Blog Tour: Book Review: The First-Timer's Cookbook by Shawn Bucher

The First-Timer's Cookbook is the one cookbook that teaches all the basics. With simple techniques and easy step-by-step instructions for cooking almost anything, now you can learn how to cook, not just what to cook. Easy to follow step-by-step instructions. Lots of descriptive photos. Easy to understand and fun to use.

This book claims it teaches the "basics" and it isn't kidding. There are no actual recipes in this book it is truly meant for a beginner who does not know their way around a kitchen.

The first 5 chapters define the basics of cooking explaining how to set a table, basic cookware to purchase, how to properly use a knife and cooking procedures. The remaining 8 chapters include how to cook meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, how to bread food, cook pasta, potatoes and rice, how to prepare sauces and season foods. Truly a book on how to do the basics. As I have cooked quite a bit I found this book too basic and wasn't able to glean much from it. I thought it could have been improved by having a couple more chapters that included some basic recipes.

If you have never cooked before this book would be a great place to start. It has descriptive photos and easy step by step instructions.

About The Author:
Chef Shawn Bucher holds business degrees and a culinary certificate and has worked in the food service industry for over 12 years. Having been involved in most aspects of the industry “from grocery stores to restaurants, hotels, schools to corporate training and development,” he brings a unique and overall perspective to cooking and the food service industry.



http://www.firsttimerscookbook.com/

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Source: For Review as part of MediaGuests.net blog tour

Book Review: Pink Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery

Perfect for tea parties, rainy days, or afternoon playtime, the Pink Princess Cookbook is just what every girl needs to be the perfect princess. It includes full-color photography and step-by-step instructions for each recipe. Enchantingly good, deliciously fun!
Barbara Beery is the founder and owner of Batter Up Kids, a premier children's cooking school based in Austin, Texas. She teaches cooking classes, hosts birthday parties, and helps children get hands-on with good, healthy, fun food. Barbara is also the author of Batter Up Kids: Delicious Desserts and Batter Up Kids: Sensational Snacks.

The Pink Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery is awesome! My girls just love it. Today we tried out the recipes for Candy-Coated Dragon Flies & Magic Princess Wands. My kids and the neighbors had a great time making these fun treats. Even my boys and their friends had a blast making these princess treats.
Both recipes were super easy. We used preztels dipped in melted candy coating and lots of sprinkles.  These are delicious and I ate way too many.

There are several other recipes I bought the ingredients to make: Chocolate Chip-Peppermint Scones, Pretty Princess Puffs and Star-Shine Strawberry Muffins. This is a great book if you are trying to put together a tea-party for your little princess.

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: From Publisher for Review

Book Review: The Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook by DeDe Lahman

The Clinton St. Baking Company is one of the hottest brunch spots in a city obsessed with brunch. A tiny thirty-two-seat eatery on Manhattan's trendy Lower East Side, the restaurant draws long lines of customers who come from far and wide to sample fresh-baked goods, hearty omelets, sugar-cured bacon, and light-as-air pancakes with maple butter.

In the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, owners DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg share more than 100 treasured recipes that have made their restaurant a sensation. Learn the secret to their house-made buttermilk biscuits and tomato jam, irresistible muffins and scones, delicious soups and sandwiches, and their decadent, eye-catching desserts. Helpful techniques, like Neil's patented omelet "flip and tuck," and gorgeous color photographs throughout will have readers cooking like pros in no time, and sharing the delicious results.

I jumped at the chance to review The Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook: Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond from New York's Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant. Breakfast foods are my favorite! We often have breakfast foods for lunch & dinner and I am always looking for new recipes.

I participate in a monthly book group with some friends. Last night we were reviewing cookbooks. Each person picked a recipe from a cookbook and tried it out and brought what they made to share.

I flipped through this book looking for something I already had all the ingredients for that looked good. I choose Brookies. A cross between a brownie & a cookie. Oh my goodness, were they delicious!

I was surprised at how soft the cookie dough was. It was much more like cake batter than cookie dough. You put the dough in the freezer before scooping it out to bake. I thought the cookies might not turn out right but I was wrong!

The result was a perfect soft and chewy brownie like cookie!

I've thumbed through all the recipes and have several more I'm going to try. I don't usually fry food but there is a fried chicken recipe that the Clinton St. Baking Company is famous for that I'm going to try out. Also on the list is Buttermilk Streusel Coffee Cake, Raspberry Yogurt Muffins, Neil's Pancakes, Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: From Publisher For Review