Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook

by Tessa Kiros

book data

168 ratings, 4.23 average rating, 53 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		44%
4		39%
3		11%
2		4%
1		0%

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published

September 1st 2007 by Andrews McMeel Publishing (first published 2006)

details

Hardcover, 432 pages

isbn

0740769715 (isbn13: 9780740769719)

description

Tessa Kiros has circled the globe working in restaurants in Australia, Greece, Mexico, and London. Her extensive travel and multicultural background l…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 299)

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Aug 03, 2008

Montambo rated it:

bookshelves: food-stuff

Read in August, 2008

Once upon a time I was a domestic goddess. For years I entertained my friends with wine parties, crepe breakfasts and impromptu dinners. I read cookbooks and poured over magazines and entertained my socks off.

I don't so much, anymore. There were reasons for my decline, of course, but I can't relate them to you at this time. This book, though, makes me want to get back into it. It's totally gorgeous. A cookbook organized by color, filled with beauty and anecdotes and family photos. It...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

6 comments

Dec 29, 2007

Susan rated it:

bookshelves: adult--nonfiction, cooking-and-food

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: visual artsy types, homey happy family types, cooking for children

A confession: I am a good gift giver. I think about the other person, what they are like, what they love, what makes them happy, and I look for things that will be just right for them. But I gave this book to my husband as one of his Christmas gifts. While he is a splendid cook and does most of the house cooking, I bought it for the lovely pictures and the way it made me feel like home when my children were all younger. I don't care if the recipes are in weird color coordinated order since ...more

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Nov 03, 2009

Chocolate & Croissants rated it:

Look at this beautiful cookbook cover. Apples for Jam is a colorful cookbook. I must say it is adorable. Everything about this book is adorable and charming from the title of the book Apples for Jam to the way the recipes are categorized, by colors to the photos.

I love the idea of organizing the recipes by color. The color categories are red, orange, yellow, pink, green, gold, white, brown, monochrome, stripes and multicolor. The chapter on multicolored food starts off with a fun pho...more Look at this beautiful cookbook cover. Apples for Jam is a colorful cookbook. I must say it is adorable. Everything about this book is adorable and charming from the title of the book Apples for Jam to the way the recipes are categorized, by colors to the photos.

I love the idea of organizing the recipes by color. The color categories are red, orange, yellow, pink, green, gold, white, brown, monochrome, stripes and multicolor. The chapter on multicolored food starts off with a fun photo of a merry go round. This merry go round has beautifully painted horses with pink plumes. The recipes in this chapter include roasted zucchini and tomatoes with thyme, tiny savory tarts, smoothies and much more. Striped food, contains many different ice cream desserts and chocolate concoctions. What food is pink you ask, beet gnocchi, poached fruit in vanilla syrup and a few shrimp dishes.

I like the idea of organizing the recipes by color. Different days you are in a different mood. I think of fall food as being a variety of orange and red and golden hues, much like the changing of the leaves. Christmas time calls for deep reds and simple white menus. Of course for the spring I would want something green and fresh. Life is starting over. I am always up for something pink. Somedays you may be in the mood for a kaleidoscope of food.

So who is the author of this wonderful cookbook, Tessa Kiros of course. Click here for an interview with her. Previously I reviewed another one of her cookbooks, Falling Cloudberries. Born to a Finnish mother and a Greek-Cipriot father, Kiros, appreciates the world's diverse cultures and traditions. While Falling Cloudberries, has a variety of multi-ethnic recipes, Apples for Jam is a compilation of recipes that could be found in any home. All of Kiros' books are more than a compilation of recipes, they are her stories and memories with the food that accompanies them.

These are the recipes that will remind you of fond childhood memories. Food that you are in the mood for when you are feeling nostalgic and warm inside. All the recipes are quite easy to follow and I am sure taste delicious. If you are looking for a present for yourself of someone you enjoy spending time with, Apples for Jam is the perfect gift. If you never cooked before you will find yourself in the kitchen dressed in an apron, with all your measuring bowls and spoons ready to go.
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Oct 12, 2009

Amy rated it:

bookshelves: cookbooks

Read in October, 2009

I really wanted to love this cookbook, however I wasn't really impressed by it. First the layout isn't a typical cookbook layout. It is organized by color instead of by courses, ie. appetizers, soups/salads, meats, desserts etc.

Also I wasn't reallly impressed with the photography. I believe they are really beautiful pictures but I really want food porn.

This is more for the cook who likes to daydream about cooking comfort foods and bring back a nostalgia.

