Fine Cooking

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I like it better than Christmas because it's all about the food rather than the stuff. I'm fortunate in that my family Christmases tend to be all about the food, as well, so I'm planning to use at least one recipe from the Fine Cooking Thanksgiving Cookbook for my Christmas dinner since family will be here this year. I'm currently waffling about Thanksgiving since it's just two of us - do I make the turkey breast and a bunch of sides or do we go show more for Chinese food - but whatever I do this cookbook is great for the holidays.

The Fine Cooking Thanksgiving Cookbook offers lots of advice for making your Thanksgiving cooking adventure less daunting - advice on planning ahead, lots of different ways to make a yummy turkey, oodles of sides and desserts. I'm especially excited about the sides because I'm not fond of turkey and at past Thanksgivings with large crowds have been known to skip the protein and just eat sides. My husband likes the proteins, though, so if I do cook I'm obligated to provide one. The recipes are clear and simple without being plain and boring, nice photographs, lots of advice and ideas. While I won't make a pie this year (I remain terrified of pie crust and the packaged ones just aren't that great), if I wanted to this would be a great reference with step-by-step instructions for making it all work out right. I got a copy for review on my Kindle and this is one cookbook I'll buy in print because it's got so many great recipes in it. A fun reference for novice cooks and for experts! show less

"Fine Cooking In Season: Your Guide to Choosing and Preparing the Season's Best" is a truly fabulous find for foodies. The authors of this book discovered so many tasty treasures that they had to add a fifth season to the year. Your tasteful journey begins in Spring, and continues through Early Summer, Late Summer, Fall, and Winter. Each season has its own "color tab", and each food has its own variety of recipes. I loved the fact that each food has its own pages with beautiful color photos, show more recipes, "other ideas", and a "Did you know?" question and answer. Learning about food helps to open your mind to trying new foods, and that is a healthy option for both mind and body. Becoming knowledgeable in how to optimize the potential of the properties of each ingredient is a fun and inspiring way to add new life to food preparation. A reason to please in each season: "Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Bacon Tart"; "Fresh Peas with Lemon and Chives"; "Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes"; "Apricot-Raspberry Buckle"; "Cherry Mousse"; "Braised Fennel with Tomato, Green Olives, and Capers"; "Roasted Onion Stuffed with Prosciutto and Parmesan"; "Fig and Anise Ice Cream"; "Sun-Ripened Tomato and Black Olive Salad"; "Carrot and Coriander Soup"; "Wild Mushroom Risotto"; "Chocolate Nut-Upside Down Cake"; "Glazed Pork Roast with Carrots, Parsnips, and Pears"; "Brown-Butter Banana Cake with Chocolate Chips"; and "Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange-Brandy Sauce". Tempted? You should be!

Book Copy Gratis The Taunton Press show less

I have a garden, love farmer's markets and try as much as I can and is tolerated by my family to eat in season. So, books and articles written towards this purpose are ones I'm drawn to. Fine Cooking in Season is an informative compendium of some common and a few off the beaten path fruits and vegetables--displayed in their glory by beautiful photographs--found at their finest in season in grocery stores and farmers' markets. It is full of tips for selection, processing, cooking and show more storing/preserving for each fruit, berry and vegetable, as well as recipes that highlight each and quick prep ideas.

What is not included are tips on when to gather as this book is aimed at people who do not have their own garden and who do not forage. In fact, the writers suggest leaving foraging up to the experts and buying foraged foods from the market. There is no encouragement towards learning about foraging. That felt a little like playing it safe, but as I think this book is aimed at a more traditional audience, it suits.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking with whole foods and would like to take it a step further by using foods at their best in taste and nutrition, not to mention the ecological soundness of this approach. show less

This is one of my go-to cookbooks. As a gardener, I frequently find myself in situations where I have a plethora of tomatillos or more summer squash than I can fathom eating. Since this book is divided into seasons and then subdivided into type of vegetable, it makes it easy to find new ways to cook old favorites and new vegetables alike.