Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet  A World of Recipes for Every Day
346630
There was a recipe featured on the Ellen Show that interested me, and I have made it repeatedly.  I can't wait to try some of her others, great book for Diabetics, very healthy recipes.
2007681
All I can say is, Wow. Tartine is not only one of the most delicious bakeries anywhere, but they have created a cookbook that lives up to the food they serve.

The pictures are illustrative and gorgeous. The writing is clear and succinct. But best of all, the recipes are thorough. I love how they give such detailed descriptions and explanations on all of the delicious sweets so that you can recreate them exactly. This book is a joy to read. My highest recommendation (and this comes from someone who has too many cookbooks and bakes too many sweets).
3271556
Easy to follow recipes covering starters, entrees and desserts.
The desserts were my favourite - I'm keen to try out the 'strawberry-almond cream tart' tonight!

Recommended
3887974
Given the fact that, when it comes to baking, I'm more of an assembler than an actual baker.  That said, it's always fun to have
something tasty for dessert after a busy day or for a special occasion.  These recipes might not make "Cake Boss" but for the everyday, hurried family it's a delicious route to a sweet treat.  Imagine, this book contains sixty recipes, so it's hard to imagine
a recipe that won't be a crowd pleaser in this collection.  "Amazingly Easy" is the right description for the recipes found in The
Absolute Best Dump Cake Cook Book. There's real truth in advertising.  Tips regarding the right cake mix, reducing fat and sugars in the dessert, additions to the base recipe and the "Make Your Own Cake Mix" chapter are all a value.  Recipes designed for specific diet considerations.  I love microwave cooking, so that tip was great, too.  The  slow-cooker recipes for; pumpkin and apple, and peach, allows the cook to attend to errands or end of day business and still have a wonderfully scented dessert. It's a win-win.
1764051
Practical everyday recipes than anyone can follow.
4141283
I am a big fan of Cheryl Rule's other cookbook, Ripe, so I thought I'd give this one a try.  First of all the book is beautiful with pictures that make you want to try everything.  So far I have made the Grilled Israeli Style Eggplant, Chicken Curry with Almond Cream, Mixed Fruit and Yogurt Sheetcake.  All were fabulous.  I like that there are recipes for hectic weeknight or a more leisurely Sunday meal.  I now keep a large container of plain yogurt in my fridge so I can search through the book and start cooking.  Thanks for making yogurt something more than a breakfast food.  Next up are the Little Cheddar and Chive Cornmeal pancakes and Lemon Poppyseed Mousse.
789861
The Perfect Scoop is by far the best Ice Cream recipe book I've run across so far.  It has a myriad of recipes from cooked custards, ices, Sorbets (which are the best) and the favorite, ice cream.  Each recipe is explained in detail with hints on tweaks and additions.  There are many many pictures and surprisingly, my attempts to duplicate David's recipes come out looking very much like the pictures.

I purchased the book because I wanted new ideas on the Sorbets and Granitas as they don't have the heavy creams in them.  Most of them are just plain ripe fruits with sugar and perhaps a few other ingredients.  This allows me to make healthy desserts without the triple calories and we are not so tempted to eat a serving bowl full of heavy ice cream as a very small bowl of sorbet is quite sufficient.

The recipe that stands out for us is the strawberry sorbet.  Finding the ripest fruits available is the trick to making the most perfect recipes and by having the ripest of fruits, the amount of sugar can be drastically cut.  A spoonful of smooth frozen strawberry delight on the tongue is pure moaning out loud heaven.  And quite satisfying.

There is a recipe for a toffee buttercrunch that is sprinkled over ice cream and the Toasted Coconut Ice cream is a wonderful variation on ice cream.  David Lebovitz has out done himself in coming up with the perfect combination of flavors and ingredients.  It's going to be a long journey of exploration trying out his many offerings.
2671233
Named Best Bakery in New York City by 2013 Time Out New York Food & Drink Awards, Ovenly explores culinary traditions with an unexpected twist, melding salty and sweet with a touch of spice. Their main goal is to provide joy through flavor, and their first cookbook captures this beautifully.

Erin (who inherited her mother and grandmother's handwritten recipe cards) and Agatha (a "refugee in the kitchen" and daughter of Polish immigrants) have created a warm, approachable book that is full of inviting baked goods and nibbles; their tips, step-by-step photos and clear descriptions mean that any level of baker will be able to tackle these recipes and have them turn out great. I loved reading about Agatha's bilingual childhood where her parents tricked her into eating traditional Eastern European dishes like headcheese and tripe; my Polish grandmother (babcia) used to serve my mother "chocolate soup" (czarnina) until the day my mom found out it was actually duck's blood! And like Agatha, my babcia and great-grandmother were masters at Polish baked goods; some of my earliest memories are of helping my grandmother bake in her small apartment kitchen.

