GOOD BOOK WITH SOME CHEESE
347751
I generaly like the book, it had a good sub-plot with a lot of action.  I look forward to another addition.  The only thing I did not like was the cheese way they descibe some situations i.e. I went flipping of the wall and Ive been trained like that.  But all and all it was a good book.
1766480
I enjoyed this book.  It was an easy read with likable characters, but the author sometimes went into great detail about some things, like watermelon farming, but seemed to skip over other things (like some gaps in the developing relationships).  I liked it well enough that I am reading a second book by this author.
1213538
Pretty good read, kind of helpful, but I still binge eat so that sucks. It is well written though, especially nice for a self-help book.
1706633
If you are afan of cheese and want to understand how to enjoy it, this is a must have for your bookshelf.
1836002
I ordered this book with just the reviews that I could see. I am a little upset in that it's not non dairy a lot of cheese in the recipes. They do use a lot of butter and cream cheese. I use coconut in place of butter. I do not have a substitute for cheese that agrees with me. Most likely will not use those recipies.
1602832
This book is interesting and it does get you excited about what you can make with the moo juice in the grocery store, but as other people mention, it does not give the best instructions.  I wouldn't classify this as a beginner's cheese making book at all.  One problem is that, well, you're going to have problems and other than a brief troubleshooting guide there is really no help.  It's as if the author just expects that if you follow her steps all will turn out perfect.  It doesn't

She also barely mentions the need to add calcium chloride to store bought milk (needed due to processing of the milk) and doesn't include it in her recipes.  If you forget her mention of this in the beginning of the book your cheese is not going to turn out.  Other books have the calcium chloride in the ingredient list for each recipe and tell you when to add it.

It would be nice to have an explanation of the whys and hows and what can be adjusted.  Other books mention that you can let a certain step go for longer if needed or the temperature can be within a range instead of exactly X degrees.  Other books also mention HOW to raise your pot of curds by 2 degrees every 5 minutes, she just tells you to do it.  I was lost the first time I read this until I found another book that told me what setting to put my stove at.  I just feel alot is missing from this books that should be there if you are going to market it as a beginning cheese making book.

The recipes?  Well there aren't really 75 cheeses.  There's several recipes for cream cheese, ricotta, mozarella, cheddar and I felt several cheeses I would have wanted weren't in here - feta is pretty basic, why isn't it in here.  I like how other books rank the recipes from easiest to hardest and also tell you a total time the whole process will take.

All in all I refer to this book when I make my cheese but I will no longer use it as my sole source for a recipe.  Even her famous 30 minute mozarella is a hit or miss affair but when I used another company's recipe it came out perfect the first time.  Buy this book, but plan on needing others to get a clear idea of the process and to have success in cheese making.
905457
Some nice interesting recipes in here, cool takes on classics (like mac & cheese, cheeseburgers, etc).

Lovely photography, and well laid out. Glad I got it!
1471705
I went at this as a horror book and enjoyed it on that level, but could see other folks enjoying it just the same. It isn't tormenting enough to be truly specific to the genre and goes well into making it a more adaptable title for others wanting to check it out. you have an interesting cast of characters, an idea that plays out well, and a writing style i mostly enjoyed.

There was one thing in the book that bothered me however, reminding me of an issue i recalled in books from B.E.Ellis. In one part we get some Van Goth and, in another, we get narration from a rat. Why? I suppose because we, too, needed to find the tiny specter of cheese in the chapter-like maze pulling us forward. That did annoy me just a little. In another book it might have been even more of an issue, but there was something in the setting that was - maddening - and i liked that.

I liked it all, really, with only the minor annoyance mentioned.
588120
I was in college at Kentucky during the Government Cheese years, and I saw them several times in Lexington.  I actually witnessed or was aware of a few things Tommy Womack mentions in the book, and my recollections match what I read.  He tells it like it happened without any b.s. or exaggeration.

Honestly, within the Lexington music scene, Government Cheese was considered to be, well, cheesy.  They were a fun band, and they always drew well here, but they weren't really taken very seriously in Lexington.  Womack discusses some management issues the band had, and what he talks about actually explains a lot of the stuff that people criticized back then.  After reading Cheese Chronicles, I view Government Cheese in a different light today than I did when I wore a younger man's clothes.

Cheese Chronicles follows a good chronological order, and Womack's tendency to mention other things that were going on in the music world at the time really helps put the reader in the moment.

My perspective is skewed, because I actually knew about Government Cheese.  But this is a fun read even if you've never heard them before.  If you like rock 'n roll, this is worth your time.
4866931
The author said that she is a historical romance writer and this was her first attempt at a contemporary romance. I chose this from the monthly Kindle selections because of the hotel and culinary locale. This story line is okay, very predictable, and I skipped many pages of lusty romance.
But - IMPORTANT - the macaroni and cheese recipe is fabulous! Worth purchasing the book to get the recipe if you want an incredibly, heavenly mac and cheese.
1874861
I grabbed this back in February at my school sale for $1, and it was an okay read. I've seen this book around and I've wanted to read it for a while, so I was excited.

