Olive Oil - From Tree to Table: From Tree to Table

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: I came across this book while killing some time at a local bookstore. This is an incredible book to have in your collection, if, for nothing else, the reasons below:

Incredible graphic design. A general rule of thumb--if Chronicle are the publishers of the book, it'll have a fantastic layout. These are the guys who brought to life Michael's devastatingly good vision in the "Tra Vigne" cookbook. Likewise, they also published Georgeanne Brennan's "Potager" and "Mediterranean Herb" cookbooks. The layouts are ALWAYS superb, and each and every release has beautiful photographs and dialogue. Which brings me to my next point.

Great dialogue. Offers a surprisingly thorough history of olive oil. Likewise, it offers a good summary on how to pick, store, and use different types of olive oils, as well as offering a mini glossary of olive oil colloquialisms (i.e., "extra-virgin" and "first-cold pressed", etc.). Also, Peggy's personality and humor come across very well and make the text quite an enjoyable read. This is something that just isn't normally found in many cookbooks who only see things through a step-by-step, color-by-numbers approach to cooking.

Of course, importantly,

Very good recipes. The recipes are extremely tasty. Most are amazingly simple, yet turn out spectacular. The approach is very simple, yet home-y...including ingredients typically found (or readily available) to the novice, home cook.

Get this book and I guarantee that you will not regret its inclusion in your collection!

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic recipes
Review: I came here looking for another book by Peggy knickerbocker! The recipes in Olive Oil are terrific. You don't have to be an Olive Oil expert to love every single salad or dressing she writes about. Even if you are a three thumbed guy like me you can turn out a five star meal with this book. Thanks Peggy!