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Susan Friedland wrote The Passover Table in 1994, and it is still oneof the most outstanding books for this holiday. Before offering recipes, Friedland presents the rootsof Passover in Jewish history and in the Torah. She explains the purpose of particular parts of the Seder, the ceremony that marks the observance of Passover, including the famous Four Questions.

Food has a central role during the entire seven days of Passover. Recipes in The Passover Table include dishes served by Jews with roots in northern and central Europe, and those whose culinary influences come originally from Mediterranean Europe (Ashkenazim), North Africa (Sephardim), or the Middle East. In addition to Gefilte Fish and Tzimmes (a sweet meat and vegetable stew) for Seder nights, the dishes for the rest of the week include Mina de Pesha, a layered chicken pie made with matzos; airy, puffed Potato Chremsel; and Birmuelos, Sephardic doughnuts served for dessert or breakfast. Large color photos encourage you to try unfamiliar recipes by showing the mouth-watering results. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Delicious Passover favorites in a beautiful format
I use this book year in and year out to raves. The recipes are classics and they always work. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to know which Passover book to buy because it has never let me down.

So-so....
A second tier cookbook on an important subject. Nothing new here, nothing exciting, just a mediocre presentation. Too bad.

helpful, east to follow recipes
This is a helpful book with easy to follow recipes. Nice photographs. Really impressed my grandmother when I made Passover dinner!

Great traditional recipes and terrific alternatives too!
I have used this cookbook for years to prepare dishes for my own Passover meals and those of friends, always producing rave reviews all around. The variations on traditional dishes make each Passover a little bit of a new adventure and prevent you and your guests from getting tired of the same old meal every year. I especially like the book for its desserts, since that is easily the most challenging part of the seder. It's hard to make anything really delicious without leavening, but try the chocolate apple nut cake and it will change your mind about that completely. I make it even when it's not Passover, as it's especially handy for bringing to friends who keep Kosher households. This might be the only Passover book you ever need! Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

Nothing says "I love you" like gifts made from the heart, and anyone struck with Cupid's arrow will find plenty of inspiration in Valentine Treats. So say it like you mean it with nostalgic Antique Valentines and a Sweetheart Candy Box. If that's not enough to sway the fickle, then let them hear the sweet Pitter Patter of your Pancakes, and dive into your Chocolate Cookie Truffles. Even the littlest cherubs will join in the fun with simple nosegays, no-fuss Peanut Butter with Love Sandwiches, and Pixie Postcards. Cupid's arrow will hit the bull's eye this holiday with the enchanting ideas in Valentine Treats. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Whole Family CAN Enjoy this Magickal Little Volume!!
I bought this book with a bit of skepticism...a book on valentines alone, coming in at 96 pages?? Could this be good? Would it have very many good craft projects that I would ACTUALLY be able to do or that I would WANT to do? Any that my kids (at ages 3 & 5) would be able to help with? Would I be able to adapt any of what was in these pages to "punch up" or help take my magickal working into some new areas (hey, who cannot use a bit of help in the romance department every now and then...keeps things interesting and fun!) I have to admit I've had a few stinkers of late when it comes to books of this kind. I must say I was very pleasantly (very, very) surprised when I got it..

I "devoured" it in less than an hour. After my initial reading, I got out my requisite stickies and marked pages I could actually use (either alone, with my kids or in my magick)...I came away with quite a few...many could be done with my kids (though at there age all of them would be supervised activates...older kids -- say ages 7-10 could most certainly do many of the crafts in this book alone). I found several that were both fun, easy and attractive -- my fears about hokey or tacky looking decorations and projects was quickly laid to rest!! These projects could actually be as elegant and classy as you like or as silly and hokey -- depending on what your going for (hey, I admit hokey DOES have a place in our lives!)...the projects are easily explained, the materials are not too numerous (nor are the expensive) to make these projects daunting or overly time consuming (we've all got busy lives...I'd say several could be done in about 30 mins...and some could take several hours...but I didn't think any couldn't be done in say an evening (with the exception of the bubble paper...this would take two days total with drying time) or a rainy day at home!!

While specifically for Valentines day, this book could be used at almost anytime of the year...your loved one's (and you too) deserve to be acknowledged more than once a year...and romance, love, and self-healing magick can certainly be enhanced utilizing some of the ideas in this book!!!

It's certainly refreshing to find a book with quality projects and recipes that are classy and fun without being Martha Stewart caliber snooty and darn hard to actually do in today's busy work-a-day world!! This book comes highly recommended for both the "normal crafter" and the Magickal one!

