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Taste: One Palate's Journey Through the World's Greatest Dishes [Hardcover]

David Rosengarten
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)


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Book Description

October 27, 1998
Do you want to make spice-rubbed ribs the way they're made by the best barbecue cooks in Memphis? Crispy soft-shell crabs that taste like they're right out of Chesapeake Bay? Refreshing Thai salad just as it's made in Bangkok? A moussaka that could be the star of a great taverna in Greece? A bisteeya that will transport you to Morocco? Catalan lobster soup, Vietnamese summer rolls, proper Dover sole, a real tiramisù? A golden, buttery tarte Tatin?
          
David Rosengarten will show you how.
            
The New York Times has said that David Rosengarten's hit show, Taste, on Food Network "reconceived the idea of what a cooking show could be. . . . He explores his subjects so thor-oughly and thoughtfully that he makes instant   experts of his viewers." Now Rosengarten has reconceived the idea of what a cookbook can be. Taste gives you a chance to experiment with some of the world's greatest dishes with the world's best cooking teacher at your side.
          
Each recipe is accompanied by a set of criteria--letting you know exactly what experts mean when they say a risotto is good, a gazpacho is excellent, or a chocolate chip cookie is perfect. Now you'll know how to make it--and what to look for along the way. Rosengarten tells you exactly what to shop for: the bottled hot sauce from the West Indies that makes the best ceviche, the brand of chocolate that produces the deepest-tasting molten chocolate cake. He's similarly candid about equipment, detailing everything from a handy smoker that's indispensable in the preparation of jerk chicken to the best heat source for a homemade crème brulee.
          
The chapter on wine is itself an education. You'll find everything you need to know to match wine with food--including a list of twelve inexpensive wines that will never let you down. With his characteristic candor, Rosengarten pricks the bubble of wine pretension--exploding many of America's most fervently held myths.
          
David Rosengarten is a great teacher, with an irrepressible enthusiasm that comes through as vividly in this book as it does on the screen. Beginners will learn the basics from this book. For those who know their way around the kitchen, Rosengarten's in-depth culinary information will be a revelation. A cookbook teaches you how to cook. Taste teaches you how to taste. You'll never want to cook again without it.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fans of David Rosengarten will be thrilled with the publication of Taste, not so much a companion volume to his popular Food Network show as a distillation of all the man holds dear. It is a remarkable, lush effort, beautifully illustrated with rich color pictures of exotic and home-grown foods. How many food-addled souls out there take the time, like Rosengarten, to sit down and catalog all of the personal favorite dishes from around the world, and then explain why the dish is so delicious, and exactly what makes it special? And oh, by the way, here's how to cook it!

Rosengarten begins his culinary adventure with a chapter entitled "My Favorite Light Appetizers." Here is bruschetta, remarkable Chinese appetizers, gazpacho, Thai salads, and oysters and caviar. In this and every chapter is everything you need to know in order to buy and prepare these foods; ideas on how to serve them; order them in a restaurant; judge them for quality and seasonality; and the right wines to accompany each dish. Other "My Favorite" chapters include in-between dishes (French onion soup; quiche), main courses (Szechwan Shrimp with Chili and Garlic Sauce; moussaka), and desserts (Tarte Tatin; chocolate-chip cookies). A wealth of cooking instruction is here to make your life easier too. Take Gumbo--Rosengarten details three ways in which to thicken the texture, by traditional roux, by okra, and by filé powder. Next comes a delightful recipe for Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo, and a list of recommended beers.

David Rosengarten brings remarkably good tastes into the home kitchen--anyone studying this book will be able to hold court with the best of them, Martha Stewart included. --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly

Host of the Food Network program's Taste, Rosengarten (Dean & DeLuca Cookbook) is known for his spirited personality, a zesty quality that informs his new collection of international recipes as well. Opinionated, enthusiastic and not afraid of being a little silly at times, he offers more than 100 dishes that touch many familiar bases. Among appetizers, he suggests Bruschetta (with recipes for six toppings), Simple Ceviche with Herbs, and Cold Noodles with Spicy Sesame Sauce. He also tweaks some standard recipes by adding twists to My Favorite Guacamole (North Mexican Guacamole with Tomatillo Pur?e) and (despite his stated reluctance to make a dessert risotto) Strawberry Risotto. A few recipes are demanding, such as Terrine of Foie Gras with Sauternes Aspic, but he also has a remarkably easy Modern Version of an Ancient Paella. Throughout, Rosengarten recalls his first trips to Bangkok, Madrid and elsewhere and freely dispenses advice on topics from how to judge and eat caviar to how to clean a soft-shell crab. Some recipes call for special equipment: a stove-top smoker is necessary for Jerked Chicken and for Barbecued Dry-Rub Ribs, Memphis Style. Desserts include Mango Sorbet and Jean-Georges Vongerichten's famous Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes. A final chapter on potables covers everything from wine to coffee. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (October 27, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375500111
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375500114
  • Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,182,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

David Rosengarten poetically takes the reader through the world of cooking. Erich  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
I've made 8 recipes from the book (so far...) and they have all been terrific. Kristen P. Nelson  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
This book is essential for everyone else. Tarun Nagpal  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The chapter on wine will save you many $! Buy it! March 3, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A great book for many reasons - foremost is that Rosengarten is not afraid to express a definite opinion whether it is fashionable or not! His wine and beer chapters are gems, echoing my husband and my sentiments regarding big, oaky wines NOT going well with many foods. Rosengarten introduces you to many wine varieties that go well with different flavors of food, and his intuitive method of pairing food with wine is helpful. He sees food and wine as partners - each helping the other to taste their best. It's realistic!

