Product Description
An exceptional guide to vacations for food lovers at the world’s top cook-ing schools selected for their idyllic location and excellent teaching facilities.

The third in this series of unusual, illustrated vacation guides, Cooking School Holidays follows the success of Spas: Exceptional Destinations Around the World and Walking the World’s Most Exceptional Trails. In this new volume twenty-five cooking schools from around the world are featured and include the Mandarin Oriental Cooking School in Bangkok where in intimate-sized classes you learn traditional ingredient preparation, allowing participants to produce delectable Thai dishes, and Betty’s, the famous tea room and bakery in Yorkshire, England, where experts teach the art of desserts. Other exceptional destinations are a weekend course preparing seafood in Melbourne, Australia and a weeklong study of Northern Italian food and wine in Tuscany. Whatever your preference, this guide serves up a vacation for every food lover’s taste.

Author Jenni Muir selected schools that will provide a memorable holiday along with practical skills and useful knowledge about a particular cuisine. Accompanying 150 stunning travel and food pictures in full color, the lively text describes each course of study—from a long weekend to a two-week program—and provides a "taster" recipe from each school. Tips are offered on what other programs readers might like to try if they enjoy the one featured. There is also information about schedules, travel arrangements, and accommodations that range from charming bed-and-breakfast places near the schools to luxurious all-inclusive packages staying in converted convents, rustic farmhouses, and plush international hotels.

So if your fantasy is to fly to some intriguing destination and learn at the side of an award-winning chef, be instructed on authentic cooking methods of a favorite cuisine, or understand how local people really shop, cook, eat, and drink, this guide offers plans for food lovers to realize these dreams. Whatever cooking adventure you have in mind this guide will provide thrilling culinary experiences and bring style to your cooking, discernment to your shopping, and enjoyment of meals for many years to come.

Other Details: 150 full-color illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Muir's Cooking School Holidays
Very limited information with few specifics - not helpful for someone who is seriously looking for international cooking schools.There were no indexes of cooking schools within particular countries, and the few summaries (which comprised each chapter) focussed more on travel rather than on the quality of cooking lessons germane to each region. The book would have been returned except that the book's plastic packing had to be broken in order to see the table of contents - a process which disturbed "the original packing" and made it impossible to return.Save your money!If you are internet savvy, you will be able to find just what you are looking for via the web. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fannie Farmer Original 1896 Cook book
This was a gift as requested for my adult daughter. She was thrilled and loves it.

beautifully bound classic cookbook - grab it!
I purchased two copies of this book. One for my grand neice that can't cook and needed help, as so many young marrieds do. And one for myself as I have been using a copy as old as I am and falling apart too. But was so pleasantly surprised when I received them how beautiful the books are, so I am giving one to my grandneice and nephew as a birthday gift, coming soon.I am sure they will be delighted too.

This cookbook is amazing!
When I was growing up, my parents had this book. It was a paperback version and is now in tatters with the cover missing. As you can tell, it was well-used cooking guide in our house! What I love so much about this book is that it explains everything in great detail and does not assume that you know what some of the more savvy cooking terms are. It is made for the beginner as well as the expert cook, however, and features basic as well as gourmet dishes. I also love the graphic illustrations that accompany some of the recipes. Although it does not include beautiful pictures of each dish, you can rest assured that any of them that you make will be a hit!

I recently got married and my husband and I have been cooking a bit more. We bought a hard back version of this cookbook last year and it is the most used cookbook in the house. We love it!

Basic, Authentic Recipes with Old Fashioned Instruction
My late mother owned at least one early version of the FANNIE FARMER COOKBOOK......a Brown, hardcovered book that is now consisting of the cover falling off the binder and its pages soiled and/or torn.Yes, that was how popular it was and how heavily it was used.When I moved out of the family home in Connecticut into my own apartment in the Washington, DC area, my first items on my "must have" list was my very own FANNIE FARMER COOKBOOK.When I saw a latest version of the FANNIE FARMER COOKBOOK, I also saw the 1896 BOSTON COOKING SCHOOL COOK BOOK listed along with the cookbook.Needless to say, I purchased both books.This book has easy to follow cooking instructions, a listing of equivalent measures,How to Measure Ingredients, and substitutable recipe items, and Classic, Old Fashioned Recipes (i.e. Breadmaking, Cake Making, Preserving, Soups, and Cake Baking (I actually learned to make homemade Mayonaise which taste much, much better than the store brand).Whether you are starting out on your own (as I), an established homemaker desiring to make Old Fashioned food, or a Grandmother desiring to revisit old time favorites, this cookbook is for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The simple version of "Classic Home Desserts"
This 84 page book has was published as part of the "Great American Cooking Schools" series and is a precursor to Sax's magnum opus, "Classic Home Desserts"With many fewer recipes, this book can be easier to use.The recipes are great!No pictures of the food but nice country illustrations.I especially like the fruit recipes - grunts, cobblers, pandowdies, clafoutis and more. ... Read more

