Going to Bend: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)"I know these people." That was the thought that stayed at the forefront of my mind as I read Diane Hammond's remarkable first novel, "Going To Bend." Sure, it's a work of fiction, set in two Oregon coast towns that don't exist, Sawyer and Hubbard. The characters are not based on real people. But I know them, nevertheless, and I'm sure you do, too.
The central characters are two natives of the area, Petie Coolbaugh and Rose Bundy. These women, so different in personality and temperament, are united by a bond of friendship going back to their grade school days, and by the fact that they, like so many others, are struggling to build meaningful lives in the face of poverty, illness and the thousand other challenges that make daily life a struggle for so many.
At the beginning of the story, Petie and Rose are brought together by a new job they will share, preparing soup on a daily basis for a new restaurant that's built its menu around soup and is called--what else? Souperior's. The cafe has been opened by Nadine and Gordon, a brother and sister who, like so many, have fled the craziness of Southern California for the peace and beauty of the Oregon coast. But like so many of the refugees, they find that it's not always possible to escape life's slings, arrows and outrageous fortune. As their stories unfold, we learn that bad--sometimes terrible--things have happened to Rosie, Petie and the other good people that inhabit these pages. But perservering, sometimes just having the courage to get out of bed and face each new day, is a key element to how they live their lives with sometimes surprising grace.
Along the way, we get to know the spouses (current and ex), children, and townspeople who inhabit Rose and Petie's world. My one fear is that this book may get pigeonholed as "chick lit," because the central characters are two wonderful, complex women who will quickly win your heart. This isn't just a book about women, though; it's a book about (and for) all of us who make up the human race.
Hammond has done a wonderful job of capturing the beauty, joy, misery, humor and pain that all comes together to make up this puzzle we call life. This book is going to stay with me for a long time. I think it will do the same thing for you.--William C. Hall

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Cooking With Colorado's Greatest Chefs Review

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(More customer reviews)Ms. Booth gathered an extraordinarily versatile collection of very capable professionals willing to share their memorable recipes. Those of us fortunate enough to have received this book as a gift can leisurely savor diverse meals we were unable to enjoy while scurrying through the mountains during our hurried ski vacations. Anxiously awaiting a sequel...please.

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Weird Stories from the Lonesome Caf Review

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(More customer reviews)I read this short chapter book while passing some time in an elementary library and was delighted with the genuine humor and the breezy writing of this original tale. Adults who read this story aloud to their children will enjoy the humor as much as their kids, and readers who have graduated to chapter books will find this one funny and entertaining.
I'm always impressed when I come across a fresh storyline in a children's book, and this tale of the mysterious (yet strangely familiar!) visitors to the Lonesome Cafe is definitely an original idea.

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Fiamma: The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent three and a half weeks in Italy on my honeymoon and then spent three and a half weeks on my return to San Francisco trying to find food that tasted like what we ate all over Italy, without success. I was looking for a good Italian cook book recently and spent several hours at the local bookstore reading and studying the many offerings. After five minutes reading Fiamma, I was struck by the how different this book felt. I almost felt I was back in Cinque Terra watching seafood risotto being prepared as I read parts of Mr. White's book. There is great value and beauty to the simple, well-considerd thoughts and recipes presented in Fiamma. Our many great meals in Italy were made with fresh,simple ingredients.Fiamma captures the essence of this style in its recipes. I felt like I had met a kindred spirit to my visit to Italy in reading about the lessons Mr. Smith learned cooking there. I haven't cooked all the recipes yet, but can say without hesitation, that following Smith's mantra of buying the freshest and best quality ingredients you can afford makes the recipes I've prepared shine. There are many easy and straightford recipes presented..great value for money to those who Love Italian food!I look forward to eating at the restaurant in New York as well.

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London on a Plate Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has many great chefs showecasing their creativity. It's not too often that you hear about chefs from London, but this book does them justice.

