I first purchased this book because I have truly enjoyed the two cookbooks I own by author David Lebovitz. The cookbooks were filled with wonderful recipes and entertaining commentary about the creation of the recipes. When I saw Sweet life in Paris, I couldn't resist purchasing it. It has been a light and fun read, filled with entertaining stories of the author's integration into Parisian life. It is also filled with recipes, both sweet and savoury (not all dessert related) . Expect to be educated about the quirkier side of French etiquette and life. Do not expect this book to be a 'how to guide' to all things Parisian food related. The author himself expresses that he does not like to point to one place as 'the best' as many places have many special qualities that make them great. He does talk about some of the places he has had memorable experiences at. If you want a food guide or a travel guide this will not be that. This book is a slice of the author's life. I have not yet tried the recipes in this book, his other books were great so I anticipate some good results.

My husband and I were looking to purchase an used SUV or Truck. In the past we have purchased and found the lemon-aid guides very helpful. However upon receiving this book from Amazon we were disappointed to find that there was little to no information on SUV's and Trucks. There was nothing on Nissan's popular Pathfinder, XTerra, or XTrail and nothing on Toyota's Forunner just to name a few models we hoped to have information on. There was even less on trucks. Phil seems to think trucks and SUV's are going extinct, and ignores the fact that they still exist on today's car market. Perhaps Phil has made enough money on his past book sales and is at best disinterested in improving his product. His books have gone the way of the big 4 for sure! We do not feel justified in giving our money to Phil, and are returning the book.

I purchased the Griddler primarily as a way to use up make hot sandwiches for my husband, it's a great way to use up leftover meat. I also love the fact that it can be opened flat to cook pancakes and breakfast foods.

So far my experience with it is good. The reason I only gave it four stars thus far, is because the first time I used it I managed to scratched the non-stick coating on the lower grill plate. I was aware not to use any metal on the plates after reading the manual on using the appliance. I used a plastic spatula to remove the sandwiches I had cooked. I was surprised and disappointed that they would scratch that easily and on my first use.

I love that unlike the other appliances that only have a 1 year warranty, this one has a 3 year warranty. I would recommend this appliance but consider an even softer tool for cooking with it such as silicon.

I purchased this book shortly after borrowing it from the library. I can say that I own a large number of Williams-Sonoma cookbooks and I cook from them often. That being said there are some repeated recipes in this book, but there are also many new ones.
Every recipe is photographed for those people who tend to gravitate to books with pictures. There are recipe classics, fusion dishes and food from around the globe. The back of the book has a glossary with food descriptions if you don't know what and item is and helpful cooking charts. If you don't own one of their cook books yet I highly recommend you start here.

So far having come through winter we've eaten Italian. I have made The Gnocchi with Pesto... my husband still talks about it and the Gnocchi with Quattro Formaggi a family favourite since my son is partial to anything with cheese and cream. We regularly make the Butternut Squash Ravioli with Butter and Sage and the Osso Buco with Saffron Risotto. (Though these selections are all Italian... there are far more dishes that are not!) We've enjoyed the Panna Cotta with Strawberries, Blueberry Pancakes, French toast and The Eggs Benedict as well.

In the near future I plan on trying the Sichuan-style Braised Eggplant (I need a few more ingredients from an asian market),Ratatouille, and the Grilled Fish Tacos.

I would say my problem is not do I enjoy this book... it's more what do I choose to cook from it!

I first came across Rose's 'Cake Bible' for a friend who bakes weekly. He made numerous cakes to great success but for myself I had a hard time getting past that the book had very few pictures of the finished product. Therefore it was a very happy day when I learned that 'Rose's Heavenly Cakes' was being published. I was thrilled that it included wonderful pictures, some step by step to help with technique! I purchased this book for my friend and myself and neither of us has been anything but happy with it. For those who own the 'Cake Bible', you will find some of the recipes repeated or updated in this book.

I have to say I love that how the recipes are done by weight so that the results cannot change, when measures matter so much in baking. I wish more baking cookbooks did this as an alternative method of measuring. I love the detailed instruction... it leads to no fail results! This book is for intermediate to advanced bakers... some of the recipes do require some special pans and special preparation of the ingredients being used. However... don't let this deter you!

I have to say that I got rave reviews when I made the Stick toffee "pudding" and The Bostini. I plan to continue baking more very soon... I don't want to have to wait for special occasions.

Unlike other reviewers I like the modern presentation of the cakes and I like that they are not dripping with icing roses and artificial colouring. I actually want to eat these desserts and I avoid any baking book that has garish finished product.

I have started borrowing cookbooks from the library to make sure they are worth purchasing. After getting this book, I found I did not want to return it. One warning for ultra gourmet foodies... you may find the recipes too simple... some ingredients called for are store bought. For those of you who love food and want to cook well even with limited time, this book is for you!

Recipes are identified in two ways, showing which lean toward classic Italian flavour and which include more of the modern Californian fusion Giada is known for. Some of the antipasto that appealed to my taste were the Cheese-Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto, the Whole-Wheat Pita chips with Mascarpone-Chive Dip, Tomato basil Tartlets and The Smoked Salmon and Apple Carpaccio. My two year old loves the Butternut squash soup with Fontina cheese crostini. The grilled vegetable, herb, and goat cheese sandwiches make a tasty lunch! Want a gourmet tuna melt? Try the Open-faced tuna sandwiches with Arugula and sweet-pickle mayo. My husband and son are huge pasta fans and they loved the Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and the Pasta Ponza. I'm a fan of the Brown Butter Risotto with Lobster. We love the zipped up old favourites too... like Turkey meatloaf with feta and sun-dried tomatoes. I could go on ... and on. There are wonderful photographs of most of the food (not every recipe is photographed. I also like how you can find all the ingredients at a well stocked grocery store. All I can say now is enjoy!

I own all of Ina Garten's cook books and have purchased many over and over again as gifts. This book is one of those books. The first food items we made were for a dinner party hosted for friends. We loved the recipes we tried; Cape cod Chopped salad,Roasted Turkey roulade and pumpkin roulade with ginger buttercream were all well received. I have also made the Parmesan-roasted broccoli and easy French apple tart. I love how the recipes have wonderful photographs that always make the recipes more appealing. She also gives helpful tips in all of her cookbooks for entertaining. I will look forward to making more of the recipes here and hope you enjoy it too!

I am a great fan of Tyler's show of the same name. When I purchased this book I anticipated finding most of the recipes he used on the show in this book. There were very few that I had looked forward to trying published here. I had to resort going to the Food Network (American website) where fortunately they were available online. The food I have made however is always delicious and well received when I have cooked for others. So... you may want to borrow it from the library and check that your favourite recipes are there before you spend the money on this one.

I am a great fan of Nigella Lawson and her cookbooks, I own them all. I like how I can turn to this book after a busy day and still prepare delicious food. While this book is not as gourmet as some of her other books, it is wonderful for tasty home cooking. Not all of us have a whole day, every day to prep and cook a meal. You'll love this book if you work or have a busy family.

My husband and I both love to cook from this book. I own several of Michael Smith's cookbooks and this one is by far our favourite when we don't have much time for lots of preparation or hard to find ingredients. The ingredients are easy to find and the recipes are relatively easy to prepare. The food is always delicious and we have recommended it to everyone who has eaten and admired the food cooked from this book. I have all ready given one as a gift and will be giving it to others in the future. Some of my favourite recipes from this book are the Braised Short ribs, and the Molten Chocolate cakes... which I made over and over again for a couple weeks straight.