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Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook: More than 1,000 of the world's best recipes for today's kitchen
From the editors of the award-winning culinary magazine, Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook features more than 1000 well-curated global recipes in an essential collection for home cooks everywhere. This masterful selection celebrates the brand’s authority, heritage, and depth of worldwide culinary knowledge in what will become an indispensable and treasured guide for everyone who relishes authentic cooking and SAVEUR’s standard of excellence.
Offering authentic, from-the-source recipes for virtually every type of dish (from tapas and cocktails to salads, dumplings, one pot meals, and more), essential techniques, and practical advice, this thorough collection of recipes from the pages of SAVEUR represents a comprehensive foundation for any home cook looking for a go-to guide—and daily inspiration—from a trusted source. Also includes suggested menus for holidays and occasions; illustrative sidebars that showcase groups of ingredients (such as the Mexican pantry, different varieties of tomatoes, what makes a good tagine) or provide easy-to-follow instructions for techniques (like how to crimp a dumpling or fold an empanada); and two sections of gorgeous full-color photographs that bring the cuisine to life.
The 16 chapters are organized by course and food type. A robust selection of pantry basics (DIY condiments, stocks and sauces, spice blends and rubs, and more) is also included. Each recipe includes a headnote (explaining the origin of the dish, offering suggestions for perfecting the method, or a serving suggestion) and there are illustrations and cook’s notes, imparting helpful tips (wear gloves when working with hot chiles, using young ginger for the best flavor) scattered throughout the book. Icons call out vegetarian dishes and other helpful information at a glance. Multiple indexes make it easy to find recipes for any occasion.
Table of Contents
APPETIZERS
SALADS
SOUPS AND STEWS
SANDWICHES, PIZZAS, AND SAVORY PIES
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
EGGS
CHICKEN, DUCK, AND OTHER FOWL
BEEF, LAMB, GOAT
PORK
SEAFOOD
VEGETABLES
BEANS, GRAINS, RICE, AND POTATOES
BREADS AND ROLLS
DESSERTS
DRINKS
PANTRY
Offering authentic, from-the-source recipes for virtually every type of dish (from tapas and cocktails to salads, dumplings, one pot meals, and more), essential techniques, and practical advice, this thorough collection of recipes from the pages of SAVEUR represents a comprehensive foundation for any home cook looking for a go-to guide—and daily inspiration—from a trusted source. Also includes suggested menus for holidays and occasions; illustrative sidebars that showcase groups of ingredients (such as the Mexican pantry, different varieties of tomatoes, what makes a good tagine) or provide easy-to-follow instructions for techniques (like how to crimp a dumpling or fold an empanada); and two sections of gorgeous full-color photographs that bring the cuisine to life.
The 16 chapters are organized by course and food type. A robust selection of pantry basics (DIY condiments, stocks and sauces, spice blends and rubs, and more) is also included. Each recipe includes a headnote (explaining the origin of the dish, offering suggestions for perfecting the method, or a serving suggestion) and there are illustrations and cook’s notes, imparting helpful tips (wear gloves when working with hot chiles, using young ginger for the best flavor) scattered throughout the book. Icons call out vegetarian dishes and other helpful information at a glance. Multiple indexes make it easy to find recipes for any occasion.
Table of Contents
APPETIZERS
SALADS
SOUPS AND STEWS
SANDWICHES, PIZZAS, AND SAVORY PIES
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
EGGS
CHICKEN, DUCK, AND OTHER FOWL
BEEF, LAMB, GOAT
PORK
SEAFOOD
VEGETABLES
BEANS, GRAINS, RICE, AND POTATOES
BREADS AND ROLLS
DESSERTS
DRINKS
PANTRY
624 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2014
870 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 2, 2016
Saveur used to be one of my favorite food magazines. It had the food focus and credibility of Gourmet blended with the world vision and lush photographic eye candy of National Geographic. Sadly, the magazine has changed in the last few years and is now more like Food Channel “throw it on the wall and see if it sticks” fad factor blended with the ad department of Vogue. Still, this cookbook contains enough of the early magazine’s influence to be a keeper. The selection is wide enough that one can stay interested in the collection. The recipes assume a basic skill level, but are not so complicated that they would intimidate beginner cooks. If someone wanted to have one or two “go to” cookbooks, this might be one to consider.
Although I’ve only had a chance to try three or four recipes so far from the book, I’ve cooked from the magazine often in the past and had good results. Granted, given the sloppy editing I’ve seen in cookbooks the last few years and the changes in Saveur magazine of late, I might be assuming too much.
If there are weaknesses in this cookbook, they are the lack of photographs and the formatting of the Kindle edition.
Photographs -- I can cook without pictures, but when a publication is known for gorgeous photography, it seems odd that they would release a cookbook without a single photo in it. In the index, there is a notation that the pages in italics refer to photographs, but I didn’t have any photos in the Kindle version. It would have been a nice touch for some of the international recipes.
Formatting – First, the praise: I wholeheartedly appreciate the use of clear font. (Thank you, thank you, thank you.) I am thrilled that someone though to make the recipe title AND the numbering within the recipe different colors from the text. Excellent function-aware decisions, both of them.
I especially want to thank the graphics team for not indulging in shaded backgrounds behind text or the current despicable fad of light gray skinny fonts that looks “cool” but is utterly illegible. (Too bad Goodreads can’t seem to resist it.)
Now the problem areas:
1. I’d prefer each recipe start on a new page. It’s an electronic file; you can use all the page breaks you want without incurring a big expense.