B+ for Price (at about 11.00, perhaps slightly more I would rather see this at about 9.95 or slightly less for the number of pages)

A+ for Content

Valentine Treats
I did a lot of crafts for my parents and my friends.The book gave me so many ideas and it was explaint so well, great book. plus I didn't really need a lot of money. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Glorious Holiday Recipes Caters to Both Christians and Jews
Texans are a proud lot. They pride themselves on their cuisine, which is really not Southwestern and definitely not Southern, as the second largest state has diverse traditions, cultures and cuisine, and some absolutely delicious food.

Here's a wonderful book with glorious recipes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's. Beautiful photographs, cooking tips, menu ideas and sidebars quoting selected family traditions give the book a warm, personal touch. It's a book to read and enjoy even if you're not the one doing the cooking.

Best of all, most recipes are easy. You'll learn how to roast, smoke and deep-fry turkey along with recipes for making all the trimmings -- from Texas corn bread dressing to Dorothy's no-fail giblet gravy, even the ubiquitous green bean casserole all the way down to pumpkin, pecan and sweet potato pie.

Griffith's book caters to ethnicities. There's a recipe for Tex-Mex hot tamales and flan for the Latino community as well as potato latkes, sweet noodle kugel and rugelach for the Jewish faith. But you certainly don't have to be Hispanic or Jewish to try these recipes -- all tested and ready for becoming your own traditions, too.

There's even a section on making homemade food gifts, a grand way to say "happy holidays" to friends and relatives with a personal touch. Spicy pecans, Lone Star caviar and Texas trash are among the festive recipes.

Don't miss this book. It's the perfect companion for the holidays. ... Read more

Book Description

The third installment in Ms. Bahan's "Sugarfree Series," Sugarfree Holidays is a 24 page mini-cookbook made up entirely of sugar-free recipes that you can use over the holiday season.Whether you're hosting a party, feeding drop-ins, or preparing a family meal, these 56 tasty recipes (which include Dips, Snacks, Desserts and standards such as Turkey and Pork dishes) will be enjoyed by all - yet each is guaranteed to be low glycemic and have no sugar added! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

great food for any occasion
This is a handy little cookbook for those who want to keep sugar to a minimum. Tasty, easy to follow recipes that can be enjoyed by all members of your family.

In addition to deliciously flavorful southern main course dishes the author has also included fabulous appetizers and desserts. Those of us who have found a need to follow a low or no-sugar diet are sure to be pleased with this cookbook.

I also appreciated that the author included a section of sugarfree gift ideas of sauces, blends, and snacks for those of us who have loved ones who would must also limit their intake of sugar.

I've found that this book goes hand in hand with the Sugar Busters diet plan. ... Read more

Book Description

A boring Halloween party? The horror! Millions of Americans live to be scared silly, and for them October 31 marks the beginning of the holiday season: a reason to dress and act outrageously. This hip, photograph-filled paperback, packed with recipes and crafts, makes entertaining on Allhallows' Eve terrifyingly easy. From a frightful dinner for four to a full-out, monster-mashing Haunted Mansion, Lori Hellander concocts six parties guaranteed to make guests scream in delight. The Hocus Pocus Potion Party highlights eerie elegance, while Tricks and Treats taps into Halloween nostalgia.

Like a skilled carver attacking a pumpkin, Hellander chops up each themed party into manageable chunks: invitations; shopping and scheduling; decor and costumes; food and drink; games for all ages. But aspiring fete-ishists need not have tons of time or an armory of glue guns to get the parties going: there are plenty of quick and simple-to-execute ideas, plus useful tips for impromptu entertaining. AUTHOR BIO: LORI HELLANDER lives in New York City, but her work as a photo stylist takes her to many places on the map. She is a regular contributor to Country Living, Bon Appétit, and Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, among other national publications, and has made several guest appearances on HGTV's Country Style and the Discovery Channel's Surprise by Design.

BILL MILNE is a photographer and image-maker who has contributed to Gourmet, Wine Spectator, Time, People, and many other publications. ... Read more

Book Description

Just what makes a Southern Christmas so special? Is it the festiveness of the South's acclaimed hospitality? What accounts for its unmistakable charm? Emyl Jenkins writes that the answer lies in the South's rich traditions and heritage. For Christmas in the South is not just a day -- it is a season. All other seasons pale before the joys of Christmas as it has been observed through the centuries, from the Colonial days to the Civil War to the present. Christmas traditions in the South are deeply cherished, but you don't have to be Southern born and bred to enjoy a Southern Christmas.

