Renaissance Culinaire: Reviews

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25 June 2008

Book Reviews: Let's Get Ready Series 8

. Book reviews, children, educational, first grade, kindergarten, paperback, parent reviewers, pre-K, Reviews

I am excited to review 2 wonderful children's books that are geared at readying your little ones for Kindergarten and First Grade. My daughter will be entering kindergarten this Fall, and these books couldn't have come at a better time.

Out of all the "get ready" books I have seen so far, the Let's Get Ready Series from Cedar Valley Publishing are the most engaging for kids and made from materials that are kid friendly.

Both books are paperback, with thicker than average paperback pages - that are laminated! What a great feature, this allows you to let your children, or even their younger siblings handle the book without worrying too much about the book getting torn.

These books aren't just work at home books - they teach the curriculum that is found in your child's kindergarten and firstgrade classrooms.

Plus 10% of the profits are donated to literacy programs.

Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! (Let's Get Ready Series)
is written by Linda Desimowich and Stacey Kannenberg . Illustrated by Joyce Babel-worth.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Cedar Valley Publishing (March 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933476001
ISBN-13: 978-193347600

Mrs. Good , the books fictional teacher guides you and your little reader through the skills needed to prepare your child for her kindergarten class: telling time, recognizing money, making a calendar, colors and shapes, body parts, counting to 100, learning 5 senses, rhyming words, opposites, seasons and much more.

From reading, to recognizing money, to learning which hand is left or right , the fictional classmates in the book show your child learning IS fun. My daughter was begging me to teach her with this book.

The illustrations are very lively and fun. With great colors to keep little ones interest on each page you share.

This book not only will give you the tools and confidence to teach your child in an engaging, age appropriate way - But will also give you tips on how to ready your child for school days, and coach her on classroom issues such as bullying.

Lets Get Ready For First Grade!(Let's Get Ready Series)
Written by Dori Schmitz and Illustrated by Tracey Jackson.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 44 pages
Publisher: Cedar Valley Publishing (March 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933476109
ISBN-13: 978-1933476100

Mrs. Best, the books fictional teacher, and fictional classmates, will help you teach your child important academic milestones to learn for first grade : Writing full name & number, recognizing upper and lower case letters that out out of sequence, adding & subtraction, numbers 1-30, counting to 100, recognizing patterns, skip counting by 5s, 10s to 100, know money and value, reading basic sentences, under standing weather and so much more.

The illustrations are still fun and inviting, but are much more detailed in this book, sure to interest more motivated first graders.

Lets Get Ready For First Grade! really details first grade classwork. You will feel right at home teaching and following along with the book.There are also tips for fostering self esteem and proper ways to handle sensitive issues.

Overall Let's Get Ready Series are great books that will having you wondering why you didn't find them sooner. Your children will enjoy having the time spent with you and learning the cool skills in these books. I highly recommend them!

Product Review : Screen, Inc's Tween Screen 2

. allergies, children, facial sunscreen, hypo-alergenic, lotion, made for tweens, non-greasy, parent reviewers, product reviews, products made in USA, Reviews, safe for eczema sufferers, SPF 16+, sunscreen

As an eczema sufferer and a very allergy prone person, I am always weary of trying new lotions or creams - afraid of the onslaught of terrible itching a wrong ingredient will send my skin reeling from. Most of the time I loath even "sensitive skin" formulas because they usually cause even more irritation.

But I was pleasantly surprised when opening Screen Inc. The lotion was very lightly scented with a tropical smell. There are no heavy perfumes or chemical smells.

When I applied the lotion - my eczema was not even affected a little. I didn't get any hives or itchiness. This is pretty big considering my history with lotions and allergies.

A little of the Tween Screen went a long way to cover a larger area. The sunscreen when applied to skin was very light, and there was no greasiness whatsoever. The sunscreen went on smoothly and absorbed quickly into the skin - it didn't need to be worked in and massaged diligently like some major brand sunscreens.

Plus there are allot of botanical ingredients I felt were nice to see when going through the list of ingredients. Screen Inc. Sunscreens are all made in the USA.

Tween Screen is geared toward daily use on the face. It has a SPF of 16+. That SPF is pretty standard for facial sunscreens.

