Zosia's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
23 books reviewed. Showing 1 to 23Sort by: Rating | Title 
Baked Elements: The Importance of Being Baked in 10 Favorite Ingredients
By Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp
Stewart, Tabori and Chang - 2012
Another wonderful cookbook from the owners of Baked bakery in Brooklyn, this time focusing on the authors’ favourite ingredients. Of the three books, this one appeals to me most, partly because of the organization of recipes according to main ingredient as my baking choices are often determined by that (a bunch of spotty bananas, the jar of peanut butter that no one is eating…) and partly because these 10 ingredients are some my family’s favourite flavours as well.
I’ve made at least one recipe from most of the chapters (booze and chocolate still to come) and the results have been anywhere from good to spectacular. I’d like to give the book a 4 1/2 star rating but that’s not available so it gets 4.
Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
By Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010
The authors’ second book is as good as the first, continuing the theme of offering variety, creative flavour combinations and just plain delicious sweets with no repetition of recipes from the first.
Recipes include everything from everyday, quick and easy baking to fantastic, though labour intensive, special occasion tarts and cakes that are worth every minute spent on them. I’ve made 6 recipes and have many more I’d like to try…just waiting for the right occasion.
I’m looking forward to their 3rd book!
Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
By Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2008
I own quite a few baking books but this one sets itself apart from the others by offering unusual flavours (matcha, malted milk, sweet and salty chocolate) and recipes (cooked roux and whipped ganache buttercreams).
The recipes are clearly written and most of the items I made turned out well. However, I do wish ingredient weights were included as weighing is a more accurate way of measuring and I might have avoided some less than stellar results (eg dry whiteout cake) with that information.
Of the ones I’ve tried, the standout recipes include the signature Baked Brownie, Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake and Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits.
Baking for All Occasions
By Flo Braker
Chronicle Books - 2008
This is a fantastic cookbook for bakers who are looking for recipes with an added twist and who don’t mind investing a little extra time and effort in their baking projects.
Recipes for a wide variety of baked goods are included in this book. The directions for each are clear and concise; weights and volumes of ingredients are provided; additional and very helpful information on unmolding the baked item, slicing, serving, and storing/freezing it is included. Most importantly, the recipes work; with only 1 exception (cream cheese buttercream), everything I made turned out beautifully.
The organization of the recipes into chapters according to occasion is a little odd for me but there are comprehensive indices at the back to help sort through this. If I have one complaint about the book, it’s the fonts that are used for ingredients…..…fractions (eg ½ tsp) are particularly difficult to read.
Highly recommended……it would be a great addition to anyone’s library.
Bouchon Bakery
By Thomas Keller, Sebastien Rouxel
Artisan - 2012
This is a beautiful cookbook for the baker who likes to be challenged.
Recipe ingredients are provided in weights (as well as standard American volume measurements), instructions are meticulous in their detail, and the techniques and helpful hints provided, often illustrated by accompanying colour photographs, work.
However, even the simplest of recipes require time, even if it’s just waiting time, and many require specialty ingredients and equipment for which no alternatives are suggested. Also, despite the level of detail offered in some areas, there’s surprisingly little information provided about key ingredients (eg flour) and some basic techniques (eg toasting nuts).
I’ve learned a great deal baking from this book, picking up information and techniques that can be applied to recipes from other books. But it’s not the book I'll turn to for spur-of-the-moment or everyday baking, or a recipe for bread I want to serve that day.
The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
By Peter Reinhart, Ron Manville
Ten Speed Press - 2001
This is a truly excellent book……it taught me how to make bread and understand the process so I would have the knowledge and confidence to tackle recipes from other books that don’t give detailed instructions.
It wasn’t my intention to bake every recipe in this book, but over a period of 3 years, that’s what I did, starting with the raisin walnut bread and finishing with the stollen. I didn’t love all of the recipes and I did have some failures but I learned that bread is very forgiving and even the recipes that weren’t a total success were edible ……croutons anyone?
The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle
By Tom Douglas
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2012
An excellent cookbook that includes recipes for a variety of baked goods, desserts and savoury items that are favourites at the bakery. It’s well organized and very informative and even the more labour intensive recipes aren’t overly fussy.