In Southern Christmas, Emyl Jenkins offers the timeless stories and histories, the sentimental lore and celebrations inherent to the region. In these pages are heartwarming and cheerful accounts that will bring smiles and gentle memories of your own Christmases to mind: mile-high stacks of grandmother's best china taken down from pantry shelves for yuletide parties and scrumptious meals...magnolia boughs, longleaf pine, red-berried hollies, and deep green boxwood gathered for wreaths and garlands. Indeed, decorations on Southern doors, windows, even tucked-away niches turn every scene into Christmas cards to greet friends and strangers alike.

Southern Christmas is a book you will cuddle up with by the fire and read aloud to your family. Emyl Jenkins takes you on a Southern Christmas journey from Maryland to Texas with more than 250 stunningfull-colorphotographs. She visits private homes, museums and restorations, grand hotels, and charming inns in her chapters on Southern Christmas trees, decorations, food, parties, weddings, gifts, and music. Woven through the text are Emyl's "Gifts to the Reader," providing beautiful decorating and luscious recipe ideas to brighten every home at Christmas. Emyl invites you into her home for Christmas dinner, takes you on a colorful tour of Opryland, and on a leisurely stroll in historic Williamsburg.

Emyl Jenkins' Southern Christmas is a Christmas treasure dedicated to all who share the joy, the mirth, and the love of the season. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Southern Living Our Best Christmas Recipes
Awesome cookbook! I borrowed my friend's copy after I tried her Cajun Shrimp recipe on page 56. Lots of great recipes!

A Great Cookbook
Every recipe I have tried from this cookbook is wonderful. The make-ahead mashed potatoes are yummy and a time-saver. I use this cookbook exclusively for my Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

An Absolute Necessity for Entertaining!
This is the one cookbook in my collection (of at least 50 others) that gets the most usage! I loved it so much that I gave this cookbook as a gift to my sister (a caterer) and aunt (who entertains quite a bit)! This is by far my FAVORITE cookbook(and theirs)! The recipes are easy to follow and well laid out. They offer many different meal plan suggestions and the ingredients are easy to find. The Chocolate Mousse Au Grand Marnier is sinfully delicious! Everything that the three of us have made from this cookbook receives RAVE reviews! (i.e. Chicken Alouette, Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Holiday Banana Bread, Streusel-Topped Sweet Pototo Casserole, Mushroom Roll-ups, etc.) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Want to be a better cook?
Cook's Illustrated is a no-nonsense, incredibly detailed, well-written, well-researched, and fussy-about-quality-food magazine written for American home cooks and foodies, not gourmet cooks (although the food you'll end up cooking might qualify as gourmet) or food faddists. The annuals include all of the magazines for that year bound into hardcovers and handily indexed. Quick Tips showcase reader tips for everything under the sun and in the kitchen. Recipes may include everything from making a better pot roast to Indian food. Equipment reviews rank essential (and some not so essential) kitchen tools.

Each recipe features a description of the process the author went through to get the master recipe, usually including any interesting food science tidbits along the way (for instance, how heat, in the instance of cooked food, may affect the protein molecules, etc.), which makes for some fascinating reading; it's not unheard of for me to read that part of the recipe out loud to admiring dinner guests at their request.

"My" chicken and dumplings have been pronounced "the best ever", "my" pork roasts have been called "to die for", and "my" roast turkey is looked forward to by anyone who has ever come to my table during the holidays.

I have collected each annual, eagerly looking forward to each one even if I've received the magazine on subscription, and each one makes me a better cook -- if you want to become known as a fabulous home cook, these annuals will put you ahead of the pack!

Nice
I have about 3 different cooks illustrated cook books, only this one has a year attached to it "2001" But I have become a better cook by having them. I am leary of buying more as many reviews I've read say repitition is inevibable. I wish I knew of one of their books that had everything in it the way fanny farmers or betty crocker does, I'd buy that in a heart beat. The receipes are delicious and I haven't made a bad meal since getting the books.

Great Cookbook/Magazine
I recently discovered Cook's Illustrated through a cookbook given to my husband and I for our wedding. It was their "Best Of.." cookbook. After trying several of their recipes with no failures, I asked for their annual magazine book for Christmas. What a find! I love reading the articles and I love the recipes. The book has all the magazines from 2001 in it, from January - December. I am currently making recipes from the Jaunary/February issue and have not been disaapointed. There is also a lot to be learned about cooking practices in this book. It's a great addition to any cook's kitchen.

Essential to anyone who cooks - (2001 annual)
If you cook, you will LOVE this. I own all of the Cook's Illustrated annuals from 1993-2001. They are the all/all of culinary knowledge.

