You’re talking about some of my favorite kind of books. Books that lead to the feed.
Everyday Food: Great Good Fast gets more traction than any cookbook in our kitchen. (Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern is runner up.) I can’t wait to start cooking from Every Food: Fresh Flavor Fast. A great series.

You’re talking about some of my favorite kind of books. Books that lead to the feed.
Everyday Food: Great Good Fast gets more traction than any cookbook in our kitchen. (Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern is runner up.) I can’t wait to start cooking from Every Food: Fresh Flavor Fast. A great series.

Awesome giveaway! THE PASSAGE is a showstopper!

Awesome giveaway! THE PASSAGE is a showstopper!

My daughter-in-law and I use the ad hoc cookbook on a regular basis along with Keller’s Bouchon cookbook. There are recipes for such basic American dishes as coleslaw, clam chowder and roasted chicken among so many others. All of the recipes produce some of the best-tasting dishes you’ll ever have. What is definitely “high end” is the price of the cookbooks. The size and weight of both books are a challenge for placement in the kitchen while preparing the recipes. Don’t drop either one on your foot.

We regulaly visit two of the restaurants, ad hoc and Bouchon in Yountville, California.

My daughter-in-law and I use the ad hoc cookbook on a regular basis along with Keller’s Bouchon cookbook. There are recipes for such basic American dishes as coleslaw, clam chowder and roasted chicken among so many others. All of the recipes produce some of the best-tasting dishes you’ll ever have. What is definitely “high end” is the price of the cookbooks. The size and weight of both books are a challenge for placement in the kitchen while preparing the recipes. Don’t drop either one on your foot.

We regulaly visit two of the restaurants, ad hoc and Bouchon in Yountville, California.

LOL! Call me a “low end” cook, it’s OK! I love the MS EVERYDAY FOOD magazine. I have yet to purchase either EVERYDAY cookbook (which would take up less space than all those back issues on the kitchen bookcase), but may put FRESH FLAVOR FAST on my wish list. Thanks for letting us know about it.

LOL! Call me a “low end” cook, it’s OK! I love the MS EVERYDAY FOOD magazine. I have yet to purchase either EVERYDAY cookbook (which would take up less space than all those back issues on the kitchen bookcase), but may put FRESH FLAVOR FAST on my wish list. Thanks for letting us know about it.

You might want to consider buying a POP filter for your microphone. Or take a class in proper microphone technique. Audio 101.

You might want to consider buying a POP filter for your microphone. Or take a class in proper microphone technique. Audio 101.

Hi Roger-

I’m so sorry you found our sound quality lacking! Ann and I are definitely not audio professionals (as you can probably tell…). I’m not even sure what a POP filter is…

I hope you’ll agree that the audio quality of the podcasts have gotten much better since our first few shows. We’ll continue to do our best to improve them!

thanks for taking the time to write,
Michael

Hi Roger-

I’m so sorry you found our sound quality lacking! Ann and I are definitely not audio professionals (as you can probably tell…). I’m not even sure what a POP filter is…

I hope you’ll agree that the audio quality of the podcasts have gotten much better since our first few shows. We’ll continue to do our best to improve them!

thanks for taking the time to write,
Michael

Roger,

I could be wrong, but I don’t think either Ann or Michael are recording from a studio, using a professional sound editing program or have the luxury of an engineer or recordist on hand. Each is doing a phone patch thing and the show is mixed using a basic mixing program from one of their computers. Given that AND that the point of their podcasts is to share their love of books, I think they are fairly well produced. To nitpick about audio anomalies and overlook the enthusiasm and information that each brings to the program is unfair.

Michael,

A POP filter or screen is a shield mounted on the mic stand so that the screen itself is placed between the speaker and the mic. It reduces or eliminates pops, some mouth noises (“juicy mouth” which can sometimes come across as clicks,) plosives, some sibilances/fricatives and hard consonants at the ends of words… Some post-edit functions may also address those issues.

