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Summary: Great cookbook, every recipe is wonderful!
Review: Every recipe I've tried from this book has been great. The author's philosophy really appeals to me, since I want to eat healthier but wouldn't be caught dead buying reduced-fat cheese or light margarine. The photos are absolutely gorgeous, and the whole book has a luxurious, elegant feel. I especially like the desserts chapter, but my favorite recipe overall has to be the Macaroni and Cheese--she's right, you'd never know it wasn't the high-calorie original. If you're just starting out as a cook, or tired of "diet" cookbooks that use all sorts of chemical-laden "low-fat" or sugar-substitute filled ingredients, get this book and use it often.
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Summary: A wonderful cookbook!
Review: I bought this book to go with the...class, and started reading it, literally from cover to cover. It has an amazing amount of information, and the recipes are wonderful. A must for any kitchen!
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Summary: Good ideas, but more theoretical than practical
Review: I don't object to any theory that says we should be using real, natural food free of thickeners, emulsifiers, gums and other chemicals, even if they are high in fat or sugar. I believe it's far healthier to eat authentic food in moderation than to substitute engineered, chemical food into our diets. Just look to Europe for evidence that this works -- the Europeans eat good, authentic food that is well-prepared, and because their lifestyles incorporate values like slow eating, portion control and consistent exercise, they don't need things like fake fat or sugar subsitutes in their diet.I bought this cookbook thinking it would be a great way to find some healthy recipes that use real ingredients. I was definitely attracted to the book by its slick modern design and attractive photographs. Unfortunately, the recipes require too much prep, too many hard-to-find ingredients, or cooking skills that are out of my range. I group my cookbooks into two basic categories -- those good for everyday recipes, and those good for weekend recipes, when I have more time to prep the meal and do the cooking. This cookbook is firmly in the "weekend" category, and most of the recipes would probably have to wait for a holiday weekend so I could have extra time to track down the ingredients -- particularly since the author is insistent that only the "purest, freshest" ingredients will do. "Freshest" for me usually means a trip to the grocery store, which is hard to pull off after a full workday and an hour commute home. This is also not a cookbook for the novice. Anyone learning how to cook will be better off with "The Joy of Cooking" or the Betty Crocker Cookbook. There are some advanced cooking techniques required that may be beyond the purview of even cooks who have several years of kitchen experience. There are some great theories in this book that will help cooks make their meals more flavorful and satisfying. The chapters on "flavor catalysts" like dry rubs and broths are excellent. If you can find an inexpensive copy of this book, it's worth reading for those chapters alone. The theory behind the cookbook is great and the design and pictures really make it a joy to read. However, it's probably best used as an armchair cookbook, rather than one that resides in your kitchen. Unless you have an hour-plus each evening to get dinner on the table (and I don't!), there are few recipes in here that can be made in 30 minutes or less on a weekday, and weekdays are when I most need good recipes to help me feed my family. Great concept, execution needs work. Maybe the author could do a revised version focusing on practicality over high-minded ideals.
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Summary: Great Book!
Review: I got this cookbook for Christmas and have already tried some of the recipes and they are all great. The recipes are all a 3rd lower in fat than traditional but you can't tell the difference.
My friend recommended this book highly and she recommended a great new beverage that replaced my morning cup of joe. Caffeine made me too jittery so I switched to a soy-based coffee that taste simply amazing. When I use my percolator it comes out with a rich, full bodied taste. Search under "S oyfee" on google to find it.
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Summary: Delicious and Creative cooking
Review: I love this book, and its definitely become one of my bibles, along with How to Cook Everything and (for my pressure cooker) Pressure Perfect. I have a huge collection of cookbooks and I would say that this one falls into the category of creative home cuisine, as opposed to restaurant-based food, ethnic food, or categorized foods (sautes, braises, stews, etc). She has such an interesting and flavor-based approach to cooking that it will be hard to think of food in the same way after you have read a few chapters and attempted a few recipes. The book is designed for people who love to improvise in the kitchen, and its recipes establish the basic building blocks that allow the home cook to pick and choose the ingredients s/he wants to combine. Sally also includes her favorites, for fool-proof results, and recommendations for where to buy some of the more exotic ingredients (after reading her chapter on salads I rushed out and bought a bottle of Vinaigre De Banyuls, a 50 yr old sherry vinegar, and a properly aged balsamic. It makes a huge difference in a salad, and now I know that proper vinegar has as complex a taste as fine wine). Like John Ash's Cooking One on One, this is not a book about convenience or how to use every leftover ingredient in your pantry, but about how to make simple food that is fresh, clean, and tastes great. If its not worth it to you to spend a dollar on a pint of whole milk or cream every once in a while, you won't get your money's worth. But if you want a foundation for flavorful home cooking, this book is fantastic.
