Average customer rating:
- "Gods Work"
- Not another cook book this...
- What you always wanted to know about meats.
- Good Eats
- Great Book
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Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
Michael Ruhlman , and
Brian Polcyn
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Canning & Preserving
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The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating
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Professional Charcuterie: Sausage Making, Curing, Terrines, and Pâtés
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ASIN: 0393058298 |
Book Description
The only book for home cooks offering a complete introduction to the craft.
Charcuterie—a culinary specialty that originally referred to the creation of pork products such as salami, sausages, and prosciutto—is true food craftsmanship, the art of turning preserved food into items of beauty and taste. Today the term encompasses a vast range of preparations, most of which involve salting, cooking, smoking, and drying. In addition to providing classic recipes for sausages, terrines, and pâtés, Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn expand the definition to include anything preserved or prepared ahead such as Mediterranean olive and vegetable rillettes, duck confit, and pickles and sauerkraut.
Ruhlman, co-author of The French Laundry Cookbook, and Polcyn, an expert charcuterie instructor at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, present 125 recipes that are both intriguing to professionals and accessible to home cooks, including salted, air-dried ham; Maryland crab, scallop, and saffron terrine; Da Bomb breakfast sausage; mortadella and soppressata; and even spicy smoked almonds. 50 line drawings.
Customer Reviews:
"Gods Work".......2007-10-20
This is truely a must have for everyone! It opens doors on the art that charcuterie is. Michael Ruhlman is truely on of the great food writers of our generation and with the help of Brian Polcyn he brings us this great book. If you have any interst in things like meat emulsions, bacon, or confit this is the book for you. I give it only four stars because there are very few pictures and I would love for this book to be more visual. Overall a truely awsome book a must have!
Not another cook book this..........2007-10-06
I think this book is about having fun with your food. You can experiment and come up with your own recipes as long as you follow a few simple guidlines.
My first smoked salmon was a bit too salty. I was anxious and did not read the part about the firmness change when the fish was cured. I ended up crumbling a bit on my egg and toast in the morning and talk about wonderfull. Yes, I hot smoked the salmon.
The authors make a readable and enjoyable path through a subject that is not mainstream. The tricks you can learn in this book can carry over into all your cooking, at least it has mine. This is not just another cook book, it goes into why you do what you do. This is a lesson in cooking.
For example I was looking at some recipes on the internet the other night, and one person did not know why her rub did not flavor the chicken she was doing. She got a recipe from a chef down in Africa and it tasted nothing like her meal there. She was only using 1/2 tp of salt on the entire chicken. According to 'Charcuterie' salt is the vehicle of transportation for your spices.
Wealth of information here folks. 5 stars from this amateur.
Thanks authors, I was getting a little bored with cooking. You jump started me again. I could go on, but you get the idea. I have had this book since last Christmas (gift from wife) and just recently discovered what it really was. To bad I'm on a restricted diet, but as you say moderation is key, and we have friends who like this kind of thing.
Tip: If you go to the Bradley smoker web site, and get on the forums there, go into the cold smoke forum and you will find a simple and inexpensive way to cold smoke using an old bullet smoker, a hot plate, some aluminum dryer hosing, and a box of your own design. I will say I'm interested in getting the Bradley smoker.
What you always wanted to know about meats........2007-09-27
This book has all the information I will ever need about meat and the wonderful things we can do with the various cuts. Recipes have very thorough and clear explation. They are dooable and very good.
Good Eats.......2007-09-01
We've tried the bacon recipe and it's awesome. We never want to go back to store bought variety.
Great Book.......2007-08-29
I'm a home cook that just likes to "play" with food. Hadn't done much with sausage, etc. until this book. We even purchased a copy as a gift to a friend. We are both cooking our way thru the book. The best part isn't the recipes (they are good) but all the knowledge that is in those covers. We are learning as we go and that's important to us.
Average customer rating:
- I could not put The Fifth Vial down!
- Could be true!
- Excellent medical mystery
- Pretty good
- One of the best medical thriller!
|
The Fifth Vial
Michael Palmer
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Simple Genius
ASIN: 0312343515
Release Date: 2007-02-20 |
Book Description
From the blockbuster, eleven-time New York Times bestselling author comes a novel of medical suspense that begins with these chilling questions: Who ends up with the blood samples you routinely give for tests? What else are they being used for? Why don’t you know?
Take a Deep Breath. . . .
In Boston, a disgraced medical student is sent to deliver a research paper that could save her career. . . . Four thousand miles away, in a jungle hospital in Cameroon, a brilliant, reclusive scientist, dying from an incurable disease that threatens to make each tortured breath his last, is on the verge of perfecting a serum that could save millions of lives, and bring others inestimable wealth. . . . In Chicago, a disillusioned private detective, on the way to his third career, is hired to determine the identify of a John Doe, killed on a Florida highway, with mysterious marks on his body.
Three seemingly disconnected lives, surging unrelentingly toward one another. Three lives becoming irrevocably intertwined. Three lives in mounting peril, moving ever closer to the ultimate confrontation against a deadly secret society with godlike aspirations and roots in antiquity.
Medical student. Scientist. Private eye. Three people who will learn the deeper meanings of brilliance and madness, truth and deception, trust and betrayal.
Three lives linked forever by a single vial of blood—the fifth vial.
