Customer Reviews

The Recipe Writer's Handbook, Revised and Updated

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann is the expert on cookbook writing. I recommend reading this book before you start writing your recipes. I already had everything typed in one file on my computer when I first found her book.

I simply used my search tools in Word to locate all the items she discussed and believe me I had made quite a few common mistakes. The book itself was extremely useful...I was however more impressed that when I wrote to Barbara - she actually wrote back and gave me some of the best advice I have ever recieved. After using almost every principle taught in this book, I can truly say that I have produced a cookbook I am proud of and will enjoy using for a lifetime.

So, whether you grew up overseas like I did and didn't realize powdered sugar was actually called confectioners' sugar, or you are writng recipes that contain foreign words, this is also the book for you. The chapter which gave information on leading food authorities gave me a greater insight into what I needed to give my readership.

If this is the perfect guide - I hope I have produced the perfect cookbook. Thank you Barbara for taking the time to help cookbook writers everywhere. Now I am taking the next step - finding a publisher and creating a website.

~The Rebecca Review

I loved this book! This book addressed EVERY area that I was doing wrong. I started writing my book without a guide and something in me told me to get a guide just in case. So after browsing on amazon, I found this book and immediately ordered. I stopped writing and immediately began to read and study the tips in this book. I was thrilled to see a couple of pages on how to select the right nutritional software, because I was struggling about how to select the right vendor! I did exactly as recommended and found a great source. If you are writing a cookbook, stop writing and purchase this book before you go any further!

This book now has a permanent place on my desk as an important reference book. Too bad it wasn't around when I wrote MMMMiami--Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere. The book ranges from sophisticated information for the professional writer to general information for the novice. The book is arranged by categories such as recipe writing style and basic metrics. The authors take your hand and guide you through the difficult task of writing clear, interesting, and consistent recipes.

I purchased this book and it's pretty beat up already from having referenced it frequently for the past three years. I began food writing on a whim and thought this book would be helpful. It helps the novice writer become a pro. What more can you ask for.

I purchased this book while writing a book proposal for my children's food cookbook "The Petit Appetit Cookbook". This book saved me many potentially embarassing food writing faux pas with my editor. The pages are bent and highlighted, but I still rely on it when writing articles and recipes for publication.

Great Book, I can't put it down. Great job, this book has everything needed to write recipes, what they couldn't put in they gave resources to find. I have used some of those suggested resource books, and am pretty amazed so far.

Wow! That's all I can really say. You think you know everything; you know your conversions, you're totally informed about your ingredients, you've made the recipe a dozen times.... BUT... just because you can follow the recipe doesn't mean other people can. This book will help you make your recipes standardized, readable, and useful for everyone from your daughter who can't cook to save her soul to your sister, the professional chef.

You don't have to be a food service pro to appreciate this book. If you've ever considered cataloguing your family recipes, making a church or community group cookbook, or submitting your famous chicken-artichoke lasagna recipe to Better Homes and Gardens, start here. It's an easy read and an invaluable reference. Wonderful!

I'm very happy with the information in this useful style guide. After reading it through, though, I found it difficult to use as a reference. The index does not let me easily locate items I need to reference quickly. Subsequently, I have to fold over pages of interest. Nevertheless, it is a great guide and very useful to managing my recipes [...].

I love this book, so helpfull with writing my own cook book, even with ideas for the photography that I am doing to go along with the writing.
Thanks!!!!!

I saw this referenced in another publication and decided it would be valuable to my cookbook writing. My only disappointment was that it did not give specific recommendations for nutritional software.