Reviews (14)

AMAZING!
Five stars are not enough - Fifty stars would be more fitting!We are 3+ years away from my oldest daughters bat mitzvah.I've been dreading this time mainly because of the meaningless and costly party that I felt compelled to throw for the occassion.While I am not at all religious, I do have strong feelings for Jewish tradition, culture and history, and wanted the bat mitzvah to have meaning and not be just another over the top theme party.
Mitzvah Chic deserves an A+
This book has been indespensible for me in planning my daughter's
I'm available to be your new best friend!
I'm the author of MitzvahChic and I want to personally invite anyone planning a bar or bat mitzvah -- whether they've bought my book from Amazon.com yet or not -- to come see me and your mitzvah-planning peers at www.MitzvahChic.com. You'll not only get lots of personalized help, but you'll learn about other books you can get at Amazon and ideas that will enhance your experience many times over. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bar mitzvah    2. Bat mitzvah    3. Cooking / Entertaining    4. Entertaining - Party Planning    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Judaism - Rituals & Practice    7. Religion    8. Religion - Judaism    9. Religion / Judaism / Beliefs, Practices, Rituals    10. Theology    11. Writing Skills    12. Cooking    13. Entertaining   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Entertaining - General    5. Holiday - General    6. Seasonal   

Editorial Review

Does Read more

Reviews (4)

EVERY THING A PARTY PLANNING BOOK SHOULD BE!
In one word...perfect! This book is great, every recipe I have made from it has been fabulous. (Try the coconut cream pie :)) And more importantly all the foods kind of meld together so each dish is distinct but not so diffrent as to not blend. This book has become my party reference! The parties are creative and go into details like flowers, recommended wines and music. And there are so many parties, from summer pool parties, a kentucky derby party, and big promotions to the standards like Christmas, and Easter! Buy this book you will NOT be disappointed!!!

Create a special occasion, just so you can use this cookbook
This cookbook covers a nifty range of special occasions--much better than that in any other cookbook I've seen! It includes traditional holidays, non-traditional holidays, and things that aren't holidays at all (the "congratulations on a new job" menu, the "Saturday night with friends" menu, the "Springtime bridal shower" menu, a menu for a big family reunion, a birthday bash, a housewarming, a cozy dinner for two, and more).
Reason to Throw a Party
This is simply creative, well done and inspirational.From the unique concept to the exciting layout to the fab recipes, this is one to have and use and celebrate and enjoy.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, International    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. Entertaining - General    6. Entertaining - Party Planning    7. Holiday - General    8. Holiday cookery    9. Menus    10. Cooking / Holiday    11. General cookery   

Reviews (3)

Storybook Cakes, stepbystep guide to creating enchanting novelty cakes
I received this book and was enchanted with the many cakes I can make.The instructions are very clear and well worth the price of the book.I was very happy with my choice.Thank you Amazon.com

Love it!
I really love this book.Instructions easy to follow and the pictures are fabulous. I also love the matching cupcakes.Great book to start working with fondant!

Inspiring
Beautiful book, with cute ideas for (mostly) kid oriented cakes. What I loved is that with ever design there is a suggestion for matching cupcakes within the theme, and a suggestion for slight changes in the original design that give you a total different look. Very nice and inpiring pictures. I'm giving it four stars because I am used to the elaborate 'how to's' in Debbie Brown's books and find those directions (and step by step pictures) better. This one is definately one every cake decorator interested in sculpted fondant cakes must have. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Cakes    4. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    5. Entertaining - General    6. Methods - Baking    7. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft    8. Handicrafts   

Reviews (4)

The junior League at Home:Meals and Menus for Everyday and Special Occasions
It's got great recipes in it.I love it.Can hardly wait to use it.It was recommended by a friend.