Customer Reviews:
I could not put The Fifth Vial down!.......2007-10-16
In true Michael Palmer fashion, he brings you yet another horror story from inside the health care industry - twisting and bending the boundries of medical ethics to the absolute edge of the envelope, and then some.
In the darker minds eye, one can actually envision this happening in today's world of immediate gratification and disposable human life.
A beyond excellent read. I picked it up and put it down several hours later, having read the entire thing in one sitting because I just could not put it down - - which is another trademark of a Michael Palmer book, at least for me.
I would also like to thank Mr. Palmer for the Afterword at the end of the story. It educates the reader about organ donation, answers some pressing questions about culture, religion and practices as it relates to organ donation and encourages you to take a hard look at your own preferences for this life giving gift. Truly touching and very informative - much appreciated!
Could be true!.......2007-10-05
The Fifth Vial is another full on fast medical thriller from Michael Palmer. I've read most of Palmer's thrillers and this one is certainly one of the best.
Palmer ranks alongside Robin Cook (Critical) and Ken McClure(The Lazarus Strain) though the last offering from Cook wasn't up to his usual standard.
If you like medical thrillers ... I'd read this one for sure.
Excellent medical mystery.......2007-09-14
I have read some of Michael Palmer's books; I think the first book was Extreme Measures. I have always enjoyed his stories, but this novel was different. First, it was complicated and a bit hard to follow and the characters took awhile to understand. Still, by midway into the book I was reading page after page and enjoying it very much. There were a number of surprises and the plot dealt with a intriguing subject: organ transplants and the custodians of these precious organs the Guardians organization. The Chicago private investigator, Ben Callahan, was sort of a complex, but fascinating character. But, really all the characters are people that I could relate to. The story moves along at a fast pace and is very educational, which is something I have always found in all of Mr. Palmer's books. There are numerous excellent reviews posted and there no need to add more print and spoil your read if you haven't already read it. If you enjoy medical mysteries then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
Pretty good.......2007-09-08
This is a pretty good book, albiet somewhat predictable. It is also a good length - 10 cds... as opposed to some audiobooks that are all of 4 cds. And, as an added bonus, the narrator is pretty good, too (especially compared to some of the narrators I've listened to lately). My husband even wants to listen to it and he never wants to listen to my audiobooks. Overall, I would recommend it. I think it's worth the money.
One of the best medical thriller!.......2007-09-04
This is a story that took me places from Boston, Chicago, Brazil and Africa and did not fail to entertain, educate, excite, all at the same time. This book is truly enjoyable, the characters are three dimensional, the plot believable, and full of suspense and action. Get this book and enjoy the ride. Cold Eyes
Book Description
Stone Houses is a unique presentation of a beloved building tradition in one of the most charming and historically significant regions in the nation. Part of the original Pennsylvania Colony, founded in 1682, Bucks County is important not only as an early English colony in America but also as a crucial site in the struggle for American independence. Architectural historians Margaret Bye Richie and Gregory D. Huber and photographer Geoffrey Gross survey twenty-four houses and barns dating from this early period, detailing their English Cotswold vernacular style and distinctive construction from local stone.
Among the fascinating and delightful buildings included in Stone Houses are McConkey's Ferry Inn (ca. 1750s), Washington's headquarters on the night of his historic crossing over the Delaware River, as well as the Thompson-Neely House (1766), which served as his officers' headquarters that famous night; Pennsbury Manor, the home of William Penn (begun in 1683 and restored in 1939); Summerseat (1725), the home at various times of three signers of the Declaration of Independence; and Buckingham Friends Meeting House (1768), the oldest building in the country continuously in its original use. With its authoritative text and stunning full-color photography, Stone Houses of Bucks County is a beautiful record of a historically rich building tradition.
Customer Reviews:
inadequate.......2007-03-06
I found it nice but inadequate, since actually useful information was small part of the lot, from an architectural point of view.
BEAUTIFUL STONE.......2006-11-14
I have always thought the stone used on houses in the Philadelphia area was beautiful; it's warm and elegant. This book has crisp images and well researched, interesting text on these wonderful homes. If you have any interest in this subject then I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.
Wonderful book, great pictures.......2005-10-21
This book contains a wonderful pictorial view of stone houses, better than I've ever seen. It includes all forms of construction and gives very informative descriptions of each style. The history related here is invaluable to the reader, as it takes you back in time. The pictures are full color and very articulately done. I found the colors presented in the homes helpful to me in restoring our stone house, built in the 1830's. This book is more than a "coffee table" book, it's a history lesson.
Great book.......2005-07-21
Wonderful photos and very interesting and informative text.
Exceptional detail photos of insides of dwellings. Nice to see my family homes done so well, ie The Pusey house and Primative Hall.
Book Description
Bring out all your old storage boxes of photos, and open up all the images you've shot that were just "okay." In his latest book,
Matt Kloskowski shows you how to restore old photos and retouch newer ones to make your images go from so-so to great. Matt trains thousands of people each year, showing them exactly how to make their photos (and the people in those photos) look their very best. He won't bog readers down with unnecessary details, but instead will show them, with clear step-by-step instructions, the best techniques in Photoshop Elements to make the best images. Everyone wants their photos to look great, and to be appreciated and noticed by their family and friends. With Matt's newest book, readers will learn the most useful techniques for restoring old photos--from removing dust and mold to repairing scratches and tears--and retouching images of people--including specific sections about working on difficult areas, such as the eyes and mouth.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Elements book.......2007-10-13
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a new user to Elements or even those who have been using it for a while. You can always learn some new, or improved techniques that you had not thought about. The examples are very easy to follow and they work. They are grouped logically and it is well written with very few errors. You can not go wrong with this book.
