Fun, flavorful, and fascinating
590393
My wife and I have beek cooking from this great cook book for several years and it's become a staple in our kitchen.

Recently, we hosted a dinner party with dishes coming entirely from Eula Mae (with music from The Big Easy soundtrack, Professor Longhair, and the Neville Brothers in the background). We had a great time, and gave each guest a copy of the cookbook as a gift.

Most of Eula Mae's ingredients are common, but the magic of her recipes, the refreshing nature of the meal compositions, and the charm of her stories make this cookbook a unique and lasting addition to any kitchen.

Sorry to hear she passed away. Thank heavens her recipes were saved for all of us to enjoy.
2320590
I found the original version of this book in a used bookstore and bought it for the whimsical title and the illustrations on bread baking. I didn't try it out immediately because several recipes do have ingredients that I don't typically have on-hand (although I haven't had any trouble finding them when I've looked). My boyfriend and I have recently gone through several of the recipes, though, and they've all come out beautifully, with no tinkering necessary :) We're both scientists, so we tend to experiment when we cook, and conclude "this was a good recipe after we substituted this, and reduced that, and added this", but all of the recipes we've tried so far have been delicious as-is. The flavors have been subtle and well-balanced, so you can find something interesting to taste in every bite. That said, tastes vary, and we'd actually thought before that many people might think the flavors in the dishes aren't strong enough (hence "not tasty"). In addition, I agree that "vegetarian" does not necessarily mean "healthy" anymore than "fat-free" means "calorie-free"--there is a lot of cheese, cream, and butter in many of the dishes, so if you want something low-cholesterol, try out your favorite substitutions and see if they'll work. Many of the recipes also do involve a little advance planning and work--making sure you have all of the ingredients, peeling and cutting up vegetables, etc., but if you enjoy cooking, that should be part of the fun :) They also make for good team-cooking--there's usually enough for two people to do so that you can enjoy making something together.
2682598
I'm a huge fan of the food-history-travelogue style of writing, and this book satisfied my craving quite nicely. I found myself accelerating my reading to see what would happen next, as the author travels the world in search of various historical brews. From Africa to the Middle East to Europe and beyond, you feel like you're right there, experiencing the bustle of busy marketplaces and the chatter of a Viennese cafe. It's written in an amusing prose and presents an array of intruiging tidbits of historical evidence.

As I sipped my coffee along-side the book, I couldn't help but experiment and day-dream of whether the brew tasted even remotely similar just a few hundred years ago, although I found myself (unfortunately?) short on ambergris. It's not often that I read a book in just about one sitting, but I was hooked as soon as I started reading.
250525
This beautiful and comprehensive not-just-coffee book is loaded with both information and charm. It is the size (9x8x1.5) of a family cookbook with color pictures and readable print. The pages are not slick. The book is full of informative and fun data, including anecdotes germane to helping one remember what is read. The arrangement through the seasons is thoughtful. I will be reading this with a highlighter, to mark things that catch my eye, even with a lifetime of experience of managing a home. Homemaking is the job where we never learn it all. In spite of all the stuff on the internet, it is still a pleasure to have something in the lap or on the tabletop to think about and act upon.
764340
Because Ellen Zachos is a friend and foraging buddy, I have had the good fortune of tasting the results of her wild mixology. The drinks she concocts with foraged ingredients are delicious, intriguing, and well-balanced. In her book, she not only takes you through the botanical details you will need to know in order to make her cocktail recipes, but also shares great foundation skills for inventing your own imbibe-able recipes. Highly recommended.
2210180
This is a volume of gustatory delights -- a book you pick up on impulse and end up devouring with your meals (my copy is spotted with olive oil and specks of latte foam). Rosenbaum has written an autobiography of his obsession with Shakespeare, triggered by a conversion experience when he saw a 1970 Peter Brooks production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. One hears a bit too often about his precious handful of epiphanies, and Rosenbaum (like Harold Bloom, whom he castigates) can easily be faulted for his enthusiasm, but there's no doubt that he brings a host of seemingly desiccated academic controversies to life. Until last week I had no idea there were two versions of Lear or three versions of Hamlet, or that I could be made to care about Shakespeare's original spelling enough to order every play I could find edited by John Andrews.