Relying on the ingredient weights supplied, everything I made turned out exceptionally well. I did notice something odd: there isn’t a consistent weight for 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour…..in just a few of the recipes I checked, there was as much as a 20g variation….all the more reason to use the weights provided rather than volume measurement.
The reason for the bakery’s popularity is clear as everything looks/tastes delicious and also has a little bit of a twist…..you’re unlikely to find a collection of recipes quite like this in other baking books.
Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes
By Giada De Laurentiis
Clarkson Potter - 2005
This book is a compilation of mostly traditional Italian recipes with the focus on those that are simpler or less time consuming to make, but certainly not lacking in flavour.
The recipes are organized into chapters according to course, starting with antipasti and ending with dolchi, making menu planning very easy. The ingredient lists are short, the directions are clear and the results are delicious.
The book itself is very inviting with glossy paper and beautiful photos and is much easier to navigate and less intimidating than some Italian cookbooks that focus on more authentic cuisine.
Everything I made was delicious and I plan to do a lot more cooking from the book.
Giada's Family Dinners
By Giada De Laurentiis
Clarkson Potter - 2006
The focus of this book is less on Italian cuisine and more on entertaining with recipes that are not necessarily traditionally Italian, but include an Italian influence, whether it’s ingredients or cooking method.
As with Everyday Italian, the photography is beautiful, the ingredients readily available and most of the recipes work. I found the organization a little difficult to follow and had to rely on the back index to find recipes I wanted to make. Some of the resulting dishes were hugely successful, others less so.
I prefer the book Everyday Italian but believe that this one deserves a better rating than just “good” so this gets a 4-star rating as well.
HomeBaking : The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World
By Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid
Random House of Canada, Limited - 2003
This cookbook is a treasure trove of wonderful recipes, each of which transports you to someone else's kitchen, often in another part of the world.
The book covers several categories of both sweet and savoury baked goods including pastry, breads, cakes and cookies and within each chapter, no matter what part of the world you’re from, you’ll find something familiar, but also something brand new that you want to try.
There’s a helpful glossary of ingredients and techniques with more detailed information provided at the start of each chapter. If I have one criticism it would be that some of the recipe instructions could have offered more details eg descriptions of dough consistency. Though everything I made was delicious, I’m not certain the finished texture/appearance was as it should be. However, since the authors stress that home baking is not about perfection of the results, but the pleasures of the process, I’ll say that they were successful!
I’m not sure why I allowed this book to languish on my shelves for so long but I’m glad I rediscovered it.
Jewish Cooking in America: Expanded Edition (Knopf Cooks American)
By Joan Nathan
Knopf - 1998
This is a great cookbook and an even better read. Each recipe, whether it’s been passed down from generation to generation and survived in its traditional form or has been altered to embrace the flavours of a new homeland, including America, along the way, has a story, often with photos, which families have generously shared.
Ultimately though, for me, a cookbook is about the food and the recipe writing. The recipes are organized into chapters that follow a typical progression from appetizers to sweets, with additional chapters on drinks and Passover. For the most part, they are clearly written, (thank goodness because there are absolutely no photographs of the food), ingredients are readily available, and the food turns out well and tastes fantastic. You really can’t ask more of a cookbook.
Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages
By Mario Batali
Clarkson Potter - 1998
Simple Italian Food is, unfortunately, anything but that featuring many multi-component recipes that aren’t practical for everyday cooking. However, if you’re looking for restaurant quality, special occasion fare, then there is much to commend this book.
Kitchen experience is required to execute most of the recipes as basic instructions for cooking or preparing some components aren’t included. And one’s common sense must prevail so one does not add 1 tbsp pepper to a single serving of fish or use the entire ¾ cup tomato oil to garnish 4 plates!
I quite like the look of the book with its sepia-toned and black and white photos and the font is very easy to read, but with the sections approaching 50 pages in length, an index for each should have been included.
I really enjoyed the food I made from the book, particularly the roasted red pepper gnocchi and stuffed veal rolls, so I will revisit it when I’m in the mood for some flavourful but not-so-simple Italian food.
