dk books

Customer Review:

Review by: Patrice, 14 March 2011

'When I opened MasterChef at Home I groaned. The pictures assured me this book was far too professional for my talents. However I did cook a couple of starters (Gazpacho shoots with Tiger prawns my first). The first main meal was also a starter. I took the traditional haggis of my country, followed the instructions, and the meal was brilliant. I had many compliments on this, so completely different from Haggis and Neeps. I almost could have not bothered to wash the plates!! The desserts I have not tried yet. The trouble is there are so many gorgeous recipes here and so simple to follow I am spoiled for choice. Believe me I am the "Can''t Cook" type, so this book has transformed my culinary skills. I just wish that the book had a wire comb spine to open flatter. That said I will recommend this book to any budding or professional cook. The meals really do look like the illustrations. I intend to buy my niece one for a wedding gift.'

Customer Review:

Review by: Richard Butters, 10 March 2011

'The MasterChef at Home cook book lives up to its name very well, that''s almost what you have to be to use most of the recipes in it. Whilst it is a lovely book, very informative in both text and pictures, very few of the recipes use ingredients that most of us have in our cupboards. However, as the book is so very informative I decided to have a go at a couple of dishes. The book devotes some if its space to a few "master classes" by judge Monica Galetti. We are given a brief lesson into how to make mayonnaise, filleting fish, trimming a rack of lamb and several other skills. It also advises on flavour combinations. Master Chef at Home has six chapters:- Starters, Vegetables and Fish, Poultry, Meat, Game and Desserts all full of delicious looking dishes. There''s something that would tempt most diners. All the recipes are nicely set out and very easy to follow, many are accompanied by coloured illustrations showing how the completed dish should look and giving an idea on how to present your dish. I have made several of the recipes shown in this book, both sweet and savoury, and was very impressed with all those I tried. I particularly recommend the Moroccan Spiced Lamb with Wild Rice and Toasted Almonds. This is not the type of cookery book that you can grab at the last minuet to cook dinner as most of the dishes require a bit of thought and probably will require ingredients that a lot of us don''t have in our cupboards, if that''s what you looking for then this isn''t for you. However, if you are looking for a book that offers not only delicious recipes that are easy to follow and beautifully illustrated but also teaches and advises on different aspects of cooking then this will be ideal. Master Chef at Home is an excellent book and one I wouldn''t hesitate to recommend. '

Customer Review:

Review by: Tom, 09 March 2011

'This is the second volume of recipes from the TV series, ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’. Its 368 glossy pages liberally illustrated with excellent photographs make it a very attractive publication. Unsurprisingly, it contains recipes bordering on the esoteric but it is also testimony to culinary imagination: Spicy pineapple Carpaccio with Mascarpone and Medjool date mousse, and Kiwi Coulis or Carpaccio of Beef salad with Horseradish Tuile, Oyster emulsion, and “Champagne” Caviar. Whilst such dishes flirt with pretentiousness or over-elaboration, they promise a profusion of flavours and cooking styles, highlighting the creativity and experience of cooks devoted to high cuisine. Not all recipes are highbrow. Goat’s Cheese and Red Onion Tart and Salad Nicoise for example, are relatively simple preparations. It is well organised, with sections covering starters, vegetables and fish, poultry, meat, game and desserts. This book has a lot more to offer. There are masterclass sections provided by Monica Galetti covering such topics as dressing a cooked crab, making mayonnaise and filleting flat fish with stage-by-stage instructions for those wishing to progress their cooking skills. Perhaps its greatest value would be discovering the blend of ingredients used by talented chefs and reflecting on how to deploy this knowledge. Certainly, this stimulating volume works on a variety of levels, for cooks seeking inspiration or anxious to widen their culinary skills and repertoire. Anyone seeking ideas or guidance would be well advised to read this book. '

Customer Review:

Review by: Hannah , 08 March 2011

'This book contains a great mix of recipes for a wide range of abilities. There are step-by-step guides to assist you in your cooking skills including how to make mayonnaise. There is also a selection of tips to make cooking the meals simpler. The book is filled with mouth-watering illustrations that show you how your plate should be set out. My own criticism of this book would be that the starters are mostly fish. '

Customer Review:

Review by: Mark from Ramsgate, 07 March 2011

'If you don''t want to read a long review then I''ll just recommend that you buy this book because it is interesting, informative and colourful. If you prefer a more detailed idea of why to buy this book? Then I would suggest that, if you are interested and inspired by cookery in any way shape or form, this would be a good purchase. I myself enjoy cooking and also enjoy MasterChef to watch. I even entered but was not fortunate enough to be picked. I have tried a couple of the recipes in this book and found them to be easy to follow and, for the most important part, actually came out the way they were supposed to. The suggestions for flavour combinations and master tips were very interesting and the masterclasses have encouraged me to try more technical recipes. All in all a well presented book full of ideas, although I''m still not convinced about the stilton ice cream. '

Customer Review:

Review by: Paul Mackintosh, 07 March 2011

'As always with Dorling Kindersley publications, the quality of presentation is excellent. As a lover of the TV series I have always wanted a convenient way to access the best recipes from the programmes. This book provides a great selection of recipes, and it''s exciting to be able to try out dishes that you''ve already seen as successful. I love the way, with this volume, that each of the chefs has a small summary at the end of the book, with a link to their dishes that are described within the book. And there are lots of really useful tips throughout the book. All in all, a great book to browse and inspire.'