A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes
by David Tanis
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Book Reviews of A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes
Book Review: Fantastic recipes
Summary: 4 Stars
This good has fantastic recipes - either use his entire meals or do individual recipes. I have yet to find one that wasn't both interesting and delicious. Also, his color palette on the plate is wonderful. So it's very inspirational (and you can play around with the ingredients a little if any are hard to find - it's the combinations and the colors and the freshness that make it great.
Why only 4 stars, then? I fear it's the book's production that lets it down. The worst aspect is the portion control. Standard recipes in books are for 4 - halve it for two and double for a party of eight. Tanis' quantities are all over the place. Sometimes it's easy to catch - you know that 1lb of protein per person is plain wrong. Other times, it's much more difficult. A competent editor would have put this right. Then there are minor things like a lack of a sensible recipe index.
But those are minor gripes. If you enjoy good food and good cooking, this book is a treat - I've already given three to friends!
Book Review: a platter of figs and other recipes
Summary: 2 Stars
Want to learn about figs ? Want recipes, pairings, how to choose good ones, where to find them etc.? DON'T BUY THIS BOOK !!!! I purchased this book as a gift for a friend who's a great cook and adores figs. I imagined that there would be around 25 recipes using figs in all manner. Okay even 12. How many are there ? TWO !!!! One is putting sliced figs on a platter with prosciuotto, and the other is simply baking them. Oooh that was really unique and inventive. NOT !!! This IS a beautifully done book, and though it is far from copious, the recipes are simple but undoubtedly epicurean.
David Tanis, I'm sure you're a good chef, but you shouldn't misrepresent the content of your cookbook. Its very misleading, and a cheat. A better title ? "From Panisse to Paris", "Countryside Cooking ", " The Savory Table", "Cal-Francais Cuisine". No figs in the title because they ain't in the book.
Book Review: Fantastic!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this cookbook for my husband for Christmas (he is the cook in the family) and he absolutely loves it. He has made several of the recipes, mostly the duck ones so far, and they have all turned out delicious AND beautiful. The recipes he has made have been fairly simple but still come off as "fancy" (meaning if you served these meals to guests they would be impressed).
He said his favorite thing about the book is that it has made it easy for him to try out new ingredients (this week it was turnips) without a lot of fuss. He also enjoys the organization of the book by menu. Finally, this is truly a beautifully made book, with gorgeous photography and nice paper.
I would say this book is great for a home chef with a bit of experience who is looking to try new things and expand their horizons.
Book Review: for the intrepid
Summary: 5 Stars
This cookbook is part memoir, part travelogue, completely beautiful to read. For some of the recipes you have to be a serious foodie AND have money to burn on exotic ingredients. Like morel mushrooms, saffron, rabbit, lobster, etc. Not on our budget, nor in our local stores. Some recipes, but not all. Most only require a decent deli counter, a good produce section or farmers' market, and a sense of adventure. I had to try, even if it seemed dubious, and he was right: fresh sliced figs sprinkled with good salt and a drizzle of olive oil are delicious. Add a nice frosty beer and that's a good snack for grown-ups. And that's just in the introduction. The desserts are especially delightful, we loved almost all of them.Book Review: Great writer, unappealing recipes for me
Summary: 2 Stars
If you enjoy reading cookbooks, David Tanis is a very enjoyable writer. The book is well put together and has great photos. I was looking for recipes, and, call me boring, but I will probably never in my life ever want to cook a rabbit, buy veal in any form, or eat an octopus salad, I'm not that adventurous. To tell you the truth, I'm not ever going to do lamb or duck either, and the only two vegetables I don't like are turnips and parsnips. It's as if he found every food that doesn't appeal to me, mussels, squid, pigs ear and put them into his book! So while I can appreciate the beauty of his book, we have very different tastes, so for me, I came away with very little inspiration.