We returned from our trip to the States bearing this exciting, new cookbook. We love to cook and to read cookbooks, and have quite a collection. From several of them we return to use a handful of favorites each year. In this one, it reads like it will take a year to try all that sound so tempting. Shared the curried chutney spread on apple slices with friends to oohs and ahs! Our dinner of mushroom barley soup, peasant bread and batch of the fabulous brownies was a "winner"...as well as easy to prepare. Must now chose what to enjoy today. What a great gift for the holidays! Kudos to Hayday and Kim Rizk

This is a marvelous book for people who love to cook with fresh ingredients. I've been looking for a cold fruit soup recipe using yogurt for years that's similar to one we've had in our favorite restaurant, and there it was! Try the Chilled Strawberry Yogurt Soup -- it was wonderful! Also helpful are the hints on what to serve with recipes and other uses for them.

We returned from our trip to the States bearing this exciting, new cookbook. We love to cook and to read cookbooks, and have quite a collection. From several of them we return to use a handful of favorites over the year. In this one, it reads like it will take a year to try all that sound so tempting. Shared the curried chutney spread on apple slices with friends to oos and ahs! Our dinner of mushroom barley soup, peasant bread and fabulous brownies was a winner, as well as easy to prepare. Must now choose what to enjoy today. Kudos to Hayday and to Kim Rizk.

I have waited all my life for a nature handbook such as this! So many questions I've had were answered in this book. (ie. what DOES poison sumac really look like? Or, is that REALLY just a milk snake -- or could it be poisonous?)Beautiful pictures, and clearly written, informative sections provide excellent information for nature lovers of every age. This book would be a welcome addition to every New Englander's home library and is small enough to be easily portable for hiking etc. I found myself wanting to give one to everyone I know, from grandchildren to grandparents!

My wife and I both really enjoy the descriptions of New England habitats, geology and other natural phenomena, and the information about parks at the end.

We take many drives to different parts of New England, and go exploring. Often we see something and wonder what it is. Now we keep this book in the car. It has greatly increased our knowledge and appreciation of our new England home.

Since reading this one, we have bought others of the series on the strength of the habitat and other "natural history" information. The authors' writing is clear and engaging and makes the material accessible to the tenderest of tenderfeet.

I've been searching for a book like this for the past two years. It contains information on the different types of habitats, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees, lichen, wildflowers, mammals (...the list goes on) found in the New England area. It even has a collection of star maps for people who are also interested in the New England night sky. The information is well laid out and easy to read and is accompanied by detailed color diagrams and photos. What I like best about this book though is I no longer have to carry around 5 different field guides when I go out hiking now. I only need to carry this one.

Not only is this book filled with the classic chowder, lobster and other Yankee fish recipies one would expect from a New England Cookbook, the book is filled with ethnic flavors and modern twists. Using these recipes, Thanksgiving dinner was the best I've ever had (No-Cook Cranberry Kumquat Relish is unbelievable). I've been using the book at least once a week (Maple-Mustard Pork Medallions were a big hit as were the Mini-Crab Cakes with Lime Pepper Sauce). The anecdotes are informative and entertaining and the recipies are easy to follow. I like the fact that most of them use ingredients that are easy to find. Additionally, for cooks who read cookbooks for inspiration, this is as good as it gets. I can't say enough about it, and for the price it's an absolute steal.

Brooke Dojny has written a sensational book with personal anecdotes and insights that are both heart-warming and mouth watering. Literally, I began salivating just at the descriptions of some of the recipes. As former managing editor of The Cook's Magazine and other national food magazines, I've read a few recipes in my time. These are tempting without being daunting. Try the North End Veal Piccata and you'll never make it any other way again. If you think New England cooking is always plain or boring, think again. Brooke has discovered some exotic items with such divers origins as Portugal and Poland. And she found them all in New England. So, even if the recipe sounds unusual, it's still home cookin' at its best. This is a cook's cookbook--no fancy, flossy photos--just recipes that work without too much work from the cook. And some really nice stories to set the mood for the meal. You will love this book no matter where you're from.