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Following on from the success of Glasgow on a Plate 1 and 2, Edinburgh on a Plate, and Scotland on a Plate, Ferrier Richardson and Black and White Publishing have turned their attention to London, capital city and the centre of the country's culinary excellence. London is a city which takes food seriously, where you can eat at most times of the day and night, and choose from every style of cooking known to man or woman. London is where the great chefs of the world come to work, and where all the hotest food fashions are started. London on a Plate is a full-colour cookery book, packed full with recipes from the very best chefs in London's thriving, ever-evolving restaurant scene. The book profiles each of the featured chefs and chef/proprietors who take the opportunity to share the secrets of their success, providing recipes for four of their favourite dishes: one starter, two main dishes, and a dessert. Every recipe is accompanied by mouth-watering colour photography and step-by-step instructions, for you to follow at home.But if you don't feel like cooking, you can always treat yourself to a visit to London's finest restaurants to enjoy the full glory of their superb cuisine and find out more about the chefs and their approach to cooking in London.

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Skewered: The Rudest Food Reviews Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was a HUGE letdown. Billed as the "rudest" food reviews of all time, it's actually nothing more than a bunch of excerpts, some of which aren't even taken from reviews. The bottom line is that there isn't one single complete piece of writing in this book. It's comprised 100% of brief excerpts. Save your money and don't buy this book. It's useless. If I could have given it ZERO stars, I would have.

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Featuring more than 600 quotations byfamous foodies, this collection presents rude and highly entertaining criticism about cookery. From reviews about pretentious cuisine and lousy waitstaff to comments onvegetables, seafood, and desserts, these notable critics leave no culinary delight untouched and even offer cutting remarks about gourmet masters. Malicious quips, such as Fred Allen's "the coffee tastes like water that has been squeezed out of a wet sleeve" or Mark Twain's "the food would create an insurrection in the poorhouse," give hungry diners a satisfying selection to use for conversation at their next dinner party or meal out.

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Cafe Creme Guide to the Cafes of Europe Review

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(More customer reviews)This guide book is truly unique as it explores the best cafes and bars in all major European cities. Unlike many travel guides, the Cafe Creme Guide really tells you where to find that good cup of coffee, that cosy atmosphere or that stylish interior. It's also a pleasure to read and has a very high standard of photography. When I visited Paris in December I visited most of the places that were listed...it made my stay so much more pleasant (and efficient)! This guide is a must if you want to travel Europe and don't want to waste time looking for a relaxing hangout or a stylish cafe full of European culture!

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Economic and Management Methods for Tourism and Hospitality Research Review

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(More customer reviews)By almost any measurement, the hospitality industry is the largest in the world. Yet it is an industry that is ill-served by the formal tools of analysis. Most formal analysis has focused on 'exciting' areas like finance and e-business. This means that decision-makers in industries like hotels and restaurants have been forced to fashion their own tools on a case by case basis. This book provides a useful tool-kit, de-mystifying useful methods like yield management, portfolio models and segmentation analysis by providing both theory and applied case studies. Both hospitality management students and industry professionals should find this to be useful handbook.

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The tourism and hospitality sector is, arguably, one of the largest components of the global economy, with a growth rate in consumption that supersedes that of most other goods and services. As a consequence, the profile of tourists is changing as consumers become more experienced, more demanding, and more likely to treat tourism purchases in very much the same way as they do any other item of consumption. This coupled with the globalisation of communications transport and technology are creating a new environment for tourism professionals. The challenge is now to recognise the breadth of the information environment and to be able to manage it successfully. This book is designed to provide managers and researchers with insights into the practical application of tools for gathering and analysing information. These tools can be used in understanding tourism phenomena and in planning responses. Although quantitative in focus, the methods presented here draw on a variety of disciplinary origins and have application across the range of decision-making contexts that arise in tourism and hospitality. A collection of well-regarded international authors have contributed to this book, giving the reader a broad coverage of area whilst focusing on some key specific topics. A basic knowledge of quantitative and economic concepts and techniques is required to fully appreciate the book and to be able to apply the techniques in real or simulated contexts. Tourism professionals within policy, planning, research and statistics will find this book a useful and practical guide to the subject. Final year undergraduates and postgraduate students will find it a rich source of information for research in the area.

