Showing posts with label cookbook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookbook. Show all posts

Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes Review

Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes
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I have been a big fan of the show since the beginning. This book is a blessing. For a long time I would have to hunt down the recopies on the food network website, print them, lose half of them, etc. This way I have it all in a beautiful glossy hard cover book, written with warmth, personal stories and mouth watering pictures of the dishes.
I have made many of the dishes she features in her book, and not one turned out badly. It all comes out exactly as it's supposed to. That's tricky with some cookbooks, when you just can't get it to be what it's meant to be. Giada's book is divided in these sections:
Antipasti, Sauces, Pasta Polenta and Risotto, Entrees, Contorini (Side Dishes) and Dolci (Desserts)

Some of my favorite recipes I've made are:
Stuffed mushrooms: thank goodness they are so simple to make, because I am being hounded by my boyfriend to make them. Simply amazing.
Simple Bolognese- meaty, fresh, and satisfying, plus you don't have to wonder what was in it. You made it and you know it's clean. Classic recipe that's easy to follow.
Brown Butter sauce - I can still close my eyes and taste the sage and butter, over any meat. Instant dress up to any meal.
Chicken piccata - light, lemony, olivey, simply fantastic.
I can just go on and on, but I don't want to bore anyone. This book is simply super. I don't mind the pictures of her, and if she changed her clothes for every single photo in the book, I would have mistaken it for a Vogue shoot, instead of a cookbook.
Hope you can enjoy it as much as I am. This book is in constant use at my house.

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In her hit Food Network show Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis shows you how to cook delicious, beautiful food in a flash. And here, in her long-awaited first book, she does the same—helps you put a fabulous dinner on the table tonight, for friends or just for the kids, with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of flavor. She makes it all look easy, because it is. Everyday Italian is true to its title: the fresh, simple recipes are incredibly quick and accessible, and also utterly mouth-watering—perfect for everyday cooking. And the book is focused on the real-life considerations of what you actually have in your refrigerator and pantry (no mail-order ingredients here) and what you're in the mood for—whether a simply sauced pasta or a hearty family-friendly roast, these great recipes cover every contingency. So, for example, you'll find dishes that you can make solely from pantry ingredients, or those that transform lowly leftovers into exquisite entrées (including brilliant ideas for leftover pasta), and those that satisfy youryearning to have something sweet baking in the oven. There are 7 ways to make red sauce more interesting, 6 different preparations of the classic cutlet, 5 perfect pestos, 4 creative uses for prosciutto, 3 variations on basic polenta, 2 great steaks, and 1 sublime chocolate tiramisù—plus 100 other recipes that turn everyday ingredients into speedy but special dinners.What's more, Everyday Italian is organized according to what type of food you want tonight—whether a soul-warming stew for Sunday supper, a quick sauté for a weeknight, or a baked pasta for potluck. These categories will help you figure out what to cook in an instant, with such choices as fresh-from-the-pantry appetizers, sauceless pastas, everyday roasts, and stuffed vegetables—whatever you're in the mood for, you'll be able to find a simple, delicious recipe for it here. That's the beauty of Italian home cooking, and that's what Giada De Laurentiis offers here—the essential recipes to make a great Italian dinner. Tonight.

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The Potter Quest Review

The Potter Quest
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This book was written by, hands-down, the very best teacher that I have ever had, the kind of teacher who proves that you don't need to go to Hogwarts for a magical classroom. The author loves literature in a way that is consuming and exhilarating, and it came across in each and every class, each and every lecture, each and every interaction.
Now, it shines through in this book, which has all the joy, fun, and insight of the Harry Potter series itself, while also snapping the series into greater focus by pointing out its links and parallels to pieces of classic literature and the Bible. The Potter Quest gives a deeper appreciation for all of J.K. Rowling's subtly brilliant moves and expounds the lessons of the series while also offering lessons of its own - never in a "preachy" way though, more like a discussion about amazing books with a close friend over coffee. There are so many beautiful messages about love and friendship (those people who are physically with us and those we carry in our hearts), about getting through "the dark hour of the soul," about carrying on during life's seemingly unbearable moments and fully reveling in its peaceful, lovely moments.
I was inspired to continue my own "quest" as I read, and pushed to consider Harry's quest in a sharper light. This is an engaging, honest, profound book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It has been placed on my bookshelf right beside Rowling, exactly where it belongs ... each writer has her own special brand of magic.

