A beautiful cookbook, and a welcome addition to any cookbook ...
347033
A beautiful cookbook, and a welcome addition to any cookbook library - particularly since there are relatively few truly good books on electric pressure cooking. Barbara's blog and recipes were my first introduction to using my Instant Pot pressure cooker, and I'm very happy that there is now a printed resource too.
This will be a perfect gift for anyone who's just purchased their first electric pressure cooker, as it's a complete package of reference information, recipes (with a special tip for each one), and an attractive clutter-free layout with excellent photos.
404923
This book is beautifully designed! Colorful pages and photos with every recipe. Makes it fun to look through. It doesn't claim to be health-conscious, so I wasn't concerned about that like other reviewers. Some recipes are lighter than others. Plus, you can make your own substitutions to make any recipe healthier. This is a charming addition to any cookbook library.
1528474
I will agree with the other reviewers that this is not, by any means, a great cookbook.  Really, I've seen this as a 'coffee table cookbook' since the day I first saw it.  I think the layout of this book is absolutely gorgeous and it's well worth just flipping through to see the wide array of beautiful food inside.  While I doubt I'd ever try the recipies in it, I do think one could glean lots of fun tidbits of information to try in one's own way.
37402
A time limited digital copy was provided by the publisher.

There are 10 chefs featured in this cookbook:
Kevin Dundon, Ultan Cooke, Derry Clarke, Darrina Allen, Martin Bealin, Catherine Fulvio, Neven Maguire, Noel McMeel, Ian Orr, and Tim O'Sullivan.

It's a beautifully laid out book that is a pleasure just to look at and read. It features gorgeous photography, of the Irish countryside and areas of interest as well as the dishes. I liked the market pictures. This book is a celebration of the featured chefs as well as being a cookbook. Biographies and pictures of each chef are included. The recipes have standard measurements that US cooks will be familiar with. In many cases both cup measurements and weights of ingredients are listed. For instance, a recipe might read "3 cups/300 g plain flour."

The recipes are elegant and sophisticated, but often are simple. They are not always practical or frugal, but some surprised me and were both. If there is a term that might be unfamiliar to readers, it is usually defined. The photography showcases amazing food presentation creations as well. I don't even want to KNOW what some of these meals would cost if enjoyed at the chef's restaurants; some of these creations are served at castles! Overall, they are very impressive. If you like to see creative food presentation, you should enjoy this.

The tea scones are great, and I've also made the Guinness Chocolate cupcakes. The bit of stout really takes that chocolate up a notch. I look forward to trying the salted caramel ice cream later in the summer.

There are some quite simple recipes in the book as well, such as Roux, that compliment the recipes, and that's exactly the way I make my own.

The downside, at least for me, is that some of these ingredients are about impossible for me to find here in my small town in the US - I'd have to drive a couple of hours to the city to find some of the ingredients if I wanted to cook them. Also, not all the recipes really appeal to my Southern US palate. It's a much more gourmet selection that I normally would prepare. Sometimes I like part of a recipe or a component that can stand alone, so there's still value there for me. I also found a lot of value in the photo essays on various ingredient production.

This is as much coffee table book as it is a cookbook. It's really a beautiful production.
875343
Marco Canora and Catherine Young's new cookbook is beautiful to look at, and a pleasure to cook from.  The recipes are clear, direct and understand how people cook at home.  I have just started cooking from it and I am having trouble deciding what to prepare next because everything looks so good.  I have already bought three copies as Christmas gifts. I think it's a must for anyone interested in fresh delicious food.
4305879
You know the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover"? That definitely does not apply in this case.

First of all it's gorgeous. I took the dust jacket off to keep from tearing it while reading, and was delighted to see that the inside matched the dust jacket. No, plain gray or brown. The inside is every bit as beautiful from the blue flowered design on the inside of the cover, to the pictures of recipes and life. I say recipes and life, because that's what this book is, it's cookbook and a memoir all in one.

