You really can eat like a Gilmore Girl
356385
This is a fun and yummy cookbook.  I wasn't a GIlmore Girls fan,, but would have love to eat at the places on their show, if the food was anything like the cookbook.  I tried a couple of the recipes to see how they tasted.  One was the French toast, just what can I say yummy!  Another was their Grilled Cheese sandwich, rich and gooey!  I also tried some of their cereal mixes, that was fun! I want to try the Mac & Cheese, sounds delicious.  The Beef Jerky sounds fun.  The desert section is to die for!!  The same for the cake section yum!!
3299470
I ordered this book a few weeks ago after watching the Rachel Ray Show. I was intrigued by the dark chocolate and knew that if I could sneak in a little dark chocolate everyday and still lose weight, this plan was for me. While reading the book, I felt like the book was written just for me and me alone. I could relate to so many issues that were covered especially the chapter on "emotional eating". Because preparing meals together has always been something that my husband and I enjoy, this plan allows us to still actually prepare meals and have a little fun in the process. Unlike other plans that we have followed where we would just drink a shake or unwrap a bar, leading to boredom and sometimes eating twice as much. The meals are delicious, very satisfying and easy to follow, the recipes take all of the thinking out of it. I also like the fact that this book is written by a registered dietitian with real credentials. It really is a Cinch!
After two weeks, I can now fit into jeans that I haven't been able to wear in over a year and my husband is "cinch"-ing his belt a few notches tighter. The recipes alone were worth the purchase.
2560277
After an hour of mouthwatering reading, I decided to use Martha's book to make my Christmas dinner, and boy, I sure am glad I did.  I love how the book is broken up seasonally, which makes grocery shopping so much more interesting.  The winter menu of Roast Chicken Breasts in Creamy Tarragon Sauce is a real crowd-pleaser, even for those who aren't familiar with the lovely taste of fresh tarragon, a very French addition to chicken dishes.  The Warm Lentils with Spinach is an easy and healthy addition to any meal, and really is delicious alongside the chicken.  Caramelized Endive will bring the relatively unknown lettuce into the spotlight, and the beautiful and simple dessert of poached pears is the perfect finale with another glass of bubbly. The best thing about this book is the inspiration the reader gets to venture into unknown territory within every menu, since there are some ingredients that may be new to the average home cook.  Even though some of the menus sound complicated, they really are not, however, these are special meals, just right for a date night with the hubby or a holiday occasion.
4201920
Gilmore Girls is the type of show that would probably be considered as a classic in twenty years. The plots are amazing. To new fans of Gilmore Girls, you first meet Rory and her mother in a diner. Unlike most shows, the pilot gets your attention quick. That's what i like about each gilmor girl episode.

It's funny to see how many agruments Rory's mother and Emily Gilmore can think of. I really think that in the later seasons, they should have stuck with Dean. The first boy who enters into Rory's life. All of the town folk are hilarious and likes to be nosy with eachother. This is the best season of the show
1710980
Like many of my peers, I binge-watched Gilmore Girls in the past few months, and then delightfully revisited Stars Hollow and my favorite characters in the Netflix re-boot. It was only fitting that I checked this one out from the library, listening to the audiobook since at that point, Lauren Graham's voice was as familiar to me as my own. I liked some parts better than others. The beginning with the Hollywood diet was eh, but when she narrated her watching the Gilmore Girls, I was enthralled. Pick it up if you're a fan.
4949724
I enjoyed adding a little bit of ranch salad dressing or light cream cheese.  It is certainly  substantial on it's on and I have eaten many plain from the envelope (I'm lazy).  However, for a little more pizzaz a little creamy sauce really jazzes it up.  Love this product
954033
If you were an average, middle-class kid growing up in the 50's through the 70's or so, chances are you probably had yourself a Swanson TV dinner more than a few times.  Funny thing was that we never really considered them to be a cheap eat.  We used to think these full dinners in the aluminum trays were the coolest things as we'd whip out the TV trays and plop in our favorite chairs to eat our Turkey, meat loaf, fried chicken, or Salisbury Steak TV dinners, while watching our favorite shows.

"Just Heat it `n' Eat it" by Adeena Sussman traces the history of convenience foods as they began to be produced for the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer, initially after World War II, but particularly into the 50's with families on the go.  The first chapter deals with boxed and single ingredient foods, many of which are still around today and relatively unchanged.  Nescafe Instant Coffee, Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, Frozen concentrated juices, Starkist Tuna, Minute Rice, and Lipton boxed soups are just a few of the foods represented, all with period ads or packaging.  I still wonder what Underwood Deviled Ham tastes like!

Chapter two gets into the heat and eat foods with a history of the Swanson TV dinner, first invented as a means to use up surplus turkey.  The turkey dinner was always my favorite with the slices of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberries (a later addition).  Frozen dinners are still around and with greater quality and variety than ever, but sadly the aluminum tray is long gone.  Other foods features are canned goods like Franco American spaghetti, Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Campbell's Soups, and Hormel Chili.  Again, it's amazing how many of these foods are still around in basically the same style as they were 40 years ago or more, although one that I have never seen is Armour BBQ ribs in a can.  I'm assuming that one didn't go over real well.

