Customer Reviews:
An oversized book of pics and recipes which works........2005-05-18
`Savoring Italy' is a title written by Michele Scicolone and published in the Williams-Sonoma series of oversized, lavishly photographed culinary tours of important foodie centers around the world. I bought this book before I was very familiar with Ms. Scicolone's abilities and track record as an Italian recipe writer, so I tended to dismiss it as bargain table fodder. But now, in looking back at my unreviewed backlist, I find this volume is something of a buried treasure.
Scicolone has most recently made a big splash in the Italian cookbook world with her 1000 Italian Recipes book, another highly formulaic volume that I still found very worthy alongside the heavyweights of Italian cookbook writing such as Bastianich, Hazan, and Bugialli. I did compare some recipes in this volume to Mario Batali's latest, `Molto Italy' and found the newly crowned (2005 James Beard Awards) best chef in the country to have the advantage on Ms. Scicolone's 1000 recipes in interest and in quality of procedure.
I have done a similar comparison of our volume `Savoring Italy' to the encyclopedic `1000 Italian Recipes' and find a similar result. For starters, I looked for six different recipes from `Savoring Italy' in the larger book and found only two with exactly the same Italian name. Two of the six had similar recipes in the two books. Two of the recipes in `Savoring Italy' had no close counterparts in `1000 Italian Recipes'.
What is more interesting is that where the recipes had the same or a similar name, the ingredients and procedure in `Savoring Italy' were always more elaborate than the corresponding recipe in `1000 Italian Recipes'. For example, `1000 Italian Recipes' has a recipe for stuffed beef rolls in tomato sauce (`Braciole al Pomodoro') with eight ingredients while `Savoring Italy' has a similar English named dish (`Braciole di Manzo') which has twelve ingredients, adding prosciutto, pine nuts, raisins, and parsley, and substituting Provolone cheese for Pecorino Romano. I see similarly more elaborate treatments for all the recipes I check, including such classics as Caponata. Oddly, while `1000 Italian Recipes' salts the eggplant in its caponata recipe, `Savoring Italy' does not. Like Joel Robuchon (actually, because of Joel Robuchon's statements), I prefer avoiding the eggplant salting and prefer to look for younger fruits to avoid the bitterness of older produce.
I take issue with the reviewer who says these are simple recipes. Compared even to Scicolone's major reference book, they are more complicated.
So, on the recipe front, the big picture book is a totally worthy addition for anyone who happens to collect Italian cookbooks, or happens to like big, glossy culinary books in general.
I am not a very good critic of photography, but my gut feeling about the pics in this book is that they are above average, but not of the very highest quality. The only real technical issue I saw was that inside shots seemed a bit grainy compared to those done in full outdoor sunlight. But, for a book retailing at a smidge below $40, they are pretty good. Their selection of subjects was equally good, in that it did not concentrate too much on the very familiar and avoided the `been there, done that' feeling. My biggest issue with the pics is that there are several on the early pages of the book which have no captions. A naïve eye could put some of the pictures anywhere from California to Greece.
The book has the obligatory culinary map of Italy with provinces and major cities identified by name among all the cute little produce icons. The non-recipe text is good, but has little which is revealing to anyone who has read much of Italian cuisine, or spent more than a few months watching `Molto Mario' and `Mario Eats Italy' on the Food Network. If you want a good overview of Italian regional cuisines, see Claudia Roden's `The Food of Italy, Region by Region' or Waverly Root's `The Food of Italy'.
The glossary on stock foods and wines of Italy is good, but typical of short treatments. It is good for the casual reader, but not all there for the foodie or professional. The edge this has over some other books is that it contains thumbnail instructions on how to make and or prepare things such as breadcrumbs, beans, and anchovies.
This book is all about the sum of its parts. The recipes are probably more lavish than you will fine on Nonna's dinner table. These are the more celebratory versions of classic recipes, saved for special occasions or served at upscale restorantes. But this format calls for lavish dishes to match the oversize scale of the pages and the photographs.
Bottom line is that this book is worth its salt. So, if you are looking for a big, expensive Italian cookbook with evocative pictures and good frills, this one will give you your money's worth.
My favorite cookbook!.......2003-03-20
I love this book. I got it as a Christmas gift and I use it all the time. The photographs are gorgeous and each recipe is illustrated. I like that the recipes are relatively simple and require few ingredients. I also enjoy the descriptions and definitions of terms and regions in Italy.
