San Francisco Encore

No matter how many years pass, this cookbook remains relevant. I have used this cookbook along with San Francisco Ala Carte since the 90's. I lived and worked in the Bay Area, these recipes are authentic and delicious.

I was very skeptical ordering a used book and was most pleasantly surprised at the quality! It looks nearly new -- in VERY good condition. We are trying to order some of our out-of-print cookbooks for a niece that just married and this was a real find. Thank you so much and I will certainly use this service again.

As I said in review of San Francisco Ala Carte-you can't go wrong. I probably have over 200 cookbooks and between Sunset Recipe annuals and these-they are the most used to reference of all that I have. Reliable and tasty doesn't change with the years and I love the use of ingredients I grew up eating in Northern California

This is a standout among communtity/fundraiser cookbooks. The format is clean and easy to follow. Ingredients are in bold type and consistant throughout. Instructions are clearly written, steps are not omited and they are not too wordy. Each section is clearly named with the "cute" name saved for the second page of the section (ie: SOUP chapter is also named Mendocino) and includes a written description of the region and it's food history. Some of our favorite recipes are from this book. The "Mustard Chicken in Phyllo" is an easy to make ahead dinner party favorite. The soups are amazing. The "Red Pepper Soup" is easy to make and delicious as is the "Black Bean Soup con Salsa". The "Soupe de Poisson" is more complicated to make but well worth the effort; with a salad and bread it is the perfect summer dinner to delight your friends. The "Kaluha Cinnamon Raisin Rolls" are one of my brunch staples. This makes the perfect shower gift along with The Silver Palate Cookbook and The Frog Commissary Cookbook.

This is my favorite and most cherished cookbook even though I am a Virginian and this is a decidedly Californian cookbook. I picked up by chance in a used bookstore and began making recipes from it and was soon quite impressed. After 5 years, I have yet to find a bad recipe in the book. Furthermore, the recipes are elegant and somewhat fancy while not being too out of the mainstream or too exotic -- or too difficult for that matter. Interestingly, many of the recipes in here have become "standards" (Khalhua pie, baked brie, Indonesian rice salad) with variations on them popping up in other cookbooks and on the web. These are the original, simple versions that first began to define California cooking. You'll enjoy this.

I have always looked for recipes that are fairly easy but that produce delicious results. This cookbook meets my criteria! Every recipe I have tried has been a success.