The New Food Lover's Companion

I have spent most of the past two days examining and reading and thinking about this book. I think the one word that best describes it is "massive". This book is over 900 pages.....of course, it is only about 5 x 7 inches so not quite the same as a 'full-size' book. Still, the thing that makes it remarkable is the depth of the subject matter. Almost anything I can think of with respect to food is touched on in this book. You should be aware, however, that too much of a good thing can still be "too much". Does that apply to this book?? I think maybe it does in some ways. Is this book worth the time and the money spent?? Absolutely!!Here are a few thoughts I jotted down as I read and paged through and referenced (and cross-referenced..!) my way through this tome. "Wow, over 900 pages and very few photos...Uhh, actually none." (That's right NO photographs, NO drawings, NO line art, NO images of any kind...)........"Hmm, I didn't know that, or that either.." (I can't imagine the number of times I actually said that exact thing..)........"So THAT'S how you pronounce that!!." (Very helpful pronunciation guide with each entry in this book..)........"Wow, that's a LOT of cross-referencing.." (You can't even imagine!!..)........"Hmm, an appendix too...Oops, lots of appendices.." (One of the VERY helpful parts of this book.). There were other comments that I wrote down too, but this is enough for a sample.With only 7000 (+/-) separate entries in this encyclopedic work, that obviously doesn't cover EVERYTHING!! There must be something left out....Actually, I am certain that there is a lot that is NOT here, but most of it is pretty obscure stuff and not likely to affect anything you might reasonably be expected to do in your kitchen. So, having said that, here are my current thoughts with respect to this book....ONE: Don't expect to sit down and read this through like a novel...ain't gonna happen! This is more the format of a dictionary or encyclopedia and is therefore really just a reference work....BUT, a VERY GOOD reference work!!....TWO: Entries are well done and easily understood (for the most part..) and nicely edited (for the most part..). If you want to know something, anything, about a food or food term, the chances are very good that you can find an entry in this book that will help you out....THREE: The font size is probably 9 or 10 point (Not sure...didn't measure it..), so it is fairly small print and not terribly conducive to long term reading. But, that's okay, because it's a reference book, remember?....FOUR: If you can't live without full color photos (or photos of any kind!..) you probably won't enjoy this book. I know, we have become a very VISUAL society....But, in this case, photos are conspicuous by their absence....FIVE: Every 'foodie' or serious cook or interested gourmand should probably have a copy of this book..REALLY!!Samples?? So you want samples?? Okay, how about these....Did you know that the worlds largest 'fruit' is a relative of the Breadfruit and the Fig? The Jackfruit can weigh up to 100 pounds each!. AND, I know where it grows and what it looks like and how it is used.....Did you know that the 'Bullshot' is an alcoholic drink composed of two parts beef bouillon and one part vodka (and maybe some other simple flavorings..).....Did you know that there are over 200 different varieties of chiles and over 100 of them are indigenous to Mexico? That's right, plus a little primer on the Scoville scale for heat measurement.....Did you know that there are broiler ducks and fryer ducks and roaster ducks? Oh, and there is a duck named after a city (Peking Duck), a duck named after an island (Long Island duck) as well as a duck sauce (which has no duck in it..) and a duck press (which innocently enough is for 'pressing' duck.....How about a smaller relative of the cranberry, a 'cowberry' really, that goes by the name of 'Lingonberry'? And where it came from and where it grows now and how YOU can get it!.....Did you know that there is a type of glue that will stick two pieces of protein together? Called a 'meat glue', its real name is 'transglutaminase' and it is readily available if you want to do a little experimenting!!!.....Oh, that's right, I almost forgot, CHEESE. Don't get me started on cheese!.....ALSO, A table of equivalents, a table of substitutions, a PAN substitution chart!!! (Did you know that a 7 1/2 x 3 Bundt pan is the same volume as a 10 inch deep-dish pie pan?...I DID NOT know that!!), microwave oven conversion chart in case yours is not the same as the one called for in the recipe, a chart of 'smoke temperatures' for most of the common cooking oils, a chart of 'fat profiles' for most of the common cooking oils (just in case you wondered what percentage of the fat was 'saturated' or 'polyunsaturated' or 'monounsaturated'.....as well as a guide to metric conversions and equivalents......AND,.....AND,.....well, you get the idea!!!!!!So, okay. Information overload?? Possibly. But remember, it's a reference!! And there is SO MUCH information here that I really did not know. Could I get along without it?? Of course, but I could get along without a TV too! If you are a gastronome or serious 'foodie' or maybe just want to know more about the foods we eat EVERYDAY...you will get your moneys worth...besides, it's not that expensive anyway. I will give this book four stars and say that it is really worth five.....darn pictures anyway. Oh, by the way, if you want to look at a good effort with some nice artwork take a look at  The Visual Food Lover's Guide: Includes essential information on how to buy, prepare and store over 1,000 types of food . It is not nearly as in-depth as this book, but the artwork is exceptional. I bought it too!!

It's like one of those encyclopedia or reference books I could spend hours rabbit holing through as a kid.What's "that"? This will tell you. I find it especially useful when shopping unfamiliar produce and understanding cooking terms. Plus, you'll learn a lot and look like a pro when they pull those odd things out of "Chopped" baskets!

This is a wonderful reference for anyone who enjoys cooking. I had the previous edition but decided to purchase the latest edition. The new cover is very unattractive. I’m going to find or make a new cover for it. Other than that it is great.

Whether you're cooking for someone with a food allergy or suddenly find yourself without a key ingredient for a recipe, this book likely has the answer. Regardless of what kind of cook you are, this reference book is invaluable when you need it. I've bought it for myself and given it at least five times as a gift.

When you need a question about cooking answered fast, this is the book to go to.

This is one of the best food reference books that I've read. So much information about so many ingredients inside this book. This is the second one of these books that I bought, the first was during the 1990's and was about a third of the size of the new book.This makes reading and shopping for a recipe so easy when the ingredient's aren't familiar .Or regular items that I would buy on a regular basis.

I have bought several copies of this book for friends and family over the years! It is a go to in my household where several proffesional chefs reside! It answers debates and inquiries quickly and is a must have resource. This book is easy to navigate with its dictionary style, and often gives the origin and makeup of different foods and even defines culinary terms. It makes a great gift for the aspiring cook and even the proffesional. Even if you can't cook, with this resource you will be able to talk the talk and make it sound like you do. I Will probably continue to buy more copies as gifts or to replace ones that are falling apart from use.

Much more basic than what I was looking for. It is most appropriate for beginners-intermediate or if you want a reference for simple ways to explain or teach. I was hoping for more cross cultural ingredients also.

Just what I was looking for. It's a proper dictionary of cooking terms. From the way to cook something to utensils, foods, drinks, measures and much more. I looked up sautée, alligator, potato and many more, and they were all in there. As it's a book from the USA, sometimes you need to work out UK measures and terms, but that's not difficult.I think this is a must for someone starting to cook, as sometimes recipes say to do something, but don't tell you what that something actually is. Just look to the New Food Lover's Companion for the answer.

useful!

Excellent

ok

Love that book! I have one from fiew years back.Book came on time in great condition.Thanks