Customer Reviews

Terra: Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley

5 star:		(7)
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Much like it's worthy counterpart's book (Tra Vigne), this wonderful piece should not fail to delight and please all those who happen across it.

First, if you are lucky enough to have dined at Terra, you'll already understand the beauty of (and behind) this book. Quite simply, this is a work of art. Why is that the case? Well...

Design--Beautiful graphic design and photographs. The layout is incredible and the photos are enough to make you drool.

Dialogue--Add to that delightful text and dialogue. Much closer to what this book achieves is the word "prose" as opposed to merely "text." The stories and dialogue are true pleasure to read. It makes this much more than simply a "cookbook."

Recipes--The recipes are, much like the food at the restaurant, exquisite. They are just delicious. Their difficulty ranges from relatively easy to moderately difficult. But, they are very easy to follow, making even the harder recipes accessible to the average "joe."

I strongly urge those considering this one to just go ahead and make the purchase. You will not be disappointed. It will be book you will treasure, and will reach for time and again.

Also, look into the Tra Vigne cookbook. It too is on the same level as this piece.

For those of you fortunate enough to have dined at this world class restaurant, Hiro & Lissa'a book needs no introduction. I was fortunate enough to have found Terra shortly after it opened in 1988 (living in St. Helena at the time) & have been hooked ever since. The BEST dishes of their menus past & present are included in this beautifully illustrated book. Most importantly the instructions are well detailed & the dishes turn out exactly as they do in the restaurant. What more can I say? THIS IS A FABULOUS BOOK!!!!!

Great cookbook for those special occasions where you want to spend the time and resources on making something special. The recipes are a little more time-consuming, the ingredients a little harder to find, but the result is wonderful. Jacques Pepin is simpler (and excellent) and French Laundry Cookbook is even more complicated (but also excellent) - Terra is a great in-between.

I've cooked over 10 of their recipes already and every single one has turned out really well. They're not simple nor for a beginner cook, but if you have a little experience, it'll make for some very memorable dinners.

The desserts are especially great, as are the appetizers.

A book of artistry and inspiration, Terra is sure to please the intermediate to advance chef and their diners. A cookbook and a reference, simply wonderful.

This book is a home run. I have quite a number of cookbooks, and find this to be one of my very best.
I reach for it repeatedly particularly for the outstanding seafood recipes.
The recipe for Hiro's Salmon with Thai Red Curry sauce and basmati rice is worth the price of the book alone. I have made it a number of times to rave reviews. His recipes are easy to make ahead.. and assemble just before guests sit down, which is a huge plus, particularly for seafood recipes. The depth of flavor and texture is wonderful.

I also love his very popular Broiled Sake-Marinated Chilean Sea Bass. It's easy to make the broth ahead, the shrimp dumplings (with wonton sheets) and marinate the sea bass... then broil the sea bass just before serving. And the dish has amazing flavor and freshness.

Every time I use this book, I am amazed at how easy the recipes are, and how wonderful and consistent the results. There can be a lot of steps and ingredients, but really there is nothing hard about Hiro's straight forward and delicious recipes.
I'm happy to have this book in my collection, and anxiously await any new cookbooks Hiro might release.

For anyone who's dined at this gorgeous restaurant in St. Helena and wants to get better acquainted with it's secrets, this book is a must buy! I got this book as a Christmas gift for my husband and we've cooked a couple of the recipes and both turned out really well.

A mouth water sensantion to read and view - before you even get to cook a dish. If you'v ever been to Terra you know what I mean and if you ever go to Napa Valley - you won't want to miss the opportunity to dine at Terra.