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Michelin THE RED GUIDE France 2000 (THE RED GUIDE) Review

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(More customer reviews)Two years on since my last review, (Michelin THE RED GUIDE 1998), and the guide only gets better. Because the book works on a system of symbols that describe the various facilities available to the motorist, and other tourists in France, it is easy to use with confidence. At the front of the book these sybols are fully explained in both French and English so why do so many people complain about the book being "in French", a star is a star is it not, even if it is une etoile. Having said that, this years improvement is a descrptive passage for many entries and this is in French, but hey, give it a go, it's not that difficult. I have always found that the French are more receptive and more friendly if you try to communicate in French, no matter how poorly, so it's worth the effort. And this book will take a lot of the effort out of deciding where to stay, where to eat and how to get there. One hundered years old and still going strong.

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Armed with THE RED GUIDE, globetrotters can have the latest information on fine dining establishments worthy of Michelin's renowned stars and selections of "Bib Gourmand" restaurants indicating good food at reasonable prices. A proven source for a century, THE RED GUIDE also assists travelers in selecting accommodations that meet their criteria in service and style, enhanced with city plans, local maps and practical tourist information.

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London Eats Out 1500-2000: 500 Years of Capital Dining Review

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(More customer reviews)In a series of well-researched and nicely footnoted essays, London Eats Out opens the door to the public eating that was a critical component of urban life. Attractively illustrated, London Eats Out focuses on the day to day comestibles, and how they were brought to the public; it is a fascinating and largely neglected story that deserves a wide audience. From the Cooks' Guild Company of the 16th century through Alexis Soyer's 19th century soup kitchens to the modern empire of Terence Conran, London's public culinary heritage evolves in an engaging and thoughtful work that pulls together many different strands of culinary history in a fresh and accessible way.

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This lavishly illustrated book offers a cultural survey of the Londoner's eating habits from 1500 to the present day.In a series of well-researched and nicely footnoted essays, London Eats Out opens the door to the public eating that was a critical component of urban life. Attractively illustrated, London Eats Out focuses on the day to day comestibles, and how they were brought to the public; it is a fascinating and largely neglected story that deserves a wide audience. From the Cooks' Guild Company of the 16th century through Alexis Soyer's 19th century soup kitchens to the modern empire of Terence Conran, London's public culinary heritage evolves in an engaging and thoughtful work that pulls together many different strands of culinary history in a fresh and accessible way.

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My Father's Luncheonette: 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)my 2 1/2 year old daughter adores this book (and has most of it memorized). the illustrations are wonderful and the story is fun. it also has a nice father/daughter relationship. I highly recommend it (especially for city kids).

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What's the Secret: To Providing a World-Class Customer Experience Review

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(More customer reviews)Looking for a way to make your prices irrelevant? This book opened my eyes to why companies like Disney don't have to cut their prices because of the economy.
Don't bother doing the research on how to improve your customer service, DiJulius has already done it all and included all the key points in his latest book. Even how to hire the right service minded people-priceless insight! What's the Secret? gives you everything you need to know to create, improve, and maintain great customer service. This book should be a mandatory read for anyone dealing with internal and external customers.
His writing style makes it an easy read that you can't put down! DiJuius is real and genuine, he uses experience as a speaker and consultant from his work with top service companies (Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Lexus and more) to provide the reader with actual conditions and systems. Whether business to business or business to consumer, any company -of any size- can indulge their customer with world-class service by following his easy to understand 10 commandment structure. And as an added plus--DiJulius gives you the web address to take his service aptitude test online "FREE" to see how you rank. Brilliant follow up to his first book, Secret Service-which I highly recommend you purchase with this one if you haven't read it already.

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What's the Secrets? gives you an inside look at the world-class customer service strategies at today?s some of today?s best companies. You'll learn how companies like Disney, Nordstrom, and The Ritz-Carlton get 50,000 employees to deliver world-class customer service on a consistent basis- and how your company can too. Packed with insider knowledge and a wealth of proven best practices, author John DiJulius will show you how your company can emulate the world?s best customer service providers.

