Bird of a Different Feather

Rating:
Summary: Buy This Book!
Review: For those of us who love to eat well, but struggle in the kitchen, this book is a godsend. Many cookbooks assume too much or the recipes are misleading or both. Here is a master chef who cares about your result. She provides advice and encouragement within a beautifully illustrated book. In the aknowledgements Gerhard says, "cooking is my way of expressing affection, of drawing people closer and seeing them happy." Her book makes this wonderful sentiment available to us all.

Rating:
Summary: Fusion heaven
Review: The first thing that struck me about this book was the beautiful edition - the illustrations really set the tone for the eclectic recipes they accompany. The recipes themselves obviously draw on a wide and varied background in cooking (and travel?)- bringing together ingredients and techniques from various European, Asian and American styles of cooking. I loved the Goat Cheese Napoleons, the Cucumber Wheels with Crabmeat and Sushi Rice, and scored major brownie points with my husband with the Cardamom Pears. Although this is not a beginners cookbook, the instructions are very clear and precise and I would encourage anyone with a sense of adventure as far as good food is concerned to dive into these recipes.

Rating:
Summary: The proof is in the eating
Review: The proof of a cookbook is not in its illustrations, layout, or prose; it is in the eating. I've had the Duck Breasts with Apples and Cider Sauce (p.33) and the Grilled Chicken Breasts with Tomatillos (p.35). Both were delicious. This lady knows cooking.

Rating:
Summary: Birds for all seasonings
Review: We have enjoyed Esther's imaginative and delicious cuisine for many years. Each of her meals is a journey of delight: a prolonged, languid excursion through a series of courses, each fresh and original and of modest proportion. "Birds of a Different Feather" reveals how these repasts are built. The "meat" courses are primarily poultry, though fish and seafood, also take a bow; appetizers, soups, salads, grains, deserts all are presented, so you can mix and match for a multi-course meal. The dishes are invariably inventive, but neither strange nor difficult. Besides revealing the secrets of Esther's cooking, her book is a visual banquet as well, illustrated with fanciful watercolors by Jane Angelhart and printed on paper sturdy enough to withstand splashes of clarified butter, celery root soup, ginger and honey sauce, kumquats, tomatillos, pistachio filling, and grand marnier apricot sabayon. You will love this book, and the pleasure it helps you provide to the people at your table.

Rating:
Summary: Birds for all seasonings
Review: We have enjoyed Esther's imaginative and delicious cuisine for many years. Each of her meals is a journey of delight: a prolonged, languid excursion through a series of courses, each fresh and original and of modest proportion. "Birds of a Different Feather" reveals how these repasts are built. The "meat" courses are primarily poultry, though fish and seafood, also take a bow; appetizers, soups, salads, grains, deserts all are presented, so you can mix and match for a multi-course meal. The dishes are invariably inventive, but neither strange nor difficult. Besides revealing the secrets of Esther's cooking, her book is a visual banquet as well, illustrated with fanciful watercolors by Jane Angelhart and printed on paper sturdy enough to withstand splashes of clarified butter, celery root soup, ginger and honey sauce, kumquats, tomatillos, pistachio filling, and grand marnier apricot sabayon. You will love this book, and the pleasure it helps you provide to the people at your table.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful recipes with subtle and delicious flavors
Review: What a wonderful collection of recipes. Basic yet inspired - delicious, healthy recipes for both the occassional cook and the enterprising gourmand! I really like the descriptions for each recipe, which help guide you to select the perfect dishes for whatever your needs or occassion. A very skilled palate created these dishes.

Rating:
Summary: the best
Review: Without exception, these recipes are simply wonderful. They are all creative, simple to prepare and elegant - and make the cook feel elegant! The book itself is a work of art by any standards and makes a perfect gift. I plan the poblano-wrapped chicken for Passover!