CookWise: The Hows & Whys of Successful Cooking, The Secrets of Cooking Revealed by Shirley O. Corriher
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Book Reviews of CookWise: The Hows & Whys of Successful Cooking, The Secrets of Cooking Revealed
Book Review: Best Cooking Book I Own
Summary: 5 Stars
The answers are all in here. It's one thing if you have a mentor in the kitchen with you but most of us don't. The author is not ashamed to tell you how she's messed up in the past and how to avoid it. The science and the chemistry, of custards for example, and her detailed, down to earth instructions are not what you want to read when guests a walking up the driveway but they are so well written that they'll stick with you and make you a better cook for having devoted the time at your leisure. And you'll make fabulous cheesecake, yum-yum. I'd love to go to cooking school some day when I don't have little kids running in and out of the kitchen but in the mean time cooking is a creative outlet and I feel that this book has given me confidence to try new things because I understand "why". This book is not cover to cover recipes but it doesn't need to be. The knowledge imparted has helped me fill in the gaps in the instructions in recipes from top cooking magazines and cook books. The roast pork tenderloin recipe in Cookwise is fabulous, delectable. But the technique is the key and it applies to most meats for roasting. That's what this book is about. My husband and I used to eat out every night in Manhattan. Now we eat at home 350 days a year and we entertain. And it's been great for impressing people with anectdotal cooking conversation if that's your thing... the ability to talk about the different amounts of gluten in flour and what it will do for your patsries....! Buy it, read it. You'll open it over and over. It's the best money you'll spend.Book Review: The serious home-cook's bible
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a precious fountain of knowledge and experience. The author who is clearly an able cook and teacher offers information that is vital for anyone who wishes to understand the processes that occur while we cook. The language of this book is very friendly and reading it, one gets the impression that the author is right there explaining and supporting. What can this book contribute to your cooking abilities? It allows the serious home-cook to improve existing recipes or create new ones according to his/her taste. It empowers us to correct mistakes (who hasn't blundered a recipe and wished for the ability to fix it?), adjust recipes to local materials and fine tune all those nagging little techniques we never quite got to mastering (the elusive meringue, getting consistently perfect pie-crust etc').
This isn't a recipe book and shouldn't be treated as one. The recipes are examples of subjects explained and are not the real value of this book. The more useful recipes are the ones that provide basic examples (and there are enough of those). If you want to prepare something "Now" (as one of the reviewers of this book pointed out) and have no desire to pursue excellence in your kitchen, then this book isn't for you. As a serious amateur cook and baker, I feel this book has promoted me to a higher level of cooking abilities. I have learned more from this book than any other cookbook I have and I do have quite a few. My cooking library consists of about 60 cookbooks and this one gets into my top 5 list of favorites hands down.
Book Review: Liscense for Cooking Freedom!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the one book that gave me the understanding to be able to cook what I want with the items I have, and have them turn out great every time! From how each ingredient affects bread, to delectable sauces, to tender meat from tough cuts, Shirley explains the how and why of the way foods work together. This is the best cookbook I have. Whenever I want to try something new, I review her explanations, and have great success. She has given me the knowledge to be free to create, conjur, and even "make do" with food and cooking. I saw Shirley on a PBS cooking show, immediately went to the bookstore to get her book, and also bought one for a friend who was moving out on her own. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to look past the "do this" phase of cooking and into the "why" phase.
It is now 9 and a half years later (October 2008), and I have bought a replacement book for myself and another for a good friend who owned a restaurant for over twenty years. The book stands the test of time. It is still my favorite, and has allowed me to create dishes that I would not have even considered before. Even though the time I spend cooking has declined, I still treasure this book as the best I have read when it comes to cooking.
Book Review: An encyclopedic bedside read
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best cooking books I've come across. Not just a collection of recipes, in fact, the recipes are relatively unimportant, rather they are used as explanations of the theory the Author has just been describing.
Want to know the growth patterns of yeast and the biomechanical mechanism behind Gluten?
Unhappy with your bread not rising?
Don't know which yeast to buy?
Want to know how to make a Hollandaise?
Or want to know WHY you can make a Hollandaise?
Or just need a bunch of simple tips on whipping up cream?
This book has answers for all of these things.
The layout mostly follows theory first, followed by various example recipes, each with a cut-out section of tips. This allows you to easily find what you are looking for by finding a recipe similar to what you are trying to make, then scan the tips or if that doesn't help, read the associated in depth food science behind it.
A great book, even if you don't go into the detailed theory, there is enough useful bites of information in the tips for every recipe to help you lift your cooking game a couple of notches
Book Review: My #1 Kitchen Resource!
Summary: 5 Stars
I read through quite a few of the reviews and thought I'd add my own comments to the batch. I have to admit that I am not a professional cook nor much of a literary sort; that said, I will say that for ME, a person who loves to cook and likes the idea of understanding WHY methods and techniques work or don't in cooking and baking, this is a wonderful source! I use it as a reference book more than a 'read', so I hardly noticed the 'poor layout'! I did notice that many related items where tucked in various sundry places and did have to be sought out. However, I have gotten some of my best recipes and great knowledge from this book and continue to use it and experiment with the various recipes. True, there are ingredients in some recipes that are difficult to find, but I'm an adventurer and basically 'know' how to cook, so I have no problem figuring out substitutes. I am so "out of the loop" on what's 'in' and 'not' amongst "foodies", that I wasn't aware of the book's reputation-all I know is that I enjoy referencing this book and have found great recipes within. Definitely the first book that I reach for for inspiration or understanding!