2. Index hyperlinks don’t always go back to the correct page. In a cookbook with 1000 recipes, that can be a problem.
3. The informational insert boxes often break across pages in odd places. (See #1.)
4. Some editor depended too much on spellcheck instead of their brain. I found several its/it’s and their/there errors.
5. Why no comprehensive index by recipe title? I mean, thanks for the regional and ingredient indices, but how hard would it have been to do one by recipe name?
As usual, mileage may vary. I have a feeling the print edition might be a little more elegant in layout and function.
Although I’ve only had a chance to try three or four recipes so far from the book, I’ve cooked from the magazine often in the past and had good results. Granted, given the sloppy editing I’ve seen in cookbooks the last few years and the changes in Saveur magazine of late, I might be assuming too much.
If there are weaknesses in this cookbook, they are the lack of photographs and the formatting of the Kindle edition.
Photographs -- I can cook without pictures, but when a publication is known for gorgeous photography, it seems odd that they would release a cookbook without a single photo in it. In the index, there is a notation that the pages in italics refer to photographs, but I didn’t have any photos in the Kindle version. It would have been a nice touch for some of the international recipes.
Formatting – First, the praise: I wholeheartedly appreciate the use of clear font. (Thank you, thank you, thank you.) I am thrilled that someone though to make the recipe title AND the numbering within the recipe different colors from the text. Excellent function-aware decisions, both of them.
I especially want to thank the graphics team for not indulging in shaded backgrounds behind text or the current despicable fad of light gray skinny fonts that looks “cool” but is utterly illegible. (Too bad Goodreads can’t seem to resist it.)
Now the problem areas:
1. I’d prefer each recipe start on a new page. It’s an electronic file; you can use all the page breaks you want without incurring a big expense.
2. Index hyperlinks don’t always go back to the correct page. In a cookbook with 1000 recipes, that can be a problem.
3. The informational insert boxes often break across pages in odd places. (See #1.)
4. Some editor depended too much on spellcheck instead of their brain. I found several its/it’s and their/there errors.
5. Why no comprehensive index by recipe title? I mean, thanks for the regional and ingredient indices, but how hard would it have been to do one by recipe name?
As usual, mileage may vary. I have a feeling the print edition might be a little more elegant in layout and function.
September 12, 2021
Great cookbook
January 30, 2022
I had the privilege of being able to take an advance look at a cookbook that I would grow to all in love with. The second edition of the Saveur Magazine cookbook titled "The New Classics Cookbook-expanded edition" covers almost everything a cook could ever want to have a recipe for. Published by Weldon Owen is an imprint of Insight Editions this book is at the same time Clever, attractive, useful and engaging in all ways and makes you want to dive into it. I can't think of any cookbook in it's completeness that covers so much and so well.
The people at Saveur did an bang up job putting this compendium out and every bit of it is complete excellence. Not only are the recipes really great, the writing and instructional sidebars are entertaining as they are informative. Every bit of this cookbook is fun and almost overwhelming in it's scope and they inspired me to think about what I will be cooking in the coming weeks.
This cookbook is physically a massive tome, on-par with something like "The Joy of Cooking". This expanded edition has chapters for every type of cooking and covers any aspect of preparing food that any home cook would want for themselves. The book is weighty and a tad overwhelming in its sheer scope, but don't let that daunt you.Nothing in this book is out of any novice cooks range and if you want to start opening up your comfort zone, this may be indeed the perfect book for you to crack and start dreaming up dishes for family meals, romantic dinners or even the solitary repast.
I had a debate with myself before continuing the review as I didn't want to just pack this with listings for the various recipes in this cookbook. That would seem to be to be just reguritating what's in the table of content. The problem however, with this notion, is that one of the most glorious things about this very cookbook is exactly that is has such a wonderful selection and a varied list of recipes. Limiting my reporting on the list of recipes makes it impossible to truly depict the magnitude of the recipe book. Against popular convention, I will list a selection of the recipes in this book. (Do not think this is even half of the listings available or even really a quarter of what is actually there.
The cookbook rightly begins with a chapter featuring appetizers. This portion of the book is full of great recipes and is additionally great fun. Examples include but are not limited to items like Baked Feta, a glorious Chicken Liver Pate, inventive Tuna Melt Canapes, classic Fried Whitebait, a delicious Low Country Shrimp paste, another classic and a favorite of mine Devils on horseback, and a updated classic Fried Artichoke Hearts with tahini sauce. You see, the cookbooks' commitment to classic recipes with new additions and innovative twists throughout.
This chapter also gives room for classic recipes like Bagna cauda, Galilean-style hummus, labneh and snacks like the pub favorite Scotch Eggs. There is the innovative Classic Deviled Eggs with smoked trout, small dishes like Peppers stuffed with Feta round out a great and inclusive list of traditional and new ideas for serving starters.
This is a really great "Go-To" section when planning a party or cooking for a few friends. Recipes are well written and easily done for cooks of any experience level. The portions with tips for entertaining are lovely and will be something you will no doubt find useful.
I most often never really look toward a Salad chapter of a cookbook as I normally think, "What we can say that is new about this topic? Well, I am happy to admit I am very wrong about that. This portion of the book was really surprisingly comprehensive, unlike many cookbooks that offer the same old recipes ad nauseam. I was excited to see excellent preparations for most of the traditional salads that we are all familiar with and also offerings that were exciting and new. Dishes like the traditional Cobb Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad (A nice take on a standard), Vietnamese Shredded Chicken Salad (A keeper!) were encouraging.
