The Amateur Gourmet: How to Shop, Chop, and Table Hop Like a Pro (Almost)

by Adam D. Roberts and Adam D. Roberts

Book Overview

"A fast track to culinary bliss."--Frank Bruni, New York Times - "A sort of Rachael Ray for young foodie urbanites."--Boston Globe

Self-taught chef and creator of the Amateur Gourmet website, Adam Roberts has written the ultimate "Kitchen 101" for anyone who's ever wanted to enjoy the rewards of good eating without risking burning down the house In this deliciously illuminating and hilarious new kitchen companion,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553384562
• ISBN13: 9780553384567
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Feel good book of the year!

This book was perfect for someone like me, someone who likes to cook yet gets easily intimidated by all the experts. This book made me feel right at home and was quite a charm to read! I felt like I was reading an extremely personal cookbook, and that I got to peek into the life of a chef who shares the same passion for food that I do. I recommend this for anyone who loves not just food, but all that goes into preparing it.

Very funny book

This book is very funny. If you read the Amateur Gourmet's blog, you'll understand the the humorous writing for his cooking experiences. It's very entertaining.

Couldn't put it down

Look at the title of my review. How many "cookbooks" could you say that about? I visited Joe and the Art of Coffee (the Union Square coffee shop where Adam actually wrote this book) because I'd heard so much about it. As I sat there at the back of the cafe, I looked up at the shelf above my head and saw the signed copies of this book that the store had on display. I grabbed one to leaf through as I sipped my cappucino and ate my croissant. All I had to read was the first page to know that this was a book I needed to read. As someone who taught himself how to cook from TV, magazines and books I could relate to all the ups and downs that Adam describes. The first page is about how he left the butter out of his coffee cake. I once left the sugar out of my apple pie. Fortunately for me though, I was able to pour the sugar through the holes in the top crust, bake it a little more and everything turned out OK. BTW, the reviewer above missed a golden opportunity... This is not a journey from torts to tarts, it's a journey from torts to tortes. :-)

Very cute funny book!

Only a few easy recipes, but a whole lot of fun. Adam has a great style and if you've heard him in one of the short clips he's made, you can just hear his voice as you read. Warning, careful where you read it, I was on a trip in an airliner, and when you short and giggle to yourself people look at you strangely.

The Amateur Gourmet Captures the Intersection Between Life and Food

Occasionally, a book comes along that is so familiar, so comfortable, so easy to read, that you keep going back to it again and again. The Amateur Gourmet by Adam Roberts is such a book. The book -- which is about cooking for yourself and others, eating out at fine restaurants and neighborhood dives, and personal relationships centered around the theme of food -- contains hilarious anecdotes, liberally sprinkled with good advice, leavened with light philosophical thoughts about the intersection between life and food. This is a book that you will read yourself, and then share with others.