Good resource!.......2007-08-23
I have been using Photoshop Elements for quite some time and have many of the books printed on the subject. This is not as comprehensive as Barbara Brundage's, Scott Kelby's or Philip Andrews but it is excellent. A really great resource and good for a beginner to intermediate user. There are many ways of doing any job, certainly so with Photoshop, and Matt often uses a different approach; I've gotten a few 'tricks' different than shown by other authors. The instructions are easy to follow and an advantage (at least for me) is he does not rely on an enclosed DVD of his photo. I like to learn on mine! Definitely recommended!
Photoshop Elements 5 Restoration.......2007-07-20
Love this book, it's very detailed with step by step instructions for any lever user to understand and complete the intended task. I Highly Recommend this book for continued learing of this software.
Throw out your other digital retouching books!.......2007-06-18
I've taken online classes, read plenty of books, spent many hours tring to interpret instuctions on portrait retouching. I read Matt's book and was like "oh that's how you do it". The light came on and stayed lit through all his tutorials. Best thing... you don't have to read the whole book to learn Elements. Want to retouch eyes - just go to that portion of the book. No need to have read previous chapters/pages. People who have never used Elements can understand his instructions easily. Matt writes with wit and gets right to the point. I love this book and keep it right next to my key board for reference.
Matt's Best Work Yet..........2007-05-20
I'm a Photoshop User, I don't use Elements, so I was a bit put off given the focus was on Elements and frankly didn't know if anyone could come close to matching the worthiness of Katrin Eismann's seminal works on the same subject. But on the strength of Scott Kelby's (ostensibly Matt's boss at NAPP) recommendation on his blog, I went ahead and ordered a copy.
Suffice to say, I'm glad I did. From beginning to end, this book is SUBSTANTIVE. Matt has wisely decided to adopt Scott's bottom up approach... that is, Matt presents the issue at the beginning of a section and then shows you how to address the problem (so be forewarned, this is NOT an Elements primer) quickly and effectively. And of course, given that Elements is by and large a subset of its big brother, all the techniques described are easily applied in Photoshop.
In the end, Matt has done well enough that he too can sit on the same stage as Ms. Katrin Eismann (if you haven't read any of her stuff, you should, she is just flat brilliant). My copy is soon to be dogeared as I will be attempting to script as many of the techniques as I can... for those that I can't, I'm practicing the technique and then creating a spreadsheet with 2 columns; Problems & Solutions as there are just a TON of solutions in this work.
So, even if you are a Photoshop bigot like me, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. It is Matt's best work yet.
Average customer rating:
- 5 Stars Indeed
- A Breath of Fresh Air
- A sublime experience, but not for everyone
- The first of its kind, and still the best
- Wonderful
|
A Sand County Almanac
Aldo Leopold
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)
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ASIN: 0195007778 |
Book Description
First published in 1949 and praised in The New York Times Book Review as "a trenchant book, full of vigor and bite," A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land. Written with an unparalleled understanding of the ways of nature, the book includes a section on the monthly changes of the Wisconsin countryside; another part that gathers informal pieces written by Leopold over a forty-year period as he traveled through the woodlands of Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona, Sonora, Oregon, Manitoba, and elsewhere; and a final section in which Leopold addresses the philosophical issues involved in wildlife conservation. As the forerunner of such important books as Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, and Robert Finch's The Primal Place, this classic work remains as relevant today as it was forty years ago.
Customer Reviews:
5 Stars Indeed.......2007-08-20
I knew I would enjoy this book right from the start, when I found the following passages in the Foreward: "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot..." and "For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television..."
If you can relate to those statements, you will love this book. Guaranteed. Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, but he was so much more. He was a visionary. Read those statements again, and when you realize that he wrote them back in 1948, you might be amazed. But as you read the book, you will come to understand how special he was. Facts or knowledge that we take for granted today (e.g., predators play an important role in a healthy ecosystem), Leopold was talking about them over 50 years ago. Time and again I found myself checking the copyright because I could not believe someone was actually thinking this way so long ago.
However, it's not just the ideas of Leopold that made him special. The way he wrote was special, too. His talent drew you in, even though he was writing about something that, by the sound of it, might be kind of dry. For example, in a section called "Good Oak," he connects the passage of years to the rings of a fallen tree that he is cutting for firewood. Starting with the 1940s he relates one environmental tidbit after another for decades or years: "Now our saw bites into the 1890s...when the last passenger pigeon collided with a charge of shot near Babcock." By the time Leopold is done cutting the fallen tree, the reader has received a fascinating and sobering account of what had transpired to the environment in the area of this oak tree for the previous 80 years. The way he used the backdrop of cutting the tree rings as "markers" of environmental mishaps was masterful. It is Leopold at his best, but fortunately, the book is full of writing like this.
