should have known this was wrong, I trusted the recipe. It came out absolutely dreadful and inedible. Also, the granola recipe (which comes out soggy not crunchy)indicates that it has a whopping 200 calories in a quarter cup. If this is correct (which I don't think it is), that is very fattening, even for granola. The soups are pretty good and the marinara sauce is a keeper. For my money, Cooking Light produces much better cookbooks.

5 comments about The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant.

1. I understand all the rave reviews for this cookbook based on the photography and the narrative story it tells. But as a cookbook, I find it completely impractical. I bought the book based on these rave reviews and I wish one person would have been more upfront about the recipes and I would have made a more informed choice. The photographs are lovely. The narrative is interesting. The food and recipes however are impractical to replicate in my own home which is why I only gave this cookbook one star.
   
   As an example, here is a list of key ingredients for one recipe after another in this cookbook: fresh sardines (not canned), rabbit, rose geranium leaves, rice bran oil, huckleberries, lemon verbena leaves, mulberries, rockfish, burrata, fresh mackrel, quail, foi gras, quince, ahi tuna, fresh oysters, beluga lentils, fresh squid, etc. etc.
   
   I have nothing against this type of cooking. I'm sure the recipes are delicious. I sadly will never know because I live in the mid west in a modest sized town and just simply don't have access to these ingredients. If you have access to this type of food then this cookbook will probably work for you. These 'rarified' ingredients aren't widely available to the rest of us and I wish I had known what type of cookbook this was before wasting my money.



2. This is a beautiful book from many points of view. The recipes, while sometimes complicated, are delicious. I especially recommend the blueberry pie, and the salmon trout wrapped in prosciutto. The photographs are exquisite, worthy of a coffee table in the living room. The writing by Catherine Price about the history of the restaurant, her profiles of many of the people connected to the restaurant, like the "bee guy" and the woman who raises herbs on her porch, and the man whose bread is legendary, is totally engaging. I've never seen a cook book with a format like this. It's interesting reading, even if you don't have company coming to dinner!



3. This book is a window onto a lifestyle. Recipes, yes, wonderfully creative, mouth-watering recipes, but I picked up this book and didn't put it down again until I had read it right through! How often do you do that with a cook book? I love the personalities involved in this little gem of a restaurant, the book leads us through the day in a way that gives us intimate portraits of everyone involved, from the beekeeper to the sommelier. And if you have a chance to visit Big Sur, you will not be disappointed. The restaurant, like the book, is a real find --- fabulous food in a relaxed atmosphere. Big Sur is magical, and this is part of that magic.



4. Thought this book would give info about starting a business also. Sorry it was just recipes. Sold it at a loss immediately.



5. A little bit of the Big Sur mystique comes through this delightful cookbook. It is written with flair and care, as are the recipes contained within. Nuff said!

5 comments about America's Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America's Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants.

1. This book is great because it takes all the best BBQ recipes from around the nation and fits them into one book. However, there is a problem in that all the recipes use specific ingredients geared towards their own region. So recipes are either easily made or you will have to substitute ingredients. This recipe book is organized well and easy to read. It tells interesting facts about many BBQ places from around the world. My favorite recipe had to be from Williamson Bros. in Georgia. This book actually makes you feel like you have been to each BBQ restaurant or that you wish you were there as you're reading.



2. My family loves barbecue. We've taken road trips and lengthy detours to try new BBQ restaurants and visit old favorites. We've visited a few of the places in this book, and our all-time favorite--Ridgewood Barbecue in Bluff City, TN--is included. But this book is more than just a guide for travelers looking for good BBQ: it's a scrapbook of barbecue culture, with photos and history notes. It also includes 100 recipes--some original "top secret" and some "copycat" versions--for the specialties of each restaurant. Each pair of facing pages includes details about a restaurant, photos, and a recipe or two.
   
   The book is divided into sections as a menu is: Starters, Main Dishes, Sides and Condiments, and Desserts. The Starters chapter includes recipes for traditional and regional favorites such as onion rings, Brunswick stew, burgoo, and Rocky Mountain oysters. Main Dishes, of course, is all about the 'cue: ribs, pulled pork, barbecued pig snout, and more. The Sides and Condiments section is not only cole slaw--white, pink, red, you name it--but also baked beans, cornbread, hushpuppies, and potatoes. Dessert recipes include Lexington banana pudding, bread pudding, apple crisp, and fried peach pies.
   
   I highly recommend this book!



3. I own quite a few BBQ books. That's because I'm what's referred to as a "Pellet Head". I've been trying to learn BBQ techniques for a couple of years. That is what attracted me to this book.
   
