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Rating: 
Summary: Proves There's Always Room For Another Book
Review: As a buff who hunts down ingredients and luxury foods in order to get out of the house, Ari Weinzweig's compendium of product lore is an invaluable asset. It is true that the availability of high-end, interesting prepared foods and ingredients is exploding in the United States, and Ari goes a long way toward making sense of them. There is nothing like treatment in depth when it comes to the foods that make our lives so much richer. We need that kind of detail in order to fill both our larders and our bellies with the best.Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting and informative.
Review: I love this book. I have ordered several food items from recomendations in the book. Everything I have received has been beyond my expectations both in quality and good service. I frequently just read a particular section because the information is well written and can be humorous. I think it's a winner.
Rating: 
Summary: A great collection for foodies
Review: Like a compliation of excellent magazine articles on the top gourmet foods. A few recipes, and a nice writing style. May not have a long shelf life, but I'm glad I got it. And luckily I can just jump in the car and head down to Zingerman's myself - though their website is a great resource too.
Rating:
Summary: Good eating
Review: Nestled in one of the cooler parts of Ann Arbor, on a brick-covered road near some little shops and slightly peeling houses, is deli/restaurant Zingerman's, known for its amazingly high-quality food. Now in "Zingerman's Guide To Good Eating," Ari Weinzweig offers a glimpse into the best foods available. "Guide" is half cookbook, half gourmet bible. Weinzweig offers some good recipes (like gazpacho with sherry vinegar, or grilled Tuscan pecorino cheese), but the core of this book is what goes into those. And it's enough to drive a devoted foodie insane -- olive oils, vinegars and oils; pasta and grains; meats; cheeses, and seasonings. And Weinzweig doesn't skimp on the details either. Within every chapter, he describes the different kinds of... whatever he's talking about. For cheeses, he provides a buying guide, then the different kinds: Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheddar, mountain, blue, et cetera. For deli meat, it's salami, Serrano ham, prosciutto, and smoked salmon. As a bonus, he describes the history and making-of each product. Warning: Do not read this book on an empty stomach. The descriptions of food will make you drool -- especially the people who have tasted Zingermans' food before. Even the less savory ideas (salmon anemia) can't kill the response this book will provoke. (And a certain feeling of confidence is inspired by the radio hosts and cookbook authors quoted on the back, as well as restauranteur Mario Batali of "Babbo") A lot of food books can be condescending to the non-gourmet. But Weinzweig avoids that. His style is almost conversational, like having a chat with a gourmet chef. He talks about his own experiences, his own likes, and descriptions of his chats with people who know best. (Including a conversation that compares selecting prosciutto-pigs to dating) So for those who can't experience Zingerman's itself, the "Zingerman's Guide To Good Eating" is a must-have -- both for recipes and info about fine food in general. Just don't read through on an empty stomach.
Rating:
Summary: An Extra Virgin Reference of Superb Artisinal Advice
Review: This delightfully informative guide from the owner, Ari Weinzweig, of the major Ann Arbor, Michigan delicatessen Zingerman's tells us just what the dedicated foodie needs to know about how to recognize and acquire good food products. This is just another sign that over the last forty years, the range and quality of foodstuffs available in the United states has not only improved, it has actually, in some regards, become even better than the current state of affairs in Europe, where other reporters have said that rural food production is falling on hard times in France and Italy. The first service this book performs is to make one aware that there is a wide range of quality in some very common ingredients and products, which one may easily take for, granted. Since I do a fair amount of bread baking, my favorite example is commercially available 'artisinal bread'. The difference in quality for a generically labeled 'Italian bread' between a loaf from a local commercial bakery or a local supermarket bakery and a loaf from a high quality upscale megamart bakery is dramatic for about 30 cents difference in price. The difference between the high quality megamart and the product from the La Brea bakery in Los Angles or the Sullivan Street bakery in Manhattan is somewhat less, but definitely measurable. The fact that I can get a superior artisinal bread from my local megamart is very satisfying, especially since the author has stated that the average shopper in Paris may have a harder time to find a high quality bread than I do. The second service from this book is to give us criteria for distinguishing the best products from the rest of the pack. A requirement for making these distinctions is to taste the products. The corollary to this principle is that one should make a point of shopping at stores which offer the customer the opportunity to taste samples of the product. An alternative is to purchase a range of products and organize home taste testing sessions. The modest cost of the test products can be distributed across many different people by inviting friends to join in with the testing. Once this lesson is learned, it is important to know the right way to taste. As we probably learned in eleventh grade biology, the tongue can distinguish just four (or five, if you subscribe to some recent doctrines) different tastes, while