639 pages
Amazon.com
At 640 pages and nearly two inches thick, Pie, the big book with the shortest possible title, is difficult to read in bed. It's hard to hold up. It weighs on the stomach. But bed is where you will want to take it, night after night, following author Richard Haedrich's lead through fruit pies, berry pies, nut pies, custard pies, turnovers, ice cream pies, and more. Headrich has the most reassuring voice in food literature, and his lifelong passion--the making and baking of all manner of pies--soon begins to fit the reader like new skin.
The first 60 pages are given over to general directions (for example, Haedrich is a firm believer in reading a recipe through to completion before lifting a finger; he rolls his dough on wax paper) and the making and shaping of crust. You will find everything you need to know about creating terrific pie crusts including a friendly pat on the back and the sage advice that great crust comes with experience. This is all but permission to bake several pies a week for the rest of your life. The 300 some recipes in Pie will help you on your way. There are 21 crust recipes alone, everything from that perfect flaky crust to Choco-Nut Press-In Pie Crust.
Ever hear of the Balaton, what sounds like the perfect pie cherry? Haedrich doesn't just give you a cherry pie recipe (there are actually nine), he tells you all about cherries (there's a box titled "Crash Course in Cherries"). And talking about cherries leads to talking about regions of the country, the people in the landscape, the fruit on the trees. You will travel endless miles of back roads with Pie. Haedrich feeds you information in easy bursts, like conversational asides, as recipe leads, as sidebars, as boxes, as how-to notes the author calls "Recipe for Success." In just the pages on cherry pie you'll find out about product sources, sanding sugar, pitting cherries inside plastic bags, lattice pie crusts, baking with kids, knotting cherry stems with your tongue, IQF (individually quick frozen fruit), and much more. And cherry pie isn't a chapter all its own, but a small part of the chapter called Summer Fruit Pies. All told there are 13 chapters in Pie.
Books like Pie don't happen overnight, or even over a year of nights. Haedrich didn't apply his considerable food writing skill to a subject he simply pulled off the shelf. While the tone may be easy going, there's nothing casual here about either the task or the accomplishment. Pie represents a considerable chunk of one man's life wedged between the covers of a book. The tens of thousands of bits and pieces of valuable information, quotes, lines of poetry, not to mention the recipes and careful instruction comes from years and years of both accumulation and winnowing down to the very best.
And all along, page after page, there's that implacably friendly, reassuring voice, leading, encouraging, enlightening. How often do you crack open a cookbook and wind up with a new best friend? Such is the nature of a great book. Such is the magic of Pie and Ken Haedrich. --Schuyler Ingle
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous.......2007-09-23
A really terrific mix of pie recipes -- and all the ones I've tried have been fabulous including the Double Cherry, Apple (one of the 10+ options) and Key Lime (mmmm, mmmm, good!).
Buy it for recipe collection to supplement book on technique........2006-08-29
`Pie' by culinary journalist and editor, Ken Haedrich is an imposing tome of 639 pages that the author freely admits is the largest single book on this subject. And, in my experience, he is probably right, although Rose Levy Beranbaum's `The Pie and Pastry Bible' weighs in at 692 pages, although it is not exclusively about the classic American sweet pie with its characteristic 9 or 9 ½ inch diameter and sloping sides, which distinguishes it from the French tart.
While sheer size alone suggests this book has a lot going for it, the contents confirm that this is a serious reference of recipes and techniques for that great American dessert. Unfortunately, this may still not be the very best text you can get on making good pies. There are three major reasons for that opinion.
First, the aforementioned `Bible' and Susan Purdy's `As Easy as Pie' are both superior texts for presenting good illustrated techniques for how to deal with all the ins and outs of making that elusive tender and flaky piecrust. Haedrich has very few diagrams to illustrate his techniques. The only one I saw was a series of diagrams for assembling a lattice top crust which you commonly see on cherry pies. Other techniques such as pastry cutouts may have been decorated with a single drawing, but hardly a full illumination of the subject. This is doubly irksome as Haedrich's basic technique for transferring the rolled pastry to the inside of the pie plate is not the most common method. In fact, I find his recommended method just as prone to mishaps as the three other methods I have seen or read about.