Other offerings such as side salads like Beet and Sumac salad, Fennel sunchoke and apple salad, chicory in anchovy sauce, the southeast asian classic som tum, summer panzanella, Israeli chipped salad, marinated zucchini and green bean salad, watermelon and tomato salad, and also traditional offerings like classic and german cole slaw, cavolo salad with pecorino, kale and avocado salad, the "caesar-like" Canlis Salad. I felt that after reading through this section that it encouraged me to work many of these recipes into my main dish rotation at dinner.
I was really excited by the variety in the section on Soups and Stews in the cookbook. We have traditional items like Tortolini in Brodo, Cock-A-Leekie, Avgolemono and Chinese hot and sour soup. Other offerings like German Barley Soup, Red Beet Borscht, Polish White Borscht, Pho Bo, Tom Yum Goong, French Onion Soup, Italian Wedding soup, Lentil Soup as well as classics like Cream of Tomato and Lobster Bisque round out a great selection.
The stew offerings are delicious selections such as Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Chili Verde, Texas-Style Chili Con Carne, Jim Clark's Chili, Cincinnati Chili, Pepper pot soup, and Senegalese Peanut Stew, Argentine Hominy Stew. As well, we have seafood stews such as Boullabase, cioppino, JFK's Lobster stew, Norwegian Cod and Root Vegetable Stew, and Conch soup to name just a few.
I had fun reading through the section on Sandwitches, pizzas and burgers. I had no idea how varied this selection could be, until I realized how many things I ate were sandwiches, even if I didn't consciously think of them as. The selection of recipes is fun and varied and gives you great ideas for meal selection. Items like the Ultimate Grilled Cheese,, Knife and Fork Egg Salad, Classic Tuna Salad, Cuban Turkey Tea Sandwitch, Cubano, Croque Monsieur, Monte Cristo, schnitzel Sandwich give great standards of Sandwich fare. In addition other recipes such as the Bahn Mi, Tunesian Tuna Sandwitch, Pan Bagnat, Mexican Bean and Cheese Sandwitch, Fried Mozzarella Sandwitches round out a great chapter.
There are some great entries on making pizza with great tips and techniques for pizza expertise, such as Naples Style Pizza Dough, Gluten Free Pizza Dough, Pizza Margherita, Pistachio Mortadella Pizza, Squash Blossom Pizza. As a veteran pizza maker I really appreciated the brief but complete chapter and all it's information.
Burgers get thier due in such selections as the 21 Club hamburger, Patty melt, Sid's Onion Burger, Swedish Beef Burger, Hemingway's Hamburger Sloppy Joe's just to give a few examples. This was a fun selection that gave me some ideas on how I can level up my burger game at home!
A section on Sandwitches would be incomplete without mentioning Tacos, and there are offerings such as San Antonio Puffy Chicken Taco's, Carnitas Tacos, Taco's De papa Hwy 99 recipes for some samples of a taco repitoire.
The chapter on Poultry is volumnous with many different types of recipes to give you some variety in your meal planning. Classics like Perfect Roast Chicken, Tutu Man's Teriyaki Chicken, Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic as well as other offerings such as Tandori Chicken, Pollo Alla Diavola, Jamaican Jerk-Chicken, Yassa Poulet, Chicken Marsala, Stir fried Chicken with celery. I was excited by some of the variety of this selections for fried chicken such as Hollyhock fried chicken, Nashville Hot Chicken, Korean fried Chicken wings and saucy chicken dishes like Sutton's Chicken, Country Captain, Arroz Con Pollo, Mole Negro, Ethiopian Chicken Stew, Chicken and Dumplings.
Turkey and other game get's it's due with recipes such as Leah Chase's Roasted Turkey, Chile Rubbed Turkey with Beet stuffing & gravy, Turkey breast roulade with Chestnut stuffing, Amazing Five Hour Duck, Duck A L'Orange, Christmas Goose with Stuffing, and that's just a small sample.
Other Meat and Game get's star treatment in the selection on cooking red meats. As someone who's looking to improve my meat dishes, this was an encouraging section. I found that there was not only great recipes but scores of helpful techniques peppering the chapter. Items like Roast Prime Rib, Rosemary Rubbed Beef Tenderloin, Korean Grilled Beef Short Ribs, Steak Diane,
Meat dishes such as Vietnamese shaking Beef with Lime Dipping Sauce, Chicken fried steak with sawmill gravy, corned beef and cabbage, sauerbraten, bracheola, Grillades and grits, stuffed cabbage rolls, swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, Picadillo, Weiner schnitzel,
Other notable mentions for pork such as Pernil Asado, Crispy Chinese Roast Pork, Spiedies, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Loin, Hawaiian Pan-fried Pork Chops, Pot Roased Pork with Thyme, Pork Vindaloo, Ham Steak with Hazelnut Sauce, and lamb dishes such as Leg of Lamb Herb Garlic Crust, Lamb and Onion Curry, Shepherd's Pie, Oxtail Tatin with Tomato Jam add to the selection.
There are many great Game dishes like Rabbit in Mustard Sauce, Sauteed Rabbit in Red Wine, Rabbit and Onion stew, Alsatian Venison Stew,
Fans of Seafood will not be dissapointed by the similarly named chapter. There are not only great recipes, but also good tips on buying and storing seafood as well as tips on how to cook it for best results. Recipes such as Broiled Red Snapper with fennel and tomatoes, Fish stuffed with Pico de gallo, Grilled whole fish with tamarind, Haitian poached snapper, cedar roasted salmon, Halibut with braised fennel, Louisiana Blackened Redfish, Swordfish Puttanesca, Cod with braised kale and potatoes, tunesian fish stew, Piri Piri Shrimp, Shrimp and grits, Ballymaloe's Hot buttered lobster, Crayfish Pie, Maryland Crab cakes, Crawfish Etouffee annd Clam cakes round out the meat section nicely and show that no stone was left unturned to make this cookbook complete in all ways.
