Member Reviews

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a wonderful cookbook - while it may not have as many recipes in it as a normal cookbook, what sets it apart is the instructional and corresponding photos. I do a lot of cooking and this book showed me that I have been cutting onions the wrong way - who knew?

This would be a wonderful gift for newlyweds - lays out what you need as far as tools in the kitchen as well as stocking your pantry and refrigerator. All of the techniques are wonderful - even if you've been cooking awhile!

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I love to cook. There are no boxed meals in my house, never has been never will be either. I also do not just make hamburgers and hot dogs, I love to add seasonings, fresh ingredients, and a lot of love to my meals, With that being said. I thought I was pretty handy in the kitchen as well, Who knew I was holding my chef knife wrong? It got the job done in the past but this book has taught me the proper way to hold it. I really did learn some from this book, as well as the 100 tasty recipes included for me to try. Each part of the book is wonderful. I love that it doesn't just tell you how to do something it shows you with the ton of illustrations. This is a great book for both beginners and those of us who have been cooking for decades.

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This is an interesting book for beginners, or even experienced cooks who want some good basics to riff on. I'd definitely steer customers to this cookbook.

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The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School is both comprehensive and concise. It's a cooking manual that I would recommend it anyone who cooks: from the casual cook who prepares food just to survive all the way to the home chef who loves to create complex dishes to serve to guests.

The complete review will be posted on UnderratedReads on the release date. 4/6/17

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If you're like me, you watch all these cooking competition shows and just get more and more intimidated. I can read a recipe, and I have a few favorites that always make a winning dish. But the rest? It makes me want to order pizza and forget about the anxiety of trying to be a polished home cook. But I don't have to do that anymore, thanks to the amazing new The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School. 

This breakthrough technique for learning to cook offers beginners and intermediate home cooks a way to learn the most important kitchen lessons in a relaxed, painless way. With over 100 recipes (and more importantly, all the tools you need to create your own dishes), Alison Cayne walks you through step by step to give you confidence in your kitchen. 

After a quick introduction where you learn the basic kitchen equipment you need, pantry and refrigerator staples, how to read a recipe, how to season with salt, and how to set up a clean and organized work space, she drops you right into the boiling water. Literally, as she starts by teaching how to cook with purpose by showing you how to make a perfect bowl of rice. 

Each chapter focuses on a different type of food as well as teaching a specific technique. The chapter on vegetables teaches cooking with seasonality; the soups, on layering flavors; eggs, timing and temperature; fritters, mise en place; salads, composition; sauces, balance; and desserts, playfulness. She starts with a simple recipe she walks you through to teach you the basics, and then gives you all the tools you need to take those basics and build more skills.

The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School starts with poaching an egg and takes you though to a souffle. It introduces you to all the different ways to cook meat, to which cooking methods are best for different vegetables, for finding the right balance in a sauce and thus in a meal. And just as you get to mastering beautiful dinners, you get to go straight on through to dessert. With a perfect pavlova, an amazingly tart lemon curd, and the ultimate flourless chocolate cake, you can find the perfect end to the meal too. 

I know that it will take me a lot of practice to become the cook I want to be. But The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School will help get me there. And it can get you there too, far more effectively than just reading books of recipes or watching other people cook on television. This one is definitely a keeper. 



Galleys for The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

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Alison Cayne's The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School is a wonderful resource for beginning cooks. It is divided into nine focused sections from soups to sauces to desserts. The book includes teaching recipes that cover cooking basics and then builds on those. I tried the recipe for Crispy Sauteed Mushrooms and found the cooking times to be spot on which is important for any recipe book. While more established cooks might not find much new information, a new cook need look no further to gain confidence in the kitchen.

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The cover copy of The Haven'ts Kitchen Cooking School by Alison Cayne made it sound like exactly the book I need in my kitchen. It does provide the sort of information I was hoping for, but there's also a strong emphasis on buying food that's organic and locally sourced and humanely raised. The photography is fantastic, with both mouthwatering shots of the prepared recipes and practical step by step. photos of the different techniques. This may not be the perfect book to fit my needs, but I learned a lot from it.

