With her years of experience from big-pot cooking at a boarding school and her classic French culinary training to her work as a research biochemist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Shirley looks at all aspects of baking in a unique and exciting way. She describes useful techniques, such as brushing your puff pastry with ice water—not just brushing off the flour—to make the pastry higher, lighter, and flakier. She can help you make moist cakes; shrink-proof perfect meringues; big, crisp cream puffs; amazing pastries; and crusty, incredibly flavorful, open-textured French breads, such as baguettes. Restaurant chefs and culinary students know Shirley from their grease-splattered copies of CookWise, an encyclopedic work that has saved them from many a cooking disaster. With numerous “At-a-Glance” charts, BakeWise gives busy people information for quick problem solving. BakeWise also includes Shirley's signature “What This Recipe Shows” in every recipe. This scientific and culinary information can apply to hundreds of recipes, not just the one in which it appears. BakeWise does not have just a single source of knowledge; Shirley loves reading the works of chefs and other good cooks and shares their tips with you, too. She applies not only her expertise but that of the many artisans she admires, such as famous French pastry chefs Gaston Lenôtre and Chef Roland Mesnier, the White House pastry chef for twenty-five years; and Bruce Healy, author of Mastering the Art of French Pastry. Shirley also retrieves "lost arts" from experts of the past such as Monroe Boston Strause, the pie master of 1930s America. For one dish, she may give you techniques from three or four different chefs plus her own touch of science—“better baking through chemistry.” She adds facts such as the right temperature, the right mixing speed, and the right mixing time for the absolutely most stable egg foam, so you can create a light-as-air génoise every time. Beginners can cook from BakeWise to learn exactly what they are doing and why. Experienced bakers find out why the techniques they use work and also uncover amazing pastries from the past, such as Pont Neuf (a creation of puff pastry, pâte à choux, and pastry cream) and Religieuses, adorable “little nuns” made of puff pastry filled with a satiny chocolate pastry cream and drizzled with mocha icing. Some will want it simply for the recipes—incredibly moist whipped cream pound cake made with heavy cream; flourless fruit soufflés; chocolate crinkle cookies with gooey, fudgy centers; huge popovers; famed biscuits. But this book belongs on every baker's shelf.

    Soon Jacques is caught up in the hurly-burly action of his mother's café, where he proves a natural. He endures a literal trial by fire and works his way up the ladder in the feudal system of France's most famous restaurant, finally becoming Charles de Gaulle's personal chef, watching the world being refashioned from the other side of the kitchen door.When he comes to America, Jacques immediately falls in with a small group of as-yet-unknown food lovers, including Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and Julia Child, whose adventures redefine American food. Through it all, Jacques proves himself to be a master of the American art of reinvention: earning a graduate degree from Columbia University, turning down a job as John F. Kennedy's chef to work at Howard Johnson's, and, after a near-fatal car accident, switching careers once again to become a charismatic leader in the revolution that changed the way Americans approached food. Included as well are approximately forty all-time favorite recipes created during the course of a career spanning nearly half a century, from his mother's utterly simple cheese soufflé to his wife's pork ribs and red beans.The Apprentice is the poignant and sometimes funny tale of a boy's coming of age. Beyond that, it is the story of America's culinary awakening and the transformation of food from an afterthought to a national preoccupation.

    Today's hobbyists rediscover the simplicity of making mead while reveling in the range of flavors that can result. In The Compleat Meadmaker, veteran beverage hobbyist Ken Schramm introduces the novice to the wonders of mead. With easy-to-follow procedures and simple recipes, he shows how you can quickly and painlessly make your own mead at home. In later chapters he introduces flavorful variations on the basic theme that lead to mead flavored with spice, fruits, grapes and even malt."-- from the book's back cover

