Customer Reviews

Caprial and John's Kitchen

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the Amazon description accurately says, the majority of this book is a set of 50 entrees with side dishes. Each of them is appealing, with straightforward instructions (though a few annoying spots where you need to turn the page to see what the next step is). The recipes are "homestyle" without being ordinary, such as osso buco braised with mint and tomatoes (mint? in osso bucco? yeah, that could work!) accompanied by green beans with balsamic vinegar. Quite a few recipes are vegetarian, though not enough that I'd be comfortable giving the book to a vegetarian.

Each dinner -- which serves 4 to 6 -- has steps for what one partner can do (sear and braise the veal shanks) while the other one works on another part of the recipe (prep the vegetables for the braising liquid). While this might be helpful to less experienced couples (say, newlyweds, or a couple that's new to the two-cooks-in-the-kitchen dance), I find it more cute than useful.

My only beef with the cookbook is that it has a tendency to use ingredients that cost a bundle, at least if you're outside the Pacific Northwest. Several recipes use chantarelles and other wild mushrooms, for example, which I love but can't afford often. As a result, these recipes may be used more for "special occasions" than for ordinary suppers.

But they'll be used. There's no doubt of that. Ordinarily, when I get a new cookbook I find a half dozen things I'm anxious to try immediately; this time, I have at least twice that many that I'm ready to try.

This duo matched up not only in life but in business and now in offering home cooking menu help. Here is great set of twenty appetizers, twenty desserts and fifty entree with a side dish or more all with diving it up between two chefs or going it alone. There are also other tips given with each as to timing and technique advice.

The variety and creativity here is outstanding and the ingreds are not rare to too difficult to obtain nor is the techniques involved for the average to intermediate home chef. Even for the novice there are many that could school the start of great culinary adventure and success.

Mouth watering now as I encourage all to try the likes of: Grilled Radichhio Stuffed with Goat Cheese (two of my favorite tastes paired magnificently); Ginger and Lemon-Scented Chicken Broth with Grilled Prawns; Pumpkin-Leek Tart; Sturgeon with a Horseradish Crust and Watercress Aioli; Pork Short Ribs Braised in Curry with Apples and Chiles; Sweet and Spicy Curry Grilled Tuna with Gingered Vegetable-Rice Noodle Slaw; Pear Tart with Chocolate Cookie Crust; Dessert Bruschetta with Chocolate Ganache, Strawberries and Hazelnuts; Oven Braised Peaches with Raspberry Sorbet.

Good photos and aids throughout. This one begs to be cooked with and works famously.

To understand, interpret and adapt is key, I think, to a good cookbook. I'm able to do those things with this book. It will be very dog-eared in a short time. Thanks, June

I purchased this cook book after watching an episode of Sara's Secrets on the Food Network, featuring John and Caprial Pence. They emphasized it is a cookbook geared toward couples preparing a meal together. Upon reading it, I discovered that while the book does designate "Cook 1" and "Cook 2", this plan for preparing the meal together only works when you are preparing the entire meal exactly the way they have it planned in the book. More times than not, I found myself only liking the side items offered and not the entree(in which case, "Cook 1" essentially prepares the entire meal). Even if I had followed the format of the book, using "Cook 1" and "Cook 2", many times "Cook 2" tasks were things like pouring the wine,spraying the pan, or heating the oven(very elementary tasks). This book might be great for making your child "Cook 2" , but certainly not your significant other. My suggestion: Only buy this book if you are a huge John and Caprial Fan or you want to cook with your children. If you want a cook book you can both use as 2 adults cooking together in the kitchen, have "Cook 2" "pour the wine" and join him/her in looking for some other couple cook book online together. This is not the one!