Roasting-A Simple Art

When we moved to Asia last fall I had to get rid of half my cookbooks and many of my pans... but there was no way I was going to let go of "Roasting" or my non-stick roaster! I have roasted three Thanksgiving turkeys -- two fresh birds, as Kafka recommends, and one frozen (turkey's hard to come by in Taiwan) -- and all three came out BEAUTIFULLY. What was the brouhaha all about?When I first bought the book I roasted a lot of meat: pork loin, chickens, lamb shanks--all were excellent. Now I find myself turning more often to the vegetable section; I especially like to roast a pan of mixed veggies (Kafka gives a table for timing them all perfectly) to serve as an appetizer and in my own recipe for a hearty, flavorful soup that even my vegan friends can enjoy. Her recipes for left-overs are so tempting I roast with a week's worth of meals in mind.I have given this book as a gift, and shared recipes with guests who love the food. I have no complaints about the mess. Maybe it's my non-stick pan--cast-iron works great, too--but I have had no problem with too much smoke (a little is to be expected), encrusted pans, or a filthy oven afterwards.If you like to cook, and if you like to serve and eat great meals even more, you have to try this one out. Kafka makes it fun & easy, and she makes you laugh -- I love this book.

I learned to cook in my teenage years, and learned a lot of things from my parents, my grandmother, and from cookbooks. However, I have never come across a cookbook that changed my outlook on cooking more than this one. After hearing Barbara Kafka on the radio, I bought a copy as an impulse buy. After reading the book and trying out a couple of recipies, I was hooked. It is the only cookbook that I proselytize about, and I have provided copies to several family members and friends. Perfect meats and vegetables - every time. Juicier meat than I ever had been able to cook in the oven before. A profound change in the way I prepare foods.Try it - you will never look at your oven in the same way again.

Without doubt one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. And I mean READ. Kafka's writing style is as comforting as the food she teaches you to prepare. The roast chicken, lamb, rib roast (rare, but not Saxon pillage), beef fillet...one better than the next. Makes a bit of a mess but cooking is an art and some energy needs to be expended. Lent the book to a friend about a month ago. I think she changed her phone number so I couldn't call her to get it back!

A few days ago I made the absolute best roast chicken I have ever had. My family raved about it. The butter-lemon-garlic inside the bird made it great. I made two together since one chicken is never enough if you want leftovers. The bad side is after back breaking scrubbing - my almost new oven is still dirty. A new professional Viking and NO self cleaning! I loved the chicken but don't think I can go through this hard work every time. I still don't know what else to try to clean off what's left in there. She recommends lining the bottom of the oven with foil but the Viking info I have says NOT to do that. Has anyone else lined the bottom of their oven with foil and not had problems with heat distribution? I also made the New York Strip Roast and that too was out of this world.

This cookbook is not for those with a fear of cooking! With average temperatures just shy of inferno and the potential to so utterly destroy your main course that no quantity of scraping and salt is going to ressurect it (regardless of what your mother say's), these recipes are a high risk proposition. However, the rewards are well worth it. Kafka's tarragon chicken will remind you that chicken breast can be moist and flavorful, and her pork loin with onion and rubarb sauce will make your guest think you've been professionally trained. With a well calibrated oven, a good set of Pyrex casserole pans, and a scrubbing sponge with green abrasive, you will have great success with this cookbook: it is absolutely one of the best references in my library.