Second, I really didn't find his coverage of pie pastry methods to be as complete as what we have in the two other references I cite. Unlike Beranbaum and Purdy, Haedrich is just a bit too connected to a particular technique for each task. He even goes so far as to `debunk' some methods such as the technique of rolling pastry dough out between two pieces of plastic. Now it just so happens that based on a demonstration done by my hero, Alton Brown, on an episode of Good Eats, I actually used this method, using a disassembled freezer storage bag for the plastic, and I am happy to say it worked like a charm. Since it was very easy to flip the pastry over and reflour its surface now and again, I was able to roll it out to a very decent circle with no mishaps. And, I had no problems transferring it to the pie dish using the fold in half method. Beranbaum and Purdy tend to give us a range of possibilities, and let us pick the method that works best for us. I find it especially odd that Haedrich doesn't include a description of the classic French technique for working butter into pastry, which Purdy covers to excellent effect.
Third, for a book this big dedicated exclusively to pies, I would have expected it to cover all the standards, then move on to variations. Oddly, I discovered that almost every `classic' pie recipe I looked for was missing from this book. I looked for a standard peach pie recipe and found only some variations which used some expensive ingredients I was not prepared to buy (I stuck with my old favorite from Purdy's book). I looked for a classic mince pie recipe and only found a Mincemeat - Green Tomato pie. This is not a very practical recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we are most inclined to make a mincemeat pie. (Purdy comes through again with a great method for jazzing up jarred mincemeat preparations.) I could also find no references to `tarts' at all, even to the classic Tarte Tatin (French Apple Pie). I suspect the Tarte Tatin is probably covered in the author's Apple Pie book.
All this means this book is not quite the DEFINITIVE volume it hopes to be, but that doesn't mean it is not a very good book to have if you happen to really like baking pies. I highly recommend it as a second book after you have Susan Purdy's excellent and inexpensive trade paperback `As Easy as Pie' (There are some other Purdy pie books which are really abridgments of the larger book. Try to get the original.) If you can't find Purdy's book, Nick Malgieri's `Perfect Pastry', also in paperback, is a great manual for basic techniques, especially since his techniques are illustrated with photographs, if that works better for you. While Barenbaum's book is, in many ways, the best of the lot, it tends to be oriented to professional baking methods, and it spends a lot of time explaining the whys and wherefores behind the techniques.
Haedrich has two important things going for him. First, the book is a very easy read. You will enjoy yourself wandering through his opinions on pies and pie making techniques, even if you rely more heavily on other texts. Second, this is a huge collection of PIE recipes. If you have no interest whatsoever of venturing into the world of tarts, galettes, or some other fancy European pastry, this book will keep you occupied for years, as long as you have at least one good reference like Purdy for the standards. It is also nicely priced, being about $6 less (or even less if you get the paperback), list price, than Beranbaum's similarly sized volume (although Beranbaum's Bibles are worth every penny for the serious baker).
A very good source for pie recipes overall.
don't have to be a pie lover to love this book.......2006-06-10
This book is not a feast for the eyes as there are very few photos. However, I love this book for the information that is included along with each recipe (as much as I love reading the lucious recipes!). The writing is very conversational, not condescending. Even if you don't bake, you'll be tempted to try most of the recipes in this book. Don't want to spend the effort for a lemon meringue pie? Try the "10-minute" version. Don't want to spend the effort to make your own crust? Read the reviews of store-bought ones to make your best choice. Or perhaps you are looking for a new one to try -- there are over 20 different crust recipes!