Higher SPFs are available and are recommended - but that day I forgot my sunscreen and this was handy in my purse.

Overall I felt this would be a sunscreen I could be comfortable recommending - especially for people with extremely sensitive skin - who are prone to eczema , and for tweens who are at that stage when they are just approaching puberty - this will not clog pores, or feel to greasy on their skin - and if has a very pleasant scent.

Screen Inc. Also has other sunscreen products such as Man screen, Chick Screen (for us women folk) and Teen Screen (for the active teen). You can even purchase the screen in bulk.

07 June 2008

Custom Invites , Fast Service 2

. baby - toddler products, entertaining, Non Culinaire, parent reviewers, parties, Reviews, website reviews

Do you value fast service? Most people would answer this question with a resounding yes. In an age when convenience is king, customer service sometimes gets left at the wayside. But apparently not at izzyprints.com. They will ready your invites within 2-3 days and ship them to you as fast as possible. If you find an error or have a problem with your order - they will go above and beyond to help rectify it and make sure your needs have been met.

...Invites in A hurry?
Need
..birth announcements..

...party invitations...
Kwanza?...

Here is one of their baby shower designs:

Click on the above image to view the product page.

On reviewing the website, I was pleasantly surprised at the layout. This site is customer very customer friendly.There are no itty bitty fonts, or hidden links - everything is within your view. The navigation is straightforward and logical, with all their products linked via text link, under six specific holidays or celebration categories in the right sidebar, or on the horizontal drop down menu below the header. The site search and customer service number are well defined at the top of the page.

Everywhere you look there is a navigation link - so forget about getting lost in a sea of webpages. Kudos for the website's usability.

The graphics are not drab. Images are easy on the eyes, and not over done. When you click on an item link, the product page layout is great. All the info you could possibly need about an invitation is right there in an organized format. Their are no cluttered links or images to distract your attention - just an image of the invitation design it's self.

This is a site I would recommend to anyone based on user friendliness alone - so grannies get your glasses, you will feel technologically uplifted when ordering this years Holiday seasons greetings.

The prices are reasonable and the card designs are really cute. Izzyprints.com present their product well and seem to regard their businesses reputation, as well as the customer's satisfaction very highly.

From the Site:

Izzyprints is dedicated to bringing you a quality
service at affordable prices, while ensuring fast
turnaround times. We strive to make your life
easier by simplifying the online design and
print process while allowing you to share your
memories with the world around you.

What products do we offer?

* Birthday Invitations
* Birth Announcements
* Party invitations
* Thank You cards
* Christmas cards
* Hanukkah cards
* Religious Invitations
* Baptisms
* Christenings
* Religious Celebrations
* Bar Mitzvahs
* Baptism Party
* Christening Party
* Baby shower Invitations

I was really interested to find a invitation category for Quinceanera (W) and also for Kwanzaa(W). Those holidays aren't as mainstream (yet) as they should be within other businesses sites.

Overall I can say this website gets an A+ for navigation, readability and usability .
All logos / product designs , pictures are © 2008 Izzyprints. All Rights Reserved.

02 June 2008

Uncommonly Cute : Infant & Toddler Clothes 18

. baby - toddler products, Baking thoughts, blogosphere, charity, foodie reviews, Non Culinaire, parent reviewers, Parental Blurbs, parenting, Reviews, social networking

Uncommonly Cute is an infant and toddler clothing e-store run by a husband & Wife team hailing from New York. They pride themselves on cute & cool apparel that is unique, which expresses your baby's individual personality. I am especially enamored with the site because they support two great causes :
R Baby Foundation (proceeds of 50% from this page go directly to R Baby Foundation) and Room To Grow. It is great when businesses give back to their community or country.

...Got A Bun
In your tum?
...soon to arrive

Freshly Baked Baby Tee @ Uncommonly Cute

Freshly Baked?
Get this tee for your New Arrival.

This website is what the name implies.
A fabulous line of newborn, baby onsies and toddler
tees, that will make you smile. Baby clothes come
in size newborn - 2T. In a choice of gender
specific colors.

I especially liked the newborn onsie that has
"freshly baked" across the chest. For a baker
such as myself, not only is it funny but very cute.