I actually like the home produced podcasts and videos that you and Ann do. There are more inviting and friendly than a “slick” production. I have never met either of Ann or you, but I feel like I know you a little bit. Please keep up the great work!

T

Roger,

I could be wrong, but I don’t think either Ann or Michael are recording from a studio, using a professional sound editing program or have the luxury of an engineer or recordist on hand. Each is doing a phone patch thing and the show is mixed using a basic mixing program from one of their computers. Given that AND that the point of their podcasts is to share their love of books, I think they are fairly well produced. To nitpick about audio anomalies and overlook the enthusiasm and information that each brings to the program is unfair.

Michael,

A POP filter or screen is a shield mounted on the mic stand so that the screen itself is placed between the speaker and the mic. It reduces or eliminates pops, some mouth noises (“juicy mouth” which can sometimes come across as clicks,) plosives, some sibilances/fricatives and hard consonants at the ends of words… Some post-edit functions may also address those issues.

I actually like the home produced podcasts and videos that you and Ann do. There are more inviting and friendly than a “slick” production. I have never met either of Ann or you, but I feel like I know you a little bit. Please keep up the great work!

T

I LOVE deckle edges and French flaps! It becomes a much more enjoyable reading experience for me when the “physical object” that is the book happens to be a beautiful specimen. In some cases, just the act of flipping through pages is a joy in itself

My new favorite book (which I found just a week ago at the bookstore in what I consider to be a moment of serendipity, hehe) is the Penguin Deluxe Classics Edition of Jorge Luis Borges’ Collected Fictions. It’s got French flaps and some very roughly-cut deckle edges. Some deckle edges, I’ve noticed, are simply uneven edges but these ones actually look torn and it’s just beautiful.

But it is interesting that you mentioned how some booksellers thought the deckle-edges are defects, because I made the same mistake when I first bought a book like this. It was Natsuo Kirino’s Real World and at the time there was only one copy at the store so I really wanted to buy it, but first I asked the store if it was really like that and they said yes, and that’s how I learned about it

I don’t like mass market paperbacks at all, and when I can only find the book I want in that format it makes me wish publishers never print such editions Other Press makes excellent trade paperbacks and I particularly like the high quality paper they use. And the paper quality is very important to me since I live in the Philippines where the humidity easily causes the books pages to turn powdery after a while Stieg Larsson’s The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo, by the way, is a book that I’ve long wanted to check out but still haven’t bought because all the copies I see in stores are either gigantic hardbacks or paperbacks with very poor quality paper. And it’s the same case with the books of Haruki Murakami. The white Vintage editions have excellent covers, but the paper is far from good.

I wish all books have fine-quality trade paperback editions (I hope Random House is listening, hehe).

I LOVE deckle edges and French flaps! It becomes a much more enjoyable reading experience for me when the “physical object” that is the book happens to be a beautiful specimen. In some cases, just the act of flipping through pages is a joy in itself

My new favorite book (which I found just a week ago at the bookstore in what I consider to be a moment of serendipity, hehe) is the Penguin Deluxe Classics Edition of Jorge Luis Borges’ Collected Fictions. It’s got French flaps and some very roughly-cut deckle edges. Some deckle edges, I’ve noticed, are simply uneven edges but these ones actually look torn and it’s just beautiful.

But it is interesting that you mentioned how some booksellers thought the deckle-edges are defects, because I made the same mistake when I first bought a book like this. It was Natsuo Kirino’s Real World and at the time there was only one copy at the store so I really wanted to buy it, but first I asked the store if it was really like that and they said yes, and that’s how I learned about it

I don’t like mass market paperbacks at all, and when I can only find the book I want in that format it makes me wish publishers never print such editions Other Press makes excellent trade paperbacks and I particularly like the high quality paper they use. And the paper quality is very important to me since I live in the Philippines where the humidity easily causes the books pages to turn powdery after a while Stieg Larsson’s The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo, by the way, is a book that I’ve long wanted to check out but still haven’t bought because all the copies I see in stores are either gigantic hardbacks or paperbacks with very poor quality paper. And it’s the same case with the books of Haruki Murakami. The white Vintage editions have excellent covers, but the paper is far from good.

