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 Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low.
Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration.
A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something.
WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self.
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low.
Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration.
A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something.
WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self.
Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results.
Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low. Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration. A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something. WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self. Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results. Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:
This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).
I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.
I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.
Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.
Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side! Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library! Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs). This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before. One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.
This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low. Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration. A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something. WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self. Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results. Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:
This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).
I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.
I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.
Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.
Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side! Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library! Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs). This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before. One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.
This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.
Beautifully illustrated but lacks content and includes errors, 08 Jan 2009
As noted by one other reviewer, there is an important error in the process described. you always add lye to water, not the other way round. This is a fundamental part of the process and discredits the whole effort. My other issues are with the recipes - there were too many using lard/shortening. I believe most home soapmakers will want to concentrate on luxury ingredients such as olive oil, avocado oil. Further too many contained beeswax, which I cannot source, so they are all out. Apart from that, there are some good recipes, and I love the photography, which is the best of my soap library. I think she has missed an opportunity to create "the bible", however.
Lovely pictures but some BAD information, 02 Dec 2008
I will start by admitting that it was a chance encounter with this book in my local library that started me on what has now become an obsessional interest in soapmaking. However, as I have learned more, I'm afraid that dispite lots of very pretty pictures, this book gives some serious misinformation.
Firstly, within the first few pages, there is a section where she has a highlighted section of the 10 main points to remember, one of which is to always ADD THE WATER TO THE CAUSTIC SODA, rather than the reverse!!! Luckily, she does explain elsewhere that in fact the reverse is true, but still, a beginner (as I was) could just go to that section to refresh their memory as to which way the two should be combined with disasterous results.
Secondly, she translates the measurements of essential oils from teaspoons/tablespoons into grams (that might be mls - I've given the book back to the library) completely wrongly. (It's o.k. if you follow the teaspoons/ tablespoons measures).
Thirdly, the amount of Sodium Hydroxide in some of the recipes is wrong - e.g. in one recipe (I haven't checked them all), it is 25% TOO MUCH!
Fourthly, she uses 'vegetable oil' and 'vegetable shortening' in many of the recipes; if you don't know what type of oil or shortening you are using you cannot accurately calculate the amount of Sodium Hydroxide to use. On realising this, and with a fridge half full of Cookeen, I contacted them only to be informed that their product does not include either Soya or Palm oil, and that they would not in any case disclose the recipe.
Fourthly, you will never be able to legally sell that soap in the U.k., because you will not be able to accurately declare the ingredients.
Fifthly, she does not warn of the dangers to your project of using the wrong water - she suggests that bottled water is o.k. All bottled waters are not equal, and some have a lot of minerals in them which will destroy your batch. I find distilled water gives reliable predictable results; not so bottled water.
Fifthly, many of the recipes are just not good recipes (even where the amount of Sodium Hydroxide is correct); a major factor being that they will be so hard that they will fracture on cutting, and be almost impossible to actually cut a decent bar from; and many will also be very drying.
Sixthly, there is no reference to EU regulations, and the book gives the impression that it is o.k. to just sell soap you have made, without spending longer on paperwork than making soap :(
Seventhly, she doesn't really discuss the gel phase (where the soap is left to 'cook' in the mould); in my experience small batches have much more difficulty getting hot, and the edges and corners will not make good soap. I appreciate that small batches of a pound or two, which is where the book is focused, are just what the beginner wants and needs, but more explanation of this, and some extra measures (e.g. heating the moulds, ensuring that they are wrapped/insulated really quickly _ and even put in a luke warm oven) would have been helpful.
Eightly, I do think that some more resources - like the nearest Aisan supermarket- could have been thrown in.
However, I have given this book 2 stars, because it is written in an entertaining and friendly style, has lovely pictures, and the authors enthusiam for the subject shines through - and has been responsible for the fact that I now have so much soap I can hardly get into my house :(
Sorry Melinda, that's just how I see it.
addictive, 08 Sep 2008
A really good book that has got me on my journey of making soaps. Warning once you start you will not be able to stop. It is really easy to use and gives good intructions. If you don't like some of the recipes after making a few batches of soap you will be able to tweak them for yourself.
Addicted already!!, 03 Dec 2007
This is a very good book with very clear instructions, the illustrations are helpful to give you an idea of what your own batch should look like. Melinda Coss prefers to hand stir her soap, I, however would recommend a stick blender as most soaps will trace in a matter of minutes this way. If you have time on your hands I am sure stirring is very theraputic, for myself making a batch of soap is something I do once the kids have gone to bed so a stick blender is just the trick.
