Capital Cooking Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a cookbook junkie for a long time, yet the country's recent explosion in interest in eating well has been followed by an increasing number of mediocre cookbooks. The Capital Cooking Cookbook, however, is refreshingly different. I picked it up after catching Ms. DeSantis's D.C.-produced television show on Colours, a small network on Dish. The book stands out from most cookbooks for a couple of reasons. First, it is not just a cookbook, but also follows the story of the Capital Cooking show and how Ms. DeSantis, the host and producer, started it as a creative outlet from her day job as a lawyer. That alone may inspire readers who have dreamt of a creative world outside of their nine-to-five. It also features some beautiful, as well as a few humorous, pictures of Ms. DeSantis and the Capital Cooking crew hard at work.
Second, the recipes are diverse but accessible. They range from simple homestyle meals that are not that difficult to make but taste really good (I have already tried several of them at home) to high-end restaurant recipes (for which Ms. DeSantis often provides alternative ingredients/techniques for the common kitchen at home). This style is likely born of the fact that Ms. DeSantis is not a chef by training but has cooked with some of the best chefs in the Washington area and included their recipes in the book. The photography is mostly clean and colorful, and I like the book's relatively smaller size and fewer number of recipes as compared to larger cookbooks. This may seem counter-intuitive, but I often become lost in cookbooks with hundreds of recipes, confused as to which recipes are truly the best to try out and wondering if many of them aren't simply "filler material." Not so with the Capital Cooking Cookbook.
Hopefully we will see additional books from this up-and-coming entertainer, and that a hardcover version is available in the future. The Capital Cooking Cookbook is excellent and well worth owning.

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The Capital Cooking Cookbook features a delectable collection of recipes exploring the culinary riches of our nation's capital.The companion book to the TV series, Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis, highlights cooking traditions of regional cuisine from around the country as well as international dishes.

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My Mother's Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)A fascinating, delightful and beautifully presented cookbook. Truly a work of art. This is pictoral, historical and culinary masterpiece tracing the journey of a family of European immigrants into full-blooded Americans over three generations, featuring the very recipes that fed them along the way. Intriguing, spellbinding and just plain scrumptious, this cookbook is a 'must have.' Often given as a gift (with great feedback). Creates high interest among my club members and friends. Now left out on the dining table as a 'conversation piece.' Never fails to fascinate. Excellect Choice!!!

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These recipes were tested and improved in the kitchens of my mother, her mother, goodfriends and family over generations.After long hard days of laboring in the mines, at the factories and on the farms,we gathered in the evenings not only to the love of God, family, and friends, but to thesewonderful foods.As did so many others, our family proudly fought World Wars for our new country.And as we prospered and built new lives in America, these were the recipes thatfueled our bodies and our spirits.My mother, Mary Harrison DeGraziano, collected these recipes over her entirelifetime from a multitude of loving friends and family. A history of her life andher many friendships can be found in these recipes.Mom had to stop school in the seventh grade, leaving home and working elsewhere to earn andsend money back to a large family. Finally Mother ended up in New York City in the1930's and 40's.In New York City, at a dance one night, she met and about 1 year later, married my father, PeterFrank DeGraziano.When I was young, we moved from Brooklyn, New York to Berwick. PA, near Mother'sfamily. Here I grew up.Twelve years later, my parents moved to Goshen, IN, then Chicago, IL, Tom's River, NJ,Westchester, NY, and then back to Berwick, PA, where Mother lived until her passing.All along the way Mother made many wonderful friends as she collected recipes.Mom often just looked at a recipe with a faraway gaze, recalling warm golden memoriesof so many deep and special friendships.Now I realize that Mother spent her life not only collecting and preparing theserecipes, but, even more importantly, collecting and cherishing her friends. These recipesserved to bookmark memories of her many valued friendships.Everywhere Mother went, people greeted her as a life-long friend. She understood people,human needs and dynamics better than most, and people everywhere just flocked to her.I never heard her judge another person.Thank you, Mother, for all your love, guidance, advice, understanding, friendshipand these exceptional recipes.Your Son,Thomas S. DeGraziano

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The New Good Cake Book: Over 125 Delicious Recipes That Can Be Prepared in 30 Minutes or Less Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the main things I look for in a cookbook other than an attractive cover is ease of use and I must say that Diana Dalsass delivers that in this delightful 'cake'book. Some of the recipes are truly inspiring. Although there are no pictures in this book, the titles alone conjure up vivid images such as the Flower Pot Cake. This cookbook is good for the beginner and the advanced cook as it allows for simple recipes as well as more complicated ones. I have only tried a few of the recipes, but I look forward to many of the cakes gracing my dinner table and community bake sales in the months to come. Between this and the Cake Mix Doctor, I am going to be a busy little baker. Another good thing about the cookbook is that she certainly isn't shy about using butter and other rich ingredients. However, she does include a section on reduced fat cakes. I would also like to say that I have finally found in this cookbook a Carrot Cake to rival Grandma's. Dalsass has organized the book by catergory such as butter and fruit. This is not a book for the faint at heart nor the truly calorie conscious. This is a cookbook for the adventurer and the true cake fans. Nothing says love like a homemade dessert especially a beautifully made cake. This would make an excellent gift for the baker in your life.

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