I just got an offer in an email to save 50% if I order this cookbook
before 1/1/06. It's normally $35 so it would be $17.50. Has anyone here
ever ordered one of the "Cooks Illustrated" cookbooks? Here is a link:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/book...il.asp?PID=308

TIA!

deepeddygirl wrote:

> I just got an offer in an email to save 50% if I order this cookbook
> before 1/1/06. It's normally $35 so it would be $17.50. Has anyone here
> ever ordered one of the "Cooks Illustrated" cookbooks? Here is a link:
>
> http://www.cooksillustrated.com/book...il.asp?PID=308
>
> TIA!

Are you a baker, or do you aspire to be? If so, I'd recommend this as a
very good resource. I've got a copy (purchased at Costco) that I refer to
often, along with several other "basic" baking books from King Arthur Flour.
I also have more specialized, detailed cookbooks for sub-genres such as
breads, cakes, pies. Cooks Illustrated, despite its limitations, puts out a
good publication.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Spitzmaus wrote:

> deepeddygirl wrote:
>
>
>>I just got an offer in an email to save 50% if I order this cookbook
>>before 1/1/06. It's normally $35 so it would be $17.50. Has anyone here
>>ever ordered one of the "Cooks Illustrated" cookbooks? Here is a link:
>>
>>http://www.cooksillustrated.com/book...il.asp?PID=308
>>
>>TIA!
>
>
> Are you a baker, or do you aspire to be? If so, I'd recommend this as a
> very good resource. I've got a copy (purchased at Costco) that I refer to
> often, along with several other "basic" baking books from King Arthur Flour.
> I also have more specialized, detailed cookbooks for sub-genres such as
> breads, cakes, pies. Cooks Illustrated, despite its limitations, puts out a
> good publication.
>
> Spitz

I love to bake, but I'm not a professional if that's what you mean. My
KitchenAid mixer and I turn out some amazing bread and my family eats
only homemade cookies, brownies, cakes and pies. There is *way* too much
unpronounceable stuff in the baked goods that you get in the grocery store.

I like having a collection of cookbooks so I can compare several recipes
and pick the one that sounds the best, or create a unique recipe from a
combination of the recipes. I've seen the King Arthur Flour cookbooks
mentioned here before and I get their catalog, so I'll take a look.

Thanks for the response!

I'm a home baker, and I've baked a bunch of stuff from that book,
cookies, cakes, bread and pie. The instructions for the single shell
partially baked crust are great. I've gotten rave reviews for the
brownies and the oatmeal raspberry bars. The chocolate cake was
delicious too (wasn't as crazy about the frosting). So it gets a
thumbs up from me.

deepeddygirl wrote:

>
> I love to bake, but I'm not a professional if that's what you mean. My
> KitchenAid mixer and I turn out some amazing bread and my family eats
> only homemade cookies, brownies, cakes and pies. There is *way* too much
> unpronounceable stuff in the baked goods that you get in the grocery
store.
>
> I like having a collection of cookbooks so I can compare several recipes
> and pick the one that sounds the best, or create a unique recipe from a
> combination of the recipes. I've seen the King Arthur Flour cookbooks
> mentioned here before and I get their catalog, so I'll take a look.
>
> Thanks for the response!

Nor am I professional, but prevent me from getting to my oven at your peril.
My KitchenAid has done me proud in the bread department too, and I agree
about the "unpronouceable stuff" in most commercial baked goods.
Unpronounceable *and* unhealthy! Trans-fats, anyone??!?

Have you ever ordered from the KAF catalogue? I recommend the Black Cocoa
Powder; a tablespoon or so added to whatever chocolate batter you're working
with adds an incredible depth of flavor to the end product. A little goes a
very long way, however, so be forewarned.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Marge wrote:

> I'm a home baker, and I've baked a bunch of stuff from that book,
> cookies, cakes, bread and pie. The instructions for the single shell
> partially baked crust are great. I've gotten rave reviews for the
> brownies and the oatmeal raspberry bars. The chocolate cake was
> delicious too (wasn't as crazy about the frosting). So it gets a
> thumbs up from me.

