Gourmet Today: More than 1,000 Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen Hardcover – January 1, 2009

This is one of my favorite cookbooks (along with the original yellow one). The recipes are so well-written and easy to follow, and turn out spectacularly. I have made dozens and dozens of recipes from this cookbook and have yet to find one I don't like. A few favorites are the Curried Red Lentil Stew with Vegetables (delicious spices), the Hot Fudge Sauce (EASY and one of the best I've tried), Chicken, Rice, and Mango Lettuce Wraps (especially with the spicy peanut sauce that is part of another recipe), the Chocolate-Glazed Hazelnut Mousse Cake (so chocolatey and creamy, with a crisp chocolate shortbread crust), Vegetable Enchiladas with Creamy Poblano Sauce (worth the price of the cookbook just for this recipe), Green Rice (yummy with any Mexican fare), Linguine with Zucchini and Mint (surprisingly full-flavored and delicious with so few ingredients), Lentil, Sausage, and Escarole Soup (perfect for a simple winter dinner), Baked Butter-Pecan French Toast with Blueberry Syrup (YUM), Maple Sugar Ragamuffins (easy enough for the kids to do a lot of the prep), Apricot Cobbler (also delicious with peaches and/or nectarines), Ginger Doughnut Rounds (tender and packed with delicious ginger flavor), and Parsley-Crouton Omelets with Gruyere (everybody raves about these--a favorite for brunch).I love how there are so many easy recipes that can be made quickly on a weeknight, along with several more involved recipes for a Sunday dinner. AND there is so much information at the beginning of each recipe and lots of tips and tutorials scattered throughout the book. I have learned that the bake times are sometimes a little too long for some of the baked goods (I use a thermometer for breads and rolls to not over bake them) but individual ovens can vary quite a bit, so adjust according to your oven and check baked goods a little early.Happy cooking!

OVER 1000 recipes from Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichel. From cocktails to appetizers to turkey dinner, I can't imagine ever looking anywhere else for a delicious recipe that is geared to the way we shop, cook, and eat today. Forget the internet, I now have my go-to for anything that now comes out of my kitchen. Highly recommend. Warning, there are no pictures - how could there be with 1000 recipes?! But the recipes are so easy, and the sketches (eg, how to fold a spring roll) so helpful, that I didn't have any problems getting them right w/o pics. My 1st try, the Brown Sugar Barbecued Chicken was amazing!

I am very pleased with the first Gourmet book but this one has many recipes I find not interesting to me. But with 1000 recipes I'm sure to find many I like. I was looking for a nice interesting cake or cookie to serve to company. I wanted something a bit unusual and didn't find anything here. There are lots of dishes with unusual items I can't easily find here in Israel. But positively I do like the introductions to each recipe and also the extra paragraphs with more general information scattered throughout. The glossary explaining the different food types is very useful and t he index is excellent. The book sits flat and has good sized type and paper all helping to make it useful. I may change my minds as I continue using the book so I'm happy I bought it.

This is my stranded on a desert island cookbook. I write a food blog and love cooking, especially ethnic food. I tell all my friends who love to cook if I am stranded on a desert island and can only have one cookbook, this would be it...I'm not sure I could find all the ingredients on the desert island...but that is besides the point. I bought the book to give to a friend who loves to cook, and have given it to other friends as well.I can't say enough good things about Ruth Reichl, I thoroughly enjoyed all of her novels as well. What I love about this cookbook that makes it worth its weight and size, is EVERY single recipe is great. I know with confidence that I can make any of these recipes for the first time for guests and it will not only turn out but taste great. She has tested these recipes so well, that you don't have to worry. I recently moved to a temporary condo while our homes sells in another state. I only brought one cookbook, this one...it is kinda like being stranded on a desert island.The cookbook also has recipes like many of us cook today, if you are well traveled or appreciate food from other countries, this is the cookbook. There is everything from Mexican to Thai. I really appreciate the cooking tips too. I made homemade ricotta for the first time from this cookbook, it made me wonder why I would ever buy it in a store.

I will begin with the sections are typical as far as how the book is categorized. The index is wonderful because they sort the recipes in a variety of ways, by item or culture which I love.the green sections of the book are guides such as Which glass for which drink, Olives, the art of stir fry(something I love cooking)and okra. Very helpful information, turns the cookbook into a reading book.Some of the recipes require lots of ingredients and a lot of time to prepare, but worth the effort.It is so easy to keep cooking food the same way over and over causing boredom with cooking. This book helps you step outside your normal and create dishes that your family and friend will love. The recipes go from appetizers to drink and everything in between. It would be hard not to find something to prepare from this cookbook.Many recipes include cooks notes that will tell you what you prepare in advance, how long you can store items and if you need special equipment.Some of the main dish recipes include suggested sides to go with the dish which can be very helpful if you are not sure what to pair with the dish.This book also includes menus sorted by season(summer, spring, Etc.), Holiday, Party and International menus.The book includes Gourmets usual tips and techniques, glossary and sources sections.Great cookbook that will brings years of good cooking to your household.