    On an island in Sweden a grandmother teaches her granddaughter how to make slagbrot, a velvety rye bread, just as she was taught to make it by her grandmother many years before. In Portugal, village women meet once each week to bake at a community oven; while the large stone oven heats up, children come running for sweet, sugary flatbreads made specially for them. In Toronto, Naomi makes her grandmother's recipe for treacle tart and Jeffrey makes the truck-stop cinnamon buns he and his father loved. From savory pies to sweet buns, from crusty loaves to birthday cake, from old-world apple pie to peanut cookies to custard tarts, these recipes capture the age-old rhythm of turning simple ingredients into something wonderful to eat. HomeBaking rekindles the simple pleasure of working with your hands to feed your family. And it ratchets down the competitive demands we place on ourselves as home cooks. Because in striving for professional results we lose touch with the pleasures of the process, with the homey and imperfect, with the satisfaction of knowing that you can, as a matter of course, prepare something lovely and delicious, and always have a full cookie jar or some homemade cake on hand to offer. Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid collected the recipes in HomeBaking at their source, from farmhouse kitchens in northern France to bazaars in Fez. They traveled tens of thousands of miles, to six continents, in search of everyday gems such as Taipei Coconut Buns, Welsh Cakes, Moroccan Biscotti, and Tibetan Overnight Skillet Breads. They tasted, interpreted, photographed and captured not just the recipes, but the people who made them as well. Then they took these spot-on flavors of far away and put them side by side with cherished recipes from friends and family closer to home. The result is a collection of treasures: cherry strudel from Hungary, stollen from Germany, bread pudding from Vietnam, anise crackers from Barcelona. More than two hundred recipes that resonate with the joys and flavors of everyday baking at home and around the world. Inexperienced home bakers can confidently pass through the kitchen doors armed with Naomi and Jeffrey's calming and easy-to-follow recipes. A relaxed, easy-handed approach to baking is, they insist, as much a part of home baking traditions as are the recipes themselves. In fact it's often the last-minute recipes—semonlina crackers, a free-form fruit galette, or a banana-coconut loaf—that offer the most unexpected delights. Although many of the sweets and savories included here are the products of age-old oral traditions, the recipes themselves have been carefully developed and tested, designed for the home baker in a home kitchen. Like the authors' previous books, HomeBaking offers a glorious combination of travel and great tastes, with recipes rich in anecdote, insightful photographs, and an inviting text that explores the diverse baking traditions of the people who share our world. This is a book to have in the kitchen and then again by your bed at night, to revisit over and over.

    Now he shares his most personal thoughts about cooking in his long-awaited book, Cooking by Hand. In this groundbreaking collection of essays and recipes, Bertolli evocatively explores the philosophy behind the food that Molly O’Neill of the New York Times described as “deceptively simple, [with] favors clean, deep, and layered more profusely than a mille-feuille.”From “Twelve Ways of Looking at Tomatoes” to Italian salumi in “The Whole Hog,” Bertolli explores his favorite foods with the vividness of a natural writer and the instincts of a superlative chef. Scattered throughout are more than 140 recipes remarkable for their clarity, simplicity, and seductive appeal, from Salad of Bitter Greens, Walnuts, Tesa, and Parmigiano and Chilled Shellfish with Salsa Verde to Short Ribs Agrodolce and Tagliolini Pasta with Crab. Unforgettable desserts, such as Semifreddo of Peaches and Mascarpone and Hazelnut Meringata with Chocolate and Espresso Sauce, round out a collection that’s destined to become required reading for any food lover.Rich with the remarkable food memories that inspire him, from the taste of ripe Santa Rosa plums and the aroma of dried porcini mushrooms in his mother’s ragu to eating grilled bistecca alla Fiorentina on a foggy late autumn day in Chianti, Cooking by Hand will ignite a passion within you to become more creatively involved in the food you cook.

    The book takes the user through the major ingredient groups, explaining how sweeteners, fats, milk, leavening agents, and other ingredients affect the appearance, flavor, and texture of the end product. The coverage also includes scaling and measurements, heat transfer, and sensory properties in baking.This revised and updated Second Edition features:Hands-on exercises and experiments at the end of each chapter, with many involving the sensory evaluation of ingredients Expanded coverage of sweeteners, variety grains, enzymes, starch structure and gelatinization, and gluten structure Important coverage of changes to federal laws, such as food allergen labeling Coverage reflecting consumer awareness of nutrition and health, including information on dietary fiber, trans fats, and trans-free fats in the baking context More photographs to illustrate the science of baking End-of-chapter questions that both review content and require readers to apply and synthesize what they've learned How Baking Works, Second Edition offers a dynamic, hands-on learning experience to both practicing and future bakers and pastry chefs.