His recipes are very good and there are definitely some gems in here, but the real value of them is that each one is really a course in itself, discussing traditional preparations and variations, then giving his version of the recipe. He tells what ingredients impart what qualities, so you feel that you have more control over the end product. After you read about and make his version of a classic dish, you gain the knowledge to judge other recipes and preparations of the dish, and develop your own opinion of how YOU want it to look, taste, feel.

The book really is what it advertises - about devoloping your sensitivity toward food, i.e. Taste. Though quite a "foodie" myself, I found I learned more than I expected from this book.

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious mix of facts and strong opinions! February 27, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
In an improvement on the current influx of cookbooks that promise the perfect, culturally and culinarily correct recipe, David Rosengarten has offered us the truth. He shows us in TASTE, that even the most historically correct food is personalized by the cook. It is easy to miss this detail, when it would seem that his words suggest that only purists should cook!! He is, however, quick to remind us in his examinations of his favourite meals, that the (strong!) opinions stated are his own.Rosengarten passionately wants people to be as excited by food as he is, and invites us to think about ingredients and where and WHY they belong. His forceful words (how often he exclaims, "Do NOT, under any circumstances...") are not intimidating because of the wealth of his knowledge. So much can be learned from Rosengarten about enjoying the food we eat. But he does not stop there - the most accessible, unpretentious introduction to wine awaits you at the end of the book. He starts with a terrific outline of the the components of flavour (salty, sweet etc.) and clearly shows how to match wine with food. But not any wine, no - inexpensive, easily found wine types. This section alone is worth the cost of the book.

Every base is covered in Taste for you to have an enjoyable, educational read (and cooking experience - the Crab Cakes are sublime!). Rosengarten is the friend who doesn't care which of the Seven Wonders of the World you saw on your vacation, he wants to know what you ate when you were there!

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Yummy recipes and lots of info! June 25, 2001
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have absolutely loved everything I have tried from this cookbook. It is also fun and enjoyable to read. The reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is that many of the recipes are quite complex. Once I started experimenting, I discovered that it is often possible to simplify the recipes without losing anything. For example, the stir-fried shrimp recipe calls for deep-frying the shrimp first, which is a hassle. I had wonderful results just stir-frying them. To give him credit, Rosengarten carefully explains the reasons for each unusual step. While I chose not to follow his instructions precisely, I did learn a good deal from reading his explanations. This is a great book for anyone who is confident in the kitchen. It can also be very educational for someone just learning to cook, but beginners may find the recipes dauntingly complex.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Not wide, but wonderfully deep
David Rosengarten's FoodTV show, Taste, beautifully illustrated how good the food network *used* to be. Read more
Published on January 14, 2006 by Esther Schindler
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
Unlike the reviewer who found this book impractical, I have found this to be the best books on food that I have read. Read more
Published on February 6, 2001 by Claude Balls
3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but not practical
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this cookbook. David Rosengarten is entertaining and absolutely dedicated to great food. Read more
Published on February 1, 2001 by D. Lowsen
5.0 out of 5 stars If only he had written more
David Rosengarten writes this book not only to impart favorite recipes of his but also his reflections about food. Read more
Published on January 21, 2001 by Tarun Nagpal
5.0 out of 5 stars Blew Me Away
This book was one of the most interesting peices of literature I have ever read. Each recipe has a history behind it and a full detailed explination of not only how to make it, but... Read more
Published on December 18, 2000 by "jayb0"
5.0 out of 5 stars Blew Me Away
This book was one of the most interesting peices of literature I have ever read. Each recipe has a history behind it and a full detailed explination of not only how to make it, but... Read more
Published on December 18, 2000 by "jayb0"
5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Culinary Tour
This is a cookbook to read, not just flip through. David Rosengarten takes us on his idea of the perfect cultural culinary tour... and I was very happy to 'tag along. Read more
Published on May 22, 2000 by Margaret Snook
5.0 out of 5 stars David did the work for you!
David Rosengarten thoroughly researches and reports on ingredients and recipes. The information helps me to make beouf bourgingone to be as delicious as it possibly can be! Read more
Published on March 24, 2000 by Kristen P. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars No Foie Gras, Dave?
For the record, I love foie gras. Rosengarten's book is masterful. It just goes to show the this man is very unpretentious about his passion; he did NOT include a recipe for foie... Read more
Published on March 3, 2000 by Rolando Lopez
5.0 out of 5 stars This man truly LIVES for food
David Rosengarten poetically takes the reader through the world of cooking. To him, it is a way of life, an art, a passion. Read more
Published on February 5, 2000 by Erich
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