The chapter on Vegtables is an epiphany. There were so many great vegtable dishes it really brought out a desire to go to the produce market in me. There were many vegtable dishes that could be the starring role at dinner. items like stuffed artichokes, braised artichoke hearts with mint, Oil braised asparagus, white asparagus ragu with cherry tomatoes, Brussels sprouts gratin, Braised cabbage with slab bacon, cauliflower manchurian and more made this section a stand out. Other recipes for Aloo Gobi, Elote, Mrs Apple's Creamed Corn, Indian Style Cubumber with Black Eyed Peas, Green Beans Almondine, Morel's in cream sauce, Fried Okra, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Peas in Lettuce Cups, Roasted Peppers and Anchovies, Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins, Tiawanese Style Squash with Ginger, Sweet Potatoe Fries and Fried Green Tomatoes just to name a few make this cookbook an instant classic of any home cooks dreams.
The chapter on Pastas, Noodles and Dumplings is a carb lovers fantasy. There are so many wonder variations on the humble noodle that it's just breathtaking. With recipes like Cappellini with White Clam Sauce, Stir fried rice noodles with Black Pepper and Garlic Chives, Thomas Keller's offering "Betty's Spaghetti" you hungry just reading.
In addition there are more international selections of pasta recipes for items like Spaghetti Carbonara, the Korean noodle dish "Japchae", Lo Mein, Spaghetti Cacio e pepe, Pasta with Tomato beer puttanesca sauce, Pad Thai with pork and shrimp, The original Fettucchini Alfredo, Brown butter pasta with sunny side up eggs, Kale and Sausage Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce (a favorite), Garganelli with Peas and Prosciutto (another favorite) as well as the traditional Kasha Varnishkas to roun out the choices of options.
There are in offering also Baked Pasta dishes such as Noodle Kugel, Pastitsio, Macaroni and Cheese , Traditional Lasagnia, accompany filled pastas and dumpling recipes, in addition to rolled pasta's like Lumpia, Egg Rolls, and other types of hand formed dumplings. There are great instructions for all the forementioned items and are well worth perusing as everything has been though of in this cookbook.
To help with the pasta recipes there are also pages of pasta sauces and ragu's to accompany the pastas that you will be making. Helpfully this chapter also highlights the different types of pasta you can purchase or make and how they are best used. Pasta cooking tips are included to round out an exceptional chapter that could well stand alone as it's own cookbook.
No cookbook could be complete without a selection on Beans, Grains and Potatoes, and this cookbook does not dissapoint. Heart and tummy warming offerings for Soupy Beans, Stewed White Beans with Tomato Sauce . Tuskan-Style White Beans, New England Style Baked Beans, Barbequed Baked Beans, Frijoless De Olla, Hoppin John, Fava Falafel, Ethiopian Lentil Stew, French Lentil Salad are among the many great selections here.
There is a large section on rice and a listing on the varieties of rice as well as techniques for cooking rice for best result. We have recipes for jook, Nigerian Red Rice, Iranian Rice Pilaf, Risotto Ala Milanese, Venitian Rice Fritters, Indonesian Fried Rice, Jambalaya, Bibimbap, and offerings for corn dishes like Basic Polenta, Old Fashioned Creamy Grits, grain dishes like Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash & mushrooms, Tabbouleh and countless potato recipes like Old Fashioned Scallopped Potatoes, Jannsen's Temptation, Rosti, Bubble and Squeak, Sauteed Potatoes and Chiles, Potato Galette, Bistro French Fries, Poutine, Neep's and Tatties to round out this chapter.
As a baker, I loved the chapter on Breads and Rolls. The title does not do it justice as the entirety of the chapter supports a large number of varied breadstuffs. Recipes for Italian Bread, Four Hour Baguette, Apple Cider Levain Loaf, Seeded Rye Loaf, Doris Grant's Brown Bread, Gluten Free Sandwitch Bread, Challah, Pulla, compete with offerings like Onion and Poppy Seed Bialys, Homemade Bagels, German Pretzels and Popovers. We are tempted with Mango Bread, Lola Mae's Buttermilk Biscuits, Baking Powder Biscuits, Crumpets, Hush Puppies, Pan De Sal, as well as offerings for flat breads such as Donegal Oatcakes, Flour and Corn Tortillas, Naan, Chapati, Injera, Buckwheat Crepes, Chickpea Flour Crepes, and items like italian Grissini,
The section on Breakfast and Brunch is not only interesting but really fun to read. There are so many regional specialties you will be tempted to try them all. Recipes like Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomato, Huevos Rancheros, Scrambled Eggs with Bread and Chorizo, Hangtown Fry, Fried Rice Omlette, Denver Omlette, Eggs Sardou, Shakshouka, Egg Stuffed Corn Cakes, with instruction on how to make Sausage Patty's, Goetta, Billionaire's Bacon, Scrapple, Fried Country Ham, with Redeye Gravy, and other tried and true fair like Marion Cunningham's yeast raised waffles, Swedish Saffron Buns, Sweet Orange Buns, Crepes with Maple Sugar and Syrup, Vanilla Glazed Yeast Doughnuts, Cinnamon Sugar-Cider Doughnuts, Churros, Sopaipillas, round out a sumptuous selection.
