Flanagan's Smart Home: The 98 Essentials for Starting Out, Starting Over, Scaling Back Review

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(More customer reviews)Like eco-friendly? Like buying things that are built to last? Useful? Non-cluttering?
That's what drew me to this book, I'm very into decluttering and I love having things that are built to last.
For each of her picks she gives a little history, and some background into why she chose what she did. She gives a review at the end of each chapter with a price range for each item and if she has a brand name she likes she lists that too.
Ideas I liked:
Some new spins on things I'd never thought about before, and she has a few of them. For instance:
A lamp timer instead of an alarm clock. Brilliant in my eyes, alarm clocks scare me in the morning.
A pop-up mesh clothes hamper.
One that I wasn't so sure about but now seems really cool is using a salad spinner for more than just spinning salad - if you buy a good one.

And there's more, such as getting rid of non-stick pans and going to cast iron, which lasts for ever!
I like that she doesn't skimp. Buy the best that you can, but be wise in what you buy. And you know, most things really aren't that expensive. That to me is something I really enjoyed about this book.
Cons:
There wasn't anything bad, but I'd want to research some of her ideas out myself before buying. There were a couple that made me go `eh':
A saltcellar, it's like one of those things Alton Brown uses to get salt from on his show `Good Eats'. If you don't have any kids then I can see having one; personally I think they're cool. But if you do have kids I can see salt flung here and there and little dirty hands reaching into it, ick, and she really downplays salt and pepper shakers which I guess is a personal thing.
Some that were personal preference, like an electric blanket. She has a sound advice in buying one, but I've never really wanted to own one so I don't see how it's essential other than lowering the heat at night but I have warm blankets that can do that without electricity.
I have to say it was a nice read, she has humor, she has her research, and she has sound advice. It makes you think.


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Purge the clutter. Outfit your home with care: The 34 essential kitchen tools. The 9 essential cleaning and fixing products. The 13, and only 13, things a bedroom needs to make it a haven of rest and privacy. Each item has been field-tested and rated for its environmental, social, and aesthetic impact. There is high-tech: the miraculous microfiber mop, the low voltage electric blanket, the truly responsive iron. And there is low-tech: the French press coffeemaker, the can opener, and the feather duster. Practical, entertaining, opinionated, Flanagan's Smart Home is a timely remedy for the age of excess. Above all, it's necessary. Behind the bath mat, soupspoon, sofa, and lamp lies a far deeper question: how to live.

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Hamburger America: One Man's Cross-Country Odyssey to Find the Best Burgers in the Nation Review

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(More customer reviews)I first saw Motz's documentary Hamburger America (which is included with the book) and was amazed on how he captured more than just places that serve a mean hamburger. Every place he went in the film gave you a look at different types of Americans, their history, their future and all held together by the love of America's favorite food. The book builds upon that. Each entry is written with admiration for the burger, the restaurant and the people that cook them. By visiting different cities, cultures, races, and histories of the many burger joints in this book, Motz is able to bring them altogether on one theme: they all make a great burger. And isn't that what America is about? This hodgepodge of cultures in one place looking for the dream, can all be united by ground beef in a bun. Forget the mass produced fast food chains. It's the local mom and pops, diners, decades old places that Americans hold true to their heart. It was written that if you don't claim your hometown greasy spoon as serving the best burger, then you're a wimp. Well this book covers many of those hometown favorites. Even if you do not especially like hamburgers, this book is essential for reading on American folk-life and its wonderful people.

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The Mansion on Turtle Creek Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)Best known as the executive chef of Dallas' Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dean Fearing soars above Texas and, indeed Southern Regional Cooking. This book is a must for anyone interested in the subtlties of taste combinations. While many of the ingredients are not easy to find in much of America's hinterland, those on either coast should have no problem in achieving Fearing's direction. Additionally, to those fearful of the small portions usually associated with today's fashion cuisine, Fearing's quantity of hearty food matches a True Texan's appitite.