I wish all books have fine-quality trade paperback editions (I hope Random House is listening, hehe).

Just found this very interesting article from NY Times about The Passage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/11/movies/11vamp.html?_r=1

Guess what? The book had already auctioned its movie rights even before it was completed, way back in 2007. And it was bought with a seven-figure contract!

Now about the giveaway not being able outside the US, it’s ok, we understand But I would still like to share my thick-book recommendation. I’ve commented about it before, actually, and it’s The Engineer Trilogy by K. J. Parker. As I mentioned before, I rarely ever read fantasy books but this trilogy is something that I absolutely enjoyed and was really fascinated at. It’s a little difficult to describe what makes it great without giving much of the plot, but just to give you a vague idea of what’s cool about it, I would say that it reminded me (especially at first) of the TV series Prison Break because the main character in this trilogy shares the same kind of cunning ingenuity and unbelievable talent for making the perfect plan. It also feels like very thoroughly researched book and I really admire Parker for having written it.

As always, great podcast guys! It’s always a pleasure listening

Just found this very interesting article from NY Times about The Passage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/11/movies/11vamp.html?_r=1

Guess what? The book had already auctioned its movie rights even before it was completed, way back in 2007. And it was bought with a seven-figure contract!

Now about the giveaway not being able outside the US, it’s ok, we understand But I would still like to share my thick-book recommendation. I’ve commented about it before, actually, and it’s The Engineer Trilogy by K. J. Parker. As I mentioned before, I rarely ever read fantasy books but this trilogy is something that I absolutely enjoyed and was really fascinated at. It’s a little difficult to describe what makes it great without giving much of the plot, but just to give you a vague idea of what’s cool about it, I would say that it reminded me (especially at first) of the TV series Prison Break because the main character in this trilogy shares the same kind of cunning ingenuity and unbelievable talent for making the perfect plan. It also feels like very thoroughly researched book and I really admire Parker for having written it.

As always, great podcast guys! It’s always a pleasure listening

Great show! I am a total kitchen-phobe but have had consistent success with GREAT FOOD FAST, so I will definitely pick up FRESH FLAVOR FAST. Thanks for the tip!

Great show! I am a total kitchen-phobe but have had consistent success with GREAT FOOD FAST, so I will definitely pick up FRESH FLAVOR FAST. Thanks for the tip!

Oh, Patricia, I’m so jealous!I want to visit!!

Oh, Patricia, I’m so jealous!I want to visit!!

Thank you, Mark!

Thank you, Mark!

Tanya, thank you.

Tanya, thank you.

[...] BOTNS Books Podcast #65: Cookbooks on the Nightstand Feb 21 [...]

Wow, The Passage sounds amazing! I can’t wait…

I love to cook but get most of my recipes from Cooking Light magazine (I have 10 years’ of issues lined up on my kitchen shelf!) I found the cookbook reviews interesting and would like to check some of these out.

By the way, did you know there’s a delay until your podcasts are available on iTunes? I usually update my iPod on Saturdays and listen on the weekend, but this podcast (posted here on the 16th) wasn’t available on iTunes until Sunday. Just thought you might want to know.

I really enjoy your podcasts, and this week, my 15-year old son overheard it from the other room and enjoyed the discussion of The Passage. He asked what post-apocalyptic meant and said, “Oh, I love those kinds of books!” I think he might be ready for The Stand…

Sue

Wow, The Passage sounds amazing! I can’t wait…

I love to cook but get most of my recipes from Cooking Light magazine (I have 10 years’ of issues lined up on my kitchen shelf!) I found the cookbook reviews interesting and would like to check some of these out.

By the way, did you know there’s a delay until your podcasts are available on iTunes? I usually update my iPod on Saturdays and listen on the weekend, but this podcast (posted here on the 16th) wasn’t available on iTunes until Sunday. Just thought you might want to know.

