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Summary: The Best Food Reference Book Ever!
Review: "Food Lover's Companion" by Sharon Tyler Herbst is one of my favorite reference books of all times. Not only does she define culinary terms used in cookbooks, but she also translates foreign terms, like flambé, and describes fruits and vegetables!I, originally, heard about this book at Amazon.com, and then later learned that Emeril Lagasse (celebrity chef) recommended this book. In fact, I just used the book when my mother-in-law was in town. We were ordering Chinese food and we wondered what the difference was between chow mien noodles and lo mien noodles...and it's in there! There is a section in the back that helps you choose herbs and spices to go with certain foods, where to get more information about certain foods, oven temperatures, conversions from metric to imperial, what some common additives found in your food are, food conversions (1 apple = 1/3 pound), common British and American terminologies as well as meat charts (so you can see what cuts of meat come from which part of the animal)! I definitely recommend this book to everyone, whether you are a great cook or just starting out. This book has everything you need to know!
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Summary: Do you cook? You need this book.
Review: "My mom told me that Confectioner's sugar is Powdered Sugar." my girlfriend says.
"No it's not -- it's just really small sugar." I reply.
"Time to check the book." We echo, almost in unison.
She's right. And this wasn't the first time we've answered questions, settled arguments, and gained knowledge from this book. I originally purchased it because it was a required book for culinary school. It's utterly indispensible if you want to know what ingredient are, and its holes are few and far between.
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Summary: I can't imagine being without this book!
Review: A friend got me this book for a present. Prior to that, it never occurred to me that such a book existed, or that I would ever need it. Now I can't imagine it not being in my collection. This book lists every possible ingredient (truffles, cumin, etc.), popular dishes (beef bourgonion(?), etc.) and every cooking term/technique (flambe, roux, etc.) in alphabetical order. With regards to a type of food, it will often list the various countries of origin (....this is found in Central America and in Southeast Asia...), how it is often used in cooking (....this is often sliced thinly and then pan-fried....), what to look for when selecting a certain type of produce at the store (...it should be relatively heavy for its size, with a smooth skin....), and how to store it (...this should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed plastic bag with a damp paper towel...), etc. Some of the food entries will also include information on vitamin content. For cooking techniques, they will explain for e.g. how to make a roux, or what it means to blanche vegetables (....quickly plunge the vegetables into boiling water, and then place them in cold water to stop the cooking process...). This book is also handy because it cross-references alot, and so as such, can provide you with needed information if you ever find yourself missing an ingredient, and want to substitute. If you are someone who's constantly interested in improving their cooking skills, this book is indispensible in helping you achieve that. I also enjoy just reading through the book sometimes, to learn new things.
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Summary: The New Food Lover's Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of
Review: A vital book of food reference. Crucial for all who seek the ultimate knowledge on food related terms and definitions. Keep it within reach, it will help you keep acurately informed about the ever expanding culinary universe of wine and food terms, foreign terms, methods, utensils, heirloom to new foods.
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Summary: Now Have My Own
Review: After spending the last 5 years borrowing a copy from a fellow manager, I have decicided to get my own copy.
What I find amazing about this book, is that the only food items I have not found in here were misspelled...by me.
Always something new to learn in just thumbing through.
A great resouce for anyone interested in cooking.
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Summary: A Must Have!
Review: Although anyone who cooks may get the most use out of this book, anyone who EATS should find value between the covers. I found this book interesting just to pick up and skim through and learn a bit more about what I eat on a daily basis. For example, yams and sweetpotatoes are not the same, although popular misconception and product labeling would have us believe otherwise. The contents of this book can, however, be found online at Epicurious.
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Summary: A must for all food lover's of the world.
Review: An exellent book giving details of almost every thing that one needs to know about in the cullinary world.As a chef , I stongly recommend this book for all the students as well as budding chefs. Its a great piece of information to have .A must for all the food lover's of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: a great reference
Review: As long as you don't need to know anything exotic, this book is great for the novice chef who needs to know about particular ingredients. I found it to be a great supplement to my collection. Those of us without culinary training will find it quite useful.
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Summary: Informative, Study it for Dinner Conversation Topics!
Review: Could you imagine being so pretentious that you wanted to study for a dinner party? Well, if you can, this is a great book to get you started. Has all kinds of interesting information. Did you know that pistachios are coloured pink because it makes them look appetizing? (Like really, it's completely arbitrary...)
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Summary: Recommended for a wide audience
Review: Food Lover's Companion appears in its third edition to provide references to the culinary world, with almost 6,000 listings on subjects related to food and drink from meat cuts and kitchen utensils to wine and cocktail terms. The revised, expanded index, glossary, and history are excellent, making this recommended for a wide audience.
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