Show Me How: 500 Things You Should Know Instructions for Life From the Everyday to the Exotic Review

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(More customer reviews)I was delighted to find this little book at the store yesterday, and we decided over coffee to buy a couple of copies for presents. Lots and lots of illustrations and a wide variety of projects:
How to make the perfect bed
Tell time with a potato clock
A color coordinating wheel
Treat a snake bite
Tie basic sailing knots
Twist a balloon animals
Get out of a straight jacket
The authors run the Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco, recently reviewed by "The New York Times": "You'll see fashionable, do-it-yourself types foraging for clever, handmade crafts at this shop in the Mission District. It carries items like coffee holders knitted from yarn, deer heads carved out of wood and skeleton keys fashioned out of porcelain."
This book would be fun to look through with kids, but it is actually written for adults. The website for the book (see the first Comment) is fast, graphic and very descriptive of the contents of the book. It will sell it to you [or not] with no further ado.
Robert C. Ross 2008

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Show Me How is a revolutionary reimagining of the reference genre, one part how-to guide, one part graphic art showpiece, and one part pure inspiration. In a series of 500 nearly wordless, highly informative step-by-step procedurals, readers learn how to do hundreds of useful (and fascinating and important and sometimes downright bizarre) tasks, including: Perform CPR, dance the tango, pack a suitcase, win a bar bet, play the blues, make authentic sushi rolls, fight a shark . . . and 493 more essentials of modern life. Packed with useful hands-on reference material, Show Me How is a work of art that just happens to also be an indispensable real-life resource.

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A World of Cake: From honey cakes to flat cakes, fritters to chiffons, meringues to mooncakes, tartes to tortes, fruit cakes to spice cakes, 150 ... traditions from cultures around the world Review

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(More customer reviews)We made the German Chocolate cake this weekend- It was a 10 out of 10. The combination of textures between the filling and the frosting were sublime.
The histories of the cakes within their cultural origins created "an experience" beyond making a dessert for our dinner party. Everyone left a little more enlightened and insisted on taking a piece home for a family member. My Fiance's mom loved it too. One can only hope all history books are this exciting to read and fun to experience. Bravo Ms. Castella!

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Char-Broil's Everybody Grills Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this cookbook to help my husband learn how to use of the features on his new grill, eg the rotisserie and the infrared searing burner. There was some information on these, so I was happy. However, many of the recipes are unnecessarily vague regarding cooking times, as many new grills have thermometers, and surface thermometers are also available. It is one of the better grill cookbooks out there, however, so even with its faults, I would recommend it.

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Sumptuous spreads of exquisitely grilled food; step-by-step prize-winning recipes; lists of ingredients plus preparation and grill/cook times; expert tips on techniques and the latest equipment; delectable marinades, sauces, and rubs: Char-Broil's Everybody Grills! is the definitive cookbook and how-to guide for everyone--from the beginner to the seasoned barbecue enthusiast--who loves preparing meals in the great outdoors. Developed by editors at Creative Homeowner in partnership with Char-Broil, one of North America's leading grill manufacturers, this stunning book will help you grill, barbecue, and cook appetizers, main courses, salads, vegetables-even desserts-that will have family and friends licking their fingers. More than 250 color photographs, with photos illustrating each recipe.

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Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill Review

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(More customer reviews)Elizabeth Karmel did it again! I loved her first book on grilling but this one is a slam dunk! It gives you all the basics of grilling and then every way you could possibly marinade, brine, sauce and spice up your grilled food. I couldn't wait to try the Pernod Brine for Salmon, what a cool idea. It was amazing! There are about 20 brines, you can even make your own pastrami brine! The butters are awesome too. For all courses, sweet and savory, on the grill, this is the only book you need (and its not big and cumbersome). I'M FIRED UP!

