Showing posts with label gourmet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gourmet. Show all posts

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs Review

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs
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The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs ReviewI recently added this book to my cookbook collection, which numbers more than 1,000 volumes (probably more like 1200 but I'm still cataloging). It has immediately become one of my favorites (and definitely my #1 favorite in English). If you are a serious cook, love to read cookbooks like novels, and view recipes as suggestions rather than as requiring strict adherence to precise measurements, then this is the book for you! (Did I say I LOVE this book?)
I make all of the desserts for my husband's restaurant. If I snag some particularly luscious fruit and want to make it into a dessert, this is the book I reach for first. I don't WANT to be told how to make a fruit sorbet. I already know how. But I love having a list of suggested flavors and products that go with what I already have. It's like having an uber-creative friend at your side saying "hey, why not try THIS?"
And if you are not an experienced cook, this book provides invaluable guidance that a recipe book never could. It is wholly different from every food book I have ever read.
The book is clever, useful, and obviously the product of prodigious research. To the authors, I send my humble gratitude. You have made my life immeasurably easier, and my dishes far more interesting than ever before.
This book is a must-read if you love to eat or love to cook. I have already bought six copies and have given two as gifts. It's THAT good.
The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs Overview

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The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen Review

The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen
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The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen ReviewIf you notice the other reviews I think they all know the author personally or have taken her cooking classes at some point. Most of them have only written one review for Amazon and that being this book. A couple of them have written 2 so that leads me to believe that the other reviews while well meaning aren't necessarily unbiased. I would like to offer that review as I do not know the author, have never taken a cooking class nor have been paid by her to review the book.
This is it.
I enjoyed reading the book. While it is a cookbook it is also almost a diary. I enjoyed the first chapter where the author describes her childhood and growing enchantment with spices. I too have a similar memory but in rural Kentucky our smells were fat back and chitlins. Everyone remembers their own sweet smells from childhood. Ms. Arokiasamy does a wonderful job of leading us to hers.
One of my pet peeves is people describing most asian cooking as Thai cooking when in fact it is not. And the author knows that and shows us the differences between broad southeast asian cooking and its traditions. The author suggests introducing these spices slowly so that your family will become accustomed to their taste. I think I've heard you need to expose a child 10 times to a new food before they can truly decide if they like it or not.
She as many recipes for making your own spice blends and suggests adding the spice at the beginning of the cooking process if you want it milder in flavor and at the end if you want it strong. Helpful information to know about any spices.
There are recipes for curry powder, garam masala, fiery curry powder, lemon pepper rub, steak and chop rub. The steak and chop rub was delish. I used it over t-bones and the whole family loved it, even the kids. It was not too harsh and added a different flair. I made mine with Worcestershire but you could use soy as well.
The official review by Amazon included words like luscious photography...that is not so. The book is printed on recycled paper so the pictures look like they've been printed on recycled matte paper. They are not beautiful and not really appealing. There are only a few pictures anyway so it doesn't really add anything.
I would have liked more white space in the book to add my own notes and my own takes on the different spice combinations. But I can still do that if I want.
I hope this provided an unbiased review of the book if you were considering getting it I would suggest you do so. And if I'm ever in the Pacific Northwest I'll have to make a point of meeting Ms. Arokiasamy and taking one of her cooking classes.
The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen OverviewIt was the aroma. The exotic scent of spices: rich, alluring, and almost magical. A scent that would sometimes overpower the freshness in the air and sometimes subtly mingle with it to create a tantalizing bouquet. A scent that would always bring me back to my childhood.Growing up enveloped in the aromas of her mother's spice stall in Kuala Lumpur, Christina Arokiasamy developed an artist's sense of how to combine and use spices in traditional and innovative ways. In The Spice Merchant's Daughter, she shares her family's spice secrets, expertly guiding and enticing home cooks to enliven their repertoires.Christina weaves evocative stories of cooking at her mother's side with real-world practical advice gleaned not only from working in professional kitchens but also from tackling the nightly task of getting a home-cooked dinner on the table for her family of four using American ingredients. She shows how easy it is to build layers of complex flavor to create 100 tempting Southeast Asian–inspired recipes, including Lemon Pepper Wings, Spicy Beef Salad, Steamed Snapper with Tamarind-Ginger Sauce, Cardamom Butter Rice with Sultanas, and Coconut Flan Infused with Star Anise. She unlocks the transformative power of homemade spice rubs, curry pastes, and sauces, as well as chutneys and pickles, enabling home cooks to bring new depth and dimension to their favorite dishes. With lush photography and a chapter identifying and defining key pantry ingredients and aromatics, The Spice Merchant's Daughter both inspires and empowers, awakening the senses and unlocking the alluring world of spices.

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Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts Review

Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts
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Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts ReviewThis is an amazing followup to their excellent 'I am Grateful' book. I have been eating raw foods for over 20 years, and live with my husband and kids who don't follow a raw food diet. We all agree these are the best desserts we have ever tasted. I have seen many raw food deserts from many books, but these set a new standard for raw chefs everywhere. Eating the tiramasu and the cheesecakes almost made time stop! I suggest you make these desserts when you have nothing pressing on your agenda, because you may just forget everything else.Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts OverviewSweet Gratitude is a cookbook with a message: raw desserts aren't only healthier for both people and the planet, they can also be every bit as tasty–indeed, sinfully so–as their mainstream counterparts. Tiziana Tamborra and Matthew Rogers, both master dessert chefs at the pioneering San Francisco-based Café Gratitude, present a tantalizing table of after-dinner or any-occasion delights. Illustrated with gorgeous color photographs, the recipes range from simple and quick to advanced and detailed, showing how versatile commonly used fruits and nuts are for whipping up innovative and beautiful desserts. Providing authoritative information on techniques and specialty ingredients, and emphasizing the seasonal and the regional, Sweet Gratitude contains fresh takes on old favorites like pumpkin pie and tiramisu, as well as ingenious new creations like Pomegranate Fig Tart, Brazil Nut Chocolate Ganache, and Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies with Goji Berry Jam. Ideal for anyone looking for healthier dessert choices as well as a valuable resource for people with special dietary needs including those who cannot consume dairy, gluten, or refined sugar, Sweet Gratitude shows readers how to craft what may be the most elusive item in the culinary canon: the guilt-free dessert!

