3 comments about The Prairie Table Cookbook.

1. Featuring more than one hundred recipes contributed by such luminary experts as Chef Charlie Trotter (Charlie Trotter's Restaurant), chef rick Bayloess (Frontera Grill), Executive Chef Paul Katz (Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse), Chef David Burns (Stadium Clube, Wrigley Field), and such legendary feef experts as Will rogers, Gene Autry, Dale Evans, Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius, and dodge City Mayor Jim Sherer, "The Prairie Table Cookbook" offers a culinary wealth of terrific recipes, including some favorites of Native Americans, pioneers, the U.S. Calvary, and trail riding cowboys of the old west. Also included along with the great recipes is the story of the Tallgrass Beef Company, the science underlying the great taste of grass-fed beef, historical photos, anecdotes, and stories drawn from cowboy life. Profusely illustrated throughout, the recipes range from Pemmican; Buffalo Tongue; Beef Jerkey; and Barbecue Style Meatloaf; to Texas Beef Tips; Filet of Beef Bourguignon; Mom's Recipe for Chicken Fried Steak; and Braised Tallgrass Beef Short Ribs Asian-Style with Baby Bok Choy, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Jasimine Rice. For appetite satisfaction, you can't beat the historic, gourmet quality, 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes that comprise "The Prairie Table Cookbook"!



2. This book is a must have. The historical recipes as well as the modern dishes tell the story of today's beef revolution. The pictures are awesome, just like you are there.



3. Do you remember the classic television show Little House on the Prairie? What a great show that was and there were huge meals around the table to feed all the kids and adults in the household. Don't you know many of the meals that were served back in those days were much healthier compared to modern-day America? A big reason for that was the meticulous attention to detail that our American western ancestors paid to things like raising cattle properly by feeding them grass instead of grain. Grass-fed beef is a lost art these days despite the fact it is nutritionally superior to the mass-market beef you can buy in supermarkets. This book gives you some of the history behind where grass-fed beef came from, why it is so healthy for your body to consume, and over 100 mouthwatering recipes that are sure to please your low-carb palate.

4 comments about Farm Recipes and Food Secrets from the Norske Nook: The Midwest's #1 Roadside Cafe.

1. This is a very complete book with down-home recipes of every kind. The stories and anecdotes that accompany many of the recipes make this a great read while the recipe you've prepared is cooking. A have found few books that compare in simplicity with as much home-made influence. These recipes are so good you'll want to share them, but the book is a piece of work by itself.



2. This is not just any old cook book, it is full of stories that are fun to read and add to your enjoyment in cooking and eating the delicious recipes. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to cook or to read about farm life in Wisconsin.



3. This book is fun to read, she has stories and tips throughout. If you are unsure how to cook the basics (roast, pies etc) this is a great starter book. All simple ingredients and easy instructions. Fun 'old farmer' stories. Great for bridal shower gift.



4. I am always suspicious of ratings like "#1 Roadside Cafe". But being a displaced cheesehead, when I received this as a gift, I smiled. When reading it you quickly realize the limitations of the advice: unless you know who in town has the best butter (etc.), you are going to have to settle for store bought ingredients (and the authors are right -- it will not taste the same: alas for the days when we could get dairy products from the Kramers!). But I digress. I have hundreds of cookbooks (of which I am only writing up my favorites). I have baking books, I have books on pies alone (which produce some stunning results, BTW). But if I am going to eat the pie myself, out comes the Norske Nook. It is as close to heaven on a fork as you will ever get (unless you are driving through Wisconsin along I-94 and stop in for the real deal).

4 comments about Cafe Indiana: A Guide to Indiana's Down-Home Cafes.

