Sopranos vs. The Meat Book (Cookbook Evaluation)

The two cookbooks I have chosen to evaluate are the two that created quite an impression from the moment I saw the cover. The first book I chose is The Sopranos Family Cookbook and the second is The River Cottage Meat Book. They are both refreshingly unique, from each other as well as standard cookbooks.

The Sopranos Family Cookbook is clearly written specifically for fans of the television series. This is evident from the references to the characters and the pictures taken from the set of the Sopranos. Since the book is not written by a well known and respected chef, it once again plays off the television series and uses it as a crutch to gain credibility. The organization of the book is an example of a superb method of organizing a cookbook. Instead of organizing the book around the type of food, it is organized around the audience of one's cooking. Overall this is a well written book, if not necessarily an effective cookbook.

The River Cottage Meat Book could not possibly be any more specific in its audience. The introduction itself states that the book is written for meat lovers and potential meat lovers for the specific purpose of growing the meat loving population from thousands to millions. The book itself is unique in the fact that the is a sort of dual book, with the first half being about different types of meat and the last pertaining to the actual cooking. As far as pictures are concerned they are not as effective as those from the The Sopranos Family Cookbook, but they still are somewhat effective, mainly because of the depictions of the different types of meats.