I really enjoy your podcasts, and this week, my 15-year old son overheard it from the other room and enjoyed the discussion of The Passage. He asked what post-apocalyptic meant and said, “Oh, I love those kinds of books!” I think he might be ready for The Stand…

Sue

Thanks, Sue!
There shouldn’t be a delay in the podcasts on iTunes, as we generally download to our own itunes immediately to check that is posted and working. Odd.

Our schedule is to post either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, and it should hit iTunes at the same time. Please let us know if you have a problem again. (You should be able to get episode #66 now — it published on Tues. 2/23 at 10:29pm according to my iTunes).

Thanks for telling us about your son enjoying our podcast. The Stand is a great book to give to teens! I hope he likes it. If he does, we’d love to have him call in a review to play on the podcast!

Thanks, Sue!
There shouldn’t be a delay in the podcasts on iTunes, as we generally download to our own itunes immediately to check that is posted and working. Odd.

Our schedule is to post either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, and it should hit iTunes at the same time. Please let us know if you have a problem again. (You should be able to get episode #66 now — it published on Tues. 2/23 at 10:29pm according to my iTunes).

Thanks for telling us about your son enjoying our podcast. The Stand is a great book to give to teens! I hope he likes it. If he does, we’d love to have him call in a review to play on the podcast!

Ummm…there’s a good chance I was skipping a step on iTunes! I’m new to subscribing to podcasts (versus downloading individual ones). Thanks for the extra info – I think I have it figured out now!

Sue

Ummm…there’s a good chance I was skipping a step on iTunes! I’m new to subscribing to podcasts (versus downloading individual ones). Thanks for the extra info – I think I have it figured out now!

Sue

Hey guys! Back on Feb 20 I called in on the voicemail line and entered to win a copy of The Passage. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to win a copy from Goodreads.com. So if you would, please remove me from the contest so that someone else can win.

Thanks for sponsoring the contest– can’t wait to read this one!

Laura Hartness
The Calico Critic
CalicoCritic at gmail dot com

Hey guys! Back on Feb 20 I called in on the voicemail line and entered to win a copy of The Passage. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to win a copy from Goodreads.com. So if you would, please remove me from the contest so that someone else can win.

Thanks for sponsoring the contest– can’t wait to read this one!

Laura Hartness
The Calico Critic
CalicoCritic at gmail dot com

I have the Ad Hoc cookbook and love it despite its size. We’re moving soon and will have a big kitchen, so I’m no longer worried about where it will fit on the counter. I am hoping that by using this book and The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, my cooking skills will dramatically improve. I’m already having good results with the recipes I’ve tried so far. Using the freshest possible ingredients is essential for me, since I’m hoping the freshness will make up for my lack of ability at this point in my cooking career.

I have the Ad Hoc cookbook and love it despite its size. We’re moving soon and will have a big kitchen, so I’m no longer worried about where it will fit on the counter. I am hoping that by using this book and The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, my cooking skills will dramatically improve. I’m already having good results with the recipes I’ve tried so far. Using the freshest possible ingredients is essential for me, since I’m hoping the freshness will make up for my lack of ability at this point in my cooking career.

Laurie,

You will be so pleased with the results that you achieve from creating dishes from the Ad Hoc cookbook. Searching for the freshest, local ingredients will be worth the effort. The Keller techniques that you learn will make you an excellent cook. Friends and family will be impressed.

I’m not familiar with the Zuni Cafe cookcook, but have eaten at the restaurant. It would be an interesting exercise in cooking to compare the roasted chicken recipes from both restaurants. Have fun.

Laurie,

You will be so pleased with the results that you achieve from creating dishes from the Ad Hoc cookbook. Searching for the freshest, local ingredients will be worth the effort. The Keller techniques that you learn will make you an excellent cook. Friends and family will be impressed.

I’m not familiar with the Zuni Cafe cookcook, but have eaten at the restaurant. It would be an interesting exercise in cooking to compare the roasted chicken recipes from both restaurants. Have fun.