[.ca] The Figs Table: More Than 100 Recipes for Pizzas, ... (ISBN 0684852640)

From Amazon.com:
Authors English and Sampson are aiming, with The Figs Table, at the 15 best pizza recipes out of Todd English's award-winning restaurant, Figs. But to get there--poor reader--you will have to pass through one impossibly flavorful ordeal after another, starting right up front with such basics as roasted garlic, balsamic onions, and fig jam. You will find the whimsical: Fennel, Watermelon, and Black Olive Salad with Feta Cheese, which comes of English musing about agro dolce and melon paired with prosciutto. You will find the sublime: Roasted Beets with Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing. And in between, you are sure to stop at some very basic treasures like White Bean Soup, Black Bean Chili, a lasagna to end them all, Sweet Potato Polenta, Roasted Fennel and Shrimp Risotto, and then on into those pizzas to die for. English uses the Mediterranean like a springboard for his flavor imagination. This cookbook is his dismount. Any judge would give him the highest points possible. --Schuyler Ingle

Very good:
After hearing about the 1.5 hour trip to Boston (I think I know who here passenger was), I had to try some of the pizzas. All were very easy; we made the Spicy Shrimp and the one with the mushroom paste on it. The doughs are extremely easy to make; nothing in this book seemed all that difficult. I have an extensive cooking background, so your mileage may vary! :-)

Stellar.:
Another outstanding book from Todd English. Try the mushroom pizza with fontina and truffle oil. It is unquestionably the best pizza I've ever eaten. Outstanding flat-bread-style pizza dough recipe. On to the desserts and risotto(es?) next!

Outstanding recipes -- great tasting and easy to prepare:
Todd English provides simple, relatively easy to prepare recipes that will delight your taste buds. The pizza ideas are simple to prepare, and will inspire you to try combinations you didn't think possible. The rissoto recipes can make either a quick family meal or provide a wonderful accompaniment for a more formal meal with friends. There are also some excellent recipes for chicken or other main courses that can be prepared in less than an hour and will absolutely amaze you. English is quite creative, and these recipes are mostly quick and easy. A great cook book.

Incredible pizza crust and toppings, plus lots more:
So far I've mainly made the pizza recipes in this book, but they alone are worth the price. The crust recipe is heavenly and quite easy to make. The dough balls are so light and fluffy after rising that they practically float off the board. They hardly need any working and cook in 6-7 minutes on a baking stone into a uniquely thin, light, crunchy and tasty crust. One thing to watch out for, however, is that English specifies fresh yeast for the pizza dough. I had trouble finding that, so I used the active dry yeast commonly found in supermarkets, and after one try it worked perfectly. The equivalent measure for the two teaspoons of fresh yeast is one generous teaspoon of active dry. Also, dissolve the dry yeast in the water/oil liquid (at 115 degrees F) just prior to mixing, rather than putting it in with the dry ingredients as specified for the fresh yeast. If there's a fault to the book, it's that English doesn't help you much with substitutions like this that vary from his ideal. The pizza toppings are imaginative and yummy, and can inspire you to create your own. English tends to be a bit minimalist, however, so we sometimes increase the cheese and some other topping ingredients. I've also made the white-chocolate challah pudding, which lives up to its billing as "sex on a spoon". Be sure you have plenty of people to share it, however, or you'll wind up with a big pan of incredibly delicious but super-rich pudding calling to you from the fridge for days. It's a uniquely great cookbook. I look forward to working through the other recipes.

Clever and inspirational recipes for those who love to eat!:
The book was really fun to read and filled with many interesting tips for anyone who is beginning to cook. The variety of recipes are wonderful. I've tried some of the recipes and they were exceptional. The roasted beet and walnut gorgonzola salad, ymmm! The portobello burger and Aioli sauces were incredible. The book gives advice to newer cooks and is a real find for those who love to try new and innovative recipes. Any family member or guest would love eating food prepared from this cookbook, it is a treasure and I already know what I will make next from the cookbook: Olivia's Crunchy Chicken and Gingersnaps. I enjoyed the variety of foods offered: simple to fancy but always unique. I haven't been to Boston in 30 years and plan a trip soon and FIGS will be the first restaurant our family visits.