It is divided into three sections. The first one follows a calendar year on his farm in Wisconsin, with Leopold relating little vignettes about chickadees, skunks, flowers, or whatever else he comes across. It is probably the most charming part of the book. Part two ("Sketches Here and There") contains short remembrances of Leopold's travels to different parts of North America. Unfortunately, the story usually has a "bad" ending - at least, for the environment or for a species (like the now-extinct passenger pigeon). But Leopold had a reason for that. He moves to part three, "The Upshot," where he spells out his ideas for saving the land and the wild things that live there. It is too much to discuss here, but Leopold again hits the mark. His goal was to try and change how Americans think about the use (and abuse) of our environment. Pehaps his biggest lament then, and mine now, is that not enough people care about what we are doing to the land.
That's why this book was published. The hope of this book was to change the hearts of the average American. It still is. Over fifty years later, it's still in print, and it's still relevant.
Five stars. Absolutely the best nature/environment book I've ever read.
A Breath of Fresh Air.......2007-02-20
Life got you down? Live in a big city? Take a refreshing break and escape to the Wisconsin countryside in this beautifully written little book about the land and the plants and animals that live and grow there. Aldo Leopold's writing is more compelling than John Muir's,and more knowledgeable than Thoreau's. In a series of short sketches you follow the cycle of the land from January to December. Along the way you learn about history, meet amazing plants and animals, and experience the drama of both the destruction and the rebirth of our land.
A sublime experience, but not for everyone.......2004-12-21
I keep this book on my nightstand and read an essay or two after my pj's are on and before going to bed. My bookmark is a pencil for making notes in the margin when particularly wonderful passages are encountered. The margins are very full.
Aldo opens our eyes to worlds in our own backyards which have always existed but which have remained undiscovered due to our own dull-sightedness. I considered myself an avid nature-watcher, but the extent to which Mr. Leopold carries this hobby is humbling. He inspires any true fan to learn the names and habits of every tree, shrub, weed, thistle, bird, insect, and critter native to one's home county, and to hone one's journaling skills and master the talent of imagery and metaphor.
But, this book is not for everyone. I've read favorite passages to friends only to watch their eyes glaze with disinterest. If you're the outgoing, life-of-the-party, must-always-be the-center-of-attention type, then perhaps The DaVinci Code would be of interest. But if you enjoy solitary walks in the woods, canoe paddles on distant foggy lakes, or reading prose with your pj's on, then this is required reading.
The first of its kind, and still the best.......2004-09-05
"Thus always does history, whether of marsh or market place, end in paradox. The ultimate value in these marshes is wildness, and the crane is wildness incarnate. But all conservation of wildness is self-defeating, for to cherish we must see and fondle, and when enough have seen and fondled, there is no wilderness left to cherish." (from "Marshland Elegy")
"It must be poor life that achieves freedom from fear." This, from reflections on being caught on horseback during a lightning storm, is a comment on the "civilized" mindset that wanted all to be safe, and so feared and destroyed wildness.
These essays were written mostly in the 1940's, although some of them are about earlier times in the author's life. In a way, reading Aldo Leopold is like watching Humphrey Bogart in those old movies, with his smoking and tough-guy sexism. We understand these as disreputable today, but can put them in context. Likewise, Aldo Leopold was in many ways a typical countryman of his time and place. He loved to hunt and fish, and even reflexively shot wolves, like everyone else. He came to regret that, and in fact to realize that in the new era, where hunting and fishing have become mass recreations, that the old ways just don't work anymore. But they did in his day, and he does not retrospectively apologize for having been, in a sense, just another predator.
But he was also a college professor, and an expert naturalist and ecologist. In this book he is a poetic writer about nature and a loving reporter of all things wild. No matter where I lived I would love this book, but having lived not too far from his sand counties and walked his restored prairies makes it the sweeter.
Wonderful.......2004-03-25
Read Walden, then read Sand County Almanac. They might just change the way you think about the world.
Book Description
Perfect for mountain climbers and hikers, this valuable reference covers more rocks and minerals in North America than any other available guide. 794 full-color photographs depict all the important rocks, gems, and minerals -- in many variations of color and crystal form -- and the natural environments in which they occur; written descriptions provide information on field marks, similar rocks and minerals, environment, areas of occurrence, and derivation of names. Includes a guide to mineral collecting and a list of rock-forming minerals
Customer Reviews:
an important book in any naturalist's library.......2007-09-30
As with all the Audubon guides, the glossy photographs; durable binding and leatherette cover; and cross-referencing the index via the color plates, are what make these guides important.
This rock field guide has a good glossary of terms that is helpful. Also, there are identification keys for color, fabric, and hardness of specimens, along with descriptions indicating areas to locate them.
Unlike the animal and plant field guides, this one hasn't gone out of date like the others. However, the deficencies still apply: the details are pretty general, and the summaries are ridiculously short. Still, this book is one of the best in the series and should be on anyone's shelf that has even a passing interest in geology.
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
The Cloud Reckoner
Audubon guides are the best.......2007-09-28
If you're looking for a terrific field guide with tons of details as well as excellent photos for identification, you'll never be disappointed with Audubon guides.
Great for the educated.......2007-09-02
This is a good book for someone who already understands how to use it. There should be an instruction book to go along with it. It has some fine detail in the photos but not in how to look things up by their name. If I had a degree in geology, I would not have a problem using this one, but I don't, so I'm operating under a severe handicap.Is there a guidebook for the Guidebook?
