Emeril's Creole Christmas (ISBN 0688146910)

Amazon.com Review:
It's time to celebrate Christmas the Creole way: Corn Cakes with Caviar, Sugarcane Baked Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears, Jiffy Pop Firecracker Shrimp (yes, you do make it with popcorn)--these are the dishes guaranteed to make your holiday season festive. Your guide to this Creole Christmas is Emeril LaGasse, renowned chef and owner of several restaurants in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and also the host of two television cooking series, The Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live. In addition to great appetizers, entrées, and desserts, Emeril includes some terrific stocking stuffer ideas--everything from his Homemade Worcestershire Sauce to a delectable recipe for Orange Pralines that are so good you might just decide to keep them for yourself. And if the recipes themselves weren't mouthwatering enough, the book is studded with gorgeous color photographs guaranteed to send you running for the kitchen--or your travel agent. Spend Christmas in New Orleans with Emeril Lagasse and laissez les bon temps roulez!

Not for the faint of heart--but worth it!:
If you're only familiar with Emeril from his TV appearances, this book may surprise you. It lacks the flamboyance and loud flashiness, replacing them with a certain elegance and gourmet style. It includes a Christmas Eve dinner for ten, Emeril's Christmas Day brunch buffet, New Orleans New Year's Eve dinner, a New Year's Day supper family style, the Chef's holiday favorites, and Emeril's "stocking stuffers." The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of lavish decorations and settings. They artfully set the mood in this book--one of no expense spared in the interest of fabulous holiday memories. Each section of the book is done as a menu, so that you can make the menu whole or steal individual recipes. None of these menus are quick things, and this book isn't designed for the cook who doesn't like to spend more than a half-hour in the kitchen. Shopping lists are included, as well as wine pairings. This is not the cookbook for someone on a budget: it calls for such expensive ingredients as caviar, truffles, and huge amounts of fresh raspberries, some of which can be tough to find depending on where you live. The book also assumes at least a little experience with basic cooking techniques--novices shouldn't be starting with a gourmet cookbook using expensive ingredients. Not all of the recipes cost so much, however, and they aren't all complicated; for example, the spiced pecans are extremely inexpensive and easy, and they're so good that we've made them more than 15 times at least (and we don't often repeat recipes). They're so good, in fact, that people request them specially when they come to visit at holidays. So try the salad of new potatoes and roasted walnuts with warm bacon vinaigrette, or the truffle risotto with parmesan croutons. Make the andouille cheese bread or the white cheddar truffle eggs. Save this book for an occasion when you really want to pull out all the stops, whether it's Christmas or some other important time in your life. The photos alone will inspire you to do great things in the kitchen!

Very disappointed with the book:
I was overjoyed with the delivery of the book. I purchased it used, at a fantastic price. There the joy ended. The recipes are ones that only a person looking for the completely abnormal meal would like this book. Only the section of Gifts to Make was worth reading. The recipes called for ingredients that are difficult to obtain and mostly of unusual taste. Would have cried if I had paid full price.

kick your christmas up a notch!:
I bought this cookbook for my sister, who is a big Emeril fan! I was a little worried after reading the reviews and as soon as the book came in, went through it to check it out. My mom and I both went through the book and cooked 2 Christmas dinners out of it! Yes, before I gave it to my sister. She was bummed that we hadn't gotten it for her. I wrapped it up and gave it to her used and I'm buying my mother her own copy as well. The food and stories were fantastic!!! and BAMBAMBAM!!!!! on the poinsietta cocktail, I highly recommend it for your next Christmas gathering!!!! loved it!!

Love it love it love it, Not for everyone.:
I absolutly love to cook, have been to culinary school, also not afraid of new things. I have tried most of these recipies and many have become regulars. The smoked salmon terrine although is expensive we normally make on every holiday now. Sugarcane Baked Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears is super. Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Horseradish and Black Pepper Crust was suprizing ly good, I ont like horseradish at all, but it was paired so beautifully in this recipie it was sublime. Jiffy Pop Firecracker Shrimp we make everytime we have shrimp in the house. the Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Creole Christmas Trifle, Creole Christmas Fruitcake with Whiskey Sauce and the Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzle and Chocolate Sauces is to die for, however this recipie is written with the assumption you have made custards b4 and know you need to temper it beford adding the hot milk mixture. I have not made the Lobster Cheesecake with Christmas Caviar Sauce but hope to soon. the big boy cookies and the spiced pecans...Ummm yummy, I am soo happy to have bought this book. If you are open to try new things, If you like to occasionally like to indulge and eat like something so decatend and pretend that it is a common thing, this book is definatly for you. Emmeril, you are my hero.

A Book of Decadent Christmas Recipes:
This is a really great book of recipes, many of which are so extravagant that you could only get away with making them at Christmastime. (But isn't extravagance what Christmas is all about?) Many other reviewers have complained about the complexity of the recipes or the fact that the recipes did not turn out well. It is important to realize that this is a somewhat advanced cookbook which assumes a certain level of knowledge about cooking. It does not spell out every single step. (One review mentioned that Emeril neglected to explain how to extract vanilla paste from a vanilla bean or temper egg when you add it to a hot mixture). Details such as these, which may seem to be second nature to the experienced cook, are left out of Emeril's explanations, so make sure you feel relatively confident in your cooking technique before embarking on some of the recipes. I have made a number of recipes in this book, all of which have turned out marvelously. Some of the recipes are so delicious (as well as visually appealing) it really is a pleasure to put them on the table for my family at holiday time. Another nice feature of this book is that it is divided into occasions and menus, so that when you are busy during the holidays you don't have to put too much thought into coming up with a menu of your own. Emeril even includes a shopping list of ingredients at the beginning of each section. If you are looking for a classic, basic Christmas cookbook this is certainly not it. However, if you are a somewhat experienced cook with a desire to put something a bit unusual and decadent on your Christmas table this year, this book is the one for you!