Not the only book you'll ever need, but one of the best.
Rating:
5 / 5
This is a very useful "contemporary American" cookbook- It's well-written, informative, and full of great recipes. It's pretty ecclectic, and I find myself disappointed sometimes when I try to look something up in the index and it isn't there. It's kind of like asking your braniac friend a question and they don't have the answer- you kind ofassume that they do. This book is so good at what it does you assume it's good at everything. The biggest problem with this book is that it doesn't have all the answers. The greatest thing is that all the answers it has are correct. This isn't one of those utility cookbooks you use like "Joy of Cooking" or "Fanny Farmer." You might not find a gravy recipe, but if you want to serve a dynamite meal to guests without looking like you were trying to get all fancy, this is a great book. And let me reiterate that there's a lot more than recipes in this book- it's also very informative. The continuous use of the third-person plural (The "Royal WE") is a bit annoying, but it's clear that this is David Rosengarten having to prentend that two guys named "Dean" and "Delucca" actually wrote it. Not terribly friendly to dieters, this book is nevertheless not all about fat and carbs. Just lots of good food. Really, really good food.
Great for Regional Basics
Rating:
5 / 5
This is the best cookbook I own. Granted I'm in a phase of cooking where I can make a slew of pasta dishes, but now I want to branch out a little. This book provides clear and concise recipes for all my favorite "basic" dishes, from quesadillas and matzo balls to thai curries and falafels. The authors also give tips on seemingly simple things such as making fluffy rice, buying fish smoking meat, as well as in depth descriptions of grains, seafood, veggies etc. in their many varieties.What I love most about this book is that it allows the reader to master the basic recipe before it provides another trussed up version. If I want french onion soup, I don't want someone else's fancified take. I want one that tastes damn good and takes me back to France in the winter. (And it does too!) This book is for the seasoned and novices alike who love good unadulterated regional basics with the occasional fancy versions thrown in too.
Cooking up a storm...
Rating:
5 / 5
David Rosengarten not only explains each category of food, but the recipes throughout have resulted in culinary delicacies I never thought I could produce!
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