Amazon.com Review
Soup can be a very hit and miss affair, and can quite easily transform itself into a pot of bland, runny liquid, despite your spending hours slaving away in the kitchen. Happily, Anne Willan, author of Perfect Soups, comes to the rescue, takes your hand, and guides you one step at a time through the whole shebang. Simplicity is the key here--every process from chopping carrots to stirring the stock warrants its own photograph, and every ingredient and utensil has its own full color spread, so nothing is left to chance. This is the perfect book for soup virgins, and for those who have never quite come to grips with making that flawless bowl of Split Pea or Vichyssoise. Although the guise here is simple step by step preparation, the end results are flavorsome, hearty bowls of divine soup. For a winter warmer, the Butternut Squash and Apple Soup comes highly recommended. If squash isn't your forte, you can substitute pumpkin for the butternut squash, and voila, you have a lovely pot of Pumpkin and Apple Soup. On hot balmy days, the Chilled Guacamole Soup and Iced Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Mint are cooling treats--and painless to create. Featuring a good balance of vegetarian, meat, and fish soups, Perfect Soups really does live up to its name. --Naomi Gesinger