Stirring Words: Reflections and Recipes from A Harte Appetite Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful collection of articles, recipes, and photographs. An entertaining book to read as well as an indispensable source of unique recipes that will surely become family traditions.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Stirring Words: Reflections and Recipes from A Harte Appetite

Which came first, Oreo or Hydrox?Why is Boston Cream Pie called a pie when it's clearly a cake?Who really invented chili?What famous dishes were discovered by accident?To Tom Harte, for whom food is a consuming passion, questions like these are not half-baked. For 10 years he has been writing culinary reflections on such matters for the Southeast Missourian, the largest newspaper between St. Louis and Memphis. The cream of this reflective crop, covering topics as diverse as Peeps and pate a choux, and their attached recipes are included in this volume.Some of the essays delve into the history of food, like the one about lebkuchen, arguably the oldest cookie in the world. Others, dealing with culinary queries and curiosities, attempt to explain the nomenclature of food or the logic behind common recipe conventions. Still others pay homage to great gourmets like Thomas Jefferson, August Escoffier, or Julia Child, or to great ingredients like butter and brown sugar. He also includes a culinary exam and a lesson on how to write a recipe.Whether he's championing the virtues of funnel cake or recounting his experiences judging a national pie contest, Harte is often whimsical, always informative, and never uninteresting. His over-200 carefully selected recipes will be a welcome addition to anyone's files.

Click here for more information about Stirring Words: Reflections and Recipes from A Harte Appetite

Read More...

The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am obsessed with this cookbook, especially now that I have had a chance to make some of the recipes. If you are looking for new flavors and interesting and challenging new foods to cook then I highly recommend you buy this book. Unlike some other reviewers, I did not buy this book for the travelogue aspect. I wasn't looking for an in depth encyclopedic knowledge of any specific country's cuisine. I was just looking for something new and different and delicious. I'm a cook and a foodie and I love ethnic cooking. This book is a great introduction to the trendiest new food in the US. My favorite so far has been the Crab Burgers, which feature easy black bean crab burgers topped with pickled cabbage and chili mayonnaise. I can still taste how unique and delicious they were. Everyone who tried them was blown away by their flavor, which can't really be imagined before you take a bite. While making all the components was a bit time consuming (but really not that bad) none of the recipes were terribly difficult. But I would say this book is geared more to more experienced home cooks and adventuresome eaters. Those with mundane palates probably should stay away.
In response to an earlier critique, I think that reviewer missed the gist of the book. The idea was to take the cuisine of various African countries and get the basic idea of it but then to expand that idea to something bigger. So the recipes keep a common ingredient but fix it in a unique way or use a technique with a unique combination of ingredients. I love this about the book. Samuelsson keeps techniques, such using a morter and pestle, that can't be matched with modern methods but uses modern technology, such as the mandoline, when it performs the needed task more easily, and in this case if your knife skills are lacking, with better results. I do agree, however, that the photographs that go with the recipes can be misleading. I'm still not sure what the Stir Fry Beef Stew is supposed to look like. The pictures on the pages with the recipe are vastly different and not labeled but both could be the stew in question.
All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cooking and ethnic foods. The flavors are out of this world and the recipes are highly inspiring.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa

Read More...

Low-Cholesterol Cookbook For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Many of us make resolutions for the New Year. Some we keep and others are hard to stick to. I did not have a choice about lowering my cholesterol. I just didn't know how to go about it. I found myself in the Dummies section of the bookstore, and reached for Molly Siple's book - Low Cholesterol Cookbook for Dummies. I started skimming through it and the recipes sounded delicious and easy. I purchased the book and am eager to share the news that I have lost 4 lbs in two weeks. Not only are the recipes easy to follow, but the ingredients are all available in my local market. No mystery foods. It is astonishing how quick some of the meals are to prepare, and I just love Molly's little tips on what type dish to serve it in and even how to cut up a mango. I am having my cholesterol levels checked in February and will report my success then.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Low-Cholesterol Cookbook For Dummies

Get 38% OFF

Click here for more information about Low-Cholesterol Cookbook For Dummies

Read More...