This is a great book for those of us who know little about wine, but need to know the right wines to serve with certain dishes. It's easy to read, and gives practical advice plus basic wine information.

When I read that Hollandaise sauce shouldn't be made in lightening storms (page 151, 153), I couldn't help wondering how the experiment was run. Perhaps on a golf course. Really unenlightened. Suggest Harold McGee's books for a much more rewarding read.

This interesting and fun-to-read book really helps the home cook understand the hows and whys behind cooking and food, which is essential if one is to get beyond the stage of simple preparation and slavish adherence to recipies. Even better, this book has inspired me to want to learn more.

I personally don't prefer the question and answer format, which is one reason it doesn't get five stars. Illustrations could help make difficult concepts more understandable, and it could stand to go through another revision and expansion. However, I found it a satisfying read, and well worth my money.

This is a great book for the kitchen, and there are no recipes. This book explains why you get the results you get (and how to fix them), such as why my steaks toughen as they cool and why I lost color in my parboiled vegetables. I now know whether or not an egg is raw or hard boiled (without cracking it to find out), how to care for my knives, how to check for temp. accuracy in my oven, why the grocery store shouldn't sell green tinged potatoes, and whether or not the chicken I bought has ever been frozen. Simply a great book that'll have you saying "Aha! with every page.

This book is nothing less than an encyclopedia of food. It tries to cover all the bases, from A to Z literally, in its 559 pages.

When it is relevant, each entry comprises background, varieties, description, seasons, buying tips, storage, cooking, etc. for each product.

Although bits of the information contained in this tome are now dated (it was published in 1981), much of it is still current and useful. For instance, the one in regards to the adverse health effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake.

Also specially helpful are the appendices, which include a glossary and a 62-page official nutrition chart taken from United States government sources.

This book would be a nice complement to any up-to-date publication.