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Hometown Diners Review

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(More customer reviews)Williams' book plunges you head-first into an era when people truly did make money "the old-fashioned way" ( they earned it with their sweat and tears). We sit as interlopers as we watch the toil of daily lives unfurl across the beautifully photographed pages. We sit at the counter while the waitress who has been at this particular diner way past her prime, exchanges small talk with the patrons. We can almost feel the cold rain against our faces as we view the water-drenched images of The Cheyenne (NYC) and The Highland Park(NY). We sense the simultaneous joy and frustration on the faces of diner owners who can't be sure what the future holds for their life's work. William's has taken us into a doorway that we rarely have a chance to enter; he has given us a license to the past. Through this book we have the opportunity to rekindle the memories of our childhood, teenage years and young adulthood...all at the same time. We remember what it felt like to sit at the counter with our Dads. We remember the hard formica tables against our ribs as we shared a ketchup-drenched kiss across the table. We remember introducing our "little ones" to the wall boxes of music that sit on the tables and watch in wonderment as they try to figure out "where the music comes from".

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The staff photographer for the "Philadelphia Inquirer" presents intimate pictures and lively personal anecdotes for readers nostalgic for their own hometown diner. 145 photos, 125 in color.

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All Paris, Second Edition (Tout Paris) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book appears in one scene of David Lynch's movie "Mulholland Drive" (2001)

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This series of guides for finding everything from fine antiques to wine cellar equipment is an indispensable companion for the enthusiastic traveler/shopper in the never-ending quest for hidden treasures. Each book contains thousands of complete listings of carefully screened dealers and merchants who offer the beautiful things that make for gracious and elegant living. Categories range from priceless art and antiques to porcelain, silver, fine linen, parquet, stained glass, books, maps, and all kinds of collectibles. The authors have pounded the pavements of the world's richest and most exciting cities, searching out not only the best sources for beautiful things but also the skilled craftsmen who create and restore them. They apply their well-known rigid standards for dealers, merchants, and artisans: everyone listed not only is an excellent source for the best quality products and services but also has a reputation for honesty and fair dealing.

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Everyone Comes to Elaine's: Forty Years of Movie Stars, All-Stars, Literary Lions, Financial Scions, Top Cops, Politicians, and Power Brokers at the Legendary Hot Spot Review

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(More customer reviews)When I used to live in NYC, my favorite restaurant was Elaine's. I left NYC in 2002 and this book was written in 2004. I used to go to Elaine's right when it would open, around 6:00 pm and was usually the first customer. Sometimes I went with a male friend, but more often I went with female friends because we were treated better by the waiters, like we were famous. Good thing we always came for dinner, never just for drinks. We didn't realize Elaine didn't like people who only came for drinks, but we'd never take a table for that. We're not inconsiderate, plus, we've worked for restaurants. We know the rules. By the time we left at 8:00 pm, we might see somebody famous. That's the fun of Elaine's! So what the book writes about is true...

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You know the name -- you've heard of the people -- and now the doors to Elaine's, New York City's famed night spot, are finally open. And no one, not even Elaine herself, is standing guard at the door.

Elaine Kaufman's creation certainly came from humble beginnings. Forty years ago the now legendary restaurant on Eighty-eighth Street and Second Avenue was deemed too far uptown for anyone of importance to frequent. It was there that Elaine served, catered to, and nursed young starving writers and artists of the day.

As these customers grew and matured into Woody Allen and Norman Mailer, Andy Warhol and Jack Nicholson, Elaine's grew with them. By the time these artists were deemed legends, well, Elaine's had already become legendary.

A. E. Hotchner was there at the beginning, is still there today, and has a table reserved for tomorrow. There is no better person than "Hotch" to tell the story of Elaine's. He was there for every bit of it.

They're all inside: Jackie O., Truman Capote, Frank Sinatra, Liz Smith, Joan Rivers, Lauren Bacall, Judy and Liza. The stories are all here. The night Jackie came to dance. The night Sinatra snubbed The Godfather author, Mario Puzo. When Sinatra's ex-wife, Mia Farrow, asked Michael Caine to introduce her to Woody Allen. When George Steinbrenner was turned away at the door the night his Yankees beat the Mets in the Subway Series.

Everyone Comes to Elaine's is more than a story about New York City. It's more than a story of celebrities. This is the story of a "family" with a domineering mother who will stop at nothing to protect those dearest to her. This is an American saga.

Elaine's is a microcosm of the people and events of the last forty years, from the sixties, when Beatles and Stones held forth there, to the start of the twenty-first century, when painful wakes were held for the regulars who perished on September 11. Just as Gertrude Stein presided over her salon in Paris in the twenties, Elaine now presides over hers.

