The Good Stuff Cookbook: Over 300 Delicacies to Make at Home

Looking for recipes for homemade condiments, salads, burger toppings, butters, oils, breads, and other miscellaneous things that usually get relegated to the appendix of other cookbooks? Well this is your book! I made the red wine relish for a BBQ last year, and after tasting it on their burgers, guests started piling it on their plate as a salad! Next time, I'm going to have to triple the recipe. The recipes are clear, easy to follow, usually don't include too many ingredients and don't take all that much time. This book is absolutely indispensable if you're trying to make as much of your own food as possible.

If I could give this cookbook 10 stars, I surely would. Here are some truly wonderful recipes for just the sort of tasty foods that one usually has to find in upscale delicatessens or fancy restaurants. A nice touch is Helen Witty's notes in the margin that give helpful tips on achieving the most successful results. I've learned a lot about cooking techniques from this cookbook that have made me a better and more confident cook. The relishes and dessert toppings are fabulous. But the home-made condiments section is one of my most favorite parts of this cookbook. I've given home-made vinegars and flavored oils in pretty bottles as Christmas gifts and I always have a bottle of citrus vinegar in my pantry -- great for salads! The selection of 'good stuff' recipes included here makes this an unusual and (for me) indispensable resource in my cookbook collection. I recommend it highly. ______________ [And as for the gentleman who wrote that he wondered how many chicken livers to use -- I have made the liver mousse recipe with the standard containers one usually finds in the meat section of the supermarket (about a pound, I think), simply adjusting seasonings and chicken fat to get the right consistency -- no problem!]