This annual has things such as 'step-by-step: six steps to perfect pizza', 'uncommon uses for common kitchen tools', 'understanding and using yeasts', 'how to choose a sauté pan', 'rating sauté pans', 'what are capers?', 'liberating trapped muffins', 'discovering fresh ham roast', 'quick, fresh sauces for asparagus', 'getting to know your refrigerator: proper storage techniques', 'really good fried rice', 'coconut layer cake', 'measuring up morsels', 'tasting supermarket extra-virgin olive oils', 'do garlic presses really work?', 'rating garlic presses', 'Jewish cooking', 'Sichuan noodles demystified', 'the ultimate crispy fried chicken', 'testing pots and pans for frying', 'tuna salad done right', 'tasting peanut butter', 'just spray it', 'the perfect cheese omelet', 'cutting board survey', 'tasting tomato juice', 'fresh fruit tarts worth eating', 'tart pans', 'tart designs', 'solving the problems of cherry cobbler', 'tasting balsamic vinegar ... , 'are all pepper mills equal?', 'measuring 101: techniques & shortcuts', 'the best blueberry muffins', 'big-name vanilla ice creams fail to sweep tasting', 'rating colanders', 'apple cake', 'drying frosted cookies', 'fishing cork crumbs out of wine bottles', 'first in, first out onions', 'homemade crescent rolls', 'the basics of brining', 'tasting red wines for cooking', 'rating inexpensive coffee grinders', 'reconsidering copper', lots of recipes, and much, much more.

The Cook's Illustrated annuals are easy to read, with clear and concise information. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or more advanced, it is impossible to read these without learning something you didn't know before. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not as creative as the Christmas series
I was very excited about this book when I first heard about it. I love the Christmas series and have several other cookbooks from them and love them dearly! This book just didnt live up to the other books I have though.
Most of the recipes in this book seem to be repetitions of recipes from their other books. There are a few things that are different and new but if you have any of their other books you probably have a recipe for 90% of the items offered.
Also the crafting ideas just arent as inspiring as their Christmas crafts. I have enjoyed decorating my home for the holidays with the help of Gooseberry but this just didnt have the same origionality as the other books.
Maybe they just spread themselves too thin trying to cover one whole year in one book. But I think if you have any of their other books than you can pass on this one.

Some cute ideas
This book has some good ideas in it. Some of them are rather obvious, not anything new. There are some cute decorated pots for example and some cute gift bagging and wrapping ideas The illustrations and pictures both for the crafting and the recipes are of high quality. There are a few charming halloween costume ideas (with pictures) as well as holiday goodies. The recipes offered are for such items as Radish Jelly, Hot Peach Jam, Pistachio Whip, Christmas Cookies, Chicken Noodle Soup, Harvest Pumpkin Bread and Turkey Vegetable Soup. Most of the recipes can be found in other variations elswhere. Nothing new here. This is a craft/decorating book that beginning crafters or children would enjoy. My own daughters (both teenagers) loved it and will use it. ... Read more

Book Description

From nibbles for four to food for a crowd, bestselling cookbook author Barbara Kafka offers partytime recipes for the harried, the hurried, and the helpless. This is the book for the host or hostess who wants to create parties that are an unqualified success, with an array of food that is simple to prepare, reasonably inexpensive, and always delicious!

Party Food gives you more than four hundred recipes for finger foods, ranging from the quick and the easy to those that are more lavish and intricate, for party givers who enjoy spending more time in the kitchen. Party Food is as simple as focaccia and as unusual as Mini-Moussaka Rolls; as elegant as classic French PĊté en Croûte and as basic as the perfect Papaya Salsa to serve with chips.

Party Food is beautifully illustrated, brimming with 150 color photographs that show you not only individual dishes, but magnificent spreads and buffets.

Barbara Kafka has created exciting foods that will tantalize everyone's taste buds: Fresh Tomatillo Salsa, Roasted Red Pepper and Mushroom Salad, Vegetable Skewers, and Grilled Marinated Shrimp, which let your guests enjoy sensuous flavors while they mingle and help themselves from bowls and platters. The variety of recipes is astounding -- take your pick from fifty different dips and let your planning evolve from there. In addition, Party Food is chock-full of vegetarian recipes, which are highlighted in green.

One of the most important goals of party planning is making sure that throwing a party doesn't interfere with enjoying it. Barbara Kafka offers explanations of how far ahead a recipe can be made, how dishes can be frozen and/or reheated, and how much of a given item you will need per person. She shares secrets such as freezing chicken to make it easier to cut into strips for kabobs, and using your microwave to reduce preparation time. She also offers a host of flexible recipes such as Sun-Dried Tomato Dip, which can be served by itself, used as a pasta sauce, or enlisted as a base for dozens of other dishes. Party Food is simply the single, perfect party reference for any occasion.