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This book is an examination of the seven Harry Potter novels as classic quest literature, and an examination of the way the Potter stories celebrate some very important values.Among these are persistence, courage, and friendship.Love plays a crucial role in this story--love is the the power that gives Lily Potter the strength to give her life to save Harry, and it is the denial of the power of love that is the most significant and eventually fatal flaw of Harry's nemesis, Lord Voldemort.The book also discusses other important themes--the importance of free will, the existence of evil, and the quiet power of goodness and humility. The book examines thematic connections between the Potter stories and many other great pieces of literature, including allusions to Shakespeare and the Bible.

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The Characters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter Stained Glass Books) Review

The Characters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter Stained Glass Books)
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Not bad, and it's suitable for light reading, espeacially for kids, and it provides further insight on the characters of the book. My younger sister loves it.

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Harry Potter Deluxe Coloring Kit: The Magic of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Review

Harry Potter Deluxe Coloring Kit: The Magic of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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This book is cool it comes with markers to color it in with.It also show different cool [pictures of Harry Potter and all his friends and enemys.(Snape)

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Selected Themes from the Motion Picture Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Alto Saxophone (Instrumental Series) Review

Selected Themes from the Motion Picture Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Alto Saxophone (Instrumental Series)
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I do not play the alto saxophone. My son is in middle school band and I bought this book for him. When he plays Hedwig's Theme....it takes me back to the first Harry Potter movie. I am so happy I bought this book for him.

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This instrumental series contains selected themes from the box office sensation Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Playable by any combination of instruments -- large ensembles, small ensembles, or solos -- the arrangements capture the wonderful sounds from the movie. Fingering charts are included. Titles are: Hedwig's Theme * Diagon Alley * Hogwarts Forever * Nimbus 2000 * Cast a Christmas Spell * Harry's Wondrous World.

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The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them Review

The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them
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I would recommend "The Booklover's Cookbook" as a perfect present for a bookworm who happens to cook (but perhaps not for a cook who happens to read occasionally).
It features 170 recipes with excerpts from various books mentioning that specific food, as well as quotes from authors on writing and books. Some of it seems to be a stretch, but over all the authors did a great job compiling it into this lovely book.
It is very amusing, if anything just to flip through on a slow Saturday afternoon with your friends and reminisce about stories you all read once upon a time (you will definitely hear a lot of "Oh yeah, I remember that book! I read it years ago, when I was in elementary school/just after whats-his-name broke up with me/in college for that horrible lit class/etc, etc"...).
The authors feature a nice variety of different foods spanning eras and book genres - from Ichabod's Slapjacks (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) to Mr. Casabon's Chicken Noodle Soup (Middlemarch) and Tamales (Like Water for Chocolate). Two recipes I was especially tickled by were the Turkish Delight (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) and Not Violet, but Blueberry Pie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) - it brought me back to my frustration with Edmund's greediness and of course the excitement shared with Charlie.
"The Booklover's Cookbook" is indeed an endearing book, meant to be shared in order to be truly enjoyed.

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The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II: The World of Harry Potter (Harry Potter Movie T) Review

The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II: The World of Harry Potter (Harry Potter Movie T)
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It's a really nice hardbound book printed on heavy paper for about the same price of a magazine-type fan book. We bought one for a Harry Potter party where everyone could cut out pictures and mount them on magnetic paper for their middle school lockers. 128 pages had enough images so everyone found some they wanted.
We bought a second one to keep whole.

