Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I live in Chicago and had never heard of Sarabeth before this cookbook, but the preview on Amazon looked great so I tried it. All I can say is it is AMAZING. I am not a baker -- I have baked, and enjoy cooking, but I'm not remotely proficient at baking. With this book, I feel like the real thing. As others have said, her descriptions are very-very detailed and the pictures are wonderful. They are especially important for the dough. I made the Raspberry-Lemon Cake for a birthday party, and it is not an exaggeration to say people thought they were eating a professional wedding cake. It was the best cake I've ever made by a long way. The blueberry preserves are also out this world. Next, I'm going to tackle the croissants. I think I might actually be able to do it.
Word of warning, this book is not for the faint of heart. Some of the recipes are wonderfully simple (e.g., the preserves, cookies), but many of them have a number of steps. At least, the ones I've tried do. She is excellent at explaining which steps can be done ahead, which is a godsend. And you really do feel great when your recipe turns out. She does not shy away from listing the materials that are ideal for a recipe, but as someone who does not plan to turn into a baking machine, I make do with the materials I have on hand. My substitutions have been fine (e.g., one kind of rolling pin, not two or three; regular round cake pans, not special cake rings for layering). I don't skimp on the ingredients, but there is nothing exotic listed -- cake flour, bread flour, butter, sugar, etc. She has a great tip for working with vanilla beans, btw, but she also tells you when pure vanilla extract will do.
If you feel like taking a shot at baking, this book is very worth your effort. And if you are already an accomplished baker, I'm guessing you'll still love the luscious recipes in the book.
Update 11/21/10 - made the croissants over the weekend. They were way, way easier to make than I expected, and they were perfectly flakey and delicious -- a huge hit in the house. Total time I spent measuring, mixing and rolling was maybe half an hour. The rest of the time the dough just sits. I've read the directions in other books for how to make croissants, and the method Sarabeth came up with is dramatically easier than anything else I've seen. It's worth the price of the book on its own. Next I'm going to try the puff pastry and make some turnovers.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours

Get 45% OFF

Buy cheap Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours now.

Mom and Me Cookbook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking for a way to get your kids into the kitchen, turing out tasty projects? I know I was--and I went through about fifteen "kids" cookbooks at the local bookstore before I stumbled on this little gem. It was the only cookbook (other than The Everything Kid's Cookbooks) that would actually get a child into the kitchen. The projects are appealing on all levels--they are easy to assemble, they are too cute for words, and they have super easy to follow pictoral instructions.
It also has a good balance of entrees to deserts, unlike some of the family cookbooks I've reviewed. And with the desserts--like cookies--it takes one basic recipe and shows you about four different ways to use it--marvelous! It's also pantry friendly--no star fruit or rare ingredients you don't have laying around.
Now if you're looking for a kids cookbook to vary your family's fare, then keep in mind this is a slender picture-book sized volume--you won't find more than 22 projects in the whole book. For a good standard family cookbook, I recommmend Beyond Mac 'n' Cheese by MOPS.
But if you are looking to get your kids (12 and under) into the kitchen to spend some time together having fun at the counter, then don't hesitate to buy this little gem! It is my number one recommendation for children's cookbook, project-wise.
For the above twelve set, I recommend the Everything Kid's Cookbook because it is a little more geared towards meals and has crossword puzzles and fun foods that are meant to be played with. If you are looking for a cookbook with tons of recipes that will appeal to your family, be pantry friendly *and* save you money, check out "Cheap. Fast. Good."

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mom and Me Cookbook

With basic cooking techniques and tips, simple first recipes, and tasty, nutritious meal ideas, Annabel Karmel's new family cookbook helps children ages three and up work with their parents to prepare a yummy array of favorite foods.

Get 25% OFF

Buy cheap Mom and Me Cookbook now.

Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Ever wonder who jammed with who? This book helps you to find out. This book both a comprehensive list of all recordings of Jimi and his band, as well as an intimate look at the lifestyle of one of America's greatest musicians. I skipped over a lot of the lists and dove into the narratives that told stories of Jimi jamming with Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton (Jimi is supposedly the only guitarist to ever play Clapton off-stage), The Who and many other greats. What I enjoyed most about the book was the details about Jimi learning to play the guitar and his first gigs. Jimi is a musician that stayed true to his roots and his own unique style.
I only gave this book 3 stars because, unless you know absolutely nothing about Jimi Hendrix or some of the other musicians in the book, much of what you read you are likely to already know. Redding included many well known anecdotes as filler for his archival list, which is admirably constructed and researched. The only problem is, is that much of what is on the list is unavailable to the public.
Still, if you're a Jimi fan, you have to read it. After all, it's a book about Jimi.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix

Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix is the first comprehensive biography to authenticate the lost sessions, previously unknown recorded collaborations, and rare film/video documents of one of the most innovative and influential rock guitarists in music history. Hendrix's life is celebrated through exclusive interviews with people who knew him well, including his father, Al Hendrix, musicians Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, his lover and close companion Kathy Etchingham, and many others. Author Steven Roby sifts through a wealth of unreleased and commercially unavailable studio, live, and home recordings to chronicle every stage of Jimi Hendrix's legendary career. In each instance, he tells the reader whether the event was documented and if it is available. In several tragic instances, the recordings are lost forever. Black Gold is the first book to offer a comprehensive analysis of Hendrix's unfinished album, First Ray of the New Rising Sun. Three attempts have been made so far to "finish" it, and the author explains why none have succeeded. The book also explores Hendrix's journeys into jazz with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk; his excursions into blues with B. B. King, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy; and his backing of early rap pioneers The Last Poets. Black Gold features a foreword by Noel Redding, Hendrix's bass player from 1966 to 1969, as well as 45 photos, including several rare and never-before-published shots.