A good book but BEWARE!, 24 Nov 2007
Overall this is an excellent book BUT be very careful! Base oil quantities are measured in ounces or grams and these are fine. Essential oils and other additives, however, are specified in table spoons and in grams... The gram measurements are WRONG! It appears that whomever translated the spoonfulls into grams had been on the sherry! I have just made a batch of soap which called for four tablespoonfuls of Callendula petals or 45grams! 45grams of Calendula petals are about four cups! The same is true of the essential oils. The recipe calls for one teaspoon or 5 grams... 5 grams is about three teaspoonfuls!
Buy the book by all means, its a good book; but when measuring out ingredients use grams or ounces for the base oils but then teaspoons or tablespoons for the additives.
Also... Page 13, under the "ten commandments", step 5 reads "As you add the water to the sodium hydroxide" DO NOT DO THIS it would be bad, very bad! Always add the sodium Hydroxide to the water.
So I have three wrecked batches of soap because I followed the gram measures. I'm wiser now... and so are you.
Derek
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low. Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration. A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something. WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self. Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results. Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:
This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).
I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.
I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.
Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.
Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side! Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library! Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs). This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before. One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.
This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.
Beautifully illustrated but lacks content and includes errors, 08 Jan 2009
As noted by one other reviewer, there is an important error in the process described. you always add lye to water, not the other way round. This is a fundamental part of the process and discredits the whole effort. My other issues are with the recipes - there were too many using lard/shortening. I believe most home soapmakers will want to concentrate on luxury ingredients such as olive oil, avocado oil. Further too many contained beeswax, which I cannot source, so they are all out. Apart from that, there are some good recipes, and I love the photography, which is the best of my soap library. I think she has missed an opportunity to create "the bible", however.
Lovely pictures but some BAD information, 02 Dec 2008
I will start by admitting that it was a chance encounter with this book in my local library that started me on what has now become an obsessional interest in soapmaking. However, as I have learned more, I'm afraid that dispite lots of very pretty pictures, this book gives some serious misinformation.
Firstly, within the first few pages, there is a section where she has a highlighted section of the 10 main points to remember, one of which is to always ADD THE WATER TO THE CAUSTIC SODA, rather than the reverse!!! Luckily, she does explain elsewhere that in fact the reverse is true, but still, a beginner (as I was) could just go to that section to refresh their memory as to which way the two should be combined with disasterous results.
Secondly, she translates the measurements of essential oils from teaspoons/tablespoons into grams (that might be mls - I've given the book back to the library) completely wrongly. (It's o.k. if you follow the teaspoons/ tablespoons measures).
Thirdly, the amount of Sodium Hydroxide in some of the recipes is wrong - e.g. in one recipe (I haven't checked them all), it is 25% TOO MUCH!
Fourthly, she uses 'vegetable oil' and 'vegetable shortening' in many of the recipes; if you don't know what type of oil or shortening you are using you cannot accurately calculate the amount of Sodium Hydroxide to use. On realising this, and with a fridge half full of Cookeen, I contacted them only to be informed that their product does not include either Soya or Palm oil, and that they would not in any case disclose the recipe.
Fourthly, you will never be able to legally sell that soap in the U.k., because you will not be able to accurately declare the ingredients.
Fifthly, she does not warn of the dangers to your project of using the wrong water - she suggests that bottled water is o.k. All bottled waters are not equal, and some have a lot of minerals in them which will destroy your batch. I find distilled water gives reliable predictable results; not so bottled water.
Fifthly, many of the recipes are just not good recipes (even where the amount of Sodium Hydroxide is correct); a major factor being that they will be so hard that they will fracture on cutting, and be almost impossible to actually cut a decent bar from; and many will also be very drying.
Sixthly, there is no reference to EU regulations, and the book gives the impression that it is o.k. to just sell soap you have made, without spending longer on paperwork than making soap :(
Seventhly, she doesn't really discuss the gel phase (where the soap is left to 'cook' in the mould); in my experience small batches have much more difficulty getting hot, and the edges and corners will not make good soap. I appreciate that small batches of a pound or two, which is where the book is focused, are just what the beginner wants and needs, but more explanation of this, and some extra measures (e.g. heating the moulds, ensuring that they are wrapped/insulated really quickly _ and even put in a luke warm oven) would have been helpful.
