Cookbook Review

After reading several cookbooks, there are two cookbooks that leave me with strong impressions but in a different way, one is An Encyclopedia of Chinese Food And Cooking and the other one is Classic Desserts.
Though I knew we should not judge a book by its cover, however when I first saw the cover of An Encyclopedia of Chinese Food And Cooking, it did give me the feeling of antique and classy since it was simply composed of two colors: back and red. But as I read on, I was rather disappointed. The content is printed in black and white which is a big disadvantage for a cookbook because of the importance of the visual attraction for food. Also, the book just explains some basic cooking methods in the beginning of the book and briefly lays out the steps for each recipe instead of clearly indicating what should be done in details. Generally, it takes an encyclopedia format so the intended audience should be someone who has cooking experience in Chinese food who can know exactly how to cook each dish just by looking at a few words. What is effective about the organization of this cookbook is that every single recipe is organized in alphabetical order so it is very convenient for the readers to find what they need.

Then there is another cookbook called Classic Desserts which is my favorite among all the cookbooks I look through. Just looking at this color is a kind of enjoyable thing. On the cover there is a very inviting cake which drives the reader to continue reading. For each step, it not only gives some background information of that desert and tips about making, but also provides clearly instructions about how to make the desert with illustration which is very easy for the amateurs to follow up. Then at the beginning of the book, it gives an introduction about the author who is a very experienced cook as well as consultant. This way makes the reader believe in the recipe in the book, thereby establishing the authority of the cookbook. What is more, through the beginning till the end, all the contents center around one single topic, dessert. But it does follow the order from simplicity to difficulty.

As a whole, browsing all of the cookbooks is a pleasant thing. It even makes me want to cook some dishes by myself.