Anybody in the business world or on the inside track of Los Angeles life knows who Marilyn and Harry Lewis are; their building of the Hamburger Hamlet dynasty is legendary. What makes this truly fascinating book come to life though, is the "true Marilyn" who jumps from the page. With many autobios, you can read it cover to cover and not know a whit more about the real person behind that public visage when you're done.

Not here. There's a lot more served up than some famous recipes and a few anecdotes; Lewis manages to capture the Zeitgeist of the time in which she and Harry lived and loved; a period of Show Business and Big Business colliding an L.A. full of fashion and film and some sad realities along the way.

I'd love to give details but I'm not blowing any surprises. Suffice to say the book is a surprise a mix of personal and public life, and every darn thing that happens when you're a woman with boundless talent and the energy of a high school sprinter. For instance, did you know that under a completely different name,in a completely different world, Marilyn Lewis was also famous for something that had nothing to do with her culinary crown? Double-famous in two different worlds: that's not luck. This is an extraordinary woman.

Marilyn Lewis's own peronal story is downright fascinating; from such humble beginnings she became the Grande Dame of Los Angeles's love for food, fashion, and passion. You can't put Lewis in a box.....her proven "wins" in evrything from film to filet mignon come with a story, a real story, about a real woman who was ahead of her time and made a lot of people plain catch up.

Written with the class you'd expect from one of the shining stars of Los Angeles social life, Marilyn tosses class and candor like a salad, and the result is a can't-put-it-down page turner.

I give this prize of a book my highest recommendation. The Marilyn Lewis you're going to meet in this book is probably not who you thought was on the menu. But I'd put her compelling voice and prolific humanity up against any creme brulee in town: Mrs. Lewis emerges like a creme brulee, in fact: a tough cookie and nobody's fool on the outside, and downright delicious, smooth and all class on the inside.

Give this book a read; it'll show you a Los Angeles (and a world) that may not even be possible anymore.....unless another Marilyn and Harry Lewis show up in town. For now, I'll take the originals....and they're both right here in plaintive sight. Enjoy the meal, and boy, does she know some of the juciest tidbits of Los Angeles's golden age. Enjoy, and don't forget to tip well.

MARILYN ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN COOK? HE ASKED
Every once in a while one comes across a book that's truly inspirational, and this one says it all. Marilyn Lewis takes you by the hand and thrusts you into the world of entertainment, excitement, movie stars, recipes, design, and family, all the while introducing us to her own style of prose. There are poignant moments, understated and wise, that speak volumes to the reader. This was not an easy road, and it was told honestly and with a rare sense of innocence, savvy and humor.We are given a personal tour of the thoughts and feelings of a true entrepreneur, and we learn that anyone wanting to achieve a modicum of success must take risks.I think that everyone SECRETLY wants to run a restaurant, and Marilyn shows us how to pull it off. And if that's not all...she makes a movie! Kidnapped? Yes! Disappointed? Many times! Survivor? You bet! This is not just a woman's story, but a benchmark for anyone who has a dream--and seeks the blueprints for success. A MUST READ! Take a much deserved bow, Ms. Lewis!

Marilyn Lewis hitch-hiked from Cleveland to Hollywood when she was 14. She owned a modeling agency when she was 16. She later married a hansom movie star.

Together they founded a successful chain of restaurants. In between Ms. Lewis designed clothes for the Marlo Thomas TV show and hosted a late night radio talk show!

This charming autobiography spans 40 years of her life in Hollywood, and includes numerous little-known stories about her movie star friends.

Ms. Lewis combines humor with her insight into how to succeed in a mans world. A MUST read!

(CORRECTION TO VERSION 1) LINE 1: `FOUR' NOT FOR WEEK

After I had completed a four week seminar at the Euro Center Language School in Alexandria, Virginia, my teachers gave me the best training marks a student ever got there: four `10's. Nevertheless, American native speakers were still able to detect my German accent in my English. Then I found Ann Cook's AAT in a book store in Washington D.C. I started an intense training. Recently I attended an English class in Munich, Germany, where I live. The teacher, an American from New York, wanted me to leave the class room because she thought I was an American who wanted to pull her leg by coming to her class. By the way, it's never too late to start with AAT: I'm 60 years of age. Anybody can do it if he or she tries hard.