Eightly, I do think that some more resources - like the nearest Aisan supermarket- could have been thrown in.
However, I have given this book 2 stars, because it is written in an entertaining and friendly style, has lovely pictures, and the authors enthusiam for the subject shines through - and has been responsible for the fact that I now have so much soap I can hardly get into my house :(
Sorry Melinda, that's just how I see it.
addictive, 08 Sep 2008
A really good book that has got me on my journey of making soaps. Warning once you start you will not be able to stop. It is really easy to use and gives good intructions. If you don't like some of the recipes after making a few batches of soap you will be able to tweak them for yourself.
Addicted already!!, 03 Dec 2007
This is a very good book with very clear instructions, the illustrations are helpful to give you an idea of what your own batch should look like. Melinda Coss prefers to hand stir her soap, I, however would recommend a stick blender as most soaps will trace in a matter of minutes this way. If you have time on your hands I am sure stirring is very theraputic, for myself making a batch of soap is something I do once the kids have gone to bed so a stick blender is just the trick.
A good book but BEWARE!, 24 Nov 2007
Overall this is an excellent book BUT be very careful! Base oil quantities are measured in ounces or grams and these are fine. Essential oils and other additives, however, are specified in table spoons and in grams... The gram measurements are WRONG! It appears that whomever translated the spoonfulls into grams had been on the sherry! I have just made a batch of soap which called for four tablespoonfuls of Callendula petals or 45grams! 45grams of Calendula petals are about four cups! The same is true of the essential oils. The recipe calls for one teaspoon or 5 grams... 5 grams is about three teaspoonfuls!
Buy the book by all means, its a good book; but when measuring out ingredients use grams or ounces for the base oils but then teaspoons or tablespoons for the additives.
Also... Page 13, under the "ten commandments", step 5 reads "As you add the water to the sodium hydroxide" DO NOT DO THIS it would be bad, very bad! Always add the sodium Hydroxide to the water.
So I have three wrecked batches of soap because I followed the gram measures. I'm wiser now... and so are you.
Derek
The standard in nutritional data reference, 17 Sep 2008
Clear with the information that is needed giving nutritional data for reference and for labelling claims
FAST TRACK TO NUTRITION VALUE OF 100'S OF FOOD INGREDIENTS, 20 Feb 2002
AN IN DEPTH AND INVALUABLE REFERENCE FOR DIETITIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS. A GUIDE ALSO FOR THE FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WHERE THIS BOOK HELPS IN LISTING OVER 30 DIFFERENT SOURCES OF PROXIMATES AND CONSTITUENTS IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS. A MUST FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY!
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low. Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration. A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something. WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self. Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results. Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:
This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).
I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.
I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.
Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.
Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side! Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library! Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs). This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before. One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.
This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.
Beautifully illustrated but lacks content and includes errors, 08 Jan 2009
As noted by one other reviewer, there is an important error in the process described. you always add lye to water, not the other way round. This is a fundamental part of the process and discredits the whole effort. My other issues are with the recipes - there were too many using lard/shortening. I believe most home soapmakers will want to concentrate on luxury ingredients such as olive oil, avocado oil. Further too many contained beeswax, which I cannot source, so they are all out. Apart from that, there are some good recipes, and I love the photography, which is the best of my soap library. I think she has missed an opportunity to create "the bible", however.
Lovely pictures but some BAD information, 02 Dec 2008
I will start by admitting that it was a chance encounter with this book in my local library that started me on what has now become an obsessional interest in soapmaking. However, as I have learned more, I'm afraid that dispite lots of very pretty pictures, this book gives some serious misinformation.
Firstly, within the first few pages, there is a section where she has a highlighted section of the 10 main points to remember, one of which is to always ADD THE WATER TO THE CAUSTIC SODA, rather than the reverse!!! Luckily, she does explain elsewhere that in fact the reverse is true, but still, a beginner (as I was) could just go to that section to refresh their memory as to which way the two should be combined with disasterous results.
Secondly, she translates the measurements of essential oils from teaspoons/tablespoons into grams (that might be mls - I've given the book back to the library) completely wrongly. (It's o.k. if you follow the teaspoons/ tablespoons measures).
