5 comments about The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest.

1. Visually, this is a lovely book. When I read it, it makes me want to run to my kitchen to cook. However, the recipes are not that interesting to me. I thought there would be recipes that would be involve delicious ingredients and be unusual. They ARE unusual, but use ingredients that I am not interested in at all, such as buckwheat crepes with turnips, pork sausage with cinnamon, guinea fowl (where in the world do you get a guinea fowl?) with fennel root, roast rabbit, braised elk shoulder, veal and lamb sweetbreads, lamb necks, beef culotte, halibut cheeks (had these in Canada and they are awful), and the list goes on.
   Please don't misunderstand. I am always on the look-out for a new and innovative recipe, but personally, I don't care for the ingredients that I listed above and some are completely unattainable by me, like the elk or guinea fowl, for example. It is a lovely cook book and I may end up making some of the potato recipes, but it is more likely that this cook book will end up as a nice decorative item on my bookshelf, and nothing more.



2. I recommend this book to anyone who loves nature, people, good food and fun. Yesterday's dinner for my family was most enjoyable because of the recipes I used from the book, and let me tell you, they turned out delicious! I cooked the "Cedar-Planked Salmon", "Summer Ratatouille", and created a simple green salad to go with these dishes. Just fabulous! The book really shows how passionate the chef and his wife are about their work and life. It almost seemed as if we traveled to Oregon, Spain, and France and met the people discussed about in the book.



3. Lots of cookbooks have great recipes; lots of novels are a great read. The Paley's Place Cookbook has both!! It is knowledgeable, respectful of the earth, committed to the local farmers, and presents the culinary ingredients for creating community at the dining table. Buy it...it's a treasure to have on your shelf regardless of how many cookbooks you already own.



4. Having had one of my finest dining experiences at Paley's Place restaurant in Portland, Oregon, I was keen to purchase this book (which was in development at the time of my visit). It's much more than a collection of great recipes from the Pacific North West where a local, seasonal approach is adopted by many of the best restaurants Vitaly and Kimberly's love of good food, good wine and each other shines through in the stories and articles which punctuate the book. Anyone interested in North West cuisine will find the essence of it captured in this book along with some good photography. It makes a very nice companion piece to the Wildwood Restuarant book (Wildwood is just across the road from Paley's Place)



5. This is a chef from Oregon, and we loved the book! Great recipes to play with and enjoy. We're really happy with the results of our cooking.

5 comments about Wine Country Cooking.

1. A note on the difference between this marvelous title and Joanne's earlier book entitled Weir Cooking: Recipes from the Wine Country (found at Joanne's web site):
   
   "My new cookbook focuses on the fabulous ingredients found in the California wine country and uses some of my most favorite ingredients: olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, figs, lemons and herbs. My first TV companion book, Weir Cooking: Recipes from the Wine Country has been out of print for years, and this book includes those original recipes plus 50 brand new recipes, new headnotes, cooking tips, and of course fantastic wine pairings. Even the beautiful photos have taken on a new life! You will absolutely love cooking from this book!"



2. Joanne Weir's latest book is a treasure of wonderful recipes, and a must for any serious cook.



3. Joanne Weir is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author. She has a cooking program on PBS and does cooking tours in France and Italy, and now has a new cookbook focusing on the ingredients found in the California Napa/Sonoma wine country. /Wine Country Cooking/ has the recipes from her 1999 /Weir Cooking: Recipes From the Wine Country/, but also includes fifty new recipes, cooking tips, and highly useful wine pairings for each dish. The dishes focus on fresh ingredients, Mediterranean flavors, and mostly easy to follow recipes. In today's trend of five-ingredient, 30-minute-or-less cookbooks, /Wine Country Cooking/ is swimming upstream, but the end result is well worth your time and energy. Easily a book you will pull out, mark up, and use repeatedly, especially this summer when the farmer's markets burst with fresh tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and more.



4. The product was good but it wasn't what I ordered...... I had requested Country Cooking by Williams Sonoma but when I was at the home of the recipient (it was a Christmas gift), I found Wine Country Cooking had arrived instead, which was too bad since the recipes in CC were the ones my brother-in-law really wanted. Now I will have to give him MY cookbook and try to find another copy of CC for myself. Sigh! So much for ordering by mail, even through Amazon.



