Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts

Rating:
Summary: okay
Review: I've tried at least 7 pies or tarts from this book and found the crusts, contents and compliments consistently excellent. Mom will not return my copy!

Rating:
Summary: Consistently great pies and tarts
Review: I've tried at least 7 pies or tarts from this book and found the crusts, contents and compliments consistently excellent. Mom will not return my copy!

Rating:
Summary: okay
Review: it had a few good recipes i liked in there overall it was an okay cookbook

Rating:
Summary: Martha's Pie Crust is the best
Review: Martha's pies and tarts are the best recipes I have ever tried. Her crusts come our perfect. Their flavor is just right.

Rating:
Summary: awful, awful, awful!
Review: My roommate (the baker of the household) owns this book. After making three different pies using Ms. Stewart's recipes, he has sworn off of this book forever. Sure the stuff looks great, but if it tastes like nothing, then what good is that? Her recipes use hard-to-find ingredients, and are not very well seasoned; one squash pie called for ground ginger as the only spice, and it was horrible - kind of like bland soap! Stick with some real cooks - Julia Child comes to mind - or a good basic cookbook, like the Joy of Cooking or The Better Hones and Gardens Cookbook.

Rating:
Summary: Buy only for the beautiful photographs
Review: No, I didn't attempt to make any of these pies, mostly because I didn't have access to the ingredients. Some of the apple pie recipes require a variety of apple only available if you grew them yourself-and Martha doesn't list any substitutions that you can make).

Rating:
Summary: YUCK!
Review: Well, the illustrations in this book are beautiful and Martha's pie crust, as well as her lemon curd, are absolutely the best, but the pies and tarts in this book are simply the worst I've ever tasted! Really, I've tasted kindergarten paste that had more flavor than these recipes. As a seasoned baker, I do know how to substitute ingredients and add more spice, but why should anyone have to? And what about those who can't? After all, the book is not titled, Martha Stewart's Exotic Pies and Tarts for the Experienced Baker Only, however, it should be. What good is a book if most people really can't use it? Yes, I can make all those lovely grape clusters, leaves and tendrils that adorn Martha's Concord Grape Pie, but I think most people are really looking for something a little more basic. Okay, final analysis: if you're looking for the out-of-the-ordinary (and the tasteless) then buy this book. If you just want some great pie and tart recipes, try The Pie and Pastry Bible. You won't go wrong there.