Williams-Sonoma Simple Classics Cookbook: The Best of Simple Italian, French & American Cooking

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:1. If you found this review helpful in some way, please click the helpful button. Thank you.2. If you want to read more reviews submitted by this reviewer, please follow. Thank you.

A source I like for fine meals.

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.

Exceeded my expectations. Was in excellent condition. This is an older version of the book, which was exactly the one I wanted so I was very pleased.

On web it stated it 90% like new. It was pretty banged up on outside I do not thisnk it looked 90% new. This was suppose to be gift but could not give

As an avid cookbook collector and frequent shopper at the Williams-Sonoma retail stores, I was especially pleased when my husband bought this as a gift for me. I often take cookbooks to bed at night for inspiration to plan parties and this has become a favorite. As the title states, the recipies are simple and classic with wonderful photographs to show the finished products. While some of the ingredient lists may seem a bit intimidating, the results are worth it. The Potato and Onion Gratin is delicios as well as the Chicken Salad with Apples and Walnuts.The desserts are amazing, the Bittersweet Chocolate Cake is decadent and the Chocolate-Orange Cheesecake will take your breath away. The final chapter has a list of basic recipies and techniques that even the most advanced cooks would be likely to use as a reference. This is a wonderful book.

I owned this book before. I cooked many of the recipes for my family. We have suffered a tremendous loss and food is one way we connect. The book arrived without it's cover. There are many pages already folded. To many this may sound like nothing but I ordered it for many sentimental reasons.

This is a true must have. This is an elegant and beautifully crafted book, that contains best simple recipes from the Chuck Williams Collection: Simple Italian Cooking, Simple French Cooking, and Simple American Cooking.The book includes nearly 200 recipes, beautifully formatted and at a great price. I say it again, a truly must have.

great recipes & very well made