A more serious field guide.......2007-06-29
I bought this book, along with DK/Smithsonian guides to "Rocks & Minerals" and "Gemstones" for my children, one of which is a budding rockhound.
While I am certainly no expert in this area, my very amateur opinion is that this bulky guide is far more scientific and in keeping with traditional field guide format.
The binding is certainly sturdy, and after a short introduction to mineral identification, the book features a photograph of each of the minerals profiled, along with a reference page to the descriptive key that follows. The same is done with rocks.
As a homeschooling mother of two, I would say this book is better for older children or adults with an interest in this field. My 7-yr-old daughter is far more likely to pick up one of the DK/Smithsonian guides (which are separate and less complete) than this one.
I foresee the pages of this book getting a bit more daylight as my children get older.
Highly recommended.
I turn to michaellandonsrock when you are gone.......2007-01-27
I've written to the National Audubon society and several geologists concerning an omission in this book.
I can't remember when Michael Landon and I discovered our mutual love of geology, but it remained a constant in our friendship. Shortly before he began to film for his finest role as Jonathan Smith in "Highway to Heaven", Michael Landon and I embarked upon a geological survey of Northern Canada. Using his celebrity influence, Michael Landon was granted a royal charter from Franz Joseph II, then Prince of Liechtenstein, to finance any mining capital should we discover a new gem to add to the Prince's famous gem-trunk.
We eventually found a quiet piece of land within the traditional lands of the Nis'gl't'k people. After spending seven months documenting and learning their language I anglicised their name. The "Huxtable people" spoke of a cave famous in their stories for being the home of N'gaask'ul'k'ot, or "Gelman." Instinctively, Michael Landon went there, to Gelman's cave. He refused to use anything but a 10 inch hunting knife when quarrying. He furiously knifed at the cave wall for 4 or 6 hours without any apparent consistency to where his knife struck. Suddenly the cave stank. I looked at Michael Landon with contempt, but to my surprise his face was not sheepish. I wondered then where the smell came from. I followed his peepers, and he was using them to look at a gem that lay before his fallow blade. We both knew what we had discovered, but we consulted our Audubon guide. It wasn't listed. In his excitement, Michael Landon first suggested naming it "stinkrock", then "stankrock" and finally "smellrock." I took on a soothing tone to pacify him and delicately suggested we call it the "Landonquicklyite." He put a single finger to his pursed lips, furrowed his brow, squatted, started walking around while squatting, and then eagerly said "let's call it Michael Landon's Rock." Kenneth Waltz later characterised our relationship as having a power imbalance, probably a reason why the gem came to be known among us and in some geological circles as "michaellandonsrock."
In weight comparable to the density of those memories, I still have 10 pounds of michaellandonsrock. I even put some in the rock tumbler and they look nice.
So, perhaps my review is biased, but I hope that in the future the Audubon Society will investigate my claim.
Book Description
From the experts, the definitive book on home preserving.
Ball Home Canning Products are the gold standard in home preserving supplies, the trademark jars on display in stores every summer from coast to coast. Now the experts at Ball have written a book destined to become the "bible" of home preserving.
As nutrition and food quality has become more important, home canning and preserving has increased in popularity for the benefits it offers:
- Cooks gain control of the ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables
- Preserving foods at their freshest point locks in nutrition
- The final product is free of chemical additives and preservatives
- Store-bought brands cannot match the wonderful flavor of homemade
- Only a few hours are needed to put up a batch of jam or relish
- Home preserves make a great personal gift any time of year
These 400 innovative and enticing recipes include everything from salsas and savory sauces to pickling, chutneys, relishes and of course, jams, jellies, and fruit spreads, such as:
- Mango-Raspberry Jam, Damson Plum Jam
- Crab Apple Jelly, Green Pepper Jelly
- Spiced Red Cabbage, Pickled Asparagus
- Roasted Red Pepper Spread, Tomatillo Salsa
- Brandied Apple Rings, Apricot-Date Chutney
The book includes comprehensive directions on safe canning and preserving methods plus lists of required equipment and utensils. Specific instructions for first-timers and handy tips for the experienced make the
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving a valuable addition to any kitchen library.
Customer Reviews:
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving - 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today.......2007-10-11
This is an excellent book for both beginners and experienced canners. I did some canning several years ago and this year was looking for apple recipes as we had an overabundance of them. Found several that I have tried from jam that called "Mom's Apple Pie in a Jar" to regular applesauce.
My only objection is that the Apple Pie Filling recipe is put up in pints and it doesn't tell you that you need 2 pints of the filling to make an acual pie.
Wonderful book.......2007-07-26
As a gross amateur in the realms of preserving food I would have to say that this is the easiest, most complete book on preservation that I've read. The recipes look great, they're all made simple to understand and the several items that I have made have come out wonderfully
Great book, no matter your skill level.......2007-05-14
I got this book about three weeks ago, having never canned or preserved, and I was completely impressed. Using the recipes inside, I've made pickled ocra, green beans, brandied cherries, sweet asparagus, and the hands down best pickle relish I've ever had in my life. It has hundreds of recipes, and they are all wonderful. If you're into fruit preserves or jams, sweet or dill pickles, slasas, relishes, chutneys, condiments, you name it, there are dozens of recipes of each type of food. I'll be tackling some home made wine and cranberry mustard next week. The first batches of pickles I made were with utensils I already had on hand. All you need is the mason jars if you have a well stocked kitchen. I've sense bought some bottle clamps to get the jars out of the hot water, but that's about it.
