6 Books for Food and Wine Lovers

Happy Saturday and Weekend Cooking day. Because it's been ridiculously hot here (as everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere), I haven't been overly motivated to cook or bake, and that has put me more than a little behind in my cookbook reviews.

Today I'm going to feature six food books that are on my radar. Three of these are for reading (or listening) and three are for cooking and baking. It may be a few weeks (or even into September) before I'll be ready to turn on the oven, but I should be able to tell you my thoughts on the foodie books before the end of summer.

Note that all these books were (or will be) published in 2022. I want to thank the publishers and publicists for the review copies. Because I haven't yet explored these books in depth, the following thoughts are based on my first impressions.

Mediterranean Small Plates by Clifford A. Wright (Harvard Common Press, August): Who doesn't love having substantial appetizers for dinner? In this cookbook, Wright takes us all the way around the Mediterranean Sea in small plates: from tapas in Spain to hors d'oeuvres in France; meze in Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans; and ending with mazza in the Mideast and North Africa. The opening chapters introduce us to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, how to make a balanced small-plate meal, and a list of ingredients to have on hand. The chapters explore each region separately, providing recipes, background info, tips, wine pairings, and more. The cookbook ends with almost 20 menus for small-plate meals for entertaining. Pretty much everyone will find more than a few recipes that will fit their dietary plan; I was impressed with the variety of flavors and types of dishes. Note too that many of the recipes are easy and quick enough for weeknight dinners.

Ultimate Food Atlas from National Geographic Kids (Hachette, June): I cannot wait to delve into this fun, colorful, and informative atlas. Each chapter focuses on a continent (the Australia chapter includes Oceania) plus there's a chapter dealing with climate change and the world food supply. Each chapter discusses a variety of topics pertaining to the continent (such as food production, festivals, and global issues) and includes descriptions and photos of regional foods. Instead of going country by country, the maps and sections home in on areas that share climatic, geographical, or ecological traits. Fun facts, recipes, activities, games, quizzes, and super graphics make the book a delight to look through and easy to read.

Bake by Paul Hollywood (Bloomsbury, July): In this cookbook, the world's favorite expert on all things baking shares his recipes for classic bakes: cakes, cookies, breads, pastries, and other desserts. I love to bake and am looking forward to the fall when I can try some of Hollywood's versions of naan bread, shortbread, brownie cheesecake, orange brioche, sausage rolls, bread pudding ... and well, just about everything! Beautiful photographs (some showing a step-by-step process) inspire me to don my apron, get out my pastry board, and start baking. While waiting for cooler temperatures, I plan to read through the cookbook and learn Hollywood's techniques and tweaks and tips for achieving my best bakes yet.

To Fall in Love, Drink This by Alice Feiring (Scribner, August): If you don't know, Feiring is a James Beard award winner for her wine journalism. Besides books and articles, she also writes The Feiring Line newsletter about natural wine (see her website for more). The essays and short pieces in this volume work together as a memoir. Among the stories Feiring shares are ones about her observant Jewish family and childhood, about how she discovered the world of wine, about winemakers and the industry, and about the men in her life. Her focus is on wines that are free from the many additives used in most mainstream wines. She also introduces us to various wine regions around the world and suggests wines to put on your to-buy lists. I plan to savor this collection, one essay at a time.

A Dish for All Seasons by Kathryn Pauline (Chronicle, August): I'm intrigued with the concept of this cookbook. Instead of dividing her recipes into four chapters (winter, spring, summer, fall), Pauline features a single dish and offers variations and transformations to fit the season. The main chapters are by meal or type of dish (breakfast, salads, sides); those chapters are organized by specific dishes. I'll illustrate the idea by focusing on one dish. Under "Mains" we find a section called "Sandwiches." Pauline describes her idea of a deli sandwich and then provides a grid for mixing and matching seasonal produce and flavors. Then she gives her best tips on how to create the "perfect" sandwich. Next she offers four recipes, one for each season. In this case, we find Shrimp Rolls, Boiled Corn, and Potatoes for summer, Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce and Lacto-Fermented Torshi for fall, a Meatball Sub with Caramelized Fennel for winter, and Bánh Mi for spring. Despite the examples I gave here, vegans, gluten-free eaters, and vegetarians will find plenty of recipes and seasonal combos to fit their needs. I'll likely use this cookbook before fall because I'd love to try some summer recipes while the farmer's markets are still in full swing.

Eat Up! by Ruby Tandoh (Vintage, July): If the name Ruby Tandoh sounds familiar to you, it may be because she was a finalist in the Great British Bake Off or because you've read some of her articles focusing on the intersection of food and society and culture at large. In this collection of essays, Tandoh focuses on issues that are near and dear to her, especially how attitudes about what we eat, what we look like, and who we are entangled and difficult to unknot. She talks about body shaming, being gay, emotional eating, and food in movies. She isn't shy to praise or condemn the foodie elite and food snobs. As I often do with essay collections, I plan to read this one piece at a time, all the while, taking Tandoh's advice to enjoy what I'm eating and ignore the naysayers. Note that she has a cookbook coming out in November.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Sparkling Wine Anytime by Katherine Cole

I have a super-fun and informative book to share today. Katherine Cole's newest wine book is called Sparkling Wine Anytime: The Best Bottles to Pop for Every Occasion. It was published by Abrams last month, and I received a review copy because I'm a member of the Abrams Dinner Party.

What's a wedding, New Year's Eve, or a red-carpet event without a few bottles of the bubbly? When we hear the word bubbly, most of us immediately think of Champagne, but did you know sparkling wine is made all over the world and has been drunk for almost 9000 years? I didn't know that, but now that I've begun to explore this book, I've been learning how effervescence is achieved, how bubbling wine is made and stored, and how Champagne has benefited from centuries of good marketing.