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The Complete Tassajara Cookbook: Recipes, Techniques, and Reflections from the Famed Zen Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)This is not a traditional cookbook. No pictures, lots of essays, some poetry, and basic recipes. What distinguishes it are Espe Brown's pontifications about cooking, zen, life. Like the movie, How To Cook Your Life, this book is an expression of Espe Brown's personality rather that his cooking expertise. The recipes are very basic - but I guess that's the point. He wants readers to cook by feel, by what they already know, rather than by measure and specific instructions. As I read many of the recipes, like the one for kidney bean chili, I thought, Wow, I already know how to do that.
I was also surprised that this wasn't a vegan or a health cookbook. Lots of the recipes call for eggs, milk, cheese, and oil. Not very au courant (the Engine 2 folks would have a fit), but I kind of like that about EB - he's got an acerbic (but loving) sense of humor - he can throw jabs at macrobiotics, and I'm sure at veganism. He's community-conscious and compassionate, but no food purist. Lots of vegan cookbooks seem rather self-righteous and humorless. EB's cookbook is imperfect, but meandering and fun.

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California's Tassajara Zen Mountain Center has long been renowned for its gourmet vegetarian cuisine. In this comprehensive guide to the Tassajara way of cooking, the retreat center–spa's most celebrated chef, Edward Espe Brown, presents hundreds of recipes using fresh, whole foods; detailed notes on preparing seasonal ingredients; and, perhaps most important, inspiration for cooking with joyful intention and attention. Presented with humor and warmth, this book is full of insights for living a life that celebrates simple food.

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The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest: 150 Recipes for Freezing, Canning, Drying and Pickling Fruits and Vegetables Review

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(More customer reviews)Being a beginner canner, I have picked up many canning books, this is an excellent book. The book is organized well, and has great tips in each section. It offers information on all types of preserving and storing, from the canning to root cellering, it has been an extremly helpfull book. I know it is a reference I will use forever. Also includes many great recipes.I suggest this for anyone who is interested in canning.

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Remember how grandmother's cellar shelves were packed with jars of tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes, pickled beets and cauliflower, and pickles both sweet and dill? Learn how to save a summer day - in batches - from the classic primer, now updated and rejacketed. Use the latest inexpensive, time-saving techniques for drying, freezing, canning, and pickling. Anyone can capture the delicate flavors of fresh foods for year-round enjoyment and create a well-stocked pantry of fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, flavored vinegars, and seasonings. The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest introduces the basic technique for all preserving methods, with step-by-step illustration, informative charts and tips throughout, and more than 150 recipes for the new or experienced home preserver. Among the step-by-step tested recipes: Green Chile Salsa, Tomato Leather, Spiced Pear Butter, Eggplant Caviar, Blueberry Marmalade, Yellow Tomato Jam, Cranberry-Lime Curd, Preserved Lemons, Chicken Liver Pate, and more.

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100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love Review

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(More customer reviews)First pick from the whole book. Wonderful choice. Easy and wonderful. Paired it with Rex Goliath Pinto Nior and it worked beautifully! Going to pick out something each weekend to try! Wonderful book!!

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A simple guide to matching main courses with easy-to-find wines
100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love helps you prepare main dishes that will perfectly complement the wines of your choice. An ideal resource for both casual dinners and special occasions, this handy book presents 100 main dish recipes that pair deliciously with favorites like Chardonnay (Roast Chicken with Potatoes) and Merlot (Mixed Mushroom Pappardelle), as well as new varietals like Viognier (Lobster Tails with Vanilla Drawn Butter), and Syrah (Rib Eye Steaks with Green Olive Butter).
Organized into 12 chapters (six for white, six for red) and illustrated with 40 lush color photos, 100 Perfect Pairings makes it easy to match a variety of main dishes with your favorite wines.
Features 100 tempting recipes to suit many occasions from weekday dinners to celebration brunches
Offers simple pairing guidelines for white wines from Sauvignon Blanc to Gewürztraminer and red wines from Rosé to Cabernet Sauvignon
Packaged in a small format that's great for gift-giving and for taking with you when you shop for food and wine

