Customer Reviews

The Frog Commissary Cookbook

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love this cookbook. I have been through three copies and given numerous copies to friends and family.

This book was out-of-print for years and I am very happy to see it reissued -- so I can give a copy to my son away in college!

This is where the French-Thai connection started as far as I can tell. The book is a marvel. The illustrations and comments in the margins are as valuable as the recipes and their text.

I have made just about every dish in this book and I have never been disappointed and neither have my guests.

My son grew up on the Thai Popcorn; I believe that the duck and chicken recipes are beyond reproach; the lentil salad is to die for (better have a heck of an extensive spice collection for that one....) and EVERYBODY loves the Carrot Cake.

A fine, fine example of American creativity in the culinary arts.

I have loved this book for many years and give it to new cooks whenever I can. I picked up another copy the other day and there was a "Cookbook Update" sheet tucked into it. I'm not sure if this was official or not but here it is:

Frog Commissary Cookbook Update

Page Number:
60 (Scotch Broth with Coriander)
Omit 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
Omit 11/2 teaspoons pepper
Change 2 teaspoons salt to 5 teaspoons salt

Change "Chop the mushrooms and set aside."
to "Chop the mushrooms, wash well and set aside".

Change "Stir in the water, salt and pepper along with the
ground coriander, reserve mushrooms, and mushroom liquid. Simmer for 1 hour and. .."
to "Stir in the water, salt and pepper along with the
ground coriander and reserve mushrooms. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour and..."
123 (Pistachio Chicken Breasts with Herb-Garlic Cheese Filling) In Herb-Garlic Cheese Filling:
Change 1 "tablespoon" minced garlic to 1 "teaspoon" minced garlic
129-30 (Siamese Chicken Curry) .
Add under list of ingredients for Curry, after 2 tablespoons soy sauce insert "OPT. 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or Tabasco sauce"
Change the directions under Curry from
"When the sauce is smooth, add the broccoli and quickly heat through. Taste and add the optional sriracha or Tabasco if desired. Stir in..."
134~35 (Mexican Lasagne) Under Assembly
Insert the following sentence after "Preheat the oven to 350" " Combine the Creme Fraiche with the eggs and set aside. "
Under Assembly on Page 136. Insert the following sentence after
'.Put down the last 6 toastados. " "Spoon the remaining Creme Fraiche over the top. "
155-56 (Lamb Curry)
Add to ingredient list under Curry, after 1/4 teaspoon salt, "OPT. 1/2 teaspoon srarcha or Tabasco sauce"
On Page 156 under Curry
After "Lower heat, add the Bechamel and eggplant and heat through. " Add, "If the resulting mixture seems too thick, add some additional half-and-half, beginning with 2 tablespoons. Stir until smooth, taste and add the sraracha or Tabasco if desired."
161 (Pasta Roll)
Change ". ..combine the spinach with the ricotta, eggs, yolks" to ". ..combine the spinach with the ricotta, yolks.
176-77 (Goat Cheese Pizza)
Change 1/3 cup olive oil to 1/4 cup (under Topping)
Change "Bake 10 minutes more." to "Bake 5 to 10 minutes more .
177 (Clam Pizza with Fresh Herbs)
change 1/3 cup olive oil to 1/4 cup (under Topping)

178-79 (Pizza with Mussels, Saffron, etc.)
Change 1/3 cup olive oil to 1/4 cup (under Topping) Change "Bake 10 minutes more...
To "Bake 5 to 10 minutes more...
206 (Caponata)
Change 3 tablepoons sugar to 1 tablespoon sugar
Change ..or even mounded on black bread. to
..or even mounded hot on black bread. .."
223 (Cinnamon Butter Muffins)
Change order of ingredients under Muffins so that 4 teaspoons of baking powder is moved up and inserted between 112 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 cup milk. .
Change directions under Muffins
..Beat in the eggs, salt and nutmeg." to
"Beat in the eggs, salt, nutmeg and baking powder."
226-28 (Carrot Cake)
Under Notes and Variations change
..Substitute apples or zucchini for the carrots... to
"Substitute 4 cups of unpeeled grated apples or zucchini for the .. carrots.
231 (Chocolate Mousse Cake)
Change, under Chocolate Mousse
..In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, combine the chocolate, coffee and Grand Marnier. Keeping the heat as lowas possible, let the chocolate melt. ..to
..Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a 3 quart saucepan. Combine, off the heat, in a large metal mixing bowl the chopped chocolate, coffee and Grand Marnier. Place the bowl over the simmering water. Do not stir the mixture while it is melting and keep the heat as low as possi ble ...
233 (Chocolate Chip Fudge Cake)
Change, under Frosting, ..in a small but deep, heavy to ..in a deep, heavy ...
252 (Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies) Change, in ingredient list 2 eggs, lightly beaten to 2 eggs