   This book is a bit unique for a BBQ book. It's so pretty that it's almost a coffee table book. That surprised me, since most BBQ books are no nonsense, functional endeavors.
   
   "America's Best BBQ" offers up "selected" recipes from famous, semi-famous and even some obscure BBQ restaurants. But don't expect your favorite BBQ joint to give up their signature dishes. However, the recipes that are included are interesting. And since there are many restaurants in here, the whole adds up to a lot of decent looking recipes.
   
   Frankly I was a little disappointed at first. I had hoped to find some "signature" dish recipes. But once I got over that, it was clear that the book covers a lot of ground and offered up some pretty unique perspectives and interesting ideas.
   
   Pros:
   * It's really pretty
   * There are a lot of varied and even surprising ideas
   * It gives me ideas of new place to try when I travel.
   
   Cons:
   * Don't expect your favorite restaurant to give up their signature dishes.
   * Some of the recipes are vague and assume you know a lot about BBQ.
   
   All in all, a good, interesting book for anyone wanting to BBQ or looking for a new BBQ joint to try out.



4. BBQ, for afficianados, isn't just one thing. Different parts of the country have completely different definitions of what is "barbecue" -- from the tomato-based sauces of spicy Kansas City ribs to the vinegar-laden smokehouse pork of eastern North Carolina.
   
   This book is a comprehensive look at what barbecue means to the different regions and styles, and includes some fabulously tasty recipes for each so that you can recreate it at home without having to travel to experience it. The survey of the culture surrounding barbecue is also fun to read, and if you're trivia-minded, it's great for filling the bank of tidbits to throw out the next time someone throws something on the grill.
   
   Very worth a look if you're a carnivore. :)



5. This book presents a wide range of unpretentious recipes from across the U.S. It is something that could only have come from all these places and sampled a large variety of local foods. The story alone is enough to make it an good book.

5 comments about The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories.

1. You develop an appetite and you try some of the wonderful recipes -- right?
   
   Well, in my case, I couldn't wait -- after starting to read this book on the bus to work, I immediately went down to my foodcourt, ordered a cornmuffin, a mess o' greasy bacon, pancake syrup and coffee.
   
   Ah!!! Using my imagination it was (almost) ..... "Fried Corn Meal Mush with bacon drippings, molasses and coffee "
   
   When I was a little kid growing up in the wilds of the Bronx, my favorite activity on a sunny day was, of course, going out to play (and keeping an eye out for the neighborhood bully(ies). But RAINY days were just as much fun (and less paranoid) -- for I would sit down in the wonderful little square foyer in my beloved Nonna Lucia's (Grandma Lucy) apartment (where we lived) and pull out one of her (and my) most treasured books from the humble bookcase -- "Little House on the Prairie", and on those quiet, nostalgic rainy days, I would be transported back a century, where newly cast silvery bullets lay on the hearth, whlle hearty aromas bubbled from cooking pot on that same hearth, the dirt floor was swept, and the family was snug inside a little log house while the prarie winds howled outside. Again and again I would come back to that wonderful little book.
   
   No wonder I now have a whole set of Ms Ingalls' books!!
   
   And with that nostalgia in mind, I read and hold this book -- "The Little House Cookbook" -- which I checked out from the library (and was astounded to see that it had been in circulation for over twelve years -- THAT in itself attests to this book's popularity), a book which I will definitely buy -- AND use.
   
   The old ways of cooking, IMHO, bring the reader in touch with the heart and soul of the food, along with the patience and love it takes to prepare something that is, in one sense, so simple and yet in another sense, SO fulfilling.
   
   I have churned butter (in that special 1930's-type glass jar), and made cheese (rather clumsily), made beef jerky (not bad for a kid from the Bronx, eh?) -- but it was fun, and not something that I HAD to do in order to survive, which is exactly what the Ingalls family had to do.
   
   AND I can't wait to try out many of this book's recipes -- and make real cottage cheese, and REAL mincemeat (which actually HAS meat in it, not like the stuff you find in the store-bought jars nowadays -- and PS -- when I was a kid those mincemeat jars in the store DID have meat in them). I think I'll pass on the Popcorn and Milk breakfast cereal, however.
   
   The illustrations are charming (but on Page 146, Hardcover -- shouldn't that milk-cow's hind legs be hobbled while being milked, before somebody gets kicked?)
   
   This book was obviously a labor of love. It feels as though Barbara Walker, the author has LIVED these pages -- and was as much (even more, really) charmed and mesmerized by the "Little House" books, as were so many of us. That makes this book extra special -- for this book itself is warming nutrition for the heart and soul.
   
