Stews (Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library)

Rating:
Summary: Very nice stew cookbook!!!.......
Review: ....with a diverse variety of recipes. You won't just get your ordinary run-of-the-mill stew recipes in this cookbook: the Moroccan chicken is quite nice,the Portuguese Stew with Turkey Sausage was excellent and the Pork and Endive with Juniper Berries was very good as well. I'm eager to try some of the others that you would less commonly find elsewhere such as Pork and Papaya. More ordinary recipes were just as good. Try the Lamb Stew with Caramelized Onions and Beef Strips with Shallots!

One little warning about this book though: it contains recipes that I would not typically consider "stews", i.e. the Chicken Curry and Chicken Marsala recipes. Although both are delicious, some may wonder how they meandered in to a "stew" cookbook. Personally, it makes no difference to me, but other hardcore cooks may be put off by it. Overall, I solidly recommend this cookbook!

Rating:
Summary: Great potential for creative stews, disappointing results.
Review: Having enjoyed other cookbooks from W-S, I was looking forward to trying their stew alternatives to beef and potatoes. While the recipes and ingredients sound enticing, often it's "too much of a good thing." An example would be the Apricot Turkey Stew. Described as "aromatic and slightly sweet" it was about as subtly flavored as marshmallows melted on yams in orange juice concentrate. The apricot jam and the sweet white wine called for in the recipe were absolute overkill. It was a bad choice to start with, although the individual ingredients are all family favorites.

The Chicken Marsala was tasty... but I fail to understand what a pan-fried, oven-baked entree has to do with stew cookery!

There are several other recipes I intend to try (Mediterranean fish stew, Chinese stew with straw mushrooms, etc.) but not in any great rush. I think this book could use fewer gimmicky "beef stew served in a baked pumpkin with bourbon" presentations and more flavorful stew recipes that provide alternatives to beef & potatoes.

Rating:
Summary: Savory Stews!
Review: It is unfortunate that the previous reader was unhappy with the results of this book. I, too, have been a fan of WS cookbooks and this one is no exception. I would purchase this book again on the strength of one recipe alone. A frequently requested family favorite, the Mediterranean Fish Stew is truly superb! Looking for good recipes to make use of my husband's fresh tuna catch, I was impressed with the ease and savory results. The tuna was so tender it resembled pork. The black olives provide visual appeal but it is the green olives that MUST be included for the signature flavor (and I don't care for green olives). I've received rave reviews each time I've made this. We also enjoyed the pork with prunes, and other lamb and veal stews.