    Like its sister volume on the basics (The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 2002, 0-471-35925-4), this book, which covers such subjects as modernistic desserts, chocolate work, and sugar and marzipan creations, is designed to meet the needs of today's pastry kitchen. This definitive reference features clear explanations, step-by-step how-to photos, and meticulous recipes - all presented in a lively, reader-friendly style.

    Andreas shows the best way to cure gravlaks, make butter, prepare a poached salmon feast, and flambe a pork tenderloin with Scandinavia's favorite spirit aquavit. He shares his passion for traditional recipes such as Pork Rib Roast with Cloves, Mashed Rutabaga, and Norwegian Pancakes filled with berries.In "Kitchen of Light" readers are transported to Viestad's Norway fishing for cod, halibut, and salmon; gathering chanterelles, porcini, and wild berries. More than 100 recipes emphasize fresh, simple ingredients in delicious and elegant dishes such as Pepper-Grilled Oysters and Scallops and Roast Dill-Scented Chicken with Leeks and Potatoes. This inspired cookbook, a companion to the public television series "New Scandinavian Cooking," is perfect for home cooks, armchair travelers, cultural food enthusiasts, and anyone who yearns for the simple life."

    Best-selling authors Sara Corpening Whiteford and Mary Corpening Barber start the bride and groom off right with essential information on the equipment they'll need to begin cooking in their new home, as well as invaluable tips on getting the pantry stocked. Then they offer 125 recipes--those special dishes to turn to again and again. Ready to entertain the new in-laws? A weekend brunch featuring Sausage and Cheddar Cheese Strata comes together in a snap and is certain to impress. If something a little more romantic is in order, Brie and Champagne Fondue for Two shared in front of a roaring fire is as cozy as it gets. Everyday favorites like Classic Lasagna, Grilled Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa, and the impossible-to-resist Silken Chocolate Tart will have even inexperienced cooks looking like pros in the kitchen. Whether cooking on the fly with Dinners in a Dash-a meal on the table in 30 minutes or less: perfect for the working couple!--or hosting that first-ever holiday dinner, this is the cookbook newlyweds need to chop, peel, saut, and roast in harmony in the kitchen. Complete with beautiful photographs and menu ideas for special occasions (including the first anniversary), the Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook will have the happy couple-and their family and friends--eating well from this day forward.

    Now, Ari Weinzweig, the founder of Zingerman’s, shares two decades of knowledge gained in his pursuit of the world’s finest food products. In this fascinating resource guide, he tells you everything you need to know about how to choose top-quality basics that can transform every meal from ordinary to memorable: oils, vinegars, and olives; bread, pasta, and rice; cheeses and cured meats; seasonings like salt, pepper, and saffron; vanilla, chocolate, and tea. How do you tell the difference between a great aged balsamic vinegar and a caramel-flavored impostor? How do you select an extraordinary olive oil from the bewildering array of bottles on the grocery shelf? Which Italian rice makes the creamiest risotto (and what are the tricks to making a terrific one)? Is there a difference between traditionally made pastas and commercial brands? How do English and American Cheddars compare? How do you make sense of the thousands of teas in the world to find one you love? What should you look for on the label of a good chocolate? In Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, Ari Weinzweig provides the answers -- and includes approximately 100 recipes, many collected from artisan food makers, from Miguel’s Mother’s Macaroni to “LEO” (lox, eggs, and onions) to Funky, Chunky Dark Chocolate Cookies. This book is not only an indispensable guide to pantry essentials, it’s an enthralling read. You’ll visit artisan food producers, learn fascinating facts, find sources for the best brands and food suppliers, and get valuable advice that will change the way you cook forever.

    Famous for its star-studded clientele, a beautiful room in the chic SoHo neighborhood, and superbly executed food, Balthazar has been embraced by New Yorkers and visitors alike for its perfect evocation of a French brasserie. The Balthazar Cookbook captures that energy, that style, and that cuisine, with recipes for the most-loved and most-accessible French dishes: seafood ranging from the ultra-simple Moules à la Marinière to more ambitious Bouillabaisse; chicken and game favorites that include Coq au Vin and Cassoulet; red-meat classics such as Braised Short Ribs and Blanquette de Veau; sides like the perfect French Fries or sublime Macaroni Gratin; and finales that include Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Pot de Crème. This is the best of French cooking, from one of the best-loved French restaurants in the country.