5. I don't know where to begin with how fantastic the recipes are in this cookbook. It's one of the best I have purchased in years. I have only made a few recipes so far and my mouth waters with anticipation to make another. Weir uses simple ingredients to put new twists on rustic dishes. I'm hoping to try out almost every single recipe in the book!

5 comments about High Altitude Baking: 200 Delicious Recipes & Tips for Great Cookies, Cakes, Breads & More.

1. I've had this book now for about 3 years, and haven't made a recipe that did not come out. Pancakes, breads, cupcakes, everything I've used in this book has come out great. I say this is my favorite high altitude baking book, but it's actually the only one I have. I've found I don't need another. This is a great starting point for high altitude baking, and I've been able to use the ideas here to adjust other recipes I loved when living at (much) lower altitudes. We currently live at slightly over 7000 ft.



2. I live over 8,000 feet and had basically given up on baking certain things, like bread. The recipes in this book are great! My bread actually came out the size of a normal loaf, and my biscuits popped up like they are supposed to. My boys said, "You mean biscuits aren't supposed to look like lumps of dough?"
   
   The recipes are also healthy--lots of them have whole wheat options, or ways to cut back on sugar. Many are also fruit or vegetable-based.
   
   I've made so many of the recipes in the book, and only a very few have not been delicious.



3. I live in Mexico at 6,500 feet and needed clear guidance on how to bake successfully. The information in this book offers clear cut suggestions and simplifies some of the mysteries. Very useful, basic, not fancy, a good first start!



4. If you've just moved to CO - BUY THIS BOOK!
   It'll get you started right away to great and easy baking.
   We moved to CO 3 years ago and I use this book ALL the time, it is very handy and practical.



5. I purchased a cookbook for high altitude cooking that was written at the University of Colorado.My son lives in Colorado and has taken an interest in bread baking. The cookbook came just in time, and he has used it a lot and loves it. He was a little disappointed in that it did not have a pizza recipe, but has tried several other recipes in the book and was very pleased with them.

5 comments about The All-American Cowboy Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes From the World's Greatest Cowboys.

1. We enjoy this cookbook very much.
   
   There are some good - and interesting - tried and true recipes. We "tweak" some of them to taste, but we're enjoying most that we've tried.
   
   The pictures and stories are terrific! We enjoy looking through it.
   
   ps: One favorite, that's always a hit whenever we serve or take it places is Gene Autry's Peanut Butter Pie. It's rich, so I can get 12 pieces out of it. Great for company!



2. I bought this cookbook along with 4 or 5 other cowboy/chuck wagon style cookbooks on Amazon. Of them all, this one is by far the pick of the litter. It is not only filled with a whole bunch of finger licking good old time recipes from beans and bacon to trailside stew, but its also chock full of all kinds of rare pictures and facts about our favorite TV westerns and movies from televisions golden age. Its fun, interesting, delicious, and well worth your money. No wonder it has become hard to find. There isn't another like it here or anywhere else I have found. Dang burn it.....Go for it!!!!!



3. I have thoroughly enjoy looking through this particular cookbook. The pictures are priceless, and the recipes are down-to-earth. I will be busy for a long time trying all those recipes. The prices at Amazon.com are quite reasonable, too.



4. I got this book for my father for christmas. I grew up with him watching westerns and listening to country tunes. I love the extras in this cookbook along with the recipes, I know he will too.



5. I sent off and bought a signed copy of this from the writers. I collect cookbooks and this is one I always go for. It has a pie crust recipe I also use as dumplings and crust for chicken pot pies. It is super easy and tasty and their biscuit recipe can't be beat. It took me 3 tries before getting them perfected, but now everyone that has them loves them. The cookbook is also very interesting with the cowboy theme.

5 comments about Colorado Cache Cookbook: A Goldmine of Recipes.

1. I used to live in Denver, and I bought this cookbook for myself, as well as for family and friends. My original cookbook fell apart, so I ordered a new one. Needless to say, I Love this cookbook. Thank you. Karen Gould Stuart, Florida



2. One of the few cookbooks you can pick up and count on a great meal (appetizer, dessert. etc)without testing it first. You can try a recipe the first time and serve it for company without fear. Recipes are diverse and delicious. I've owned this cookbook for nearly 30 years. The one I recently purchased was a gift for a new friend. The rest of my friends already have it!! It makes a great gift.



