Best Cookbook Reviews

Best Cookbooks

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 06:14:19 +0000

The Search for the Best Cookbooks

Many food enthusiasts or aspiring chefs are looking for the best cookbooks so they can prepare delicious and mouth-watering foods based from the ideas of the best chefs in the world. A cookbook serves as a reference that houses hundreds to thousands of recipe collections, that’s why is most often referred as kitchen bibles. Best cookbooks not only give away free recipes but also with cooking tips and techniques for this present time. There are numerous cookbooks released in offline or online cookbooks stores with corresponding price so you can get the good ideas in cooking, although it is rare to find free best cookbooks these days.

Cookbook is typically created to inspire modern housewives who are usually focused on taking care of their family instead of working at an office. To lessen their boredom, many housewives are looking for the best cookbooks that have unique approach on the recipes and distinctively acceptable for the taste of everybody. However, this usual impression has been changed because of the availability of different media such as magazines, television, and internet wherein modern culinary arts are motivating a lot of people to encourage cooking at their respective homes and to attract students to spend time in the kitchen in learning the basics of cooking or baking. If you’re aspiring to be a future chef and you’re searching for the best cookbooks in town then let us guide you on your quest.

Where to look for the Best Cookbooks

In the past, ordinary recipes are being published in local news papers and weekly cooking magazines, long before the introduction of internet. Best cookbooks are widely available in cookbooks store such as Cookbooks Plus, Kitchen Arts and Letters, and The Cookbook Stall. Among the best cookbooks writers or authors to date are Julia Child, a famous American Chef that introduced the French cuisine to the American people. Of all the best cookbooks that she wrote, the “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” is one of her masterpieces.

Lately, looking for the b est cookbooks is made easier through online searching using the internet, so you don’t have to go out and look for the nearest cookbook store in your community. Today, there can be hundreds of best cookbooks to choose from, discussing different class of dishes (from native to foreign dishes), modern cooking techniques, or books focusing on a single subject for a specific ingredient. You only need to do is to download the best cookbooks so you can access the information and details of the virtual book or let it shipped to your home address by paying nominal shipping fees. Obviously, you need to pay for them from more or less $20 and some best cookbooks also range up to $50 or more. Online store sites like Amazon.com have thousand lists of best cookbooks14 from the past up to the present. Let’s give you some of the top cookbooks of this present-day.

The Best Cookbooks of the Present-Day

There are many great best cookbooks authors in the history of modern cooking and some of them have left us astounding cookbooks of which modern recipes were derived from. James Beard (The James Beard Cookbook on Cuisine Vu), Nigella Lawson (author of the best-selling cooking books “How to Eat” and “How to Be a Domestic Goddess”) and Jeff Smith (“Frugal Gourmet”, “Culinary Handbook”, and “Keeps the Feast”) are among the best cookbooks authors of all times.
Today, there can be a lot of best cookbooks released and published every other year and many of us have their collections already. But what made these best cookbooks priceless is the fact that they are not only giving us ideas of the best foods to prepare, the books are there to continuously inspire us to be more creative in the kitchen.

Amanda Hesser’s “The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century” is awarded as the best in General Cooking by the James Beard Foundation Award of 2011. It is composed of 932 pages of the best recipes of the century and was published last October of 2010. It is now lined up with the other best cookbooks since the time of Julia Child. At amazon.com, its current price is $23.52.

Next in the list of the latest best cookbooks is Rene Redzepi’s Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine. This 368 pages of cookbook is ranked tenth place in the 2010 Amazon’s Best Cookbooks and also part of the Top 25 of 2010 The Guardian’s Best Cookbooks.

Cureently ranked 1st place in the 2010 Amazon’s Best Cookbooks, the “Harvest to Heat: Cooking with America’s Best Chefs, Farmers, and Artisan” have 100 easy-to-cook recipes authored by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer.
Hailed as NPR’s Best Cookbooks for the year 2010, the “One Big Table” is a good cookbook for everybody from ordinary household and for culinary students or chef wannabes because it offers around 600 recipes from renowned chefs, pit masters, fishermen, farmers, and home cooks. With 880 pages containing of 600 recipes, it is truly one of the best cookbooks to buy.

Another recommended cookbook for everyone is the “Heart of the Artichoke and other Kitchen Journeys”. This amazing cookbook is consisting of 344 pages of impressive recipes and authored by a talented chef David Tanis. It is ranked 8th place in the 2010 Amazon’s Best Cookbooks.

