The Food Lover's Tiptionary: An A to Z Culinary Guide With More Than 4000 Food and Drink Tips, Secrets, Shortcuts, and Other Things Cookbooks Never

Rating:
Summary: This book helped to validate everything my grandmother said!
Review: After completing my most recent cookbook, I ran across this excellent resource. While I consider myself to work mostly on instinct in the kitchen, it is fun to read that you were right all along. Yes, as my grandmother taught me - potatoes are easier to peel when hot. She always made me boil them in their jackets when making potato salad. I had also wondered why lentils sometimes stayed firm after being cooked for the same time as other recipes. The secret is on page 207 and an acidic ingredient is the culprit. From personal experience I knew that I should let a cake cool before frosting it but this could save someone a lot of melted icing if they just didn't think about it. Think of this book as your grandmothers wisdom all in one book. Sharon is truly an expert and has done her research. This book has helped me to realize why things work the way they do and has validated many of my own beliefs. It is an entertaining and education read - just take it by the Tablespoon....there is a wealth of information here.

Rating:
Summary: This book helped to validate everything my grandmother said!
Review: After completing my most recent cookbook, I ran across this excellent resource. While I consider myself to work mostly on instinct in the kitchen, it is fun to read that you were right all along. Yes, as my grandmother taught me - potatoes are easier to peel when hot. She always made me boil them in their jackets when making potato salad. I had also wondered why lentils sometimes stayed firm after being cooked for the same time as other recipes. The secret is on page 207 and an acidic ingredient is the culprit. From personal experience I knew that I should let a cake cool before frosting it but this could save someone a lot of melted icing if they just didn't think about it. Think of this book as your grandmothers wisdom all in one book. Sharon is truly an expert and has done her research. This book has helped me to realize why things work the way they do and has validated many of my own beliefs. It is an entertaining and education read - just take it by the Tablespoon....there is a wealth of information here.

Rating:
Summary: Can't cook without it!
Review: I bought this book, really by accident, in April of 1998 and have found it an indispensable tool in my kitchen. I love it and often give it as a gift (it makes a nice wedding present, coupled with a cooking utensil, etc.).

Rating:
Summary: Indispensible! All serious cooks need this book.
Review: This book by Sharon Tyler Herbst, author of another indispensible book, the Food Lover's Companion, is a cooks dream come true. It contains solutions for almost every problem you will encounter in the kitchen, from how to properly choose and prepare artichokes to how to fix burned stews and any other question or minor emergency you might encounter in the kitchen. I highly recommend this book.