Many a joke has been had at a pregnant
girl's expense referencing her "bun in the
oven". This simple statement is both endearing
and laughable. Your child is an Artisan made
creation, after all. Celebrate your handy work!

And for the geek in you - why not
check out this "famous on facebook"
tee, Deck your child out in some Social
Networking vanity goodness.

The funniest tee I saw was the"Elmo is my homeboy" shirt. Hilarius. This would go great with some Infant / Toddler Adiddas or maybe Infant / Toddler K-swiss .Teach your baby to embrace his or her's dopeness.

And for those political types, infant and toddler tees & onsies that say "I'm a Democrat" or "I'm a Republican". 2008 is an Election Year after all , babies may not talk - but they sure can scream and what is better than a screamer ? A screamer who supports his or her political party! Aww the magic moments of parenting.

To see the above tees and more...Visit the website to view all the baby goodness.

29 May 2008

Family Game Review : The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures 5

. family game reivew, Non Culinaire, parent reviewers, parenting, pc game reviews, product reviews, Reviews

I am reviewing this The Tuttles PC Game, in hopes to spread the word for a worthy cause. Proceeds of the $20 dollar purchase price is being donated to Starlight Star Bright Children's Foundation. Fifty percent of the retail proceeds from game sales and 75 percent of the proceeds from the downloads at http://www.tuttlesfamilygame.com/ go to Starlight.

...Play for pleasure

Purchase
The Tuttles Madcap
Misadventures
Help a worthy cause..

Game History:

This game is a first of it's kind -
a game designed specifically with
a charity in mind. Starlight Star Bright
Children's Foundation Partnered with
Legacy Interactive to come up with
a new way to drum up funds for a chari-
table cause . Legacy Interactive just got
done rolling out a Facebook "Friends"
promotional contest designed
to help spread the word about The Tuttles
Madcap Misadventures: Starlight Charity
Challenge. The animated arcade-style game
is being sold with a first-of-its kind national
fundraising campaign benefiting children
with chronic and life-threatening illnesses via the Starlight Star bright Children's Foundation

The Tuttles Madcap Misadventure was voted "2007 Kids Game of the Year" by Game Tunnel,
and received a Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award 2008; and Iparenting Awards "2008
Excellent Product/Video Game".

Produced By: Legacy Interactive.

Legacy Interactive is a leading developer and publisher of casual games for people of all ages. Entertaining customers since 1998, the company has built a reputation for developing intelligent, realistic and engaging games for a broad audience. Located in Los Angeles, Legacy is known for its TV-branded games, such as Law & Order and The Apprentice, as well as for its popular simulation games Pet Pals: Animal Doctor,
Emergency Room and Zoo Vet.

Legacy has ongoing distribution, marketing and content strategic partnerships with a number of companies, including Vivendi Games, Universal Studios, Ubisoft, Mindscape, Majesco Entertainment, and Scholastic.

Developed By:

Legacy Interactive http://www.legacyinteractive.com/

Divo Games http://www.divogames.com/

Animax http://www.animaxent.com/

An original comedic script and characters designed by Emmy Award-winning Dave Thomas and Starlight. In addition to being a well-known actor, writer and director, he’s also creative director and co-founder of Animax Entertainment, which has a long history of working with Starlight. Animax developed the award-winning “Coping with Chemo” webisode series for the organization, and most recently helped redesign its online social network for seriously ill teens called Starbright World.

All of these companies have worked on major gaming platforms, and have produced industry leading content for some time. Their great work on other kid friendly content within other projects is what ties these companies together, enabling them to create a game that both graphically and intellectually interests both kids and adults.

Game Specs:

Game Play: This game plays very smoothly, there is enough action and humor to peak anyones' interest. You can choose to play as any of the 4 characters in the Tuttle family. They all have their own unique game scenarios and experience. There are 40 levels that you must over come and these levels are divided between 6 main themes - Island, desert, mountain, Under Sea, tropical jungle, and sky.

Game Interface: The Download of The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures was seamless. It installed well on my pc. My operating system is Windows XP, with Service Pack 3.

The desktop icon is pleasant and easily seen. When clicked, you are taken immediately to a
full screen, where you can watch the story of The Tuttles family unfold.