On the other hand, if you love baking so much, among the best cookbooks for baking are “Home Baking”, “The Bread Bible”, “Bitter Sweet”, “The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion”, and “New Complete Book of Breads” (Bernard Clayton, Jr.).

The list for best cookbooks is vast and the above mentioned cookbooks are among the best of the bests and based on the review of many cookbook reviewers. There are other independent reviews you can find online and will reveal their top favorites. The most important thing that you should consider in looking for the best cookbooks is the essence of simplicity of the recipes, easy to understand cooking instructions, and you will learn new ideas in food preparation.

Halogen Oven Cookbook

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:38:30 +0000

A halogen oven works like a mini oven that heats through a combination of infrared heating and a convection fan. It has the cooking speed close to that of a microwave but with the culinary advantage of making your food crispy or crusty with all preparation methods possible such as boiling, roasting, barbecuing, frying, streaming and grilling. Furthermore, it allows for low fat cooking thereby enabling you to maintain healthy diet and lifestyle.

With that being said, here are the best halogen oven cookbooks that can definitely help you take advantage of all the goodness this kitchen gadget has to offer.

The Halogen Oven Cookbook

a comprehensive guide that will help you maximize the benefits of your halogen oven and cooking tips to get you started
contains 100 recipes that are easy to follow and have been personally tested by the author herself
include all the traditional favorites, such as Shepherd’s Pie, Toad in the Hole, Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Curry, Lasagne and Poached Salmon are here, plus some exciting new contemporary recipes, including Nutty Pork Meatballs, Fish Kebabs with Mango Salsa, and even Sweet Orange and Chocolate Pizza.
will make your life easier as the recipes take time and hassle out of all of your favorite dishes.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

Fun Cookbooks for Kids

admin — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:29:47 +0000

Getting your kids to eat healthy can be a challenge as they tend to eat only foods that are familiar to them. However, if you get them involved in the process like the preparation and cooking itself, it can be fun and exciting for them.

We have picked 3 cook books which are aimed primarily for the kids. These books contains excellent and playful ideas on how to get your kids started in cooking and eating healthier.

Kids’ Fun and Healthy Cookbook

goes beyond snacks and sandwiches, it does not have silly recipes—it is a serious cookbook
a must have recipe book if you want to get your kids started on healthy eating—there is no need to preach to your kids about what to eat and what not to eat, this book will do that for you
the vivid and colorful photos have been used effectively to enhance and readability of the book, it’s almost like cooking by numbers
more than just a cookbook for kids, the book contains information on how to prepare healthy and flavorful meals—it’s not just for kids, it’s good for you too

Pillsbury Kids Cookbook: Food Fun for Boys and Girls

his recipe book is overflowing with creative and playful ideas on how to prepare traditional meals—ever heard of Bunny Rabbit Pancakes? How about Hot Diggitty Dog Pizza boats?
great sources of ideas for preparing food during Halloween, Christmas, weekend getaways or slumber parties
very easy to follow recipe, each recipe tells you what kitchen equipment or tools you will need
clever use of photos to aid the recipe preparation, very easy to follow
the recipes contains calorie information per recipe and serving, while the book is not for weight watches, adding the calorie information is very thoughtful—splurge at your own peril, you have been advised

The Kid’s Cookbook: A Great Book for Kids Who Love to Cook!

this truly is a Kid’s cookbook, the recipes were designed so that the kids are the ones who will prepare the food, it’s a hands-on recipe book for kids
the pages are colorful and bright, recipes are accompanied by vivid pictures which helps kids follow the cooking instruction/preparation more effectively—it includes more than 40 recipes for the kids to enjoy
a good starter book for cooking, it explains some fundamental cooking techniques—the adults can learn a thing or two as well
the book is spiral bound, you can lay it on the kitchen counter while preparing the food for easy reference, it is easy to handle too

Best Diet Cookbooks

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:21:57 +0000

Diet cookbooks have a stigma that the food is flavorless, bland and uses exotic ingredients that are hard to find. We have picked 3 books that will crush those stigma. Here are 3 books that can get you started eating healthy without being deprived of flavor and taste.