So pull up a seat. You're invited. Everyone comes to Elaine's. Enjoy!

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How to Feed Friends and Influence People: The Carnegie Deli...A Giant Sandwich, a Little Deli, a Huge Success Review

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(More customer reviews)I love living in Asheville . . . however that said, I must admit
to the fact that I miss having any great Jewish delicatessens
in the location.
So when a friend gave me a copy of HOW TO FEED
FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Milton Parker and
Allyn Freeman, I was in seventh heaven because it's the story
of New York's famous Carnegie Deli . . . reading it was
almost but not quite as good as devouring a corned beef sandwich.
I got a kick out of reading how this particular Deli managed to grow
from a nondescript hole in the wall to the establishment of choice
for presidents, celebrities,at least one sultan and millions of other
hungry diners from around the world . . .it has done so by following
a set of sound business practices without spending any money
on advertising or promotions . . . instead, word-of-mouth
has always been the key to its success:
* The decision to add two extra inches to the pastrami, corned beef
and tongue sandwiches represented Parker's smart way of thinking
that when people from Pasadena, or from Jacksonville, or from wherever,
returned home after a visit to the Carnegie Deli, they would recount
the eating of the humongous sandwich. The diners would retell of their
ordering and fun dining adventure. Yesterday's Carnegie Deli diners
would advertise the restaurant to tomorrow's New York City visitors--at
no expense to the Carnegie Deli.
I particularly got a kick out of reading about the visits of such
comics as Henny Youngman:
* Youngman asked the couple, "Would you like to see a photograph
of my pride and joy?" When the Siegels nodded yes, Youngman
handed them a picture of Pride furniture polish and Joy dishwashing
liquid. Another time, Youngman said to Jane, "You're a pretty lady.
I'm going to give you a diam-ond pin." He handed her a dime on a pin!
And I enjoyed the accounts of actual customers, one of whom was
the writer Michael Kramer:
* Kramer was sent to Israel to do a story and the group decided to send
him a Carnegie Deli salami to keep his spirits up. When Kramer went
to the post office in Tel Aviv to pick up this treat, he discovered
an empty brown wrapper and no salami. An Israeli postal worker said,
"Even in Israel, we recognized the name of New York's famous Carnegie
Deli. We knew from the shape what was inside, so we ate it. Delicious."
I also liked the inclusion of several original recipes from the Deli's
kitchen, including chopped liver, Brooklyn egg cream, brisket
of beef and matzoh ball soup . . . methinks, though, I'll pass
on trying them out myself and instead visit the Carnegie Deli
the next time I'm in New York.
My only regret is that I won't be able to get the free slice of
cheesecake that the authors offered with all purchasers of
the book (there's a coupon in the back), in that my friend had
the unmitigated gall to rip that out before giving me HOW
TO FEED FRIENDS!


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Full of insightful wisdom, hilarious anecdotes, and tasty recipes, How to Feed Friends and Influence People tells the savory story of the Carnegie Deli, home of the world-famous gargantuan sandwich. Revealing the core business principles that have made the deli such a success, the book explains why and how the Carnegie became the delicatessen of choice for presidents, celebrities, at least one sultan, and millions of other (extremely) hungry diners from around the world. More than just a delightful and delicious tale of business success, this fascinating and funny book covers the deli?s history, shows you how to make a real Brooklyn egg cream, and piles up loads of New York history. So get cooking!

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Obituary Cocktail: The Great Saloons of New Orleans (2nd Edition, Expanded) Review

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(More customer reviews)Growing up in New Orleans is a rare experience. Living away often makes one nostalgic and wistful.. Reading "Obituary Cocktail" brings the sights, sounds, smells and tastes roaring back. This is a beautiful book. The photos are warm, romantic and evocative. The commentary is pure magic and the recipes are fabulous. Whether you live there now, once were there or have never visited - this book captures the charm, the quirkiness and the mystery of New Orleans and her great watering holes.

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Two years after its original release, the new "Obituary Cocktai" has more bars, photographs, drink recipes, and quotes. Six added spreads include the bar in the kitchen at Commander's Palace, The Circle Bar and its Herradura tequila shot with tonic - the Harry Tonic Jr - and Butler's fantastically seedy interior.

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