There is both keyboard or mouse support. I chose to use my mouse, it was more comfortable. The characters are controlled by pointing the mouse cursor in the direction you want your character to go. If you want the character to crouch down, you move the mouse toward the bottom of the screen. If you want your character to jump you move the mouse upward. And so on. The artificial intelligence communicated well with my mouse cursor. There was a learning curve however, to familiarize myself with exact positioning of my character. When I chose to be the mother character, I especially liked being able to wallop anything that was in my path with my purse - it packed a powerful punch!

Everything is very visible - the option icons, help points and save points, required objects and objects that rack up points - all are very clearly defined, and almost larger than life.

Artificial Intelligence & Enemy Specs: The artificial intelligence of this game is pretty relentless, I could liken the enemy element to many popular platforms of arcade style games, more specifically Nintendo's Super Mario Brother's. Each Level has it's own that are suitable to the environment - for example the desert is littered with swooping bald eagles, stinging scorpions and poison cactus. There is something always raining in from the sky, crawling up from the ground or rolling in to your character, so you need to be on your toes constantly.

Most levels have a predetermined amount of special items you must find, before you can pass the level. There is also an abundance of points that are decided by the environment of the level you are in, such as a first aid kit for extra life , you find in the desert.

You get 3 lives for each level. Each enemy or hazard removes points from your life. There are special items you can pick up that will boost your life - they aren't always apparent - so look hard. Each level has special save points, resembling a book, which allow you to pick up where you left off when you restart the game.

Game Plot: The main plot of the game is The Tuttles family trying to make it to their vacation via road trip to The Alamo (not limited to travel on the road, but also through their specialized van equipped with jet propulsion and wings for flight, and a submergeable body for deep underwater adventures) . Along the way they encounter many hazards, such as their beloved van crashing, deep jungle skirmishes and under sea foibles - all the while sticking it out like a loving family would. The mantra for the game is "getting things done, by doing good".

Each family member is a hero, in their own right : the goofy father Barry, the spunky mother Barbara, the typical teen age, social obsessed daughter Jess and young Zach, who can't wait to be grown up. With each character choice you gain a unique perspective into the dynamics of the game. The Tuttles Madcap Misadventure is a linear game - meaning 3 bad mistakes and your game level is over. Each character must use their wits to defeat enemies and hazards both environmental , physical or animal related. As the game progresses - the difficulty and level of hazards increases.

Game Graphics: The graphics are flash based, and comic book like. They are designed with a kids perspective in mind. I found the color scheme to be very likable and there were no overwhelmingly garish colors, the designers stuck to earthy,warm natural tones. They looked lively on my 17 inch 1280 x 1024px resolution, 32 bit CRT monitor. I have a VIA/SG3 UniChrome IGP.

Visually the level scenes have allot going for them. There are plenty of details in the foreground, which sucks you into the game, making the setting believable. The terrain is textured and they hazards are very detailed. When a player's character encounters an hazard - the character wavers from opaque to semitransparent, alerting you to the fact that contact with the hazard has been made.

You have 6 nicely rendered settings: desert, ocean , jungle, island , sky and mountains.

Animation: The character animation is not quite true to life. The characters are whimsical and a little goofy. Their actions and interactions are pretty lifelike though. You can see a character gripping for a ladder, or jumping to reach a save point etc. Scorpions move like in real life, eagles glide.

Some more whimsical features of the game include Special objects that levitate in mid air. Spiderwebs become bounce able trampolines that allow you to jump out of spear lined pits; Once enemies have been defeated (by being stomped or walloped) - they disintegrate into nothing and become bundles of money / gold or a character specific reward (i.e a "worlds greatest dad" trophy for Barry).

Come to think of it I thought that Barry (the dad) looks very much like Max Weinberg, the drummer from Late Night with Connan Obrien.

Theme Music: The theme music is pleasant. Each character has their own specially catered theme. Each level has a specific theme based on the environment the level takes place in.

