Author(s): Marjorie Druker, Clara Silverstein
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: 2007-09-11
Pages: 256
Review: Bought this book from a local bookstore as a ‘bargain’ book, reduced price. Never heard of the place before, but reading through the recipes, they looked pretty good, so I thought why not? Realized right away it was indeed a bargain. So much bang for the buck! I especially love the organization of this book - 4 chapters devoted to seasonal eating, one for chowders, one for cheese, one for chicken and one for seafood. There are many more chapters (including ones dedicated to accompaniments like sandwiches and salads), but these are among my favorites. Now that it’s summer, we are sipping on some of her fantastic cold soups…the Cucumber/Avocado/Lime soup is absolutely divine! Super simple to make, no cooking, perfect for a hot summer day and man what a flavor! I would certainly have paid full price for this book, it’s the best all around soup cookbook I’ve seen or own. If you are a soup lover, you will not be disappointed. There are over 100 recipes in this book, most of which are fast becoming staples in my kitchen…but even if you can only find just one recipe you like (rather impossible I think though) makes this whole book worth buying. It’s really that good! Luckily for me, I read some 5-star reviews of this cookbook that prompted me to buy it, and I haven’t been disappointed. Yeah, I also thought that calling for bouillion cubes in a stock recipe was really odd, but I’ve got ten other cookbooks with good stock recipes (the bones from a couple of roasted chickens, an onion, a bay leaf, a few sprigs of thyme and a lazy Saturday afternoon in my opinion is all you really need for a delicious stock). I’m a real soupmaking junkie, have many, many soup cookbooks and love trying not-so-usual soup recipes. I’ve only tried a few so far from this book, but I’ve marked another dozen or more to try soon because they look and sound amazing. Many of them have just small amounts of some fairly subtle ingredients (they love sherry) that convinces me the authors of these recipes have a very refined palate, an excellent sense of proportion and a great feel for which flavors blend harmoniously. One recipe that immediately became my all-time favorite is the Pumpkin Soup with Sherried Cranberries. I made it with butternut squash vs. fresh pumpkin (it also calls for a bit of canned pumpkin), but otherwise I didn’t change a thing and the results were divine. Usually, recipes require a bit of fiddling to finetune the proportions, but not this one. It was so great, in fact, that I made a triple batch and froze/vac-sealed quart-sized blocks for Christmas gifts for everyone at the office. Everyone’s still raving about the results. Looking forward to making another recipe from the book this weekend.For the last several years, I have been collecting soup recipes. What better way to add good taste and nutrition to one’s diet! For that reason, I looked forward to Marjorie Druker’s soup cookbook. Her soup recipes seem reasonable, but I decided not to pursue these after reading her recipes for stock. Why would one go to the effort and expense of making stock from scratch and then add 4 chicken bouillon cubes for chicken stock, 4 beef bouillon cubes for beef stock, or 4 - 6 vegetable bouilon cubes for vegetable stock? It makes no sense to me.
I am not a culinary purist, but bouillon cube stock recipes are what I would call oxymoronic.
New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation’s Best Purveyor of Fine Soup
We visited New England to see the leaves in October. While shopping in a quaint town, my friend and I discovered that we had both picked up the same soup cookbook. We both bought it. It was truly a wonderful find. I have probably made 10 of the soups so far and my family asks which one I’m going to make next and when! I follow the recipes exactly with one exception — instead of cream, I puree non-fat cottage cheese. My guess is, it doesn’t change the flavor because everything has tasted great with it. The hand blender is a must for many of the recipes. I ran to the drugstore and got one for $14.98 and it works really well.
Oh! And the recipes make a lot but none of it has been wasted. And my Mom and married daughter are very good about bringing back my tupperware — if they don’t, they don’t get the next soup! My husband is quite happy because he has always loved soup.I have never written a review before, but after reading a negative review that specifically mentioned the chicken n rice flu chaser soup, i was compelled! I wish I didn’t have to make it again, but my husband and I finished our big pot last wkend and I need more! Someone mentioned the unusual mix flavors ended up tasting weird (lemon, cinammon, garlic, etc) , I’d say “complex” in all the right ways. Sweet, tart, spicy and hot. So much better than your average chicken soup. Going to the market this afternoon to get started on pot #2!
Price: $24.99 Buy This Book