Savoring Italy.......2002-09-22
I have a lot of Italian-Cooking-Books but this is by far the BEST ! The recipe are easy to follow, no fency ingredients (the most I have in my Pantry) and the fotos make you cook them all at once ! When I still lived in Germany I traveled a lot to Italy, this are all very authentic Recipes. A good Glas of Wine with this Dishes and you feel like in Italy ! ENJOY !!!
Belllisimo!.......2001-09-26
This book is simply gorgeous. It's recipes are simple but elegant. I recently purchased it and have made several recipes including the panzella (incredible), and only takes 25 min. to do and the prosuitto wrapped asparagus with mozzerella, (amazing) don't forget to sprinkle with paprikah. Most recipes use fresh ingredients, a mainstay of italian cooking, and they are easy yet impressive. This book is a must for all who enjoy cooking and for those who do not, it has wonderful descriptions of the regional origination of each recipe and beautiful accompanying pictures. You can travel to italy without even leaving your kitchen.
Fantastic.......2001-02-07
This is one of those priceless, beautiful cookbooks that can easily do double duty as a coffee table book. Speaking as a grandson of Guido and Katherine Agostinelli, I think I can speak with a certain amount of authority with regard to this cookbook when I say "That's Italian." Readers can be inspired by the photographs to try to improve their own culinary abilities. Personally, I have been known to burn a bowl full of Raisin Bran, (don't ask, I can find a way, believe me,) but with this book I'm inspired to try all kinds of great recipes.
It's divided into sections on antipasti, pizzas, breads, pastas, risotti, soups, fish, poultry, meat, frittatas, seasonal vegetables, salads, cakes, cookies, and fruit desserts. Every section is beautiful, inspiring, and ultimately delicious. Two thumbs up.
Product Description
Savoring Italy leads readers-cooks and armchair travelers alike-on a gastronomic tour of one of the world's most beloved cuisines. Part recipe collection, part travelogue, this sophisticated survey of the Italian table, by award-winning author Michele Scicolone, is an enduring culinary tribute to the country's diverse regional traditions. Containing more than 140 authentic recipes, a captivating text rich in personal experience and fresh insights, and a wealth of dazzling illustrations-lush scenic and food photography, enchanting watercolors, a beautiful hand-drawn map-Savoring Italy is an unforgettable portrait, in both word and image, of a universally admired kitchen.
Book Description
The Treadway Gallery, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been established for more than two decades and is known for its expertise in twentieth century American and European decorative art. The gallery serves as headquarters for an internationally-attended auction series focused on twentieth century art, including a specialized annual Rookwood auction. Collector Books is pleased to bring you this gallery's compilation of over 10 years of Rookwood auction results, from 1990 - 2002. This colorful book, filled with large detailed photographs of virtually hundreds of pieces of Rookwood pottery, gives collectors an idea of what their piece is worth. Not only are the dates and final bids for each item listed, but an estimated value range is given for the piece. Other important facts stated are approximate height, glaze, number, and condition of the piece. You will be astounded to learn what these pieces sold for at auction and how truly valuable these works of art have become. The front part of the book gives the gallery's conditions of sale and guidelines governing their results. Collectors will love this 10-year study of Rookwood Pottery by leading auctioneers in the field of ceramic art. REVIEW: This book highlights the years 1990 - 2002, ten years of Rookwood Pottery auction results from the Treadway Gallery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Hundreds of pieces in full-color are presented, with information on glaze, design, date, height, number, and actual auction price realized.
Customer Reviews:
Useful And Also Shows Beautiful Rookwoods.......2005-10-21
Excellent depictions of Cincinnati Rookwood vases, plus listings of sale prices and estimated values.
Beautiful book filled with beautiful pictures.......2003-07-12
Any person interested in Rookwood Pottery will find this book entrancing, both as a price guide and as an opportunity to admire great examples of Art Pottery. Of course price guides are obsolete the moment they start rolling off the presses, but the auction prices in this book will give you ballpark estimates for any similar piece you may have. Each piece of artist-produced art pottery is unique, so assigning values is difficult simply by using price guides and auction results. I bought the book because, after owning a few pieces of Rookwood throughout the years, you can't get enough. This book is great for admiring pieces of art you may never come upon in person.
