Review: Decent variety...directions and measurements sometimes vague
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2014
I was hoping for more than a bunch of recipes gathered into one volume. When I get a cookbook, I am looking for guidance and insight from the author.Why did she pick this cookie recipe to include? What makes this frosting special? Is there anything I should know about buying figs for a couple of the recipes?While I will probably try a few of the recipes, there is nothing of the author's voice here. I like to meet the people I am cooking with.UPDATE: Yes, Emerald Coast, I did not view the Look Inside feature. Sometimes I just don't have the time or bandwidth. And yes, you're probably right that I may have set my sights a little high.In the interest of setting the record straight for everyone, what I meant is that I enjoy sharing a perspective with an author. I *want* to know their thoughts behind a recipe that was selected. I want to understand and hear them. Tell me about cooking the blueberry cookies with your grandma or making your dad's favorite buttercream frosting. Nothing elaborate. A few lines to introduce a recipe or warn you about a tricky part.People write books for a reason. What I said (and what was misunderstood) is that I want to go on that journey with them. What I got with this book did not take me on the journey. It just gave me a map and said "good luck."I gave it three stars because I think it was a heart-felt effort. In reality, the photos are really tiny and there is no rhyme or reason. Just recipe after recipe. Directions are lumped together in a single paragraph which makes it very hard to follow. I LOVE cookbooks; I have dozens. I think cooking links people across time and cultures. My disappointment didn't come in the gathering or selection, it came in the absence of an author's story.Sorry if that is aiming too high.