A very good source for family meals and entertaining at home
This `Junior League' cookbook is almost exactly what you would expect from such an organization, where all recipes appear to come from home cooks. I give this book four stars (with a caveat) instead of three because it surpasses expectations in at least two ways. First, it provides four complete entertaining and family menus per month, with instructions on day before and other advance preparations to prepare for the meal. Second, the range of dishes is very international. I was surprised to find a good recipe for Filipino spring rolls. This is not exactly Iowa church supper fare. Junior League cookbook not "junior" on taste!
This cookbook is charming to read, gives great ideas of meals to serve, and includes many delicious recipes.The blueberry muffins are fabulous! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. Seasonal    6. Cooking / Entertaining   

Reviews (2)

A MUST HAVE BOOK
This I purchased for my mother as she wanted this book. It is a very well illustrated and the recipes are wonderful. The showing of how to put on a spread is great!! The collectible dishes they show and the presentation is so nice. My mother leaves it out on her living room table and it gets picked up quite a bit. A really nice book to sit and read and glance through the beautiful pictures. A must have~

elegant and lovely book
Have owned this book for about 3 years, yet I find that I open it and use it often. Also, just a lovely book to sit in the garden with a nice glass of wine (or ice tea) read. Good presentation ideas as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. General    6. General cookery    7. Sale Books   

Editorial Review

What would the holidays be without a fresh book from Martha Stewart?Remarkably, she manages to come up with something new every year. Read more

Reviews (9)

It's Classic Martha!
Even if you aren't a true fan of Martha, you will enjoy her book filled with decorating and crafting ideas that you can either incorporate into your own traditions or expound upon to revise them to your personal taste. Pretty to look at !
I have found that Martha Stewart books are to be viewed rather than used as a basis for trying to make anything because her instructions and recipes are often convoluted and/or incorrect.I just do not understand why, with her vast resources, Martha does not hire better and more thorough editors and testers. Pretty neat stuff in here!
Although, like the rest of the "Christmas with Martha Stewart" books, they are republished features from the magazine, this one is pretty good. You do not have to use red and green every year; Silver, white, and even pastel colors can be used festively.I love the neat snowman article; unfortunately, here in Houston, we don't get much snow! Cookies. . .oh, I licked my lips over the snowflake wafers, but I've never made them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas decorations    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Entertaining - General    6. Handicraft    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Holiday cooking    9. Home Improvement / Construction    10. Seasonal    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating    12. Home furnishing & decoration   

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Entertaining - General    3. General    4. Restaurants   

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Entertaining - General    6. Holiday - General    7. Home Furnishing    8. Thanksgiving cookery    9. Cooking / General   

Reviews (6)

Mom loved this one....
My mother for the past 3 years or so, has been putting on these elaborate Sunday dinners after church.She pulls out all the stops and leaves no detail undone.The perfect dinnerware, themes, etc..And let me tell you, the food is out of this world.She's a southern woman and can she ever cook!
Great Dinners for Beginners
By Bill Marsano. Well! Not so many years ago the "futurists" whose job it is to see what the next few years will bring boldly predicted that Americans would soon eat fully half of their meals outside the home. I laughed; I scoffed; I failed to see the light. Here it is 20 years or so later and the futurists were right. We breakfast at McDonald's and IHOP; we lunch there too; and we eat dinner at "family restaurants" like Sizzler, Outback, Ponderosa and the Olive Garden. Of course when I say 'we' I don't include me, and that's not because I'm a snob who thinks the Rusty Scupper, Mario's Pasta Garden and the like are beneath him (although I wouldn't eat at any of them on a bet). It's just that I just don't like restaurants in general, even the tony and expensive ones. I like to eat at home with friends and family, and I wish more people did. They'd eat better and save a bundle besides. Wonderful & Inspirational Book
This is a wonderful cookbook in addition to being an inspiration for all families and cooks. My favorite hobby is cooking for my family and friends, and Sunday dinners have long been a tradition going back to my own Grandmother's table when I was a child. It was over her table that I got to know her and my grandfather and share time and fellowship with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Without those times together I wonder if we would be as close as we are today.Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - Home Life    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Dinners and dining    5. Entertaining - General    6. Regional & Ethnic - General    7. Religion    8. Cooking / Entertaining    9. GENERAL INTEREST / GENERAL TOPIC/ COOKBOOK   

Reviews (2)

Interesting Read
This book has lot of informative history of tobacco and tobacco smoking.The stories incouded were not only interesting but also full of intrigue.It includes a description of different pipes and their uses.I very much enjoyed learning about the humble beginnings of the Dunhill family.It does make a wonderful coffee table book.VERY WELL PLEASED!!

