The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century

This is an impressive book. While not being encyclopedic, there is so much territory covered, its overwhelming at first. It took me a couple weeks to start using it, as the lack of pictures means that you've actually got to read it to select recipes. However, I just love the time lines, I find it fascinating to try recipes that are truly old, and I have come to really enjoy the organization.

How does it work? Check the reviews, nearly every recipe I tried worked perfectly. Some were fairly typical recipes that represented a time in my own past, and some were very exotic. I found much to love here, and look forward to trying many more.

To me, one important criteria is a good index. This book passed this test with flying colors.

I would have been unlikely to try this book had it not been selected for a cookbooker challenge. Thank you everyone for the fun of getting to know Amanda Hesser and try these great foods.

I recently succumbed and bought this weighty tome. Despite a size that promises to be a how-to-cook cookbook, like Joy of Cooking, it is a very large repository of recipes. And very varied and interesting recipes they are, too.

There are some features about the book I really appreciate:

• Handy conversions and substitutions on the inside cover, where they are easily accessible.
• Very readable fonts and uncluttered layout
• Although the recipes in each chapter are organized chronologically, each chapter starts with a very handy categorized list of the contents, so it's easy to find.browse recipes.
• Cooking notes following most of the recipes containing variations, observations, and tips, sometimes from her correspondents and sources.
• Recipe introductions that feature Ms. Hessler's personal voice. Her intros and the cooking notes make it feel like a friend in the kitchen. It's a pleasant book to browse, read, and use.

This cookbook has now been in my kitchen for several months and I am extremely happy with it. Lots of variety in terms of ingredients and techniques, and it is particularly rewarding to have the opportunity to cook some of the great recipes of the more distant past. Ms. Hesser has done a great job both selecting and testing the recipes included.