Brooke Dojny's New England Cookbook: 350 Recipes from Town and Country, Land and Sea, Hearth and Home, is a stunning achievement, a magnum opus of a cookbook. Published by The Harvard Common Press, the book chronicles the cookery of New England from Maine to Connecticut, from the first Thanksgiving to the present. Dojny's approach to the region goes well beyond New England standbys like clam chowder (although she offers three tempting recipes)and spans practically all the food traditions of all the ethnic groups who ever called New England home. The eight baked bean recipes in the book include one for Cuban Black Beans and Yellow Rice and another for West Indian Peas 'n Rice. New England cookery has embraced food from all over the world -- besides Caribbean, you'll find culinary influences of Native American, English, Portuguese, Italian, Irish, German Scandinavian, Greek, French and Hungarian cooks -- and all are represented in this book. Yet, for all its broadness of scope, this is a very personal book; Dojny's voice can be heard throughout, in the headnotes, sidebars and essays that describe the people and places associated with the recipes. The book is also a wealth of New England food history and lore, as well as tips on cooking techniques and ingredients. Bravo! (Excerpted from The Culinary Connection, the newsletter of the Connecticut Women's Culinary Alliance)

I have been wanting to learn how to cook fish at home but have been afraid. This book made it so easy---it's filled with luscious shellfish recipes and SIMPLE instructions for cooking and grilling fish. Have already made the lobster roll, the scallops she made on the Today Show (hey, Al, they were the perfect golden brown!) and the shortbread. WOW! It's also a great read, the stories are delightful. Never been to Maine but now we're planning on going for Memorial Day!

I love the Pearl Oyster Bar and go everytime I visit New York City. Just like Mario Batali says on the back cover, it's the best lunch spot around. So when I saw this in Amazon's cooking section, I was thrilled! This book is summer, the beach, and the ocean, which you swear you can hear in the background as you read. What a great story! I can't imagine not being allowed to stay in a hotel because I'm Jewish. As for the food, have made half dozen or so of the recipes already and they have turned out really well. The chef has great tips for cooking fish and gets to them without a lot of daunting culinary verbage.

I'm not certain what book reviewer Laura Cella bought, but there are more than 75 recipes in this fabulous book, INCLUDING the Pearl Oyster Bar LOBSTER ROLL (page # 209) and their famous BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE PIE (page # 108.) My cover has a photo of the blueberry crumble pie right on the front. The oyster roll recipe also appears in the book, as well as a wonderful Blackberry Nectarine Crisp (which I just made using peaches instead of nectarinses and it came out great!) and all of the recipes for which Pearl Oyster Bar has been named one of the best restaurants in New York City. I travel to NYC once a month and never miss the chance to eat there. This book was a joy from beginning to end. Ms. Cella's review should be immediately removed for erroneous information. Buy the book, you'll love it!

Finally...this gem of an album is available on CD. My long search is over! I've had this on vinyl since it was first pressed. For Wishbone Ash fans...this is a gift from the music gods!

I'm a 42 year old man and I've had this LP since it came out and have been trying to find it on CD for the last couple of years. I am so glad to see its available on CD now. The music, vocals, everything is great on this album, I strongly recomend this album.

I gave this album a lot of airplay at my college radio station in the late 70s, and I'm delighted to put it back into "heavy rotation" at home. While many critics and others have dismissed the group's earlier work, "New England" features the band at the height of its lyrical and musical power. Not a clinker on the album, IMO. It's a shame "New England" didn't get more attention when it first came out. My guess is that the vocals are a tad weak by the bombastic rock standards of the day, and the words a little too complex and meaningful. Remember too that this was the Disco Era, when a lot of great rock bands didn't get their full due. The CD sounds pretty good too, unlike a lot of reissues that come from 15th generation dubs of the master. All in all, "New England" is a prime example of mature guitar-based rock that still sounds great today.

The Clam Shack cookbook is like taking an entertaining and nostaligic, New England road trip - without leaving home! And if you do leave home in pursuit of the ultimate summer eating activity, this book directs you to the right places for the real clam shack experience. Nothing is more disappointing than stopping at a sea food eatery that looks authentic and then finding leathery lobster rolls and greasy fried clams! Brooke Dojny has done the leg work and identifies where to find the best summer seafood- from CT to Maine. This book is not only a fun read, with cute illustrations and fascinating back ground stories on the Clam Shack families, but it is also a serious cook book. These recipes really work! I'm not an experienced cook and I found them realistic, easy to follow and delicious. I was immediately inspired to make the clam chowder and it was excellent. I was also pleased to find sections on seafood basics like the best way to cook lobster. I thoroughly recommend this book for your kitchen and think it would make a delightful summer hostess gift.

