Men's Pie Manual: The complete guide to making and baking the perfect pie (Haynes Manuals)

First let me say I love this book, what man could not love a book called "Men's Pie Manual"?The book is well written and illustrated and I would recommend it either for yourself or as a gift.However as a man who has been studying pie making for a little while now I found 2 flaws in it.1 - What is the most common pie you want to make and eat?, it's a meat pie of course, or more specifically a steak pie, or a steak and ale pie, or a beef and ale pieSo in this book they have a beef and ale pie recipe (the only one) which the most complicated complex beef pie I have ever come across!. You need 2 types of meat, bones and 2 days at least to make it!, give me a break!. Ok keep this recipe in the book if it's so great but also include a steak and ale pie recipe for us mere mortals which is simple and easy to make.2 - The only pork pie recipe in this book is the Melton Mowbray pork pie, as if it's the only pork pie in existence!, and rambling on about it's PGI status, no mention of the northern pork pies which are probably far more popular and eaten much more often in bigger quantities.

Beautifully put together. Probably one of the more aesthetically pleasing cookbooks I've owned. Each page has a nice photo, and a concise and generally well worded recipe. The photos are also generally communicative to the task, and not just artistic shots of ingredients as seen in many cookbooks. The book opens with selecting equipment and an overview of ingredients, pastry types and crust assembly. There are some hiccups. For instance am I holding on to the ginger for moral support while I assemble the rum nicky? It is listed as an ingredient but never mentioned in the recipe and now I am jamming ginger crystals through my lattice top (still delicious) . Also the book is very much written for the British audience. As an American who enjoys making other nations' recipes one grows accustomed to gas marks and Celsius conversions or tracking down a straight sided pie tin for a proper gala pie, but writing such as instructions to 'roll the dough to the thickness of a pound coin' makes me think you are limiting your audience.Overall I would recommend it as a very approachable and attractive guide to pies, especially savory pies.

This is a beautiful cookbook. All recipes are represented by a beautiful and color photo. A standard by which all cookbooks should follow.

This was a gift for a car guy that has several Haynes vehicle manuals. He got a big kick out of receiving a pie manual to go with his collection... he likes to cook.

Great cookbook full of a wide variety of pie ideas. I really liked all the pictures. Looks just like an auto manual.

Wonderful recipes. Not crazy about hot water crust. A bit heavy for me but glad I tried it. Will try several of the recipes. Easy to follow. Fun to read. Good photos.

What a beautiful guide to meat pies. The title may seem a bit dated, but this book is a treasure trove!

Learning to make hand raised pies is fun. The book is very helpful

The man in my life got this book for christmas...and he's been making tasty (and meaty) pies since. There is a large variety of recipes both savory and sweet, with anything with crust counting as pie (aka sausage rolls count)--and lots of different pastries--hot water, filo, puff, pie crust etc. Consistent results so far as we've had better luck with these recipes than with Paul Hollywood's Pie book in terms of flavors and breadth. A winner!

IT IS WRITTEN SO THAT YOU CAN READ IT, IF I WERE TO CHANGE IT I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES IN ALL MEASUREMENTS SO THAT ANYONE CAN MAKE THE BEAUTIFUL RECIPES IN WHATEVER MEASUREMENTS THEY ARE USE TO.

An entertaining presentation, but what made it even better was that the recipes are good and work. Buy it as a serious cook book, not just for fun.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a novelty book because of it being a Haynes manual about cooking. Far from it, with a recommendation from Tom Kerridge, this is a very readable but comprehensive guide to all things pie but written in a way that even a man ( or woman!) who is nervous about being adventurous in the kitchen can tackle the recipes with confidence. Even experts will I suspect enjoy this gentle journey through the world of the pie which incidentally also covers such essentials as accompanying gravies, sauces and even crumbles.Reading this in isolation is also a pleasure with facts and tips covering everything from tools, techniques and history, all written with a welcome injection of humour. Heartily recommended.

I have bought an electric pie maker and wanted a book for pies. This was very interesting telling you different pastry recipes and fillings for each pastry. I am sure by reading this book my husband could have a go. Hmm I will leave him to the gardening!. I will make the pies.