Though this is a lovely book, I was very disappointed that most of the recipes include alcohol of some type for flavoring. I wanted to use this for my family which includes small children. There is also a significant emphasis on chocolate, which also is not good for children, particularly in the evening. I previewed it carefully but was unable to observe those issues.
In response to ybronw from Canada...Perhaps the duplication of receipes and or illustrations in this book were for the simple reason that it is a KEEPSAKE book..in my opinion , the perfect small gift for that special person that you want to remember for a special occasion. Perhaps, it will introduce the receiver to the incredible talent and sensitivity of the author/illustrator! I enjoy reading the KEEPSAKE books over and over when I only have a few moments to relax and renew my soul with Ms. Branches gentle creativity. When I have more time I pick up her fullsized books for a bigger "taste of peacefulness and tranquility". These are not just cookbooks but reminders of a slower richer way of life.
I took a crepe making class just to learn the technique and take the fear out of crepe making. While I took away from that class a few recipes, none were interesting enough to make at home. This book is wonderful--what closed the deal on purchasing it was when I saw that it included a recipe for blue corn crepes. While vacationing in Santa Fe, I fell in love with their blue corn pancake/muffin mix. I can't wait to make the blue corn crepes with the blue corn mix I brought back to Houston. The recipes in this book are exactly what I was looking for--diverse and simple to follow.
This book is chalk full of fun. It's humorous. It offers great self help lifestyle advice. Plus, it makes a neat cookbook. It is a chalk full of great advice and good laughs.
I really missed California as I was thumbing through Jill Silverman Hough's book,'100 Perfect Pairings.' Hough, a teacher and food writer from Napa, CA, has put together a book featuring dozens of easy yet artful recipes and provides just enough wine pairing information to enable a food lover to select a wine with confidence.
The recipes that caught my eye were my kind of food - simple to prepare, but had just one or two ingredients that vaulted them from "that tastes good" to "ooh, what's in there." The fresh corn with citrus butter, a match for Sauvignon Blanc, adds the zest of an orange, lemon and lime to unsalted butter. Cinnamon cream cheese sandwiches are recommended as an afternoon pairing with a glass of Gewurztraminer. Syrah is a match for a salami, mozzarella, walnut and herb topped pizza.
The recipes are the star of this book, but I absolutely loved the way the author presented several essential food and wine pairing tips in the sections 'A Really Brief Discussion of Food and Wine Pairing,' and 'Fine Tuning Tips.' This part of the book, just a short four pages, gives food and wine pairing novices many of the tools I teach at my food and wine pairing classes.
The book is small enough to keep in the kitchen or bring to the grocery store. 100 Perfect Pairings would make a great gift for a new bride, a housewarming gift for a friend who loves to entertain, or a solid culinary addition to a wine lover's bookcase.
I love this cookbook. The wine and food pairings are awesome, the recipes always are wonderful, the pictures are beautiful. I have yet to be disappointed by a recipe from this book. Yes, they take a little time and maybe more ingredients than some people prefer to use, but they are most definitely worth it.
This cookbook has taken the #1 spot in my cookbook collection. The selection of recipes is superb. I am a huge dessert person and this cookbook has a recipe for every sweet tooth in my mouth! The family photos and shared memories are the "icing on the cake." Great gift for loved ones!!
As someone with a sweet tooth, this book appealed to me.
The book itself is beautiful and contains many color photos of tempting treats. I'm only giving it four stars because although there are a few recipes in it that I might enjoy, I seriously doubt that I'd ever make many of them.
As others have already pointed out, many appear to be saltier versions of common recipes.
Probably a good book for someone who loves to cook desserts, but not a mainstay, go-to book for many of us. I'd recommend it as a gift book for someone who collects cookbooks or loves making sweets.
Having worked and lived in Western Australia for some time, Benjamin Christie was well qualified to take us 3 hours south of Perth down to the wine growing region of Margaret River where he visits Vat 107 Restaurant and a number of wineries. Margaret River is located near the coast between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin and boasts a variety of vineyards growing high-quality table wine grapes in the Mediterranean climate of the region. Some of Australia's most popular wines are produced in Margaret River with well known brands such as Amberley Estate, Brookland Valley Vineyard, Brookwood Estate, Cape Mentelle Vineyards, Clairault Wines, Cullen Wines, Driftwood Estate, Evans & Tate, Howard Park Wines, Leeuwin Estate Winery, Madfish Wines, Moss Brothers, Palandri Wines, Sandalford Wines, Voyager Estate and Xanadu Wines. Owned and operated by Jenny Spencer and Gary Cream, Vat 107 is a unique establishment bringing a little of the city to the country. Vat 107 has stylish decor, polished floorboards and marble bars ooze style and city slick. Chef Jamie Farrer, who has been with the Vat since its opening in April 1999, designs his menus with an extensive and intelligent knowledge of local produce. Jamie is a great advocate of local foods and uses fresh seasonal produce from around the south-west region. While Benjamin was there Jamie cooked, flame grilled Western Australian marron with a Greek salad, tempura oysters with sweet soy dipping sauce and twice cooked duck with ...
We made the toffe cookies with dark chocolate glaze. They were wonderful! Saltysweets is a wonderful cookbook with amazing photographs that tempt the taste buds. This is a great cookbook for those who are looking to change-up their holiday baking.
I recently purchased and read "The Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz. Wow. That's all I can say, wow!. It is a fantastic book. First of all it has some amazing recipes to accompany the stellar writing. (Especially the one for Chocolat chaud, yummy!) Being a frequent visitor of Paris myself I really feel that his tips and experiences are very true to life and useful. Fantastic easy read. Definitely worth it.
This book is perfect for beginners and intermediate cake decorators who enjoy learning new tips and tricks. The step by step photos and instructions are clear and easy to follow. Not only will you learn a thing or two but it will also give you some great ideas and inspire you to take your cakes to the next level!
Excellent book. A good addition to any chef-in-training's repitior of cookbooks. I keep this book around as a reference for design plating inspirations and to expose my growing vocabulary of exotic ingredients.
Its also nice to see a Canadian authoring such books of high skill level amongst the more simpler books (ie Canadian Living). The Dubey's are masters in their fields, chocolate, and I had the honor of meeting them during a demonstrations.
This book comes highly recommended by a student of the arts.