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Antoine's Restaurant Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)Probably the most cherished of all New Orleans cookbooks, the Antoine's Restaurant has continued to delight both casual
cooks as well as hard-core culinary enthusiasts and writers for over 25 years.
Antoine's is the oldest and most famous restaurant in New Orleans, and the extensive menu, of which near all dishes are
included in the cookbook, lists both well known and obscure creations of the restaurant that were first served to the public
at Antoine's. It is not often understood that dishes that are well known, such as Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters Bienville,
Gumbo, Shrimp Remoulade, and Chicken Creole were all first served at Antoine's. The recipes are pure and authentic, true
to the classic cuisine of New Orleans, and that is Creole Cuisine.
For over 165 years the same family has served the same food at this unique American institution. There is only one
Antoine's, and there is only one Antoine's Cookbook.
Written by the former 5th generation proprietor of the restaurant, Roy F. Guste, Jr., New Orleans premier Creole Culinary
Historian, this cookbook speaks history and food in a way that is unmatched in other cookbooks. And this new edition is
stunning. All color, hard-back edition, every page a visual as well as culinary delight.

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If there is a single book that you must have on New Orleans cuisine it is definitely the Antoine's Restaurant Cookbook. The 170 recipes included are those developed over the 165 year history of this revered New Orleans institution.A large part of what is the best of New Orleans cuisine was actually invented at Antoine's by founder Antoine Alciatore and son, Jules, most famous for his celebrated Oysters Rockefeller and Oysters Bienville.Every recipe in the book is an original. Even well known dishes such as Gumbo, Shrimp Remoulade and Chicken Creole were first served to the public at Antoine's, New Orleans oldest rstaurant.Meticulously researched and lovingly written by Roy F. Guste, Jr., former 5th generation proprietor and great great grandson of the founder, this book is one to be cherised for all time.The book is visually stunning with its old photographs and watercolor paintings of chefs at work and the lovely ingredients that go into the cuisine.

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The Heaven on Seven Cookbook: Where It's Mardi Gras All the Time Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very good cookbook. I own, or have read, most of the New Orleans cookbooks. This is one of the best, with creative thoughts on how to make some of the dishes lighter and more attractive. Great taste.

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Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine Review

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(More customer reviews)Martha Rose Shulman's Mediterranean Harvest owes a large debt to many who have gone before her, including Diane Kochilas, noted expert on Greek cuisine, and Clifford Wright, James Beard award-winning Mediterranean cookbook author. Shulman is quick to give credit where credit is due, and borrows widely from other culinary experts such as Carol Field (The Italian Baker) in areas of local expertise.
With a glut of Mediterranean vegetarian cookbooks on the shelves such as The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece (Diane Kochilas), Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World (Gil Marks), and The The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen and Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy by Donna Klein, why should you choose the pricey Mediterranean Harvest?
One word: love. Shulman's love of local culture, hidden culinary gems, geography, and regional tastes, her lovely travelogues disguised as recipe introductions, and diary entries from memorable stops along her Mediterranean odyssey, both personal vacations and working in Mediterranean kitchens while researching other cookbooks such as Provencal Light and Mediterranean Light: Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine(Shulman is author of over 25 books). Also, she touches on some less-commonly-discussed cuisines such as Bosnia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia). There is also a handy index arranged by region.
Shulman's rundown of kitchen equipment and the Mediterranean Pantry (spices, olives and olive oil, cheeses, yogurt, wine, herbs, spice blends, nuts and seeds) is a miracle of compactness, yet provides ample information for the home cook without overwhelming. After a brief section on aperitifs, the all-important topic of breads, pizza, and panini is covered first, since bread serves as the base for many common Mediterranean delicacies such as fattoush (Lebanese bread salad), panzanella (Italian tomato and bread salad), and Castilian garlic soup. Most households couldn't afford to waste stale bread (Tuscan bread was traditionally made without salt), so it was given new life as a base for soups, strata, and vegetable salads (the juices would soften the bread).
The list of sauces and dressings includes such favorites as Salsa Romesco from Spain (almonds, bread, spices, and tomatoes), aioli (garlic mayonnaise) several variations of Italian pesto (basil, olive oil, cheese, and nuts), and yogurt-based sauces common in Greece and the Middle East (tzatziki, skordalia, tahini dressing, chermoula, harissa, and preserved lemons). Tapas / meze (finger food) are given a respectable spread befitting their social importance in the Mediterranean, including Tunisian carrot salad, tabbouleh, several variations of marinated cold veggies, hummus, bean and legume salads, and greens.
The eggs and cheese section captured my heart from its introduction; Shulman recalls a Velazquez painting from 1618 of an old woman cooking eggs, with the simple garnish of onion and olive oil, melon, and wine. Such staples as frittata, Spanish tortilla, omelets, strata, and several varieties of scrambled eggs delight, along with a recipe for homemade ricotta cheese.
The "small catalogue of pasta" (if this is the small catalogue, I'd love to see the large one!) is a chef's dream, and there are numerous sidebars to aid you in properly cooking pasta, making homemade pasta dough, and shaping homemade ravioli and garganelli.
The rest of the book is dedicated to savory pies, gratins, vegetables and beans (stews, sauteed/ pan-fried veggies, potatoes), rice, couscous, and grains (risotto, polenta, pilaf) and topped off on a sweet note with sweets and desserts (biscotti, clafouti, granitas, fruit compotes, ricotta cheesecake, baklava, and dessert couscous). A brief page of online resources for Mediterranean ingredients is included, as well as a select bibliography. Thankfully, sidebars are also included in the index as they are numerous and enlightening.
Overall, this may be the most complete look at Mediterranean cuisine that I've had the pleasure to read, vegetarian or not. Shulman's obvious respect and love for the region and its varied, healthful cuisine shines through every page, and her down-to-earth instructions and informative sidebars add to the experience. The visual design is simple and uncluttered (no photos or line drawings), with the focus appropriately on the magical recipes that transport you around the globe. The recipes are generally straightforward and simple, take advantage of fresh produce (although some shortcuts such as canned tomatoes and canned beans are used), and are delicious. If you're looking for one cookbook that combines the charms of Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisine along with delightful commentaries on local culture and dining, Mediterranean Harvest is the book for you.