Thirdly, the amount of Sodium Hydroxide in some of the recipes is wrong - e.g. in one recipe (I haven't checked them all), it is 25% TOO MUCH!
Fourthly, she uses 'vegetable oil' and 'vegetable shortening' in many of the recipes; if you don't know what type of oil or shortening you are using you cannot accurately calculate the amount of Sodium Hydroxide to use. On realising this, and with a fridge half full of Cookeen, I contacted them only to be informed that their product does not include either Soya or Palm oil, and that they would not in any case disclose the recipe.
Fourthly, you will never be able to legally sell that soap in the U.k., because you will not be able to accurately declare the ingredients.
Fifthly, she does not warn of the dangers to your project of using the wrong water - she suggests that bottled water is o.k. All bottled waters are not equal, and some have a lot of minerals in them which will destroy your batch. I find distilled water gives reliable predictable results; not so bottled water.
Fifthly, many of the recipes are just not good recipes (even where the amount of Sodium Hydroxide is correct); a major factor being that they will be so hard that they will fracture on cutting, and be almost impossible to actually cut a decent bar from; and many will also be very drying.
Sixthly, there is no reference to EU regulations, and the book gives the impression that it is o.k. to just sell soap you have made, without spending longer on paperwork than making soap :(
Seventhly, she doesn't really discuss the gel phase (where the soap is left to 'cook' in the mould); in my experience small batches have much more difficulty getting hot, and the edges and corners will not make good soap. I appreciate that small batches of a pound or two, which is where the book is focused, are just what the beginner wants and needs, but more explanation of this, and some extra measures (e.g. heating the moulds, ensuring that they are wrapped/insulated really quickly _ and even put in a luke warm oven) would have been helpful.
Eightly, I do think that some more resources - like the nearest Aisan supermarket- could have been thrown in.
However, I have given this book 2 stars, because it is written in an entertaining and friendly style, has lovely pictures, and the authors enthusiam for the subject shines through - and has been responsible for the fact that I now have so much soap I can hardly get into my house :(
Sorry Melinda, that's just how I see it.
addictive, 08 Sep 2008
A really good book that has got me on my journey of making soaps. Warning once you start you will not be able to stop. It is really easy to use and gives good intructions. If you don't like some of the recipes after making a few batches of soap you will be able to tweak them for yourself.
Addicted already!!, 03 Dec 2007
This is a very good book with very clear instructions, the illustrations are helpful to give you an idea of what your own batch should look like. Melinda Coss prefers to hand stir her soap, I, however would recommend a stick blender as most soaps will trace in a matter of minutes this way. If you have time on your hands I am sure stirring is very theraputic, for myself making a batch of soap is something I do once the kids have gone to bed so a stick blender is just the trick.
A good book but BEWARE!, 24 Nov 2007
Overall this is an excellent book BUT be very careful! Base oil quantities are measured in ounces or grams and these are fine. Essential oils and other additives, however, are specified in table spoons and in grams... The gram measurements are WRONG! It appears that whomever translated the spoonfulls into grams had been on the sherry! I have just made a batch of soap which called for four tablespoonfuls of Callendula petals or 45grams! 45grams of Calendula petals are about four cups! The same is true of the essential oils. The recipe calls for one teaspoon or 5 grams... 5 grams is about three teaspoonfuls!
Buy the book by all means, its a good book; but when measuring out ingredients use grams or ounces for the base oils but then teaspoons or tablespoons for the additives.
Also... Page 13, under the "ten commandments", step 5 reads "As you add the water to the sodium hydroxide" DO NOT DO THIS it would be bad, very bad! Always add the sodium Hydroxide to the water.
So I have three wrecked batches of soap because I followed the gram measures. I'm wiser now... and so are you.
Derek
The standard in nutritional data reference, 17 Sep 2008
Clear with the information that is needed giving nutritional data for reference and for labelling claims
FAST TRACK TO NUTRITION VALUE OF 100'S OF FOOD INGREDIENTS, 20 Feb 2002
AN IN DEPTH AND INVALUABLE REFERENCE FOR DIETITIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS. A GUIDE ALSO FOR THE FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WHERE THIS BOOK HELPS IN LISTING OVER 30 DIFFERENT SOURCES OF PROXIMATES AND CONSTITUENTS IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS. A MUST FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY!
perfect for first time users!!, 02 Jan 2007
when i read the instructions and learnt all of the different techniques for my course, i was amazed at the simplicity shown to me in this book. i feel that it is a good all round book, and the advice on some of the techniques is brilliant! i want more!!