Product Description
The education of a barbarian in thetemples of haute cuisine.In the blink of an eye, Bob Spitz turned fifty,finished an eight-year book project and afourteen-year marriage, had his heart stolen and broken on the rebound, and sought salvation theonly way he knew how. He fled to Europe, wherehe hopscotched among the finest cooking schoolsin pursuit of his dream.

Spitz hitthe fabled cooking-school circuit in a series of idyllic European villages, and The Saucier’sApprentice is a chronicle of his exploits.Combining an outrageous travelogue withgastronomic lore, hands-on cooking instruction,hot-tempered chefs, local personalities, and abatch of memorable recipes, Spitz’s odysseyrecounts the transformation of a professionalwriter—and lifelong kitchen amateur—into aworld-class cook.

30 illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

SelfHelp Through Cooking?
I enjoyed this book. There are some recipes I hope to try. I felt the author bared his feelings at the risk of being considered self-indulgent. The title is catchy, but the cooking schools are not all "great" so that adjective is misleading. The Kindle edition has a link to the recipes in the Table of Contents.So each recipe is easily accessible. That's a feature that would be good in other cookbooks on Kindle. I found the conclusion to the book satisfying.

If you're interested in food, keep well away from this
This was one of the most self indulgent pieces of writing that I have ever stumbled across.

Sure, you're having a mid-life crisis and a glass-is-half-empty sort of guy. But why take it out on the world and, even worse, on your readers?

If like good food writing or a journey of discovery of self through world experiences, stay as far away from this book as you can.

Misleading Title
The title of choice is never explained in the book: I thought at some point the author would wind up as a saucier apprentice in a professional kitchen, but he does not. Nor does he attend "The Great Cooking Schools of Europe". There are plenty of large reputable schools with extensive programs in Europe. But instead, he attends obscure programs offered by solo cooks of dubious reputation or programs designed by Michelin-starred chefs who just entertain rich housewives with demos and lots of wine. So the author ended up not learning anything and being quickly bored with the experience, and so was I, reading about it. If he was really serious about learning how to cook, there were plenty of exciting renowned programs with a professional orientation that would have made for a more interesting experience for him and a better read for us.
If you are interested in learning about real professional cooking schools (still treated with a light tone), I would rather go with Julia Child's My Life in France or the modern version on the same topic, Kathleen Flynn's The Sharper the Knife.

Misleading
This book was so full of misinformation that it was a struggle to read.It was unreal to see the mistakes.Restaurants spelled incorrectly, villages set in the wrong geograhic locale, horrific descriptions of people.One cannot believe the arrogance of this author.After spending months each year in France for over a decade, I found his description of French attitudes so wrong. The attitude of the French to Americans is wonderful.Their customs are different than ours. Did this arrogant writer do any research?

Whiney, self-important tour guide goes nowhere
After just going on a 2 month tour through Europe at the age of 51, I thought this book would extend the pleasure of my trip.NOT!His whiney, self-important, self-centered view of every aspect of his trip really bugged me.Even his writing style: labored similes, over indulgent use of foreign words, expectation that everyone shares his world view just made it harder to get through.I kept waiting for the moment when he would learn some kind of life lesson and curb his infantile behavior.A little humility would have gone a long way. ... Read more

