The good thing about this book is that it has a lot of recipes, pretty much *just* recipes--no pictures, no engaging stories--so there's no filler. (I don't care how a dish looks after it's been fiddled over by a food stylist.) The down side is that many of the recipes are much heavier on the butterfat than I'm used to. Lots of butter, lots of cream. Also, some of them are a little cryptic but nothing that can't be overcome, "e.g. cook the vegetables in a small amount of boiling water." How much is "a small amount"? One cup? Two cups? (I guessed two cups. Everything worked.)

So--not for someone who needs incredible amounts of hand-holding or is entirely new to the concept of cooking, nor for anyone who eschews fat, but you get a lot of recipes that ought to work out with a little attention. ( )

An extremely comprehensive cookbook – nothing special, but there are hundreds of recipes. Most of these are quite easy to make – very clear explanations, some good basics. ( )

Good for the basics, but not especially interesting or innovative. ( )

Present from Kim (Waller) and David Kostival 1995