I also like that the recipes are not made-up fancy ideas but tried and true (many from restaurants). The author's notes are included for each recipe, noting where the recipe originated, what type of pan he uses for this particular recipe, options for different types of crusts, tips he found useful for working with the ingredients.
Despite it's thickness, the paperback cover seems sturdy enough to withstand many years of use.
excellent!.......2006-01-17
Very well written, has just about any pie recipe you could be looking for and then some. He has a huge selection of just crust recipes alone, plus numerous ways to make them (i.e. by hand, food processor, electric mixer.) Just for the crust recipes alone this book is worth having, in my opinion.
His directions are clear and and easy to follow. This book is a good choice for both the beginner or experienced baker. He discusses various types of pie pans, when to choose a particular type of crust, etc. Which as any experienced baker knows, these things make a huge difference in the quality of the finished product.
At first glance this book was mind boggling in the number of recipes to choose from. After perusing the book I chose a few to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they turned out well.
Great for chefs with any amount of experience.......2005-11-27
This book is incredibly articulate and well thought out - it is easy to navigate and even easier to follow the recipes. It explains why it is necessary to do things a certain way and what to look for during the mxing/baking process to ensure your pie will have the right texture. It also leaves room for creativity and improvisation for bakers with more experience, as it diagrams the art of pie-making by carefully explaining the basics and showing you when and where digression from the recipe would be optimal.
Customer Reviews:
Very Informative and Very Entertaining.......2005-09-09
I saw that this won the Best Cat book of the year award and I'm not surprised. I thought I knew a lot about cats but I learned a great deal of really practical and helpful things from this book. Plus it was a lot of fun (and easy) to read.
Mediocre.......2005-06-22
Honestly, this really wasn't a very helpful book. All it seemed to be was a bunch of information gathered from a ton of other cat books and compiled into this one. I enjoy reading cat book but I found this one to be a bit annoying because I felt like I had read it already. Save your money and pick it up at the library if you feel the need to read it.
Lots of Information.......2004-07-13
This book is packed with lots of information regarding cats and their owners. A must read for anyone new to owning a cat. Not as necessary for someone who knows allot about cats, as they will probably know most of the information in the book, but can still pick up on some pointers. Great book, Highly Recommended!
Pretty basic.......2002-08-11
Great book if you've never had cats but I've had cats for 11 years and I guess they've been pretty good teachers 'cause they've already told me most of what was in this book. Great gift for someone who's just getting cats though!
Have cats? This book is for you.......2002-07-11
I share my home with two DSH cats, both being rescures. My female loves to play fetch, peek-a-boo, and gives kisses with her big green eyes. My male was abused when he was a kitten by a previous horrible owner, who used to kick him. This book has helped me understand him through his behavior and his body language. He still is cautious of our feet, when we walk by him, but he now loves to be held and kissed, as long as we are sitting down. Every page of this book was informative and also very funny. I've had cats in my life for over 25 years, and after reading this book, I've learned so many new and exciting things. This book is a must.
Average customer rating:
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American Country Collectibles: 1st Ed.
Dawn E. Reno
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
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ASIN: 0876377967
Release Date: 1990-11-21 |
Book Description
Adventurous needleworkers will welcome this special treatment of the art of embroidering with the soft cotton yarn known as candlewicking. The unusual designs, which you can apply to 27 different practical and beautiful projects, work well in a variety of settings, from tea cosies and cushion covers to decorative mini-quilts and banners, and from a needle book to a matching baby bag and wool blanket. All the completed projects appear in full-page, full-color photos, while each meticulous step comes fully illustrated with a stitch guide, time-saver tips, and charts. To make your projects even more original and personal, try the special sections that make the most of threads, beads, buttons, ties, tea-dyed fabrics and cords.
