My mother-in-law bought this for me (2nd edition) when I started to put up food 20 years ago. I've found it reliable and can't imagine living without it. I was delighted to find out that it is still in print.

A solid and complete resource for any method of food preservation from drying, root cellering to pressure canning of nearly everything. I was delighted to see this book reprinted - I can send a copy to each of my daughters!

This book not only includes great (personally tested) information about proper techniques for food preservation - it has great recipes. I highly recommend the zucchini relish recipe. My friends call me for it all the time. I'm getting them a copy for Christmas!

I love this cookbook! Right now my garden is full to overflowing with ripening veggies and for the last few years that I've had this cookbook, I've worn it out this time of year. Why do I love it? The recipes have proven to be very reliable and by that I mean that every recipe I've tried from it has not needed much if any 'fine tuning' and the results have been consistently terrific.

I hate it when a cookbook includes too many exotic ingredients that are hard to find in my very rural area, and the only thing I've found difficult to obtain that this book calls for is white wine vinegar. I've solved that problem by asking the nearest grocer to order a case for me! I use so many of the recipes in this book that I'll easily use a case in a year or two.

Favorites from the book? The Szechuan Vegetable pickle recipe that lets me take a variety of our produce and layer them together with a simple salt/water/spices mixture, leave at room temp and then store in refrigerator. They get better and better and are super served as a side dish with rice.

I've also got to give rave reviews to the fruit pickle recipes. The sweetness and depth of flavor of the pickled pears and other fruit are a real treat to add to holiday meals. I just harvested lots of winter squash and will begin making the sweet pickled pumpkin and squash recipe today. Pickling and preserving are truly fulfilling acts and thanks to this great book, they are also easy and delicious.

If you've never pickled anything, this book won't confuse you with anything but the simple basics of preserving. If you are a seasoned preserver, you'll find some wonderful new ways to keep that harvest.

This is a great book for new pickling ideas, and the quantities are reasonable for trying new things out (you dont need bushels and buckets for most of them. The blueberry preserves and pickles are great, peach chutney is wonderful, and the asparagus is now a family favorite. The home made catsup is a bit of work, but worth it.

Linda has brought a wonderful variety of pickling recipes from around the world together in one book. The latest USDA pocedures and processes are used and described in great detail. Which I think is just wonderful. From reading her little notes on these recipes you just know she has tried these recipes her self and you just can't wait to try them out. Just thinking about my next project gets my mouth watering. This is a must have in the preserving kitchen.

This book is a text for a class I am currently taking. While it covers all the basics, even the classics yet it also reflects how the cooking is today. The recipes come from a wide variety of sources and not just the school's own files.

I am lucky enough to have studied under Chef Labensky. This is an outstanding book. This was our text book at Mississippi University for Women. We used it for everything. It gives great history, backgrounds, techniques, and recipes. My husband, Colley, (Which I met at MUW)and I still use it on a regular basis and we have been out of culinary school for 2 years. I highly recommend this book for anyone considering culinary school.

This text is very thorough, and covers everything from history, nutrition and sanitation to classic and innovative recipes using the latest trendy ingredients. This text is geared specifically for the cooking student, however, with most recipes written to serve 12 or more, and ingredients listed by weight rather than volume. It will be tremendously usefull to add to a library of cookery books, and can be used to provide a solid foundation of the basic principals of cooking.

Tod clearly is no dummy when it comes to making tasty and nutritious meals for a busy family. While I am not a novice in the kitchen, many nights I am not in the mood to make elaborate meals. However, I still desire to have something beyond the basic. Tod's book fits that bill perfectly. Its emphasis on fresh ingredients and influences from many cuisines makes it the perfect book for the sophisticated palate that either lacks the hours or the inclination to spend their time in the kitchen. The layout is easy to comprehend, and the explanations of ingredients, tools and methods for less advanced cooks is concise but thorough. Finally, his categorizations make sense and lend the air of a comprehensive text. Overall a great basic cookbook.

My husband gave me this book for Christmas. It was a struggle to pry it out of my sisters-in-law hands when it was time for us to head home from the holidays.

Tod Dimmick writes in an easy-to-read conversational manner about easy-to-make recipes. I cooked veal scallopini for the first time in my life using Tod's recipe. Given the straightforward directions, I whipped up this dish in 13 minutes while my husband threw together a spinach salad and the rolls baked in the oven. The dinner was everything Tod promises: fast, easy and delicious.

I'm looking forward to making many of the other dishes. This book fast becoming a staple in my cookbook collection.

I am not a "complete idiot" in the kitchen and I love this cookbook. Since the book arrived three weeks ago, I have referred to it almost daily for great ideas about making everything from simple kid's lunches, to elegant adult dinners. The book is all about keeping meal preparation simple, without skimping on nutritious ingredients and fabulous flavors. This cookbook is for any cook, novice or professional, who needs to take a fresh look at what to make for dinner. Buy this book and keep it right on the kitchen counter.

