My First (and hopefully last) Encounter with Cook Books

The Uncommon Cook-Book

- by Ruth Mellinkoff

This book is certainly an eye catcher. Its title makes sure of that. If it wasn't for it's title I may have never noticed it. A plain white hard-bound book is unlikely to attract the attention of a passing eye. Maybe its simplicity and blandness has a rustic charm in itself.

Basically from the title, one understands that this book is not intended for amateur cooks. Its for people who know their way around the kitchen. For people who have cooked for a long time and are now tired of that monotonous ritual. It is for people who want to experiment, who want to try something new, something exciting.

This book would not interest budding cooks. It is visually lacking, making it difficult for learners to cross-check their final product. The recipes are not elaborately explained, further pointing to the fact that it is intended for experts. Mellinkoff being an acclaimed chef and having written several cook books for food all over the world and articles on renaissance cuisine is well-versed in the art of cooking and has enough authority to write about this subject.

The book is well categorized according to the various courses of a meal( i.e Appetizers, main course and desserts). All in all the book is an excellent choice for the veteran cooks, but may seem as a drag for first-timers.

Russian Cooking

-by Helen and George Papashvily

This book is slightly different from the other conventional cook-books. It not only describes the process of making russian food, but also delves into the history of russian food and its association with the Russia in the past and present era.

Now coming back to my views about the book. No matter how many times we hear "Don't judge a book by it's cover" we never seem to follow this principle. Somehow or the other the cover of the book plays an integral part in its selection from the book-shelf. The cover of this book just captivated me. At first glance it seems to be decorated chocolate nougats but on close observation you find out that it is actually painted eggs.

In terms of content this book describes an era in Russian cuisine and then gives a couple of examples with the recipe. It is visually rich making it more appealing to the readers interest. It also helps to make the book a good read for people not interested in cooking but just food.

The authors being editors for Times-Food and being avid travelers, have covered their bases well and done a good job in writing this book. The list of good remarks from acclaimed critics and newspapers further help in strengthening the authority of the authors on the subject of Russian cooking. Thorough analysis of the book show that this is a rich and entertaining experience.