Glad to get another vote for the book, and yes, those oatmeal raspberry bars
are terrific! I've made them with blueberry and olallieberry as well.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Spitzmaus wrote:

> deepeddygirl wrote:
>
>
>>I love to bake, but I'm not a professional if that's what you mean. My
>>KitchenAid mixer and I turn out some amazing bread and my family eats
>>only homemade cookies, brownies, cakes and pies. There is *way* too much
>>unpronounceable stuff in the baked goods that you get in the grocery
>
> store.
>
>>I like having a collection of cookbooks so I can compare several recipes
>>and pick the one that sounds the best, or create a unique recipe from a
>>combination of the recipes. I've seen the King Arthur Flour cookbooks
>>mentioned here before and I get their catalog, so I'll take a look.
>>
>>Thanks for the response!
>
>
> Nor am I professional, but prevent me from getting to my oven at your peril.
> My KitchenAid has done me proud in the bread department too, and I agree
> about the "unpronouceable stuff" in most commercial baked goods.
> Unpronounceable *and* unhealthy! Trans-fats, anyone??!?
>
> Have you ever ordered from the KAF catalogue? I recommend the Black Cocoa
> Powder; a tablespoon or so added to whatever chocolate batter you're working
> with adds an incredible depth of flavor to the end product. A little goes a
> very long way, however, so be forewarned.
>
> Spitz

I use some of their flour, but haven't delved into the other stuff. I'm
like a kid in a candy store when I look through the catalog. I don't
know where to start! I'll check out the cocoa powder.

I have a question about the KAF cookbook. I read the reviews on Amazon
and some people rave about it, while others complain that if you don't
use the KAF products, the recipes don't turn out. Does anyone here have
any experience with that? I think I'll post over at the baking group to
see if anyone there has any feedback. TIA!

On Sun, 04 Dec 2005 01:11:48 GMT, deepeddygirl
> wrote:

>Spitzmaus wrote:
>
>> deepeddygirl wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I love to bake, but I'm not a professional if that's what you mean. My
>>>KitchenAid mixer and I turn out some amazing bread and my family eats
>>>only homemade cookies, brownies, cakes and pies. There is *way* too much
>>>unpronounceable stuff in the baked goods that you get in the grocery
>>
>> store.
>>
>>>I like having a collection of cookbooks so I can compare several recipes
>>>and pick the one that sounds the best, or create a unique recipe from a
>>>combination of the recipes. I've seen the King Arthur Flour cookbooks
>>>mentioned here before and I get their catalog, so I'll take a look.
>>>
>>>Thanks for the response!
>>
>>
>> Nor am I professional, but prevent me from getting to my oven at your peril.
>> My KitchenAid has done me proud in the bread department too, and I agree
>> about the "unpronouceable stuff" in most commercial baked goods.
>> Unpronounceable *and* unhealthy! Trans-fats, anyone??!?
>>
>> Have you ever ordered from the KAF catalogue? I recommend the Black Cocoa
>> Powder; a tablespoon or so added to whatever chocolate batter you're working
>> with adds an incredible depth of flavor to the end product. A little goes a
>> very long way, however, so be forewarned.
>>
>> Spitz
>
>I use some of their flour, but haven't delved into the other stuff. I'm
>like a kid in a candy store when I look through the catalog. I don't
>know where to start! I'll check out the cocoa powder.
>
>I have a question about the KAF cookbook. I read the reviews on Amazon
>and some people rave about it, while others complain that if you don't
>use the KAF products, the recipes don't turn out. Does anyone here have
>any experience with that? I think I'll post over at the baking group to
>see if anyone there has any feedback. TIA!

I have the anniversary book and just looked at a couple of recipes.
The only thing they specify by brand is their flour. If you do not
understand what kind of flour it is and use an entirely different kind
of flour, it may not turn out as well. On the other hand, it makes a
good excuse if you foul up the recipe.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

The Cook wrote:

> I have the anniversary book and just looked at a couple of recipes.
> The only thing they specify by brand is their flour. If you do not
> understand what kind of flour it is and use an entirely different kind
> of flour, it may not turn out as well. On the other hand, it makes a
> good excuse if you foul up the recipe.