    For more than forty years she has traveled through her beloved adoptive country, researching and recording its truly extraordinary cuisine. Now Diana turns her attention to the book she readily admits “should have been written years ago.”Diana’s objective in From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients is simple: to provide a guide to better understanding the ingredients Mexico has to offer and how best to prepare them. Her execution is little short of brilliant. The book is invaluable to the novice eager for an introduction to Mexican cooking, but it is equally important for the aficionados interested in refining and expanding their knowledge and skills.From My Mexican Kitchen takes readers and cooks on a tour of the primary ingredients of the cuisine, from achiote and avocado leaves to hoja santa, huauzontle, and the sour tunas called xoconostles—which are increasingly available in the United States. Diana unravels the dizzying array of fresh and dried chiles, explaining their uses and preparation; vibrant color photographs at last take the guesswork out of identifying them!Step-by-step photographs and Diana’s trademark instructions (peppered with her over-the-shoulder asides) lead us through the proper techniques for making moles, tamales, tortillas, and much more. Some highlights: chiles rellenos, frijoles de olla, salsa de jitomate, fresh corn tamales from Michoacán, and bolillos (Mexican bread rolls). These recipes provide a solid grounding for the new Mexican cook, and Diana then sends readers to her earlier work for more advanced regional recipes.Brilliantly photographed, with a text at once lively and authoritative, Diana Kennedy’s From My Mexican Kitchen is the one book anyone interested in this food cannot afford to be without.

    "Samuelsson is cooking delicate and beautiful food, walking a tightrope between Swedish tradition and modern tastes . . . intoxicating" (Ruth Reichl, "The New York Times").

    Expertly photographed.

    Beautiful, elegant and delicious, French desserts are easy to create at home as only a few basic recipes are needed to make some of the world's most renowned cakes and tarts. The Art of French Baking is the definitive collection of authentic French pastry and dessert recipes. From Tarte Tatin and Hazelnut Petit Fours to Cherry Tartlets and Choux Buns, it contains more than 350 simple recipes that anyone can follow at home.

    Neiman Marcus is also famous for the extraordinary food it serves at its restaurants and cafés across the country. Now, at long last, the renowned institution shares more than fifty years’ worth of legendary dishes in this lavishly illustrated cookbook.From the flagship store in Dallas, featuring the Zodiac Restaurant, to its landmark Rotunda restaurant overlooking Union Square in San Francisco and its newest restaurant, Mariposa, in Coral Gables, Florida, there are forty-two Neiman Marcus restaurants in stores across the country. The first one opened in 1953, and in the last half century Neiman Marcus has become almost as well known for its fresh and delicious cuisine as it is for its fashion.Neiman Marcus Cookbook will delight the store’s loyal fans and food connoisseurs alike, with more than 160 delectable recipes. The exquisite dishes range from simple soups and salads such as Summer Tomato Soup with Basil and Ricotta and Mediterranean Fattoush Salad to more ambitious entrées like Burnt Honey-Orange Chicken and Soy-Glazed Farm-Raised Trout. Longtime fans will be delighted to find recipes for Neiman Marcus’s famous Strawberry Butter, Mandarin Orange Soufflé Salad, Popovers, and Chicken Salad—not to mention their legendary Chocolate Chip Cookie.Neiman Marcus Cookbook is a celebration of a store that has been a trusted institution for nearly a century, and of a cuisine that’s been the favorite of discerning Americans for generations.

    Recipes from the master baker presented in colorfully illustrated large format includes seventy recipes for a wide variety of pastries and covering the range of French regions and styles.

