Customer Reviews

Food for Friends : Homemade Gifts for Every Season

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought to give this book to a friend, but then I read it and decided that the creative ideas were so good and unusual, and the practical tips were so helpful that I would keep it myself, and give away the finished products she describes rather than the book itself. I have just made the hazelnut shortbread, and altho' I knew the tip about rubbing toasted hazelnuts in a cloth to remove the brown skin, she suggested a damp terry towel, and the dampness is the key! It was so much easier than with the dry towel I used before.
If you can bear to give it away, it would make a lovely present.

I confess. Though I consider myself a fairly competent cook, I have always been afraid to make jam, or preserves, or anything that had the potential to maim or kill if not done correctly. So I was delighted to receive a copy of "Food for Friends" as a gift. Ms. Vargas' easy-to-follow instructions gave me the confidence I needed to make my first-ever batch of jam: blueberry-raspberry, which she recommends for beginners. It was easy and delicious and no one died from eating it!! I have tried a few more of the recipies, and found them also easy to follow and lovely to give as presents. "Food for Friends" - in addition to providing wonderful gift ideas from your kitchen - also makes a terrific holiday gift itself, for that special cook in your life. Beautifully illustrated and CLEARLY written, it's a winner!

I was genuinely pleased with this book. So often, we go through the time and trouble of preparing tastey treats as gifts, and hten we put them in old dishes or brown paper bags. As great chefs know, the presentation is almost as important as the product. Vargas does an excellent job of explaining how to present these gifts of food. I used her ideas at Christmas time. With her ideas as a starting point, I was inspired to add my own personal touches. I even used some of her recipes, which were easy to follow with excellent results. The feedback that I received from people to whom I gave the gifts was oustanding. What a difference hte presentation makes, KUDOS to the author. I should not review this book without also mentioning the work of the photographer, Caroline Kopp. Beautiful, just beautiful.

This is a great book; it works for novices and experts alike. The recipes range from simple refrigerator cookies to more elaborate chocolate truffles and framboise. The directions are clear and concise and make giving to others fun and easy. The photos are great. I made the truffles yesterday and they were fabulous, and my friend loved them!!

This book has so many fun and wonderful things to make for yourself or for a friend. I have made several of the recipes and have received "rave" reviews for all of them.

I often spend much time preparing gifts of various types of food for friends and relatives, but the presentation of the food, in my opinion, has not done justice to my creations. This book has really helped me find ways to present these gifts that make the gifts appear as special as I believe they are. The presentations suggested in this book tell the recipents of the gifts that they're in store for a real treat. That is the reason why I bought this book and all of my expectations were met and then some. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised with some of the great recipes that were included. Although this book was quite different than the author's first work, I found it to be every bit as good. I look forward to her next publication.

I purchased this book after reading about it in this month's issue of Bon Appetit. The book contains many beautiful photos, but the actual content and number of recipes are rather sparce. In addition, I was hoping for some new or unusual food gift recipes, but there was really nothing - with the exception of a chai recipe - that I haven't seen in other books or magazines.

The first section of the book is dedicated to packaging the gifts and "The Art of Giving," a la Martha Stewart. I wish this portion had been removed from the book and more recipes added in its place.

I was given this book as a door prize at a fund raising event. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed to have won a cook book, since I am not a cook. BUT...I love making my friends and family feel special, and this book has some great ideas on how to do just that. It has everything from very simple ways to make cordials and wines to jams and jellies and even a wonderful recipe for toasted pecans. The ideas for packaging are wonderful. The book is even very pretty, so it makes a great coffee table book or a pretty little hostess gift! (That is...unless you want to choose a simple recipe in the book for your hostess)! Two thumbs up!

Disappointing. The recipes are mediocre with too much emphasis on liquor/alcohol, which neither my friends nor I partake in. For presentation purposes, well, Martha Stewart does just as well.

I found this book disappointing. There weren't really any new ideas for presentation that I hadn't seen before. There were very few recipes that actually appealed to me.