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Intensely flavorful and inherently healthy, Mediterranean food is one of the world's most appealing cuisines. Mediterranean cooks know how to make eating a pleasure. They do it simply—with olive oil and garlic; with herbs and spices; with tomatoes and eggplants, peppers and squash, figs and peaches, and other seasonal produce. And of course there is crusty bread and local cheese, the freshest yogurt and endless wine.

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Fresh Traditions: Classic Dishes for a Contemporary Lifestyle Review

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(More customer reviews)I was one of the testers for Jorj's cookbook. By being one of the recipe testers, I have made many of the recipes in the book. I know how good these recipes are and I still use many of the recipes that I tested (from memory) in my everyday cooking.
Many cookbooks on the market today are written by television stars, people who are highly recognizable by the public. Although sometimes wonderful, what is forgotten is that there are many real cooks out there who have equally fantastic ideas about cooking. Jorj Morgan's recent cookbook, , is a collection of recipes designed for real people to explore cooking in their own kitchens - to go beyond recreating toward creativity. Her recipes are easy to follow and contain many suggestions for how to "play" with them. Some of the recipes are adaptations of more traditional recipes but even these recipes often have some new twist.
I recommend this cookbook. It will be one that you read and use rather than gathering dust on the shelf or looking beautiful on the coffee table.

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Fresh Traditions: Classic Dishes for a Contemporary Lifestyle is a cookbook that blends the traditions of the past with the fast-paced schedules of todays families. Thorough, well-written, and simple-to-follow, it contains recipes for classical dishes in tandem with their contemporary counterparts. The classic recipe contains anecdotal information about the roots of the dish. Traditional preparation is explained, yet modern cooking techniques are applied. The updated recipe is mindful of new ingredients, healthy choices, and quick food preparation, while maintaining its roots within the classic dish. Recipes are paired‹classic with contemporary‹allowing readers to decide which option to prepare‹traditional or updated. Some days you must have Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken; on others Southwestern Chicken Finger Salad will do just fine. Fresh Traditions offers more than 300 well-tested recipes, which are heavily supplemented with relevant information about the ingredients. Thus the recipes are generously peppered with sidebars offering cooking variations, nutritional tips, and relevant expert advice, allowing the art of cooking to be less stressful, more pleasurable, and a respite from the stress or time. Thus, Fresh Traditions is a timely cookbook written for the foodie who wants more out of life through boundless food experiences. It is a book that celebrates a lifestyle of excellent meals balanced with a good dose of dietary common sense and filled with solutions for today's cook.

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Eat, Drink and Be Kinky: A Feast of Wit and Fabulous Recipes for Fans of Kinky Friedman Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved this book! My favorite recipes are the Steve Rambam Jailhouse Chili, Son of Chicken McGovern, and the Beer Bread. McGovern's recipes are fun, tasty, and easy to make--what makes this cookbook so appealing is that it lacks the impersonal, robotic listing of ingredients and the cold, almost clinical approach to cooking that most mainstream cookbooks have. McGovern's book is warm and inviting--like sitting in the kitchen of an old friend who considers cooking for you a pleasure he never tires of. I highly recommend it and look forward to his next one.

