Williams-Sonoma Collection: American

Williams Sonoma: nostalgic and elegant (oh, yes, and the recipes are wonderful) Content: In a time of microwave cooking and instant pots, it was really nice to find this gem of a book, a book that transported me back to the bygone days of my youth (as my granny used to say, “Yes, I was born in the age of the Pharaohs” ) and to my grandmother’s elaborate dinner parties and elegant meals where the dining room was lit with candles and decorated with flowers , where the utensils were laid out in perfect order, where the napkins were folded into flower shapes…you get the idea. Okay, okay, okay…so I don’t actually entertain the way my grandmother did very often (where would I get the time or the money-people, lavish entertaining isn’t cheap!!!), I reserve that type of formal elegance and fine dining for special occasions and holidays, but it is really heart-warming to have a book that shows me exactly how to prepare special dishes for special occasions, how the set the table, how to serve my guest, and how to be a great hostess in general. And the recipes…oh, the recipes!!! Every recipe I tried turned out perfectly delicious. I am salivating right now while typing this review! I even went as far as to emulate the food presentation in the pictures (with the platters and decors I already owned, of course). I thought the recipes were rather well written, were not overly complicated, and did not require the reader to have extensive cooking experience cooking (although some cooking experience does make the recipes more accessible). With that being said, I do think that the absolute novice cook may struggle with some of the recipes in WS CB. (By novice, I mean a newbie to the kitchen who does not know what the difference between roasting braising is or know how to steam, boil, or blanch). For the absolute novice cook, I recommend the ATK series. Ingredients: Granted, some of the ingredients are not always present in a home pantry, but they are easily procured from most local grocers, butchers, and organic markets (Walmart even has a reasonable collection of the ingredients necessary for the realization of the recipes in this book). Presentation: Every recipe has a picture! Normally, that would not matter to me as I have over a hundred “picture-less” cookbooks, but for a “vintage cookbook” (from the 80s-early 00s) such as this, pictures are rather important as they show images of recipes with which we may no longer be familiar; to me, an image of a final product, especially if the last time I saw said product was when my grandmother made it in the 80s, is essential. The pictures themselves are breathtaking works of art, elegant, romantic (yes, romantic), and inspiring! The book itself is easy to handle (not too heavy, bulky, or big, but also not too small) and easy to read. The paper is thick and glossy. The font is dark enough and large enough to read, but I do use reading glasses (I am of an age where I simply cannot read ANYTHING without reading glasses. I have to have 16 point font on my computer to read without glasses). Simply put, the book is elegantly compiled and presented. Repetition: Yes, some of the recipes may be found in other editions of WS CBs, but to me that is of no concern as I am collecting ALL the WS CBs published in the 80s and 90s (well, anything prior to 2010 really). Delivery: arrived three days earlier than anticipated. Price: bought the used edition; copy cost me less than $5; pretty good deal! Condition: although I purchased the used edition, I got a copy in excellent condition. Conclusion: It is a product from WS. What is not to like? Is this cookbook worth the money? Should you buy it? For me, the answer to both questions is a resounding, unequivocal YES! As with all WS CBs, this is a beautiful book with elegant and tasty recipes, with lovely photographs of each described dish, and with side ideas and suggestions for improvement. Recommendation: Highly recommend! I cannot recommend this book enough even if I tired! I love it. Note: If you found this review helpful in some way, please click the helpful button. Thank you.

I bought a bunch of these here on Amazon for a few dollars each for my daughters who expressed interest in learning how to entertain and cook for themselves and company, most of the books in the series are great for just this purpose, being a Disabled Veteran on a fixed income I really wouldn’t want to pay the full retail price and judging by the sheer abundance of used copies for next to nothing I am not the only one who didn’t. TLDR great when bought used recommended at a used price.

Great recipes and pictures. Book came SUPER FAST in near NEW Condition. Half Price Books ( H.P.B.) is AWESOME!

Loved this book. Great pictures. Love the side captions. Wiliam Sonoma does it right with these books. I own the entire collection and plan on having them for a very long time. Hopefully one day will be able to say I made every recipe in the book which seems possible. Some people my not like the limited number of recipes but I feel this is a great example of quality over quantity. Somebody really put some love in this book and it shows. Everything I have made so far has been great. Once you buy one you will want them all.

This cookbook was a gift for our daughter-in-law. Good cookbook, easy to follow, with great recipes. We would purchase it again.

this book was ok. nothing to write home about and I have collected almost all of the books. this is not one of my favs. No recipes that wow me.

I love all Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, And this is no exception. Easy to follow, easy to find ingredients and helpful hints. I was especially glad to discover that a flat whisk is best for gravies. Many more hints like this are in the sidebars. Enjoy!

Very good recipes and pictures. Easy to find what you want without searching through a big bok.

This series is an indispensable masterpiece. The photographs alone are works of art and the many creations I have prepared from these classic recipes are divine.

A+