As I am primarily a (breakfast/brunch) baker at heart, I loved Ovenly's unique take on scones (bloody Mary, cheddar mustard, currant rosemary), quick breads (strawberry basil, citrus berry), and coffee cake (poppy seed, prune, and lemon, banana Nutella). Their cookie flavors are downright revolutionary (mustard spice, bourbon chocolate chip with tarragon, the Stumptown shorty). The melding and blending of complementary flavors continues with their blue cheese apple pie with toasted walnuts, pear, sour cherry and cardamom pie, nectarine, blueberry and vanilla bean rustic tart, caramel bacon hot tarts, and goat cheese, spring onion and chive quiche. I am always on the lookout for spicy brownies that stack up against my standard Baked brownie, and the cinnamon and ancho chile brownies didn't disappoint.

In addition to the ample selections of breakfast and brunch bakes, you'll also find a chapter of cakes and cupcakes, including the pistachio cardamom cupcakes with ganache, black chocolate stout cake with salted caramel cream cheese buttercream, and chocolate cheesecake with sour cream topping. And I loved the inclusion of bar snacks (spicy bacon caramel corn, savory rosemary popcorn, maple thyme pecans, and peppery pistachio brittle) that make the perfect nibbles with cocktails or drinks.

One thing that did surprise me as an experienced home baker was their note on weighing ingredients: "As we sent out our recipes for testing, we heard from friends, colleagues and family that none of them used the weight measurements we had provided. So, we decided not to use them in our book unless we felt it was necessary for a recipe." Instead, they have created a somewhat lengthy conversion chart at the front of the book. Normally I bake solely by weight assuming it is provided as I find it to provide more accurate, consistent results (especially true with flour, which changes weight depending on humidity and other factors); I wish they had just left that in for anyone who is so inclined, but that's my personal preference.

I loved some of the more unique advice like filing scratch marks into an aluminum or steel pan in order to aid with cutting finished brownies, bars, and shortbread that I haven't seen mentioned in my other baking books. The "Get Creative" sidebars marked with rolling pins will give you addition suggested variations to play with; you'll find cornflake topping for muffins, cashew butter and cayenne pepper filling for coffee cake, and nods to Eastern European pastries (jelly-filled muffins that brought to mind the paczki we eat on Mardi Gras, lemon poppyseed prune cake).

Whether you're already a fan of Ovenly (for those lucky enough to live in New York) or simply love delicious baked goods with unusual twists, Ovenly deserves a spot of honor in your cookbook collection!

(Thank you to Agatha and Erin for the advance copy - dzikuj bardzo!)
2697377
If you can or wish to do so, THIS is the book you need for inspiration and instruction! Rebeccas writing is witty and the recipes are stunning. The book includes additional recipes featuring the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor. You could can Brown Sugar Bourbon Peaches in July, and enjoy a Drunken Peach Milkshake in August! You could preserve Whole Grain Dijon Mustard, then open a jar for Chicken Apple Sausage with Roasted Vegetables and Pierogies. Theres a recipe for Smoky Roasted Salsa to later be used in sandwiches, tacos, chili, soups  and there are recipes for each of those in the book as well. This cookbook is the bomb  and yes, theres a recipe for Herb Bombs, too!
4873179
I love this book.  I have made several of the sweet puddings including those made with suet and those which are standard sponge puddings which are butter based.  This book is an excellent resource for any cook wishing to learn the nearly lost but making a comeback art of steamed puddings.  I am in the United States and it was a youtube video with Marguerite Patten and a young chef making her classic lemon sponge pudding that made me buy this book.  The young chef told Marguerite that this lemon pudding recipe was the first he had ever made and it came from his mom's cookbook when he was little.  Marguerite lived to 100 or close to it.  Impressive.  I look forward to making some souffles, French apricot, apple, and strawberry tarts.  Baked custards and other treats are on my to do list.  So many lovely dessert recipes to choose from.
4390643
I love to cook, with a cookbook count to prove it.  Now, though, I'm cutting back and each volume must earn its place on the shelf.  Seeking a single outstanding dessert book covering a wide range of recipes to replace several "ho-hum" volumes, I was pleased to see Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts in a paperback version for a small investment.  It arrived yesterday and I "devoured" it in one setting.  The author thoroughly explains how to achieve the best results with her recipes that range from very easy to nicely challenging, which makes this a great choice for anyone wishing to thrill sweet teeth.  This is a keeper, and I expect to "upgrade" to a larger copy of the book to regularly dust with flour and cocoa powder in my kitchen.
418355
Anyone can appreciate this book in our current society. The pressures of working long hours mean that we are often eating out on the go. I have recently committed to clean healthy eating and I love my crock pot. This book shares many interesting recipes including breakfast omelette! I have never heard of cooking an omelette in a crockpot. I also like the breakfast casserole and cant wait to make them for my family. Some of the recipes are familiar to me but it sounds so delicious that I cant wait to try them.

