Rating: 
Summary: The Best
Review: This is quite simply the best cookbook I have ever used.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Cookbook
Review: This is the best cookbook I own. Every recipie is explained well, so they aren't as difficult as they look. There's also some sections about regional cuisines of the former Soviet Union, which I find to be highly informative. I would have like to see some pictures, but perfection is hard to come by.
Rating:
Summary: So much more than you'd expect
Review: What a great book! I originally bought it for my wife as a present, but since then I've taken hold of it and cooked the living daylights out of it. There are so many great recipes throughout the book that my copy is becoming very worn. The book certainly has many good slavic recipes, including great hot borshcht or bigos recipes; however, the big win of the book is the caucasus and central asian stuff. Great lamb stews absolutely filled with herbs, veggies, chestnuts and quince, topped off with a side onions & sumakh or just plain ol' Georgian tkemali. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: The most-used volume in my kitchen!
Review: _Please to the Table_ is without a doubt the most-used cookbook I own (and I have dozens!) I love cooking and baking, but was a total novice at anything beyond Central Europe -- much to the initial dismay of my Ukrainian-born husband. We've since read and re-read this cookbook together, including the delightful narrative sections and literary excerpts. (He's especially fond of the Gogol bits!) It's got history, literature, cultural tidbits, and culinary savvy that make a fun read for anyone.Not having ever eaten any of this food myself, and being one to generally prefer cookbooks with pictures, I was initially nervous about trying any of the recipes. But the directions are so precise and easy to follow that I can proudly say that every single recipe I've tried has been a smashing success. I have since tried other Russian and Ukrainian cookbooks, but none yields the same superlative results with my picky hubby -- and my critical in-laws!! ;) We've eaten our way across the entire former USSR, and loved every minute of it! I would especially like to thank the author for the following recipes (whose pages are stained and whose ingredients are responsible for not a few of the extra pounds on my man's middle...): "My Mother's Vegetarian Borscht" -- you can add beef if you like, but even his father (who is a professional Soviet-trained cook) didn't notice it was missing. His sister pronounced this borscht her favorite - over their mother's - and she has never made any secret about not liking me, so that's a ringing endorsement! "Apple Baba" -- this one is a unanimous hit and my husband always begs me to make it for guests. I usually add 2 extra apples and double the cinnamon, though, by popular request. The "Rum Baba" makes a great New Year's treat. And the classic "Cherry-filled varyeniki" -- WOW. I'm a dumpling neophyte, and these came out perfect the very first time. My only criticism of this book is that its directions often assume that one has a food processor, beaters, blender, and other electronic kitchen gagets. If you're like me and do everything by hand, you have to mentally adjust the directions. But it's never altered the fabulous outcomes. The other thing that I would have liked is more bread recipies. But overall, it is a classic and will make a welcome addition to any cook's shelf.
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