Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delicious Descriptions, January 3, 2003
I was at first captivated and then consummed by this tiny and yet seriously comprehensive volume years ago when I found one of the first editions. This is the third edition and it is completely amazing how many food, drink and culinary terms can be packed into such a tiny package.
I love the feel and weight of this book and the ease of which you can use this book to look up terms fast and furiously when you are writing about food. The rounded corners on the pages make this a book you can flip through very easily and it is all pleasantly alphabetical.
The Contents Include:
Terms: The volume of the work.
The Extras:
Ingredient Equivalents
Substituting Ingredients
Pan Substitution Chart
High-Altitude Baking Adjustments
Boiling Point of Water at Various Altitudes
General Temperature Equivalents
Hand Test for Grilling Temperatures
Oven Temperatures
Fahrenheit/Celsius Conversion Formulas
Microwave Oven Conversion Chart
Recommended Safe cooking Temperatures
Candymaking Cold-Water Tests
Frying Temperatures
Smoke Points of Popular Oils
Fatty Acid Profiles of Popular Oils
U.S. Measurement Equivalents
Wine and Spirit Bottle Sizes
Approximate Metric Equivalents
Metric Conversion Formulas
Food Guide Pyramid
What's a Serving?
Food Label Terms
A Guide to Food Labels
Pasta Glossary
British and American Food and Cooking Terms
Consumer Information Sources
Meat Charts
Additives Directory
Did I say this was Comprehensive? For food lovers this reaches a point of inspiration unlike any other book on food I've found. I love having so much information all in one book. It is literally a food dictionary which describes food in all its delicious detail.
This book has received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic acceptance in the culinary community. For home cooks, it is also a real bonus and could be considered an essential compliment to your entire cookbook collection.
This edition has changed slightly. The listings increased to almost 6,000 and there are thousands of food tidbits sprinkled throughout the tantalizing pages of information. I love the historical lore and information on the exotic origins of some of our most innocent and sweet selections. Vanilla is suddenly seductive and is actually native to tropical America.
"The vanilla bean was once considered an aphrodisiac, and was so rare that it was reserved for royalty....The saga begins with the orchid blossoms, which open only one day a year."
There are almost three pages filled with information on this orchid. Who would have known unless you were doing intensive research. Sharon Tyler Herbst has given us an incredible gift by doing the research for us.
If you are unsure of how to pronounce an ingredient, there are pronunciations for all the basic words.
The basic bibliomaniac delights in this book include:
-Entries arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced
-Alphabetization by letter, rather than just by word, so that multiple-word entries are treated as single words.
-Multicultural entries galore!
khachapuri
pakora
fraise des bois
- Beloved Terms from French Cooking like "pâte à choux"
- Cooking Methods described for new cooks
- Famous Dishes like the "Sacher torte" are seen in a completely new light
- Cooking Equipment also known as "batterie de cuisine."
When looking up beef jerky you will be sent to look up "Jerky." So as not to repeat information, this occurs at various times. This allows Sharon to be more extravagant with other entries. Did you know that tomatoes were once called "love apples?"
You can also look up cooking tools like a pastry brush or a mortar and pestle. I think culinary catalog owners should all have a copy of this book because at times I've had to point out the error of their ways when they have listed kitchen tools incorrectly. One had the mortar and pestle reversed in their description and this was very amusing to me at least.
This book may also stir childhood memories. Like when your parents battered and dipped "squash blossoms." As I read, the faint scent of frying blossoms floated through my scent memory. Don't even ask me how hungry I get when I read about key lime pie. To find out more about the actual limes used in the pie, you turn to "lime." Here you learn that the key lime is much smaller and once I realized the difference I was able to buy the correct limes for pies.
I had memories of sitting up in a mulberry tree while reading that there are actually three varieties of mulberries. All I know is we tried to make pies and jam with the ones we picked fresh from this absolutely huge tree when we lived in Africa. They are not as good as youngberries or raspberries, but have a charm all of their own.
If you still are trying to discover foods like Yorkshire Pudding, you will not be dissapointed. However, this book does not contain recipes and so it will send you off hunting in all directions for ways to use the ingredients listed in such a lovely fashion. You may find yourself looking for online catalogs or even online scouting out your newest culinary interests.
Cooking is an amazing journey and you can enjoy the journey all the more if you have more insight into the terms, definitions, origins and lore of food. Now I feel compelled to go make more biscotti and definitely need to make crullers if I could only find my recipe.
