'Live, Love, Eat! The Best of Wolfgang Puck'
By Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. -- 2002
Buy it on Amazon

With an accent thicker than anything a knife can penetrate, a bevy of successful restaurants and a line of signature canned soups and frozen pizzas, hearty Austrian celebrity chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck has made quite an impact on modern cooking in the U.S. Having studied cooking in France before becoming executive chef at the esteemed Los Angeles eatery Ma Maison, he's commended for the rise of California cuisine, inspired by refined French cooking techniques and flavors.

WIth a philosophy of "Live, Love, Eat!," chef Puck imparts his passion for fresh and flavorful cuisine in his recipe collection, "Live, Love Eat! The Best of Wolfgang Puck."

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Takeaway tips: Were Puck's cloyingly wholesome approach to cooking -- "Sharing good food with friends and family will make everybody a happier person" -- not braced with such genuine enthusiasm, his appeal might have fallen flat. But paired with his flavorful interpretations of everyday dishes, the schtick is charming and the recipes unbeatable.

Quality of pictures: In making gourmet cooking accessible to the amateur chef, the photos provide lust-worthy inspirations as well as helpful step-by-step photos when necessary. The colorful dishes are immaculately accented with fresh herbs and produce, doing justice to the emphasis on fresh ingredients in his cooking.

We tested: Tortilla Soup and Classic Beef Lasagna

Puck's signature Southwestern tortilla soup is one of those marvelous recipes that result in a dish exponentially better than the sum of its parts. Pens Puck, "Though the flavors are full and robust, its slowly simmered tomato broth base keeps it light and delicate." Indeed, the simple base of a corn, garlic, onion and jalapeno puree permeates masterfully, and, when pureed with the tomato, cumin and tortillas, creates a hearty but fine soup.

While delicious, the lasagna required a painstaking amount of time and effort. Using the Hearty Bolognese base and a ricotta-Parmesan-mascarpone cream, the lasagna also held strong notes of oregano and rosemary -- a refreshing departure from the usual emphasis on basil -- but, for a total cooking time nearly three hours long, didn't quite merit the status of a special occasion meal. I would, however, add the Bolognese recipe to my regular roster for its flavorful -- and freezable! -- qualities.

Worth the investment: Without a doubt. Puck's cookbook is the perfect cookbook to suit any occasion or craving -- be it for a simple Spinach-Artichoke starter, a Lobster with Sweet Ginger indulgence or the impressive Classic Spago Cheesecake dessert. Wolfgang Puck consistently brings unexpected tang and depth to otherwise-simple dishes in his inspired cuisine.