Holiday Gift Guide 2014 - The Food Substitute Bible

The Food Substitute Bible 

Second Edition

by David Joachim

Publisher: Robert Rose

Pub. Date: September 2, 2010

Price: $24.95

ISBN: 978-0778802457

Pages: 696

Buy Link: Amazon

Description:

This expanded, updated and revised edition of the IACP-award-winning reference puts even more useful cooking information at the fingertips of home cooks. This reissue is perfectly timed as the perfect companion to the new, second edition of The Cook's Essential Kitchen Dictionary. 

This comprehensive, easy-to-use guide is organized from A to Z, with thousands of alternatives that can quickly and easily solve on-the-spot cooking dilemmas. Whether a substitute for a key ingredient or utensil, or simply how to create a different flavor or texture, there is a wealth of fresh and enjoyable ideas that will inspire confidence in the kitchen.

Billy's Thoughts:

I consider myself to be a decent cook, but occasionally a situation occurs where I don't have a specific ingredient. When this happens I either turn to a cookbook that has a few substitutes listed or I turn to the internet, which in case the latter isn't always the best results. I've used a few substitutions from the internet and they didn't exactly turn out well. Actually, it ruined what I was baking.

Luckily, I heard about The Food Substitute Bible: Second Edition and I thought it would be great to feature it on my Holiday Gift Guide this year. At nearly 700 pages, this unique book will easily solve everyday problems cooks come across in the kitchen. Everything is listed in alphabetical order, which will make finding a specific food substitute even faster for you. There is also an Ingredient Guide section (such as Picking Coffee, Switching Teas, etc.) a Measurement Equivalents section (such as Pan Sizes).

I was never aware that there were so many alternatives to ingredients. This book goes way beyond baking powder, cream cheese, buttermilk and whipped cream, which happens to the ingredients that I'm always out of when I need them. The 2nd Edition is 25% bigger with 1,500 new substitutions (over 6,500 total), so basically you can pretty much find a substitute to any food/ingredient that you need. 

Overall, The Food Substitute Bible is must-have for any kitchen and would make a great Christmas present for any cook or baker.

 *Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

David Joachim has authored, edited, or collaborated on more than 40 cookbooks, including the IACP Award-winning reference books, The Food Substitutions Bible and The Science of Good Food, which also won a World Gourmand Award for Best Food Literature Book, a Cordon d'Or Award for Best Culinary Reference Book, and was a finalist for both a World Food Media Award and a James Beard Award. He wrote A Man, A Can, A Plan, and A Man, A Can, A Grill, a New York Times bestseller. Joachim's "A Man, A Can..." series of books has sold more than 1 million copies. His website is www.davejoachim.com and his favorite cooking tool is a leaf blower.