I guess my only complaint is that this book does not contain pictures. For that you will have to search elsewhere. Perhaps a copy of "Cooking Hints & Tips" by Christine France would be helpful to new cooks. "Cooking A-Z" by Jane Horn is a beautiful discovery. "The Cambridge World History of Food" by Kenneth F. Kiple is extensive and another must-have "encyclopedia" of food.
If you have not yet discovered "The New Food Lover's Tiptionary" it is also a must read and is "also" by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
America's best-selling culinary reference and for good reason! An absolute must for your cook's library.
Did I mention I was absolutely in love with this book?
~The Rebecca Review
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't imagine being without this book!, December 29, 2000
A friend got me this book for a present. Prior to that, it never occurred to me that such a book existed, or that I would ever need it. Now I can't imagine it not being in my collection.This book lists every possible ingredient (truffles, cumin, etc.), popular dishes (beef bourgonion(?), etc.) and every cooking term/technique (flambe, roux, etc.) in alphabetical order. With regards to a type of food, it will often list the various countries of origin (....this is found in Central America and in Southeast Asia...), how it is often used in cooking (....this is often sliced thinly and then pan-fried....), what to look for when selecting a certain type of produce at the store (...it should be relatively heavy for its size, with a smooth skin....), and how to store it (...this should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed plastic bag with a damp paper towel...), etc. Some of the food entries will also include information on vitamin content. For cooking techniques, they will explain for e.g. how to make a roux, or what it means to blanche vegetables (....quickly plunge the vegetables into boiling water, and then place them in cold water to stop the cooking process...). This book is also handy because it cross-references alot, and so as such, can provide you with needed information if you ever find yourself missing an ingredient, and want to substitute. If you are someone who's constantly interested in improving their cooking skills, this book is indispensible in helping you achieve that. I also enjoy just reading through the book sometimes, to learn new things.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Culinary Term Reference for All Levels of Cook., November 5, 2004
The "Food Lover's Companion" is a chunky dictionary-style reference of nearly 6,000 food, drink, and culinary terms for the beginning cook to the gourmet chef. Author Sharon Tyler Herbst has added terms, updated most listings, and expanded the book's excellent Appendix for the 3rd edition. Pronunciation guides are provided for most terms. A mind-boggling array of culinary nouns, proper nouns, verbs and the occasional adjective are defined. As an example, on one page in the "B" section you will find definitions for: Boursin, bovolo, boxty, boysenberry, braciola, Braeburn apple, brains, braise, bramble, and bran. Terms are listed alphabetically, but it helps to read "How to Use This Book" in the first pages of the book for specific information on how terms are organized and cross-referenced. The "Food Lover's Companion" isn't entirely comprehensive; there are a couple of ethnic food terms that I couldn't find, and I don't agree with every definition. But this is the closest to being a comprehensive culinary reference as I have seen.
Although 687 pages of "Food Lover's Companion" are dedicated to defining culinary terms, the Appendix includes many useful charts and definitions, which some cooks will find just as valuable. Some of the Appendix's helpful features are: Ingredient Equivalents that give comparable amounts for different forms of nearly 200 foods, 37 Ingredient Substitutions, a Pan Substitution Chart that gives volumes for various sizes of pan so that you may find a suitable alternative, high altitude adjustments, oven temperature equivalents for Fahrenheit, celsius, British gas mark, and French gas settings, Smoke Points of Popular Oils, Fatty Acid Profiles of Popular Oils, approximate metric equivalents, metric conversion formulas, definitions of food label terms, a Pasta Glossary that describes 94 different pasta shapes, British and American differences in cooking terms, a list of consumer product information sources for various foods, seasoning suggestions, and an Additive Directory that explains the purpose of various chemical additives.
The "Food Lover's Companion" is a terrific reference for every level of cook. That obscure ingredient in your new Thai recipe and the incomprehensible term in your mother's WWII-era cookbook are both probably in here. It's interesting just to browse, too. The book has a slick paper cover that can be wiped off, but might have been better laminated. If you're wondering what distinguishes the "Food Lover's Companion" from Sharon Tyler Herbst's "Food Lover's Tiptionary", this book defines far more terms than the "Tiptionary", but does not include extensive preparation advice, cooking lessons, or recipes. For example, the "A" section of the "Food Lover's Companion" defines over 200 terms in dictionary style. The "A" section of the "Tiptionary", provides detailed purchasing, storing, cooking, general info, and recipes for 15 culinary topics.
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