More of a reference guide to pipes throughout history...
While this book is filled with fascinating drawings of strange and unusual pipes from around the world, it is certainly not one of those "just sit down and read it from cover to cover type books." Think more of an "a to z" dictionary of pipes. As a novice pipe smoker, I was hoping for something more informative on the actual mechanics of pipe smoking. I would highly recommend The Perfect Pipe by Jeffers or, if you can find a copy, Weber's guide to pipes and pipe smoking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. Reference - General    6. Tobacco pipes    7. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

Michele Scicolone wrote Read more

Reviews (1)

I was delighted with these authentic Italian recipes but....
This is one of the better Italian cookbooks I have come acrossRead more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, Italian    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. Holiday - General    6. Holiday cookery    7. Holiday cooking    8. Italian cooking    9. Regional & Ethnic - Italian    10. Cooking / Italian   

Reviews (5)

Cooking for Company is the BEST
"I have two small sons, I work (more than) full time and so does my
SENSATIONAL!!!
After hearing the charming Nicole Aloni on NPR I immediately purchased this cookbook book.(I even was late to an appointment because I didn't want to leave the car until the interview was finished). I became especially intrigued with her5 criteria for including any recipe in her book (such as "delicious and easy yet look like they took all day", and "traditional enough to appeal to your grandmother's palate, yet sophisticated enough to impress your new fashion designer daughter-in-law"). Can't wait for the holiday party season now!
This book is so much more than a collection of wonderful new recipes (Hot Scampi Dip, Coconut Crab Dip, Pork Tenderloin w/ Fig Sauce, just to name a few)...the author offers wine recommendations for almost every item, as well as explicit instructions on how far in advance an item can be prepped.Can entertaining get any easier than this?? The roasting charts cover virtually every cut of meat and every vegetable imaginable, making the book a veritable gold mine of information.And the section at the end entitled "Year Round Entertaining Menus", well, all I can say is that Nicole seems to have written this section for all of the cooking enthusiasts who never feel entirely confident that their party menu reflects an adequate balance of tastes, textures, and flavors.With this book in hand, I'm ready to entertain year-round! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Entertaining - General    6. Reference    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Editorial Review

The mysteries of cream of tartar revealed! How to make maximum use of blackening bananas! The hidden meaning of folding in dry ingredients until just blended! Perfect pie crusts for perfect fools! It's all here in Read more

Reviews (34)

Fail-safe recipes and in-depth explanations
I love this book!For two reasons - first, everything in it is always good.Usually the best I've ever eaten, too - I don't even bother with other molasses cookie recipes any more, for instance.
Good book could use some more pictures
Tried the Pizza recipe from this book so far and it came out good. Could use more pictures for the recipes.bbb

Step Up to Perfection
I baked my first cake when I was nine years old, with the help of my Dad who was a pastry chef in the Navy.That's when I became a closet pastry chef! I want to open my own bakery, but I need to hone this craft, trying to get my baking to be as close to my Dad's perfect pastries as I can and this book, "Baking Illustrated" has helped me take a huge step up to being close to perfect!I love it; the recipes are good and the explanations and tips are even better.I wish there were more pictures of each finished item, but the pictures and illustrations are really helpful also.I've had the book for one month and I've baked something from each section so far and have already planned my fall baking and my Thanksgiving and Christmas baking from this book.If you want to learn to bake and if you want to impress your family, friends and coworkers, then please, buy this book and make sure that you have some people ready to indulge in these goodies! I'll send out ads when I open my bakery shop! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Desserts    5. Entertaining - General    6. Holiday - General    7. Methods - Baking    8. Methods - General    9. Reference    10. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft   