Not to be outdone by the previous selections, the chapter on Desserts, cannot be missed. As one would imagine, Saveur threw out all the stops in making a really wonderful dessert section that is complete in it's breadth. You have traditional offerings such as Lady Baltimore Cake, Coconut Cake, Grapefruit cake, The Best Damn Meyer Lemon Cake, Charlotte A La Fambroise, Smith Island Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Very Moist Chocolate Layer Cake, Cinnamon Coffee Cake and more. Additional offerings such as Indonesian Spice Cake, Lindy's Cheesecake, Persimmon Pudding, Katherine Hepburn's Brownies, Blondies, Nanaimo Bars, Lemon Bars, Blueberry Poppy Seed Squares, Chocolate Chip Cookies hold forth with recipes for Ice Cream, Pudding, Trifles, cobblers, pies, cookies and everything else that one could want in a dessert section.
The section on Drinks is almost the equal of a Bar tending guide and has all the great classic recipes and more included. standby's like the Brandy Old Fashioned, Caipirinha, Perfect Martini, Singapore Sling, White Lady, stand beside unique offering like a Strawberry Pimm's Cup, Corpse Reviver #2, The Untimate Gin Tonic, Irish Cream, Corto Flip, Mai tai, Bananna Daiquri, Pina Colada, Flamingo, Margarita, Bloody Mary, Bloody Ceasar, Salty Dog, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Sazerac, Michelada, Kir Royal, Sangria, Chilled Cider Punch, Ultimate Eggnog, Hot Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Lime Rickey, Chocolate Egg Cream
Holiday Entertaining has classics like Baked Alaska and Standing Rib roast besides a host of other recipes. There are lists for creating the perfect pantry and lists for new cooks just starting out and tips on what to buy. There are tables and instructions to meet every cook's need.
Throughout the design of the book is easy to use and has great illustrations to provide direction to novice cooks. The recipes range from simple to complex and the writing is always helpful and explanations are simple and direct. Even though this book verges on being a tome, it never feels like one and is not crowded for space and has great book design throughout. Something I think was intentional, compared to the old cookbooks that many of us have that are just crammed full. This work is more like an enervating stroll through a lexicon of cookery, and an enjoyable one!
The food range of the book is Americana and items from around the globe. You have a range from Burgers to Bahn Mi. From Frijoles to Hopping John, there is a little of everything here in this book, making this a magnificent gift for any expert or novice cook, and making this essentially the perfect gift book for anyone at all.
The "New Classics Cookbook" by Saveur is a cookbook that anyone would want in their home and being just a fun read for anyone who loves food. Every recipe in this book is exciting and updated for today's kitchens and America's expanding palate.
The people at Saveur did an bang up job putting this compendium out and every bit of it is complete excellence. Not only are the recipes really great, the writing and instructional sidebars are entertaining as they are informative. Every bit of this cookbook is fun and almost overwhelming in it's scope and they inspired me to think about what I will be cooking in the coming weeks.
This cookbook is physically a massive tome, on-par with something like "The Joy of Cooking". This expanded edition has chapters for every type of cooking and covers any aspect of preparing food that any home cook would want for themselves. The book is weighty and a tad overwhelming in its sheer scope, but don't let that daunt you.Nothing in this book is out of any novice cooks range and if you want to start opening up your comfort zone, this may be indeed the perfect book for you to crack and start dreaming up dishes for family meals, romantic dinners or even the solitary repast.
I had a debate with myself before continuing the review as I didn't want to just pack this with listings for the various recipes in this cookbook. That would seem to be to be just reguritating what's in the table of content. The problem however, with this notion, is that one of the most glorious things about this very cookbook is exactly that is has such a wonderful selection and a varied list of recipes. Limiting my reporting on the list of recipes makes it impossible to truly depict the magnitude of the recipe book. Against popular convention, I will list a selection of the recipes in this book. (Do not think this is even half of the listings available or even really a quarter of what is actually there.
The cookbook rightly begins with a chapter featuring appetizers. This portion of the book is full of great recipes and is additionally great fun. Examples include but are not limited to items like Baked Feta, a glorious Chicken Liver Pate, inventive Tuna Melt Canapes, classic Fried Whitebait, a delicious Low Country Shrimp paste, another classic and a favorite of mine Devils on horseback, and a updated classic Fried Artichoke Hearts with tahini sauce. You see, the cookbooks' commitment to classic recipes with new additions and innovative twists throughout.
This chapter also gives room for classic recipes like Bagna cauda, Galilean-style hummus, labneh and snacks like the pub favorite Scotch Eggs. There is the innovative Classic Deviled Eggs with smoked trout, small dishes like Peppers stuffed with Feta round out a great and inclusive list of traditional and new ideas for serving starters.
This is a really great "Go-To" section when planning a party or cooking for a few friends. Recipes are well written and easily done for cooks of any experience level. The portions with tips for entertaining are lovely and will be something you will no doubt find useful.
I most often never really look toward a Salad chapter of a cookbook as I normally think, "What we can say that is new about this topic? Well, I am happy to admit I am very wrong about that. This portion of the book was really surprisingly comprehensive, unlike many cookbooks that offer the same old recipes ad nauseam. I was excited to see excellent preparations for most of the traditional salads that we are all familiar with and also offerings that were exciting and new. Dishes like the traditional Cobb Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad (A nice take on a standard), Vietnamese Shredded Chicken Salad (A keeper!) were encouraging.
