The Best of Czech Cooking or Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook

The Best of Czech Cooking

Author: Peter Trnka

The Best of Czech Cooking is an excellent introduction to the dishes that form the basis of Czech cuisine. While meat dishes are most often the centerpiece of Czech meals, a variety of delicious soups, salads, dumplings, vegetables, and desserts are also popular, and all the recipes rely heavily on the subtle flavors of fresh quality ingredients - spices are used sparingly. Although similar to the cuisines of Russia, Hungary and Poland, Czech cooking is unique and distinguished primarily by its use of large savory dumplings which are sliced like bread before serving. It is a cuisine at once practical and elegant. Dishes featuring locally available produce (especially parsnips, celeriac, carrots and potatoes) and those which make good use of meats and game (including organ meats) are combined to create mouthwatering, multicourse meals.

Interesting textbook:

Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook

Author: Jack Canfield

The kitchen is the heart of the home. So much of life is lived around the family table: we tell stories, review the day, pass on traditions, grieve our losses, resolve differences, introduce new loves and celebrate holidays. In the preparing and sharing of meals we create deep memories that we carry with us forever.

In the flavor of Chicken Soup for the Soul, here is a joyful collection of heartwarming stories accompanied by mouthwatering recipes. Seasoned with heartfelt blessings, this marvelous book will help you revisit time-honored values and foster the sharing of meaningful conversation--and new recipes--at mealtime.

Publishers Weekly

The authors of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul team up with cookbook author Diana von Welanetz Wentworth to nourish the body. Recipes for real chicken soup accompany others for pot roast and chocolate cinnamon rolls, barbecued beans and a myriad other comforting dishes. The recipes follow brief inspirational and/or sentimental sketches gathered in chapters with names like ``Mom's Kitchen,'' ``Love, Romance and Marriage'' and ``Men in the Kitchen.'' Drawing on contributions from cookbook authors and celebrities within the human potential movement-e.g., Jeanne Jones, Art Linkletter and Sam Keen-each feel-good recollection serves as a parable of a venerable quality, e.g., patience (Debbie's Creamed Corn) and appreciation for what one has (No-Depression Cake). The authors note that recipes have not been adjusted to make them ``nutritionally correct'' in the belief that ``their love content outweighs their fat content.'' 50,000 first printing in cloth; 500,000 in paper. (Oct.)

Library Journal

Chicken Soup for the Soul (Health Communications, 1993) and A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Health Communications, 1995) by self-esteem gurus Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen have been on the best sellers lists for months. Now they've enlisted cookbook author Diana von Welanetz Wentworth for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook (don't worry, they decided against an all-chicken-soup cookbook): "deeply touching and humorous stories centered around food," with recipes. Touching or just sappy, these collections of Reader's Digest-style anecdotes have found an audience, who will be eagerly awaiting the cookbook.