   Every recipe comes with a story -- sometimes historical anecdotes about the nation during the Ingalls' years -- but usually from the pages of "Little House" -- so in a sense, the Ingalls Family is gathered around you -- or perhaps YOU are there to help them -- while preparing these historic, tasty and still very wholesome foods.
   
   If this library book holds out (and it's still in pretty good shape, considering how many people have checked it out since 1997 -- not only is the OLD card holder still in the back, but the labels which are now used in its stead are at least two-deep) -- it will be incirculation for another 12 years -- that's twelve more years of delighting its readers. And of course, when the book wears out, my library had BETTER replace it!!!
   
   A well-thought-out Glossary, Conversion Chart, Bibliography, and Index round out this book. "The Little House Cookbook" should be on every cook's shelf, right next to their most beloved and most modern cookbooks.



2. Good points: I love the historical background and more information than is found in the original books - information on how food was prepared and such; they also explain the adaptations of ingredients from what was available then as compared to now.
   
   There are excerpts from the original books, with original drawings. I love the historical, literary and practical context built right in.
   
   Negative points: As another reviewer posted, the 3rd edition has a couple of incomplete recipes. VERY disappointing.
   
   Also, as another reviewer commented - they do substitute some ingredients with modern-day available ingredients, items that were not in use in pioneer days in the same form as now (ie "white" flour then is NOT the same as white flour today - it was much healthier back then and we do not use modern white flour in our house in any form). They also state that true whole wheat flour produces dry bread, but I have not found that to be the case with the breads and other items we already make at home - it's all in the other ingredients.
   Therefore, when we prepare specific recipes, we locate something that is closer to the original than what the authors suggest for substitutes - and all of our creations have turned out great!
   
   Is this a book for children? If they are working with you - yes - but they should not do every step themselves of course. I foresee this book being more applicable to teenagers and older who have already read the Little House books and would like to go back and recall the stories - extend the experience so to speak. Younger children help out at times that they can and of course, everyone enjoys the end result!



3. A +++++++++++++++ GREAT Gift my sister lost her ortigional and this was a blessing Thanks!



4. I purchased this cookbook for a Christmas present. Before mailing I had a chance to thumb through it and what I saw I really liked. I plan on purchasing one for myself.



5. My only issue with the book is how it's printed and bound because I prefer cookbooks on better quality paper with a binding that can handle use in the kitchen. That said, it wasn't enough to make it 4 stars. Maybe 4.5, I rounded up.
   The recipes are well laid out with a lot of history. It makes an excellent tool of discussion and education with students who are reading the series or families who enjoy watching re-runs of the tv show.
   Some of the recipes don't adapt well to things you can easily get at the supermarket, but just reading those recipes is fun and modern cooks will find the difference in technique and ingredients very interesting. We are so used to being able to get so many alternative ingredients, to having 50 kinds of oil to choose from at the grocery store, that just the use of salt pork or bacon in so many common dishes is a good conversation. Being able to discuss cooking methods, economical measures, and working with what was available are all good things to explore with your children.
   I got it as a way of encouraging my daughter to read the original series. It's hard getting her interested in novels sometimes, but she loves cookbooks and historical recipes. Using it that way has worked, she's been slowly going through the series and enjoying it.
   Highly recommended for fans of the show or the books obviously, but also a good resource for people who enjoy reenacting history. Many of the recipes are accurate for the Civil War Era.

5 comments about The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant.

1. Summary: With these recipes and techniques you can almost magically turn relatively few items into unimaginable dishes that highlight the main ingredient. While some recipes can be complicated as written, you can take shortcuts and still enjoy amazing results.
   
   This books lets you precisely duplicate the amazing dishes at Zuni Cafe. However, you can decide whether (for example) you'll follow the beef stock recipe or buy beef stock pre-made. Whatever you do, don't deprive yourself of such delicious food only for lack of time to follow each recipe to the letter. Take whatever shortcuts you need.
   
   This book not only provides amazing recipes, but also has great suggestions and techniques that will make you a better cook. Within each recipe are suggestions on how you may want to improvise, to make the dish your own. I simply have not found another cookbook like this.



2. I like to cook, but this book is entirely too esoteric. I have never made a recipe from it.



3. This is a revolutionary and amazing cookbook. Is it for everyone? I would say NO. This cookbook is for those who value extraordinary culinary experiences. If you want a cookbook that will give you weekday 30 minute recipes, this is not for you. If you want a cookbook that produces memorable and extraordinary culinary experiences (at the expense of some effort, time, getting top-notch ingredients, attention to detail, and some practice) that you and your dinner guests will remember forever, this is your book.
   