Reviews (4)

Mouthwatering fun
Finally a great cookbook with beautiful, vivid pictures of a finished product. i love many cookbooks but the one thing I am usually diappointed with is no photos. I want to see the end so I have an idea where I am going while cooking. This books provides great ideas and gives you fabulous pictures. This is a wonderful addition to anyone who loves comfort or southern food. My favorite section is the Autumn/harvest section simply perfect pumpkin recipes to die for.

review of Get Togethers with Gooseberry Patch
I love this cookbook.I have purchased many Gooseberry Patch cookbooks through the years. I like the pictures in this one, although sometimes due to their placement, it is a little difficult to find the recipe that matches the picture. I like this cookbook because it contains so very many of my favorites and those I like to serve to family and friends. I am not a gourmet cook, just like to prepare delicious, low-fat meals. This cookbook has so many favorites together in ONE cookbook. I don't have to take a lot of time rounding up recipes. It makes preparing my grocery list easier.

Beautiful pictures & wonderful recipes
I am very rarely surprised by a cookbook, but I was this time.I am ordering it as a Christmas gift for all my family members that cook. The recipes are just one step up from easy and the pictures make your mouth water. This is the kind of cookbook that I will not put on the shelf. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cooking    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Friendship    5. General    6. Cooking / Entertaining   

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cooking    3. Entertaining    4. Menus    5. Reference    6. Cooking / Entertaining    7. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Features

• Box set

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Entertaining - General    4. Holiday - General    5. Methods - General   

Reviews (2)

Excellent jazz coordination cookbook
I recently received this book and I've been working on it for more than a week. It's somehow surprising that this book is not widely known in the drumming community (at least here in Italy).
Excellent!
An easy to follow progression of fundamentals leading to solos, this is a great book for staring your jazz studies.It does follow the one primary basic ride sound, but by the end I would think one would be able to improvise fairly well around that pattern. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Entertaining - General    3. Music    4. Music/Songbooks    5. Musical Instruments - Percussion   

Reviews (7)

Fantastic - the best of the fondue cookbooks
I am an avid chef, and I LOVE fondue.I researched LOTS of fondue cookbooks, and this one has fantastic recipes.I think the reason I particularly love it is because we like to make fondue in a more healthful style (i.e., not cooking meat in boiling oil) and this book has an entire chapter just on fantastic broth recipes.In the end, if you cook shrimp, lamb, and flank steak in chicken broth, red wine, mushrooms, and garlic, you have yourself a very healthy meal!You'll love this book...it also gives GREAT fondue cooking tips in the whole first section.

Excellent Choice
If you are looking for well written, easy to follow recipe book on Fondues this is it.
Good Food
I am pleased with the above recipe book, every kind you can imagine and tasty.I want to try each one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Sauces & Dressings    4. Entertaining - General    5. General    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Cookery dishes & courses    8. Cooking / General    9. Fondue    10. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (2)

An amazing little book.
I saw this guy on the Today Show and he was very captivating and creative.His book is the same way, with pretty cool ideas on how to make gatherings unique using "green" products.It makes a great gift, too.

Great gift!
I just received this book today and was so impressed by its presentation and great ideas.The size of the book is somewhere between a paperback book and a coffee table book so it's perfect to carry with you as well as a great little gift to give.I'm planning on buying more so I can give them out as housewarming gifts.The ideas are fresh and innovative and keeping in mind with being eco friendly.Highly recommend getting it!And will wait to get the follow up book, Simply Green Giving. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Cookery    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Decorating    6. Entertaining - General    7. Entertaining - Party Planning    8. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    9. Environmental aspects    10. Handicraft    11. Home Management    12. Nature Crafts    13. Parties    14. Crafts & Hobbies / General    15. Food & Drink / Cookery