Sauces and Salsas

Was pleased with the speedy delivery. Would have loved the book 100% if not for the many kitchen splatters on the outer cover. Since it was meant as a present, had to give it without that, which is a shame, since it leaves the book unprotected during food preparation in the kitchen

The author, Oded Schwartz, is an Israeli who performed his most notable chefing in London. Here, he has produced a very shrewd specialty cookbook which any experienced home cook would find useful. Schwartz's salsas, sauces, and dressing will take most common dishes to a higher level of quality. I found two recipes in particular which I much savored. The first is "Spicy Tomato and Chili Sauce for Fish" (pages 76-77), and, "Tandoori Marinade" (for chicken or lamb, page 110). These recipes are not particularly difficult and a beginner could pull them off as the instructions are clearly rendered. For those who share my interest in high-end scratch dishes, you'll find this cookbook quite useful.

In this sumptuously illustrated sauce-making-heaven cookbook, Oded Schwartz shows how simple dishes can be transformed with a simple sauce. The sauce-making techniques are captured in step-by-step color photographs. Imagine frothy sabayon, velvety veloute, smooth crème anglaise, bright tomato salsa, aromatic curry. He presents everything from the ordinary to the sublime. Oded Schwartz was born and brought up in Israel, where his interest in a variety of cuisines blossomed. He is also the author of "In Search of Plenty" and "Fast and Fresh Mediterranean." Although he claims there is no sorcery involved in making a good sauce, you will think this book is filled with magic spells for your taste buds! Here he presents an eclectic collection of his favorite recipes. In a way, this is a culinary trip around the world. You will be quite hungry by page 10! Imagine green goddess dressing dripping off a juicy steak or swordfish steaks swimming in a Mediterranean marinade made with fresh dill and lemon peel. The format in this book is rather unique. What occurs is a serious of pages with descriptions on categorized sauces and page numbers by each item. Then you turn to individual pages for the recipe. Herb Sauces: Dill Pesto, Green Goddess Dressing Sauces using Spices & Aromatics: Sosatie Marinade, Tamarind Dipping Sauce, Lemongrass Butter Sauce. Chili Sauces: Harissa, Pomegranate Salsa Tomato Sauces: Relish, Raita, Gravy and Coulis Dairy Sauces: Chocolate Custard, Yogurt & Honey Sauce, Mornay Sauce, Tandoori Marinade Fruit Sauces: Banana Caramel Sauce, Cherry Sauce, Raspberry Vinegrette Alcoholic Sauces: Zabagline, Rum & Ginger Butter, Juniper Demi-glaze Techniques are described and you will more than likely have everything you need to whip up these sauces. Might I suggest looking into a zester and the all important strainers for a few recipes. Other Recipes to compliment the Sauce Recipes: Chicken Stock, Brown Stock, Fish Stock and Vegetable Stock Fun Recipes: Flavored Oils, Flavored Butters, Salsas, Dips, Marinades & Spice Pastes. Sauce Recipes Include: White Sauces, Bechamel, Hollandaise, Mushroom Sauce, Exotic Bechamel, Lemongrass & Coconut Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Orange & Saffron Sabayon, Red Wine Sauce, Lemon Sauce, Traditional Pan Gravy, Aioli, Mole and so much more! A chart on pg. 138 gives the details on how to match partner sauces with Poultry, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Fish & Shellfish, Vegetables, Salads, Pasta, Rice and noodles. All your favorite cordon blue classics, chutneys, curries, marinades, dips, pasta sauces, relishes, sambals, custards and syrups are in this book. I'll say it is Quite Impressive!!! ~The Rebecca Review

One of the things I like so much about this book is the colorful photography. Some books come with nothing while this book includes a photograph for absolutely everything. It also includes photos of the recipe in progress. While this book does have a very large range of recipes, and some may be over the top for every day, I like having the very guided book that can assist me in making something out of the ordinary. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I have.

Like his preserving book, Oded Schwartz's Sauces and Salsas is a wealth of information. Learning to cook when you are face to face during the transformation of the food is obviously the best way to understand how to execute a specific recipe. Since in books that is only possible in the world of J.K Rowlings, Schwartz does the next best thing by including not only photographs of the finished product, but also of the step by step changes during the process. When he says, "...until thick and glossy," you are able to see how thick and glossy it should be in the pictures. Another great aspect of this book is the section on basic techniques. This section teaches one how to master all of the recipes in this book, as well as how to invent your own sauces and salsas. One thing buyers need to be cautious of is that many of the recipes are somewhat fancy and could be too intricate to perform quickly and easily in everyday cooking. This is also a very creative book, but just in case you aren't sure what to serve with tomato butter, exotic fruit relish, smoky chili oil or pomegranate & Herb salsa, orange mustard mayonnaise, or exotic hollandaise, Schwartz has also included a chart that matches sauces with food, so you know what goes well on which kinds of meat, pasta, or ice cream.