I di...more

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2 comments

Dec 14, 2009

Kyla rated it:

Read in December, 2009

I read this cookbook from cover to cover twice - hoping to see what other people saw in it. I liked the emphasis on kid-friendly meals and blending of cultures and even the idea of grouping foods by color is kinda sorta interesting. But there was just so much meat - seriously, every recipe seems to have meat - and the writing was fuzzily dreamy in the way I can't stand and the design (apart from the cover, which I like) was not half as pretty as it could have been. Got it from the library as a t...more

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1 comment

Jun 02, 2009

Morgan rated it:

bookshelves: food

Read in October, 2008

What a fun book. Part cookbook, part photo album, and part diary, this is an entertaining read. With memories from childhood combined with hand me down meals, you feel like part of the Kiros family. With her Greek heritage, homegirl cooks lots of good, simple food with quality ingredients and lots of love. And the best part? It's organized by color. Oh my goodness, what a book. My favorite from it is the Buttermilk and Berry Cake. I think kids would really enjoy this book as well as it's...more

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Mar 14, 2008

Cheryl rated it:

This is another gorgeous book from Tessa Kiros.
And much like other Kiros cookbooks, it has that feeling of a gift that your older sister gave to you when you took ownership of your first home, first kitchen.

"Apples for Jam" doesn't deliver "high food" with complicated steps. This is the cookbook that you can go to when folks are hungry and the pantry seems bare. This is the food that real families eat behind their shuttered windows.

Chapters are o...more

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Mar 05, 2010

Belknits rated it:

Beautiful book to look at - eye candy for me - but the recipes aren't holding up so far (I haven't tried that many, to be fair). The granola burnt according to her instructions. Oh well, I'll try some other recipes!

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Jul 06, 2009

Angelique Mark rated it:

bookshelves: cookbooks

I really love this book; it's beautiful to look at and the introduction is really lovely. You don't have to look far for substitutions when making any of the recipes even though this was originally published in the UK.

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May 12, 2009

Ash rated it:

This is the most cheerful cookbook ever created. The sections are organized by color! There's a whole chunk on pink food (including 'tiny cupcakes with pink icing').

It also contains the perfect lasagna recipe.

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Feb 23, 2009

Julie rated it:

Read in March, 2009

It was an interesting idea to have the recipes arranged by color but not terribly useful if you're trying to put together a meal. It's extremely rare to find a cookbook that I don't like but these recipes just didn't resonate with me and I really can't put my finger on why. This went back to the library rather quickly.

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Feb 06, 2010

Autumn rated it:

bookshelves: artanddesign, cookbooks

Read in January, 2010

Very pretty esp. if you are buying it at Anthropologie but the recipes are a tad uninspired. Excellent for dreaming of how awesome you would be if you were raising adorable children in Tuscany.

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Jul 29, 2009

Ann Nordquist rated it:

Read in June, 2009

Another jewel of a book by Tessa. Her life experiences and passions and sense of family shine in this cookbook...I have 2 of her books now and they are jewels, I treasure them both.

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Jan 23, 2010

Michelle rated it:

bookshelves: 2010, cookbooks

Read in January, 2010

Such a beautiful cookbook! All the recipes are organized by color, which I've never seen before, and I enjoyed the photos, drawings, and little anecdotes. Highly readable, which is a big plus for cookbooks. I've only made 3 recipes so far, but they all were very good.

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3 comments

Jan 11, 2010

Karen rated it:

Read in January, 2010

Really heavy, nicely photographed, playfully styled recipe book and lots of fun ones to try. She is good at family stuff. :) I want to try the chocolate cake with frosting and the chicken with orange-tomato glaze.

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Jun 30, 2009

Christina rated it:

Read in June, 2009

I checked this out from the library and I don't want to give it back. Beautiful pictures, tasty recipes, and great writing.

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Mar 05, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

bookshelves: cookbooks, non-fiction

Visually beautiful, family cookbook filled with comfort food recipes. Loved it.

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May 13, 2009

Susan added it

bookshelves: cookbooks

I had this checked out too - very pretty pictures. I don't think I made anything though.

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Jun 10, 2008

Liss rated it:

bookshelves: food-and-cookbooks

Read in June, 2008

I'd give it three-and-a-half stars if I could. The bad thing about this book is its layout. The recipes are arranged by color making it difficult to go looking for something specific (dinner, dessert, breakfast, preserves, etc.) The binding makes it nigh-unto-impossible to open all the way which makes it really impractical in the kitchen. The layout is really a shame because otherwise this could be an "only cookbook you'll ever need" since it has a little of everything and the way ...more

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Apr 11, 2008

Toni rated it:

bookshelves: cooking

Read in January, 2008

I have wanted this book for so long and treated myself to it last weekend. It is one of the most creative cookbooks I have ever looked at. I read it from cover to cover this week and fell in love with it's simplistic recipes with what seems like an abundance of flavor. I love the way the author incorporates her memories and children's artwork throughout and my favorite part is how the recipes are categorized by color. This book is a must have for foodies! - Especially if you love to read coo...more

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quotes from this book

"Have I added to their building blocks, shoring them up with strength and their own magnificence? Have I shown them enough color? Did I let them have enough ice cream and leave them alone enough without my anxieties? How can we know which is the right way? We have to go with our inner instincts and the feeling in our bones. But I can contribute to their growing cells, show them some foods that are better than others, walk with them, and encourage their own tastes. I can teach them to love and appreciate food, help them treat their bodies like gold, listen to them wanting more or less. The rest I have to trust." — 2 people liked it

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