Whether pairing with a white or red wine, these 100 delicious recipes offer exciting options that will make every meal an occasion to remember.Sample Recipes Bacon and Blue Cheese Burgers (Click for recipe)

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An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods: A Shopper's Reference Review

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(More customer reviews)Reviewed by Kam Aures for [...] (11/09)
"An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods: A Shopper's Companion" is a wonderful book filled with tons and tons of useful and interesting information about different kinds of foods. In the Introduction, Collins states, "Surrounded by processed, junk, and fast foods in grocery stores, on the job, and at the corner café, we are challenged to choose vital, minimally processed, healing foods. This guide strives to inspire through scientific research, ancient wisdom, common sense, and an increasing base of knowledge of therapeutic foods." (p.2) Indeed, I did find the book to be inspirational and will pay more attention to the food choices I make in the future. I love knowing exactly how a certain food benefits me and my family and have been known to look things up on the Internet for that very reason. Now, I can just look it up in this handy guide!
The facts presented in the book are quite interesting. For instance, did you know that "acai berry extract exposed to human leukemia cells killed between 45 and 85 percent of the cancerous cells" or that oregano might help you fight off a cold? These two tidbits of information are just the tip of the iceberg. Collins has compiled a great assortment of food items and their accompanying health benefits.
At the end of the book there is also a section that tells you what foods to eat to treat certain ailments and to maintain health. For instance, for dry skin one of the groups of food that would be beneficial to consume would be yellow/orange fruits and vegetables.
I absolutely loved this book and think that anyone who wants to take an active role in improving or maintaining his/her health would also enjoy "An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods- A Shopper's Companion." The only part of the book that could use improving is the cover. It looks very old-fashioned and like it is a book that was printed 40-50 years ago. I had to double-check inside to verify the copyright date. I am afraid that people may see it on the shelf and think that it is an older publication that doesn't contain the newest and up-to-date information when in fact it is a 2009 publication. Other than that, I think that Collins' book is fantastic and will prove to be extremely useful.

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Filled with science, natural remedies and modern wisdom, this portable and concise reference is needed by those confused by the all the claims of superfoods or who want to make an informed decision about what foods are best for them. Yoga instructor, nutrition expert and active mother Elise Collins has compiled a compact yet comprehensive list of healing foods, their vitamin and mineral content, and what they do to promote health, prevent disease, and decrease symptoms of illness. Arranged alphabetically and complete with a cross-reference for what's best to eat to treat specific ailments, this guidebook to nutrition is designed to be as convenient as a shopping list. Included are preparation tips and recipes make this the ultimate tool for joyful eating and radiant health. The A-Z Guide to Healing Foods inspires the reader to explore, prepare, procure, grow, taste, savor, and above all, enjoy healing foods. This guide will steer readers towards fabulous foods that foster an overall sense of well being.

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High Road to Health: A Vegetarian Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)First, Thank You Amazon for your speedy delivery. I had this book in 3 days.
I purchased this book not to become a vegetarian but to learn to cook healthier foods. I must say that after reading and trying the recipes Lyndsay and Ariane did a wonderful job. This book actually informs the reader on the health benefits of a more natural diet using whole grains and more fruits and vegetables. They do not say you have to be a vegetarian they just give you information and guidelines for a healthier lifestyle.
If anyone has tried Vegetarian cookbooks before (as I have), and thrown them out because they were complicated with ingredients you can't find, try this book, I had almost everything in my kitchen already, there are no funky things to go out and find, and my sons (9 and 11) have decided they like soy milk better than regular milk. Best book I have ever purchase. Thanks goes to Lyndsay and Ariane.

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Actress Lindsay Wagner and coauthor Spade present a unique collection of recipes for delicious, high-fiber, low-fat meals that will inform experienced vegetarian cooks and make it easy for novices to make the transition to a meatless diet.