1. Joanne Raetz Stuttgen is a folklorist and the author of "Cafe Wisconsin" and co-author of "Cafe Wisconsin Cookbook". "Cafe Indiana: A Guide To Indiana's Down-Home Cafes" is her latest compilation and a superbly presented guide to Indian's hometown mom-and-pop restaurants in celebration of small-town Midwest culture. A perfect travel guide for anyone seeking authentic local cuisine, "Cafe Indiana" is organized into sections showcasing home-town cafes in the North; West; East; Central; South Central; and South regions of Indiana. Each entry includes directions, address, phone numbers, hours, and a descriptive and personable anecdote. Combining recommendations with cultural insights, "Cafe Indiana" is a must for anyone traveling through the state and looking for something good to eat and an intrinsically interesting place in which to have their breakfast, lunch, or dinner.



2. Book is adorable and very descriptive of the look and feel of the small town cafes in the area



3. I grew up in Indiana and now live in Arizona. I return to Indiana several times a year to visit family and friends. This book is a great guide to those wonderful, uniquely midwestern cafes that cook and serve the best of downhome cooking. Also highly entertaining. My highest recommendations.



4. I found this book interesting but I couldn't relate to so many of the hometown eateries as there weren't many in my area.

1 comments about West Coast Cooking.

1. From wild salmon from Alaska to Washington apples and mushrooms, chef and food writer Greg Atkinson explores the entire length of the West Coast and its culinary specialties, providing cookbook that is part history and part recipe collection. Here are nearly four hundred dishes, from Grilled Tuna Steaks with Papaya Lime to Chicken Enchiladas - many offering personal reflections, culinary insight, and the author's gift for description. Don't expect the flowery color photos so many cookbooks hold - do expect the flowery language so many leave out. Any West Coast cookbook collection - indeed, any who love regional cookbooks - will love WEST COAST COOKING.

1 comments about Cilantro Secrets (Cook West) (Cook West).

1. This small book is filled with pictures so beautiful that it makes it worth buying this book just for that, but in addition to that are a great selection of yummy recipes.

4 comments about The Fort Cookbook: New Foods of the Old West from the Denver Restaurant.

1. This book works for food like Claire McCardell worked for American sportswear; mix and match, it all makes you look good, and it's not tough to pull together. Good value, spices up the dinner options easily, will impress your friends and in-laws enormously. It's enhanced by the stories that the author weaves through it, making it so much more than just a cookbook -- more of a picaresque tale of "How I Ended Up Running A Restaurant When All I Really Wanted Was A Good Sportscar." Highly recommended.



2. This is a cookbook that has already become a family treasure and my mom and I have an extensive collection of many different kinds of cookbooks. Needless to say, a cookbook that gives you history of the area that their restaurant is located, plus the history behind all of the fascinating recipes that are in store for the reader/cook is a real gem to own. Two finger lickin' thumbs up.



3. This book is obviously a restaraunt promotion, and alleged cookbook. The reason I call it an alleged cookbook is because the author mixes hard to find ingredients with directions that are sure to make the home cook fail, thereby ensuring that the cook will have to come to The Fort restaraunt to sample the recipe. Here is the list of some of the hard to find ingredients in his cookbook. Sour salt, buffalo, elk, tamarind, verjuice, malagueta pepper, devils claws,damiana, and guinea hen are among just some of the hard to get ingredients. To be fair the book does have a section on where to get some of these ingredients, and the book does have merit in that it has interesting facts about old Western, and especially Southwestern cooking, and it gives many ideas to an experienced cook. Some of the good recipes are Pittsburgh steaks, Green Chili steak bowl, barbecued steak, Martha Washington's chicken grains of paradise, potted buffalo, and beef with caramelized onion, beet salad, a excellent succotash recipe, numerous flans, a ice cream cake, and chocolate chili cake. Sam Arnold claims to have a library of 5,000 cookbooks, and manuscripts from the old West, and this book sort of annoys me, because I'm sure he could come up with a better cookbook, if he really wanted to. For example, he mentions the ingredients in Washtunkala stew, but does not give an account on how to make it. Self-promotion is more important than useful help for the home cook. I also disagree with Sam Arnold in his preparation of a couple of classic recipes. His Country Captain recipe only has a small fraction of the bell pepper, and onion needed, and leaves out the white pepper, and parsley entirely. His barbecue sauce is good, but when I make his barbecued steak, I'm going to use Stonewall Jackson barbecue sauce, the best barbecuse sauce ever made. Barbecue sauce should not have ketchup, or Worchestshire sauce in it. I really have a pet peeeve with recipes for chili that do not have tomato in them. Do not let Texans tell you that chili con carne does not have tomatoes in it. The original recipe for chile, by Mary Alcedo does include tomatoes. I seriously doubt that 1 cup of chili puree, and 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregeno can make 4 pounds of pork taste anything but bland. His recipe for chili doesn't even have cumin in it. If I was going to go to the trouble of stewing down 4 pounds of pork shoulder than I would much rather make a southern style barbecue, or a Brunswick stew.