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Relive all the magical moments from the Harry Potter movies!
The Harry Potter movie saga is drawing to a close, but you can celebrate all the best moments from the movies in this beautiful keepsake. This paper-over-board book traces each character's growth from film to film. Over 100 pages of pictures in all!


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Values of Harry Potter: Lessons for Muggles, Expanded Edition Review

Values of Harry Potter: Lessons for Muggles, Expanded Edition
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Armstrong's book will be an enormously invaluable aid to anyone seeking to understand the Harry Potter series in terms of a few key abstract concepts that permeate and propel the adventures of Harry Potter. In varying degrees, the same concepts also propel the lives of real-life humans.
Chapter 1 explores the ways in which the Harry Potter books exemplify "The Heroic Fight for Values." Chapter 2 explores independence and its important role in heroic action, contrasting independence with various forms of dependence on others -- again as strikingly exemplified in the Harry Potter books. Chapter 3 explores free will in the Harry Potter story as yet another element crucial to the heroic pursuit and defense of values. These are the major elements that Armstrong sees as vital in earthly living as well as crucial to the appeal and deeper meaning of the Harry Potter adventures.
Armstrong also notes that the Harry Potter books project clashing elements, too, notably the "Clash of Love and Sacrifice" (Chapter 4) and the role of belief in an eternal spiritual life enduring beyond physical death (Chapter 5). As a corollary of belief in an immortal soul, Armstrong explores differing views of materialism as projected in the Harry Potter books.
But Armstrong argues that ultimately these clashing aspects of the Harry Potter books are diluted by the three positive themes. In Chapter 4, for example (p. 81), Armstrong describes how the scene in which Harry rescues Malfoy (Book 7) could have been written to portray Harry's action as more truly self-sacrificial, but that J. K. Rowling's version is "as though Rowling cannot bring herself to commmit to an act of self-sacrifice."
Armstrong acknowledges that he draws on the ideas of Aristotle and Ayn Rand. Fans of Ayn Rand, in particular, will readily recognize Armstrong's analyses as deeply indebted to Ayn Rand's philosophy. Fans and non-fans alike will find the analyses fascinating in their depth and insight, superbly complementing the more abstract philosophical presentations in Ayn Rand's books.
Armstrong's book remains completely accessible to general readers, with no previous knowledge of Ayn Rand's ideas needed or assumed. Yet at the same time, those seeking to understand Ayn Rand's broader philosophical system will find an excellent introductory survey in Armstrong's illuminating analyses of the adventures of Harry Potter.


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The adventure stories of the boy wizard Harry Potter tap life's most pressing questions about love and values, evil, free will, and the soul.Ari Armstrong's Values of Harry Potter explores the complex themes of J. K. Rowling's beloved novels, illuminating the heroic fight for life-promoting values, the hero's need for independence, and the role of choice in virtue. Drawing on the ideas of Aristotle and Ayn Rand, Armstrong then critiques the Christian elements of self-sacrifice and immortality, arguing that they ultimately clash with the essential nature of the hero as exemplified by Harry Potter and his allies.Values of Harry Potter offers a unique, succinct, and provocative look at Rowling's revolutionary novels for both enthusiasts and critics. This Expanded Edition also reviews the novels' psychology, government, and news media.

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So You Think You Know Harry Potter Review

So You Think You Know Harry Potter
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This book is great for both kid and adult Harry Potter Fans! Lots of interesting trivia! It has 3 levels of questions and is perfect for fans on different levels. Great for parties! Remember Harry's Birthday is on July 27th, so have a Harry Potter Party. :-)

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So you think you know all about Harry Potter, his friends, his adversaries, and his amazing adventures?This book is the ultimate test, as tough as making one of Professor Snape's potions and as slippery as a member of the Malfoy family.There are 300 questions devoted to each of the first four Harry Potter Books—that's a whopping 1,200 questions in total!Questions are divided into Easy, Medium and Hard, and complete answers are provided at the back.