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Nature in Design: The Shapes, Colors and Forms that Have Inspired Visual Invention
Alan Powers
Manufacturer: Conran
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 184091257X |
Amazon.com
Nature in Design cleverly juxtaposes images of things natural and man-made: an armadillo and the hooded roof of Jørn Utzon's Sidney Opera House, the Finnish woodlands and an interior by Alvar Aalto, a bird's nest and a "cocoon lounge" from the 1960s, a fish skeleton and Santiago Calatrava's Lyon Station. The photographs alone will amuse and amaze, but Alan Powers's book could also serve as an insightful, intelligent introduction to basic principles of design, which are nearly always based on or in reaction to the natural world, as those principles have shifted over time.
Drawing often surprisingly sound connections, Powers examines the patterns and forms found in nature and how man has imitated them (or attempted to do so) since the beginning of human creativity. The double helix form underlies a Renaissance staircase at Pozzo di San Patrizio in Italy; animal skins are imitated in textile designs not only for the aesthetic impact the patterns provide but because they are structurally effective; illustrations in children's books and the colors of traffic signs are conceived and designed with our natural associations to such images and colors in mind.
From the Fibonacci sequence to fractals, from the Golden Section and the spiral of a nautilus shell to the structural tension in a cobra's skin, from Sir Thomas Lipton's tree house to Alice Waters's organic revolution, from Le Corbusier's chapel at Ronchamp to the Versus line of makeup by Versace, Powers's interests are wide-ranging, his discussions thoughtful and refreshingly intricate. --Liana Fredley
Book Description
Nature is the ultimate inspiration for artists, graphic designers, fashion designers, and interior decorators. By seeing lavish color photos of nature's influence on where we live and what we wear, it's easy to understand today's big return to natural design. You'll get to examine a saguaro cactus as a model of skyscraper engineering, an airport inspired by bat wings, and a London apartment inspired by cliff-dwelling tribes. Then you learn what influences you as, for example, you view the many natural objects that curl and coil into spirals (shells, nests, flowers, feathers, ferns, galaxies, hurricanes, the DNA molecule). Or, ask yourself why broccoli forms a fractal. Or, how a bird's feather makes a perfect kind of clothing.
Customer Reviews:
A wonder of nature.......2003-09-30
Powers is at his best with this thoughtful and wideranging work. There is something for everyone in this book!
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Looking for Mr. Fluxus: In the Footsteps of George Maciunas
Grady T. Turner ,
Cristian Alexa ,
Melissa Brown ,
Patty Chang ,
Redas Dirzys ,
Tim Hailey ,
Skuta Helgason ,
Scott Hyde ,
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Patrick Killoran ,
Dainius Liskevicius ,
Christopher Lowery ,
Darius Miksys ,
Ezra Shales ,
Diana Shobrys , and
Alma Skersyte
Manufacturer: Art in General
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Mr. Fluxus: A Collective Portrait of George Maciunas 1931-1978
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Fluxus Experience (Ahmanson-Murphy Fine Arts Book)
ASIN: 1883967147
Release Date: 2003-07-02 |
Book Description
Forty years after Lithuanian immigrant George Maciunas began organizing concerts and penning publications in New York, Looking for Mr. Fluxus brings together artists from New York and Central and Eastern Europe to explore the legacy of Fluxus and its transcontinental influence on the contemporary work of emerging artists. This book documents the artwork shown at Art in General and serves as an ongoing Fluxus project with new submissions by the participating artists, an essay by the curators, and an interview with Fluxus founder George Maciunas.
Book Description
an excellent collection of Gilroy's recent essays
Books:
- Ripley Bogle (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- River With No Bridge (Tuttle Classics of Japanese Literature)
- Robinson R22: A Pilot's Guide (ASA Reference Books)
- Searching For UnMediated Truth
- Selected Poetry And Prose Of Shelley (Wordsworth Poetry Library) (Wordsworth Poetry Library)
- Shamara and Other Stories (Writings from an Unbound Europe)
- Shooting Dr. Jack: A Novel
- Silent Duchess
- Silent Sinners, Silent Saints
- Soldiers Alive
Books Index
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Merlin stay home.......2007-09-07
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