The third chapter is about everyday products from the pantry that could be used by the housewife to whip up creative and tasty meals such as recipes using Campbell's soups, and Jello molds.  One rather bizarre Aunt Jemima ad shows pancakes being used as hot dog and hamburger buns!

The book wraps up with well known gimmick foods, and condiments, described by Sussman as one-hit-wonders.  Here you'll find A-1 steak sauce, French's Mustard, and Kraft Cheez Whiz.

Many of these classic ads feature celebrities such as John Wayne hawking Starkist Tuna and Groucho Marx pushing Skippy peanut butter.  The book ends up being a wonderful little time capsule of clever ads and promotions of days gone by when times were simpler and we weren't confused by so much variety!  A fantastic book!

Reviewed by Tim Janson
2202207
Anna Jones is brilliant at combining uncomplicated flavors, colors and textures to create masterful vegetarian dishes. That is it in a nutshell.

How she expertly gets it into a nutshell is a testament to her amazing talent to organize and plan. I am an organizer and a planner, but when I put ingredients together, they are a bit of a mish-mash and often heavier or duller than what I had pictured in my hungry brain. The way Jones puts ingredients together is remarkable (and a bit startling) and the way she presents it all in this book has the tendency to rub off on the readera very, very good thing!

The publishers, Ten Speed Press, always do a fine job of presenting their cookbooks through the Look Inside feature on the product page. Take a browse through it: The Contents page will give an indication of the types of recipes included; the Index will provide you with ingredients and recipes, reading through the first pages will clue you in to Jones writing style, picture quality and page layout. Also take note that there are separate indexes for vegan and gluten-free--a very helpful and considerate feature.

This is a cookbook with which I will indulge myself! I cant really call myself or any member of my family vegetarian, but we often eat vegetarian, and our vegetable and herb gardens, our fruit and citrus trees, our pecan trees, and our chicken eggs are the talk of the neighborhood. We always build our meals from scratch, and (except for our smoked sausage fetish (after all, we do live in Texas)), we most always eat fresh. So, yes, this is my kind of cookbook!

*I received a temporary download of this cookbook from the publisher
4331614
I'm hungry just writing this review. I'm craving these hearty salads just thinking about them. In need of a side dish? Look no further. There's a variety of pasta salad recipes for most occasions. Some are refreshing for a hot day and others are richly flavored and hearty. Of course, I tried the Classic Southern Macaroni Salad first and it is utterly delicious. It paired well with grilled-burgers. Another night I paired the Cucumber and Tomato Summer Pasta Salad with the Almond Crusted Tilapia and it was totally delicious. I was so full I could hardly move and ended up on the sofa watching television before washing the dishes. Of course, what kind of foodie would I be if I didn't try the Cheesy Bacon Ranch Pasta? I brought that dish to a BBQ and it was a complete hit! And paired with grilled-steak smothered in BBQ sauce, it was perfect for the occasion. I'll be recommending this book to friends! I love pasta salad and I'm so grateful for these recipes.
2958705
Full of wonderful GG recipes from Sookie, to Luke, The Town Favorites to even Emily Gilmore herself.  Can't wait to try and make a Rory, and Miss Pattys  Founders Day Punch.  Luke's french toast,  with Sookies Peach Sauce. All and all A Great Buy.
711142
The Southern Vegetable Book, by Rebecca Lang, is subtitled, " A Root-to-Stalk Guide to the South's Favorite Vegetables," but after a few pages, I quickly realized that many of them were MY favorite vegetables even though I live pretty far away from anywhere South.

This is a cookbook for anyone who is looking for some delicious new ways to prepare vegetables that are found in gardens and farmers markets almost everywhere. The only vegetable that is a challenge to find where I live is ramps. Otherwise, all are easily available.

The book is organized by season and then by the vegetables that are the most prevalent, and hence at their freshest, in that season. The recipes are clearly written and delicious without being difficult or fussy. There are very few things which might trip up a novice cook - like calling for two cups of chopped and peeled eggplant without giving any idea of how many of eggplants, or pounds of eggplants, might be expected to yield that amount - but those are rare.

One of the things I have always liked about Southern cooking is the addition of fillips, or bits of something extra and unexpected, that elevate what might otherwise by a standard recipe. I happily found them sprinkled throughout Lang's recipes. Her "Fancy Pimiento Cheese" is a case in point. There are probably as many pimiento cheese recipes in the South as there are cooks, and I have tried more than I care to admit, but Lang's addition of toasted pecans and a tad of dill pickle juice (brilliant!) and depth and complexity to plain old pimiento cheese goodness.