   This cookbook is extremely detailed, with both the "how" as well as the "why". The section on pre-salting meats alone is worth the price of the cookbook.
   
   While I consider myself to be a medium-to-advanced cook, I will proudly say that the Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad is one of the best dishes I have ever made. Does it require pre-salting the chicken 72 hours in advance? Yes. Is finding a 3 pound chicken challenging? Yes. Is the technique hard? No. The reviewers who find Judi's recipes esoteric, in my opinion, are off base.
   
   The Pasta Alla Carbonara, while requiring fresh sheep's milk ricotta which was a pain to find, was eye-opening,magical, and unlike any Carbonara I have had here in the States.
   
   The Rosemary Roasted Potatoes was, in my wife's words, "the most potatoe-y potatoes I have ever tasted."
   
   I have a laundry list or recipes I cannot wait to try, including the Braised Fennel, Mock Porchetta, Brasato, Citrus Risotto, Madeleine's Omelette, Pasta with Preserved Tuna, Zuni Gnocchi, Braised Fennel, and Pot Au Feu.
   
   In addition to eye-opening cooking techniques, Judi is a very good writer, and you will love reading her stories even if you never attempt a single recipe from this book.
   
   I own many cookbooks, and this one is definitely in the top 3. Highly recommended.



4. This book covers a selection of Italian (and a few French) dishes served in the author's Californian restaurant. The recipes comes across as quite Italian, but there might be some very slight Californian modifications. This is a recipe collection but there is also a fair bit of background material explaining the dishes. This is actually interesting. In many cases writers add anecdotes that are just fake or totally trivial. Not so this author, who tells us that she observes a lot and and takes copious notes when travelling to taste food, starting as a teenager. These notes were probably very handy in picking the recipes (they are very varied) and sprinkling the text with tidbits of useful information. The books is a pleasure to read and the author comes across as a likeable person (not really that important, but anyway).



5. And I own a lot of cookbooks, well over 100. The is a very thoughtful and intelligently laid out cookbook. Judy Rogers is a genius at least as far as cooking goes. The roast chicken with bread salad recipe alone is worth the price of the book, and there is so much more. As I read somewhere, (here?) just reading this book will make you a better cook. There is in depth information on many techniques and methods that will make you a better cook. I would pay twice what I paid for this book. It is truly one of the two best cookbooks I have found so far. Okay, the other one? Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home. Fabulous!

5 comments about The Fat Duck Cookbook.

1. I don't really like to review books online, as so much of the review is subjective. I'll make an exception for the Fat Duck Cookbook. It's that good.
   
   First off, the recipes are amazing... as they should be, since they are the exact recipes used in Blumethal's world-renowned restaurant. They are also elaborate. If you decide to make one, think of it as a quest rather than as a traditional recipe to be made in an afternoon - most of these will involve a good deal of searching for ingredients, a large amount prep time, and sometimes specific equipment ranging from just hard-to-find to hard-to-find AND really expensive.
   
   Even if you don't make the recipes... even if this book didn't HAVE any recipes, it would still be great. The photos and art are nearly worth the asking price on their own. Huge, glossy, detailed pictures of some of the most intricate and intricately plated dishes I've ever seen. Enough beautiful abstract art to justify it as a coffee table book in this respect alone. Furthermore, each recipe is accompanied by an essay on the development of that recipe and thoughts on exactly what makes that recipe work, or why previous iterations of it did not work as well. You don't have to make the recipes to find this type of commentary useful.
   
   Then there are the other two thirds of the book. One is somewhere between an autobiography and a treatise on the author's culinary formation and thought process. Sound dull? It isn't. In part because of how well it is written - relatable, brisk, to the point. Even more so because of Blumenthal's enormous insight into both the art and science of cooking. He explains his process in creating and perfecting his food using specific examples. He alludes to the science he uses whenever applicable - his explanations are neither dumbed down nor are they a single bit more complicated or hard to understand than need be.
   
   I found myself using a highlighter while reading it to mark things I wanted to look up later.
   
   And as though Blumenthal somehow knew about my highlighter, he included as the last third of the book an index of terms, descriptions of equipment and ingredients, and essays on the scientific aspects of cooking and eating. Essay topics range from emulsions to how taste and pleasure are related via the brain. Most of these essays are not by Blumenthal - they are written by scientists who have influenced Blumenthal and added to his understanding.
   
   I should point out, I guess, that this book is probably not for most culinary novices. The pictures might go over well, but the rest will be like showing calculus to someone who's still learning to add. But for pros and dedicated amateurs, I don't think a cookbook gets much better. It's inspiring, beautiful, and informative. As much as it can teach about the science of cooking, it has just as much insight into the art of cooking - what associations, effects, textures, contexts, and flavors make a dish great. In this way, it is just as invaluable to the classical cook as the cutting edge one. It prompts you to look at a dish and wonder 'In a perfect world, what could make this even better?' And suggests that whatever the answer is, it may well be possible.



