Since Amazon hasn't provided an editorial review for this book, here's the description from the back to help you decide if this book is for you: "The step-by-step cookbook that shows you what each dish should look like, teaches you exacltly what to do, tells you how long it will take." This book is loaded with picutres of every dish as well as some hints and techniques. A very nice cookbook no matter what your level of skill.

This book is simply amazing. I bought it a few days ago and have already tried a few of the recipes in it. The author makes everything crystal clear by fully illustrating the desserts as well as all of the crucial steps to making them. Another feature about this book that is extremely helpful is the materials list (with pictures) as well as the ingredients list (with pictures also). I made the fruit tartlets in this book and shared them with several friends. They all agreed that they were extraordinary. I also enjoyed them because they are the closest thing to French pastries I have had in America.

This book is great. Although sometimes the recipes seem intimidating the photos help you get through it. The instructional photos are great. The recipes are really good too. I've made about 70% of the recipes in this book...more so than any other of my recipe books.

This book is what I've always wanted a cookbook to be, it includes a shopping, equipment and ingredient list with pictures for each and every one of the recipes, and rich, full color photographs not only of the finished product, but of the process and techniques. The recipes, which are already so great and so easy, include variations...what can I say, this book is one great find!

I checked "Perfect Soups" by Anne Willan out of the library and was so delighted with the easy-to-follow and beautifully photographed recipes that I bought two copies-one for my own kitchen shelf and one for a gift. Anne Willan has written a cookbook for beginners as well as long-time cooks. The step-by-step recipes clearly tell the cook what equipment is used, what ingredients are needed, how to master cooking techniques, what the finished product looks like and how garnishes can be prepared and used to make each bowl of soup a masterpiece. I loved this cookbook and have never seen another book of soup recipes that included such good and healthy-sounding soups.

Even though this book is so tiny, doesn't mean it doesn't have some really neat tricks to make your soups extra pretty.

One of my favorite ideas from this book is the idea of oven-toasted heart croutons. There are also ideas for cream decorations that are so easy to make, yet look so gourmet.

This book is divided into 9 sections: Super Soups, Making Stocks, Ingredients & Preparation, Creamed & Pureed Soups, Hearty Soups, Light Soups, Cold Soups, Short Cuts and Presentation.

This book is geared to new cooks and gives great advice on how to prepare the ingredients with step-by-step pictures.

Some of the recipes in this book for Fall:

Butternut Squash Soup
Pumpkin & Apple Soup
Borscht
French Onion Soup
Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup

Most of the soups contain a short list of ingredients and could not be easier to make. You will also find information on how to freeze soups (my favorite thing to do so I always have a soup ready to heat up), use your microwave to speed up preparations or make garnishes or even piroshki to serve with soup.

No difficult cooking tricks...this book is just filled with easy-to-make treats!

Served traditional beef bourguignon to 16 people for New Year's Eve dinner last night using the recipe on pages 26-27 of this book.

The recipe is a bit complicated because of all the separations (liquid, meat, vegetables), and you definitely need to plan in advance, but the results were superb. None of our guests had ever had this dish with as much flavor as this version, so it was a big success.

I used top sirloin, marinated in an inexpensive Cotes du Rhone for two days (yes - two days), browned the beef (big job since I just about doubled the recipe) one evening, and then simmered it in the oven at 300 degrees F the next morning. After letting it cool a bit, I put it in the refrigerator for two days (yes - two days), and then reheated it before our guests arrived.

Did I mention the flavor was wonderful? And since I made a ton of it, we'll be able to have it now and again as we take frozen portions out of the freezer.

Be sure to make lots - if a recipe is as time-consuming as this is to make, you'll want to have a lot of it that you can later just warm up if you want to.

The creamy potatoes with bacon (near the front of the book) is the best potato dish I have ever eaten. I served it at a dinner party recently and the comment was: "awesome". Also, recently I had the twice baked spinach omelet except mine was made with gruyere cheese only, no spinach. It was cooked one day and re-cooked the next. It was fabulous and it is great to know that it can be made ahead. I love Anne Willan!!

This book is a great example of why the Internet recipe sites will never replace cookbooks. Nowhere can you find such beautiful pictures, and wonderful recipes as this book. Ms. Willan has written a meticulously researched cookbook that is just as much at home on the coffee table as it is on the kitchen counter.

I must respectfully disagree with a previous reviewers comments. The "Gateau le Feÿ" does work exactly as written. I've created this beautiful dish a couple of times now with no problem. I could see how this might not turn out if your oven temperature is incorrect, so it might be a good idea to test your oven with an oven thermometer prior to starting this dish. As for the point to wait until they do a new printing with corrections, it should be noted that if there were corrections to be made, you'd think that Ms Willan would have done so when she appeared on Martha Stewart the first week of February 2001, and made this dish, just as it is written.

I'm a student in USA. I came from Asia. When I was in my country, I never cooked. In this small town I stay now, there's no good Thai or Chinese food in an affordable price. This book really helps me. Some details in some dishes may differ from I experienced in my country, but very similar. This book guarantees succesful and delicious food.My american friend wants to buy this book for his mom and I like him, so I wish somebody reprint it...pleas..please. However if you're a great asian chef, this book may make you bored. Sorry for my broken English.

In the past, I haven't had that much success with cookbooks. I would find myself up to my elbows in ingredients without the faintest idea what it meant to mince or blanche. With this cookbook, it was a breeze... Anne Willan's "Look & Cook" Asian Cooking provides task by task photos of how to work with and add ingredients into what I previously viewed as tricky recipes. It also shows what the ingredients look like that you will need which can be important with Asian cooking that can ask for such things as "tree ears" plus it shows how the dish should look once it's done. I've tried quite a variety of the recipes in this book and was pleased with the process and the end result. I had a great time making food and best of all, it tasted great. I'll definately try other books in her "Look and Cook" series. And I will whole-heartedly recommend this one to both the beginner and well versed cook. Enjoy!

If you are looking for beautiful dishes to please vegetarian guests (or bosses!, this is a wonderful book. With beautiful pictures, delicious recipies, and easy to follow directions, this is an excellent selection if you are looking for some impressive dishes. It also makes a beautiful gift.

However... as a practical, daily or regularly used cookbook, I would suggest you look elsewhere. For example, if you are hoping this will be a starting guide as you become a vegetarian, I would point you toward the "Vegetarian Times" books... The dishes can be a bit complex and time consuming to prepare. This is a wonderful 'company' cookbook - impressive weekend or special occasion cooking, but a bit much for the everyday rigors of family dining!!!

This is a great cookbook as it show photos of almost every step of the recipe. The recipes are complicated, but do-able and impressive. Nice for entertaining dishes.

The pictures are lovely. The directions are easy to follow. The results are great. I have not had a flop when using this cookbook. There are few recipes that have some exotic ingredients, but overall, most of the recipes require normal kitchen staples. This is an excellent book.

IT is NOT 15 minutes cooking time. It is NOT 15 minutes AFTER everything is put together. It is just about 15 minutes from start to finish (provided you are not dwadling as you cook).

The only thing I don't like is that everything is given in weights and grams and other measurements. This makes it a bit mroe difficult for a slow math person such as myself since I have to convert it all to typical measurements. Just a small matter really.

Enjoy.