Brooke Dojny's latest cookbook is a joy! It took me right back to my many childhood summers on Cape Cod--fried clams eaten with a wooden "prong," sitting at a wooden picnic table under an umbrella with the roar of the tide in the background. The recipes are great, but even if you don't cook one thing out of the book, it's worth it for the down home culinary tour of the Northeastern shore. Can't wait to follow its clam shack route up to Maine this summer. Fun! Fun! Fun!
P.S.: If you don't have Dojny's last, "The New England Cookbook," you're missing out on some great cooking (and eating).

I bought The New England Clam Shack Cookbook for 2 reasons. First, I have several of Brooke Dojny's cookbooks and know the recipes to be easy and reliable. They do work. Second, I live in Maine and my family has a great fondness for clam shacks. Now, during the winter, when the clam shacks are closed, we can have fried clams and chowder at home. The bonus is the wonderful descriptions of the people who cook all of that great food.

I really enjoyed this book! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a interesting, well written book that is not too complex, and easy to get through. Perfect summer reading.

Already a master of the short story, Elizabeth Inness-Brown now proves herself to be an exceptional novelist as well. BURNING MARGUERITE is one of those rare books that lives beyond its pages.

The novel begins simply: James finds his elderly "guardian" Marguerite dead in the morning snow. What follows, however, is anything but simple: we learn of the complex relationship between James Jack and his Tante Marguerite, of Marguerite's unconventional and tragic past, of what the future might hold for James. Every detail is related with vibrancy and relevance so the reader is constantly engaged in this touching novel of love and death. The world created here is as full and as real as one can find in 250 pages.

Inness-Brown has an astounding talent for narrative and language. She has a deceptively direct style; the words are ordinary but the images and emotions they convey are extraordinary. Her characters are so expertly drawn that they have a depth and humanity that few novelists achieve, let alone in their debuts.

I highly recommend this book. Although readers of literary fiction will be naturally drawn to this novel, readers of more commercial works should also find much to delight them. This accessible tale has a universality that should appeal to a wide range of readers.

This well-crafted story is the best book I've read so far this year. I savored each chapter-stretching out its 234 lyrical pages over many days. It cannot be called a "fast read." A gifted writer, Elizabeth Inness-Brown fills her paragraphs with stunning and flavorful detail as she tells the story of Marguerite, "Tante," and her adopted son, James Jack and their life on a remote, frozen island. It is both heartbreaking and liberating, and I highly recommend this book.

From the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," McKenna Publishing

If you're a dog parent, you tend to know the green spaces around where you live, but when you go afield, you need a guide. This book is invaluable for telling you where to take your dog in Boston and the surrounding towns. If you have a dog and you are looking for an apartment or for real estate in the Boston area, you absolutely need this book.

The only criticism I have is that the book is retriever-centric, meaning it favors parks with bodies of water and ball-throwing possibilities. Different types of dogs need different types of parks; some need good squirrel-chasing capabilities, some need a large fenced area so they can run, some need to be able to swim, some need puppy play-groups, and some need to go where other dogs don't go. The book's ratings favor swimming possibilities, but if you read the descriptions, you can get a sense of whether or not your dog will like a given park.

I will use this book many times. It will be a resource for me when I want to take Pluto to new places. I do think that Great Brook State Park should make it to the top dog list. And also would recommend that the MSPCA Mutts and Fluff and Stuff Annual walk and pet show be added to the list of doggy diversions. All in all a great book and fun resource. I envy George and Inu and owners for the research process:)

When we arrived in the Boston Metro area with our golden retriever, this was the first book we bought. It is a god-send! Immensely detailed and highly accurate, it lists hundreds of places to take your dog in Boston, the surrounding communities, the Cape, and even as far afield as New Hamsphire. The book is divided into 12 geographic areas. In turn, each broad region is sub-divided by town. Within each town, Downey and Lau first list Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Areas. These are subjectively rated from 1 to 4 paws. In our experience, one paw sites are only good for a quick pitstop. Four paw sites, however, are routinely wonderful. Usefully, a running dog symbol indicates off-leash parks. Directions, a map, and a reasonably detailed description of the facilities follow. Downey and Lau also list for each towndog-friendly restaurants, accomodations, festivals, pet sitters, and the like. So far their advice has been dead accurate--up-to-date and on the money. If you love dogs and live in the Boston area, you need this book. Highly recommended.