4. While it is true that some ingredients require a little effort to find, the Fort Cookbook is a tremendously entertaining, historically illuminating and just-plain-fun cookbook. I have made several recipes from it, and have encountered good results. BTW, some hard-to-find items may be found at Homebrew stores ("sour salt" aka citric acid, juniper berries, etc.)

   Can't wait until my travels bring me back to Denver, so I can try the real McCoy!

1 comments about The Blue Ribbon Country Cookbook.

1. Haven't had time to cook everything, but found some really good sounding stuff in this book. Enjoy.

2 comments about The Last Word on Lefse.

1. The Last Word on Lefse is a delightful book that captures an abiding and lasting love of lefse. The book is written with the same casual, familial voice that the people of the Midwest themselves reflect, and the memories and thoughts of several esteemed Iowa and Minnesota lefse-makers are respectfully, if bemusedly, chronicled. I enjoyed the subdued charm and humor of the book, and I was tickled by the lyrics to songs that I had heard as a child at the Nordic Fest in Decorah. The half-dozen or so recipes for lefse were also a welcome addition to this basically pleasing book.



2. I picked up this book at my Grandparent's home recently and fell in love with it! Rolled lefse with butter and sugar is a treat that brings on nostalgic memories of childhood - yet while I loved the food, I had no idea how to make it or how it came into being. "The Last Word on Lefse" compiles everything from the history of this Scandinavian food, to funny antedotes from Norweigan-Americans who excel at making the stuff, to corny jokes and songs and, of course, a number of recipies that I am looking forward to trying. I have yet to boil and rice the potatoes for my first batch of lefse, but after reading this book, I can't wait to get cooking and recapture some of my Nordic heritage.

No comments about Colorado Cache Cookbook: 30th Anniversary Edition.

5 comments about Pacific Fresh.

1. The best feature of this cookbook is that it uses simple ingredients. I especially like the soup and salad (and salad dressing) recipes, though I have also had success with the main courses and desserts. I have given this book as a gift to several of my GenX-aged friends because the recipes are simple enough for beginning cooks, but my mom and their moms seem to like it, too.



2. I bought this book at a winery in Napa in 1998 and have used it until it's nearly worn out. Recipes are easy to follow and don't require a lot of time. Everything I've ever tried is great. My family especially loves the salads and dressings. Sorry, Maryana, but I have shared some of your recipes at guest requests, but now I'm going to buy several copies for hostess and holiday gifts, and I'm going to replace my copy while I'm at it!



3. I have tried numerous recipes in Pacfic Fresh and found each and every one to be great. The salads and salad dressings are outstanding as are the main courses and pasta dishes!! I have served many to guests and always receive rave reviews!
   
   Every cook needs a cookbook collection of reliable and easy recipes that consistently turn out great! Pacific Fresh is that book!!



4. Truly every recipe I've made from this cookbook is wonderful! Having moved away from the Pacific Northwest, I also find the author's notes by each recipe make me especially nostalgic! That aside...the food is delicious, and there are recipes for every taste!



5. This author always hits her mark with wonderful, easy to prepare, fresh, tasty recipes.