2. There is no question that the first edition of Heston Blumenthal's book is an amazing creation; I would go to the point of calling it a work of art given its glorious design, originality and extraordinary photography. I bought the original very expensive version and was so impressed that I returned the next day to buy a copy for a friend, a distinguished chef.
   
   Considering the significant reduction in price from the original release, this reissue represents excellent value. It must be noted however that the quality of the photographic reproduction, while good in itself, does not have the clarity and color definition found in the original. Additionaly the format size is somewhat smaller and the paper quality above average rather than exceptional. I realise that the first issue was very pricey, but my investment has delivered great dividends in enjoying its decadent luxury in private contemplation and impressing as well as sharing it with friends. In acquiring the cheaper edition it will still be possible to marvel at the extraordinarily complicated recipes, interesting text and beautiful photography. But if you can, try save your pennies and buy the original. I guarantee you won't regret the extravagance



3. ...but not, really, a "cook book" as the recipes (lab protocols?) are extremely complex and require ingredients and equipment not likely to be stocked in your local grocery store. That being said, it's a book I'm glad I own.
   
   The first third, at least, isn't a cook book at all--it's an autobiographical history of developing as a molecular-gastronomical chef. The writing is engaging and speaks with a clear personality; you get the sense that you'd really enjoy sitting down for a chat with the chef/author. The second section is recipes, including extremely entertaining back-stories for how they were developed, from the genesis idea to the trials and tribulations of execution. I laughed out loud reading the recipe for the oysters when he described creating a soundtrack (loaded on an ipod chip which was then inserted into a conch shell) to accompany the dish, as well as the "ocean scent" perfume that was developed by a master perfumer and smeared on fan blades to waft the scent of the sea over diners. And I haven't reached the third section, so I can't comment on that at all.
   
   I am an avid home cook who regularly prepares multi-course, plated dinners for my friends and consequently have a neighborhood reputation for excess in the kitchen. I think the stories in this book might put my dabbling into perspective for my non-foodie friends.
   
   The only thing I would have liked more of, since this is a book about inspiration more than instruction, would be more actual photos of the finished dishes. Many times there are only sketches or images the evoke the sense of the dish, but not the actuality. But all-in-all it's a beautiful book that you'll be happy to own.



4. A brilliant effort from all the contributors, it is masterfully done and a piece of art. It gives us some insight into what we take so for granted, "eating". It is not for "home cooks" and "recipe collectors".
   I am sure in the next century Heston will be credited for such an effort.



5. I love this book. There are so many simple ideas on how to cook something easier or better. It opens up the imagination and gets me motivated to be better at cooking. Ice cream with dry ice! Stock in the pressure cooker! I just would not have thought about it. So interesting.

5 comments about The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.

1. The Pioneer Woman Cooks and the author's website show what an extremely talented woman Ree is. Her photography, her writing, and her delicious recipes all attest to this. It's hard to imagine anyone being disappointed with this cookbook because all of Ree's talents are showcased in the book.
   
   Ree's blog was the top blog in 2009 and also won awards in prior years. The fact that she shares her life with her readers in a very personal and humorous way, not to mention her wonderful recipes, made me a number one fan of her blog and also of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I live in a small city in upstate NY and it's fascinating to me to see the differences in our lives, and at the same time, the similarities.



2. After reviewing Ree's blog I thought why not pick up the book ... it was a great deal at Amazon, so ... I had nothing to lose. Not only are the pictures wonderful, but the book is filled with wonderful stories. You can't beat the recipes. Simple, yet delicious!! I have recommended this book to numerous friends ...



3. This is a great cookbook to add to your everyday use. The recipes are so easy to follow and I love her stories. I haven't made anything that wasn't great! She uses everyday ingredients for the most part! Check out her website too, she is a great cook!



4. If you are on a diet....probably not the cookbook for you. If you like to eat real hearty food, then you'll love the recipes as they will not disappoint. Experienced chef or novice chef can make these recipes as they have step by step photo directions. And, you'll find yourself reading the book (yes, reading a cookbook cover to cover) and thoroughly entertained by Ree and her stories that are thrown in between and with the recipes.



5. This is a fun and fantastic cookbook. Great recipes, how-to pictures that are a great help to all cooks, but especially the new, still learning cooks. I gave mine to my daughter and now need to buy a couple more. 1 to keep and 1 for my other daughter.