    So in March 2001 he opened a new restaurant, Craft, that offered diners simple, soulful dishes centered around single ingredients that went on to shake up many people's ideas of what "restaurant food" should be like.Craft of Cooking leads you through Colicchio's thought process in choosing raw materials--like what to look for in fresh fish, or how to choose the perfect mushroom--to show that good food is available to anyone with access to a good supermarket, farm stand, or gourmet grocery. The book also features "Day-in-the-Life-of-Craft" portraits, which offer a fascinating, behind-the-scenes glimpse at areas of the restaurant beyond the dining room. These segments allow you to peer into the fast-paced prep kitchen, to witness the high drama of reservations, and to get a taste of the humor and empathy necessary to serve New York's colorful visitors and foodies.Using Tom's straightforward and friendly voice, Craft of Cooking offers recipes suited to any purpose--from a quick family meal to a festive dinner party for twelve.

    It is important that we be in charge again of our cooking, working with fresh, unadulterated ingredients. Enclosed you will find many simple-to-make, good-tasting, inexpensive dishes from the past that taste better than ever today. I urge you to try them. · Good soups—satisfying one-dish meals that can be made ahead· Dishes that can be made with what’s on hand—First-Prize Onion Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie, Salmon or Tuna Loaf· Vegetables baked and ready for the table· Real salads, substantial enough for lunch or supper, with snappy dressings· Breads and cookies, puddings and cakes that you loved as a childPS: There is nothing like the satisfaction of sharing with others something you have cooked yourself

    More than just a book of ancient recipes reconstructed for the modern cook (though there are more than 150 in the book), "Around the Table of the Romans" is a portrait of ancient Roman society as seen from the vantage point of the dining table. Faas explores ancient Roman manners, dining arrangements, spices, seasonings and cooking techniques. He shows how ancient Roman cuisine differs from its present incarnation. Most of all, he brings the ancient Roman world to life in a book that foodies and history buffs will salivate over.

    This beautiful book uses the ingredients and techniques of Morocan cooking to introduce dishes that are as much fun to make and serve as they are to eat.

    For anyone who knows the difference between a supermarket tomato in January and one fresh from the garden in July, FROM THE GARDEN TO THE TABLE is a welcome account of a family's quest to grow and eat their own fruit, vegetables, and herbs. FROM THE GARDEN TO THE TABLE celebrates the vital link between growing, cooking, and eating food. For Monty and Sarah Don, the process of preparing a meal begins with thinking about what seeds to buy. Food is grown and cooked in one continuous process and with one common goal-enjoyment. This highly original book contains clear and detailed instructions on how to cultivate and cook a wide range of herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Accompanied by full-color photographs that chronicle a year in their kitchen and garden, it aims to inspire food lovers to integrate their gardens and kitchens wherever they live and whatever their taste in food, as well as promoting a timely and appealing style of living.

    Williams-Sonoma shows you the way with Essentials of Healthful Cooking. This teaching volume takes a broad look at cooking healthfully, focusing not on excluding ingredients from a cook's repertory, but using ingredients creatively for maximum freshness, flavor, and nutrition. The book includes over 130 tempting dishes, with an emphasis on classic recipes that are modified for the healthful kitchen. Full-color photography showcases the finished dishes. Authors Mary Abbott Hess, Dana Jacobi, and Marie Simmons are highly regarded cooking experts with a flair for healthier fare. A nutrient guide and recipe analysis support the emphasis on quality eating.

    This guide is not only a visual catalogue; it includes over 200 recipes to try out, as well as the fascinating history and traditions surrounding this rich culture. There is a full-colour guide to ingredients with information about buying, preparation and cooking techniques to ensure you have all the basics. Discover how to deal with all the Thai foods, from rice and noodles to tofu and dried fish. The recipe collection brings together classic and modern dishes such as Kaffir lime fishcakes, green curry with lemon grass and coconut rice, and tempting desserts such as mangoes with sweet sticky rice. With photographs, a wealth of useful information and delicious recipes, this is an authoritative guide to Thai food and cooking.

    Step-by-step photographs and easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through each recipe, from assembling the ingredients to the final flourish of the finished dish. Following the recipes frame by fram makes cooking effortless, successful, and a genuine pleausre. Even the novice cook can confidently prepare any of the dishes, whether savory or sweet, in a matter of minutes. Whether you are a beginner or more experienced in teh kitchen, you are sure to find this uniquely beautiful book and inspirateion and a joy to use.