3. Wow!! This book was in excellent condition!! It's nice to see some honesty and integrity for a change :-D Look forward to doing business again with the book seller. Very, very satisfied with my purchase :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D



4. This cookbook is a must have for anyone who cooks. I've had it for many years and now have passed a newer copy along to my daughter. You can't beat the recipies for true Colorado style dining.



5. Although I collect cookbooks, this is the one I use most often. Nothing fancy, but some of the best tasting recipes I've found. I wore out my first copy so bought another. My sister asked for recipes so often after eating at my house I finally gave her my cookbook. Just bought my third copy, I am not giving this one away!

5 comments about Barbecue Biscuits & Beans: Chuck Wagon Cooking.

1. Great fun to read and learn of chuck wagon cooking. Good recipes, hints and suggestions. Simple and clear advice for a novice. Photos are terrific.



2. My son told my husband about this cookbook, so my husband had me order it. He loves this cookbook.



3. I first checked this out at my public library, but had to have a copy of my own. I have tried several recipes already and love every one of them. I am enjoying their section on sauces like Jalapeno Rasberry Sauce and Red Chile Butter. I am reminded of days past with their Onion Cucumber Salad, just like my gram used to make. The ingredients are what I normally have around the house, so that makes this just a very easy book to use and enjoy.



4. I bought this book for my husband when our camping menu was getting boring. This book is now our menu planning bible when we go camping. The recipes are easy to follow and fun to cook the chuck wagon way. The buttermilk biscuits are fantastic. Being big fans of Lonesome Dove, the foreword by Tommy Lee Jones is great too.



5. Bought as a gift for my mother who loves cook books. We know Cauble (but that's a long story..ha ha)
   She loved the book.

5 comments about The Berghoff Café Cookbook: Berghoff Family Recipes for Simple, Satisfying Food.

1. What's cool about this book is that it incorporates the Berghoff Restaurant with contemporary fare and makes you feel like it was prepared for you in your own kitchen by a professional chef. I don't cook a lot but I found it user friendly and my friend who does cook often found it sophisticated in its simplicity. I highly recommend it for anyone from a novice to a true foodie!



2. I received The Berghoff Cafe Cookbook as a gift, but frankly I would have paid twice the purchase the price for this gem. As a single dad I'm always trying to find new meal ideas for my family. These classic Berghoff recipes are always crowd pleasers for my kids (and their friends who are stopping by at dinnertime with greater frequency!) Whether your looking for favorites like Turkey Meat Loaf, Lyonnaise Potatoes or classics like Berghoff Spaetzle (unbelievably great), this cookbook is truly a must have!



3. Looking for a fabulous resource for recipes for good, old-fashioned comfort food with a modern, healthier twist? Then this is the cookbook for you. Taking many of the traditional recipes that made the Berghoff Restaurant and its hugely popular century-old saloon, the Berghoff Cafe, so beloved by Chicagoans and tourists alike, Carlyn Berghoff has now shared her secrets for transforming many treasured classics into contemporary favorites. This easy-to-use, well organized book devotes separate chapters to each of the sections of the Berghoff Cafe menu: bar snacks, soups, sandwiches, salads, side dishes, entrees, pizzas and desserts. Whether you've always wanted to know how to make homemade spaetzle or the key to a perfect turkey meat loaf, these clearly explained recipes will find an immediate place atop your stack of kitchen cookbooks. The author has thoughtfully added cross-references to other recipes in the book that match well with complementary dishes. (Need a good side dish to accompany that turkey meat loaf? The green beans and Lyonnaise potatoes are killer.) Buy this book, and use it in good health.



4. The Berghoff Café Cookbook is a wonderful addition to my cookbook collection. It sits right next to it's companion book, Berghoff Family Cookbook. I am delighted to have a quick reference book like this that focuses on re-inventing food in my refrigerator. The cookbook is filled with many ideas that allow me to pull traditional ingredients and leftovers out of the fridge and make a wonderful meal. Another asset to having this cookbook is that many of the recipes contain less than 5 ingredients and most of them are in your pantry. Kudos to Carlyn who has taken the knowledge of her generations before her and has made it current for the home cook today.