Good information and tips for the potter moving away from conventional kilns, 19 Jul 2006
This book offers a multitude of tips, photos and help with saggar, raku, barrel and pit firings. It also has recipes for glazes, terra sigillata and includes advice on burnishing that is more detailed and sophisticated than other books I have encountered.
I found this book so full of well-written advice and easy to follow steps that it has inspired me to try some of them out. Few books have this effect on people so I would recommend it without reservation.
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low. Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration. A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something. WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self. Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results. Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:
This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).
I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.
I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.
Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.
Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side! Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library! Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs). This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before. One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.
This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.
Beautifully illustrated but lacks content and includes errors, 08 Jan 2009
As noted by one other reviewer, there is an important error in the process described. you always add lye to water, not the other way round. This is a fundamental part of the process and discredits the whole effort. My other issues are with the recipes - there were too many using lard/shortening. I believe most home soapmakers will want to concentrate on luxury ingredients such as olive oil, avocado oil. Further too many contained beeswax, which I cannot source, so they are all out. Apart from that, there are some good recipes, and I love the photography, which is the best of my soap library. I think she has missed an opportunity to create "the bible", however.
Lovely pictures but some BAD information, 02 Dec 2008
I will start by admitting that it was a chance encounter with this book in my local library that started me on what has now become an obsessional interest in soapmaking. However, as I have learned more, I'm afraid that dispite lots of very pretty pictures, this book gives some serious misinformation.
Firstly, within the first few pages, there is a section where she has a highlighted section of the 10 main points to remember, one of which is to always ADD THE WATER TO THE CAUSTIC SODA, rather than the reverse!!! Luckily, she does explain elsewhere that in fact the reverse is true, but still, a beginner (as I was) could just go to that section to refresh their memory as to which way the two should be combined with disasterous results.
Secondly, she translates the measurements of essential oils from teaspoons/tablespoons into grams (that might be mls - I've given the book back to the library) completely wrongly. (It's o.k. if you follow the teaspoons/ tablespoons measures).
Thirdly, the amount of Sodium Hydroxide in some of the recipes is wrong - e.g. in one recipe (I haven't checked them all), it is 25% TOO MUCH!
Fourthly, she uses 'vegetable oil' and 'vegetable shortening' in many of the recipes; if you don't know what type of oil or shortening you are using you cannot accurately calculate the amount of Sodium Hydroxide to use. On realising this, and with a fridge half full of Cookeen, I contacted them only to be informed that their product does not include either Soya or Palm oil, and that they would not in any case disclose the recipe.
Fourthly, you will never be able to legally sell that soap in the U.k., because you will not be able to accurately declare the ingredients.
Fifthly, she does not warn of the dangers to your project of using the wrong water - she suggests that bottled water is o.k. All bottled waters are not equal, and some have a lot of minerals in them which will destroy your batch. I find distilled water gives reliable predictable results; not so bottled water.
Fifthly, many of the recipes are just not good recipes (even where the amount of Sodium Hydroxide is correct); a major factor being that they will be so hard that they will fracture on cutting, and be almost impossible to actually cut a decent bar from; and many will also be very drying.
Sixthly, there is no reference to EU regulations, and the book gives the impression that it is o.k. to just sell soap you have made, without spending longer on paperwork than making soap :(
Seventhly, she doesn't really discuss the gel phase (where the soap is left to 'cook' in the mould); in my experience small batches have much more difficulty getting hot, and the edges and corners will not make good soap. I appreciate that small batches of a pound or two, which is where the book is focused, are just what the beginner wants and needs, but more explanation of this, and some extra measures (e.g. heating the moulds, ensuring that they are wrapped/insulated really quickly _ and even put in a luke warm oven) would have been helpful.
Eightly, I do think that some more resources - like the nearest Aisan supermarket- could have been thrown in.
However, I have given this book 2 stars, because it is written in an entertaining and friendly style, has lovely pictures, and the authors enthusiam for the subject shines through - and has been responsible for the fact that I now have so much soap I can hardly get into my house :(
Sorry Melinda, that's just how I see it.
addictive, 08 Sep 2008
A really good book that has got me on my journey of making soaps. Warning once you start you will not be able to stop. It is really easy to use and gives good intructions. If you don't like some of the recipes after making a few batches of soap you will be able to tweak them for yourself.
