This book now has a permanent place on my desk as an important reference book. Too bad it wasn't around when I wrote MMMMiami--Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere. The book ranges from sophisticated information for the professional writer to general information for the novice. The book is arranged by categories such as recipe writing style and basic metrics. The authors take your hand and guide you through the difficult task of writing clear, interesting, and consistent recipes.

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann is the expert on cookbook writing. I recommend reading this book before you start writing your recipes. I already had everything typed in one file on my computer when I first found her book. I simply used my search tools in Word to locate all the items she discussed and believe me I had made quite a few common mistakes. The book itself was extremely useful...I was however more impressed that when I wrote to Barbara - she actually wrote back and gave me some of the best advice I have ever recieved. After using almost every principle taught in this book, I can truly say that I have produced a cookbook I am proud of and will enjoy using for a lifetime. So, whether you grew up overseas like I did and didn't realize powdered sugar was actually called confectioners' sugar, or you are writng recipes that contain foreign words, this is also the book for you. The chapter which gave information on leading food authorities gave me a greater insight into what I needed to give my readership. If this is the perfect guide - I hope I have produced the perfect cookbook. Thank you Barbara for taking the time to help cookbook writers everywhere. Now I am taking the next step - finding a publisher and creating a website.

This cookbook is great! It is a collection of recipes from food editors across the country. The recipes are tried and true family favorites. Each recipe gives a little history, name and position of contributor and very detailed directions. The recipes are easy to read and cover everything from appetizers to desserts. This book would be a great addition to any kitchen!

The increasing concern about drinking and driving, many people welcome interesting, non-alcoholic beverages that are appropriate not only for parties, but also for family meals and snacks. Some of the recipes in this book are local and regional specialties from the personal files of food editors and writers. Others are new creations, which food writers have developed for special occasions. All are guaranteed to be delicious, whether it's a punch that serves a crowd or a single-serving beverage just for you. Each chapter in this book includes suggestions for preparing or serving beverages. For example, one chapter has ideas for garnishes and another gives tips on instant appetizers. In addition, each recipe includes a brief introcduction that tells something about the recipe. The result is a unique collection of recipes that is sure to please your palate and provide you with new ideas for nonalcoholic beverages.

I was glad I found this book because it has much information about the Precolumbian American Southeast, an area whose history is often ignored. It provided a good description of both the archaeology and iconography of the ancient cultures. If you plan to visit any sites in the Southeast, I would recommend this book. However, the first chapter was not worthy of the rest of the book. It showed an appalling lack of knowledge of other civilizations. It was both overromanticized and made unjustified comparisons. Luckily, I decided to continue reading.

It has an exciting pace, the parallel plots unfolds nicely, but beware: 1. Nautical lore is excruciating. I could not visualize much because I don't speak the lingo. 2. Stock characters are very unoriginal. You've seen them before if you've read one mystery in your life. 3. The crimes portrayed in this book are kinda small when you think about it.