The Most Decadent Diet Ever!: The cookbook that reveals the secrets to cooking your favorites in a healthier way

the cookbook is designed for everybody, it was not meant to vegan or non-vegan, it is not geared towards a specific diet
the recipes are reinvented versions of sinful food that everyone loves, it was just made healthier
each recipe is clearly marked with caloric information, you can decide and choose which recipe to follow based on the calorie count—calorie counting is made easy
recipe includes specific nutritional information like carbs contents, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol—truly a book for foodies and weight watchers

Good Housekeeping The Supermarket Diet Cookbook

a book for home cooks and weekend warriors –even a beginning home cook will appreciate the book
ingredients used are not exotic, they are things you will normally find as grocery items
the book will appeal to vegetarians and omnivores; the recipes includes instructions on alternate preparation for vegetarians and low sodium dieters
the book is rich in nutritional information, each recipe includes suggestions for servings—it also includes information on food groups
the recipes were thoughtfully designed for busy individuals so you can prepare the meal, from stove top to table, in about 20 minutes

The Sonoma Diet: Trimmer Waist, Better Health in Just 10 Days!

a must have book for weight watchers, even if you are a newbie in weight loss or in food preparation, you have plenty to take away from the book
using the Sonoma recipes, calorie counting, measuring and weight watching are no longer needed—if you follow the diet, weight loss will surely follow suit
not a crash dieting regimen, it simply is a way to live healthier—it’s not time bound, so you can follow the diet for a long time
ingredients and food selection will not leave you feeling deprived and unsatisfied, plus, it taste great

Best Slow Cooker Cookbooks

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:48:17 +0000

The phrase “quick recipes for the slow cooker” is probably an oxymoron to some people, but the books we picked to get you started in slow-cookers proves that you can really save time using your slow-cooker. The key to saving time is preparation, planning and execution–the fix and forget technique is what will save you time using the crock-pot. Here are our top 3 picks for the best cookbooks for slow cookers or crockpots.

Slow & Easy: Fast-Fix Recipes for Your Electric Slow Cooker

recipe includes information on serving sizes which is helpful for planning meals either for a small or large group
diverse recipe, it allows you to cover all of the courses of a complete meal, from appetizers, salads, dips, soups, one-pot meals, and drinks just to name a few
instructions are clearly written, even if you are new to slow-cooking, you won’t be intimidated by the recipes
a compendium of recipes which includes almost 250 recipes that were specifically selected for slow-cooking

Taste of Home:The New Slow Cooker

procedures are low ceremony. the fix-and-forget technique limits your time on the stove-top
includes 225 easy but diverse recipes that covers appetizers, desserts, hearty entrees, soups and stews
has lots of pictures that complement the cooking instructions. it’s easy to get started on crock-pot dishes
the book proceeds in a uniform way, from preparing the ingredients at night to following the instructions on slow cooking
ingredients used are commonly found on groceries which makes food preparation easy
if you follow the slow cooking instructions and prepare the ingredients at night, the next day’s meal requires no prep time at all

Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Slow Cooker Book: More than 400 recipes from appetizers to desserts

very versatile as it includes a lot of other helpful hints which are applicable not only to slow cooking but to other recipes as well
very informative as it includes chapters on food safety and cooking time
you will not run out of dishes to cook as it features 400 recipes that are diverse and delightful
covers everything as it includes recipe ideas for appetizers, side dishes, breakfast, desserts and even hot beverages
recipe and instructions are complemented with vivid photographs to help you understand the cooking instructions better
thoughtfully crafted for the busy individual, the recipe calls for ingredients such as canned soup/mixes and other grocery items that are very easy to find

Best Gluten Free Cookbooks

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:06:41 +0000

Cooking for celiacs is not easy because most of the cookbook and culinary literature includes wheat and gluten. If you can’t tolerate gluten or wheat in your food, the alternative is usually bland food found in specialty stores–that is no longer the case, we have chosen the top 3 best cook books for the gluten free community.

