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Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family
 
 
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Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family (Hardcover)

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4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

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Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family + Back to the Family: Food Tastes Better Shared with the Ones You Love + Kitchen Life: Real Food For Real Families -- Even Yours!
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Dining together allows us to better understand who we are, regardless of our social status," writes Art Smith, author of Back to the Table, a cookbook that explores the meaning of the dining ritual while providing 150 recipes to "strengthen bonds between loved ones." Personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and a contributing editor to her magazine, O, Smith grew up in the Southern cooking tradition, the underpinning of this enticing home-style collection. Smith's reiterated message--that we return to the "sanctity of the table"--is unassailable; his recipes, however, really make the point. Readers looking for good food to cook and share will find the book a much-turned-to treasure.

Chapters like "Breaking Bread," "The Family Meal," and "Food Is Love" organize recipes around the communal eating theme. "The Family Meal," for example, includes exemplary everyday formulas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, such as Zucchini and Tomato Frittata, Carrot-Ginger Soup with Minted Yogurt, and Grilled Fish Fillets with Watercress Mustard and Tarragon. Other outstanding recipes--such as Mushroom, Provolone, and Rosemary Pizza, Sunday Dinner Pot Roast, and Spring Vegetable Lasagna--reflect and encourage shared cooking and enjoyment. Formulas for sweets are woven throughout the book and include such delights as Kumquat-Ginger Pound Cake, Chocolate Pecan Pie, and an old-fashioned Peanut Brittle. Illustrated with photos that depict the food and cooking processes or show people enjoying meals together, the book reminds readers of the culinary and spiritual pleasures of the shared table. --Arthur Boehm

Product Description

Art Smith is Oprah Winfreys personal chef.Smith provides readers with an array of mouth-watering recipes that represent the very best of home cooking.He also discusses how to set the table in a way that gives reverence to the food and the guests; how various cultures give blessings before a meal; how different kinds of foods and dishes can contribute to an atmosphere of family unity; and so much more! Back to the Table is illustrated throughout with stunning photos of the food and of people sharing their tables, and their lives. He has cooked professionally for the families of celebrities and heads-of-state for almost 20 years.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (October 17, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0786868546
  • ISBN-13: 978-0786868544
  • Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,067 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Art Smith
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Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (16)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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123 of 125 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT RECIPES, BUT MOST REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE TIME!, October 15, 2001
I agree totally that more and more families are getting away from the tradition of actually sitting down and sharing a meal together as often as we once did. Work schedules, children's activities, and other responsibilities often collide. The result can be skipped meals or staggered meals where everyone seems to be eating a different thing at a different time.

The menus in this book are certainly unique. I have tried a few on week-ends and they are delicious. The only negative aspect I found is the preparation time. For those of us who truly are trying to jungle and balance family and work outside the home, there simply is not the time at the end of the day (or the energy) to attempt putting together many of these recipes. Most of the recipes are best saved for the week-end or special family gatherings - they are certainly not your typical everyday, evening fare.

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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars comfort in a form we can all enjoy, October 24, 2001
By Ben E Baldwin (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews
Art Smith provides different fare from the standard soups, salads, and table settings, while appealing to our fondest recollections of family times centered around food. Mr. Smith looks beyond a recipe's basic ingredients to capture the essence of food as a tool for connection to our family and friends. This book provides a means to meet the need of our society at this time to shore up our sense of security and to distract us from our sense of loss, if only for a few hours -- the memory of preparing and sharing comfort foods deeply rooted in Southern culture, but surprisingly venturing into ethnic cuisines with Pakistani flatbread and Jewish Challah, provides a warm place we can all retreat to for strength. If you like to read cookbooks like a novel, this one provides delicious prose. The recipes that I have tried, particularly Adelaide's Peach Cobbler, Tomato Ginger Chutney, and French Chocolate Almond Pie, are easy to follow, work, and provide the elements for a bountiful table. This book is equally suited for the dinner table or the coffee table.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Good message...great food, May 27, 2002
By A O Cazola (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
In an age of crumbling families and no time, Art Smith brings a nostagic message of hope and help. BACK TO THE TABLE is a cookbook that takes us back to a time when the dinner table actually meant something; before frozen dinners and fast food.

BACK TO THE TABLE is not about the latest health craze or the newest way to cram a meal in between soccer practice and violin lessons. This book is about taking the time to sit down at the table and eat with your family.

The recipes are delicious and simple (if a little time-consuming) and the focus on southern tastes seems to reflect the author's background. Some definite winners in BACK TO THE TABLE are the Grandma's chocolate cake and the incredible chicken tamales.

Art Smith has created a cookbook that is both beautiful and useful, with an important message and tasty recipes. 5 stars all the way.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Southern Food and Comfort!
Art Smith is another southern cook who remembers where he came from. His recipes are simple and delicious..I have so many dog-eared pages in this book. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Gina P. McClenning

4.0 out of 5 stars pretty and useful
This is a good cookbook, it is pretty to look at too. It has full color pictures and really good finger lickin' recipes. I use it frequently.
Published on December 6, 2007 by Bethany L. Canfield

5.0 out of 5 stars Hummingbird Cake
this cake recipe has been elusive, unavailable on line. i am pleased to have found it;
Published on November 4, 2007 by Stanley Warmbrodt

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT!!!
This cookbok is very well put together. Not only are the recipes fabulous (try the mixed berry muffins), but the photography and poetry are inspirational and just plain lovely... Read more
Published on April 3, 2006 by sandra simmons

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it!
I find myself reaching for this book again and again. Many of the recipes in it have become my new favorites! I don't know what I did without it. Read more
Published on March 15, 2006 by desperately seeking excellence

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm and Wonderful
Though my family and I do not often buy cookbooks, we agreed that this one was a "keeper." Some interesting recipes that are "doable," and good text.
Published on September 12, 2005 by Judith A. Bauer

5.0 out of 5 stars great cookbook for people who want to cook
This is a great cookbook. I am not sure why people say the recipes are time consuming. They aren't. Yes- you need to know how to cook, follow instructions and have a pantry that... Read more
Published on May 18, 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Why all the bad reviews?
I'm really quite surprised by the number of reviews slamming this book for having time consuming recipes. Read more
Published on April 8, 2004 by none007

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Potato Pecan Waffles - Oh My!
If you get this for only one recipe (the sweet potato pecan waffles) it would be more than worth it. But, you'll love all the other recipes, too. Read more
Published on July 7, 2003 by LadyValour

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to Yummy
Okay, I've only had this book for three weeks and I've only made five recipies so far but, wow, there is some really good stuff in here. Read more
Published on May 23, 2003 by Dan Cooke

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