[.ca] The Cuisine of California (ISBN 081184983X)

From Amazon.com:
More than 100,000 copies of Diane Rossen Worthington's Cuisine of California have been sold since its release in 1983. In the ensuing years, the flavors and style of California cooking (a.k.a. nouvelle cuisine) have permeated the nation's eating habits, influencing everything from the products stocked on supermarket shelves, to the popularity of fish and seafood, to the greater availability of vegetarian entrées. And the United States is a healthier nation because of it. Now, the cookbook that helped launch a national trend toward fresh ingredients and scaled-down portions (few of us need lumberjack-size servings anymore) is available in a new edition with the original, time-tested recipes. Generally speaking, this is not family fare: Grilled Lobster with Garlic Butter best serves two, as suggested. As before, all the recipes include recommendations for the ideal California wine to enhance the flavor of the food (a Napa Valley chardonnay with lots of body, fruit, and oak with the lobster). Steamed Sea Bass and Fresh Spinach with Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce goes well with "one of the lighter, silkier versions" of cabernet sauvignon, naturally. A compact book printed with a modern aesthetic and fairly light, curvaceous fonts, Cuisine of California is for more advanced or adventurous cooks and those who entertain regularly. Most of the recipes are for four to six servings. --Brenda Pittsley

wonderful:
This is an absolutely wonderful cookbook, perfect for those who love California cuisine or for anyone who wants to introduce some variety into their nightly menus. Every recipe I've tried so far has been fantastic. I've recently fallen in love with the soup section in particular...the Three Onion Soup is a delicious twist on the traditional French recipe, and the Zucchini Soup is even better.

ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS AROUND!:
There is one huge problem with this cookbook,it is so wonderful, so full of outrageously delcious receipes that the binding just does not hold up to hard use. I want a hard back copy and it simply is not available. If you love to serve elegant delcious fare, then this is one of THE MUST HAVE, MUST USE cookbooks. I am ordering my 4th copy as the others have all fallen apart due to over use. This book will become a dependable "kitchen friend". I've even taken to keeping an extra copy on hand to gift to friends. It is a rarity to find a cookbook where every receipe is foolproof, elegant, and delicious.

Cannot Live Without this Cookbook!:
Living in the Napa Valley has certainly changed my eating and cooking tastes! Again and again, this cookbook is the answer to my culinary needs. Some favorite recipes are the Herbed Butternut Squash-Apple Soup, Baked Sonoma Goat Cheese with Emerald Sauce, Caesar Salad, Beet and Walnut Salad with Blue Cheese, California Fish Stew (Yum) to name a few. An added benefit of the cookbook is the wine recommendation given with each recipe. I am ordering three copies today. One copy to replace mine which has fallen apart, and two copies for gifts. My old copy has no pictures and I don't know if the new release will have any, but I haven't felt shortchanged by the lack of pictures in my nearly 20 years of using this book.

A stellar cookbook, sparse pictures:
The recipes are wonderful, the layout superb, the directions are quite good, the pictures...somewhat sparse. But overall it is an excellent cookbook and I highly recommend it. If you are looking for diagrams and presentation hints, this isn't the best guide, but as a staple of California cuisine recipes, it is hard to beat. Well done.

A rare gem of a cookbook:
I've had my copy of The Cuisine of California for almost 20 years--and its stains, tears and loose pages testify to its worth. Got a dinner party coming up? Pull out this book and you're guaranteed to find a winning recipe--with menu and wine suggestions too. Want a cozy and delicious dinner for two? You'll find great ideas inside. The ingredients lists and recipes are clear and supplemented by a glossary. I've halved and doubled recipes with little difficulty and have never had a failure. I trust this book so much that I've routinely served guests a dish I hadn't prepared before--with rave reviews! This is a cookbook that belongs in every kitchen!