5. I am a busy storefront owner with a growing business. This book is a staple in my house because it has easy to follow dishes that I can make when I am exhausted. I also love this book because since I am stressed out so much of the time, this book offers a lot of "comfort food" receipes. :)
   
   I was raised with Sunday dinners. It is an important part of my upbringing. However we live in an age where we are always so busy and reach for convenience foods. What I love most about this book (and her other one as well) is there are dishes in there that are fast and easy and there are dishes in there that I can leisurely do on a Sunday afternoon. I guess you could say I love this cookbook for the simple reason is I love to cook but I also hate to cook. This cookbook caters to my "busy" side of cooking and my "leisure" side of cooking. It's a must have in your collection. I reach for this book more than my other fancy cook books I have received over the years. This is the only one that doesn't have dust on it. :)

5 comments about Best of the Best from Hawaii: Selected Recipes from Hawaii's Favorite Cookbooks (Best of the Best State Cookbook).

1. The receipe directions are vague. It's a good book, but just not a party book.



2. I have very mixed feelings about this cookbook.
   
   I gather from the introduction that this is one of a series based on visiting different states and putting together a cookbook to "preserve their food heritage". How the authors plan on summarizing the entire culinary experience of a state with such an interesting history, mix of races, and emphasis on FOOD is answered by what you get: a compilation of other cookbooks. So on the plus side, many of their sources are really good. (The entire Honpa Hongwanji series are great and are in my mother's, grandmother's, aunt's, etc collection. They're sort of dated, but have a lot of classic everyday food.) On the negative side taking a few recipes from other recipe collections gives you very little coherence, understanding of where that recipe came from (time period or heritage), or understanding of the ingredients. Plus, the selection of these recipes are just sort of strange. Spicy Garlic Eggplant and Pork (pg 128) and Spicy Szechuan Eggplant (pg 100) are basically the same recipe with minor changes from 2 different cook books. Several recipes are for poke, but the authors don't seem to realize they're related, or, at least, don't explain what it is. I have to wonder if they actually cooked these recipes at all or just leafed through the other books.
   
   Pictures are chosen to be more atmospheric with tourist photos of the authors, scenic places, and some line drawings (not of the food). The photos of people in "native garb" (at tourist sites) also contrast with the recipes, which are largely modern pot luck sort of food. (In particular, there's a cringe-worthy vintage photo near the front that must be just for nostalgia's sake because no one I know in Hawaii would be caught dead looking like that.)
   
   Besides the food, there are also little tidbits of information peppered through the book that are supposed to give you an idea of island life. My question: Who exactly told the authors that curry is often served at parties? What a strange generalization. They also commit the faux-pas in the preface of calling their friend a second generation Hawaiian. Hawaiians are like American Indians; you can't call yourself one just because you've moved somewhere.
   
   So, there are definitely some good recipes in here. It's just that you stumble upon things that are just plain wierd if you're from Hawaii.



3. This is a great book. It's not original/new recipes but compilations of the best of the best local Hawaii cookbooks up to the date of population. I own a cramp load of local Hawaiian cookbooks, and this is the one of the two (the other one is 50th Anneiversary Best of Our Favorite Recipes 1946 -1996 by Maui Association for Family and Community Education )I grab for when I want to make a local dish. I have also bought and mailed copies to my friends on the mainland, who have left Hawaii.
   Anther local cook book I just picked up you want to try once Amazon starts carrying it, is Jean Hee's Best of the Best Hawaii Recipes by Jean Watanabe Hee. Hee is one of the top local Hawaii recipe book writers. You might want to check out her other books that Amazon dose carry.



4. Good book, good food and simple to prepare.
   It is likely what the locals eat, rather than the restuarant food, which is what I wanted.



5. I am so happy with this book. Brings up lots of memories of wonderful food growing up in Hawaii. I have made several receipes from the book and have many more book marked to make.

5 comments about The Seasons on Henry's Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm.