Here are the pros:
*) Thorough discussion of the steps of preserving.
*) Discussion on foodborne illness and how to kill it through preserving.
*) A look at high acid versus low acid canning.
*) A handy guide of produce weight and volume (for example, one pound of cherries equals 2 1/2 cups of cherries, so you know exactly what to get at the store).
*) Amazing, easy recipes for all levels of skill and tastes.
*) Dozens of variations on recipes (not just one type of cucumber pickle, but several!)
Buy this book if you're thinking of starting or even an old time pro. It's great fun, and it can produce pickles, ketchups, and preserves where you controll all the ingredients (and can even go organic!).
If there's only one book to obtain on the topic.......2007-03-05
Four hundred recipes for modern canners and preservers are packed into a book branded with the Ball canning label for added impact: Ball made much of the home canning equipment for decades and this book packs in user-friendly recipes for novices and experienced canners, pairing a problem solver directory with tips on canning salsas, condiments, fruits, spreads and pickles. If there's only one book to obtain on the topic, the general-interest collection will find Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving the item of choice.
WONDERFUL BOOK.......2007-02-02
I bought this book to give me some more recipes for canning. The recipes in this book are great. There are so many that it's easy to please everyone.
Book Description
Thick Face, Black Heart is a profound distillation of ancient Chinese wisdom and experience filtered through a modern Asian business perspective. Blending stories and principles drawn from Chinese military history and modern entrepreneurship, author Chu shows that success is achievable by anyone who follows the lessons in this invaluable guide and learns how to: develop and employ intuition as a business tool, master defeat, acquire a killer instinct, solve the mystery of money, thrive among the cunning and ruthless, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Do You Want More Life?.......2007-10-02
When I came upon this book I was looking for a book that would guide me to do greater business with Asians in my community.
One of the things that I hadn't liked while attempting to do business with Asians, was not knowing why they often would say something like, "I'm advertising in the Korean papers."
My response had been, "Do you only want the Koreans to know you are here?" And, of course that did not curry favor with my Asian prospects.
"Thick Face, Black Heart," means "carry your shield, and your spear." It's responding to your interlocutor on a level that allows you to get what you want faster, without conflict. And this goes beyond the verbal judo concepts that I've mastered since 1999. (See "Verbal Judo" by George Thompson, Ph.D.)
The most hilarious statement in this book is, when Chin-Ning Chu says that she will guide you to make the choice between when you should turn the other cheek, or slap back twice.
Because of the writing style of this book, I laughed so deeply, and I could envision applying what I must, to get what I want.
Before reading this book, my mindset for the Asians was one of frustration. Now, I have greater understanding and appreciation of each Asian who I meet. And, I'm more open to understanding how they think, as individuals.
There are many examples in this book of social interactions, and choices for the reader to not only relate to, but also practice, that anyone reading this, regardless of who your interlocutor's, or your objectives are, will appreciate this book - tremendously.
Ms. Chu also detailed a sales mistake that she once made and how she would have done differently. I made exactly that same sales mistake, just 3 weeks ago. And, now, I'm armed with a "thick face, black heart," when it comes to that particular scenarior.
I am sure that I will reread this book, as I grow beyond my wildest dreams, and I will be reading all of Ms. Chu's other warrior philosophy books, because reading them enhances my ability to honor my dharma.
People-pleasers beware!.......2007-02-08
If you are a die-hard people-pleaser, this book could fit in easily with books about learning how to face your fears. The bottom line for me personally was how to not let my concerns about other people's opinions become a road block for getting good, meaningful work accomplished. I did read most of the book, skimmed some parts that tended to be repetitive. All the while I interpreted my own discomfort with Chu's "businessperson as warrior" theme as a reminder of my own tendencies to flee instead of fight in the workplace.
Overall, an interesting way to look at business and at life, but not a life-changing book for me.
Easy Read with Plenty of Examples.......2006-12-19
One of the best books I have read this year. The strength of the book are the countless examples that are given. It is one to offer a philosophy. It is another to back it up with an example you can relate to. The author does this and does it well. I knocked this book out in three days and it has already made a positive on not only my business, but my life.
Eastern Philosoply meet Western Life and Capitalism.......2006-09-08
After having lived for over half a century, I have come to the conclusion that there are no "secrets" that if only known to us commoners and working class people would change our lives in any significant way.
I am very skeptical with advice such as "being one with the universe" while stewing in a traffic jam.
TFBH did not even throw me a bone with even a little meat on it. Basically it is an Eastern styled version of Looking Out for Number One.
I did not glean anything that I did not already know - there were no earth shattering revelations or jewels of wisdom by the end of the book.
Perhaps I overlooked something or it just was not a book I could relate to. This one will be donated to the local library.
struggling to reconcile east and west? you must read........2006-05-13
Having practiced eastern philosophy for many years I frequently found myself confused about its seeming incompatibility in a western world. Until i read this book.
Very easy to read, with lots of great examples and exercises. I don't usually go in for books with exercises but they are more meditations than anything.
This is a must read, mine got damaged and i'm buying a second copy for myself and one for a friend.
Average customer rating:
- I really, really wanted to like this book...
- Got Bookshelves? Ever Think About Them?