1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes

the book includes an extensive set of recipes which were crafted for home cooks, it provides an excellent resource for meal planning gluten free dishes
the recipes are professionally crafted, it contains trade skills for chefs which are now made available for home cooks, for example, the book gives precise instructions on how best to use the tortilla press and how best to work with the dough
very insightful, the book includes nutritional analysis for each recipe, which is crucial when cooking for celiacs
very practical approach on preparing gluten-free baked dishes, the key is only to replace traditional flour with sorghum flour-mix, and the rest of the recipe is almost like making traditional bread

Nearly Normal Cooking For Gluten-Free Eating: A Fresh Approach to Cooking and Living Without Wheat or Gluten

the book exudes inspiration, it is peppered with encouragement and anecdotes about the author’s experiences with celiac disease, as she herself is one; it is clearly written and gives very direct instructions on how to prepare the recipes
very rich in information and prescriptions on what to do and what not to do when preparing food for celiacs
well organized book, there are sections included where you can find more references about the celiac disease
recipes are well crafted, the ingredients are not out of the ordinary

The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone

the dish selection is very liberating, the book includes some dishes that used to be off-limits for celiacs–pancakes and meat loaf, for example
cleverly and clearly written, the approach on recipes simplifies cooking and baking without gluten which makes wheat-free dishes accessible to a lot of people
the recipes are carefully selected and scrutinized for ingredients other than gluten which can equally cause allergies like nuts, beans and milk–the recipes also gives a lot of information for ingredient substitutions

Best Cookbooks for Diabetic

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:33:01 +0000

Cooking for diabetics should not mean that the food will be tasteless and lacks flavor. We have selected 3 recipe books for diabetics that will show you how flavorful and tasteful the food can be without sacrificing health and nutrition.

When cooking for people with diabetes, you need to be watchful of what put in the recipe and how much you put into the recipe. Nutritional and caloric information is of paramount importance. Our top 3 picks for diabetic recipes contains not only the nutritional information, but they also showcase food recipes that taste good, even for non-diabetics.

The Diabetic Chef’s Year-Round Cookbook

has good organization, sections are dedicated for tips on stock preparation, salad dressings and sauces–sections are divided even to cover exactly 2 months worth of recipe
recipes are American, Asian and Latin in orientation which makes the book at a melting pot of flavors
very readable, the use of large fonts is very thoughtful which makes it easy to read even for older diabetics whose sight has degraded
includes plenty of information like diabetic exchanges, calorie information of ingredients and recipes, grams of protein per service, cholesterol amount per serving even sodium content per serving is included

Delicious Diabetic Recipes: The Gourmet Cookbook for a Healthy Life

the book is product of 2 diverse but complementary discipline, Dr. Rani Polak is a medical doctor and a cordon bleu chef at the same time
recipe ideas are flavorful despite being diet food–it does not taste like one
recipes neither compromise on taste nor flavor
instructions are easy to follow, you don’t have to be an expert chef like Dr. Polak to cook the meal
instructions are complemented with vividly stunning pictures makes cooking the recipe as simple as paint-by-numbers

The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle Cookbook: Stop Diabetes with an Easy-To-Follow Plant-Based, Carb-Counting Diet

recipes focuses on nutritional values of each ingredient, which makes it a must-own book for type 1 and type 2 diabetics, but recipes are flavorful–does not taste like diet food
wide range of recipe ideas that covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts
features vegan dishes that underscores “good carbs”
recipes focuses on low fat, low glycemic and low sodium diet
appendix contains cooking terminologies, the book can be used as a beginner’s cooking reference as well

Indian Food Cookbooks

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:49:41 +0000

Indian food is challenging. Most home cooks (who are not from India) won’t even attempt the simplest of recipe found in an Indian cookbook because of the unfamiliar ingredients and procedure, and those who did attempt have been met with frustration. Fret not, we have chosen the top 3 books that will get you started in Indian cooking, the right way.

Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India

a must have cookbook if you are venturing into Indian cuisine, if you have tried your hand in Indian style of cooking, you know that it’s not easy, this book will get you started in the right direction
the recipes has been adjusted and adopted for the home-cooks, directions are easy to follow and there are enough tips on where to source the ingredients
the book contains beautiful and vivid illustrations to guide you further in Indian cooking
very carefully organized, recipes are grouped by region (India), the dishes were also crafted to complement other dishes–you can create a small feast using this book

1,000 Indian Recipes

the recipes are easy to follow which makes Indian recipes accessible to home cooks, the procedures in the recipe produces the desired results, no more drippy sauces and underdone or overdone spices
recipes are fine tuned for home-cooking even if original recipes were used in the Ajanta restaurant, this makes the Ajanta recipes reproducible at your own kitchen
well organized book, the recipes are divided by region
rich in information related to Indian cooking, a glossary of Indian cooking terms is included in the book as well as an excellent introduction on Indian spices and ingredients that you should have in your pantry

