Colette’s Cakes: The Art of Cake Decorating January 6, 2009
Posted by admin in : Cakes , comments closed |   Author : Colette Peters Edition : 1st Number of Pages : 163 Publisher : Little, Brown and Company List Price : $35.00 Amazon Price : $14.00 Used Price : $13.75 |
Product Description
Painter and former Tiffany's designer Colette Peters presents complete instructions for reproducing 34 of her most gorgeous and inventive cakes. Step-by-step directions and more than 200 line drawings and color photos guarantee that even a novice will be able to create exceptional cakes from the very beginning. Includes recipes for white and chocolate cake, icings, and more. Color photos.Customer reviews
Great Idea's for Professional Wedding Cake Designs 
by .. ()
I found the images of each wedding cake to be one of a kind and easy to build your own wedding cake from. This book is a wonderful reference guide.
Cake Inspiration 
by .. ()
obviously not a cookbook though there are several basic recipes included. This book is a great tool to help stir your imagination and creativity. Colette Peters features many beautiful and unique cakes in this book, Its a great cake book to add to your collection serious baker or just a baking enthusist!
Fun & Easy!! by .. ()
I bought this book for my mom for mother's day and asked her to make me the seashell shaped cake for my birthday yesterday and she was pretty intimidated at first not thinking she'd be able to pull off such a realistic work of art..especially because she had never even used fondant before...but she soon found out it was WAYYY EASIER than she ever imagined! :) Collette really breaks down the process for the common kitchen dweller. You don't have to be Picasso to create these masterpieces. This book provides excellent descriptions, precise illustrations and absolutely gorgeous photographs! 5stars!! :)
The Art of Cake Decorating by .. ()
I like this book, I don't love it but I think it's well worth the money!!
If you ask me if I'd buy it again; I'd say yes!!
Sorry, I hate to say... 
by .. ()
I am someone who really admires Colette's work. I had bought all of her cake books except this one and "Colette's Christmas" (going for $200 now as opposed to the usual $30+-... what does that tell you about her popularity??) (YOU GO GIRL) However, I just received Colette's Cakes and am a little disappointed. This must be one of Colette's 1st books. These cakes offered no real challenge at all for me. Hey, I guess you have to start somewhere. Colette has grown and developed so much!! I really am one of her biggest fans!! Just thought you might want to know this book is a little light on the creative side, compared to Colette's work we know and love today!! :) P.S. - Her Chocolate Bourbon Cake Recipe in her book "Colette's Birthday Cakes" is UNBELIEVABLY delicious!!! I made the cover cake and was SO "THE HERO" at that party!! Thanks Colette!! :D
Encyclopedia of Classic French Pastries: History and Legends of the Great Pastries of France/Easy-To-Follow Recipes for Home Cooks January 5, 2009
Posted by admin in : Pastry , comments closed | Author : Susan Whatley Number of Pages : 270 Publisher : Royal House Pub. Co. List Price : $24.95 Amazon Price : $30.65 Used Price : $22.07 |
Product Description
The great pastries of France with history and legends. Easy to follow recipes for home cooks include the classic basic doughs, creams, syrups, and fillings. "Whatley's clear instructions make her recipes easily accessible to the home cook, and her headnotes include culinary lore not found in the basic texts. . . . invaluable."--Library Journal.Customer reviews
baking a legend by .. ()
This book has the best receipe for madelines anywhere. I love the histories about the pastries, just a little info that adds a touch of panache to a home baked goody.