Reviews (5)

A bit frustrated
Well After I received the book I have to say I was quite disappointed because I am one of those people who gives great importance to presentation in the books .After I read the reviews I thought I was going to get a book with lots of nice photographs and various nicely set tables .It turned out that it was just like an encylopedia with lots of recipes and couple of boriiinggg pictures .If you are a visual person like me who likes to read cookbooks when you go to bed DONT BUY IT.The other important thing was that many important ingredients were missing in the greek food that was presented .

The BEST party food book ever
This in the one cook book in my extensive collection I return to again and again. It's not pretentious and its fun and easy to use.

The recipies work - Every single recipie I have ever tried works just as expected. There are no surprises. I have used some other big name appetizer books and been dissapointed, not so with Kafka's book. Everything is consistent and delicious. The photos are real and extremly helpfull to picturing the end results.

This book helps with planning whether for a huge party or intimate gathering. Kafka outlines clearly which items can be fixed in advance, what can be frozen and what needs to be prepared on the spur of the moment.

This book is packed with ideas. Kafka makes tons of suggestions for alternative uses of sauces, fillings and breads - all are completly cross referenced with page numbers and names. There is an entire section on dressing up "ready mades." The book covers everything from complete menu suggestions to cocktails to homemade breads to simple spreads.

Finally, one of my favorite features is the extensive cross referenced index. It's easy to find anything you want whether you search on ingredients, origin or theme. I love this book and have purchased it as a gift for all of my family and friends.

A Must For Those Who Love To Entertain
This book covers almost every type of party food you could imagine, and organizes them in easy to follow chapters. As a cook who loves to entertain, I have used many recipes from this book and have always received rave reviews. The photos are particularly appealing, and the recipes are easy to follow, with helpful tips and tricks sprinkled throughout the book. This is definitely a great reference for those who enjoy entertaining.

The One Best Book when you don't know WHAT to serve!
From veggie purist to decadence (including martinis) beyond par, this is an amazing range of recipes for those delectables that will make YOUR party unforgettable. Choose a theme - you'll find a menu here! Or look in the frig - match what you have to what Kafka suggests. It's a big step beyond my other cookbooks with their "appetizer" sections - inspiring, fun yet SIMPLE. Great ideas on presentation... the art that follows the cooking.

Easy to read and use. Beautiful to look at!
Barbara Kafka's Party Food has simple straightforward recipes. She has a grasp on what modern family life is like. There are lots of hints on how to make entertaining fun and relaxing. As an added plus the book has beautiful photographs. It is almost pretty enough to display. It is a great gift for any level of cook. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Japan is about the only nation not represented in Betsy Oppeneer's Celebration Breads. And guess what? In Japan they don't celebrate holidays or special events with bread. Everywhere else, well, it's another story. And who better to tell that story than Betsy Oppeneer, longtime cooking teacher, author of Breads from Betsy's Kitchen, The Bread Book, and Betsy's Bread. There was a time in Europe when eggs and sugar were so costly none but the wealthy could use them for anything but special events, usually holidays like Easter or Christmas. Or there are special breads linked to events like the Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Oppeneer has scoured the world for breads closely linked to this spirit of celebration, of special event. And what she found, in many cases, was a disappearing world where new generations were failing to carry on traditions and old recipes were fading out of mind and history. Celebration Breads acts as something of a bridge between what has been and what can be.

Always the careful, thorough teacher, Oppeneer begins her book with chapters on ingredients, special equipment, the how-tos of doing it by hand, by heavy-duty mixer, by food processor, or bread machine, and tips and techniques. She divides her recipe chapters by region: Africa, the Americas, the British Isles, Eastern Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Russia and Asia, Scandinavia, and Western Europe. You'll find flat breads like Egyptian Zalabya and yeast breads like Chelsea Buns. There are sweet breads and savory breads. Big breads and little breads. And in each of the more than 75 recipes Oppeneer is right there at your shoulder, enjoying new discoveries and old friends right along with you. --Schuyler Ingle ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent Special Topic Bread Book. Must Have for Bakers
I ordered this book by experienced and highly recognized bread baking author, Betsy Oppenneer, because I was having no luck finding a recipe for Eastern European Paska (Easter) bread in my many other weighty bread baking books. I had even looked into cookbooks of eastern European cuisines such as Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Slovakian and Ukrainian. I found only one, which was so simple, I was sure the authors did not give it a lot of thought, or, eastern European peasants really did make this kind of very simple bread because they simply did not have the money or access to saffron, dried fruits, and fresh butter.

