The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook/Dedicated to the Pure Joy of Baking

Rating:
Summary: Excellent technical info, disappointing recipes
Review: An avid & experienced baker, I was thrilled to receive this book as a gift. I learned a great deal about different doughs, and how they relate to each other. I have not been pleased with the quality of the recipes I have prepared from the book, however. They are, at best, average. To date, I have prepared over 50 of the recipes in the book, and usually have a superior version of the same or similar recipe in another book or my collection. For the money, I find the baking recipes in the 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (recently re-released) to be the best that can be prepared in a home oven. (Incidentally, I live only minutes from King Arthur Flour and buy all of my flour directly from their store) If you are interested in learning the fundamentals of baking (and many advanced tips and ideas as well), by all means purchase the book. My baking knowledge and skills increased dramatically after applying the ideas and principles in this book. Don't expect stellar results from the actual recipes, though.

Rating:
Summary: An all-time great cookbook--a "must have."
Review: Both a neighbor and I have this book--we both agree that we have not found one "bad" recipe. Very helpful are the section primers--cookies, bread, etc. which help with common baking problems. This has become one of my most frequently used cookbooks.

Rating:
Summary: Good Marketing, Poor Recipes
Review: Don't waste your time purchasing this book unless you plan on using only King Arthur Flour brand flour. I have tried numerous recipes (and I am no fool at baking) and none have ever turned out to meet my expectations. Because KAF wants you to use their high priced flour and the conversion of theirs to Gold Medal and Pillsbury doesn't quite match match up, don't waste your money. I refuse to spend my money on a higher priced flour when the other brands can make terrific bread on their own.

Rating:
Summary: A Bible for the Shelf
Review: I consider myself to be very picky regarding what cookbooks I own - I'll read any cookbook but I won't buy them for my reference shelf. This cookbook is a keeper! Sands deftly tells you not only the "how" of each recipe but the "why". I've read plenty of the "chemistry of baking" and other such books, but this is the first that truly explained certain principles of baking to me (like why yeast doughs rise faster on humid days). There are even, in addition to the hundreds of recipes for baked goods, instructions on making your own play dough and paper-mache using King Arthur Flour! Don't be fooled into thinking this is a coffee table cookbook though - everything is black and white with no pictures (only a few line illustrations for things like the different bread braiding techniques) - but you are bound to come back to this cookbook again and again (in fact, it might be a good idea to buy a cookbook cover as the pages are sure to get smudged with all your efforts).

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: I initially ordered two of these as gifts for women younger and less experienced in the kitchen than myself. Upon looking through the book, I was so impressed that I immediately placed an order for a third - for myself. I've been cooking for forty years, but there is truly something in this book for everyone!

Rating:
Summary: Everything that Grandma wasn't able to tell you
Review: I received this book as a gift and think that it is fabulous. The book tells me everything that grandma would have told me but just never did. I think this is a perfect gift for the newly wed or the person who has just moved out on their own. Makes a great gift. Their are no pictures of the recipes but the writing is in such great detail, I think a person can put that aside and just enjoy reading it if nothing else!

Rating:
Summary: An honest opinion of one that doesn't have their flour
Review: I respect King Arthur Flour. I love the catalogue. But if you don't buy their flour this book is halfway useless. Their whole wheat flour is different than any whole wheat flour I can get without paying an arm and a leg to get theirs sent to me.

I tried the 100% Whole Wheat Bread recipe three times before I read (in a different section) that their wheat is different than other wheat. It was the most dense, odd tasting bread we'd ever had and I'm no baking novice, we threw them out. Even the 'hearth bread' wasn't as good as some of the other bread recipes I've made. Disappointing.

I did like the homemade pasta recipe. But a lot of the recipes have their whole wheat flour in them, and I didn't trust them enough to make them using regular hard or soft whole wheat. Why waste all the time when there's a large chance it will not be edible?

The reviews on Amazon are what sold me to buy this book. A lot of them said that this could be the bible for baking. Hardly, you need to have recipes for all wheat, not specific, especially if it's not available to everyone. Or at least state that so that those that don't have special flour can find another book.

I sent mine back.





Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book
Review: I use this more as a reference book. It is a great book for tips on anything to do with baking, and some great recipes.

Rating:
Summary: King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook
Review: I went to a large (un-named) bookstore determined to find a book on baking that would be significantly different. I have been baking for fifty years, since I was a little girl. I wanted easy recipes for my grandchildren, and healthy ones. This is it! I wish there was someway to emphasize how much better this cookbook is than any other on the market. This is my first on-line review, so I am trying to spread the word. I am also buying two more copies. Hopefully it will never go out of print, because I intend to keep on giving them as gifts!

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive group of recipes
Review: I would grade this cookbook above average just because of the sheer volume of recipes. However, many of the recipes are standard and not always very imaginative. I enjoyed reading the book however, and think any serious home cook would want to have a copy.