The Bon Appetit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild
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Book Reviews of The Bon Appetit Cookbook
Book Review: This Cookbook was a "Must-Buy" for me!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a subscriber to Bon Appetit magazine for over 15 years and was very excited to see that they had published a cookbook. When I purchased it, I was definitely not disappointed! Recipes like "Spinach and ricotta gnocchi", "Potato, leek, gruyere, and oyster mushroom gratin", "Braised Greek chicken and artichokes" and "Lemon Curd with toasted coconut and blueberries" sound very tempting.
The magazine recipes that I have prepared over the years have turned out wonderfully. My mom and I always make our Thanksgiving meal from Bon Appetit recipes, usually from a stack of Thanksgiving issues we've been saving. I was delighted to see that our turkey recipe, "Roast Turkey with Herb Rub and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy" was included in the new cookbook. It's not something for every day, but it does make such a wonderful turkey that we've used the same recipe for about 10 Thanksgivings now. Not all of my favorites made the cut (there was a terrific "White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake" recipe that's not there), but the recipes they selected are probably the best of the best.
The cookbook is massive and contains over 1200 mouth-watering recipes covering all the basic sections of any comprehensive cookbook (appetizers, salads, meats, vegetables, desserts, drinks, etc). The text is almost entirely recipes, with only a paragraph or two here and there of commentary. Only a few pages of photos are tucked between the recipes, but that was not a negative for me since I'm really in it for the recipes (and it probably kept the cost of the book reasonable).
I have always found the recipes in Bon Appetit to be elegant and delicious. Only a few have hard-to-find ingredients (like a specific liquor I wouldn't have on hand), but most include specific quality ingredients, like shiitake mushrooms, bosc pears, or pecorino Romano cheese, so the cook can get the flavor and texture intended. For example, there is a delicious sounding Sicilian meatball recipe that calls for fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread instead of dried crumbs. The recipes are easy enough that most cooks could prepare without problems, but they are from-scratch and will require more effort than those in basic or "quick-prepare" cookbooks. However, there are plenty of recipes in this book that are simple enough for week-night cooking, and those that require extra effort and usually worth it!
Overall, I'm very pleased with this book and will probably use it quite a bit (which is saying something since I have 100+ cookbooks!) I would definitely recommend this book to cooks who want to prepare food that is delicious enough to impress!
Book Review: Beautiful, Comprehensive Cookbook with Amazing Recipes
Summary: 5 Stars
First the superficial: I got my copy in the mail a couple of weeks ago and was immediately taken by how striking the book is. The luminescent orange popping out of the cardboard box really was like a sun coming from behind the clouds. It brightened my day. And now the substance: Over the past ten days or so, it has filled my family and friends' stomachs. I've always loved the magazine, so I knew the type of recipes I would be getting--easy to follow, interesting, varied, and, most importantly, delicious. The breadth of the book is staggering. This weekend I was at a farmer's market and saw some beautiful cherry tomatoes (orange, yum, and red). I didn't hesitate to buy them because I knew that there would be a delicious recipe using them in the book. Of course I was right. There were four different recipes calling specifically for cherry tomatoes. The recipe I ended up making was Spicy Roast Chicken with Tomatoes and Marjoram (though I replaced the marjoram with thyme...still was amazing). It was so easy to make and so good. It will certainly be a new summer staple for me. I could have just as easily picked up any other ingredient at the market and found similarly interesting recipes. I've made 6 or so recipes from the book so far and haven't been disappointed yet. Some of the things have been idiot-proof, like the BLT & G(uacamole), and some more involved, like the the Grilled Baby Back Pork Ribs with Mustard-Bourbon Sauce (which was perfect for an end-of-summer bbq). With both recipes, the ingredients and instruction were precise and the flavors flawless.
Look, I've always loved the magazine, so I'm not exactly unbiased, but to have all of the amazing recipes in one place (don't even compare this to the annuals...this is about 10x bigger), and in such a classic, beautiful package, is such a joy. I read Gourmet and Cooks Illustrated, and like them as well, but I've always thought of Bon Appetit as the magazine that you can actually cook from with great results. In other words, it's approachable. That approachability and sophistication have translated wonderfully to this book. The fact that I get to extend my subscription to the magazine for a year (for FREE!!!) is just the proverbial icing on the cake. This is certainly a new classic for my library and I look forward to years of culinary bliss. I've definitely found my gift for the holidays.