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi
Ebury Press - 2010
I love this book!
Not only does Mr. Ottolenghi have a way with vegetarian food, as seen in the book Plenty, but his talent and that of his partner extends to non-vegetarian mains and baked goods as well. After making only a dozen recipes, all of which turned out well, some have already become family favourites…...lamb with coriander and honey, turkey with cumin. The layered flourless chocolate cake is to die for and I want to put the mascarpone cream on every dessert I make!
I’ve just discovered that a North American-friendly version is being released in fall 2013 but I’m not sorry I bought this one as I’m used to working with the metric system and weighing ingredients.
A Passion for Baking: Bake to celebrate, Bake to nourish, Bake for fun
By Marcy Goldman
Oxmoor House - 2007
The author’s passion definitely comes through in this book, filled with a large variety of wonderful recipes that cover all occasions.
There are lots of helpful tips at the beginning including information about ingredients, measuring, and bakeware to help get you started. The recipe ingredients are easy to find, directions are straightforward, and results are delicious.
Some of the recipes seem a little over the top with excessive fillings and toppings but I prefer things on the simple side. Every time I open the book, I find something else I want to make.
I highly recommend this book: it’s very non-intimidating for a beginning baker but there’s plenty to keep the experienced baker interested.
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Chronicle Books - 2011
I was looking for a cook book that presented vegetables in delicious and innovative ways to get the carnivorous members of my family to eat more of them and to provide more interesting fare for a vegetarian daughter. The beautiful photography of this book drew me in but it was the actual recipes that sparked the most interest.
Organized into chapters according to main ingredient, the recipes are clearly written with anecdotes about the author’s inspiration or notes about some of the more unusual/exotic ingredients preceding each one. The focus is on the use of fresh ingredients and providing a balance of textures and flavours.
However, there is a general assumption that the user has some basic cooking skills so don’t expect to find detailed instructions on how to prepare every component of a recipe. Also, Ottolenghi is a little heavy-handed with the oil and fat but this is easily adjusted for most recipes.
After cooking extensively from it, I can say that the book achieved what I'd hoped it would; having my family enjoy eating vegetables more than makes up for whatever defects this cook book may have.
Pure Vanilla: Irresistible Recipes and Essential Techniques
By Shauna Sever, Leigh Beisch
Quirk Books - 2012
A celebration of vanilla in all of its forms. The recipes run the gamut from sweet to savoury, homey and retro to modern and sophisticated, but none are particularly complicated or time consuming.
The information about vanilla in the introductory pages is fascinating and thorough. Unfortunately, the same treatment isn’t given to other ingredients, and considering that this is mainly a baking/desserts cookbook, that information can be rather crucial to the success of many of the recipes. Having said that, most of the recipes I tried did turn out well and were delicious. And many, like the Twinkie Bundt Cake, are unique enough to make this book a worthy addition to one’s library.
Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook
By Audrey Alsterburg, Wanda Urbanowicz
Big Ideas Publishing - 2001
This is a great vegetarian cookbook with a wide variety of recipes ranging from simple to complex, all of which offer a unique taste experience. Though published in 2001, the recipes are still very current. But what a difference a decade has made to ingredient availability: what were once previously hard-to-find items are now in most grocery stores.
In addition to being flavourful, most of the recipes are healthy and low-fat, using whole grains, beans, peas, legumes, lots of vegetables, moderate amounts of oil etc….. I highly recommend making the optional sauce or condiment in each recipe as it’s often what elevates a good dish to an exceptional one.
Sara Moulton Cooks at Home
By Sara Moulton
Broadway - 2002
This cookbook offers a variety of quick-cook family-friendly fare as well as more sophisticated, but by no means daunting, recipes perfectly suited to home entertaining, all using readily available ingredients. The warmth and calm the author exudes on screen in her TV shows comes through on each page, inspiring confidence in the kitchen. The recipes come from her kitchen as well as those of family, friends and colleagues.