- Windy and boring
- Discursive history of book shelving
- A book for obsessive bibliophiles
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The Book on the Bookshelf
Henry Petroski
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0375406492
Release Date: 1999-09-14 |
Amazon.com
Consider the book. Though Goodnight Moon and Finnegans Wake differ considerably in content and intended audience, they do share some basic characteristics. They have pages, they're roughly the same shape, and whether in a bookstore, library, or private home, they are generally stored vertically on shelves. Indeed, this is so much the norm that in these days of high-tech printing presses and chain bookstores, it's easy to believe that the book, like the cockroach, remains much the same as it ever was. But as Henry Petroski makes abundantly clear in Book on the Bookshelf, books as we know them have had a long and complex evolution. Indeed, he takes us from the scroll to the codex to the hand-lettered illuminated texts that were so rare and valuable they were chained to lecterns to prevent theft. Along the way he provides plenty of amusing anecdotes about libraries (according to one possibly apocryphal account, the library at Alexandria borrowed the works of the great Greek authors from Athens, had them copied, and then sent the copies back, keeping the originals), book collectors, and the care of books.
Book-lover though he may be, however, Henry Petroski is, first and foremost, an engineer and so, in the end, it is the evolution of bookshelves even more than of books that fascinates him. Pigeonholes for scrolls, book presses containing thousands of chained volumes, rotating lecterns that allowed scholars to peruse more than one book at a time--these are just a few of the ingenious methods readers have devised over the centuries for storing their books: "in cabinets beneath the desks, on shelves in front of them, in triangular attic-like spaces formed under the back-to-back sloped surfaces of desktops or small tabletop lecterns that rested upon a horizontal surface." Placing books vertically on shelves, spines facing outward, is a fairly recent invention, it would seem. Well written as it is, if Book on the Bookshelf were only about books-as-furniture, it would have little appeal to the general reader. Petroski, however, uses this treatise on design to examine the very human motivations that lie behind it. From the example of Samuel Pepys, who refused to have more titles than his library could hold (about 3,000), to an appendix detailing all the ways people organize their collections (by sentimental value, by size, by color, and by price, to name a few of the more unconventional methods), Petroski peppers his account with enough human interest to keep his audience reading from cover to cover. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
He has been called "the poet laureate of technology" and a writer who is "erudite, witty, thoughtful, and accessible." Now Henry Petroski turns to the subject of books and bookshelves, and wonders whether it was inevitable that books would come to be arranged vertically as they are today on horizontal shelves. As we learn how the ancient scroll became the codex became the volume we are used to, we explore the ways in which the housing of books evolved. Petroski takes us into the pre-Gutenberg world, where books were so scarce they were chained to lecterns for security. He explains how the printing press not only changes the way books were made and shelved, but also increased their availability and transformed book readers into books owners and collectors. He shows us that for a time books were shelved with their spines in, and it was not until after the arrival of the modern bookcase that she spines faced out.
In delightful digressions, Petroski lets Seneca have his say on "the evils of book collecting"; examines the famed collection of Samuel Pepys (only three thousand titles: old discarded to make room for new); and discusses bookselling, book buying, and book collecting through the centuries.
Richly illustrated and wonderfully written, this is the ultimate book on the book: how it came to be and how we have come to keep it.
Customer Reviews:
I really, really wanted to like this book..........2007-10-17
...but it was just so unrelentingly dull. Even the interesting parts (Anatomy books bound in HUMAN FLESH!) were dull, or presented in a fashion that made them dull. The detail was exquisite, but the presentation was...not. And some of the descriptions of avid book collectors and their manners of storing, arranging, and displaying their books made me want to back away, very slowly, towards the nearest exit.
For anyone interested in the history of books and the ways in which they have been stored, I recommend this book for the wealth of information it provides. It's a pity it couldn't be presented in a more interesting manner.
Got Bookshelves? Ever Think About Them?.......2004-08-06
I enjoyed this meticulously researched history of the physical design of books, bookshelves and libraries. Petroski follows the evolution of book storage from pigeonholes used to store scrolls to modern space-saving "moveable-aisle" stacks. In the process, he also covers the changes in the physical design of books themselves and the ever-present challenges faced by libraries throughout the ages as more and more books appear on their shelves. An appendix covers a host of possible methods of organizing your personal book collection - this section is easily the most amusing part of the book.
Petroski includes interesting anecdotes and helpful illustrations to liven up this sometimes dry subject area. While not a gripping book, it definitely succeeds as a thoughtful study full of interesting nuggets of history. It's obvious that obsessive book lovers throughout the ages have put a lot of thought into storing their collections.
If you're not particularly interested in why books were once shelved spine in, or how library layouts have changed over the years, then this book will probably not hold your interest. Personally, I have fond and vivid memories of libraries, especially the one from my childhood. This book definitely has me looking at libraries in a whole new light - I'll never be able to walk into one again without studying the way it's laid out.
Windy and boring.......2004-02-26
I'm as fascinated by history and technology as the next person, but this book seems to be an overstretched monograph, marked by redundancy and needless recitation. Properly edited, the story of the bookshelf would take far fewer pages. There is no reason to cite nine examples to prove that rows of lecterns with books chained to them were common c1600, for example. I'm willing to try other titles by this author--he is curious about interesting things and writes readably--but the subject matter here doesn't fill a book, in my opinion.