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Literature Guide: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Grades 4-8) Review

Literature Guide: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Grades 4-8)
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I am a homeschooling mother who bought this, to use with the books while reading with my girls. I develop my own cirriculum for school, and I was so excited that someone had made these study guides, so I wouldnt have to. However,this book was extremely disappointing to say the least. It is only 13 pages long with only two pages dedicated to any 5-6 chapters. The 15 questions, which were deidcated to the 5-6 chapters were silly, and had no depth to them. There were no other usable parts to the book. There are only 3 reproducibles, but they are not worth the cost of the paper to print them. Being an avid Harry Potter lover, as are my girls, this was extremely disappointing. Don't waste your money on it. You would do better to make up your own questions about each chapter and find some free stuff online.

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Includes a colorful teaching poster and engaging activities!A complete guide to teaching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

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Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Muggles To Magic Review

Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Muggles To Magic
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I was disappointed with this book. There are a few recipes that look good, like butterscotch bars, butterbeer cupcakes, and pumpkin bread. But, there are a lot of silly recipes like ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), chocolate bananas (bananas drizzled with chocolate and topped with different candies), and licorice wands (licorice dipped in chocolate and cookie crumbs). A lot of the recipes aren't even harry potter related as far as i know. You could probably just google some of these recipes and other items from harry potter (like butterbeer) and get a good recipe without spending any money.

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The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works Review

The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works
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The initial quote from Clarke's Law, that the highest form of technology is indistinguishable from magic sets the basis for this book. And in reading the Harry Potter books and watching the movies, one can't help but wonder, how does that work in the world of Hogwarts? The bottom line is that the world of Hogwarts has got a technology that far surpasses 21st century technology, so to us, it does appear like magic. Think of what the Aztecs thought when Cortes and his men fired their guns. Surely they thought the guns were magic, as that was alien to their civilization.
The Science Of Harry Potter is the name of this book. What science, you might ask? Well, how about alchemy, astronomy, biology, genetics, physiology, quantum physics, time travel, And there's some more, like history and mythology, on where creatures like Fluffy the three-headed dog guarding the Sorcerer's Stone and games like Quidditch were based on. He also incorporates work from Einstein, Rutherford, Hawking, B.F. Skinner, John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) and Kip Thorne from the Muggle side.
The Sorting Hat, which sent the first-year Hogwarts students into their respective houses, might have had some interface that interpreted brain waves from the students, but there's also the concept of recognizing personalities a la Jung or Keirsey, so I wonder if the Hat's technology can correlate the brain's wiring with that of a Guardian, Rational, Idealist, or Artisan, to use Keirsey's classifications, and then say "Gryffindor" or "Slytherin."
The theory of time travel in the Muggle world is that one can't go back in time before the machine was built, and also to prevent a mistaken killing of one's ancestors, because then one would be erased from existence. Hogwarts technicians must've overcome that glitch. Hey, if it's possible in Dr. Who, why not in Harry Potter?
However, the fact that Nicolas Flamel is based on a real life 14th century alchemist and that Queen Elizabeth I's conjurer John Dee was the inspiration for Albus Dumbledore will jerk some eyes open.
As for an example of a psychological aspect of Harry Potter, Highfield uses bereavement syndrome to explain the Mirror of Erised, with the mirror as an output device that's receptive to the brain's trauma-ridden visions.
Apart from using J.K. Rowling's first four books, Roger Highfield exhaustively used respected biology, psychology, physics, and medical journals, and history books as his sources.
If one is of a highly fantastical and romantic nature, not wanting to spoil the magic of Harry Potter by possible scientific explanations, go elsewhere. Those who are able to accept Clarke's Law and assimilate these theories into the Harry Potter universe without it spoiling the magic, this book's for you. Well, time to put on my silvery cross-connected fiber-optic cape that records images from the background over me. See ya.