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This was a great book and an interesting read. I enjoyed the story and would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the culinary arts.

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Wasn't able to obtain book to review due to file being .acsm. Looked great from the cover and description.

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Not only does The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School contain delicious recipes, it provides you with all the tools and guidance to make them perfectly. I love that they start small, showing you the basics on how to cut, dice, and chop, but also the more technical on how to get a perfect risotto or a stunning souffle. This book will be a staple in my kitchen for many, many years to come.

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I've been cooking for over 40 years, and I truly enjoy it, so when I saw this book available on Netgalley as an ARC, I was immediately curious - how would I measure up to a cooking school book? Would I learn anything? Would I disagree with anything?

As it turned out, I LOVED it -4 1/2 stars!! A lot of the recipes were too gourmet for this home-cooking chef, but I especially loved the intros to every section, as it taught me all kinds of tips that I either agreed with or had been wondering if there were an easier way. Kind of funny, a few times I'd read the start of a section there'd be a french word I'd not recognize, which I'd look up only to find the definition in the following section! Silly me, you think I'd expect that.

Both beautiful and helpful illustrations, this is a lovely book. This would be a great book for any new or experienced cook wanting to learn the basics of being a great cook! Bon appetit!

Maybe I need to start watching cooking shows...but then I'd rather read than watch TV!

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Learned a few things and it is a perfect book for anyone that looks for shortcuts.

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This is one of those books that will be spattered with grease stains, pages that are dog-eared so you can come back to that recipe over and over. One of those books that you will reach for often and keep within arms reach. This is one that needs to be in every kitchen. This has how to's, step by steps and photos of the finished products. This is one of those books that has unique recipes in it, and more importantly needed, workable, mouthwatering, recipes that can be used over and over. A very informative, much welcomed addition to any kitchen, this is one that you will use over, and over.

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For either the novice cook, or for a more experienced cook who wants to try some new things, this cookbook has a great deal to offer. The explanations are clear and complete, photos accompany each recipe and technique, and the recipes are taken from cuisines around the world. For someone who wants to cook better, learn to cook from scratch, or try out unfamiliar things, this would be a helpful book to own. Or check out from your library!

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I love the way this cookbook is organized and the reason for this organization. It builds confidence in the novice cook by taking every basic skill a cook needs and clearly lists the steps so that success is guaranteed. A great book.

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The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School: Recipes and Inspiration to Build a Lifetime of Confidence in the Kitchen
by Alison Cayne
Destined to become a classic, this cookbook is my new go-to gift for showers and weddings. Beautifully illustrated, The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School is well organized and perfect for the beginner and experienced cook alike. Teaching essential skills for success in the kitchen with lots of gorgeous photos and step by step clear, concise directions. Charming illustrations of necessary kitchen tools utilized in the recipes is also a nice touch and I learned quite a bit reading through the tool descriptions. For instance, “a ‘spider’ is the professional kitchen’s slotted spoon. A shallow wire basket secured to a handle, the ‘spider’ is a great tool for scooping items from hot oil when deep frying, or removing vegetables from hot water.” Highly recommended.

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The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School by Alison Cayne is a cookbook full of wonderful tips, kitchen techniques and tools, and recipes that many home chef's would use. There isn't a photo for every recipe, but the photos included are beautiful. Would recommend this book for home bookshelves.

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The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School is part cookbook and part cooking manual, with the emphasis on the cooking manual. It has many useful tips and techniques for beginners, but even seasoned cooks could learn a thing or two from this book. The recipes included were not that appealing to me but I could definitely benefit from the instructional nature of the book. It contains many photos and step by step illustrations that are helpful in understanding the techniques and tools. The book is well organized and easy to follow. I think it would make a great wedding gift or a useful tool for anyone wishing to broaden their culinary knowledge.

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The Havens Kitchen Cooking School cookbook will be the only cookbook in your collection that you will refer to time and time again. Very easy to understand step by step with pictures and techniques to teach you cooking concepts, like pairing ingredients and spices, making the correct dressings for salad, making one dish bowls of food, layering flavors to make the perfect soup and more. I love their blog also. This will make a great gift for anyone who loves to cook or wants to know how to cook.

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