After I had completed a for week seminar at the Euro Center Language School in Alexandria, Virginia, my teachers gave me the best training marks a student ever got there: four `10's. Nevertheless, American native speakers were still able to detect my German accent in my English. Then I found Ann Cook's AAT in a book store in Washington D.C. I started an intense training. Recently I attended an English class in Munich, Germany, where I live. The teacher, an American from New York, wanted me to leave the class room because she thought I was an American who wanted to pull her leg by coming to her class. By the way, it's never too late to start with AAT: I'm 60 years of age. Anybody can do it if he or she tries hard.

Better get the second edition, it's muuuuuch cheaper!

What a fun and original book!
The ideas are great and it was not at all what I expected by the title. There are really creative and original ideas for everyday celebration and fun. This book is really creative and you can branch off to your own ideas. You will use this book often so keep it close at hand! :)

I bought this book because it had a firetruck party theme-- just what I was wanted for my son's 2nd birthday party. The party was a huge hit with kids and adults alike, especially the cake that looked like a fire truck (very easy, but looked professional). I've used this book countless times since, for my Halloween-themed playgroup, Christmas parties, and my daughter's first birthday. Everyone comments on how cute the decorations and snacks/cakes are, and everyone is surprised when I tell them how easy they are. This book is my "secret" to becoming the neighborhood Martha Stewart for kids. My children are just 2 1/2 and 1, but I know I will use this book again and again for years. There are even some great party ideas for teens.

I own lots of kids party books and this one is by far the best I have ever seen. It is full of great ideas not only for kids birthday parties, but also for family functions, making this a great book for all age groups. Full of colourful photos, I always end up referring back to this book while planning events, as the ideas are so fresh and creative and very manageable. This is definatley a book worth owning!

New York has been the epicenter of world cuisine for some time and this is a classic referance for that cuisine. Not the most modern, or the simplest, or the most complete but a balance of all that is good in food. Like "The Joy of Cooking" or "How to Cook Almost Everything" this book can serve as a basis for learning all the classic recipes and techniques of western and some asian and American cooking. If you want to own just one cookbook, this may well be the one to own.

I have several cookbooks, but this one has the most stains in it by far, which is probably the best way to determine if a cookbook is any good. I turn to the Times cookbook when I want to make my old standbys, when I am trying something new or when I have company coming over. Of course, I was raised by a mother who used an older edition of this book as her main cookbook, so I may be a bit biased.

The cookbook has everything out there you need to start cooking. When I first started cooking, I was able to pick up this cookbook and start with almost no background. All the recipes turned out excellent. I particularly liked the chili recipes.

Last year, I mixed and matched these recipes with ones typed on index cards that I inherited from my grandmother and made a successful Thanksgiving dinner (which may be the ultimate praise for a cookbook).

One warning: recipes in this cookbook are not shortcuts. They will take a decent time to prepare. If I am in a hurry, I don't usually use this cookbook. If you never have much time to prepare a meal or do not enjoy cooking, this is probably not the book for you.

I borrowed it from the library. I tried some recipes thinking I'll be dissapointed like I was with Joy of Cooking. I was WRONG. It's the best cookbook I've ever seen. I decided to buy it. Every recipe I tried was delicious. The recipes are easy to follow, it's not complicated like some other cookbooks.I highly recommend this book.

I have never wanted or known how to cook but I received this book for Christmas and not only can I actually make the recipes, but they turn out really well! I would highly recommend this as a starting cookbook if you are afraid of your kitchen. You can't go wrong.

I originally purchased this cookbook for my daughter-in-law at a homeshow and after bringing it home, I decided to keep it myself. So I purchased another through Amazon.com. This book is great because it lays completely flat on the kitchen counter. It has great basics like mashed potatoes and pot roast to understanding menu terms and how to pronounce them when ordering at a restaurant. Also how to make substitutions when you don't have all the ingredients the recipe calls for and how to convert some of the recipes to a lower fat version. Thanksgiving Dinner is even in there. I currently have probably over 30 something cookbooks but I think this one is the most complete and informative ! Don't miss the Beyond the Basics section. I Love This Cookbook. Can you tell?