Other offerings such as side salads like Beet and Sumac salad, Fennel sunchoke and apple salad, chicory in anchovy sauce, the southeast asian classic som tum, summer panzanella, Israeli chipped salad, marinated zucchini and green bean salad, watermelon and tomato salad, and also traditional offerings like classic and german cole slaw, cavolo salad with pecorino, kale and avocado salad, the "caesar-like" Canlis Salad. I felt that after reading through this section that it encouraged me to work many of these recipes into my main dish rotation at dinner.
I was really excited by the variety in the section on Soups and Stews in the cookbook. We have traditional items like Tortolini in Brodo, Cock-A-Leekie, Avgolemono and Chinese hot and sour soup. Other offerings like German Barley Soup, Red Beet Borscht, Polish White Borscht, Pho Bo, Tom Yum Goong, French Onion Soup, Italian Wedding soup, Lentil Soup as well as classics like Cream of Tomato and Lobster Bisque round out a great selection.
The stew offerings are delicious selections such as Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Chili Verde, Texas-Style Chili Con Carne, Jim Clark's Chili, Cincinnati Chili, Pepper pot soup, and Senegalese Peanut Stew, Argentine Hominy Stew. As well, we have seafood stews such as Boullabase, cioppino, JFK's Lobster stew, Norwegian Cod and Root Vegetable Stew, and Conch soup to name just a few.
I had fun reading through the section on Sandwitches, pizzas and burgers. I had no idea how varied this selection could be, until I realized how many things I ate were sandwiches, even if I didn't consciously think of them as. The selection of recipes is fun and varied and gives you great ideas for meal selection. Items like the Ultimate Grilled Cheese,, Knife and Fork Egg Salad, Classic Tuna Salad, Cuban Turkey Tea Sandwitch, Cubano, Croque Monsieur, Monte Cristo, schnitzel Sandwich give great standards of Sandwich fare. In addition other recipes such as the Bahn Mi, Tunesian Tuna Sandwitch, Pan Bagnat, Mexican Bean and Cheese Sandwitch, Fried Mozzarella Sandwitches round out a great chapter.
There are some great entries on making pizza with great tips and techniques for pizza expertise, such as Naples Style Pizza Dough, Gluten Free Pizza Dough, Pizza Margherita, Pistachio Mortadella Pizza, Squash Blossom Pizza. As a veteran pizza maker I really appreciated the brief but complete chapter and all it's information.
Burgers get thier due in such selections as the 21 Club hamburger, Patty melt, Sid's Onion Burger, Swedish Beef Burger, Hemingway's Hamburger Sloppy Joe's just to give a few examples. This was a fun selection that gave me some ideas on how I can level up my burger game at home!
A section on Sandwitches would be incomplete without mentioning Tacos, and there are offerings such as San Antonio Puffy Chicken Taco's, Carnitas Tacos, Taco's De papa Hwy 99 recipes for some samples of a taco repitoire.
The chapter on Poultry is volumnous with many different types of recipes to give you some variety in your meal planning. Classics like Perfect Roast Chicken, Tutu Man's Teriyaki Chicken, Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic as well as other offerings such as Tandori Chicken, Pollo Alla Diavola, Jamaican Jerk-Chicken, Yassa Poulet, Chicken Marsala, Stir fried Chicken with celery. I was excited by some of the variety of this selections for fried chicken such as Hollyhock fried chicken, Nashville Hot Chicken, Korean fried Chicken wings and saucy chicken dishes like Sutton's Chicken, Country Captain, Arroz Con Pollo, Mole Negro, Ethiopian Chicken Stew, Chicken and Dumplings.
Turkey and other game get's it's due with recipes such as Leah Chase's Roasted Turkey, Chile Rubbed Turkey with Beet stuffing & gravy, Turkey breast roulade with Chestnut stuffing, Amazing Five Hour Duck, Duck A L'Orange, Christmas Goose with Stuffing, and that's just a small sample.
Other Meat and Game get's star treatment in the selection on cooking red meats. As someone who's looking to improve my meat dishes, this was an encouraging section. I found that there was not only great recipes but scores of helpful techniques peppering the chapter. Items like Roast Prime Rib, Rosemary Rubbed Beef Tenderloin, Korean Grilled Beef Short Ribs, Steak Diane,
Meat dishes such as Vietnamese shaking Beef with Lime Dipping Sauce, Chicken fried steak with sawmill gravy, corned beef and cabbage, sauerbraten, bracheola, Grillades and grits, stuffed cabbage rolls, swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, Picadillo, Weiner schnitzel,
Other notable mentions for pork such as Pernil Asado, Crispy Chinese Roast Pork, Spiedies, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Loin, Hawaiian Pan-fried Pork Chops, Pot Roased Pork with Thyme, Pork Vindaloo, Ham Steak with Hazelnut Sauce, and lamb dishes such as Leg of Lamb Herb Garlic Crust, Lamb and Onion Curry, Shepherd's Pie, Oxtail Tatin with Tomato Jam add to the selection.
There are many great Game dishes like Rabbit in Mustard Sauce, Sauteed Rabbit in Red Wine, Rabbit and Onion stew, Alsatian Venison Stew,
Fans of Seafood will not be dissapointed by the similarly named chapter. There are not only great recipes, but also good tips on buying and storing seafood as well as tips on how to cook it for best results. Recipes such as Broiled Red Snapper with fennel and tomatoes, Fish stuffed with Pico de gallo, Grilled whole fish with tamarind, Haitian poached snapper, cedar roasted salmon, Halibut with braised fennel, Louisiana Blackened Redfish, Swordfish Puttanesca, Cod with braised kale and potatoes, tunesian fish stew, Piri Piri Shrimp, Shrimp and grits, Ballymaloe's Hot buttered lobster, Crayfish Pie, Maryland Crab cakes, Crawfish Etouffee annd Clam cakes round out the meat section nicely and show that no stone was left unturned to make this cookbook complete in all ways.
