Review:This book might be good the Francophile who has never been to France and who never intends to visit.
It is extremely descriptive reflection of the author's time in France - of the simple everyday happenings and personalities one would encounter in France- it has the old grandmother telling you how to properly cut and cook the beans (most every Frenchie thinks their way is best) and the "sounds" of the cafes.. etc.... The author also tells us of the multiple occasions she refused to try French... Read more

Review:In this highly informative and interesting book, Tom Standage chronicles the evolution of food, explaining how humanity's first meals were hunted and gathered by people who literally lived off the land and how a shift towards farming and a development of agriculture prompted the first civilizations to be built. As people and cultures evolved, so did food's place in society, and as Standgae relates, food became, by turns, a power to exploit, a wealth to hoard, and a very special focus of politics... Read more

Review:This is a very informative book for any looking to learn the scientific reasoning behind the hows and whys of cooking, i have greatly enjoyed my reading of the book so far and highly recommend it to all cooks with an inquisitive mind. Read more

Review:this new hardcover, written by michael ruhlman is excellent. the first section in particular is truly gripping(esp. if you are a food nut like i am!) the almost blow by blow account of a group of chefs trying to pass a series of incredibly arduous tests (a ten day herculean nightmare)in order obtain the title of master chef from the Culinary Institute of America makes the Iron chef challenge look like a stroll though the park! one of the main themes of the book is the quest for
perfectio... Read more

Review:I bought this book because I like to improvise when cooking. As I hoped, the ratios are helpful in improvising in more areas (such as sauces and baking). I'm vegetarian, so the section on sausages and whatnot doesn't do me any good; at least the stock section includes tips for vegetable stock as well as meat stocks.

I haven't yet made anything using the ratios, but it's an interesting read and I expect it to be helpful. Read more

Review:The best cookbook ever. Perfect for a kindle since you'll want to use the search button on kindle a lot to navagate this book. If you want better then Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie the recipe is in here. If you want a roast that cooks exactly the same all the way through from the first cut to the last the science know how is in here. Between this book and The America's Test Kitchen "Big Red Book" you really don't need many other cook books. Read more

Review:Till now the book is easy to read, interesting, and surprising. Although I am a physics, I know nothing about chemistry and the author give good explanations. Beside, the author has sense of humor and the book is funny. Read more

Review:This is an excellent book for anyone just learning how to cook through the occasionally cooker. This book goes into detail in many situations where most authors generally assume the user knows how, which like I mentioned is greatly beneficial to anyone new in the kitchen and I even found a couple of tips that helped me. Read more

Review:I use this book pretty consistently for both of my kids (one is 3, one is 9 months). It has some helpful tips. I especially like making the super baby porridge.

However, the style in which it is written is a bit scattered, with random facts and figures thrown in as if the author is a health professional, which she is not. Read more

Review:This book is beautiful to look at and the content is amazing. It's one of those books without a dust jacket (the beautiful images are printed directly onto the cover, back and front), and it is gorgeous and high-quality. I gave it to a good friend for Xmas and bought a copy for myself as well, and I am so happy I did. The history is very interesting, and there are plenty of recipes -- many of which I have never encountered before.

I haven't baked any of the cakes from it yet (it's not eve... Read more