Character Voices: The amazing cast of characters can be heard sharing witty one liners
and carrying out the crazy adventures of The Tuttle family : Bob Saget voices father Barry,
Jamie Lee Curtis is mother Barbara, Ashley Tisdale plays teen daughter Jess, and Dominic Scott Kay voices young son Zach. Other characters include Dave Thomas as The Australian, Dave Coulier as The Islander and William Shatner as the voice of the souped-up mini van that transports the family. The voices are very well suited for each specific character. They make the game a very fun experience.

This game is full of witty banter and parent vs. child humor. This game never wanes with a comedic script written with 300 lines, from the creative genoius of Dave Thomas.
There are mini shorts throughout the game featuring humourous interaction between the Tuttle family.

Sound effects are true to life. The rumbling of the van's engine, the hissing of a snake, the thundering echo of a rolling boulder, these are all concrete examples. Each level has it's own charm. And the characters each have their specific sounds, if running you hear gasping, or if hurt you hear wincing pain - all in keeping with the games momentum. I found the mother's exclamation of "Oh we NEED that" or "scratch that off the list", while in the mall were very funny and almost too realistic.

Game Utilities: All games are managed by player name - you are asked to enter your name when you start a new profile, and your top score is saved. When the game is loaded you choose your specific player profile. The game memory is only limited by your amount of hard disk space.
There are no options for difficulty. The game merely increases difficulty as the game progresses. This is a one player game.

Game Rating:E for everyone. Has mild cartoon violence.

Over all this has been a real fun gaming experience. I let my 5 yr old watch me play, and I felt the violence was mild in comparison to many other popular kids geared games. I look forward to much more game play with The Tuttles in the future. If you are looking for an engaging game for your children, that isn't too violent and that promotes family - this is a great choice.

Purchasing this game helps a great cause.

System Requirements :

OS: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista - there is a Mac version available (see below)
CPU: 600 Mhz RAM
Downloads:

You can Download The Windows Version Here: Windows Download

There is a Mac compatible version available here: Mac Download

Starlight Star Bright Children's Foundation : When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Star bright Children's Foundation(TM) has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.

Starlight's programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit http://www.starlight.org/.

24 April 2008

Review: Sweet Melissa Baking Book 2

. BAKING, Baking thoughts, Book reviews, Bread, butter, Cake, chocolate, citrus, Cookbooks, foodie reviews, fruit, Lemon, Orange, Procedures, recipe links, Reviews, Sugar

On first glance, this book is a slightly smaller than the average
glossy cookbook, you know the kind - almost ready to feature as
a coffee table book, rather than a cookbook that goes on your shelf.
That kind of cookbook has really become a standard trend.

Unlike allot of other cookbooks, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book gets right to the point. There is no lengthy forward, just a few pages mentioning Melissa
Murphy's schooling and where she has gotten her restruant experience.
She explains her love of baking and why she bakes certain items at her bake shop - Sweet Melissa Patissarie in New York, which has been going strong for 10 yrs .

Reading the forward is enough to make you love this cookbook even more. The forward really sets the tone, and you began to see Melissa's thoughtfulness shine through in each and every recipe she features in this book. The recipes are all easy to follow and have detailed instructions from the procedure, through baking of the final product.

When it comes to cookbooks the trend is to have a glossy full size picture on every other page. This sometimes can deter the purpose of a cookbook - to showcase the recipe it's self. The Sweet Melissa Baking Book is mainly recipes, with a short insert of assorted glossy pictures, but the pictures in noway detract from the main purpose of this cookbook.

As for skill level, I would say that this book is great for all skill levels --- just pack a love of baking and an attention to details, so your recipes will come out just as yummy as they sound in this book.

As you start to delve into the contents, you will notice throughout the book Melissa offers her commentary with personal antidotes on how she feels about the baked goods, she features in each chapter. Also throughout the book there are special notations with instructions to "do it like the pros".

Highlights of this cookbook by Chapter:

01 The first section offers a fine selection of Quick breads, muffins, scones and other breakfast fare.

"...I've realized that it may seem odd to some of you to to eat dessert for breakfast...so I disguised it. But who are we kidding? You love sticky buns first thing in the morning just as much as I do!" - Melissa Murphy on Dessert for Breakfast.

My favorite recipes from this section include: Hot Pepper Muffins with Orange Maple Butter ; Guinness Gingerbread; and Raised Waffles with warm brown sugar bananas.