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Summary: Cookbook For Our Times, Par Excellence
Review: If I had to live with only one cookbook, or were recommending a single volume for any contemporary cook, it would be this. While it does not cover in detail beginning cooking technique such as knife skills, basic cuts, and identification of tools, it provides substantive information and such an intelligent point of view that even a modestly-experienced cook could utilize it. Schneider's approach, not really new to readers familiar with the also wonderful Martha Rose Shulman and Rozanne Gold, among others, is nevertheless a practical way of eating healthy in delicious, sophisticated dishes. Schneider endorses the practice of replacing heavy and often unhealthy fats with herbs and spices. By using wholesome fats judiciously, by highlighting intrinsic flavors, and by using taste rather than slavish adherence to tradition, she presents a mighty range of wonderful recipes. The recipes also turn out fantastically. Her straight forward, first person writing reveals her love of food and is devoid of pretentions. The recipes include informative introductions, exceptionally helpful notes about ingredients, variations and extensions, and guidelines for advance preparation. The book is gorgeous looking, with a beautiful lay out and user-friendly format. The index is complete and detailed, and each section of the book lists its recipes for the convenience of a cook looking for, say, ideas for tonight's soup. The sections of the book include a great Vegetables chapter, Beans/Legumes, a wonderful Pasta chapter, Grains, Seafood, Meat/Poultry, Breads, a fantastic Soups section, Salads, Desserts, Flavor Essences, Broths, Oils, and Sauces. An appendix provides nutritional analyses of the ingredients and each dish (including calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, and sodium for dieters.) Large and weighty, the book would make a great gift and addition to any cook's library.
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Summary: A New Look at how to cook!
Review: Sally Schneider has super ideas to enhance the flavors of common foods. She uses the makings of intense flavors, made in advance,for cooking. There are new techniques to add variety to your meals. Like Julia Child, there are many details about what to expect as you go along and tips about your own development of recipes. I have cooked for over 50 years and learned many useful ideas from Sally!
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Summary: The Dust Jacket Says It All!
Review: The text on the back of the (unique) dust jacket for this wonderful cookbook says it all. "A new way to cook is a redefinition of healthy eating, where no food is taboo, great taste rules, and the concept of self denial just doesn't exist." I note that some readers who have reviewed the book on this site appear to be disappointed because it didn't meet their "low fat" cooking expectations. When disappointment sets in, it is often because expectations and reality are out of synch, so buyers should not expect this to be a another "low fat cooking" tome. This book focuses on whole foods, wholesomely and creatively prepared while keeping an eye on using healthy fat sources in moderate amounts. It also has a wealth of instructional text for those who may be unfamiliar with the products or techniques referenced. I've been cooking since my childhood, nearly 40 years, and this is one of the best cooking references I have ever used. The recipes are simple to follow for all but the very inexperienced cook and very reliable. The range of recipes is also excellent...from seared Lamb with Morrocan spices and tomato jam to roasted vegetable soup. If you like this cookbook, you may also want to investigate Nancy Harmon Jenkins' "The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook" which, although not as extensive as this book, is also wonderful.
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Summary: A cookbook that fills an existing need
Review: There have always been 2 different things, when it comes to cookbooks: on the one hand, cookbooks that focus on getting the maximum taste out of food. This usually means cooking rich, high in calories food, that tastes good because of the use of butter, lots of unrefined sugar, cream, etc. My cookbook shelf contains quite a few books focusing on this type of food, & they surely have a place in every cookbook collection. On the other hand, there have always been books focusing on "light" cooking, containing recipes that tend to use "light" ingredients & many vegetables & fruit. There's always been a need for a book that addresses the gap between these 2 types of cooking, & attempts to bridge this gap. "A new way to cook" is exactly this long-awaited book! Sally Schneider has put taste above everything else: she wants her food to look good & taste good. She also realises, though, that this cannot realistically be achieved through the use of lots of oil or butter or whatever else, since most people have health & weight considerations to take into account. So what she has done is this: she's experimented with lots of different cooking methods, trying to get the best possible taste out of a certain food, using the least possible calories. She does not exclude any ingredients: she just uses everything in moderation & proposes lots of inventive methods. Something that is important is that her book never gets anywhere near boring, "light-cooking" recipes. She has a whole chapter on colorful, indulgent desserts, where you can find everything from lighter desserts using fruits to decadent chocolate cakes & tarts. Schneider's basic premise is that moderation, the use of good ingredients, & inventive, creative cooking methods are the key to good, healthy & yes- in the end, light eating.
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Summary: Good ideas, but more theoretical than practical
Review: This is the greatest cookbook ever. I read this cookbook cover to cover only to go back and read it again. I love the flexibility and variances of her recipes. I love how she tells the reader about where the recipes came from. This cookbook provides the flexibility to follow a recipe ingredient by ingredient or to adapt it for your tastes or simply for variety. The brown butter and sage artichokes are simply to die for. The variety allows for thousands of recipes. I mean it when I say this is the greatest cookbook ever.
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