In fact, reading Rosenbaum turned out to be an expensive experience. Thanks to his infectious interest and spirited recommendations (I'm tempted to say the book is worth having for its Bibliographic Notes), I've purchased Stephen Booth's old edition of the Sonnets, Ann Thompson's new edition of Hamlet, and Russ McDonald's Shakespeare and the Arts of Language -- and that was only the beginning of a ruinous week on Amazon. Rosenbaum also makes a strong case for republishing out-of-print classics such as Empson's Milton's God and Booth's Essay on Shakespeare's Sonnets; I hope someone's listening.

So I award Shakespeare Wars five stars for enthusiasm -- not only its author's but that which it excites in readers like me, who generally skip those bulky Arden introductions. (Now I'll read them with gratitude.) It didn't hurt, either, that Rosenbaum champions prejudices I share: that academics besotted with Theory are like color-blind art critics; that Shylock should not be sanitized; and that Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet is spectacular, in no small part because of Harold Perrineau's Mercutio. And it's in reference to Mercutio that Rosenbaum makes one of his many excellent equations: "Mercutio as Marlowe." That's the kind of connection that sends a spark racing across the imagination and leaves its readers smiling.
2516477
Once again Mrs. Delaine has shed new light on cooking for food allegies. The recipes cross cultures and embrace sophisticated flavor profiles proving that allergy-healthy food does not have to be BORING.  Moreover, this cookbook is not only instructive in terms of the sheer volume and range of recipes it offers, but is also filled with other helpful information.  I was particularly intrigued by the discussion on raw foods and some of the recipes included to help make this concept more--well--palatable. I look forward to more intrigue from this author who recognizes that that delicate palate can handle a little pizazz!
2461304
I'm overwhelmed at how much I loved this book. It contains fun readable history, science that's not too technical, hilarious opinions. I loved the facts about seeds, grafting, even Flower of Kent (the Isaac Newton apple). Understanding commercialization. I used to work in a Flavor Development Lab; the taste and texture descriptions are outstanding. Finally, it was so uplifting to read about treasures lost making a comeback due to artisan growers and other 'apple stalkers'.
3138839
Such a pleasant experience....I read this book through in just a few days, savoring the recipes as well as the clever illustrations and

stories about the Red Hat members.  The wide variety of recipes..from

Pink Champagne Cake to the Magnolia Special and on to the Prunacolada towards the end...kept me fascinated.
804495
Viva Tequila draws largely on Hutson's travels in agave-rich parts of Mexico.  It is much more than a cookbook or a bartender's guide, and provides a fascinating portrayal of the three spirits that come from the agave plant - pulque, mescal, and tequila, from plant to bottle. The first part of the book is dense with information, but Hutson's stories keep the pace lively. The second and third parts focus on drink and food recipes.

This book made me want to:
- Find an aged tequila or smoky mezcal to sip after dinner (perhaps with a glass of homemade sangrita!)
- Make a batch of Texican Martinis to serve with some chips and Salsa Borracha (planning to do this after a finish this review, actually!)
- Brush up on my Spanish and take a trip to Mexico

I particularly enjoyed the dichos (sayings) sprinkled throughout the book.  They add a poetic, and often humorous touch. My favorite:  "Si tomas para olvidar, pagas antes de tomar."  (If you drink to forget, pay first!")