Sharing Mountain Recipes: The Muffin Lady’s Everyday Favorites January 5, 2009
Posted by admin in : Muffins , comments closed | Author : Randi Lee Levin Number of Pages : 384 Release Date : 2006-11-30 Publisher : The Muffin Lady Inc. List Price : $28.95 Amazon Price : $12.90 Used Price : $9.99 |
Product Description
Sharing Mountain Recipes is said to be a must have addition in all high altitude kitchens. Filled with tips, substitutions, metric conversions and a wide assortment of daily recipes that have been requested over and over again, makes this cookbook one that you will not want to be without! Imagine the ou's and ah's and the smiles on your loved ones faces when you present them with a bowl of hot Baked Oatmeal (enjoyed for over 100 years to date), a homemade fruit bar to take on the go, or a delicious Spinach Mushroom Quiche for breakfast one morning. How about replacing the everyday midday sandwich with a plateful of Shrimp Salad, Dad's Favorite Oriental Salad or easily prepared but divine, Ham Salad. Each can be prepared in a jiffy as can Mom's Shepard's Pie or Hasty Chicken Stew for dinner. Rhonda's Raspberry Balsamic Chicken only takes minutes to prepare, but will give your loved ones the impression that they are dining in a 5-star restaurant. The soups will fill your home with the scent of goodness and the snacks, such as Fruit Burritos, Molasses Bread or a simple Cream Cheese Coffeecake will be requested for years to come. Sharing Mountain Recipes is a treasure trove of recipes that have been requested for years. The memorable flavors and tips for easily preparing scrumptious everyday feasts, will have you returning to the pages time and again. No worries if you want to taste these fabulous recipes in lower altitudes, for this scrumptious cookbook includes tips for using the recipes in lower elevations too! If you enjoy good foods, good times and the production of smiles and requests for more, then whether at high or low altitudes, this is a cookbook for you and your loved ones to enjoy for generations!Customer reviews
great for cooking at elevation by .. ()
Living at 7500 is wonderful but presents problems with cooking. This is a great book with good re4cipes. I also recomend "Pie in the Sky" and "Chocolate Snowball" - they both have altitude adjustments.
Good Basic Recipes by .. ()
This is a good book with many excellent basic recipes, with spelling errors and errors of omission ie oven temps, etc. Interesting to read and fun to use.
A welcome and recommended addition by .. ()
"Sharing Mountain Recipes: The Muffin Lady's Everyday Favorites" by Randi Levin (aka The Muffin Lady) showcases a compendium of nutritious, delicious, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes of easily prepared dishes ranging from breakfast favorites to special occasion treats. Ingredient supplements for special dietary needs are provided in addition to diverse tips for cooking and backing that will prove especially helpful for the novice chef. With recipes ranging from Dreamy Cheese Mashed Potatoes; Lemon Poppy Muffins; Berry Baked French Toast; and Sunshine Salad; to Sweet Poultry Kabobs; Seafood Au Gratin; Fried Bananas; Butter Cream filled Coffeecake. Of special note is the two pages devoted to 'A Few Favorite Submarine Sandwiches", the chapter on 'The Accessories of Foods', and unique recipe cited as being 'The Gourmet Mash for the Elder Horse'. There's even a poem to 'The Alligator Pear'. Enhanced with a 'Cooking Language Conversions' page, a U.S. to Metric Conversions chart, an a detailed index, "Sharing Mountain Recipes" is a welcome and recommended addition to any and all personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections!
The Muffin Lady strikes again! by .. ()
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (09/06)
The Muffin Lady strikes again! "Sharing Mountain Recipes" is Randi Lee Levin's second cookbook. Her first cookbook "Baking at High Altitude; The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes" won the Colorado Independent Publishers Association award, the Best First Cookbook in English, USA and then the Best First Cookbook in the World 2004 award. Her latest book completely lives up to the quality of the first cookbook.
As a person who is dating an Italian chef, has several subscriptions to cooking magazines and owns over 100 cookbooks that have been read from cover to cover, I found "Sharing Mountain Recipes" to be one of the best and most comprehensive cookbooks I have ever read. The Muffin Lady incorporates sound advice on cooking techniques at all altitudes, wonderful recipes and puts a lot of love into her work. You will feel like you are sitting in her kitchen trying out recipes with her when you read this.
The book starts off with the statement "There is one extraordinary ingredient that goes into everything that I cook and bake. Please do not forget this ingredient, for it is imperative to all recipes. Whenever I am cooking or baking, I add extra spoonfuls of Love to all of my recipes. Love added to all things good, makes them just a little bit better." Almost all of the recipes have stories about where they came from and how other people responded to them.
This cookbook is for all level of cooks. Levin has basic recipes for starter cooks and breaks down even her most complex recipes so that even the most novice cook will be able to create these wonderful recipes. I was also impressed with the fact that she is conscious about different dietary needs. She usually has several variations of each recipe, the original in all its fattening glory, the heart healthy version and the diabetes friendly version. As the Executive Director of the Diabetes Foundation of Rhode Island I would not hesitate to recommend this book to families that are adjusting to a diabetes friendly menu (if they promised to use the healthy recipe variations!).
"Sharing Mountain Recipes" is broken down into several sections including comfort foods, breakfast, lunch, dinner and of course, dessert. The Ultimate Comfort Food section is full of favorite mac n' cheese, mashed potato and chocolate recipes. Oh yes....I can feel my diet going right out the window with these beauties. Each section is filled with recipes from Levin's treasure trove that she inherited from her grandmothers, friends recipes and her own creations.