252 (Oatmeal Chocolate Chip walnut Cookies)
Change in ingredient list:
2 Eggs, lightly beaten to
2 Eggs

My caterer gave this book to me when I asked for the Chicken Satay recipe our wedding guests raved about. For the last thirteen years it's been an anniversary dinner staple (it also shows up at every school pot-luck, summer picnic and just about any other occasion.)

There are so many recipes that would sell this book on their own merit, but as a collection it is truly indespensible. When you buy this be sure to try: the Salmon,Spinch and Scallop Pate, Mushroom Barley Soup, Vegetarian Chili (amazing!), Curried Chicken Salad, Smoked Chicken Crepes with Horseradish Sauce, Sauteed Green Beans with Hazelnut Crumbs, Broccoli with garlic butter and, as mentioned by so many others the OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT COOKIES!

There isn't a bad Thai-inspired recipe in this book either.

The perfect wedding shower or housewarming gift.

When we lived in Philly, Frog, the Commisary, and Eden were definitely on our top 10 list. The recipes in this book bring that back for us every time. These recipes cannot be beat. My friends have been BEGGING for the recipes for years: eggplant capponata, carrot cake, chocolate killer cake-just to name a few. I am so glad to see this in print again so that we don't have to be tempted to photocopy.

I've been using this cookbook for the last 10 years and it is my very favorite of all my cookbooks, it's cleverly written and illustrated and the recipes are inventive and easy to follow. I like to experiment a lot with food and this book has a lot of fun ideas. I was so happy to discover that I can still purchase this book because mine is falling apart from so much use .

I stole this cookbook from my sister in 1989. She received it as a gift from her sister-in-law who resided in Philadelphia. The cookbook was returned five years later with the original binding ruined and held together by three-hole punches and garbage bag ties. Needless to say, my Christmas gift that year (1994) was a brand new Frog Commissary cookbook. Now 7 years later, it too is held together the same way my sister's book was if not worse!

Steven Poses was a visionary in the culinary field. In 2001 the cuisine of the US has finally develop into the vision he first wrote about back in 1985. With all the culinary interest of today, I hope the publishers will reconsider and issue a reprint of this remarkable cookbook. Unlike my sister, I will not loan my copy out!

Well, it's true that this is not the book you want to cook from on a routine basis. Most recipes use butter, oil, cream. But the tastes are simply outstanding and many of the recipes will become your favorite "special occasion" standbys. Particularly good are the pistachio-encrusted, boursin-filled chicken breasts, the thai beef salad, the two curry recipes (one chicken and one beef), and the chocolate-coffee-walnut chip muffins.

I love this book and have been using it since it was published in 1985. The Frog and Commissary were my favorite restaurants when I used to live in Philly. Some of my favorites from the book are the Chicken with Brandied Mustard Sauce, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Linzer Torte, Chicken Liver Pate, Salade Nicoise, Apple Sour Cream Streusal Pie ( I make it with cranberries in the winter and blueberries in the summer) and the Coffee Walnut chocolate chip muffins. This is a great book - it will make you a star cook!!!

To be honest, I almost hate recommending this book because my understanding is it's going out of print, and I can always think of one more person I want to buy it for, and I will hate when it's not available. It's in my top five cookbooks. Try the Siamese Chicken Curry with Broccoli and Peanuts and wait for the accolades. The changes I make are: (1) I do not use half-and-half, I use skim milk. (Never substitute coconut milk). (2) Blanch a pound of carrots and add it to the recipe. I have never made a bad recipe out of this book yet. I have two copies, and they are BOTH falling apart! Enjoy.

I came across the Frog Commissary more than 10 years ago and both my wife and I have made many of the receipes. This is a special book that one would want to share with good friends. There is a lot of helpful information, imparted in a straight, factual way. There is absolutely no pretense here - only wonderful receipes that one will want to make over and over again. I wish that this was the first of a series; it is that good.