The drink recipes concentrate on using fresh juices and letting the tequila (or mezcal) in the recipe shine. There are some recipes for syrups and rimming salts that sound wonderful. I plan to make some and pair them with a nice bottle of tequila for gift sets this Christmas.
4223160
This is an amazing book that manages to combine well-researched historical and literary content about food, menus and recipes with entertaining and informative excursions into things like what the kitchens looked like, what utensils were used, and vignettes about, for example, the use of mushrooms back then, and Shakespeare's use of "peapods" as part of a romantic convention. BTW: it's a practical cookbook with easily doable recipes for beef, veal, fish, etc. And thanks to the author, I discovered that the incredibly varied 16th century menus do not signal out and out gluttony but instead were put together to ensure that each and every guest would have something to their taste. In short these dinners were sit-down-pass-around buffets. Who knew?
1879221
This book says "how to become a more accomplished, adventurous cook" but even IF you think you are already pretty much accomplished and you love adventurous food, this book has a lot to offer. I was bowled over immediately by the first page I randomly turned to, tacos with charred corn and zucchini. It turns out, this is one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant in New Mexico (Blue Corn in Santa Fe) and I am just thinking how great it's going to be to fire up the charcoal grill in summer and make these for guests. Then there is a recipe for brussels sprouts with a horseradish-lemon dressing. The bitter of the horseradish works with the bitter of the sprouts, and the lemon makes it balanced--great idea.

In fact, the recipes that appeal to me the most in this book are vegetables. There ARE a lot of meat recipes (spare ribs, lamb roasts, Peruvian-style beef steak) but the vegetable course appeal to me more. And that means that if you are not a big meat eater, you can find something to perk up your repertoire in this book.

The dessert course is equally adventuresome: mango custard pie, dulce de leche-lemon cheese cake and a chai-flavored coffee cake.

I found many, many things to bookmark for entertaining or for even just to make more out of a haul of vegetables from the farm stand. It also looks like a pretty decent gift for friends of mine who are enthusiastic cooks. Highly recommended.
3480019
hether it's Margo's crisp storytelling, her well-drawn subjects, the fact that she's describing a place that I know and love, or a combination of all three, I read this book in an afternoon, and couldn't put it down. And the recipes! C. S. Lewis wrote that any story worth its salt lingers on descriptions of the food. This book combines food, character, place, and a glimpse into a world most folks have never thought about - running an inn - to make for a fascinating and enjoyable read.
746285
From the opening, I was hooked. The main characters are charming and lovable right off the bat, and their constant banter is addictive. Filled with lots of activity, quirk, and love, I gobbled up this book (and the rest of the Cocktail Series) earlier this week and am cycling back through it now. Just wonderful -- the most I've enjoyed myself since Evanovich's Stephanie Plum or Tracy Ellen's Anabel Axelrod.
4377712
I just loved this book! The pairing of the pieces of modern art, and the reveal of the confection created to honor it, was so magical. I chose it for that reason, but a side bonus was reading about the author's journey to her calling. While I wasn't interested in attempting the recipes, I enjoyed reading some of them as they let me imagine the remarkable flavors these elegant treats offered. I smiled while I read this book--what a lovely little diversion!
2298612
After watching "The Cooking Ladies" quickly prepare a delicious-looking veggie pasta dish along with a unique version of a chicken Caesar salad entre during a WGN News' lunchtime cooking segment, I felt compelled to get their cookbook.

Good move on my part! Love, love it! EACH and EVERY recipe has a color photograph of the finished product as well as an entertaining description of the inspirational origin of the dish. What a concept for us visual-craving cookbook readers!

The eclectic recipes come from their travels to Europe and over most of the North American continent, with a just a touch of Caribbean, Asian, and South American influence. I found many healthy, low fat, low carb dishes along with scrumptiously decadent, calorie-laden recipes for special occasions.

The travel stories were a unexpected bonus. I enjoyed reading about some of the exotic locales that most of us will never visit, and the interesting people the spunky duo have encountered over the years.

Get this colorful cookbook if you want more than just a cup of this and a pinch of that! The recipes are intriguing, yet not intimidating. Lots of fun, too!
4161867
I just started reading and i cant put it down.  The historical references are fun and animated.  the growing advice and nutritional benefits are spot on.  learning about how sex and food intermingle is enlightening and entertaining
This is a great book full of conversation starters; great gift idea!  Everyone who eats should read this book. I am looking forward to trying the many recipes and sharing the aphrodisiac stories behind them.