This book will make a great gift for the Holidays, engagement parties and showers. It would also make a wonderful host gift when I am going to someone else's home for dinner. Well, onto my biggest dilemma for this weekend, am I going to make Aunt Lil's Matzo Ball Soup or Doe's Beef Stew from "Sharing Mountain Recipes"? What would the Muffin Lady advise? Hmmmm.... she would probably give me a taste of something delectable in her kitchen and tell me to do both because there is always next weekend too!
Humble Pie: Musings on What Lies Beneath the Crust January 4, 2009
Posted by admin in : Pies , comments closed | Author : Anne Dimock Number of Pages : 176 Publisher : Andrews McMeel Publishing List Price : $12.95 Amazon Price : $4.69 Used Price : $0.01 |
Product Description
Anne Dimock grew up in a household where, she notes, "A dearth of good pie was a hardship I never encountered, never knew must be borne up by most folk." When she realized that the decline of the American pie civilization might be a harbinger of even deeper cultural problems, Anne became a woman on a mission to save pie from extinction.
Dimock shares her thoughts on the Zen of making pie crust, the politics of pie, judging a man's character according to his pie protocol, state fair pie competitions, the kinship between pie and baseball, and the search for edible pie at roadside diners.
Folksy and full of humor, Humble Pie is more than just an evocative journey through a life lived in pie. It is a culinary manifesto for a pie renaissance, inviting readers to take up their rolling pins and revive an endangered slice of American culture. Dimock advises us all to "Roll back the apprehension, the doubt, and enter the childlike state of grace where all things are possible and anything lost can be found again. The pie you seek resides not only in memory and imagination-your next piece of pie begins right here."
Customer reviews
Pie Magic by .. ()
Friends from Stillwater Minnesota gave me this book two years ago. Last week I finally read it cover to cover in one sitting and determined to make two blueberry pies. I make a very good pecan pie, but my fruit pies have always been failures: too dry, too watery. Between the recipes and the stories, this book somehow inspires in a pie maker just the right touch. One feels personally escorted in the kitchen by Anne Dimock. My blueberry pies turned out perfectly and I was pleased to take one to a graduation party where it received many compliments.
Pie Makers Unite! by .. ()
As a life-long Pie Maker (I'm 58 and learned how to make pies from my German grandmother when I was 9 years old), I couldn't believe my eyes when my husband gave me this book for my most recent birthday. In fact, I read it cover to cover and then baked an apricot pie! While I found the actual information quite useful (such as the treatise about different apples), it was the way Anne Dimock presents the philosophical, even spiritual, aspects of being a Pie Maker that really resonated with me. This is not just a cook book; it's a book that celebrates all things handmade, genuine, created through love and industry. We who are Pie Makers know what it means to mix together a dough that "feels" right; put together an interesting filling (I love apples and blackberries, and I'm "famous" among my husband's friends for my apricot pie), dot it generously with butter and place the top crust. And then the magic of opening the oven and being able to tell if the pie is done by the amount of bubbly juiciness. Yes, we Pie Makers need to celebrate our good fortune in having a book that now puts all our feelings and joys of making pies into words. If you're a Pie Maker, make this book the next one you read, preferably with a piece of your own delicious pie! Oh, and one more thing -- be sure and pass on your Pie Maker knowledge. My 6-year old grandson doesn't think it's a complete visit with "Grammie" unless we make a pie together. He has a couple of little pie pans (similar to the ones my grandmother gave me) so that he can make his very own pie and not have to share it with his 2 year-old sister!. I'll be reading Humble Pie to him on his next visit! -- Louise Miracle (Bloomington, IN)
Dimock on Pie: Musings to Amuse and Delight by .. ()
Anne Dimock has written a delightful exercise on the importance of everyday life, and the foods that define much of its pleasure. While pie (mainly apple) forms its core, she writes affectionately and with deft assurance of
lives lost and loves gained and generations passed and present. Her discursive essay on apple varieties is especially interesting, as well as her view of crust and the somewhat frightening use of pie-cutting methods as a Rorschach test of personality types in men. A great book for the holidays!
Long Live the Queen of Pies! by .. ()
This book warms the heart and brings a smile to those who enjoy eating a good apple pie, or any pie for that matter. It's a must read for all who sit in awe of those who heed their calling to make these homemade masterpieces. The book won't prompt you to go out and buy pie .... it will elevate you to want to try to make one on your own!