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The work you are about to read is far more than a cookbook. Eat, Drink, and Be Kinky will have a broad, engaging appeal not only to serious gourmands but also to alcoholics and sex perverts as well. In fact, I think of this book as sort of a culinary version of James Joyce's Ulysses. McGovern's masterwork, to my mind, compares quite favorably with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. For one thing, it's shorter. From the Introduction by Kinky Friedman Written by Mike McGovern, one of the Kinkster's legendary Village Irregulars, Eat, Drink, and Be Kinky is a feast of wit, wisdom, and some damn good recipes as featured in, drawn from, and inspired by the novels of Kinky Friedman, private dick extraordinaire and culinary mastermind. When Richard Kinky "Big Dick" Friedman was only a little Kinky, growing into his Texas jeans and ten-gallon hat, he had two choices at mealtime -- take it or leave it. But the years have been kind to the Kinkster, and thanks to a successful career first as a singer/songwriter and more recently a bestselling author, Kinky has become a connoisseur of good wine, good food, and the best cigars (that he still prefers bad women just goes to show that some things never change). With a choice from a full menu of everything from appetizers and soups to desserts and libations, the reader is invited to indulge in the best of Kinky cuisine, including: Downtown Judy's Tortilla Soup with Chili Puree Fried-Egg Sandwich a Go-Go Saddle Up Burritos Teri and Chinga Chavin's Ol' Ben Lucas Swordfish Stew Son of Chicken McGovern Steve Rambam's Jailhouse Chili Frankie Lasagna Beer Bread Jack Daniel's Tiramisu Crunchy Coconut Banana Cake The book also features the world according to Kinky -- selections of wit and wisdom from all twelve of his novels on everything from life and death, love and sex, religion and God, food and wine, and the state of the onion. Whether you're a fan of Kinky's music, a devotee of his novels, or just a lover of good cookin' and good eatin', Eat, Drink, and Be Kinky wilt be sure to satisfy your appetite.

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Kitchen Science: A Guide to Knowing the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book for the kitchen, and there are no recipes. This book explains why you get the results you get (and how to fix them), such as why my steaks toughen as they cool and why I lost color in my parboiled vegetables. I now know whether or not an egg is raw or hard boiled (without cracking it to find out), how to care for my knives, how to check for temp. accuracy in my oven, why the grocery store shouldn't sell green tinged potatoes, and whether or not the chicken I bought has ever been frozen. Simply a great book that'll have you saying "Aha! with every page.

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La Comida del Barrio: Latin-American Cooking in the U.S.A. Review

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(More customer reviews)Because I am Latin American I found these recipes to be familiar. I was looking for a cookbook that had traditional meals and I found it in this book. Having my share of cookbooks, I actually found this book to be one of the easiest. As I write this review, I am marinating a Pork Shoulder with Oregano, Salt, Galic and Olive Oil. It really can't get much easier than that. But if you are looking for quick easy cooking during the week, this might not be the best cookbook for you. My one complaint about this book is that it does not have any pictures of the food itself. For those that have never eaten or seen these recipes cooked it can be pretty hard to imagine what it's suppose to look like. Also, being familiar with these recipes I know what to leave out and what substitues I can use.

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Crab (Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am so pleased I bought this cookbook. This is the quintessential crab cookbook. If you love crab this is a must have. We take our boat to go crabbing though out the season and wanted to find more/different ways to use it. Cynthia's book has great recipes along with interesting narrative about the history of crab in the northwest. On top of it all its beautifully illustrated. James Howard/CEO Waterstone Foods.

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Feast on the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, no matter where you live, with the "Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series." Celebrated food writer and chef Cynthia Nims kicks off the series with a tribute to Northwest crab -- that sweet and tender meat craved by seafood lovers across the country.
This elegantly packaged cookbook includes delicious crab dishes for every course, from Crab Benedict to Chilled Tomato Soup with Crab, from Crab and Sesame Noodle Salad to Beer-Steamed Crab with Mustard Butter. And if you can't find Dungeness, snow, or king crab in your market, Nims offers great ideas for substitutions. Readers will also learn about the history of Northwest crabbing, differences among species, time-saving techniques, details on crab festivals, and where to find more information.
Watch for upcoming books in this great series as Nims celebrates the foods that the Northwest does best -- the specialties that have broken the boundaries of regional cooking. And in the meantime, think "Crab"!