Product Description
Clearly written, extremely thorough volumerevolutionized cooking in the 19th century, with hundreds of recipes ranging from baked goods, soups, salads, cakes and sauces to pastries, pies, poultry, fish and meat. Ground-breaking, culinary encyclopedia elevated cooking and related activities to an art form that could be practiced by even the most inexperienced homemaker."Glimpse the culinary delights of the past with this wonderful cookbook.... This book is a treat for anyone who enjoys cooking or Americana."--Victorian Decorating & Lifestyle.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Predesesser to Fanny Farmer's cook book- the "real" orignal
Mary Lincoln founded the Boston Cooking School. Her book contained the lessons and recipies. There are lessons on how to build a fire in a wood stove and explainations of proper diet for the "sick room" aswell as a complete discussion on wheat, yeast and bread making. Learn"how a new housewife without near neighbors" can make her ownyeast for her breadmaking. This was the first cookbook to use standardizedmeasurements. In addition, the advertisments put an interesting historicalperspective on many of our familiar brands. Mary Lincoln hired Fanny Farmerto be the school's principal. Fanny put out a second edition under her ownname without any credit to Mary Lincoln.... ... Read more

Product Description
Being a successful cook is simple: enjoy the experience, not just the results. In Wicked Good Food, edibles aficionado Matt Williams ardently supports ?playing with your food? by providing both instruction and encouragement to the everyday cook. Combining extensive knowledge of culinary arts with levity decidedly atypical of ?food books,? Matt shares original recipes, adaptations of classics, tips and tricks that will make any cook more successful. The easy-going tone of Wicked Good Food will encourage you to taste and enjoy the process. The book?s nonpareil content is supported by entertaining quotes about food and eating, adding a deeper dimension to Wicked?s pleasantries. Matt?s focus on dishes that use inexpensive and readily available ingredients makes Wicked Good Food ideal for novice cooks looking to uncork their potential. Exploring the how and whys behind recipes, techniques, ingredients, and equipment as well as tips and shortcuts will keep the seasoned cook entertained. Wicked Good Food is for people who live to eat and love to see others enjoy food?by a guy who loves the same. Whether you are an everyday cook or about to host your first dinner party, this book offers plenty of inspiration and information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Easy, tasty, and fun recipes
My husband and I bought this book a little before Christmas, and used it to create a bunch of recipes for our families- all to rave reviews!The instructions are easy to follow, the ingredients are available everywhere (a huge plus for me with cookbooks!), and the food is just soooo good!We've got favorites we have already made multiple times, and keep trying out new ones.We've also given a few copies of the book as gifts, and everyone that has received one has enjoyed it as much as we have.

my go-to cook book
I bought this cookbook almost a year ago, and have made a number of recipes in the book. Each one is simple to make (I don't consider myself a chef by any means), yet produce excellent results. The last dish I made was the Vail chili, which drew rave reviews from everyone who enjoyed it. The author's approach to cooking makes even daunting recipes like chocolate mousse easy to make, by providing simple step by step directions. I love the helpful hints throughout the book, and the stories make it interesting reading while making the dishes.

I have given Wicked Good Food as a gift to a number of friends and family, and they all have the same reaction. They love the recipes in the book, and the style of the author. Excellent cook book!

A very intimate book full of tasty food and personal stories
I have had my book now for a few days and I am still salivating over the foods my family has eaten.Excellent descriptions and easy to follow recipes.My favorite part was to read the personal stories from the author at the end of the recipe, it makes a connection and helps me relate to a past story involving food in my life.Great book for all levels! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best Bread Book Ever
This book describes perfectly how to bake bread.The author adds a mashed potato to her recipes and it makes it softer and is a natural preservative.
I love all the different kinds of breads and I have tried every one of the yeast breads and all have been successful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Maybe the Julia Child of Chinese Cooking in America!
I started to get interested in cookbooks since I read Julia Child's book, "My Life in France." Anyway, Madame Grace Chu was a legendary Chinese gourmet chef. I found this cookbook at a thrift store and I bought it out of curiousity. The book has plenty of information regarding Chinese cuisine and the art of Chinese cooking. I believe the book to be useful if I was a cook but since I'm not. I can't say if the recipes work or not so don't ask me. I would have liked to have seen photographs and pictures about the food.