The Pizza Book: Everything There Is To Know About the World’s Greatest Pie January 4, 2009
Posted by admin in : Pizza , comments closed | Author : Evelyne Slomon Number of Pages : 276 Release Date : 1984-08-12 Publisher : Crown List Price : $23.00 Amazon Price : $39.99 Used Price : $2.95 |
Product Description
This young chef makes pizza making easy and fun. More than 200 easy-to-follow recipes. Supplementing the recipes is advice about ingredients, equipment and technique.Customer reviews
A good introduction, but certainly not authoritative by .. ()
I recently received a copy of this book when it appeared on my desk at work while I was away at lunch. I have been trying to make good pizza and this book appeared to hold a lot of promise. So, I dug in! I discovered that some of what I discovered in this book has been improved upon in the time between now and when it was written.
I cannot say this is a bad book, because it's not. It's actually quite a good book and a VERY good introduction to pizza. At the time, this probably was quite authoritative and complete, and while some of the material can be set aside as having been improved upon, it still holds value for allowing someone starting out to make pizza that is worth serving to company.
The book has a number of sections, including sauces and crusts as well as some complete pizzas that you can make in your own kitchen. There is good variety in it and there are a number of angles with which to experiment.
My primary interest in pizza is in the crust, so I attacked the recipes in this book for crust first. My family complained that I had changed the way I made pizza when I did so. The difference is that the crusts in this book are all "fast rise", bowl to peel in a short period of time, and several other books on the subject have migrated to a slower rise and more gentle handling of the crust. The result with the former is a firmer crust but with less flavor, while patient handling and letting the dough age longer results in a stronger flavor.
I experimented with the sauces and this worked out better than my attempts with the crusts. There are a few sauce recipes in the book and the ones that I have tried have definitely improved my offerings from the oven. That said, each is a matter of personal preference I and found myself tweaking and adjusting. This is not a shortcoming; I suspect the author had this in mind.
I have not tried to make the specific pizzas. That is a matter of pairing the crusts and sauces together with specific toppings.
There are other recipes for things such as focaccia, and I have found these to be ok at best and dull at worst. Again, this comes down to method and patience, and neither of these seem to be considered. That said, for a quickly-produced product the end result is usually pretty good!
It depends on what is important to you - speed or quality. I personally prefer quality, whereas this book favors speed. That said, the results that come from following the recipes in this book are certainly better than take-out pizza and are likely better than what you will find in other basic pizza books. There are better books on the subject now, but this one is a fine starting point.
A GOOD READ: BRAVO EVELYNE by .. ()
A great pizzaiolo doesn't become a "great pizzaiolo" because s/he reads a book; it requires hands on experience under the guidance of a master. There is a big difference between good pizza and great pizza, and the same can be said about any bread product. However, I take issue with the reviewer who made an issue about flour types; one uses what s/he has available. Those who want to get overly technical about flour should recommend Caputo Flour (farina di grano tenero tipo 00) and Evelyne knows this, but not everybody reading her book has ready access to it. She's not writing for the professional Italian pizzaiolo; she's writing for the American home-baker who probably shops at an American supermarket. Evelyne's pizza book preceeds most and is, in my opinion, still the standard. Other good pizza books available through Amazon include: Pizza Napoletana (Johns); Pizza (Morgan & Gemignani); and Peter Reinhart's book. Remember: it takes more than reading a book to become a great baker, but a good book helps. BRAVO EVELYNE!
the last word on pizza making for me by .. ()
i first saw this book in the library years ago and checked it out so much i had to have a copy for myself. since then i have made most of the recipes in it, and loaned it to many friends to get in on the secret of my great pizza. i am sure you will love the recipes and just reading the book.
Why? by .. ()
I cannot imagine why people rave about this book. Any "expert" on pizzas that says to use "bread flour or all purpose" for the dough--as if they are interchangeable and it does not matter which you use...well, they must not know what they're talking about! This isn't a terrible book, it's just not, in my opinion, the great book that people claim it is.
