Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The field of "cooking tips" books is a crowded one, which already includes the superb "834 Kitchen Quick Tips" from Cooks Illustrated to choose but one example. So the real question is, "How does 'Tips Cooks Love' stack up to the competition?" Speaking as a decent cook, myself, and as the owner of an extensive kitchen library, my tip to cooks would be, "Pass this one by." I have two main complaints about this attractively packaged volume:
First, the organization, apart from being alphabetical, seems completely haphazard. There appears to have been no guiding editorial voice in choosing what went into the book vs. what was left out, or in the amount of information for each entry. So, for example, you get more than two full PAGES of info (almost none of it "tips") for balsamic vinegar--that's more than the book devotes to key cooking topics like roasting or grilling--but there's no entry in "B" at all for a widely used cooking ingredient like basil.
Second--and this is my main complaint--while this is titled as a "tips" book, it is really a hodgepodge of dictionary, encyclopedia, recipes (which are the longest entries in the book, running up to four pages each) and yes, some tips. In short, it's a book that doesn't know what it wants to be, and ends up master of none, especially as the tips book it claims to be. Plus, there is far too much information in this book that falls into the ridiculously obvious, "D'uh" category. For example, in the info about "rice cookers" (which could actually be packed with useful, time-saving tips), you'll learn instead that this appliance "was originally created for Asian families who eat rice three times a day." REALLY? Trust me: that's just one of many examples you'll find of eye-roll inducing stupidity in this book.
Overall, I don't get the sense that there was a cook behind the writing of Tips Cooks Love. It comes across as a book created by a writer on contract who needed to fill X amount of pages, and who did so by pulling food topics from a hat. Then, lacking enough "tips, shortcuts and techniques" info to do the job, he padded the book with recipes and the kind of general info you'd find in a food encyclopedia or dictionary. If this is your first tips book, you'll probably find it interesting, but there are far better choices you could make amongst competing volumes. If you already own a tips book, there is little you'll find here that would make a purchase worthwhile.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review, and I hope you found the info helpful in making a purchase decision!
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Product Description:
A cook's time in the kitchen is now even more productive and easy thanks to Tips Cooks Love from culinary authority Sur La Table and cookbook author Rick Rodgers.
Tips Cooks Love gives cooks more than 500 useful tips for cooking and preparation from the cookware and baking expert, Sur La Table. The easy-to-use book is organized alphabetically for quick answers. It includes tips about ingredients as well as cookware, tools, cooking methods, and other handy information for the busy home cook. For example, did you know that adding white chocolate to whipped cream provides elegant flavor and stabilizes the cream?
The book also features ten "deconstructed" recipes that offer lots of smart ideas illustrating ways to improve the dish and one's cooking. Six "technique" sections for quick and informative reference offer tips on tricky skills, such as braising, baking, and grilling, as well as some great charts to help cooks adapt a recipe to a different-size pan.
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