I was pleased to find that Ms. Betsy had not one, but two eastern European Easter bread recipes spelled Paska in the Ukraine and Pashka (or Kulich) in Russia. As luck would have it, I had also found a Pashka bread recipe in the latest Easter issue of Gourmet magazine that was, of course, different from Ms. Betsy's recipe. Of course, Oppenneer anticipates this by saying that she often finds dozens or even hundreds of different recipes under the same traditional name. The problem is generally to find the recipe that most closely resembles your personal memory, especially if your Grammy didn't write this precious recipe down or your bakery source has gone out of business or moved its business to Orlando.

All of this is to warn you that even though a recipe you remember may be in this book, it may not be exactly the same as you remember from your childhood or from a trip to Prague or Marseilles or Casablanca. In spite of this warning, it seems to me that Ms. Oppenneer has done a real scholar's job of presenting a good take on a wide selection of the world's celebration breads. In the process, she has reminded us of how central bread is to many cultures' spiritual life. This alone, aside from nutritional questions, is enough for me to not give up my bread in all its varieties in the face of 'low carbohydrate' diet doctrines. The best part of this book is that it does not limit itself to coverage of 'Bread Central' running from Paris and Rome through Germany to Vienna and the Slavic lands in the Balkans and into the Ukraine and Russia to the Urals. There are interesting samples from northern Africa (Egypt and Morocco, of course), native America (and some European imports to the new world), the Middle East, Greece, Scandinavia, and a rather large contingent of breads from the British Isles, featuring the famous Irish soda bread, hot cross buns, and Shrovetide Pancakes. It should come as no surprise that there are no representatives from the Orient, as wheat, and therefore, bread, simply did not play a large part of their cuisine. I am just a little surprised that there are no samples from south Asia, as I know there are flatbreads common to Indian / Pakistani cuisines. No matter, as the author provides an excellent bibliography of books and that very new, very 21st century bibliography of Internet web sites.

All of these very good things would be of little value if the recipes and bread baking techniques in this MS were not up to snuff. Take my word for it. They are very up to snuff. The book does not give bread baking technique the great depth of treatment you may find in a volume by Peter Reinhart or in Rose Levy Beranbaum's 'the bread bible', but I found the author's understanding of her subject and her skill with imparting that understanding to be as much or more lucid as these experts, who are dealing with the more difficult task of covering the entire world of bread, ingredients, and techniques. As far as she goes Ms. Oppenneer makes it all seem very, very easy, without skimping on any of the niceties. Her explanation of kneading and her rationale for that technique may be worth the price of admission for serious, amateur breadmakers.

As this is a book on specific breads and not on breadmaking in general, Ms. Oppenneer does not cover things like artisinal breads based on sponge, poolish, or biga. In fact none of these words appear in the index, even though I did find one recipe which used a sponge. One indication of this limited range is that Ms. Betsy gives four important steps to bread baking over four pages of text, while Beranbaum takes ten steps and about thirty pages to cover basic bread baking. This reinforces the fact that this book is not the only bread book you will need.

Aside from the interest in the subject of the book, the most interesting aspect of the book is that the author gives techniques based on up to four different types of equipment. These are your hands, a stand mixer, a food processor, and a bread machine. I never use a bread machine or a food processor to make bread so I cannot make any judgment on these techniques. I can say that the manual and stand mixer techniques are excellent, with many new twists on how to use this very versatile machine to make bread. Understandably, not every machine works with every type of bread. Next to manual techniques, the stand mixer is the most widely applicable method.

One somewhat disorienting position taken by the author is her not routinely blooming yeast before adding it to other ingredients. Just as I first learned to work with yeast by blooming active dry yeast in warm water and sugar, Ms Oppenneer says she first learned a simpler 'standard' technique of simply suspending the active dry yeast in warm water. This is the method she uses in most recipes.

Highly recommended book for those who are looking for a traditional bread recipe. Also highly recommended for bread bakers in general. Especially good for novices, although few recipes are 'easy'.

My New Favorite Book!
This is my new favorite book! I've been baking bread since I was 7 years old, and I love to get my hands into a pile of dough. Betsy Oppenneer is my roommate at IACP Conferences, and one of me dearest friends, so sue me if I'm prejudiced, but... she has left NOTHING out of "Celebration Breads!" She has researched not only the recipes, but also the history of each of the breads included in the book. Additionally, she's included three methods for making most of these breads: by mixer, by food processor and by bread machine. Take your pick. She's included some fried treats as well as more traditional breads from all over the world. I've especially enjoyed comparing her recipes with those I've been baking for years. Whatever your ethnic heritage, you will find easy-to-follow recipes for the breads and coffee cakes you grew up with. This may be the perfect year to "get your hands into a pile of dough" and create a tradition!