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Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali Review

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(More customer reviews)Ms. Hutton offers reliable, clear recipes in a beautiful book, with clear advice as to ingredients, combinations, and cooking techniques. Lush photographs make everything look scrumptious. Good design keeps one recipe together on one page. I have had very good results with the three recipes I have tried. I bought the hardback because I expect to be using this book often, and appreciate the author's identification of recipes that require extra time and effort--a whole chapter. Another approach I appreciate is a good use of English that is not too British, not too American--but comprehensible to both, I hope. I am an American cook but sometimes use metric measures and having both is helpful.


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From roadside to restaurant, Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass presents a mouthwatering culinary tour of Southeast Asia's most scrumptious food. Enjoy an abundance of different dishes from Southeast Asia's rich and varied cuisine, such as Singapore's fascinating cosmopolitan offerings, Thailand's sinfully spicy dishes or Vietnam's refreshingly healthy recipes.Featuring expertly-written text recipes from Wendy Hutton, one of the stars of Asian cuisine, Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass will help you whip up an Asian festival of food in your very own kitchen!

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Best Places Seattle Cookbook: Recipes from the City's Outstanding Restaurants and Bars Review

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(More customer reviews)The collaborative effort of Cynthia C. Nims and Kathy Casey, Best Places Seattle Cookbook collects 125 recipes from the most heavily patronized chefs in Seattle. Restaurant favorites such as Baked Oysters with Beurre Blanc; Heirloom Tomato Salad; Lemon Rosemary Biscotti; Fresh Blackberry Tart, Cadillac Margarita; and more come with exhaustively detailed preparation instructions to bring a luscious taste of Seattle into any home dining menu. The explicit text details the subtle nuances of each dish in this highly recommended resource for aspiring chefs of intermediate culinary skills and above.

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A Celebration of Women Chefs: Signature Recipes from 30 Culinary Masters Review

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(More customer reviews)A talented, young chef who has worked in my home preparing meals for dinner parties for our friends shared her copy with me. I kept it for for two months and read it from cover to cover! The profiles on the chefs were interesting and inspirational. The recipes are uncomplicated. I have prepared several recipes and each turned out delicious and almost looked like the photo in the book! I am ordering the cookbook today...you should too.

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"You hold in your hands a delightful treasury of recipes written by thirty remarkable women. Their inspiring exampleand their delicious recipesshould help anyone to turn even a dinner at home into a notable love affair." From the Introduction by Alice Waters A Celebration of Women Chefs showcases the talents of 30 of Americas distinguished female chefs, and highlights the important contributions women are making as they define the cutting edge of the new cuisine at some of todays famous culinary hot spots. Each chef is profiled, followed by a specially designed menu accompanied by wine suggestions and tantalizing photographs. Take an enticing and delectable journey around the country with dynamic menus and recipes for all tastes and occasions: a tempting Mediterranean meal from Joyce Goldstein, tapas from Cindy Pawlcyn, midwestern bounty from Odessa Piper, eclectic southern fare from Susan Spicer, a Greek feast from Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, and much more. The book includes a veritable parade of feasts, featuring more than 160 flavorful and inventive recipes. This sumptuously illustrated cookbook is more than just a presentation from the best of the best, it is an inspiration to home chefs everywhere. List of chefs: Jody Adams, Monique Barbeau, Lidia Bastianich, Catherine Brandel, Kathy Cary, Traci des Jardins, Susan Feniger, Nancy Flume, Gale Gand, Elka Gilmore, Joyce Goldstein, Deborah Hughes, Raji Jallepalli, Donna Katzl, Katy Keck, Johanne Killeen, Mary Sue Milliken, Cindy Pawlcyn, Odessa Piper, Debra Ponzek, Nora Pouillon, Patty Queen, Anne Rosenzweig, Teresa Rovito, RoxSand Scocos, Lindsey Shere, Peggy Smith, Susan Spicer, Sarah Stegner, Elizabeth Terry

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Antoine's Cookbook: Antoine's Restaurant Since 1840 Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased Antoine's Restaurant cookbook because I loved my visit to New Orleans and found the food served in it's restaurants to be superb. This particular cookbook is delightful in its historical information, the wonderful illustrations and it's very basic New Orleans cuisine. I found some recipes I would fix but many of the recipes are too simple. If you want a unique, New Orleans way to fix green beans, don't look in this cookbook. The green bean recipe is just that.."Green Beans with butter". Boil the beans until tender, drain and add melted butter. Thats it. The section on sauces is interesting but when fixing many of the entre's you have to go back and forth looking up the separate sauce recipes to add to the main entre' recipe. For example, the main recipe is on page 76 but the sauce is on page 124. I like everything on the same page when I'm cooking. Simple dishes are sometimes the best but most of the dishes featured in this cookbook aren't very exciting. It is a nice cookbook to add to a collection because of the history behind the restaurant but not necessarily for it's unique recipes.