Buy cheap Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix now.

Classic & Contemporary Christmas Cakes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)this book is targeted at the experienced cake decorator. It demonstrates the use of European style cake decorating with sugarpaste/fondant icing. It is full of exciting and sometimes elaborate decorations. The book is fully illustrated with enough detailed instruction to ensure good results. Inexperienced or new cake decorators can also get lots of ideas from this book, and could easily adapt many of the designs to a more simple example. the method for each cake design is explained in detail step by step and has many helpful hints to stop errors for the inexperienced.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Classic & Contemporary Christmas Cakes

Get 22% OFF

Buy cheap Classic & Contemporary Christmas Cakes now.

Connected: Engagements with Media Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This collection of would-be anthropological writings primarily from Rice University authors is a much-needed addition to an area of society that has entirely insuffient coverage. Not only media, but cyberspace, has somehow escaped going under the social-anthropological microscope.
While this text does so, in some cases, quite well, in other pieces, the work is obviously exploratory, experiemental and possibly of questionable value.
The essay on the electronic venacular is, of course, already dated, but it is a detailed examination of the Internet from a user's perspective. The author looks at specific programs and how users employ them to express themselves. But it seems like a drop in a very large bucket of work that needs to be done on the growing globe of Internet users.
The essays A Torn Page, Framed and A Tale of an Internet are too abstract and experimental to be effective, but Computing for Tibet and Shades of Twilight were excellent pieces. Both grounded in specific communicators and communications and both exploring how the media are interacting with people politically, emotionally, personally. Dorine Kondo, who wrote Shades of Twilight, has done great scholarship in previous publications, so it's not surprise that her work her is excellent. She explores a new form of drama as a new form of communication. If I could rate the various essays separately from the whole book, I'd give her essay a solid 5 on the Amazon scale.
Also, scoring a 5 would be Rewriting New York City. The author examines graffiti as a form of expression. It's a new area and it's interesting to compare ideas of banning graffit as loss of freedom of speech and the autoBots on MSN chat room that give chatters the boot for typing the word, "piss" into a phrase in the chat room dialog. How much freedom of expression does the culture REALLY allow?
Good scholarship, new roads into new territories.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Connected: Engagements with Media

From the frontiers of cyberspace to Tibetans in exile, from computer bulletin boards to faxes, film, and videotape, the ongoing and often startling evolution of media continues to generate fresh new avenues for cultural criticism, political activism, and self-reflection. How is contemporary life affected by this stunning proliferation of information technologies? How does the Internet influence, and perhaps alter, users' experience of community and their sense of self? In what way are giant media conglomerates implicated in these far-reaching developments? Connected, the third volume in the groundbreaking and highly acclaimed Late Editions series, confronts these provocative questions through unique experiments with the interview format. It explores both the new pathways being forged through media and the predicaments of those struggling to find their way in the twilight of the twentieth century.

Buy cheap Connected: Engagements with Media now.

The Way You Make Me Feel (Kimani Romance) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This story was filled with so much drama that I could not put it down until I finished it! The main characters Damien Steele and Stevie Simms are the perfect couple and you will enjoy reading how they both learn to trust love again after dealing with so much deceit from former loves. Another great story about the Steele family.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Way You Make Me Feel (Kimani Romance)

The Diva Who Had Amnesia. Singer Stevie Simms stumbles onto music mogul Damien Steele's doorstep, claiming she remembers nothing of her past...not even her name. Damien recognizes Stevie immediately. He can't resist her vulnerability or her charm, and he offers her his home and his protection. Living together on his estate, the two become lovers, and litttle by little her memory begins to return and his frozen heart begins to thaw. And then an attempt is made on Stevie's life... Who is the would-be assassin? The answer is buried deep in Stevie's head, but she is too terrified to dredge up that dreadful memory. And now the only way for Damien and Stevie to build a future together is for Daniel to keep her alive!--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Buy cheap The Way You Make Me Feel (Kimani Romance) now.

The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Chile (Vol 4) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The author of this book is Arturo Valenzuela, not Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan as listed. They were the authors/editors of other books in the Breakdown of Democratic Regime series, but this one belongs to Valenzuela.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Chile (Vol 4)

The fate of democratic governments throughout the world is a topic of growing concern. The crises of modern history, from the Machtergreifung by Hitler through the downfall of democracies. In a systematic review of the political experiences of Latin American and European democratic nations, these original, thought-provoking books propose a significant new comparative framework for understanding the dynamics of political change and the conditions necessary for democratic stability.

Get 23% OFF

Buy cheap The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Chile (Vol 4) now.