Up until this moment, I considered flour to be flour. When I was
finishing up one 5# bag of unbleached white flour, I went to the
supermarket to replace it with another. I compared prices on the brands
there (usually only 2 brands, never more than 3), and bought the least
expensive. (If I remember correctly which I probably don't, usually a 5
cent difference, possibly as much as a 20 cent difference.)


The same goes for the whole wheat flour that I use. I never thought to
compare results in recipes to the brand of flour I was using. On rare
occasion, I might shop specifically for bread flour or cake flour, and
the same goes there. I look for the label on the package, not the brand
name.


Has anyone in a home cooking environment noticed a difference between
brands? (I imagine someone working in a commercial bakery might have
reason to tailor recipes to one brand, but I'm not thinking of that.)
(No, maybe I am. Has anyone in either a home baking environment OR
commercial bakery noticed a difference?)


--Lia

"Julia Altshuler" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> The Cook wrote:
>
>> I have the anniversary book and just looked at a couple of recipes.
>> The only thing they specify by brand is their flour. If you do not
>> understand what kind of flour it is and use an entirely different kind
>> of flour, it may not turn out as well. On the other hand, it makes a
>> good excuse if you foul up the recipe.
>
>
> Up until this moment, I considered flour to be flour. When I was
> finishing up one 5# bag of unbleached white flour, I went to the
> supermarket to replace it with another. I compared prices on the brands
> there (usually only 2 brands, never more than 3), and bought the least
> expensive. (If I remember correctly which I probably don't, usually a 5
> cent difference, possibly as much as a 20 cent difference.)
>
>
> The same goes for the whole wheat flour that I use. I never thought to
> compare results in recipes to the brand of flour I was using. On rare
> occasion, I might shop specifically for bread flour or cake flour, and the
> same goes there. I look for the label on the package, not the brand name.
>
>
> Has anyone in a home cooking environment noticed a difference between
> brands? (I imagine someone working in a commercial bakery might have
> reason to tailor recipes to one brand, but I'm not thinking of that.) (No,
> maybe I am. Has anyone in either a home baking environment OR commercial
> bakery noticed a difference?)
>
>
> --Lia

it's only a problem of publicity, IMHO! Doesn't matter!
Pandora
>

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> The Cook wrote:
>
>> I have the anniversary book and just looked at a couple of recipes.
>> The only thing they specify by brand is their flour. If you do not
>> understand what kind of flour it is and use an entirely different kind
>> of flour, it may not turn out as well. On the other hand, it makes a
>> good excuse if you foul up the recipe.
>
>
>
> Up until this moment, I considered flour to be flour. When I was
> finishing up one 5# bag of unbleached white flour, I went to the
> supermarket to replace it with another. I compared prices on the brands
> there (usually only 2 brands, never more than 3), and bought the least
> expensive. (If I remember correctly which I probably don't, usually a 5
> cent difference, possibly as much as a 20 cent difference.)
>
>
> The same goes for the whole wheat flour that I use. I never thought to
> compare results in recipes to the brand of flour I was using. On rare
> occasion, I might shop specifically for bread flour or cake flour, and
> the same goes there. I look for the label on the package, not the brand
> name.
>
>
> Has anyone in a home cooking environment noticed a difference between
> brands? (I imagine someone working in a commercial bakery might have
> reason to tailor recipes to one brand, but I'm not thinking of that.)
> (No, maybe I am. Has anyone in either a home baking environment OR
> commercial bakery noticed a difference?)
>
>
> --Lia
>

I know what you mean. I thought that too until I started getting their
catalog. The protein and gluten content is different in the flours that
you find in the KAF catalog. They have *tons* of specialty flours and
flavorings, etc. It's overkill for the average baker, but fun to look
through.