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Cooking the Whole Foods Way: Your Complete, Everyday Guide to Healthy Eating Review

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(More customer reviews)This cookbook is the solution for those "health-seekers" who want to eat by the rules (more fiber, more whole grains, less refined sugar, more vegetables). Many of the recipes are delicious, and it's nice to make something that tastes good but that won't give you pangs of food-guilt later.
A few caveats: 1. This is not a pure vegetarian cookbook. She has a whole section on fish. The author does not eat fish herself, but wanted to more fully represent the macrobiotic philosophy. 2. This doesn't give a good look at the full spectrum of macrobiotics. I'm not an expert by any stretch, but from what I've read of some of the other macrobiotics founders, this seemed very incomplete. She seems to concentrate primarily on the yin-yang principle (in her next book she talks about the elements), but doesn't give a comprehensive overview of how those can affect certain conditions. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, she includes a lot of ingredients most macrobiotics shun (chocolate, garlic, etc.) She seems to bend the rules a lot when it comes to desserts. 3. Having said that, when the author thinks a rule is important, she runs with it. Don't even think of eating raw vegetables or fruits, any white flour, or certain vegetables, like tomatoes.
All in all, I thought this cookbook was a valuable addition to my collection, but I didn't think it was a very good lifestyle guideline.

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Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres: The Creation and Presentation of Fabulous Finger Foods Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this book because oftentimes my standard pigs-in-a-blanket or deviled eggs just won't do. A little frightened at first glance of this book, Martha being the domestic elitist and all and the cover depicting nothing less than perfection, one quick read-through convinced me that even I could handle creating something I still have a hard time spelling. The book divided by events, ranging from casual to formal, such as "Tea Party in the Library," "Outdoor Barbecue," "Seafood at the Beach" and "Grand and Elegant Party." My lifestyle isn't so "event" structured, with most of my gatherings relatively casual, so I wanted to make sure there were recipes available and adaptable to my kind of living. Early in the book, Martha lists some required equipment, which includes Japanese paring knives, a Chinese cleaver, a pain de mie pan (?), a porcelain coeur a la creme mold, crimping tools, paper frills, etc. Daunting as it was, I found that this equipment is not really required for her miniatures to be quite palatable. Martha is also keen on presentation, as you all well know, and much of the book focuses on displaying the beautifully prepared hors d'oeuvres on antique silver platters, Depression glass stands and black lacquer trays, with elaborate garnishes of fresh flowers, herbs, or themed bric-a-brac. For instance, an eighteenth century lacquered Chinaman accompanies her small slices of Sauteed Foie de Canard, served with a chive topping on a triangle of toasted pain de mie (hence the abovementioned pan). The presentation is wonderfully represented in the photographs, but remember, for those of you who consider paper plates adequate for exhibition, these are merely suggestions to assist you in your assemblage. All this fluffy stuff aside, I found the recipes to generally be easy and quite tasty. The only thing that makes them complicated is when Martha asks you to use special equipment to make fancy edges or special decorative touches. This, again, is not required, and if you take the recipe for what it is and remove all the bells and whistles, you'll find there are many options ranging from simple to elegant, all within the "normal" (non-Martha) person's skill level. For instance, Martha includes a classic recipe for Deviled Eggs, and on the same page a recipe for Hard-Boiled Quail Eggs with Seasoned Salt, and another for Pickled Quail Eggs. Other simple recipes include Skewered Tortellini, Asparagus Wrapped with Proscuitto, and Pesto Pasta, as well as guacamole and rib recipes. Recipes that I initially thought would be difficult surprised me at their relative ease -- Brie en Croute, Fresh Crabmeat Empanaditas, and Grilled Tiger Shrimp with Dill. I rate this book fairly high for it's good base of quality, customer-friendly recipes that I can actually make trouble-free. I ignored much of the frills and decoration guidance, but should you be partial to Martha's sometimes hard-to-find equipment and time-consuming presentation, you'll enjoy this book.

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Martha Stewart shares her ideas for delectable finger foods to serve at 13 different parties. Includes 150 original recipes, tips on sophisticated presentation, and nearly 200 glorious full-color photographs. 175 full-color photographs.

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