Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes [Hardcover]

Sur La Table (Author), Marie Simmons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Things Cooks Love is a true celebration of food--more than 300 pages packed with wonderful recipes from around the world plus tips, techniques and in-depth looks at ingredients, tools, cookware and more. From selecting the perfect chef's knife to preparing Cornish hens al mattone, if you love to cook, this book will become the cornerstone of your global kitchen. A sampling of recipes you'll find in the book:

* Pizza with Radicchio, Pears, Gorgonzola, and Walnuts

* Chicken, Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

* Lamb Tagine with Artichoke Hearts, Dried Apricots and Preserved Lemons

* Many, many more...

Highlights include:

Equipping your Kitchen

Cooks know having fun in the kitchen depends on having the right tool for every task. Things Cooks Love opens with comprehensive lists of basic cookware and tools. It's an ideal reference for equipping your kitchen, expanding your collection or simply learning more about the tools you already have.

The Global Kitchen

An ultimate wish list for the passionate cook, Things Cooks Love helps take your kitchen to a new level of global sophistication. You'll find comprehensive looks at the implements of global cuisines, detailed lists of essentials you'll want in the pantry for a culinary tour, plus delicious recipes to put it all together.

Recipes, Tips and Techniques

Things Cooks Love is packed with invaluable recipes and wisdom to help make cooking easier and more fun. From the best way to peel a tomato or clarify butter to inspirational quotes and advice from trusted experts, discover great ways to hone your skills and get more enjoyment out of your time in the kitchen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This globe-trotting collection from the Seattle-based cookware chain Sur la Table uses cooking equipment as its inspiration. Authored by Simmons, who writes for Food & Wine and Cooking Light, this book recognizes that having the most suitable tool is critical to fun and successful food preparation. In the opening chapters, Simmons outlines the basic items a home cook should stock, like a peeler and whisk, before moving on to more sophisticated tools, e.g., a karahi (an Indian wok) and mattone (an Italian terra cotta press). From there, the book is organized by implement: a recipe for a chef's torch, for example, is Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Bubbling Mozzarella; a pommes anna pan produces, well, Pommes Anna with Herbs and Mushrooms. The recipes appeal to a new cook with their precision, so homemade crepes or fresh sushi will seem accessible, especially with the most suitable tool at hand. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

As clever as it is useful, rich with color photographs, short cuts, and care and cleaning tips. --The Kansas City Star

Must-have book for cooks at every level from the newlyweds to the seasoned cook. --Healthcastle.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; 1St Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740769766
• ISBN-13: 978-0740769764
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #328,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Seattle-based Sur La Table has kept its finger on the pulse of America's cooks since opening its doors in 1972 at Seattle's historic Pike Place Market. Since then, chefs and home cooks with a taste for adventure have flocked to the culinary mecca. A destination for iconic chefs like Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Martha Stewart, and Mario Batali, Sur La Table entices aficionados and curious beginners alike with its amazing selection of cookware and tools. With a successful catalog, Web site, cooking class program, and stores coast to coast, Sur La Table continues to share its passion for the traditions and tastes of the world with people who love to cook and entertain. To find out more about Sur La Table, go to www.surlatable.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pricey brochure for Sur La Table, April 25, 2008

By 

fair_deal_guy "BB" (Prior Lake, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes (Hardcover)

This is a very pretty book, and it certainly provides a nice overview of cooks tools--but be forewarned that it looks and feels more like a product catalog than a top-shelf cookbook. Yes, there are sexy pics of the equipment, a little (sometimes very little) informative text about how to use and care for the equipment, and recipes related to the kind of hardware being discussed. And while I appreciated the breadth of the material, the author covers so much ground that depth is seriously lacking. In sum, I found the book to be slight, vaguely corporate in tone (read: the author's voice is indistinct), and generally unsatisfying--especially given the relatively high asking price. This is one of those titles that demand a thorough examination of the "Search Inside" feature at Amazon to decide for yourself if the book is worth the price.

This one gets four stars for ambition, but only two stars for execution.

23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than Pretty Pictures.., April 4, 2008

By 

Julie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. It was so much more than pretty pictures like most of the cookbooks today. It was informative and helpful. It made me want to get out some of my more esoteric pieces of cookware (like the cataplana and my Pomme Anna Pan)that I haven't touched in years and redisover them. Sur La Table is one of my favorite places to go to in Seattle and the book captured that wonderful feeling of visiting the store. It would make a very special gift for a cook in your life.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Love the store. Ignore the book., January 18, 2010

By 

C. Burdick (South Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes (Hardcover)

This really is a hardcover version of the catalog. Burt Wolf's "The New Cook's Catalogue" is a better bet, even if it was published back in 2000. Even "Pierre Franey's Kitchen," though compact and from 1982, is more thorough and useful when it comes to talking about the gear you need and lust for in the kitchen. FYI--Sur La Table's knife book is not much better. Again, see Wolf and Franey.