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Breakfast in Bed Cookbook: The Best B and B Recipes from Northern California to British Columbia Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have looked for great muffin, coffee cake, cobbler recipes, this book has them. I'm pretty picky about recipes but I have found some great ones in here. I made the blueberry coffee cake and it was so easy and delicious. The banana bread was great and I can't wait to try others. I'm going to check out her other one!

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Huckleberry Hotcakes, Orange Scones, Oatmeal Peach Muffins, Blueberry Coffee Cake--these are just a few of the delights that make a bed-and-breakfast stay so special. Frieberg has collected the very best recipes from 120 Pacific Northwest B&Bs--delectable fare that's guaranteed to get the day off to a great start. 15 line drawings.

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Detox for the Rest of Us: Safe and Easy Plans to Cleanse Your Body, Boost Your Metabolism, Lose Weight and Feel Great Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book while researching detoxes. It's 1 of 5 that I read.
Let me start with the positive feed-back:
1. It had some really good basic food/ nutrition information
2. It has tons of recipes, that sound good, and I will definitely try the juices when I get my juicer
3. It's very easy to read, like a really good article in a magazine
The cons
1. All of the plans are rather complicated (lots of menu items each day that take time to prepare)
2. There isn't an explantation of how the menu is created, so it's not easy to modify / simplify
3. The vegan "detox" lists honey (or agave nectar) and tortilla chips as menu options - honey's not vegan, and a fried food has no place on a detox in my opinion
4. The "detoxes" at the beginning seem more like diets/ lifestyle eating: "Mediterranean Detox" is just a sample of a normal healthy mediterranean diet
5. With the combination of food allergies in my house and our mostly vegetarian lifestyle, there were no complete meals I could find to use.
Overall it's an interesting nutrition/ diet book that will aide most people in making better lifestyle choices, but for someone who is already healthy by common standards, active and a good weight, this book doesn't serve much purpose.

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The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink Review

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(More customer reviews)Master mixologist Eben Klemm presents The Cocktail Primer, a step-by-step guide to creating not only classic cocktail favorites, but also modern variations - and understanding the basic principles of mixology to help one design a drink to fit any occasion. Full-color photographs illustrate this excellent, easy-to-follow guide to anyone eager to learn how to mix and serve drinks to suit any taste. Highly recommended.

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The original cocktails Eben Klemm creates as master mixologist for B.R. Guest Restaurants in New York City are the talk of the town. Now you can learn to mix like a master with The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink. In this mixology guide to creating both classic cocktails and modern twists, Klemm teaches people on the other side of the bar how to make drinks at home.Klemm's philosophy is simple: You don't need to memorize a thousand cocktail recipes; you just need to have a perfunctory knowledge of the basic families into which drinks are divided. Toss in a few bartending skills, a few simple ingredients, some classic recipes, and a few contemporary spin-offs, and you have all you need to know to make the perfect drink for any occasion.Improve your home bar and impress your guests with The Cocktail Primer.

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The Little Black Book of Smoothies (Little Black Books) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great recipe book. Some of the recipes are split into seasons so you can make smoothies for what is in season at the time. For such a small book it has tons of great information on fruit and ingredients, blending techniques and much more. A great book for anyone who likes smoothies.

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Features scrumptious, nutritious summer shakes, fall frosties, liquid lunches, energy boosters, and sanity savers. Shake up your life with all you need to know about Smoothies.160 pages; 4-1/4'' wide x 5-3/4'' high; concealed wire-o binding; book lies flat for ease of use; elastic band place holder.