Book Description
Book III in Jim Susan Harran's series is all-new, with no repeats from their first two books. Over 1,000 color photographs are included this time, and the book concentrates on cups and saucers that are readily available to collectors. An expanded section on cabinet cups and saucers is provided, and some of the categories from books I and II are again covered: late nineteenth and twentieth century European and American dinnerware, English bone china and earthenware cups and saucers, miniatures, and mustache cups. There are also two brand new categories in the book, Japanese cups and saucers and art glass cups and saucers made by the leading glass factories in Europe and the United States. A marks section, helpful appendix, and bibliography are once again included, as well as useful tips for dealers and collectors. AUTHORBIO: Jim and Susan Harran, antique dealers for 18 years, specialize in English and Continental porcelains and antique cups and saucers. They write feature articles for various antique publications and have a monthly column in AntiqueWeek, entitled "The World of Ceramics." Susan is also a member of the Antique Appraisal Association of American, Inc. REVIEW: This book is the third in a three-volume series by authors Jim Susan Harran, and is filled with hundreds of beautiful color photographs. A history of cups and saucers is also provided.
Customer Reviews:
Kay's viewpoint.......2006-08-23
The layoutis fantastic. A person is able to find and see the information they are looking for. Being in color is an absolute necessity. I have read thru the book several times. It is a valuable tool in collection. Thank you very much. Kay Brashers.
BEWARE!!! MISSING 20 PAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2003-08-28
Too bad someone didn't bother to edit this book - especially as it is a SECOND EDITION! It not only is missing 20 pgs (in the early 100s from what I recall - I sent book back and hope for a refund), it also had 20 duplicate pages! I can't believe NO ONE here who raved about this book noticed this! It's one thing to buy it and get pleaure looking at pictures of someone's pretty cups, but quite another when you are doing research and spending money on books! Checking for brands in the index and not finding a page listed is how I found this gross error! A lot of cups would have been covered on those 20 missing pages. The seller I purchased book from said "it was publishing error and not picked up on reprint" and had the nerve to ask ME to "let him know if I find one that was corrected" as he said all books are like this. Unless the seller is misrepresenting...I say "BOO" to the editors/publishers - no excuse on 2nd edition!)
Wonderful, one of the best books out there.......2002-03-12
This book is fantastic, beautiful pictures. A pleasure to just look through. Very happy with this purchase!!
A good starting place.......2001-10-05
This book is great for finding different cup and saucer types.
I would like to have had more information on pottery markings included in the book. Wish the authors had a web-site for questions.
Tea Cup Collectors Joy!.......2001-05-29
The first book I've purchased on tea cup collecting. The gorgeous photos alone taught me a great deal about the art and fun of collecting tea cups. I've enjoyed every page. When the world is so frustrating during the day I can't quite concentrate on reading weightier matters, I pick up this book and lose myself in the gracious and lovely world of tea cup collecting. A big thanks to the authors!
Book Description
Cups and Saucers
Paper-Pieced Kitchen Designs
By Maaike Bakker
Transform Your Kitchen Decor
Turn the heart of your home into a cheerful living space with this new collection of paper-pieced quilts with delightful kitchen themes! Block designs feature charming dishes and cups, plus other creative motifs such as colorful vegetables.
· Choose from over 40 fresh, fun block patterns and 10 projects that combine the ease of paper piecing with enchanting designs
· Gather inspiration from beautiful photos filled with ideas for making original quilts
· PLUS--Discover timesaving tips for a stitch-it-up-quick potholder gift set
A warm and welcoming kitchen is just a few stitches away with these simple-to-stitch projects!
Customer Reviews:
Imagine doing a project featuring YOUR own china!!.......2003-11-20
I'm just delighted with this book! Maaike starts off with instructions on how to paper piece, planning a quilt, assembling the quilt top, finishing the quilt --- I found the quilting instructions particularly useful and well illustrated. The binding section is very thorough as well.
Then its off to the 10+ projects, ranging from fairly simple (4 blocks) to quite detailed (40+ blocks). Even though the blocks themselves are fairly simple (all of the blocks are done in one piece - there don't appear to be any multi-piece patterns - so most of the blocks are doable even by beginners), the projects are well designed, and embellished beautifully with borders, sashings, bindings and quilting. Unlike a lot of quilting books I've seen, I can actually see how these projects were quilted, and quilting patterns are provided.