It will be pretty hard to make potatoes any other way after trying Lang's awesome "New Potatoes Smashed and Herbed." I served these with ribs to a crowd who all but inhaled them, but I would serve them with anything. Heck, I'd eat them as a meal all by themselves. This is a recipe to make more of than you think you will reasonably need. It is also the first recipe I made from this book. Needless to say, I was spurred on to see what else I could make.

The "Fettuccine -and-Asparagus Al Burro" was simple, quick and delicious.

The "Browned Butter Cauliflower Mash," which elevates an already delicious cauliflower puree with a drizzle of brown butter, made me wonder why I'd never thought of that. (I did have to puree mine for more than the 30 seconds called for in the instructions, but I have always found that time to be highly variable depending on the water content of the cauliflower, as well as how long it has been steamed.)

Every recipe I tried was a keeper. So.... next on my list:
 Kentucky Bibb Salad with Bourbon Vinaigrette (Bourbon vinaigrette. I know. Right?)
 Skirt Steak with Fennel Slaw (Imagine how nicely these two play together)
 Bacon-and-Bourbon Collards (Beer, bacon, butter and bourbon - that's a holy quartet right there)
 Broccoli with Pimiento Cheese Sauce (not the same pimiento cheese as above, but heaven help me anyway!)
 Lemony Beet Dip (With pecans and feta, oh my)

I sincerely hope that Rebecca Lang is already at work on a second book.
774003
If you love food and adventure, you'll want to pick up a copy of `Sirens Feast,' one of those books you curl up with in the afternoon, take to bed and pick up first thing in the morning.

I'm the same age as the author but missed out on 'trekking east'.  It's great to re-experience those times through the memories of a free spirit who lived her adventures to the fullest, without regret.

My daughter is a vegetarian and loved the book as much as I did.  She has since mastered the art of traditional 'Chai', far superior to store bought.  One of my favorite foods is 'Tabbouli', a chopped parsley salad.  I order it every chance I get and have been making my own version for years.  We tried the recipe in `Siren's Feast' and it's true, it IS the best we've ever tasted.

Throughout the book you'll discover traditional crowd pleasing Armenian recipes that are perfectly spiced and fun to make.  Two weeks ago we tackled 'Yalanchi Sarma' a vegetarian version of stuffed grape leaves.  Once you get the `tuck and roll' down, it's a breeze.  Many of the recipes are perfect for summer because they can be made ahead of time.

Warning:  friends and neighbors will want to borrow this book, so you might want to xerox the recipes just in case!
2342261
I couldn't believe it. Just like my college girlfriend would make when she was wicked hung over. Seriously, besides being a bit too cakey in some bits and a bit mushy in others, this a very close approximation of a fresh plate of B and G. Hearty, strong sausage flavor and a bit spicy. This is what I want on that cold frosty morning when camping.
4554326
I have just started this diet and it has worked well and I like the fact that you are eating real food.  I had to go out to dinner a couple of times and that has prevented me losing the most weight I should have.  I am almost 4 lbs from my goal weight.  I have been on almost every diet possible and this one is the easiest and most enjoyable I have ever tried. The food is great because it is real food that you design your self.  My son and I love the eggplant Parmesan.  I have felt better too and I am following all of the cycles so that I do not binge eating carbs and sugars.  I really do not miss the sugars, but sometimes carbs are my weakness.
4173433
Dr. Phil does a special about it. Jay Leno makes jokes about it. Americans are obese and, judging from Michael F. Roizen and Dr. John La Puma's latest entry in the RealAge book phenomenon, making ourselves older and less energetic, even with those McDonald's salads.

Roizen and La Puma, as well as Suzanne Somers, make the argument that we aren't born to reach for a Ding Dong. Just consider Sophia Loren. Do you know why she looks so fabulous? In part, it's all that marinara sauce, cooked naturally in a well-stocked kitchen and eaten with friends and family in the boisterous Italian tradition of family and special places for eating (which also knocks years off your RealAge). Eating 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce per week, rich in the new hot ingredient, lycopene, makes your RealAge 1.9 years younger (55-year-old male) or 0.7 years younger (55-year-old female)-Mamma Mia! And if you're an adult male of 55, buy some nuts and eat an ounce a day (3.3 years off your RealAge.)

This is no Big Mac read. Roizen and La Puma's cornucopia of information and age-defying recipes with detailed nutritional analysis and RealAge benefits in this book are a rich delicious gourmet feast, to be slowly savored.
1760870
But if food tastes good and is healthy, that is a winning combination and I am game.  I recently ate at The Chicago Diner and the food was delicious.  Our family enjoyed the diner's beautiful pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving this year.  I now own this beautiful cookbook.  The book has gorgeous pictures, making the recipes look truly enticing.  There are many useful helps and tips for successful outcomes.  The cookbook is user friendly so we will soon be enjoying more delicious and nutritious recipes from it.
2406742
I picked this up on a whim, and it is AMAZING over sliced strawberries with some cracked black pepper. I can't wait to douse a salad in it next. It's absolutely delicious.