The chapter on Vegtables is an epiphany. There were so many great vegtable dishes it really brought out a desire to go to the produce market in me. There were many vegtable dishes that could be the starring role at dinner. items like stuffed artichokes, braised artichoke hearts with mint, Oil braised asparagus, white asparagus ragu with cherry tomatoes, Brussels sprouts gratin, Braised cabbage with slab bacon, cauliflower manchurian and more made this section a stand out. Other recipes for Aloo Gobi, Elote, Mrs Apple's Creamed Corn, Indian Style Cubumber with Black Eyed Peas, Green Beans Almondine, Morel's in cream sauce, Fried Okra, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Peas in Lettuce Cups, Roasted Peppers and Anchovies, Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins, Tiawanese Style Squash with Ginger, Sweet Potatoe Fries and Fried Green Tomatoes just to name a few make this cookbook an instant classic of any home cooks dreams.
The chapter on Pastas, Noodles and Dumplings is a carb lovers fantasy. There are so many wonder variations on the humble noodle that it's just breathtaking. With recipes like Cappellini with White Clam Sauce, Stir fried rice noodles with Black Pepper and Garlic Chives, Thomas Keller's offering "Betty's Spaghetti" you hungry just reading.
In addition there are more international selections of pasta recipes for items like Spaghetti Carbonara, the Korean noodle dish "Japchae", Lo Mein, Spaghetti Cacio e pepe, Pasta with Tomato beer puttanesca sauce, Pad Thai with pork and shrimp, The original Fettucchini Alfredo, Brown butter pasta with sunny side up eggs, Kale and Sausage Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce (a favorite), Garganelli with Peas and Prosciutto (another favorite) as well as the traditional Kasha Varnishkas to roun out the choices of options.
There are in offering also Baked Pasta dishes such as Noodle Kugel, Pastitsio, Macaroni and Cheese , Traditional Lasagnia, accompany filled pastas and dumpling recipes, in addition to rolled pasta's like Lumpia, Egg Rolls, and other types of hand formed dumplings. There are great instructions for all the forementioned items and are well worth perusing as everything has been though of in this cookbook.
To help with the pasta recipes there are also pages of pasta sauces and ragu's to accompany the pastas that you will be making. Helpfully this chapter also highlights the different types of pasta you can purchase or make and how they are best used. Pasta cooking tips are included to round out an exceptional chapter that could well stand alone as it's own cookbook.
No cookbook could be complete without a selection on Beans, Grains and Potatoes, and this cookbook does not dissapoint. Heart and tummy warming offerings for Soupy Beans, Stewed White Beans with Tomato Sauce . Tuskan-Style White Beans, New England Style Baked Beans, Barbequed Baked Beans, Frijoless De Olla, Hoppin John, Fava Falafel, Ethiopian Lentil Stew, French Lentil Salad are among the many great selections here.
There is a large section on rice and a listing on the varieties of rice as well as techniques for cooking rice for best result. We have recipes for jook, Nigerian Red Rice, Iranian Rice Pilaf, Risotto Ala Milanese, Venitian Rice Fritters, Indonesian Fried Rice, Jambalaya, Bibimbap, and offerings for corn dishes like Basic Polenta, Old Fashioned Creamy Grits, grain dishes like Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash & mushrooms, Tabbouleh and countless potato recipes like Old Fashioned Scallopped Potatoes, Jannsen's Temptation, Rosti, Bubble and Squeak, Sauteed Potatoes and Chiles, Potato Galette, Bistro French Fries, Poutine, Neep's and Tatties to round out this chapter.
As a baker, I loved the chapter on Breads and Rolls. The title does not do it justice as the entirety of the chapter supports a large number of varied breadstuffs. Recipes for Italian Bread, Four Hour Baguette, Apple Cider Levain Loaf, Seeded Rye Loaf, Doris Grant's Brown Bread, Gluten Free Sandwitch Bread, Challah, Pulla, compete with offerings like Onion and Poppy Seed Bialys, Homemade Bagels, German Pretzels and Popovers. We are tempted with Mango Bread, Lola Mae's Buttermilk Biscuits, Baking Powder Biscuits, Crumpets, Hush Puppies, Pan De Sal, as well as offerings for flat breads such as Donegal Oatcakes, Flour and Corn Tortillas, Naan, Chapati, Injera, Buckwheat Crepes, Chickpea Flour Crepes, and items like italian Grissini,
The section on Breakfast and Brunch is not only interesting but really fun to read. There are so many regional specialties you will be tempted to try them all. Recipes like Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomato, Huevos Rancheros, Scrambled Eggs with Bread and Chorizo, Hangtown Fry, Fried Rice Omlette, Denver Omlette, Eggs Sardou, Shakshouka, Egg Stuffed Corn Cakes, with instruction on how to make Sausage Patty's, Goetta, Billionaire's Bacon, Scrapple, Fried Country Ham, with Redeye Gravy, and other tried and true fair like Marion Cunningham's yeast raised waffles, Swedish Saffron Buns, Sweet Orange Buns, Crepes with Maple Sugar and Syrup, Vanilla Glazed Yeast Doughnuts, Cinnamon Sugar-Cider Doughnuts, Churros, Sopaipillas, round out a sumptuous selection.