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Spa (Menus and Music) (Sharon O'Connor's Menus and Music) Review

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(More customer reviews)Did you ever feel that you just want to get away from it all and perhaps spend a relaxing evening or week-end being pampered? Well, you can if you follow the great tips in this absolutely wonderful book. How about creating your own spa techniques with facials, body scrubs, herbal baths and spa treatments. Herbs have been used throughout history to soothe, calm, mend and repair our body. There is nothing like a calming massage to sooth the savage soul and make you feel as if everything is right with the world. Add a few aromatheraphy candles, some soothing music, perhaps a sip of your favourite beverage, and top off the evening by a dinner prepared from some of these fantastic recipes.
The entire "spa package" is contained here and can certainly make for an evening or week-end of total relaxation. An even greater benefit is being able to share the experience of relaxation and fine dining with that "someone special" in your life. This little spa package is highly recommended and most deserving of a five star rating.

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Making use of fresh, wholesome foods, talented chefsprovide home cooks with delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipesfrom some of the best spas in North America. These are satisfyingdishes that retain the flavor of gourmet cuisine while minimizing fatand excessive calories. Also included are recipes for homemadefacials, body scrubs, herbal baths, and other luxurious spa-styletreatments. The recording of elegant piano music is a perfectaccompaniment to dining or home-spa pampering.

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The Everything Potluck Cookbook (Everything Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Everything Potluck Cookbook lives up to its title with step-by-step instructions for easy-to-prepare potluck dishes ideal for all types of gatherings. Over 300 recipes are featured, rom "Flaky Pate Rolls" to "Scalloped Chicken", "Succotash Chowder", "Pesto Pasta Skillet", "French Lace Cookies", and more. Of especial interest in today's calorie-saturated culinary landscape are the healthy and vegetarian recipes! An inexpensive, easy-to-use resource perfect for chefs of all skill and experience levels.

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Potlucks are a great way to get friends and relatives together without the pricey grocery or restaurant bill! In this cookbook, veteran cook Linda Larsen gives you an array of options for every meal and course. In addition, easy-to-understand icons indicate whether a recipe is easy, healthy, quick, or inexpensive. Everything you need to host, or attend, a successful potluck is here, including:300 tasty and creative recipes Tips for transporting food safelyIndications of whether a recipe can be made ahead of timeMenu suggestions for a variety of potluck partiesGuests can make the dishes on their own and bring them to the host?s home, or they can all gather in the host?s kitchen and make them together. With this book, cooking for the perfect potluck party has never been easier!

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B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends Review

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(More customer reviews)The recipes were easy to follow and so much fun to work with. The presentation was creative without being overly fussy. I can now let my imagination take me to some fun places and I would have been hesitant to do so before. This gave me some inspiration and lots of confidence when entertaining. I needed to entertain a group of family that were not friends and all were in town for the one night. I made it a casual cookout but iced down drinks in layers of ice in the washing machine (easy cleanup, just spin out water), put a pretty cloth over dryer and ironing board and set up first course and pre-dinner cocktails there. It broke the ice and we had fun. Thanks Barbara!

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Barbara Smith, founding partner and creative genius behind B. Smith's restaurants in New York's theater district and Washington's Union Station, shares her stylish entertaining ideas and soul-satisfying recipes for every occasion in this delisiously fresh book, which addresses the entertaining style of a new generation.From a Cocktail Party for Business and Pleasure to a Picnic on the Beach, Barbara Smith defines her approach to entertaining that--like her popular bistro--is cosmopolitan and elegant, yet casual and fun. She offers her favorite recipes, including Flash Roasted Salmon with Swiss Chard and Citrus Vinaigrette, Smothered Pork Chops, and Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with Praline Sauce.With more than 75 photographs of party events, table settings, and finished food, B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends will help us all chart the course for our next party.

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The New American Bartender's Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)Although the title makes it seem as though this book is for professional bartenders, you don't have to work behind a bar to find this book helpful. In fact, it's easy-to-use format is terrific for we regular folks who love to entertain. Colorful, lively, ultimately useful, this is a fine book.

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Here are tips and facts galore related to the art of mixing a mean drink. For this updated and revised edition, the author has scoured the globe, discovering new concoctions, including original recipes from distillers, vintners, and importers, as well as the newest American drinks.

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