It's a shame Kathy(his mother) never wrote this book.
By far the most imtimate and well written part of this book was the last chapter that Kathy Eldon wrote.
Obviously Jennifer New loves Dan's life like we all do but unfortuneatly she never met him and that glaringly stands out in the biography. There is way too much creative license here,the fact he is raised to almost sainthood can be squeemish at times.Jennifer's writing leaves a lot to be desired, but through the clumsy writing you can't helped but be inspired by the life of Dan Eldon.
Dan is amazing!! His photos say more about him than any bunch of words can. 'The Journey is the destination" is a must have book!!
Flip through that and I guarentee your life will be changed forever!

Sometimes in life, we come across somebody who resembles in us everything we love, or envy, or just understand. Well, while reading "The Art of Life", a story about the travels of the young and corageous Dan Eldon, I stumbled upon all of these emotions and more. The book, a collaboration of work about Dan's travels, views, and passions, written by jennifer New and Kathy Eldon, is sure to spark a fire in each who reads it. This book is filled with more energy and spirit then I think I have ever possesed in all my years of being. Filled with colorful photographs and intelligent words, this story has been like a symphony to my weary eyes. After reading "The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon" (the first book published about Dan's miraculous travels and premature demise), I thought to myslef, "nothing could possibly be more beautiful or enchanting than this." I was proven wrong as soon as my hands glided over the pages of "The Art of Life". It has been wonderful to read while sitting outside in a park on a warm afternoon, as well as inside on a rainy day when you feel all hope is lost. It has been a glorious gift, reminding me that all which stands around us is something to celebrate. My only hope is that others, even if it is one small being, find this book....it will open up a genuine desire for life in you, that is sure to last for as long as you stand beneath the blue sky which hangs above.

In order to get the most out of this book, check out Dan Eldon's book of collage, "The Journey is the Destination," first. Look through it over and over again. Each time, you'll find something new. The book has a life of its own and illuminates the importance of existence. Each of our lives represents a cross section of eternity. This book proves that by underscoring the immense value of human potential.

Not only did Dan Eldon live, but he recorded the gestures and issues of his blazing life. His perseverance is inspiring and reinforces the importance of taking action. Jennifer New's book, "The Art of Life," tells the story behind the images in "The Journey is the Destination." Discovering these stories after years of attempting to decipher Dan's journals was spectacular...

Wherever do these wacky, useful cookbooks come from? Ultra-Violet is an amazing character and both the recipes and stories provide entertainment just reading them. My favorite story is The Funeral. We need more people like Ultra-Violet who delivers the truth in fast curve ball style. Forgive the cliches but they were created for her. She sounds like one mean mama and one you won't want to cross. Her antics prove her ancestors were the Lilliputians who believed trivial crimes deserved severe punishments.

Ultra-Violet solved an ongoing debate between my husband and me: how to boil and peel an egg correctly. The answer is on page 2. Now we have this entertaining cookbook for pickled eggs - never had any pickled eggs, may not ever pickle any, but getting to know Ultra-Violet is reason enough to have this book.

Ultra-Violet's Pickled Egg Cookbook by Violet S. Clayton is a hybrid to be sure. It's 3/4 cookbook, 1/8 storybook, and 1/8 fact book. It pays homage to the elevation of a simple country food - the egg! It is organized into three catefories of pickled eggs (hot & spicy, sweet, and eggs with beets) and the spiral binding makes it especially nice to use in the kitchen. When you need a break from pickling, you can read the short facts about eggs and Missouri. The best however is the tall tales about Ultra-Violet herself. The most positive thing I can say is that I was completely tickled and thoroughly entertained by her antics. And true to this country-style cookbook, it made me feel right at home even though the author grew up during the Great Depression. Maybe the simpler life isn't so bad.

Here's a treasury of pickled egg recipes (more than 40),plus a mostly humorous collection of biographical highlights of author Violet May Steele/Clayton's very unusual life. There are also many , probably little-known facts about the state of Missouri, all in one convenient, spiral-bound book. Three different jars of eggs are pickling in our refrigerator right now, with Annie Campbell's Picnic Eggs (pg. 40) just test/tasted after 7 days in brine. They are outstanding and very mild! Divided between hot & spicy and sweet, there's a pickled egg here for everyone's taste, with added information on how to boil,peel and care for eggs. As a bonus, this must be the only book ever to be dedicated to a White Leghorn hen. Named Lady Macduff, this busy chicken holds the one-year egg-laying record of 303 eggs produced in 1913,according to the Oregon State Agricultural Experimental Station. This is egg-zactly (sorry!)the right gift for a cookbook collector, a true egg lover, or just a real fun read for anyone.