the nose can distinguish hundreds of different fragrances. Thus, flavor is really made up of a combination of taste and smell, and when one senses a food, it should be done in a way, which will give the nose its share of the action. The author describes the best techniques for tasting for each product. A third service is to make us aware of the great differences one may find in materials collected at different times of the year or in different regions. The difference in olive oil between oil producing regions is sometimes dramatic. This was brought home to me when I was buying olive oil from Luigi DePalo and I asked him to name the best brand in the house, and he said it depends on the region from which you want the oil. Estate produced Tuscan oil is greener and more peppery tasting, for example, than an equal quality estate oil from Apulia. It may be less well known, but similar regional and seasonal differences exist for coffee, tea, chocolate, and cheeses. With cheese, the most dramatic difference may be the time of year. The milk producing animals are eating grass in the summer and dried feed in the winter, and it all shows up in their milk. These seasonal and geographic differences in quality are sometimes subtle. There are other differences of which the newbie may not be aware which may have a much more dramatic effect on one's cooking. It is important to know the differences between 'light oil', 'olive oil', 'virgin olive oil', and 'extra virgin olive oil' but it is also important to know the best olive oil season, the methods of extracting oil, and the effects on storage. The easiest way to simplify all of this for olive oils at least is to buy two different oils. One should be a high quality commercial brand such as Colavita, which should be used for all cooking. The second should be an estate-bottled oil used in salads or as a final dressing to food after cooking is done. The last major feature of the book is the 100 recipes, which end each chapter. I would not buy this book for the recipes, but they are all worthy. The information on how to assess the quality of ingredients is more than worth the price of admission. The value of the book will depend a lot on how much you already know. As a dedicated viewer of the Food Network and a constant reader on things culinary, much of the information in this book was not new to me. The fact that I have seen many of these facts stated elsewhere gives me the authority to say that Ari Weinzweig knows what he is talking about, as if the gaggle of testimonial blurbs on the back cover were not enough. The value of this book is that all this information about many different products has been gathered together in one place. If you are new to the world of fine food products, this book is worth its weight in truffles.The names, addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites of sources for great foods is the icing on the cake. The bibliography is a fitting garnish to a very informative book. Highly recommended to all readers interested in eating and making better food.
Rating:
Summary: must have
Review: This is the book to have with you in your car at all times. that way you are never left standing in the isle of your local foodstore wondering which olive oil/balsamic/etc to buy. and its a great book just to read a chapter here and there in any order you'd like when you have 20-30 mins to spare.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful reading on great food and some fun recipes
Review: Those of us who have benefited from Ari's rich knowledge and passion for traditional full flavored foods are happy this delightful and interesting information is now available to everyone. Reading this book is as much a treat as eating the wonderful food at Zingerman's. It is like going on a food expedition with an enthusiastic guide who wants you to share in the fun he is having. This isn't just a book on food history, or a treatise to teach how to discern quality food from mediocre food products, nor is it a book of recipes. It is more than all of these. Ari has the goal of helping us understand how to choose and enjoy great foods from all over the world. He has grouped the book in to six sections and each of these in to subsections. For example, the section on cheeses starts with a guide to buying cheeses, and then has subsections on Parmigiano-reggiano, cheddar, mountain, blue, and goat cheeses. Each of these subsections concludes with a few recipes to provide some ideas on how to enjoy the foods you have just read about. What I particularly like about the recipes that Ari has chosen is that they are mostly very simple preparations that maximize the experience of flavor and aroma. The book also provides mail-order sources for obtaining quality foods and a nice reading list for further exploration. There is also a general index and a recipe index. I was fortunate to be introduced to Zingerman's Delicatessen not long after it opened. The fun of eating there is only half the story. Learning about full flavor foods you haven't experienced before and exploring new tastes is another. Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw are very generous people who love food and love sharing what they learn with others. They have contributed to the Ann Arbor community in many ways and not the least of their contributions is the education they have provided to their customers about great food. They have earned their glowing worldwide reputation. Simply, Ari and Paul and their great staff have contributed to a higher quality of life for many of us. Over the years they have grown their ability to share their love of great food by adding catering, mail order, and a web site. They opened a bake-house to improve the quality of their bread, and baked goods. They developed a first rate training business called ZingTrain to educate their staff and anyone interested in learning what makes Zingerman's what it is. A year and a half ago they opened a Creamery to expand their love of cheese and make some of their own with special attention to their amazing award winning Cream Cheese and stunning Gelato (when was the last time you had a frozen dessert with an aroma?). Now they have opened a sit down restaurant called Zingerman's Roadhouse whose motto is "Really Good American Food". It really is amazingly good. Zingerman's is an amazing and growing institution because of the passion of its founders and the execution of a fabulous staff. This book is yet another contribution to help us enjoy our lives just a little more. Thanks, Ari.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful reading on great food and some fun recipes