Book Review: More Than Enough Great Recipes to Fill Many Menus
Summary: 5 Stars
Bon Appetit certainly is my pick for finding inspiring new recipes to try. They easily excite me to try more than Gourmet or Food & Wine.
Here is celebrative collection from their 23 years of over 1200 recipes. Think of it, one has to decide likely from over 50,000 recipes which only 1/5th will make it in. In seeing which of my favorites from the magazine I saved and continue to make to the joy of my diners, few of them made it in the cut.
However, surveying those that did, there are many one will like to try, e.g. Crab and wild mushroom cheesecake; Escarole and orzo sop with Turkey-parmesan meatballs; Salmon Burgers with hoisin and ginger; Sausage, cheese and basil lasagna; Wild rice and jasmine rice pialf with apricots and cashews; Roast Tenderloin of beef with mushroom-port sauce; Braised lamb shanks with winter squash and red chard; Chianti-braised stuffed chicken thighs on egg noodles; Grilled red snapper and mango with cilantro-lime vinaigrette; Pan-seared tuna with ginger-shitake cream sauce; Potato, leek, Gruyere, and oyster mushroom gratin; Maple and tangerine-glazed carrots; Roasted Vegetables with balsamic-lemon vinaigrette; Stilton and hazelnut drop biscuits; Mascarpone cheesecake with roasted cashew crust and passion fruit caramel sauce; Pear Crostada with late-harvest Riesling; Pineapple, mango and papaya squares.
What many reviewers have said comparing this giant collection to cousin's Gourmet's cookbook is true to this reviewer: this one seems more targeted to more basic recipes with some twist, while Gourmet's is more creative. The magazine doesn't always sqauare up like this, but seems majority of this recipes chosen for cookbook do. However, as my sample hopes to demonstrate, there are still many worthwhile ones here to try.
Book Review: This book will turn your ordinary dinners into something special
Summary: 5 Stars
Bon Appetit is really known for turning a few ordinary ingredients into something more extraordinary. This book delivers on pulling together many of their most popular recipes over the years. The book is filled with all sorts of recipes for just about anything you desire. What seperates Bon Appetit from other cookbooks is that their editors really pull together an excellent best of collection.
If you are considering this book, you are not likely a cook that is just starting out. You are the person who is refining their cooking skills, and this book provides you with a little more challenge, and less discussion of technique that other books may provide. I feel this is a good combination as it is likely that you want a book filled with high quality recipes, rather than recipes and text that focus primarily on technique and education.
I like that this book has many different sections with all sorts of recipes that will please you. Recipes are given for just about anything you can imagine. The recipes are imaginative, and turn out well. Their directions are extremely clear, and easy to follow. Some of my favorites have been: Braised chicken in sun-dried tomato cream, Baked Salmon stuffed with mascarpone spinach, Whole baked yams with spicy molasses-orange butter, and the chocolate chunk orange and hazelnut cookies.
Once again if you are a cook that is looking to build up a solid collection of recipes that will please many, this book is for you. Ingredients are not any more exotic than your local mega mart would carry, and the extra ingredients really do provide you with excellent results in taste. I highly recommend this cookbook!
Book Review: Great magazine . . . great book
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this lovely cookbook for my daughter-in-law. Learning to cook was a challenge for her when she was younger. After learning from Better Crocker classic recipes, her cooking style has gone from 'Blah' to "Bon Appetite!". Bon Appetite was also what I graduated to, long ago, after learning all the basics from Betty Crocker (1950's version). Since subscribing to Bon Appetite Magazine many yeas ago I have become a true gourmet cook - the best in our family, which is saying something! It contains clear directions and a wide variety of culinary delights, enough to please any palette and / or eating style: meat lovers, vegetarians, etc. Since learning to cook with B.C. and B. A. some of my own recipes have been picked up by independent fine restaurants and have become customer favorites. As my mother told me, more than 35 years ago, it all begins with learning the simple basics - then you'll know how to determine a 'good' recipe from a 'bad' one! This and Betty Crocker Classic are all you need!