Discursive history of book shelving.......2003-12-21
Although this volume contains much fascinating information about the evolution of the book, Petroski is most interested in how book storage systems have developed. It turns out that books have been stored in more ways--and in more peculiar ways--than an uninitiated reader might imagine. (Would you believe that most books were once shelved "backwards" with their fore-edge out and their title-less spine faced in?) Among Petroski's best chapters are the one that treats problems that arose when books had to be chained to their shelves and the one describing the development of modern library shelving so strong that it could support the library rather than the other way around. Petroski includes many fine illustrations that that well support his theses and educated guesses.
Committed bibliophiles may easily tolerate the discursive, not to say meandering, course of The Book on the Bookshelf. I reached the limit of my patience a couple of times and put the book back on the bookshelf for a while before finally completing it. That having been said, Petroski's ramble is just too self-indulgent and just plain too long, sort of an Atlantic Monthly essay that got away from the author. I absolve future readers from all guilt if they decide to skip pages and even whole sections of this clever work.
A book for obsessive bibliophiles.......2003-08-30
The Book on the Bookshelf is Henry Petroski's sly look at how books are stored, and have been stored for centuries. It's sly, in part, because to tell you this he has to tell you the history of the book itself, and this of course leads him off in different directions. You learn much about not only books, and bookshelves, but scrolls, printing, various sorting systems, printing and spelling conventions over the years, and various other minutiae. If you're interested in this sort of thing, like I was, it's very interesting. I was fascinated to read, for instance, that the British publishing industry changed about a decade ago, and began printing their titles on the spines of books oriented the same way we do it. Previously they had printed the titles upside down (from our point of view) and the two books I'm referring to are old enough to display this. I'd noted it, but never knew why they were like that. Now I do. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's interested in books, publishing, and the history of those things. I will warn you that the author does tend to get into his subject, digress a bit, and run away with his topic now and again, but I generally found this characteristic charming rather than annoying.
Book Description
At Home with Art is about art lovers, their passion for art, and their seemingly unquenchable desire to bring home the works that have captured their hearts. Whether the artworks are Picassos or posters, these people want to acquire and live with the art they love. "I wake up in the morning and exercise where I can look at it," says John Robson about one of the paintings in his San Francisco townhouse. How these art lovers integrate their finds
into their living spaces, juxtaposing their paintings and sculpture with the artifacts of everyday life -- furniture, rugs, books, lamps, objets d'art -- is vividly illustrated here in more than fifty homes inhabited by people for whom living with art is as essential as breathing.
These homes are not mini-museums with art to be admired from a respectful distance. Nor have they been designed by interior decorators whose goal is to harmonize the upholstery with the pictures. Each home has been chosen for its very personal and inspired expression of art and decor, revealing a deep, even spiritual, relationship between the pictures on the walls and the people who place them there. From airy lofts and old farmhouses to sleek city apartments and cozy traditional houses, all are made special by the paintings and sculptures within.
A wide variety of people appear in these pages, from the president of MoMA to a young man in love with poster art, to the writer who has artist friends, to the young woman who inherited pieces from her mother, to the actress whose art travels with her wherever she goes. The kinds of art that speak to them and that they are impelled to acquire range from old masters to outsider art, from folk art to contemporary art, to prints, drawings, photographs, and sculpture. We learn about what sparked their interest in a particular genre, how they make their selections, how they meld them into their homes, and what living with their art means to them.
Though looking at these interiors proves there are no fixed rules about displaying a work of art, special sections on framing, hanging, lighting, and caring for art, from oil paintings to delicate works on paper, provide technical assistance. A directory includes framers, dealers, auction houses, and restorers in major American cities and in London.
Above all,
At Home with Art shows that there are all kinds of art to be loved and cherished, however grand or simple, and that living surrounded by art's beauty can bring boundless personal satisfaction.
Customer Reviews:
An invitation into the homes of collectors........2000-12-31
This book is inspiring because it shows us the homes of many collectors of paintings.It is well written, but there are not enough new ideas that can be incorporated by the reader. Some of the collectors have little idea on how to display their paintings in a way that is pleasing and justifies the works. Many of the dispalys are cluttered and claustrophobic. Yet, there are some splendid homes that incorporate paintings spectacularly. The article on Dorothy and Herbert Vogel is very moving. These extra-ordinary people deserve a book just on them.
A unique and personal view of collecting.......2000-01-12
This is an extraordinary book. Clearly not intended as a scholarly exercise, the authors take us up close and personal with outstanding collectors and their art. These are people I would be unlikely ever to meet, and their personal views and how they are expressed through the works they surround themselves with provide a glimpse into the collecting mind. Many of the homes are wealthy, though some are artists who have accumulated works from their friends. The photos are spectacular, and give many ideas of how art can be integrated into one's home.
At Home With Art Not Your Home.......2000-01-06
Diving into this book, as an avid art collector, one might expect to learn how different people work with the art they possess. This book though is really for those who are stricly ardent and almost excessive collectors who like to jam pack their residences with works galore. What is missing from this text is a careful presentation of how many different types of people display their art. There is too much focus on furniture, collecting passions and interest, and not enough focus on ideas. Overall, I found this book to be somewhat mono-dimensional in the concepts portrayed of how others live with their art. More a picture of what the authors had preconceived than a search for the spectrum of ideas.
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