Best manual on homemade pizza making by .. ()
I was surprised to see that this little gem is out of print. Shame! As a pizza freak, I've toiled for ~20 years in search of the perfect homemade thin-crust pizza. The closest thing to a perfect guide is this book. A great pie is only as good as the dough/crust it sits on, and it's this emphasis that convinced me Ms. Slomon knows her stuff. Knowing where to look (NYC's finest pizzerias) for clues doesn't hurt, either. A great variety of pizzas are covered here, from thin-crust or deep-dish to calzones, strombolis, and more. What's appealing about his book is the passion the author exudes about her subject, something that genuinely comes through.
Always remember: If you must add oil to the dough for thin-crust pizzas, NEVER add it at the start; instead, make a sponge with the full amount of water, half the amount of flour, and yeast. Add salt, oil (if you must!), and the remaining flour later. This way, the dough stays elastic while developing a more tender crumb than if you were to avoid using oil altogether (as in the classic Neapolitan recipe). Adding oil at the start will give you a short, crumbly dough. Sadly, most pizza recipes insist on this CRIMINAL shortcut!
Long live the world's most perfect pie!
Sylvia Weinstock’s Sensational Cakes January 3, 2009
Posted by admin in : Cakes , comments closed |  Author : Sylvia Weinstock Number of Pages : 208 Publisher : Stewart, Tabori & Chang List Price : $45.00 Amazon Price : $27.00 Used Price : $24.30 |
Product Description
Sylvia Weinstock makes cakes that astonish the palate, dazzle the eye, and reward the spirit. Her spellbinding cakes have graced the tables—and grabbed the attention—at society weddings, celebrity birthday parties, and inaugural balls. Whether it’s a tower of white roses whose thousands of blossoms have all been painstakingly hand-crafted or an entirely faithful—and entirely edible—facsimile of a treasured heirloom tea set, every Weinstock cake is a work of art.
“Never say never” is Weinstock’s response when clients dare her to achieve the impossible: an array of miniature cakes shaped and decorated like Fabergé eggs; cakes that look like cars, cravats, and circus clowns; or a menagerie of fantastic creatures (bunnies, bugs, tigers, terriers, and even an armadillo), all concocted from butter, flour, and sugar.
In Sylvia Weinstock’s Sensational Cakes, America’s most famous cake designer gives you an insider’s tour of her world: the fabulous fêtes where her cakes set the scene and the artisanal workshop where she and her assistants bake and embellish the confectionary masterpieces that have made her signature—including her trademark eyeglass logo—so sought after. Best of all, she reveals some of her secrets: recipes for cakes, frostings, and fillings that will make your own guests stand up and applaud.
Customer reviews
Quite Disappointing by .. ()
This is a gorgeous book, however I was expecting MUCH more instruction like her first book. It does come with a few recipes, but again, if you have her first book, you've probably got all of these recipes already. Gorgeous pictures and photography, but disappointing otherwise.
Superb photography but zero substance............ 
by .. ()
I'll keep it short and to the point. This is a large and lovely book of superb cake photography but little else. If you are searching for instruction and/or education in the field of cake baking, look elsewhere.
As with her other cake book, it is a testimony for herself at how good she is at her craft. For the type of beautiful cake work that she and her staff create time after time, she most surely deserves some credit. The book has lavish photography with clear visual detail of many of her spectacular cakes, along with accompanying stories. But at the end of the book, she gives a beggars handful of cake batters; there was no point to this decision because it is obvious throughout this project, that there would be no cake instruction given. It would have served her well to have just left it as self-serving project.
I would recommend this book for the visual effects of her cakes only. But for learning how to make these cakes, there are other industry masters who take great joy in imparting their knowledge and sharing it with you.
Not really for cake decorators by .. ()
This is a beautiful book! Beautiful pictures, beautiful flowers, beautiful cakes, BUT it doesn't show you how to decorate the cakes shown, that's why I gave it a 2 star rating. Her first book is better with lots of details.
Sylvia Weinstock's New Cake Book by .. ()
This book is great; it has great pictures and great recipes. This is the second book I've purchased by Sylvia W. The first book has more decorating ideas and how to steps. The new book has updated recipes from the first book. I've use the butter cake recipe since I've purchased the first book 2 years ago, it really is the only cake recipe you'll ever need (as stated in the book). I recommend this book, it has more ideas for sugar flowers, etc. not quite as many how to steps.
Thanks
J. Pratt
Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes by .. ()
I also pre-ordered this book. I was really looking forward for it to arrive. However, I got disappointed when it arrived. I was expecting much more from it. There is not doubt that the book has beautiful pictures and it is well edited but there are no instructions or explanations.It is not a hands-on book or how to do it reference. The book is just a book with nice pictures.