Not to be outdone by the previous selections, the chapter on Desserts, cannot be missed. As one would imagine, Saveur threw out all the stops in making a really wonderful dessert section that is complete in it's breadth. You have traditional offerings such as Lady Baltimore Cake, Coconut Cake, Grapefruit cake, The Best Damn Meyer Lemon Cake, Charlotte A La Fambroise, Smith Island Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Very Moist Chocolate Layer Cake, Cinnamon Coffee Cake and more. Additional offerings such as Indonesian Spice Cake, Lindy's Cheesecake, Persimmon Pudding, Katherine Hepburn's Brownies, Blondies, Nanaimo Bars, Lemon Bars, Blueberry Poppy Seed Squares, Chocolate Chip Cookies hold forth with recipes for Ice Cream, Pudding, Trifles, cobblers, pies, cookies and everything else that one could want in a dessert section.
The section on Drinks is almost the equal of a Bar tending guide and has all the great classic recipes and more included. standby's like the Brandy Old Fashioned, Caipirinha, Perfect Martini, Singapore Sling, White Lady, stand beside unique offering like a Strawberry Pimm's Cup, Corpse Reviver #2, The Untimate Gin Tonic, Irish Cream, Corto Flip, Mai tai, Bananna Daiquri, Pina Colada, Flamingo, Margarita, Bloody Mary, Bloody Ceasar, Salty Dog, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Sazerac, Michelada, Kir Royal, Sangria, Chilled Cider Punch, Ultimate Eggnog, Hot Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Lime Rickey, Chocolate Egg Cream
Holiday Entertaining has classics like Baked Alaska and Standing Rib roast besides a host of other recipes. There are lists for creating the perfect pantry and lists for new cooks just starting out and tips on what to buy. There are tables and instructions to meet every cook's need.
Throughout the design of the book is easy to use and has great illustrations to provide direction to novice cooks. The recipes range from simple to complex and the writing is always helpful and explanations are simple and direct. Even though this book verges on being a tome, it never feels like one and is not crowded for space and has great book design throughout. Something I think was intentional, compared to the old cookbooks that many of us have that are just crammed full. This work is more like an enervating stroll through a lexicon of cookery, and an enjoyable one!
The food range of the book is Americana and items from around the globe. You have a range from Burgers to Bahn Mi. From Frijoles to Hopping John, there is a little of everything here in this book, making this a magnificent gift for any expert or novice cook, and making this essentially the perfect gift book for anyone at all.
The "New Classics Cookbook" by Saveur is a cookbook that anyone would want in their home and being just a fun read for anyone who loves food. Every recipe in this book is exciting and updated for today's kitchens and America's expanding palate.
April 9, 2018
This is one of those you-only-need-one-cookbook cookbooks. Classics from every culture and every ingredient are represented. If you need a photos of the recipes, this is not your cookbook. There are some photos, but they are grouped in two chunks in that old-school cookbook way. Not inspiring to me. There are many recipes I'm looking forward to trying. I'll be starting with the sauces and spice blends. If you are looking for a certain recipe, it is probably in this book.
September 4, 2023
Solid compilation of standard and not so standard recipes. Love the chapters on drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic), pantry, and breads. Also liked essays to cook crispy bacon, use chopsticks, and rendering beef.
Demerits for too brief section on beans and grains and for including a recipe for tomato aspic. Who the hell does that anymore?!?
Demerits for too brief section on beans and grains and for including a recipe for tomato aspic. Who the hell does that anymore?!?
December 18, 2020
Lost one star for using Canola oil. They should know better. Pure product placement. No self-respecting human being, let alone a cook/chef, would use that ingredient over the many other healthy options.
Otherwise. I liked the book. Library, not purchased. Will not purchase.
Otherwise. I liked the book. Library, not purchased. Will not purchase.
February 19, 2023
My favorite cookbook. The recipes aren't stuffy. When you know how to cook, all you need are the facts (Ma'am). That's what you get in this encyclopedic cookbook with great indexes.
In a world where every recipe is at your Google fingertips, I often look here first.
Still relevant.
In a world where every recipe is at your Google fingertips, I often look here first.
Still relevant.
February 6, 2025
Big — But no pictures !
There are several ( Not an over abundance! ) of line drawings, presumably inserted to illustrate subtle points, but The are no illustrations or pictures of The finished product ( ( !!! ) )
Inexcusable for a cooking book !
There are several ( Not an over abundance! ) of line drawings, presumably inserted to illustrate subtle points, but The are no illustrations or pictures of The finished product ( ( !!! ) )
Inexcusable for a cooking book !
March 30, 2021
Complex and finicky with a lot of uncommon ingredients outside the USA but mouth-watering for all that. Ima cook LOTS of these!
June 7, 2021
Very good set of recipes
December 28, 2014
A great compilation of classic recipes. I made the Beef Burgundy, based on Julia Child's classic rendition. It was delicious and took a much more sensible approach than some of the other versions I've tried. I will definitely make it again. I didn't have time to try Ella Fitzgerald's favorite cheesball recipe, but there's always New Year's Eve!
June 8, 2015
Gorgeous physical feel to the book. Paper is delightful to the touch, although the binding creases too easily.
The recipes themselves are pleasing without any real joy. Instructions are sparse, and the pictures are showpieces without feeling inviting.
But any cookbook that quotes Mitch Hedberg has my respect.
The recipes themselves are pleasing without any real joy. Instructions are sparse, and the pictures are showpieces without feeling inviting.
But any cookbook that quotes Mitch Hedberg has my respect.
January 5, 2015
So glad I decided to add this cookbook to my collection. Wish I could cook all day everyday. This book is loaded with gems.
February 14, 2016
Want to cook every recipe!!!!
September 30, 2020
Popsugar 2020: A book with a bird on the cover.
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