Review: Those of us who have benefited from Ari's rich knowledge and passion for traditional full flavored foods are happy this delightful and interesting information is now available to everyone. Reading this book is as much a treat as eating the wonderful food at Zingerman's. It is like going on a food expedition with an enthusiastic guide who wants you to share in the fun he is having. This isn't just a book on food history, or a treatise to teach how to discern quality food from mediocre food products, nor is it a book of recipes. It is more than all of these. Ari has the goal of helping us understand how to choose and enjoy great foods from all over the world. He has grouped the book in to six sections and each of these in to subsections. For example, the section on cheeses starts with a guide to buying cheeses, and then has subsections on Parmigiano-reggiano, cheddar, mountain, blue, and goat cheeses. Each of these subsections concludes with a few recipes to provide some ideas on how to enjoy the foods you have just read about. What I particularly like about the recipes that Ari has chosen is that they are mostly very simple preparations that maximize the experience of flavor and aroma. The book also provides mail-order sources for obtaining quality foods and a nice reading list for further exploration. There is also a general index and a recipe index. I was fortunate to be introduced to Zingerman's Delicatessen not long after it opened. The fun of eating there is only half the story. Learning about full flavor foods you haven't experienced before and exploring new tastes is another. Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw are very generous people who love food and love sharing what they learn with others. They have contributed to the Ann Arbor community in many ways and not the least of their contributions is the education they have provided to their customers about great food. They have earned their glowing worldwide reputation. Simply, Ari and Paul and their great staff have contributed to a higher quality of life for many of us. Over the years they have grown their ability to share their love of great food by adding catering, mail order, and a web site. They opened a bake-house to improve the quality of their bread, and baked goods. They developed a first rate training business called ZingTrain to educate their staff and anyone interested in learning what makes Zingerman's what it is. A year and a half ago they opened a Creamery to expand their love of cheese and make some of their own with special attention to their amazing award winning Cream Cheese and stunning Gelato (when was the last time you had a frozen dessert with an aroma?). Now they have opened a sit down restaurant called Zingerman's Roadhouse whose motto is "Really Good American Food". It really is amazingly good. Zingerman's is an amazing and growing institution because of the passion of its founders and the execution of a fabulous staff. This book is yet another contribution to help us enjoy our lives just a little more. Thanks, Ari.
Rating:
Summary: Simply delicious read!
Review: When you are bought up on packaged mac and cheese, Wonderbread and Twinkies it's hard to know what good food really is.
But after you have experienced a balsamic vinaigrette salad with pine nuts and smoked chicken or a pan seared tuna glazed in fresh orange and basil you realize that there is a wealth of delicious food out there once you start looking past the boxes of Hamburger Helper and Lucky Charms.
That's where Ari Weinzweig author of Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating comes in. Ari doesn't care about fancy food. He cares about simple, good tasting food. And the best food begins with the freshest ingredients.
In this book Ari shares his wealth of knowledge about food. He teaches you how to select the best food items and how to really experience your food by learning how to taste.
Yes he teaches you how to taste. You will fine tune your palate.
But think about it, many of us gobble our food so quickly we don't taste it. So we eat more. We eat processed foods rats would turn away from. And some of us become fat and unhealthy.
In this book Ari educates us. You will learn how to select the best bread, cheese, olive oil, pasta, chocolate and more. Take chocolate for example. Ari explains how to check the sheen of the bon bon, the sound of it breaking, the texture of it and the ingredients to look for, so your selection is a delicious choice. He goes on to give the history of cocoa and describes how chocolate bars are made. He also names specific brands to look for like Valrhona, Scharffen Berger and Michel Cluizel. He even details how to taste chocolate so you can truly assess the flavors. Yum. Ari, I think I will try to figure that one out myself!
The book also includes a number of tasty recipes such pasta with pepper and percorino, mashed sweet potatoes with vanilla, dark chocolate granita and miguel's mother's macaroni.
Other tidbits in the book include brewing tea for the best cuppa, when to buy certain cheeses , spotting a good wine vinegar, and much more.