1. I wouldn't call this a real page turner, but I read "The Seasons on Henry's Farm" straight through. If you want to know how an organic, small-scale family run farm functions, this book includes everything. If you are thinking of working on or starting up a farm I recommend this book; if not, I recommend it anyway as a way to understand where your farmer's market food comes from. Really an enjoyable book, also includes some great recipes.



2. Terra's book is so well-written it could be a novel but instead it is the true-life adventure of running an organic farm in Illinois. We hear about the problems but also the rewards, and learn techniques of coping with the vagaries of weather and weeds. It is a story of a family where three generations work together in a way that was once traditional but is now unusual to find. There are recipes, there is poetry, but above all there is sincere appreciation for the creation of food from the roots up.



3. I heard about this book from "Organic Gardening" magazine. It's easy to satisfy me with a book about growing organic vegetables or running a small farm, so what a treat to peel back, like an onion, layer after exquisite layer of story and feeling here. A stranger off the street would love this book. The harmony of a family working together, the disharmony of family challenges with weather, health concerns, and hard work, are all found here. Also appearing in a smooth blend is the unbelievable beauty of nature that can be found even on a muddy farm. And these descriptions are only the tips of the glacier this fine book contains.
   
   Terra Brockman's scientific knowledge imbues this book with a rich and interesting depth, too. Her understanding of the biological processes at work help you understand the tremendous effort that goes into the sex life of corn...or the immense pools of teeming life in what looks like plain dirt. It is laid out in a manner where the science is never uninteresting, and never misunderstandable. The author is a scientist, botanist, poet and dreamer. All those varying oeuvres meld beautifully in this wonderful work. I will likely read it again within a few weeks, and surely re-visit it from time to time over the years.



4. I was so sad to finish 'week 52' and come to the last page of Terra's book! The Brockman Family has such deep reverence for the earth that they protect through their methods which honor all of nature and its rhythms. I have met Henry on visits to Evanston and have been struck by his 'presence' which emits a deep serenity and joy. I was disappointed that there was not a good picture of Henry to share this essence with the readers. Someone should also take a picture of his hands......they tell a story of their own! I found it to serve as an evening meditation which sent me to slumber with a deep sense of peace and awareness of what it is all about and grateful for farmers like the Brockman's who are dedicated to growing the best to feed the world. Thank you Terra for sharing yourself and your family with us and spreading the joy that you plant with every seed!



5. Although I live in SC and have never visited the farm, this book enabled me to vicariously work at Henry's Farm. I love the specific, day-to-day format, and the end of this book came much too soon. I hope there's a sequel!

5 comments about Colorado Collage (Celebrating Twenty Five Years of Culinary Artistry).

1. This HAS been the only cookbook that I have owned so far in my life. In fact, it's been so great that I logged on to check out the others that the Junior League has published. My friends know not to miss dinner if it's something out of the Colorado book. I scoped it out at a bookstore and it was too expensive for me at the time. Then the bookstore went out of business and it was on sale! That was over ten years ago while I was living in CO. I have taught myself to cook through the exploration of this book. I highly recommend it.



2. Got this book for my husband the chef, and he was quite pleased...although he does not need a cookbook to create great dishes, he collects them..and this one was a welcome addition to the family!!



3. My mom gave me a copy of the Colorado Collage when I first set out on my own. Over the years I've collected many different cookbooks, but the one we still use the most is Colorado Collage...there's not a bad recipie in the bunch. We've just recently purchased more copies so that we can share them with friends and family.



4. this is the best cookbook. whenever i cook a recipe from it, i am always asked for a copy of it. i enjoy the recipes so much, that i have given it as a gift to many friends. I highly recomend this book!!!!!!!!!! oh, I am not so crazy about the colorado Colore cookbook!!



5. This is a fantastic cookbook. Beautiful pictures, well designed and sooo easy to use. There is just one recipe per page, ingredients are fully listed at the top, grouped together if a recipe has more than one component (i.e. a crust and a filling), and the directions are clear and complete. The food is fantastic from the Island Salsa to the Chocolate Raspberry Tart. I am a believer in Junior League cookbooks, but this is my favorite. I just bought my third copy to give to a foodie friend and I know she'll love it. Most of my friends have it already.