Customer Reviews

The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Cook

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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 was a cook for about two years in my twenties and I loved every minute of that job, it taught me tons of tools... however if you leave the industry, sometimes you lose the inspiration for cooking. I lost it and went on to just cooking day by day to feed us but not for the love of cooking.

This book has brought that back to me. The recipes are smart, simple and absolutely delicious. It is not often that you can open a cookbook and find that almost every single recipe is now on your priority list to try, this book has that. The photos are beautiful and the recipes made for everyday cook, the entertainer or the weekend baker.

This book is a must for your library and when you have it, you'll notice that this is the book that will come to mind first over all the others.