Celebration Breads : Recipes, Tales, and Traditions
Oppenneer is a cooking teacher and author (The Bread Book). Here she presents recipes for 75 special breads from all over the world, including Navajo Kneeldown Bread, English Soul Cakes, and Rosca de Reyes, a Spanish bread for Epiphany. Each one is accompanied by a description of the holiday or other occasion the bread celebrates. Organized by country or region, the recipes are clear and well written, and there are also individual chapters on ingredients, equipment, and techniques. However, it would have been helpful to have more introductory material or some sort of general overviews in the recipe sections, rather than just the recipes and their individual histories. Nevertheless, this is recommended for most baking collections. ... Read more

Book Description

A new cookbook series from Land O Lakes. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

embarrassingly tacky
I found not a single usable idea in this book. The ideas are decidedly unimaginative and the results quite ugly. A friend bought this for me at a bargain shop without looking inside--thank goodness she spent only $2 for it. Even that was a waste.

101 ideas, 10 good ones.
This book contains a few good ideas, but none that I would use. Best used for decorating your house for a pre-schooler's Halloween party. More CUTE than scary. Contains nice color photos and easy directions.

simplistic and uninspiring
This book was a total disappointment . I expected creative adult halloween ideas--things I would want to keep year after year.There were only 2 projects I found interesting-the halloween tree trims & the silver swirl pumpkin(the cover pumpkin) However,If you are looking for very simple ideas geared towards little children---this book may be what your looking for.
The best thing I can say about this book is it only cost me 1.49.

This really is a great Halloween Book!
Don't believe the reader from Palmyra. This book is great. I made the pumpkin on the cover (my kids helped bend the solder) and several others in the book. They all got rave reviews at our halloween party. The crafts are unusual, but not difficult, the recipes are good and the book's presentation of all the crafts is top-notch. I own over 25 Halloween craft books and this is one of the first I'll reach for each year. I can't wait to ready the new book in this series "Halloween Fun".

Fantastic Book!
I dont actually own this book, but I rent it from the library every time I go! (I'm gonna just buy my own.) It has tons of wonderful Ideas and crafts to make. Step by step intructions and full color illistrations really make this book great. The ideas are very creative and exciting. I cant wait to try out these ideas next Halloween! ... Read more

Book Description

An expert on traditional holidays and the special baked treats that mark them, veteran chef and cookbook writer Beatrice Ojakangas presents recipes for twenty-one seasonal occasions and cultural holidays. She takes you from spring to winter with recipes like heart-shaped coffee cake for Valentine's Day, Austrian carnival doughnuts or spicy rabbit cookies for Easter, and cinnamon-walnut kamish bread or challah for Rosh Hashanah. For Christmas, the biggest baking season of the year, Ojakangas offers enticing recipes for thirty-eight classic and fancy cookies, eighteen yeast breads, thirteen quick breads, nine cakes, ten bar cookies and brownies, and many more. With these recipes, every holiday is sure to be memorable.

In addition to its array of delectable foods, The Great Holiday Baking Book is brimming with holiday lore from cultures around the world. Ojakangas also provides helpful tips and practical information about hosting a cookie-swap party, organizing your bustling holiday kitchen, involving the kids in baking fun, and more. With its variety of specialties and treats for almost every gala occasion, The Great Holiday Baking Book is sure to become an indispensable part of your feasts and celebrations.

Beatrice Ojakangas is the author of more than a dozen cookbooks, including The Great Scandinavian Baking Book (1999) and Scandinavian Feasts (2001), both published by the University of Minnesota Press. Her articles have been published in Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Cooking Light, Cuisine, and Redbook, and she has appeared on television's Baking with Julia Child and Martha Stewart's Living. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Makes holidays easier!
This Holiday Entertaining book is great! The book outlines each holiday (including Mothers Day, Halloween etc etc) and suggests a full menu for each special day! I love the ideas for meals and desserts and there are a lot of recipes that can be made ahead! This book is easy to read, the recipes are simple to follow and most ingredients are already available in your kitchen. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From a recipe for mulled wine to a list of the traditionalitems included in a Christmas stocking (a newly minted coin isessential, as it symbolizes future prosperity), this book has all theEnglish essentials for a happy holiday season. Judith and Martin Millerare known for Miller's Antiques Price Guide and their interiorarchitecture and design books. The photographs here are from theirLondon house and their country home at Sissinghurst, illustrating theexquisite interiors of the houses as well as the details involved inpreparing for a lavish Christmas celebration. While American decoratingschemes rely heavily on evergreen branches, traditional Englishdecorations also include nuts, fruit and ivy. The book is not merelydecorative; there are instructions for making stenciled, quilled, andpop-up greeting cards, stenciled wrapping paper, nut garlands for thefireplace, fruit cones for centerpieces, and an endless array ofspecial entrees, savories, and sweets--including all the makings of aBoxing Day buffet. What could be more traditional than that? ... Read more