The author of the book, Tessa Kiros, opens the book with the following quote, "These are the recipe I grew up with: the recipes that have woven their way through the neighborhoods of my mind, past indifference and into love. Those that have stayed while others might have fluttered away with a gentle spring breeze." What a growing up she did, she was born in London to a Finnish mother and a Greek-Cypriot father. When she was four, they moved to South Africa, and she now lives in Italy with her husband, Giovanni. Wow. Kind of makes my - born in Illinois, grew up in Missouri, and moved to Tennessee, seem kind of lame.

So, it is with that rich background of cultures and influences that she puts together this collection of recipes and stories. And quite a collection it is. She begins with Finland - from her mother and her mother's side of the family, then to Greece and Cyprus - for her father, South Africa - from her upbringing, Italy - where she currently resides with her husband, and a section called suitcase - a lovely collection gathered along the way.

I started out listing all of the recipes that I wanted to try (but they soon became too numerous, this book is 397 pages, after all). A very shortened version of my list:

Finland - Potato Pancakes, Salmon Dill and Potato Soup, Cranberry Jam
Greece - Dolmades, Skordalia, Lemon and Oregano Chicken
Cyprus - Fried Haloumi Cheese, Green Olives with Coriander Seeds
South Africa - Lemon Vanilla Jam
Italy - Olive Oil Bread, Pasta with Sardines and Wild Fennel
Suitcase - Caramel Ice Cream, Milk Honey and Cinnamon Ice Cream

I can't begin to say enough nice things about this book. I absolutely loved it. It's big, gorgeous, filled with delicious sounding recipes, gorgeous photos, and a sweet family history.
2890511
this is a wonderful cookbook. the recipes are simple but not plain. there are plenty of beautiful photos from the monastery interspersed throughout as well. it really is put together not only for the recipes, but for the joy of cooking.
3252061
Celebrate Vegan is a wonderful compendium of recipes, not just for holidays, but for any occasion or none at all.  As a recipe tester for this book, I had the pleasure of trying out many of the recipes and I can assure you that you will be pleased.  There's something to suit any palate, be it "quick and easy" or selections of haute-cuisine.  I highly recommend this book as a valued addition to any cookbook repertoire.
4738692
Kitchen Confidence: Essential Recipes & Tips That Will Help You Cook Anything is Kelsey Nixon's (host of Cooking Channel's Kelsey's Essentials) first offering. It's a beautiful cookbook with color photographs on nearly every page and is chock full of not just recipes, but kitchen, food, cooking, and gadget tips sprinkled throughout. The layout is clean and pleasing to the eye. The sections include Introduction, Essential Pantry, Essential Equipment, Essential Techniques, Breakfast & Morning Treats, Starters, Salads, Sandwiches & Soups, Main Courses, Sides, Desserts & Sweets, Thanks, and Index.

I am a cookbook aficionado - I absolutely love collecting cookbooks of various types. This cookbook managed to avoid all the complaints I have about many cookbooks published today. The recipes are all accessible - not full of weird ingredients you have to go to a special store to buy. Clear directions are given and many helpful hints are provided. I've been a homemaker, and therefore full time cook, for 12 years, but some certain things/techniques in the kitchen still can tend to intimidate or confuse me, and Kelsey does a great job explaining them in a hands on way. The recipes are classic and simple, yet updated for the modern kitchen. Many cooks tend to modernize recipes in a way to make them completely unrecognizable, but here there are easy updates that don't completely obliterate the original recipe. I have a feeling this will be a cookbook I reference for years to come and am looking forward to trying the many delicious recipes it contains.

I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
1559067
This cookbook has been a wonderful addition to my cooking library. Originally a European book, some US readers might find a few things confusing, and some of the ingredients a bit hard to find, but with a little looking beyond the normal grocery store was able to find things a-ok.

The pictures are beautiful and helpful, displaying not only the dishes for the recipes (though sadly not -all- have photographs), but also showing helpful directions on how to prepare the dishes and handle the food. It also includes some interesting side notes to make you familiar with what some of the ingredients are, what they are used for, how they are made, etc.