Being away at college I am subjected to "dorm food." My parents are therefore delighted that I come home and work out of this fantastic cookbook. The Pork Tenderloin is absolutely delectable and the salads are meals in themselves. This book is spiral-bound so it lays flat while you are working; you don't need to fight with pages that want to turn. I really like how every recipe has a full-color picture of what you are making as well as an easy-to-read listing of ingredients in the same spot on every page. The book was published by a distinguished text-book manufacturer (McMillan I think) and is set up identically to a teacher's guide for school. Basically, it's easy to read, simple to follow, and explains EVERYTHING with step-by step pictures in a specially designed techniques section. Although an experienced chef will find this to be an excellent selection of dishes even a beginner can use this book to cook like a pro!

Glen Cook is a helluva writer. He never seems to get the respect he deserves; his stuff sells well but he never seems to "break out" the way others (who may or may not be better writers) have and continue to do.

And this may well have been Glen's best book so far.

Sad it's been out of print since its single first edition, more than ten years ago.

I recall buying it, because i buy every Glen Cook novel that comes out, and reading it in basically one sitting (and even though i read nearly 1000 words/minute, that was a longish read, because this is a *big* book). Not too long after that, as we were setting out on a seven-hour drive (to an SF convention, as it happens) my wife asked me if i had anything interesting she could read on the trip. I handed her "Dragon". She protested that she didn't like Cook's stuff. I persuaded her to try it.

As we were arriving in Louisville, she looked up and said "Okay -- when can I read the sequel?"

But there isn't a sequel. It's wide-open for a sequel. The last line almost *demands* a sequel.

But Glen won't write one. And i've bugged him about it on and off at SF conventions for years -- he just grins and says "Don't feel like it" or words to that effect.

But, even given the fact that this book really *needs* a sequel and there isn't one and there apparently ain't gonna *be* one, i cannot recommend it too highly as a classic example of how to do space-opera *right*.

Would be well-worth the effort of finding a copy if you like well-written, well-thought-out extremely wide-screen Space Opera; particularly, anyone who likes either David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series or "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" books needs to read this.

Set in a well constructed far future, The Dragon Never Sleeps was the subject of many positive fan reviews. I read it after a note from a friend that it was the best book he had read that year -- he had literally not slept from start to finish. The book is hard science and hard technology, and reflects what a military would really be like, given time and the rational limits of technology. There would have been a sequel if the book had caught on. There should have been a Hugo award.

Glen Cook usually writes stories with intricate plots, powerful and intelligent characters, and ambiguous ethics. _The Dragon Never Sleeps_ is a shining example in all three departments. The book explores politics and warfare between parties who are extremely smart and long-lived, against the backdrop of an oppressive and stagnant human interstellar empire. This book is not a light read--it will probably take two readings to grasp everything which is going on--but it is highly entertaining and great food for thought.

Brenda J. Ponichtera is not only a registered dietitian, she knows how to cook in a way that's both flavorful and healthy. Taking the knowledge from her days as a dietitian, she has designed and tested 190 recipes for each volume of this book (Quick and Healthy Recipes and Ideas AND Quick and Healthy Volume II) which will taste great and keep the pounds off. Not only helpful for dieters, this book contains necessary nutrient exchanges and helpful information for diabetics.

These down-to-kitchen books can help anyone learn to cook in a healthy way. Sample dinners are included in both books and the second edition contains sample menus as well as pre-made grocery lists. Although page numbers are hard to find from the sample menus, a helpful index solves the confusion and lists recipes by principle ingredient. Each recipe includes a description and ingredient list and preparation time can estimated by scanning the instructions, but the stand out here is a table at the bottom which contains number of servings, calories, fat, and exchanges - a sure to help any dieter. Trying a sample menu leads to easy shopping (just put the list into an online grocery store, although check quantities before ordering), fairly quick preparation times, a limited number of ingredients, and tasty results (the Creamy Seafood Fetticini even won over my seafood reluctant friend). The sections on determining your ideal weight and calorie intake, as well as the nutrient analysis tables in the back are indispensable. With a minimum of creativity and time, anyone can cook well and healthily with this book, making sure it will have a place on my counter for years to come.

I've had both of these cookbooks for several years now. They are pretty ragged because they've been used so much! It would not be an exaggeration to say that we have fixed over 50 recipes between the two books. Both my husband and I work, and we have two children. These cookbooks have made our lives so much easier. The recipes are easy to prepare, don't involve too many steps or ingredients, and use "normal" ingredients that are easy to keep on hand.