Book Description

In The Accidental Gourmet Weeknights, Sally Sondheim and Suzannah Sloan showed time-pressed cooks how to redefine their relationship with their kitchens and create stress-free, fuss-free family meals every weeknight of the year. But Sondheim and Sloan know that feeding family and friends on weekends and holidays, when expectations are higher, can be equally challenging. In The Accidental Gourmet Weekends and Holidays, they now complete the year by giving home cooks everywhere a foolproof way to put a delicious meal on the table every Saturday, Sunday, and holiday, even with limited time and resources. The secret? Sondheim and Sloan have redesigned old-fashioned home cooking to fit perfectly into today's often hectic, fragmented lifestyle in an easy-to-follow format that allows cooks of all levels to achieve spectacular results. The taste that used to take grandma days to prepare can now be on the table in a matter of hours.

Every meal is composed of main, side, and dessert dishes that have been carefully chosen to complement one another, take advantage of seasonal ingredients, minimize kitchen time, and maximize enjoyment. Each menu comes with a convenient, comprehensive, and organized shopping list and a step-by-step countdown to ensure that dinner gets to the table in the right order and at the right temperature.

Having a dinner party on Saturday night? Serve roast capon with a dark cherry sauce, accompanied by herbed asparagus; hearts of palm salad with tarragon dressing; and chocolate-glazed, custard-filled pound cake. Or how about salmon steaks crusted with pepper and served with orange sauce, accompanied by sherried carrots, a bean sprout salad, and a frosted chocolate-mint cake?A family gathering on Sunday evening might offer maple-glazed ham steaks with a creamy potato casserole, green beans in a tangy mustard sauce, and a strawberry-rhubarb crisp or a chicken and vegetable stew, sour cream muffins, and apple dumplings. There are also special, sumptuous meals for holidays and celebrations.

No matter the occasion, The Accidental Gourmet Weekends and Holidays is the one book that will guarantee a memorable meal every time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

As Good As It Gets
I have been waiting for a cookbook thatknows how to help create meals not just recipes. I haven't the time to search through most cookbooks that offer a main dish in a catagory and then I spend too much time trying to put a meal together that works.
I love the idea that this book gives you a shopping list, a list of staples, a countdown, and a list of equiptment. Nothing I hate more than starting a meal and finding I am out of something essential. My hats off to the authors for giving me the chance to prove that I can be a gourmet cook easily.

The Accidental Gourmet Weekends and Holidays
Am glad to see more receipes from these experienced cooks who understand the organization of tools, ingredients and the roadmap to bring a great meal to table. Was a fan of "A Dinner a Day" and have given it to many young brides. This is a format that skips the pictures and gets to the structure of a putting the parts of a complete dinner together from shopping to presentation. The "fun with puns" titles are a delight and spark dinner discussions to the education and delight of family and guests. Easy to bend book back to computer Scan or machine copy ingredients list for shopping. Love the "Countdown" formula for pulling the meal together. Without a lot of pictures and calorie counts to fill up pages (who doesn't know what a pot roast looks like by now. . .), these experienced chefs have given us hundreds of proven-good receipes between the pages of their efficent layout (practical binding lets it self-stand on counter for easy reference and page turning). Combining things we've tried and like from one menu to another has created even more dinners for my family (great index in back). Hats off to these talented cooks who've done it again. . .hope we see them on Food Network soon. As regards my "buy" recommendation for this wonderful cookbook . ."Thistle Please You" from their aptly-named artichoke receipe, page 187. . .every pun intended!!

And another thing...
It doesn't tell you how many people each recipe serves. It's all a guessing game. Don't have time.

Hated this book! Zero stars. Horrible format.
This is the WORST-designed cookbook I have EVER seen! 1) The recipe "names" don't actually give you ANY clue as to what it's about. All these cutesy names don't tell you jack! 2)The ingredients for each are on ONE side of the page, and then the instructions are on the BACK side. What's the point of that? 3) There are NO pictures, except on the cover! If you love to cook, and sometimes use recipe books, do NOT get this book. Fortunately it was a gift. It would have to be, because I certainly would not have bought it myself. That the authors group foods together--giving the meal's menu--is good, but they need to rename the recipes, put ingredients and instructions together and provide some visuals. Maybe then I'll actually try some of these " puzzled formulas." This is an unfortunate waste of paper and formatting. ... Read more