I highly suggest this to anyone who wants to go beyond the normal and put a bit of extra into their cooking but are not familiar with dealing with things in the kitchen. Does wonders to make one feel more comfortable.
3718701
What a beautifully-done, gorgeous cookbook!  Jessie Sheehan's meticulous, easy-to-follow instructions make the recipes very accessible to the home baker (and the Alice Gao photographs are simply beautiful to look at and practically jump off the page).  Jessie has a flair for explaining to the non-professional WHY certain ingredients and techniques work -- and as an extremely non-professional baker myself (I've always preferred cooking, with its more elastic margin of error!), those explanations have given me the confidence to try my hand at baking things I wouldn't have tried before.  And, there's just something homey and nostalgic about baking treats that call to mind a nicer, simpler time (but without the odd and often processed ingredients our grandmothers used out of necessity or Depression-era frugality).  This book is a little treasure (including the cute little vintage baking pamphlet included in the book itself), as are its recipes (the Butterscotch-Potato Chip Balls and the Silver Cake are a MUST).
2320825
Apples for Jam is one of the best cookbooks I own. Not only is it gorgeous but the recipes are wonderful. Hit's with our family have been the Chicken Cutlets with Tomatoes and Capers, Sausage and Potato Goulash, Scallopini with Ham and Cheese and Chicken Sauteed with Cheese and Milk. My favorite though so far is Penne with Shrimp, Cream and Tomato, which is simply fabulous. The recipes while interesting and delicious are easy to prepare. It brings meals with a gourmet flair to my table without a lot of fuss or time, which I appreciate. The cookbook is beautiful as well and is uniquely organized by color of the dishes which adds appeal as well. A good cookbook to own or to give to as a gift. I highly recommended it.
3352851
As a avid cook and beautiful book lover, this cookbook fits the bill on both levels.  Gorgeously presented, it immediately recalls the class and gentility of the C&E shop, now gone, in an upscale shopping mall near me.  Spied at a friends home who has a similar mindset, it fulfills both the eyes and palate with its offerings.  Just received, I cannot wait to try the recipes within.
4237236
Absolutely gorgeous book, can't wait to try some of these unusual and fascinating recipes
3729682
What I like most about this cookbook are the beautiful photographs. Each recipe has a large color photo of the finished product, as well as some with pictures of the prep process. The instructions are clear and easy to follow and gives the nutritional value for the finished item (protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber and cholesterol per serving) Some of the ingredients are given in metric proportions and most of the recipes provide a standard conversion in brackets. For the few recipes that don't already provide the conversion there is a metric > standard chart located in the back of the book, which I found very helpful. Also in the back of the book is a chart that gives the alternative names of some ingredients; such as capsicum = bell peppers. I had to look up some others, such as; rocket leaves = arugala and rock melon = cantalope. I'm learning new, tasty recipes and expanding my vocabulary, now that's a good cookbook! This cookbook will make it very easy to increase the number of vegetarian meals in my families diet.
3273500
I love food, I love cooking, and above all, I love cookbooks.

This one just had to be part of my kitchen, and I'm thrilled that I got a chance to review it.

Filled with interesting tidbits and background on the author, where he came from, how he got into the food business and became an internationally acclaimed chef.

Combining these two things, I was able to sit down and actually read the cookbook from cover to cover, not only enjoying the story behind it, but the beautiful photography and the delicious recipes it contains.  If you're looking for a cookbook that you will truly enjoy, not only for it's contents but for the sheer beauty of it, then this is it.

I have already tried a few recipes, and have many more waiting to be made.  I can't wait.
3357279
A beautiful book with recipes by great chefs made accessible with clear, concise instructions. The layout and design are lovely;  there are interesting, thoughtful texts and informative passages that give an overview of the bistro scene and its evolution; the style is eminently readable. The photographs are so delightful that as a gift this could almost double as a coffee-table book.