 The plot was pretty original with the cooking reality show (which I love to watch), and the recipes were an awesome touch. I might have to try a few of them, I love when books include recipes (like Joanne Fluke).

 The main character Sophie was very likeable, and it was horrible some of the things the TV show did to her and others, and I wish they would have gone more in-depth with that at the end of the novel (or at least punished them).

 I recommend this as a quick interesting read.
1253893
The Ham & Cheese Sliders sound yummy and I'll bet they go fast, too!  The sauce for the Chicken Skewers and Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce sounds delicious, but I would marinate the chicken in a satay marinade overnight for more flavor.  Devilishly Good Bacon Deviled Eggs, Melted Mozzarella Bruschetta Slabs, Melted Onion Dip, Bourbon Dogs (not only because I'd get to drink the rest of the Jack Daniels, lol!), Raspberry Baked Brie and Baked Potato Dip were the recipes I found most appealing.

The formatting is okay, and each recipe begins on its own page but author really needed a proofreader.  I almost put the book down after the first couple of pages.  Hors d'oeuvres is misspelled in the first sentence of the introduction.  Grrrr!  However, the author is very enthusiastic and there are some pretty good recipes.
3705667
Theres a scene in the British TV series Chef where Lenny Henry, disgusted over the law against unpasteurized cheese, says thats exactly what cheese is, gone-off milk with bugs and mold, thats why it tastes so damn good! This book makes the microbial basis clear, in that cheese requires bacterial (among other) fermentations to achieve its best quality. Given the amount of microorganism in cheese, it seems almost impossible to get sick from cheese that has spoiled.

Cheese and Microbes begins with the basics; an overview of cheeses from hard to soft, and the kind of rinds you can expect. How much fermentation is required, and the kind of bacteria and heat needed, are all covered. In the chapter The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (brilliant title, considering that the greatest cheeses look and smell hideous) we learn that the word fromage comes from formos, the baskets that the Greeks used to drain whey from curds. Cheese fermentation, according to this chapter, was a natural development of agriculture, stemming from people eating spoiled milk and eventually coming to like the taste.

Further chapters deal with the development of modern cheese, like Swiss cheese, and the origin of their shape. We learn why they are so popular in their countries of origin, and the need that they serve. A recent book, Bringing Up Bebe (aka French Children Dont Throw Food) describes how French children are taught to enjoy cheeses from an early age. I remember how people reacted to the book, with holy cow, you know those disgusting French cheeses, the kids in France actually eat them! But look at the cheese that American kids eat, like Kraft slices; this so-called American cheese is actually a version of Cheddar, and is made with oil and water. Its full of chemicals that your kids body won't thank him for. Maybe those disgusting French cheeses aren't that bad by comparison?

This is a great book for any cheese aficionado, but there is more that can be done with it. I would welcome a version of this book written specifically for children, with more color illustrations. It would be a great way to introduce gastronomically-ignorant elementary school children to the joy of cheese. In todays foodie-crazed USA, I bet the book would fly off the shelves.
1738495
Good information but cheesy writing. My husband and I actually laugh at it sometimes, BUT that said, Kimberly DOES have great knowledge and information about what and why to eat certain foods and how they can benefit you. That said, just prepare to wade through the dialogue that can be redundant and a little silly....
341222
Somewhat cheesy but a good book for reading a couple chapters right before bed every night.  Good mix of romance with a little mystery and action.
1442610
I like this book for those nights when I know ahead of time I'm going to be crunched for time.  I'm the kind of person who plans a week of meals at a time before grocery shopping, with an eye on what nights will be busy vs. when I'll have oodles of time.  I also keep a pretty extensive pantry on hand.  I think if those 2 things weren't true, this book would lose alot of its usefulness.  But with the right ingredients around, there are some good quick meals in here.
A few things to be aware of:
- These recipes are LOADED with butter, oil, and fatty cheeses, typically half a stick of butter, 1/2 a cup of cheese to serve 4.
- There is a little bit of prep required before you boil the water, but it's light, like chopping a garlic clove or grating some cheese.
- Most of these recipes uses strong tasting ingredients, like raw chopped garlic, crushed red pepper, and basil.  If you don't like these ingredients, you might not like a lot of these recipes.
So, with those caveats, I would recommend this book.  I especially like the sauce made from riccotta cheese, bottled red peppers, basil, garlic and parmesan cheese.  I typically serve these with boiled broccoli and quick frozen garlic bread, and dinner is ready in like 20 minutes.
2794324
This book does a nice job of taking some sophisticated theoretical concepts and distilling them down into easy to chew pieces.  This was a pleasant read for a few hours on my flight back from Europe.  Easy to read physics in layman's terms.  The book seems to progress into more theoretical depth as you get closer to the end (sections on Einstein's Relativity, etc).  But for the most part the writing is easy to understand and concepts are explained in an intuitive fashion.

At the time of writing this review, the book currently has ~ 4.5 stars -- quite good in aggregate.  However, one common theme I noticed with respect to the 3 star and lower reviews was that a lot of the respective reviewers felt this book was "too brief" or "too dumbed down".  However, I think that was kind of the whole point of the book.  It's modern physics for the masses.