As a former member of the test kitchen and then executive chef of the now defunct “Gourmet” magazine, Sara Moulton knows how to write a recipe. Each one is prefaced by a blurb about the contributor or inspiration for it and often includes suggestions for shortcuts. The directions for each are clear, descriptions are quite accurate and helpful tips about ingredients, cooking method, or equipment are provided. I did encounter a few problems with heat settings and cooking times, but, in general, the food turned out very well and, most importantly, was delicious. I’ve made almost a dozen recipes from the book and have barely made a dent in the list of those I’d like to try.
Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals
By Ming Tsai, Arthur Boehm
Clarkson Potter - 2003
I’ve always been a fan of Ming Tsai so was happy to cook from this book. I was especially intrigued by the idea of making a “master” recipe that is then used in subsequent recipes.
I discovered, however, that simple though the recipes seemed, the book is intended for an experienced cook: there wasn’t a single recipe I tried where I didn’t have to rely on my own cooking experience to fill in the gaps of missing information or make adjustments to make it work. I’ve determined that the author is a great communicator on TV, but many of the helpful tips and information from his shows didn’t make it into the book.
He’s also very much a restaurateur, which shows in some of the portion sizes and in the failure to scale down the master recipes so that they’re practical for the home cook. All of which is a real shame because when the recipes worked, the flavours were wonderful.
I think that some talented and personable chefs are just that; it doesn’t mean they have the skills to write a cookbook for the home cook.
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
By Deb Perelman
Knopf - 2012
At first glance, this book, which closely follows the style of the author’s blog, is very appealing. It includes a broad range of recipes that are detailed, sometimes quite labour intensive and use mostly widely available ingredients, and photos of every dish. I found the results to be a little inconsistent….many recipes lived up to and some exceeded expectations but others fell far short of the promises.
I have a serious issue, though, with the format of the book, which I don’t find to be particularly functional. Because of the layout chosen, every recipe requires you to flip pages constantly between ingredients and method. Also, page numbers for the recipes in each chapter aren’t provided.
I feel the recipes deserve 3 ½ stars; had the format been more user friendly, I would have been inclined to give 4 stars.
A Taste of Canada
By Rose Murray
Whitecap Books Ltd. - 2010
This is an excellent cookbook focusing on Canadian cuisine that includes recipes using ingredients indigenous to the country or raised/produced within, and that celebrate its multiculturalism. But more than that, it’s a cookbook filled with easy recipes for delicious food.
The information provided about ingredients, country and cooking techniques is interesting and helpful, and the recipes, organized into chapters according to course, are clear, often very quick to make, and turn out very well; the beautiful photographs of food and country are bonus. I really appreciated the little twists used to elevate a plain dish to something much more interesting without spending extra time in the kitchen eg grilled pork chops served with grilled apples, seafood stew with a pinch of saffron, or that simplified a traditional recipe eg butter tarts in phyllo, tourtière in puff pastry.
This book was a gift from my son who thought I would enjoy cooking from it…..he was right. So much more to explore in it….
A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking
By Marcy Goldman
Whitecap Books Ltd. - 2009
Another fabulous baking book from Marcy Goldman!
The recipes are arranged according to Jewish holiday with introductory information about the holiday itself and explanations regarding the significance of the recipes that follow.
The author’s enthusiasm for over-zealous (my opinion) application of fillings and toppings, evident in her book A Passion for Baking, seems to have been tempered in this book, perhaps because of the nature of the product or as a nod towards tradition. But that doesn’t stop her from putting her own twist on these traditional recipes so that they will be among the best babkas, honey cakes etc you’ve ever had! This anniversary edition has an added chapter of savoury dishes that also don’t disappoint.
Though I imagine that this is a great resource for Jewish bakers, the recipes are really quite universal in their appeal.
We Love Madeleines
By Miss Madeleine, Antonis Achilleos
Chronicle Books - 2012
A very cute little book filled with wonderful recipes for the little shell-shaped cakes. The recipes have been contributed by different bakers, so the methods vary slightly and the results aren’t always consistent. However, I had enough successes that I would recommend it. Favourites include basic vanilla bean, maple pecan and smoked paprika with fontina.