What I really like about this book are the unusual recipes that I mentioned above as well as things like lamb chops and pork chops! Lamp Chops! Can you imagine cooking that in a slow cooker??  The chocolate lava cake was another one that caught my eye. Try this and you won't regret it.
1312303
You would love this book !  Lots of neat recipes along with stories and history ...  I use it just about every day !
1818421
I have toted this little paperback around for about 25 years. The pages are grey and the cover is grimy. But I am reading it again for the joy of it, and again, realize it is one of my favorite books. Alice Toklas writes in the most enthusiastic, humorous and inquisitive prose that a "cookbook" could ever be presented. She writes each chapter as a special creative venture, and the reader learns how to cook all kinds of home-made French meals following her systematic and patient narrative. Her commentary on dining and cooking with the amazing stars of the art and literature world in pre-war Paris is breath taking in its simplicity and familiarity with said egos!

There are many references to certain menus she and Gertrude Stein dined on- from the country cottage farmer's table to haute cuisine. And wherever they dined, Alice was certain to beg for a recipe to take with her. These recipes add a wonderful scrapbook feel which gives you some absolutely perfect hand me down hits.

My book is the British version I believe, and has the hashish brownie recipe. I tried making it back in the '70's however it was pretty grainy since we didn't use the high quality product Alice most likely had access to. The intro to the brownies is hysterical - she advises the reader to make these on a rainy afternoon and serve to the bridge group ladies or the local DAR chapter meeting. Very tongue in cheek.
3230681
This is the kind of cookbook I love to peruse on cold, blustery days.  The author, Marte Marie Forsberg, gives us a mix of lovely stories, photographs, and a book full of recipes from her Norwegian childhood, her now English home, and her travels.

The recipes are divided by seasons as well as an additional chapter called Afternoon Tea.  Each chapter opens with the author sharing stories that I found very interesting.  Each recipe also contains the short story behind it.

The photographs bring one in to the beautiful English landscape where the author now makes her home.  I have a few recipes already marked to try very soon, the first being what she calls "Her Mother's Ode to Cabbage" (called Creamy Cabbage Stew in the Index).  For my mother also loved cabbage.

The Cottage Kitchen was provided by Blogging For Books for the sake of review but the opinions are my own.
536208
If you are a fan of mint chocolate desserts, this is your one-stop shop. This book contains everything from mint chocolate brownie bites to mint chocolate popcorn, and everything in between from puddings, cupcakes and pies and even ice cream cones! With this cookbook in your collection you will never again worry about what to serve for dessert. The possibilities contained within the 70 pages are absolutely in the end it is guaranteed to be at least one dessert that will suit every taste actual table. My personal favorite are the chocolate mint brownie bites, and surprisingly enough the fudge mint popcorn (I was pretty sure. Up until recently that there was no way fudge and it and popcorn were going to fit together. But they did, and it is delicious!).

Only instructions in this book are extremely easy to follow they are straightforward and will not make even a novice chef feel out of place in the kitchen. Overall I am very satisfied with my purchase as I was looking for recipe book that would give me more ideas for things to do with chocolate. Rather than simply make brownies and cupcakes give this book a try you will not be disappointed with the results
2820677
At first glance Good Taste has a rather unassuming cover  until you take a closer look at the photo which shows the author readying a dining table for an outdoor meal. It looks quite inviting and lovely.

And thats exactly how I felt about the cookbook  welcomed by author Jane Green to take a look at her favorite recipes and give them a try. She personalized each one with an anecdote about the family or friends a recipe bring to mind. I loved that.

The book is divided into Beginnings (starters and soups), Middles (main courses), and Endings (desserts). Gorgeous color photos accompany each recipe which is something I really appreciate. Im not an accomplished cook by any stretch of the imagination so I like to have a clear goal in mind of what my finished product should look like

There are several recipes I cant wait to try including: Tomato Tart Tatin; Slow-Braised Onion Chicken; and Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle. The photos of all three are gorgeous and what I really love is that after reading each recipe I feel confident Ill be able to make them.

Good Taste would make a wonderful gift for the cook in your life this holiday season.

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased opinion.