Rating: 
Summary: NOT 'just another cookery book'.
Review: I dithered for months whether to spend such a lot of money on 'just another cookery book', but I'm glad I did - it is definitely NOT 'just another cookery book' ... I've just spent most of my day off totally absorbed in these 2 books.
There is plenty of interesting information, with superb photography and illustrations; well-researched commentaries on the various industries; snippets of little-known historical info (did you know that Britain's King Edward VII gave the name Crepe Suzette to a spoiled dessert?) and well-chosen recipes which highlight the particular country's culinary strong points.These are 2 weighty tomes (6lb/3kg each!), but only in the physical sense - they are very readable. With a chapter devoted to each of the European countries, the authors give an introduction, an overview of the country's specialities and an in-depth look at each speciality:- how it is grown/made; different varieties; anecdotes from the area; useful snippets of information, as well as some wonderful recipes (not all of them well-known). Obviously some countries get more coverage than others; France Spain & Italy each get far more attention than, say, Russia - but deservedly so, given their gastronomic heritage (although the wines of France are over-played, to my mind). While I would not recommend this as a working cookery book, it is certainly a valuable addition to anyone's culinary library - an ideal present for that friend of yours who has a love of food and cooking; anyone would be over the moon to receive such a present!
Rating:
Summary: European Culinary Adventure!
Review: I had been eyeing this title at a local store and I finally purchased it. This 2 volume set has swiftly moved to the top of my collection. The information provided is very insightful and details not only the recipes, but the ingredients and people from which they come from. The photography is beautiful and every dish I have made has been a real crowd pleaser!
Rating:
Summary: European Culinary Adventure!
Review: I had been eyeing this title at a local store and I finally purchased it. This 2 volume set has swiftly moved to the top of my collection. The information provided is very insightful and details not only the recipes, but the ingredients and people from which they come from. The photography is beautiful and every dish I have made has been a real crowd pleaser!
Rating:
Summary: A truly beautiful book!
Review: I must first confess that I do not own this book (yet), but have looked through it pretty closely at a local bookstore. What I liked best about this cookbook is (a) the photography, which is superb, and (b) I believe it to be very authentic. I lived in Spain for over 20 years, and I can certainly vouch for the authenticity of the Spanish part. The recipes given were very typical of real Spanish meals, not necessarily what one might assume. This book would appeal to someone who had travelled or lived inEurope, and also to anyone interested in world-class cuisine.
Rating:
Summary: A truly beautiful book!
Review: I must first confess that I do not own this book (yet), but have looked through it pretty closely at a local bookstore. What I liked best about this cookbook is (a) the photography, which is superb, and (b) I believe it to be very authentic. I lived in Spain for over 20 years, and I can certainly vouch for the authenticity of the Spanish part. The recipes given were very typical of real Spanish meals, not necessarily what one might assume. This book would appeal to someone who had travelled or lived inEurope, and also to anyone interested in world-class cuisine.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I thought that this was a really wonderful book. All books of this type have to show the really traditional dishes but often that is all they do. This book showed a lot of dishes that are still popular in the different countries and it showed part of the modern influences. It is an informative book and really interesting to read even if you never intend to actually cook something from it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book for food lovers !!!
Review: This book left me breathless. The photos are so beautiful and are the closest thing to the real thing (food). I use it as an encyclopedia for european food whenever I need one.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book for food lovers !!!
Review: This book left me breathless. The photos are so beautiful and are the closest thing to the real thing (food). I use it as an encyclopedia for european food whenever I need one.
Rating:
Summary: A culinary voyage of discovery!
Review: This must be one of the best European cookbooks around. But not only does it do an excellent job of explaining the various foods and dishes of Europe, it is also an excellent guide to European culinary culture. Moving from country to country, it is like taking a tour of Europe, explaining the various national dishes and how to prepare them, as well as the history and cultural background of all the dishes and foods. The pictures are excellent too - one can be forgiven for buying this book simply because you like the pictures and illustrations - excellent coffee table book. This book is especially helpful to those of us who lives in other parts of the world from Europe and who do not always have the experience or background of the European way of doing things when it comes to cooking and eating.
Rating: 
Summary: Lush and informative, a bit pretentious
Review: This set of 2 books is an exceptionally splendid and easy to read catalogue of european foods. However, a France/Belgium are grossly overrepresented (yes, I am not enthusiastic about the popular belief of Gallic culinary superiority), while smaller nations got the boot...some pan-european foods seem to have simply been tucked into the first convenient section...the section on Russia is somewhat lacking and the dishes are misspelled. Still, a very lovely and useful set.
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