Addicted already!!, 03 Dec 2007
This is a very good book with very clear instructions, the illustrations are helpful to give you an idea of what your own batch should look like. Melinda Coss prefers to hand stir her soap, I, however would recommend a stick blender as most soaps will trace in a matter of minutes this way. If you have time on your hands I am sure stirring is very theraputic, for myself making a batch of soap is something I do once the kids have gone to bed so a stick blender is just the trick.
A good book but BEWARE!, 24 Nov 2007
Overall this is an excellent book BUT be very careful! Base oil quantities are measured in ounces or grams and these are fine. Essential oils and other additives, however, are specified in table spoons and in grams... The gram measurements are WRONG! It appears that whomever translated the spoonfulls into grams had been on the sherry! I have just made a batch of soap which called for four tablespoonfuls of Callendula petals or 45grams! 45grams of Calendula petals are about four cups! The same is true of the essential oils. The recipe calls for one teaspoon or 5 grams... 5 grams is about three teaspoonfuls!
Buy the book by all means, its a good book; but when measuring out ingredients use grams or ounces for the base oils but then teaspoons or tablespoons for the additives.
Also... Page 13, under the "ten commandments", step 5 reads "As you add the water to the sodium hydroxide" DO NOT DO THIS it would be bad, very bad! Always add the sodium Hydroxide to the water.
So I have three wrecked batches of soap because I followed the gram measures. I'm wiser now... and so are you.
Derek
The standard in nutritional data reference, 17 Sep 2008
Clear with the information that is needed giving nutritional data for reference and for labelling claims
FAST TRACK TO NUTRITION VALUE OF 100'S OF FOOD INGREDIENTS, 20 Feb 2002
AN IN DEPTH AND INVALUABLE REFERENCE FOR DIETITIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS. A GUIDE ALSO FOR THE FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WHERE THIS BOOK HELPS IN LISTING OVER 30 DIFFERENT SOURCES OF PROXIMATES AND CONSTITUENTS IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS. A MUST FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY!
perfect for first time users!!, 02 Jan 2007
when i read the instructions and learnt all of the different techniques for my course, i was amazed at the simplicity shown to me in this book. i feel that it is a good all round book, and the advice on some of the techniques is brilliant! i want more!!
Good information and tips for the potter moving away from conventional kilns, 19 Jul 2006
This book offers a multitude of tips, photos and help with saggar, raku, barrel and pit firings. It also has recipes for glazes, terra sigillata and includes advice on burnishing that is more detailed and sophisticated than other books I have encountered.
I found this book so full of well-written advice and easy to follow steps that it has inspired me to try some of them out. Few books have this effect on people so I would recommend it without reservation.
A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.
A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.
Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.
Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.
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Customer Reviews
Many anecdotes, little culinary knowledge, 05 May 2008
I bought this book hoping to learn some hard science behind cooking and I'm very disappointed. The book consists mostly of anecdotes of what scientists from Dijon found in one kind of wine/cheese/meat or another but hardly any of this can be extrapolated to everyday cooking and it doesn't give any sort of a big picture view on food - just a lot of details.
The book also contains a few interesting ideas, especially on non-traditional emulsions/foams/suspensions/gels - in particular chapter 97 "Everything Chocolate" is very interesting.
Overall I'd suggest buying another book. It's pleasant to read but amount of useful or enlightening content is quite low. Fascinating and inspiring, 12 Mar 2008
This is very interesting book covering a wide range of topics on the subject of flavour, taste and smell perception as well as the application of basic science to food and drink technology. I was particularly interested in the recent research into the physiology of taste perception, which until recently was the poor cousin of that of the sense of smell. There is a fair bit of chemistry, biochemistry and physics to take in to get full value from the book so I think this book would appeal most to those not only interested in food and cooking but also with some scientific knowledge. The last section of the book focuses on how the physico-chemical properties of ingredients like eggs or fats can be manipulated into creating novel recipes for foods. One can see where the likes of the innovative chef Heston Blumenthal got his inspiration. A real page turner, 03 Mar 2008
Strangely enough for a professional scientist, This' book contains an extraordinary number of basic temperature conversion mistakes (and I'm not talking a few degrees here and there, more like 100C in some cases).