A few of our favorites: Chicken Stir-Fry Sandwich, Ricotta Pizza, Seafood Gumbo, Chicken Rainbow Salad, and Frozen Fruit salad (which we divide into four containers and eat for dessert every few nights.) We do occasionally tweek things to match our tastes, but I've found most of the recipes are very flavorful.

I love these cookbooks. I wish Mrs. Ponichtera would write a few more!

I have both this book and the first one. I found them browsing in a book store, paid full cover price, and I'm not sorry. They are excellent!!! If you are on a low salt diet, you can use most of these recipes without modification. If not, you can simply salt or spice to taste if you desire more robust flavor (but I've only found this necessary once or twice). Two improvements I would recommend - the weekly menus should have page #s for recipes from the book, and the menu plans should take into account the food that you are already buying for the week. For example, I've had to buy some things that only come in 16oz packages for just one recipe that only required 1oz! So, the weekly menu plans should try to reuse similar ingredients, as much as possible while still providing variety. But, both of these issues can be worked around with just some simple pre-planning before you go shopping. My husband hasn't even noticed he's eating healthier - and this is someone who always picks the worst kinds of food to eat. My Dr. recommended I lose some weight. After buying these books, I brought them in and asked her opinion of them. She liked them so much, she made photocopies of the covers so she could recommend them to her other patients! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Good news! You were introduced to MEALLEANIYUMM! by Canadian cookbook maven, Norene GIlletz, in 1998. Now the updated and revised edition, Mealleaniyumm!: 800 Fast, Fabulous & Healthy Recipes is available for public consumption.

As a professional book review columnist, I'm pleased to see another edition of Mealleaniyumm! available for health conscious readers who are searching for delicious ways to eat well. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the wonderful, home-style recipes created by this author because this quick and easy cookbook, which focuses on low-fat, nutritious cuisine, is perfect for EVERYONE.

Emphasizing the use of every day ingedients, author Gilletz's step-by-step recipe directions, timesaving tips, substitutions and recipe variations are a real bonus. One of the best features of this cookbook is the complete nutritional analysis which accompanies each recipe. Healthful hints about fat, fiber, cholesterol, calories, calcium, etc. are especially helpful to anyone with special dietary concerns.

Whether you have diabetes, are a cardiac patient, vegetarian or just plain love good food, this book offers recipes from family fare to bountiful buffets, perfect for today's time-challenged cook. Five out of five enthusiastic stars to this cookbook and its author, Norene Gilletz!

Meal Lean i Yumm! is more than just another cookbook with the fat removed. It is a superb resource for health professionals who have been searching for the ultimate way to assist their clientèle in implementing both basic and advanced nutrition care recommendations. The solution to many nutritionally related diseases is with just the right combination of ingredients found in Norene's delicious contemporary and traditionally based recipes. Foods you may have been reluctant to try, such as tofu and quinoa, will now be part of your regular menu. This book has so much to offer: 1) it promotes a variety of ingredients that are easily available and affordable, 2) it provides scientifically sound information about food and nutrition and advocates moderation rather than radical means of reducing the fat content in our daily diet. A generous number of menu planning ideas compliments practically every recipe. This book is a blend of motivation and education with the support of 800 superb recipes. Norene's style makes it so easy to modify your eating habits and feel terrific.

This cookbook is invaluable to anyone who likes to cook healthy. 800 recipes that are easy to follow, nutritious AND tasty. You won't run out of ideas or resort to the same old tired broiled chicken and iceburg lettuce salad ever again!

Did you know that using Prune Puree as a substitute for fat in baking adds lots of fibre? One cup equals 12 grams!

While the recipes alone are worth the cost of the book, the accompanying nutritional information (for each recipe), the food substitutions, the food tips and hints, etc. make MealLeaniYummi a must for any kitchen!

My first dish was "Mom's Rice Pudding". My husband LOVES Rice Pudding and I've always been too intimidated to attempt it. Norene's recipe was so simple, the directions so clear that I was sure of success and my husband pronounced the dessert "delicious"!