In the book you'll find blocks for teapots, coffee pots, cups and saucers, milk jugs, mugs, bowls, plates, jam jars, candles, a soup tureen, a cookie tin, a basket, several different fruits and vegetables, and some lovely cabinets - all sewn into delightful projects. Beautiful photographs, beautiful designs - this book is a WINNER :)
Product Description
Learn the ancient art of reading tea leaves or coffee grounds with a traditional fortune teller's cup & saucer plus illustrated book of interpretations, all in presentation box. Explains the meanings of over 200 symbols.
Average customer rating:
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Cup and Saucer Chemistry
Nathan Shalit
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Chemistry
| Science, Nature & How It Works
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General
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Chemistry
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Experiments & Projects
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ASIN: 0486259978 |
Book Description
38 safe experiments for youngsters 7 and up, performed with common household items — aspirin, paper towels, vinegar, more. Simple, illustrated instructions.
Product Description
Attractive book of oversized postrcards, souvineer quality.
Average customer rating:
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Coffee with Other and Cups and Saucers (Lifestyle Box Sets)
Manufacturer: Top That! Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Coffee & Tea
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Cooking, Food & Wine
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: 1842299859 |
Average customer rating:
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Cups And Saucers Internet Business Building Bootcamp
Jassen Bowman and James Orr
Manufacturer: LearnToBeRich.com, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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General
| Investing
| Business & Investing
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| Marketing
| Marketing & Sales
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| Sales & Selling
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Web Marketing
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Investing
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ASIN: B000NX1GH0 |
Product Description
Starting your own business is largely about overcoming the initial learning curve. The benefits of business ownership include personal satisfaction, extra money, and potential tax deductions. This hour long presenation, along with the bonus materials, forms, worksheets, and online resources, can help you get your online business up and running in literally one day. This audio CD and accompanying online resources will show you how to do everything from setting up your business entity to selling products with no inventory. If you like the idea of working on your own schedule from home to earn extra income, place your order now for this guide to starting your business.
Average customer rating:
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FLYING CUPS AND SAUCERS: Gender Explorations in Science Fiction
Manufacturer: Edgewood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Notkin, Debbie
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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General
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ASIN: 0962906697 |
Amazon.com
Flying Cups & Saucers collects 13 winners and finalists for the James Tiptree Jr. Award, named for science fiction's ultimate gender pioneer, the woman writer everyone thought was a man. Accordingly, the Tiptree Award (est. 1991) honors the best science fiction and fantasy to explore and expand gender roles. As you might expect, these stories are feminist; non-heterosexist; focused on sex and desire; and sometimes androgynous (a few stories feature three sexes, and one even stars Freud's nightmare, the woman with a penis). But this list hardly begins to describe the contents.
Kelley Eskridge's terrific and gender-bending And Salome Danced is the perfect opening story: it not only examines oft-ignored aspects of desire, it operates on several levels to explore how what we expect to see defines and limits our perceptions. Science fiction's founding mother Ursula K. Le Guin contributes two brilliant stories: Forgiveness Day explores the intricacy of gender roles in a society where they are further complicated by slavery and war, while The Matter of Seggri is set on a world with near-absolute segregation of the sexes. L. Timmel Duchamp incisively delineates how men react to a woman who doesn't fit the feminine role. James Patrick Kelly's seemingly traditional idea-SF story Chemistry just might be the most radical in the book, for it explores the purely chemical nature of love. The other contributors--Eleanor Arnason, Ian McDonald, Carol Emshwiller, Graham Joyce, Peter F. Hamilton, R. Garcia y Robertson, Lisa Tuttle, Delia Sherman, and Ian R. MacLeod--also contribute strong, insightful, well written, challenging, and often threatening fiction. --Cynthia Ward
Book Description
Ever wonder what happened to the rest of the tea party when the saucers went off into space? Here's your chance to find out. What would it be like to go to a club where you could buy an injection of sexiness? To grow up in a world where you didn't know what gender you would be until puberty - and the discovery could be painful? To find yourself and your secret pitted against the entire United States government?
The James Tiptree Award recognizes science fiction and fantasy works that explore and expand gender. This anthology contains almost all of the short fiction that has been singled out in the first five years of the award.
