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Book ReviewsCesar: Recipes from a Tapas Bar |
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Book: Cesar: Recipes from a Tapas Bar
Written by: Olivier Said Maggie Pond James Mellgren |
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5
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Authentic Spanish Tapas
Rating:
4 / 5
I am charging this lovely book with 1 star for it's extreme focus on cocktails (about 1/2 the book)that you can find in any cocktail book! Manhattan, Mint Julep, Old Fashioned, Rob Roy, Rusty Nail, Whiskey sour, and the list goes on, are neither unique nor relevant to the main subject, Tapas. To me it is obvious that the first 83 pages of this book are just a filler to justify the price.
Having said that the rest of the book is excellent. Recipes are separated into categories of Tapas by main ingredient, photos for many of the selections, as well as some history on the dishes.
Despite the annoying cocktail section this is still the best Tapas book I have come accross.
Another offering from the home turf of Alice Waters
Rating:
5 / 5
No, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse didn't write this book, but it springs from the fountain that she set flowing more than 20 years ago and continues in the fine tradition of all the cookbooks that have emerged from her little neighborhood in North Berkeley. The authors were all formerly affiliated with Chez Panisse, and it shows.
C�sar, a tapas bar/restaurant, was an instant success. The cookbook will be, too. The only downside for some readers will be that fully one half of the book is devoted to cocktail recipes; that same feature will be a huge upside for other readers. The second half of the book is recipes for the tapas, little Spanish dishes that are meant to be ordered with drinks and shared with friends. They're not hard - I've already met with high success with 3 of the recipes, esp the artichoke recipe!!! - but many require ingredients that aren't going to be easy for someone living in East Podunk, Nebraska, to find at her local A&P. However, you can get the stuff online at www.tablespan.com - or, if you're lucky enough to live 3 minutes from Berkeley as I do, visit The Spanish Table on San Pablo Ave.
This is a cookbook for the experienced cook with a sophisticated palate who wants to treat her guests to a few things they've probably never tasted before.
For the right audience, highest recommendation.
Amazing food and great cocktails!
Rating:
5 / 5
The cesar cookbook is awesome, directed both to novices interested in learning more about tapas and to those who have more advanced skills. i love trying the great cocktails recipes, they are fresh and easy to make. the photos perfectly capture the feeling of the bar and the writing is interesting and fun to read. No wonder it was voted one of the ten best cookbooks of the year by Food and Wine Magazine!!
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