I can't wait to try the Whole Wheat Pitas, the Tuna Caponata, the Bean, Barley & Sweet Potato Soup, Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms . . . Well, you get the idea!!

This is one cookbook that destined to be food-splattered!

...everything I make from this book is truly delicious and , may I add, nutritious. Parisian Home Cooking teaches us that the value of fresh and diverse ingredients, simply prepared is the core of true health; dishes that yearn to be enjoyed amoung friends and actually leave you energy to enjoy their company! I just love the woman who refuses to spend more than fifteen minutes at her stove yet serves up divine dinners; the butcher's timeless admonition that for the body to work it must have some fat - how avant; the tips that coax real flavor from simple foods - to "sweeten" the vinegar for the perfect vinaigrette by adding a splash of wine (just one tip of many). As the diet gurus duke it out for your dollars, look at the slim, healthy Parisians in the photographs, read what they eat at home, and you will toss out the crazed American diet fads with relief. This book will feed you. It's also a good read. Move over Dr. Ornish and Monsieur Pepin - the secret is out!

I love this book! I especially enjoyed all of the "philosophy" on cooking, eating and enjoying life.

The world needs more cookbooks like this: ones that emphasize quality and simplicity. Thank you Michael Roberts for suggesting that we all try to cook only simple meals during the week!

NEW YOUR TIMES SUNDAY BOOK REVIEW JUNE 6, 1999

The new rush-to-the-stoves book is Parisian Home Cooking: Conversations, Recipes and Tips From the Cooks and Food Merchants of Paris......a collection of recipes lovingly and cannily collected from Parisians young and old-- a concierge, a hip friend and his mother, a fellow American in Paris, the butcher at the street market and many other garrulous vendors. Roberts, a longtime Los Angeles restaurant chef and (with Barbara Kafka) one of the country's few truly original thinkers about cooking, returned to Paris 20 years after receiving his culinary schooling there, armed with a student's enthusiasm, an anthropologist's curiosity, a born schmoozer's way of eliciting cooking secrets and a sensational sense of taste. He rediscovers techniques born of Parisian practicality in the face of minimal burners and unreliable ovens: duck cooked and defatted in a pressure cooker before being finished in the oven, chicken roasted in a closely covered casserole, steak seared in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Techniques and recipes like this will make cooks who cut their teeth on Julia Child and then moved on to Italy fall in love with French cooking all over again.

I got Velma's book from our town library. I read it right through. I made one of the recipes. I'm buying the book today, because I want to have it with me. I think it may make me a better man. My town is much like Leeway. Our people are like Velma's neighbors. Such characters! I could stand on our Main Street and point to Doris, and Sissy, and Howard, and Shellye and even Zeke. The lives in my town work just like the lives in Leeway. Leeway is not a special town. It's just that all of us are like the people of Leeway. Leeway is just a neighborhood with a lot of unpopulated space around it. We are all human beings and we all have a self. That self is so important to us, and so strong, that it blinds us, sometimes. Our self makes it hard for us to recognize how others feel - much less understand them - even when we love them very much. In this book, Velma Brendle learns that God knows that this to be true. He teaches her how to live through it. There is a lot of joy in this book, and a lot of sorrow. Velma makes many people happy and healthy with her wonderful cooking. She also hurts some people because she can't get past her own grief. But it is a very hopeful book. The insights of the "human condition" are worth the book's price. The mystery in Velma's soul makes it intriguing and powerful. The recipes make it a great bargain. Readers like me, who love Garrison Keillor and Jan Karon and John Steinbeck will want to read and own this book. I hope Ms. Wright gives us another one soon.

At last . . . Christian fiction that's WORTH reading! Wright's characters have dimension, and they ALL ring true. I feel I've known the residents of Leeway all my life! Could not put this book down.

If you liked this one, you should also read "Grace at Bender Springs" by this author.

I'll start by confessing that I read this book because I was curious to see if Broadman & Holman would put out a quality piece of fiction (of course, my view of "quality" may not correspond to any objective reality). They did. Wright's book quickly drew me into the lives of her characters, despite the fact that they led completely commonplace lives. In fact, that seems to be the point of the book--that things of ultimate importance are found in the obscure and ordinary: small towns, small interactions, small choices. I'm already reading Wright's earlier novel "Grace at Bender Springs" and look forward to seeing more from this author.