From Mom With Love . . . A Complete Guide to Indian Cooking and Entertaining

a rich source of meal planning information which includes a wide range of Indian cuisine that can be prepared everyday for home cooking
very informative, there is an exhaustive list of spices, kitchen equipment and pantry stocks which you should have for Indian cooking
packs a lot of practical kitchen ideas like preparing and freezing food so that you can prepare them ahead of time–this comes in handy when cooking for a large group
very utilitarian, there is a section on the book which gives advice on how to clean up after cooking, and most importantly, how to get rid of the strong odor

Italian Cookbook Reviews

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:08:54 +0000

Italian cooking is about ingredients and techniques, there is vast diversity of flavor from one region to another. Cooking techniques and choices of ingredients vary as you progress from North to South of Italy. Some dishes are simple, some are complex, all of them tastes great and packs a lot of flavor. Here are our top 3 picks on cookbooks about Italian cooking.

Every Night Italian: 120 Simple, Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 45 Minutes or Less

includes 120 simple and tasteful and satisfying Italian recipes that you can prepare every night
the book has good organization, individual sections are allocated for appetizers, soups, fish, rice and pasta, shell fish, vegetables, meats, desserts and menus
inclusion of essential techniques such as proper onion slicing, how to bone and fillet chicken breast and how to cut a pepper are very useful even for non-Italian cooking
the section on the Italian pantry is very useful, it is also strategically positioned at the beginning of the book–it tells you all the essential ingredients that you should have on hand when preparing Italian dishes

Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

the culinary richness and diversity of all 12 regions of Italy in one book,a practical source for meal planning, includes 120 simple and easy to make Italian dishes that can be prepared every night
it’s more than a cookbook, there is plenty of historical and cultural information about each recipe which makes you appreciate more how the recipes came to being
vivid photographs are not only instructive and illustrative, but it gives you a deeper appreciation of Italy–the photographs are almost like work of art by themselves
specific ingredients used in the recipes are highlighted in red markings, which makes reading and following the recipe a lot easier

Rao’s Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking

the book is wonderfully written, it lifts the veil off the Rao restaurant kitchen secrets
the recipes have been crafted thoughtfully and have been written to make regional Italian cooking available and accessible to anyone
entertaining as well, it’s not a simple cookbook, it’s a history of the Rao family recipe and the restaurant
ingredients used in the recipes are not hard to find which makes the recipes attainable to a lot of people

Best French Cookbooks

admin — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 04:36:22 +0000

There are mixed feelings on French cooking, some opinion is that it’s snobbish which makes cooking ala cordon bleu a thing to brag about–some say it shouldn’t be, French cooking can be done by anyone, anywhere. We have chosen 3 books that presents these 2 contrasting opinions–one thing for sure, all 3 books contains flavorful, tasteful and artful recipes of the French cuisine.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1

a must have for gourmets and aspiring gourmets, even the occasional home cook can take away something out of the book
contains all the 542 classic recipe by Julia Child et al.
includes vivid, instructive and illustrative photos which helps when trying to follow the recipes
the ingredients has been adapted for American cooking, which makes it easy to reproduce the recipes
the recipes calls for ingredients which can be easily found on grocery items
more than a cookbook, it contains suggestions for pairings such as which wine goes best with certain dishes

The Country Cooking of France

great cookbook and coffee table book as well, the gorgeous photos makes this an excellent and exciting thing to add to your collection
provides interesting information which takes you closer to the essence of French cooking and culture, you can almost imagine that you are enjoying your food in comfort of a chateau
includes over 250 recipes that are carefully selected from Ann Wilan’s extensive cooking experience–from the La Truffade to Cassoulet de Toulouse and Galette Landaise, anyone can find their own favorites
a book for the elite, provincial French cooking is done one way and one way only, all the others are wrong–this book truly lives up to that spirit

Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking

this book makes French cooking accessible to the masses
the recipes are crafted so that they well within the reach of home cooks, even the weekend warriors should be able to follow instructions–you cannot be an absolute beginner though
the book is rich and complete with traditional French recipes, the more complicated and challenging recipes are clearly marked and amply spelled out so that home cooks won’t get so nervous
crystal clear instructions makes the book a keeper
the savor and flavor of the recipes are not the only gems to take away, the book is humorously written