01a Prefaced with a story of her childhood involving her older brothers tricking her into eating creme donuts that had the least amount of creme, and her disappointment in the lack there of . She devoted this section to creme filled sweet buns - spawned from her love of donuts, but lack of equipment in her bake shop to fry them, she ingeniously created a great formula to bake in the oven.

" I Love the resulting compromise - sweet tender brioche style buns filled with pastry cream then dipped in honey caramel...Mm-mm-mm-yummy!" - Melissa Murphy on Bee Stings.

She outlines the formula for both the sweet buns and the pastry creme.

02 Devoted to yummy after school treats cookies and brownies - such as Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies, Black Bottom Brownies, and Pistachio Linzer Thumbprints.

"..The highlight of my day I remember was ...just baked batch of my favorite cookies. "- Melissa Murphy on After School Snack

03 Features a Step by step guide to assemble, crumb coat and frost a layer cake. Filled with tantalizing layer cakes , complete with lovely frostings and the fillings to accompany them.

"..one thing is for sure: You have to start with a great cake. This is essential, and to me, the best part." - Melissa Murphy on Special Layer Cakes

These recipes can all be used for wedding cakes, without any special formulation, just double or triple the recipes for more layers.

04 This section has many crust recipes. Your mouth will water when you read the titles of these recipes for various pies, tarts and and a master recipe for preserves. Examples are: Pear Cranberry Pie with Ginger Snap Crust, Strawberry-Ruby Grapefruit preserves.

05 Luscious recipes for puddings, Specialty Pies, Cheesecakes and more. Just read some of the titles : Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Cornmeal Crumble Crust, Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake with Blackberry Glaze, Pumkin Bread Pudding with Caramel-Rum Glaze.

"My mom made dessert to end our meal, but she always made it on Sundays...you could smell it at the end of the driveway...she knew how to get her children to the..table" - Melissa Murphy on Sunday Suppers Grand Finale

06 The Last section deals with gifting of homemade candies, brittles and truffles.

" ..recipes in this chapter are even more special for gift giving because these are things people rarely make themselves. Honey Cream Caramels, Butterscotch Pralines, Peanut butter Truffles, Chocolate Peppermint Meringues---You can't buy these presents." - Melissa Murphy on Favorite Gifts

I think that The Sweet Melissa Baking Book is a purchase well spent. It will become a favorite addition to any cookbook or baking library.

Related Posts:

14 April 2008

Review : Morimoto - The New Art of Japanese Cooking 4

. asian flavors, Book reviews, Cookbook Reviews, Cookbooks, Cooking, culinary industry, foodie luv, foodie reviews, Iron Chef, LOVE IT, Procedures, Reviews, World Cuisine

For me this is an orgasmic book of unmeasured proportions. I have loved Iron Chef. I have loved Japanese cooking and finally the two have merged and come full circle. On viewing the book it's self - wow. A nice presentation. A heavy slightly over sized cookbook.

Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking.

Morimoto

The editing of this book is very well done. Nice graceful modern designs. Page after page of glossy step by step images and techniques, and notations on traditional Asian ingredients and how that translates to using and accessing them (or a finding suitable substitutions) in the US . If I ever wanted to publish a cookbook, it would be in this style.

This book showcases why Chef Morimoto^w is at the axis of a foodie empire, in this creative and intuitive take on Japanese cuisine. When I read this cookbook, I felt like the foodie version of Being John Malkovich , as this book allows you to peer inside the thoughts and actions of this culinary genius.

In relation to skill level, I would recommend this book to people who have at least an intermediate knowledge of culinary techniques. The beginning home cook might not know how to utilize or apply the techniques Chef Morimoto has outlined in this book.

It would be wise to do some further research on Japanese Culinary techniques also, as this book can only highlight certain facets of the cuisine itself and not act as a reference manual or course book on Japanese Cuisine as a whole.

If you have ever had an inkling of adoration for Asian style cuisine, or are awestruck at the complexities of the full spectrum of Professional Japanese Culinary , as I am, you would enjoy this book.