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The Raw Gourmet Review

The Raw Gourmet
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The Raw Gourmet ReviewWhether you're just looking to add more fruits and vegetables into your food program, are transitioning into becoming vegetarian or going more into raw foods, this is THE book for you.
It's got great photos, sections on; the basics including a guide to using the book and ten raw food kitchen essentials so you can prepare a meal within 20 minutes of arriving home; breakfast; juices and blended drinks; fundamental flavors including soups, sauces, dressings, etc.; entrees and desserts. There is a section on sprouting, food combining, a 3-week menu plan; special occasion menu suggestions, sources and grocery guide.
In the grocery guide, Nomi explains foods which some people may not be familiar with and what they may be used for. Most of the ingredients are common and familiar to most people or, if not, can be substituted for those that are.
In the sources section, she tells where to get many of the ingredients included in the recipes. Living in California, I've found I can get most of the ingredients at my local "natural" (many of the foods I wouldn't classify as natural) foods store, but for someone living far from these sources, it's nice to know where to go. I and my friends have purchased from a couple of these places and found the service and quality of foods to be excellent.
I would suggest that if you don't have one, the minimum to get to assist in making many of these recipes is a good food processor and a good blender. You can always upgrade as you become more creative. Nomi also lists sources for dehydrators, juicers and blenders. I purchased the ones she recommends before I knew about this book and I agree with her assessments.
Nomi was introduced to raw foods over 10 years ago by a holistic physician. At first she was eating about 50% of her foods raw and eventually became sincere about eat raw foods. She "said good-bye" to fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, mood swings, allergic sinusitis, digestive disorders, including acid reflux and candida. You can see why she is a raw foods advocate.
If you're looking for a good, all-purpose book, I highly recommend The Raw Gourmet by Nomi ShannonThe Raw Gourmet OverviewWhether you'd simply like to add more fruit andvegetables to your meals, or want to change your lifestyle in a moredramatic way, The Raw Gourmet is the complete guide to one of theworld's fastest growing nutrition and health movements-theliving-foods diet.In the first book of its kind, Nomi Shannon opens a door onto arefreshing new world of food preparation...Learn how fresh, non-cookedfruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains can boost your vitalitywhile lighting up your palate.Try exotic dishes like chili rellenos, spinach mousse, and vegetablenori roll-ups. Or, on a more familiar note, serve up a living foodsversion of old favorites like pizza, tomato soup or applepie. Whatever you choose, this book brings a rich variety of flavorsand textures to your table and offers everything your body needs tostay healthy and vigorous.

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The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World Review

The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World
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The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World ReviewI've tried three recipes so far from this collection, each one more complex than the last, as I gain my trust in this author. The Baked Eggplant was ridiculously easy (just cut the eggplants into cubes and cook on low for 4-6 hours, then add the seasonings after the cooking is done.) Next I tried the Tuscan White Bean Soup, which was excellent and not at all watery, like most crock-pot soups. Finally, I made a pot of Mexican Chicken in Peanut and Ancho Chili Sauce, and I can finally say that I've found a crock pot book that really does work.
The author encourages crock-pot users to lift the lid and stir while the food is cooking; I heartily agree, because the food ends up well cooked and NOT the watery, insipid mess I usually got. These are recipes that will not taste like a well-meaning, "good-for-you" home economics project. But this means you can't start your supper in the morning and have it done when you're back from work: the result may be watery. That's been my experience with other books, like Judith Finalyson's.
So if you're going to be home and willing to keep an eye on your slow cooker while it's doing its thing, you will be very satisfied with the recipes in this book.The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World OverviewAlthough the slow cooker has experienced a renaissance over the past several years, the discriminating cook is still hard-pressed to find slow cooker recipes worthy of serving at a dinner party‚Äîrecipes that reflect concern about ingredients, flavors, and appearance.For these cooks, comes THE GOURMET SLOW COOKER, an upscale approach to this new-old phenomenon by author and food journalist Lynn Alley. With fresh ingredients and imaginative recipes, you can create delicious meals to serve with pride to your guests. Drawn from slow cooking traditions from around the world, the recipes include Lamb Shanks in Tomato Sauce from Greece; Apricot Chicken from India; Chicken Mole from Mexico; White Truffle Risotto from Italy; Proven?ßal Chicken Stew from France; and Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Soup from the United States. In keeping with the sophistication of the food, each recipe is accompanied by wine or beer suggestions. The slow cooker can be so much more than a repository for nacho cheese dip. Paired with THE GOURMET SLOW COOKER, your everyday dining will be elevated from the mundane to the gourmet, while freeing you from hours of hard work in the kitchen.
A slow cooker book for discriminating cooks, with 16 full-color recipe photographs.
Includes chapter introductions to each region, focusing on the slow-cooking traditions and techniques from that country, and local wine or beer suggestions for all 60 recipes.
According to a study by the Betty Crocker Kitchens, 80 percent of U.S. households have a slow cooker. Reviews“Go ahead and sneer. I love my slow cooker. . . . Even food snobs like me are realizing their potential, albeit a little later than the more than perhaps 100 million Americans who already own one.”—Mark Bittman, New York Times

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