Customer Reviews

Secrets of Success Cookbook: Signature Recipes and Insider Tips from San Francisco's Best Restaurants

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

 

 

Too many collections of recipes from professional chefs prove disappointing in the home kitchen. In dramatic -- and delicious -- contrast, the five recipes I've tried so far from this book have all been major successes. The coq au vin recipe alone is worth the price of the book. Although I own hundreds of cookbooks, I return to a few favorites most of the time. This terrific new book has earned a place on my "favorites" shelf.

I live in the Bay area and tried many of Michael Bauer's recipes in the San Francisco Chronicle before they came out in his cookbook. I couldn't wait for the book to be published so I'd have all the great recipes I'd tried in one place. I highly recommend the book for the following reasons: 1. The recipes are unique and creative. 2. The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients easy to find. (Too often chef's recipes are far beyond a home cook's reach and capability.) 3. The tips for success included in each recipe help one become a better cook because they explain the reasons for the techniques being used. 4. The recipes are well tested and well worth the effort. 5. Michael is a great writer, which makes the book great reading. 6. Whenever I have friends over, I try a new recipe from the book and have never been disappointed.

This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys cooking and wants to serve delicious food. Secrets to Success solves the dilemma of "What am I going to make for dinner?" I have tried over half the recipes in the book and look forward to eating my way through the other half.

Not living in a large city, I think I'll have a hard time getting some of the ingredients. Although they simplify recipes for the home cook, a lot of it is unrealistic. I will use this for special occasions, and can translate some of the tips into other recipes, but don't think it will be a good every-day addition. For example, to make fantastic burgers, they suggest salting ribboned chuck steak, then setting up your meat grinder. I don't have one, and don't want one. I'll also never make quail, squab, or liver and onions. It's good reading for more advanced ideas, but I don't think it's really going to be a dog eared, ingredient splashed favorite.

A serious foodie that has been perfecting her cooking skills for the last 25 years in her home kitchen writes this review. My favorite cookbook is "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute of America. I am also a cookbook collector, with more than 500 books in my cooking library. With the many books in my cookbook collection I find that I am frequently disappointed in my recent purchases. That was not the case with this purchase.

This book is one of those little gems that is full of tidbits of information that can make anyone a better cook. In the introduction the author shares what he refers to as the general truths that any home cook can use to make himself or herself a better cook. These are wonderful tips, and I will share them below:
1. Marinating and/or brining meat and vegetables makes a big difference in the final quality of a dish.
2. Using more than one method of cooking in the same dish. Example searing a chicken breast on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven.
3. Swirl a little butter in the pan to finish a sauce just before plating.
4. Reduce, reduce, and reduce your sauces.
5. Finish your pasta in the sauce. A tip every Italian knows by heart.
6. Crank up the heat of the oven and on the stovetop.
7. Weighing ingredients is much more precise than measuring when baking.
8. Balancing flavors in critical.

The recipes in this book are amazing. If you have ever eaten in San Francisco you know how marvelous the food is in that town. This book takes the best of a real food town and puts it together in one book. I have enjoyed every recipe in this book that I have tried. Every recipe includes a little tip in a separate box that the author wants to highlight. These tips are really wonderful for anyone that wants to improve their cooking skills. I wish that this book had been around 25 years ago when I began seriously honing my cooking skills.

Of all the recipes included in this book, I think that the one from Wolfgang Puck for his Smoked Salmon Pizza with Lemon Creme Fraiche, Red Onion and Caviar is hands down my favorite.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is a foodie. I have not had any difficulty locating any of the ingredients that the recipes call for at my local mega marts (Wegman's and/or Whole Foods).

Everything I've tried in this cookbook has been great. I lived in the Bay Area for quite a while and I miss many of the restaurants. This cookbook lets me enjoy some of the great food I had in San Francisco without buying a plane ticket.

Especially tasty have been: Pan-Seared Hailbut with Leek and Pernod Sauce, Pork Braised in Milk and Herbs, Garlic Chicken, and my all-time favorte rib recipe Baby Back Ribs with Ginger-Soy Glaze.

I've learned a lot from the recipes in this book. The "Secrets of Success" sidebars are really helpful. For example, I learned that cooking ribs three times -- steaming, baking, then grilling--makes the ribs incredbily tender and juicy.

I don't quite understand the other reviewers' objections to the ingredients. Is it really that hard to get items like saffron, Pernod, or soft goat cheese outside of major cities? This book's recipes don't require many ingredients more exotic than these. And yes, there is a recipe for tongue salad, but there are also over a dozen recipes for chicken.

This cookbook doesn't just sit on the shelf, I'm regularly trying new recipes and almost all of them have been successes. I might even try the Liver and Onions with Apples.

For both business and pleasure, I am constantly eating out in San Francisco's finest. I swear by Michael's reviews in the Sunday Pink section. (I sometimes even bring the paper to the restaurant to remind me what to order). If I only had room for one cookbook, it would definitely be Secrets of Success. You can bet that I will be giving this book as Holiday gifts this year. I am looking forward to the sequal. Michael Bauer's book is Brilliant! If you haven't ordered your own copy yet, point and click.

If you want the luxury of eating out (and paying premium price) and don't want to bother with food prep, this book isn't for you. But if you enjoy the creativity, fun and economical (compared to restaurant prices) results of making your own meals you'll love this book. Admittedly, some of the recipes and ingredients are a bit out of the ordinary (Tongue Salad, for instance) but others use ordinary ingredients to get extraordinary results (Polenta Soup, made nothing more unusual than cornmeal, spices, some broth, etc). And the desserts...ahhh...try the Creme Brulee with the unusual addition of Cognac..or the Coconut Cake with Caramel ...or the Pear Broche Bread Pudding....and savor the results.

Bauer has a great nose for tracking down outstanding dishes and coaxing the recipes out of the chefs. The several recipes that I have tried have been great.

Besides being a good read, the recipes are just wonderful. I am a professional cook and have used several with great results. There are many 'easy' recipes as well as the predictable 2,000 step restaurant-type ones. Don't be put off by this. If you like TASTE---this is a great cookbook. Try the 'chocolate mousse'---to die for....

Michael Bauer is the most honest restaurant reviewer I have come
across to date. Mr. Bauer has a cookbook out because he has integrity
and only reports for the consumer and not the restaurateur, and this
is what has kept him in high standing. I have always found Michael
Bauer's guidance reliable, and admire his ability to "tell it
like it is".