Recipe Encyclopedia: A Complete A-Z of Good Food and Cooking

This book probably won't appear on anyone's "must have" list, will never be considered a necessary component of a comprehensive cookbook library. However, I refer to it often and have found it useful. I acquired this cookbook several years ago as a gift and I'm glad I own it.

In the years that I've had this cookbook, I've always been grateful for the illustrated glossary featured in the page margins and the handy information about ingredients at the beginning of each section, but I think I've only been inspired to use one of the recipes. All-in-all, this is a reference worth having, but not the only cookbook you'll ever need.

At first glance this book is a ten but because of the limited information in it I have downgraded that to a seven. If you arenew to adventurous cuisine this book will guide you in areas previous unexplored. I personally found that, while I appreciated the beautiful color photos, I would have much preferred more food information. For example, one entry explains that something is made from almond paste but does not explain how to make almond paste. There is no separate entry under 'Almond Paste'. Some information; not enough; beautful photos. A good getting-started book.

This is a great way the enter the world of gourmet cooking, the recipies are coded in three levels for difficulty and preparation times are listed and accurate. The encyclopedia part of the book goes through the alphabet describing foods and preparation methods, excellent resource!