I am using your textbook for a class I teach for the Oklahoma City/County Health Department. I Love It! The class I teach is the Food Service Operator's Certification Course that is required by all food service operators in this county. I am a Registered Dietitian who is contracted by Oklahoma State University-OKC and Francis Tuttle to teach the class for the health department. It is kind of a community service offered by the two schools. I have only been teaching the class for three years now, and by far your book is the best.

Your book has made my job so easy and so much fun! Some of my students are returning to do the re-certification class and bringing managers in who have not taken the class in 20 years. In the past, they have just challenged the test every three years, because they thought the class was too boring. (and they knew it all).
I would highly recommend this book to educators in the nutrition field. I think all nutrition majors need to know this important information. I also recommend it for a reference for my food service managers in my nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

As an instructor who teaches Food Safety classes to front-line employees, I find this text an excellent resource. It is comprehensive yet still easy-to-understand, a difficult combination to achieve for some of the technical aspects of foodborne illness, pathogens, etc. The cartoon-style drawings add to the enjoyment. I have had many trainees who share these positive comments. Only negative comment would be to include color photos instead of the old, grainy B&W.

Also recommended for the Food Safety Trainer: "Keyword Index: 1999 FDA Model Food Code"

Essentials of Food Safety & Sanitation is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to help food workers produce safe food. In my job as editor of a food safety-oriented newsletter, I review and have access to a lot of training materials, but "Essentials" is the one I refer to the most for current, reliable information.

This is a great book for (food) gardeners and for people who have some land available to them. Although there are suggestions for "nooks and crannies" in your house, most of those ideas sound like ideas for older (draftier) homes.

The suggestions for building your own working root cellar are clear, with illustrations to help you plan. There are lists of things that keep well and under what conditions to keep them. The authors even list certain varieties of (for instance) apples that keep better than others. There's a month-by-month plan of what could be coming out of your garden, going into the root cellar, and what could be canned or frozen. If you have a large garden, this is an incredibly useful book.

However, those of us with smaller modern homes, smaller yards, and smaller, less heavily-producing gardens will be a little disappointed. As I read this, I came to the conclusion that it would be pretty darned difficult to have a root cellar on our property, because we don't have a useable cool north corner to put one in. Not impossible, mind you, it would just take a lot more effort, planning, and money to build it.

I recommend this book highly for people who raise substantial amounts of their own produce. This book will really extend your harvest. With imagination and a little time and effort, you can have a root cellar that keeps your family in fresh food you grew all year long.

This book is an excellent guide if you're interested in self-sufficiency. It gives the exact storage recommendations for a good number of fruits and vegetables, including which fruits and vegetables shouldn't be stored too close together.

Ok - so, "You gotta get this book" isn't entirely correct grammar! All I can say is - get the darn book! It's easy to read, comforting, inexpensive, a-pass-me-down-book, etceterea. I have it, read it, shared it with friends - and will NOT part with it. I also don't have a root cellar as of yet. ...but I will. Now - its time for you to say, "hey, I like what I see here - so why not get it - it's not expensive and look what I will reap from it". So there. Now you have it. Go for it. Just buy it. You'll love it and for the low price of $xx.xx its worth it (ok, so a Ron Popeil look-a-like I ain't, but hey!) Want a personalized endorsement for this book? ...

This book covers all major areas of modern food preparation and practice, albeit from an American perspective. One of the strengths of "Techniques from Expert Chefs" is why you do things, as well as how. The recipes form practical illustrations of each key technique and provide inspiration for other dishes. The descriptions of ingredients and typical usage are one of the most complete that I have seen in a book of this size.

As a collector of culinary texts, I can say that this is one of the better books that I have seen. Labensky and Hause are to be commended.

I received the book today and haven't been able to put it down. I've loved to cook for over 30 years and I've never found one book filled with so much good information. I wish I had this book years ago. I told my wife it takes the place of at least 10 cookbooks. If you love, or even like to cook and want to improve your technique and knowledge, I don't see how you could beat this book! It's wonderful!

If you are tired of cookbooks only offering recipies, not instruction, then this is the book for you. Literally a text book for cooking schools, this book is easy to use on your own at home. The organization of material covered is fabulous! I was looking for a book that would teach me the techniques I lacked, and this book couldn't have delivered more. Aside from instruction, the book features wonderful recipies from some very fine restaurants. THE ONLY DRAW BACK is recipies are offered in instiutional sizes. (When was the last time you needed to make 240 brownies?) Thus, you must be good at scaling recipies, or I would strongly suggest buying the PC based software offered (either as part of the combo or order separately) for recipie conversion

This book contains a wealth of information. Both the size and paper selection on the pages scream "texbook" and perhaps it is for culinary institutes. It's a good reference books but don't expect any enticing or artistic color photos.

My Mom gave me this book for Christmas one year. I was looking for basic directions and shelf life of all veggies and foods. I've been canning for several years, but this is the only book I use now. This book has something in it for everyone. Easy to use, clear and concise directions. Highly recommend it for beginners!

I had bought this book because I accidentally grew a 9 foot tall tomato "tree" and wanted to know what the heck I was going to do with 48 pounds of tomatoes...and boy, does this book have answers for that!

