Posts Tagged ‘Cookbook’

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Life & Style
ISBN-10: 0446572098
ISBN-13: 978-0446572095

Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes

From the Publisher…

Claire Robinson, the hot new Food Network star of 5 Ingredient Fix and Food Network Challenge, helps people get dinner on the table with little fuss and a few great ingredients. The quest for simple, affordable, and fresh, mouthwatering food is over. 5 INGREDIENT FIX helps put delicious and sophisticated meals on the table in a snap. With people struggling to simplify, streamline, and budget, the Food Network’s Claire Robinson is here to help. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be impressive; simplifying the process with fewer ingredients saves time, frustration, and ultimately, money.

About the Author…

Claire Robinson is the host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix and the daily primetime series Food Network Challenge. Claire cites her French-speaking grandmother as a major influence on her love for food. Claire graduated from the French Culinary Institute, is an accomplished private chef, and has produced several cooking series, including Food Network’s Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello.

My Thoughts…

I fell in love with this cookbook right away and just from the mouth watering photos alone! And I loved the promise that I could make extremely tasty recipes of all kinds for my family and friends with as little as five ingredients, I was in heaven. And with that being said, you can’t blame me for doubting it! Doesn’t it almost sound to good to be true?  We’ve been trying to keep a tight budget around here and to make great tasting food with a minimal grocery list of ingredients is a huge plus.

Trying to figure out what to make wasn’t easy! But after browsing through the eight different sections, I went with a dessert that I served to my family and friends. I was fully putting my trust into the recipe because I commonly don’t just serve the guest I have over a dessert or recipe I haven’t tried personally myself. And with that being said, the Millionaire’s Shortbread recipe I tried out from this cookbook was a huge hit! I had never had or personally made shortbread before but with the minimal ingredients and easy to follow instructions, I’m up to making it again! I can’t help but think how irresistible and elegant this dessert would look and be enjoyed  during the holidays to tempt taste buds of many!

This cookbook has lots of great recipes, many I can’t personally wait to try out. My fourth wedding anniversary is coming up soon so I’ve been browsing around for something to cook that’ll make the dinner extra special with minimal amounts of work and time in the kitchen. Perhaps I’ll cook the Cornish Hens au Vin or maybe the Classic Southern Blackened Catfish!

I wouldn’t hesitate at all to  recommend 5 Ingredient Fix: Easy Elegant and Irresistible Recipes to anyone! This cookbook would be a great addition to your kitchen or perhaps someone else you may know! You can purchase it at numerous bookstores locally and online. Right now you can find this cookbook on Amazon for just 16.95!

Disclaimer: A Special Thanks goes out to Anna over at Hatchett for the opportunity to review this book.

THE GEOMETRY OF PASTA pairs over 100 authentic recipes from acclaimed chef Jacob Kennedy with award-winning designer Caz Hildebrand’s stunning black-and-white designs to reveal the science, culture, and philosophy behind spectacular pasta dishes from throughout Italian history.

This isn’t your ordinary cookbook. The Geometry of Pasta instead of just providing delicious recipes to it’s readers, it also educates us about the huge variety of pasta types out there. I honestly had no idea there are well over three hundred! The rich history behind a single type of pasta, the common dimensions, and what this pasta is most commonly used and can be paired with what sauce is just so much fun to know. Yes, I do realize this might not appeal to everyone but I’m totally eating up it up (No pun intended).

There are some real mysteries held inside this book. For instance, do you really know the truth about Alfredo sauce, like why it’s hard to find in Italy?  Being pregnant myself, I honestly got a kick out of the fact that the creator was a husband trying to find something his newly pregnant wife could keep down without getting sick.

I imagine in the future I’ll be trying my hand at some of the delicious recipes found in this book but for now I’m enjoying it as a quite enlightening new read.

The Geometry of Pasta is published by Quirk Books and is listed for $24.95.

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Quirk Books for providing this book for review. My thoughts are mine and my family’s own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for hosting this giveaway.

About the book:
With gigantic vats of churning chocolate, desserts like their famous chocolate pizza, and 12 varieties of hot chocolate served in custom mugs, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man has turned their line of hip, colorful themed restaurants into an international sensation.

Chocolate: A Love Story is a vibrant new cookbook that includes 65 original recipes narrated in the quirky, captivating voice of Max Brenner, the restaurant’s visionary founder and “bald man.” Bold original illustrations inspired by Art Deco poster graphics, full-color photographs, easy-to-follow, delicious recipes, and a serving of Max’s unique vision for spreading “chocolate culture” around the world make this book a must for every chocolate lover.

My Thoughts…

I adore this book because it’s a mix of my two most favorite things chocolate and art! I myself have not ventured so much as to make lots chocolate filled dishes in my own kitchen but after browsing through this book, I just may give it a shot soon. I love the names of the recipes because they are so not typical! You’ll find recipes titled “The adult and child chocolate buger joint venture, The eternal chocolate bliss Indian lassi, Recipe 66 ( the book features 66 recipes…the name is only suitable!), and so many more! I appreciate  the individuality of Chocolate: A Love Story and applaud the author on making his book so much more different by featuring illustrations by Yonatan Factor. This cookbook is so much more than typical and while it would make the other cookbooks in your kitchen jealous, it could also be featured on your living room coffee table!

I think this book would make a wonderful gift this Holiday season, especially to those whom really appreciate all types of art forms because as we all know cooking is one in it’s own!

You can learn more about Max Brenner here. You can purchase the book at Amazon for about $20.00!