A fabulous read, one you will savor and learn from. Lee Mellott
Rating:
Summary: WHEN THE VERY BEST MAKES SENSE
Review: Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating:
A Zinger from Zingerman
(When the very best makes sense)
"How to choose the best bread, cheeses, olive oil, pasta, chocolate and much more ..." By Marty Martindale
Illustrations by Ian Nagy and colleagues This book is a foodie's joy and a hoot! It's also a very quick catchup if you have been totally out of the kitchen for the last decade or two. It's the Mediterranean scene, not the Asian scene, however. The book contains many recipes, great ones, too. Author, Ari Weinzweig, no not Ari Zingerman, taught himself to be very food savvy, and he's graciously willing to share his self-taught connoisseurship methods through this book. Though a Chicago native, Ari went to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan where he had to decide on a major and stumbled into the food business at a the lowest end. Finally he and a partner thought the Ann Arbor area could support another deli, for who doesn't hate to leave their college town! Many think the original delicatessens were markets selling Jewish/Kosher foods, the loxes, earliest sour creams, delightful pickles and to-die-for hot pastrami. Not so. It seems Germans, not Eastern European Jews, opened New York's earliest deli. Actually, the dictionary definition of a deli is: "a small shop that sells high quality foods, such as types of cheese and cold cooked meat, which come from many countries." Naming the new Ann Arbor deli was a challenge for the new partners. Ari knew "Weinzweig" would be difficult for customers to pronounce much less remember. After a fashion, they agreed on "Zingerman's" for their Jewish-sounding store name, vendor of Mediterranean delights. They laughed, because the name had, "Zing," and they opened their new market in 1982. When Weinzweig works to make you a greater discerning connoisseur, he calms you with, "How to overcome your fear of the guy behind the counter." Most of this means, "feel entitled to the sample you are offered," or downright ask for one (else how will you ever learn?). Then he gets scientific and devotes sections to: 1.Introduce yourself to the new food (this can be done silently)
2.Look at it, describe its color (privately).
3.Smell it, "The nose knows what it's doing," he claims.
4.Taste it. Move it around in your mouth, discover how it tastes differently in different part of your mouth. (think like a wine taster ... Legs? Woody? Bold?)
5.Next he admonishes, Afford the best"," (he's not paying). Weinzweig winds up his connoisseur training with, "Go wild. Taste early, taste often, and above all, have fun!" He then gets serious and confesses, "I'm convinced that smaller quantities of better-tasting raw materials will buy you more satisfaction for the same, or even less, outlay." Ari devotes 23 pages to olive oils opening with a Greek proverb: "Without oil, without vinegar, how can we take a trip?" His quick olive history is a world adventure. Nut oils are also in, and he gives careful particulars for Pumpkin Seed Oil "Green Gold from the Austrian Alps." His recipes for Tuscan Pecorino Salad with Pears and Provencal Mashed Potatoes are only two of the recipes in this chapter. When it comes to breads, Ari Weinzweig waxes almost romatically. Crusts are a big thing with him, and he's totally opposed to plastic bags for bread. He even lines out all the basics and fixin's for a fun bruschetta party. His defense of anchovies (two pages) is noble. He offers his Bread and Tomato Salad recipe. It calls for pine nuts, sea salt, Banyuls wine vinegar, toasted almonds, piquillo peppers and other delicious ingredients. Of the special vinegar from French Pyrenees, he states, "It's subtly sweet, softly spicy with a touch of almond, almost a whisper of dark chocolate and a hint of aged sherry." Ari's section on pasta is as entertaining as it is informative. He ponders your choices between dried pasta and fresh pasta. All pasta shapes have a reason, and he helps you decide what you need for a particular dish. His visual glossary is handy, too. He explains pasta's cousin, polenta, and his recipes take the mystery out of it. No lesser cousin is risotto, or Spanish rices, and he detours a bit for Minnesota's Ojibway wild, wild rice compared with latter-day paddy rice. Cheeses run the gambit from parmigiano-regiano, cheddar, mountain, blue and goat cheeses. He looks at "Cows and Curds," and the knotty area of aging. He explains Mountain cheeses as "... were created out of a common struggle to deal with the difficulty of life at high altitudes, ... huge snowfalls in Switzerland, Italy eastern and western France and Greece." He expounds on their personality and character. He also answers that thorney question, "What makes blue cheese blue?" He defines many blues from many countries. Ari's big on Prosciutto de Parma and Spanish Serrano Ham. Besides these and Salamis, he addresses salmon, both of farmed and non-farmed origins. He defines Lox and smoked salmon, as well. When it comes to seasonings, Zingerman's gets very basic: Pepper-milled pepper, sea salt and that very expensive stuff, Saffron. That's it. Ari makes Saffron read lore like an Italian fairy tale: "Seeing the Saffron harvest..." "Field of Dreams, From Bulb to Stigma, Culling the Crocus, At Home with the Strippers, Toasting" and finally, "Lunch With the Man Of Lamancha." Vanilla and chocolate get their due. The book includes a very interesting two-and one-half-page chocolate timeline and a section, "Turning Beans into Bars: How Chocolate is Made." Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating gives us much to digest. At the end Ari Weinzweig teases the teas he mentions with three trendy Chai recipes. The recipes in the Guide are excellent and earn their own index. Zingerman's: www.Zingermans.com
You can contact Marty Martindale at www.FoodSiteoftheDay.com.
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