Whether you're an experienced canner or just someone trying to figure out how to preserve what you just grew, this is the book to have. Not only does it cover the basics, such as jelly bags, what-the-heck-is-pectin, blanching, steam canning vs. pressure canning, and basic safetey tips, it also conatins dozens of recipies and hints for experienced canners as well. Also included are hints on preserving dried and frozen fruits, and how to make "fruit leather"....which I tried, and its VERY yummy!

All in all, I'd wager that this is one cooking reference that you'll keep in the kitchen, collecting food stains, not on a shelf in the living room collecting dust.

Very easy to understand literature - However, not to many pictures but lots of recipes and gives great ideas for other than fruits, etc...

If you have a food dehydrator collecting dust somewhere, get this book and haul it out!

This is the best basic book I've seen for preserving foods through dehydration. Not only does she tell you what you need to do *before* you dry it, but she tells you what you can do with the stuff after it's dried. Recipes that are useable, recipes for camping, and some that will surprise you - this is a very comprehensive book.

This is a must-have for backpackers who want every ounce to count, since dried foods weigh so little. A must for parents who read the "Fruit Roll-ups" label in horror: make your own fruit leathers! She'll tell you how to make fantastic beef jerky, too.

If you dry foods, you need this book.

I bought this after I bought my dehydrator, although I would have bought a better dehydrator if I had read this before. This book gives several great reasons why you should consider a dehydrator, and how to make the most of it. I could have never imagined making a tofu cracker, for instance!!

After I read it almost entirely in one night, I find it a great reference to go back to, whenever I'm considering dehydrating something new. I couldn't compare this with other titles on dehydrating food since I haven't read them, but I'm quite satisfied with this one. Addition of dehydrated pictures would be a great addition however.

Enjoyed this book mostly due to the photographs. It does have alot of simple and easy, yet elegant recipes for jams and jellies that will be consumed by the average family. The label and gift wrapping ideas add a unique twist to the every day kitchen gift.

The photographs in Clearly Delicious are clearly inspired. The cover is just a temptation into visual pleasures. The age-old craft of preserving the flavors of summer is displayed in picture after picture. Glistening bottles filled with jams, fruit dripping in syrup or seduced in alcohol, luxurious oils & vinegars, spicy treats, fruit cordials, syrups,. fruit curds and many more treats await.

Some of the recipes included are:

Pear and Damson Plum Jam
Brandied Carrot Jam
Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam
Cranberry and Apple Jelly
Peach Butter
Lemon Curd
Tipsy Apricots
Raisins in Genever with Juniper Berries
Pineapple and Lime Syrup
Mixed Vegetable Pickles
Spiced Oranges
Dark Mango Chutney
Fiery Chili Oil
Rosemary Oil
Mushrooms in Oil
Goat Cheese with Herbs in Oil
Spiced Blackberry Vinegar

The "Herbs and Spices" chapter was a very pleasant surprise. Have you ever wanted to make your own Garam Masala, Pickling Spice, Quatre Epices, Five Spice Powder, Herbes De Provence, Bouquet Garni, Seasoning Salt or Barbecue Blend? Well, here are the recipes!

The last chapter is, well.....just intriguing. I have never thought of painting one of those decorated bottles. It looks so fun. If you love "craft" projects...there are quite a few. To decorate the jars, they have some very creative ideas and some that are more traditional. Presentation ideas gives ideas of how you can make mini-gift baskets.

A handy index leads you quickly to your favorite recipe. The step-by-step instructions stress the value of careful preparation so you can be assured of delicious results ever time.

One of the most beautiful "cookbooks" I have yet to see! This is a completely illustrated guide to some of the most delicious recipes I have ever found all in one book!

If you make one "preserve" recipe in your life...make it "Lemon Curd." It will seduce you into trying more recipes or you just might make that one recipe again, and again, and again! You will need to head to the kitchen shop and also pick up a "zester." An interesting little tool to remove the "zest/yellow peel from lemons"" or you can use your grater. I found many places online that sell bottles or most grocery stores do have the cutest bottles with colorful lids or do a search online for "canning jars."

I started canning jams as a food science experiment with a now out of print Harrod's book. Clearly Delicious (hardback) added recipes for preserves, marmalades, and flavored vinegars to try. The jam and marmalade recipes do not use commercial pectin, and seem more challenging than those found in the indispensible Ball Blue book, but turn out to be easy with clearly written and well-illustrated directions. Clearly Delicious is useful after a berry picking expedition, a trip to the farmers market, or mid-winter. I have made the wonderful lemon marmalade in December as a last minute addition to Christmas gifts and by repeated requests. The lemon marmalade is also good stirred into tea, in thumbprint cookies, as a cake filling, and for fast Chinese lemon chicken.

There is a separate section on packaging food for gift giving. In the hardcover edition, the food is shown in a variety of jars and bottles. This is ok if the food is to be refrigerated, and the author and publisher do note that the the food was photographed just after packaging and the jars shown are not all suitable for longterm storage. Longterm storage directions are included with standard canning jars, so this is not a concern.