The best basic Chinese cooking book there is
This book was published in 1978 and is long out of print. That's your good fortune, cookie.You can pick up a used copy of this excellent book for a song (that's a joke--"song" is a common sound in Chinese).The writing is concise and clear and the recipes are basic, good everyday Chinese fare.Especially recommended are the simple recipes for vegetables--her Suchow-style string beans and her braised broccoli are staples in my line-up.If you want to get fancy, try her pressed duck with almonds.It takes two days to make, but well worth it.When I first got the book in 1980, I thought her patronizing quips about naive American food tastes were condescending; now I just see them as quaint.Grace Zai-Chu was born in Shanghai, but educated in American Christian schools in China, then at Wellesley.She returned to China as a teacher, but fled the mainland with her husband, a Nationalist army officer in 1950. She died in Columbus Ohio in 1999 at the age of 99.Her food lives on, and on. Thanks, Madame Chu. ... Read more

Product Description
The only comprehensive, international resource of its kind, published annually and recommended by leading food and wine publications and organizations. Contains detailed descriptions of more than 1,000 schools, colleges, culinary apprenticeships, cooking vacations, wine courses, and food and wine organizations worldwide. Programs for both career and home cooks.

The 464-page 2002 (14th annual) edition contains detailed descriptions of 458 career and professional programs and 632 recreational programs worldwide, 39 culinary apprenticeships, 106 wine appreciation courses, and 32 food and wine organizations.

"The Bible" according to The New York Times, The Guide is recommended by The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week, Fortune, and every leading food publication, including Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Fine Cooking, Cooking Light, & Cook's Illustrated.Amazon.com Review
Make no mistake: cooking is big business. Top chefs often earnsix-figure incomes, many achieve celebrity status (think Julia Child, Wolfgang Puck, orJames Beard),and have the good fortune to work in a field that rewards creativity,innovation, and hard work. But great chefs are made, not born, and formany, the first step up the culinary career ladder is cooking school.Since 1989, the number of cooking programs has increased 150 percent,and the demand for cooking professionals continues to outstrip thesupply. The Guide to Cooking Schools 1998 can help aspiring chefschoose exactly the right program to suit their needs and goals.

The book is divided between career/professional programs andrecreational cooking schools. There are also listings for nationalapprenticeships, wine courses, and professional organizations; there'seven an index of recommended reading. At the beginning of The Guideto Cooking Schools 1998 you'll find a brief checklist of points toconsider when choosing a particular program. The actual listings, thoughbrief, are packed with information on tuition, length of programs,student-to-teacher ratios, percentages of students who find employment,and more. This guide to culinary programs will be useful to readersconsidering a career in cooking as well as to those just looking for afun vacation alternative. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A good place to start looking
This book is a good refernce for anyone considering a culinary education, but most of the information can be found elsewhere and the information provided made it dificult to evaluate the actual quality of the school. Still, it is a good starting place and it's nice to have all this information in one place. Also, some good listings in the appendix of cost breakdown.

It's all here-and on the web.
This book is a useful reference tool, and not much more. Besides, nearly all the information in it is available on the web. So why pay? The book provides the standard stats on cooking schools - cost, class size, startdates - etc. But a table listing all of these data would be great.

Easy-to-use, comprehensive resource
Great reference for anyone considering a career as a chef or who wants to take a cooking vacation. Detailed, yet concise, descriptions of hundreds of programs, mostly in the U.S. & Europe. Well organized and indexed. Notmuch info about programs in South America, though. ... Read more

Product Description
Contents Include: Food - Cookery - Beverages - Bread and Bread Making - Biscuits, Breakfast Cakes and Shortcakes - Cereals - Eggs - Soups - Soups without Stock - Soup Garnishings and Force-Meats - Fish - Beef - Lamb and Mutton - Veal - Sweetbreads - Pork - Poultry and Game - Fish and Meat Sauces - Vegetables - Potatoes - Salads and Salad Dressings - Entrees - Hot Puddings - Pudding Sauces - Cold Desserts - Ices, Ice Creams and Other Frozen Desserts - Pastry - Pies - Pastry Desserts - Gingerbreads, Cookies and wafers - Cake - Cake Fillings and Frostings - Fancy Cakes and Confections - Sandwiches and Canapes - Recipes for the Chafing Dish - Fruits, Fresh, Preserved and Canned - Helpful Hints for the Young Housekeeper - Suitable Combinations for Serving - Breakfast Menus - Luncheon Menus - Dinner menus - Menu for Thanksgiving Dinner - Menu for Christmas Dinner -A Full Course Dinner - Menus for Full Course Dinners ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of menus and recipes from thirteen chefs who received the Robert Mondavi Awards for Culinary Excellence features sumptuous recipes from a variety of foods, styles, and ethnic backgrounds. Original. TV tie-in. 50,000 first printing. IP. ... Read more