Highlights of this book include:

An in depth look at how the Japanese chef works his knife magic to create beautiful Sashimi^w and Sushi^w works of art out of various ingredients - parts of fish, Octopus , and Various Vegetables .
Recipes that are full of depth and charisma.
Master recipes of various sauces and marinades.
Text about the origins and importance of ingredients utilized in Japanese cuisine.
Beautiful photography displaying the frame by frame procedures for each culinary technique, and the eloquent plate presentation for each recipe.
A glossary of Japanese terms , as well as a source guide for obtaining specialty ingredients.

Overall this book is a wonderful culinary journey that enables the reader to cultivate a better understanding of chef Morimoto, Japanese cuisine and the culinary revelations that Morimoto has contributed to todays culinary field. I loved this book!

25 September 2007

Book Review | INTERRED WITH THEIR BONES 1

. Authors, Bard, Book reviews, fiction, Jennifer Lee Carrol, Mother Talk, murder - mystery, Reviews, Shakespeare, shakespearean lore, The Globe Theatre

...The evil men do lives after them
(feminist revision of history) and the good is oft
Interred with their bones
(contrived feminist amnesia) --- William Shakespeare...

Personally, I am especially drawn to old books,
the ones found in archaic corners, exiled for
decades in stuffy dark corners, sheathed in a
cloak of cobwebs and dust bunnies. Those are
the most fun! Almost like a treasure discovery,
if you open an old book or two, you may find
lost love letters or pictures of bygone eras,
hidden in their pages .

This book makes a smooth transition, at once
you feel at home nestled in it's pages. This will
be one of many reviews I will be posting on
this blog, and one of many sponsored by
Mother Talk.

Onto the review of:
Jennifer Lee Carrell's second published
book Interred with their bones.

I picked up my copy of this book. The cover felt smooth.
A very substantial book. Wrapped securely in
its jacket, I was reminded of Shakespeare 's cloak.

On the first page of this work, you realize it is written in first
person, in 2004, through the eyes of Kathrine Stanely, an
American woman who lands a stage production at the newly
erected replica of The Globe theater^w, in London, directing
Hamlet ^w no less.

Kathrine the main character, is deeply moved by
Shakespeare's^w writings and is well versed in the
curses and hidden codes that dwell within the
Shakespearian lore^w. The Globe is hallowed
ground for her. Unbeknown to Kathrine, she
will be visited before the production by her once
celebrated, now estranged mentor - Harvard
Shakespearean Professor Rosalind Howard. The
Professor , a.k.a Roz, brings with her a mysterious
gold boxed gift for Kathrine. Although Kathrine is
at once indignant towards this surprise visit, her
curiosity gets the best of her and she accepts the
strange gift.

That same night, her beloved Globe theater is engulfed
in flames, to her horror she has become a shocked
spectator. Once the flames have been extinguished ,
she finds Roz, dead , mirroring the same manner of
death as Hamlet's own father, in the play Hamlet.
Kathrine is beside herself, as images of Roz's death
and the fire conjure up eerie reminders of Shakespeare's unrelenting ghost.

Kathrine opens the gold box, the last connection to her old friend , and finds a Victorian mourning brooch ^info, with flowers reminiscent of Ophelia^w, a character also of Hamlet fame.

Alarm bells sound in her head, and spur her on a harrowing trek across the Atlantic and beyond, to decipher the clues and find the truth. Unfortunately a killer lays chase, murdering those who volunteer to testify what secrets they hold, a hurried effort to silence all those who could help uncover an archaic deceitful plot, which would certainly change history.

"In the history of the English-speaking peoples, he has no equal. Tongue-in-cheek propaganda about seriously-meant, split-level propaganda implies a depth of understanding that was supposedly not available to the uneducated masses. But he still entertained them in his own lifetime, even if it was just in a little wood & thatch theater. By the time we began to understand what he understood, he was long-dead." --- quoted from an unnamed Bard Lover

Interred with their bones promises to intrigue even the least schooled in Shakespearean lit. A thoughtful creation that glorifies all that is Bard ^w, this book will entertain. Much as Will's own word smithing, the playful yet dangerous dance with his ghost in this book proves enlightening.

For an interesting author account and the story behind the book visit here.

Find more about the author at her website : http://www.jenniferleecarrell.com/