Suzanne's Kitchen 'Come on In' - Suzanne Rexford, Author

What is 'Brown Betty?' What is 'Enamelware?' What is 'Gratin?' What is 'Light Beer?' What is a 'Snow Pea?' What is 'Quinoa?' If you know the answers to these questions, see if you can answer a few more. What does 'Cooking in Liquid' mean? What does 'Cube' mean? What does 'Frizzle' mean? What does 'Mince' mean? What does 'Render' mean? Answered these all correctly? Just a few more. Do you know how to purchase 'Corn?' Do you a substitution for 'Corn Syrup?' Do you know how to store 'Limes?' Do you know what needs to be done to 'Meringue' to keep it from shrinking? Do you how to use 'Star Anise?'

If you answered yes to all of these you just may not need this book. I for one have to look some of these up before giving an intellegent answer. I've always heard of Brown Betty and am sure I've eaten it but never really knew what it was. I found a recipe using Quinoa but had no idea what it was, where it came from nor how to cook it. I actually have some Star Anise but had no idea what meats are complimented by this licorice smelling 'pod' that comes from an evergreen that grows in southwestern China and northern Vietnam. And when it came to a substitution for Corn Syrup, I had to look that answer up too and that is where Suzanne's Kitchen came in.

As soon as I picked this book up the first thing that came to my mind was a 'cooking dictionary!' How many times have I needed one of those. Sure, we can all go to the internet but that means logging in to the internet, typing in the main topic of what we're looking for and then sorting through several pages of articles/blogs written on the topic. With Suzanne's Kitchen you simply look it all up within one book. Short, simple and quick. I love this book and as much as I cook I'll never be able to store all of the cooking information within my head that you can find within this one book. This is a book that EVERY kitchen needs, whether you cook a lot or just a little. This one will be used in my kitchen.