Book Description
New in Paperback!
Technical tips for how to achieve a "movie theater" experience in your own home.Home Theater Design is the comprehensive guide to planning all types of entertainment spaces in the home. Author Krissy Rushing reveals how to choose and place acoustic and audio/visual systems to the best advantage; how to plan a home theater or music room; and how to display, store, and care for all types of media formats.
This book looks at the aesthetics, too with a "whole interior" approach to home entertaining. The book offers information on a variety of design considerations - furnishings, comfort, setting up entertainment spaces, hosting get-togethers, accommodating guests - while factoring in style, functionality, new technology, acoustic planning, soundproofing, lighting, and environmental and personal health considerations.
Customer Reviews:
Designing a Room not a System.......2007-01-30
The first question you have to ask is 'What is a home theater.'
And the author doesn't have any better definition than you do, so she has written the book in three sections, and with a definite point of view.
One section is on small systems in small rooms. Here you are basically using more or less standard equipment in more or less standard rooms.
The next section is on multi-purpose rooms, such as a den or living room with a major emphasis on media but still useful for other things.
Finally there's the dedicated home theater. Here a room is built to make your own small, but technologically, audiologically, aesthetically and in every other way professional quality. This often includes stadium seating, with high quality chairs and tables for drinks and popcorn between the seats.
All in all the book is more concerned with the interior decoration of the home theater than with the technical aspects. I suppose that's fair, because the rapid change in the technology. Anything you attempted to print in a book would become obsolete at the next Consumer Electronics Show.
Misleading title and little substance.......2006-02-11
I bought this book to help me plan the space for a home theater I am planning to build myself. Big mistake. It contained nothing useful for me.
This is a book written by someone who only knows home theater from the perspective of rich or trendy clients who pay big bucks to have someone else do all the planning. It's also something of a advertising piece to show off very big and expensive (nothing under six figures) home theaters designed by two firms the author repeatedly gives credits to. At the very end she even has a brief interview with the head of one of those firms.
If you're really rolling in the dough and want to see lots of glossy pictures to see how to spend your money, this book is for you. Example: "John and Jane have a wonderful theater space with arched alcoves along the walls. They display their collection of antique vases in each alcove, and use accent lighting to enhance it. They install a crystal chandelier for ambient lighting..."
For everyone else it's a waste of time. It's so limited in text that it didn't take more than a couple hours to read through. Instead of giving you some real planning guides, the author limits herself to glosses of the obvious along with references to the type of professional you'll need to hire (so many - I've never heard of an acoustician before. He came somewhere after the cabinetmaker you'll need to design the housing for the projector).
This is a book that bows to wealth and trendiness. For those of us who want to tap our own creative ability as well as our more typical budget, we'll have to look elsewhere for inspiration and information.
Good book for Interior Design tips, not so good for actually building a room.......2005-08-12
This book has tons of helpful tips about features that you should have in an entertainment room. It helps you learn what accessories to get, but doesn't help much in the way of actually building the room. I was hoping to have some help on how to install a suspended ceiling with the sound-proofing material, or how they recommend to frame an elevated seating platform.
All in all, I'd say this book is an advantage to have, and it definately is worth purchasing, but don't expect it to help you with the nuts and bolts of the operation.
Helped me out a lot!.......2005-08-07
This book is really helpful if you're planning a home theater system or integrating some type of audio and video stuff inside the house. I had a small house and was able to get lots of tips for designing my a/v system in it. Now that I bought my new house (much larger) I am able to reference the later chapters for dealing with the new challenges. Highly recommend!
Way Too Fluffy for My Taste.......2005-05-30
This book should have been called "Beautiful Interior Designs that Happen to Include some Home Theater Gear", or "Home Theater Style". It's little more than a pretty picture book of impressive-looking rooms that integrate HT gear, and often in a laughable way. The text is fluffy, thowaway stuff that is irritating to read.
The photos are very well done, but often include speakers and other gear set up with no unsightly cables. Of course, without the unsightly cables, there'd be no audio or video, either. I guess that's the main thing that got to me -- if you're going to show a setup with nice speakers and other gear that are out in the room, at least be honest about how to treat cables and make them look as good as possible. Don't just leave them out altogether. It's insulting, and is foolish in a book that is supposedly about HT.
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