That aside, the only real problem I've found is that I can't put the book down for long enough to actually try to cook something. WHY?, 30 Dec 2007
A must for any chef who always has the question WHY? in their mind and some of the answers are in this book the others you'll have to figure out for your self. Great reference book!, 21 Jun 2008
For the technical side of brewing this book covers what you need to know! I also have the "complete joy of homebrewing" which is also a great book and lot of fun to read, but to be honest it is not as up to date as this book. I recommend this book together with "designing great beer" - with this set you'll be able to brew the most common types of beer with very good results. Excellent homebrew book!, 24 Oct 2007
The title really does say it all with this book!
I've been brewing for a few years now, and upon getting this book my beers have leapt forward from being usually OK (but still very obviously homebrewed), to being beers that I would be happy to receive in a pub or beer festival...honestly!
This book contains just about everything you could need for any stage in your brewing life. Everything from the beginner's standard 'can and kilo' brews, right up to full grain and everything in between.
Ingredients, methodology, techniques, equipment, recipes - its all here.
(My only slight criticism is that it is doesn't contain details on 'kegging' your beer, but this is really fairly simple and info can be easily found online for this if you wish.)
Basically this is the only beer homebrew book you will need - I highly recommend it!
A book on how to slaughter & butcher your own meat, 18 Dec 2007
I thought I might just comment on the content of the book:
This book tells you how to kill, slaughter, and cut up your meat, and a bit on preparation (curing / salting etc).
I had hoped it would have more on the "butchery" aspects, i.e. cutting up & preparing the meat / processing etc. I'd just bought a fore-quarter from the butcher and I bought this book to help me cut it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was after.
I tend to buy pork / lamb by the half animal (much cheaper) and I was hoping this book would teach me to cut it up myself. I think i'll have to try another book with more space devoted to this sort of info.
Note that its American written so some of the cuts are different to what we're used to in the UK.
Still, if the day came that I was going to kill an animal for my own consumption, I'd definitely want this book at my side! Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, 11 Aug 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library! Excellent information - not outdated at all., 04 Aug 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs). This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., 17 Jun 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before. One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.
This book covers the very basic requirements of butchering., 11 Mar 1999
I found the book to be satisfactory if that. Illustrations are good but in some cases not very accurate, and at times confusing. The section of the preseravation of meats could have been left out. Its outdated. This book would great for Grizzly Adams or the Waltons.
Beautifully illustrated but lacks content and includes errors, 08 Jan 2009
As noted by one other reviewer, there is an important error in the process described. you always add lye to water, not the other way round. This is a fundamental part of the process and discredits the whole effort. My other issues are with the recipes - there were too many using lard/shortening. I believe most home soapmakers will want to concentrate on luxury ingredients such as olive oil, avocado oil. Further too many contained beeswax, which I cannot source, so they are all out. Apart from that, there are some good recipes, and I love the photography, which is the best of my soap library. I think she has missed an opportunity to create "the bible", however.
Lovely pictures but some BAD information, 02 Dec 2008
I will start by admitting that it was a chance encounter with this book in my local library that started me on what has now become an obsessional interest in soapmaking. However, as I have learned more, I'm afraid that dispite lots of very pretty pictures, this book gives some serious misinformation.
Firstly, within the first few pages, there is a section where she has a highlighted section of the 10 main points to remember, one of which is to always ADD THE WATER TO THE CAUSTIC SODA, rather than the reverse!!! Luckily, she does explain elsewhere that in fact the reverse is true, but still, a beginner (as I was) could just go to that section to refresh their memory as to which way the two should be combined with disasterous results.
Secondly, she translates the measurements of essential oils from teaspoons/tablespoons into grams (that might be mls - I've given the book back to the library) completely wrongly. (It's o.k. if you follow the teaspoons/ tablespoons measures).
Thirdly, the amount of Sodium Hydroxide in some of the recipes is wrong - e.g. in one recipe (I haven't checked them all), it is 25% TOO MUCH!
Fourthly, she uses 'vegetable oil' and 'vegetable shortening' in many of the recipes; if you don't know what type of oil or shortening you are using you cannot accurately calculate the amount of Sodium Hydroxide to use. On realising this, and with a fridge half full of Cookeen, I contacted them only to be informed that their product does not include either Soya or Palm oil, and that they would not in any case disclose the recipe.
Fourthly, you will never be able to legally sell that soap in the U.k., because you will not be able to accurately declare the ingredients.