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Re-Reading Harry Potter Review

Re-Reading Harry Potter
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I did enjoy parts of this book very much. I'm afraid, though, that it was often for the wrong reasons. At times I suspected that it was an elaborate and extended send-up of academic squabbling over literature. I'm still not quite sure, but I *think* it is serious.
The first chapter 'Book Covers' ("I begin as most readers must, with book covers") contains the delightful story of Wolfgang Iser and Stanley Fish. Mr Iser proposes an "implied reader" who has a dialectical relationship with the text and who, we are warned, "is not to be identified with any real reader." This concept gives rise to "a series of disagreements." Mr Fish thinks that Mr Iser is "missing the point" and introduces the concept of "interpretive strategies" which make it "questionable whether a particular text can be said to have any discrete and determinative existence at all." Gupta, in a tongue twisting turn of phrase, comments that, "A waspish exchange followed between Iser and Fish." Some unkind people may consider that both Iser and Fish, and possibly also Gupta, have missed the point.
The chapter entitled 'Religious Perspectives' comes to the remarkable conclusion that Christian belief (as he understands it from a study of Richard Abanes book) is just as fanciful as anything in Harry Potter's world, and that both are equally far removed from the real world of the social and political. This gives us an insight into Mr Gupta's world view but, sadly, none into his subject. Perhaps this is because he fails to refer directly to the text under discussion at all in this chapter, but devotes it to a complaint that he feels excluded from the religious debate because he is not religious.
The one chapter that stands head and shoulders above the rest is the one entitled 'Repetition and Progression'. This chapter is based around the insight that the books in the Harry Potter series achieve a rare balance of repeating themes and increasing complexity. It notes how the initial themes are introduced, then elaborated, developed and deepened at each repetition. This is an intriguing chapter and does not seem to fit comfortably with the rest of the book. It is also very brief -only four pages. I would have found it interesting to see this explored in more depth.
For a very much more perceptive and thorough, although less self-consciously academic, analysis of both the literary and religious perspectives I would highly recommend John Granger's book The Hidden Key to Harry Potter.

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Harry Potter Collector's Handbook Review

Harry Potter Collector's Handbook
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I had no idea there were so many Harry Potter collectibles. Really opened my eyes to what's out there. Hundreds of color photos make it easy to find and identify what you've got. And there's a lot of collector advice and tips. The values make it an excellent reference to take with you while shopping at garage sales. You never know when you might find a bargain for your collection, or your favorite Potter fan, or even for reselling on eBay. Two thumbs up.

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The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Muggles and Wizards Review

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Muggles and Wizards
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This cookbook is geared for children and young adults but it will please readers, cooks, and Harry Potter fans of all ages. My kids (ages 14, 12, and 8), have finally found an activity they can all agree on - cooking and sampling savory Harry Potter recipes. This book covers every single recipe that appears in all seven of the Harry Potter books. Ever wonder what Pumpkin Juice tastes like? Or Treacle tart? Well, you're about to find out!
Just crack open this book for easy to follow recipes, that have been authenticated and thoroughly researched and tested. Adults and children will delight in tracing their favorite Harry Potter delicacies back to the original source, while recreating some of these magical moments.


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With this cookbook, dining a la Hogwarts is as easy as Banoffi Pie! With more than 150 easy-to-make recipes, tips, and techniques, you can indulge in spellbindingly delicious meals drawn straight from the pages of your favorite Potter stories, such as:


Treacle Tart--Harry's favorite dessert
Molly's Meat Pies--Mrs. Weasley's classic dish
Kreacher's French Onion Soup
Pumpkin Pasties--a staple on the Hogwarts Express cart

With a dash of magic and a drop of creativity, you'll conjure up the entrees, desserts, snacks, and drinks you need to transform ordinary Muggle meals into magickal culinary masterpieces, sure make even Mrs. Weasley proud!


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