Fifthly, she does not warn of the dangers to your project of using the wrong water - she suggests that bottled water is o.k. All bottled waters are not equal, and some have a lot of minerals in them which will destroy your batch. I find distilled water gives reliable predictable results; not so bottled water.
Fifthly, many of the recipes are just not good recipes (even where the amount of Sodium Hydroxide is correct); a major factor being that they will be so hard that they will fracture on cutting, and be almost impossible to actually cut a decent bar from; and many will also be very drying.
Sixthly, there is no reference to EU regulations, and the book gives the impression that it is o.k. to just sell soap you have made, without spending longer on paperwork than making soap :(
Seventhly, she doesn't really discuss the gel phase (where the soap is left to 'cook' in the mould); in my experience small batches have much more difficulty getting hot, and the edges and corners will not make good soap. I appreciate that small batches of a pound or two, which is where the book is focused, are just what the beginner wants and needs, but more explanation of this, and some extra measures (e.g. heating the moulds, ensuring that they are wrapped/insulated really quickly _ and even put in a luke warm oven) would have been helpful.
Eightly, I do think that some more resources - like the nearest Aisan supermarket- could have been thrown in.
However, I have given this book 2 stars, because it is written in an entertaining and friendly style, has lovely pictures, and the authors enthusiam for the subject shines through - and has been responsible for the fact that I now have so much soap I can hardly get into my house :(
Sorry Melinda, that's just how I see it.
addictive, 08 Sep 2008
A really good book that has got me on my journey of making soaps. Warning once you start you will not be able to stop. It is really easy to use and gives good intructions. If you don't like some of the recipes after making a few batches of soap you will be able to tweak them for yourself.
Addicted already!!, 03 Dec 2007
This is a very good book with very clear instructions, the illustrations are helpful to give you an idea of what your own batch should look like. Melinda Coss prefers to hand stir her soap, I, however would recommend a stick blender as most soaps will trace in a matter of minutes this way. If you have time on your hands I am sure stirring is very theraputic, for myself making a batch of soap is something I do once the kids have gone to bed so a stick blender is just the trick.
A good book but BEWARE!, 24 Nov 2007
Overall this is an excellent book BUT be very careful! Base oil quantities are measured in ounces or grams and these are fine. Essential oils and other additives, however, are specified in table spoons and in grams... The gram measurements are WRONG! It appears that whomever translated the spoonfulls into grams had been on the sherry! I have just made a batch of soap which called for four tablespoonfuls of Callendula petals or 45grams! 45grams of Calendula petals are about four cups! The same is true of the essential oils. The recipe calls for one teaspoon or 5 grams... 5 grams is about three teaspoonfuls!
Buy the book by all means, its a good book; but when measuring out ingredients use grams or ounces for the base oils but then teaspoons or tablespoons for the additives.
Also... Page 13, under the "ten commandments", step 5 reads "As you add the water to the sodium hydroxide" DO NOT DO THIS it would be bad, very bad! Always add the sodium Hydroxide to the water.
So I have three wrecked batches of soap because I followed the gram measures. I'm wiser now... and so are you.
Derek
The standard in nutritional data reference, 17 Sep 2008
Clear with the information that is needed giving nutritional data for reference and for labelling claims
FAST TRACK TO NUTRITION VALUE OF 100'S OF FOOD INGREDIENTS, 20 Feb 2002
AN IN DEPTH AND INVALUABLE REFERENCE FOR DIETITIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS. A GUIDE ALSO FOR THE FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WHERE THIS BOOK HELPS IN LISTING OVER 30 DIFFERENT SOURCES OF PROXIMATES AND CONSTITUENTS IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS. A MUST FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY!
perfect for first time users!!, 02 Jan 2007
when i read the instructions and learnt all of the different techniques for my course, i was amazed at the simplicity shown to me in this book. i feel that it is a good all round book, and the advice on some of the techniques is brilliant! i want more!!
Good information and tips for the potter moving away from conventional kilns, 19 Jul 2006
This book offers a multitude of tips, photos and help with saggar, raku, barrel and pit firings. It also has recipes for glazes, terra sigillata and includes advice on burnishing that is more detailed and sophisticated than other books I have encountered.
I found this book so full of well-written advice and easy to follow steps that it has inspired me to try some of them out. Few books have this effect on people so I would recommend it without reservation.
A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my fa | | |