The bulk of Sparkling Wine Anytime takes us around the world by vineyard and type of sparkling wine. Once we leave the Champagne region of France, the wine has to take on a different name; thus we have Prosecco, Cava, and Sekt, for example. Cole describes each growing region and the types of sparkling wine produced there and recommends and describes specific wines.

Warning: this is no dry (pun intended) treatise for wine experts. Cole's sense of humor and fun personality are evident on every page. I found myself laughing often and wishing she were my new BFF. Here she is writing about a Vouvray Brute:

An easy-peasy bang-for-the-buck crowd-pleaser. . . . This is a wine not to think too hard about; just buy half a case to throw in an ice bucket the next time you have a party.

I also love the design of the book, with its purple and tan color scheme, fun minimalist graphics, and maps.

Although Sparkling Wine Anytime is primarily a guide to buying and learning about bubbly wines, Cole includes a few cocktail recipes. You won't be surprised to learn that I had to give some of them a try. While I've ordered my fair share of French 75s and Kir Royales in my time (hey, it was the 80s!), I had never heard of a B2C2. It may be my new favorite Champagne cocktail . . . and, yeah, you can make fun of me, but I'm hooked.

Put Katherine Cole's Sparkling Wine Anytime on your wish list for yourself or for the sparkling wine lover in your life. This book is a joy to read and I learned a lot about the quintessential celebratory wine. Disclaimer: I'm not in fact a Champagne fan, but I do like other sparkling wines, particularly Prosecco.

I cheated a bit with the following recipe. I used Prosecco and 1 ounce of B&B, which I almost always have on hand. It was yummy.

B2C2
1 cocktail

• ½ ounce brandy
• ½ ounce Benedictine
• ½ ounce Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
• 2½ ounces Cremant (French sparkling wine)

Combine the brandy, Benedictine, and Cointreau in a chilled cocktail glass. Top off with Cremant.

Recipe shared in the context of a review. All rights remain with the original copyright holder.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Cheese Beer Wine Cider by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley

Wine and cheese seem like a marriage made in heaven. It's everyone's go-to for a light weekend lunch, afternoon on the deck, or pre-dinner nibble. But do you really know which cheeses go with which wines? I'm never completely sure.

Enter Cheese Beer Wine Cider by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley (Countryman Press, March 19), your guide to the best drink for 75 different kinds of cheese. Wine, you may be surprised to learn, is not always the best choice. Some cheeses go better with beer, and cider is a surprisingly safe choice.

What's in the book: Jones and Lindsley start out by sharing tips on buying, storing, and serving cheese. They do the same for the alcohol, and then explain how they came up with the pairings and how to create your own.

Each pairing starts with the cheese, which could be a very specific cheese from a particular dairy (Vermont Creamery's Cremont) or a general category (Munster). The authors provide details about the cheese (country of origin, family, milk type) and alternative "brands" or types and then tell us more about where the cheese is made, its history, its taste profile, and so on.

Next is the specific wine, beer, or cider that goes with that cheese. The alcohol is identified by vineyard or brewery, country of origin, and style. The authors suggest substitutes for the listed drink and then provide details similar to the cheese.

Finally, we learn why the pairing works. Successful pairings take into consideration flavors, pH, sweetness or dryness, textures, richness, temperature, and more.

Throughout are "Quick Bite" information boxes that present all kinds of interesting facts. For example, we learn about the differences among farmstead, artisan, and cooperative cheeses; about wild yeasts; about what types of apples make the best ciders; and about the German purity laws and beer.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading Cheese Beer Wine Cider, and I'm looking forward to putting together some tastings to share with friends. Jones and Lindsley provide a ton of great information, which makes the book worth reading for anyone interested in cheese and drink.

My success with Cheese Beer Wine Cider is going to depend on how closely I can find the drinks. Here in Pennsylvania, I'll probably have much more trouble tracking down the specific wines and ciders than the suggested beers, though I'm sure I'll be able to find workable alternatives. On the other hand, I should have little problem buying the suggested cheeses or good locally produced substitutes.

If you live in a big city or in a West Coast state, I bet you'll easily be able to buy the exact cheese and drink pairings listed in Cheese Beer Wine Cider. I hope you give some of them a try.

Recommendation: Cheese Beer Wine Cider by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about cheese, wine, beer, and cider. The book includes a lot of interesting general information as well as the specific pairings. As fun and informative as this book is, however, I suggest you check it out from the library before buying.

Thanks: Digital review copy provided by the publisher. The scan comes from the book and is used here in the context of a review; all rights remain with the original copyright holder.

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Gift Guide for Food-Loving Readers

As we finish up Hanukkah and head into Christmas (the perils of the dual-religion family), I find myself relying heavily on tried-and-true dinners and less on experimentation.

For example, this last week we had beans and rice, chicken parm, quinoa Buddha bowls, and grilled salmon. All tasty and all family favorites, but not necessarily good fodder for blogging or for sharing on Weekend Cooking.

I suspect that you too are saving your culinary energy for holiday meals and Christmas cookies, so today, instead of a cookbook or a recipe, I want to tell you about three good food-related books that crossed my desk this fall. I liked them all but never got around to writing full, formal reviews. My procrastination paid off, though, because these niche books are perfect for gift giving.

How to Drink Like a Mobster by Albert W. A. Schmid (Red Lightning Books, September 1). This cocktail book, written by a mixologist and Gourmand Award winner, is as fun as the subtitle suggests: "Cocktails Guaranteed to Bring Out Your Inner Gangster." The first part of the book includes a mobster glossary, just in case you're not a Button (official member of the Mafia), along with equipment, speakeasy rules, ingredients, techniques, and some base recipes. The second part is a series of short biographies of famous gangsters and descriptions of important events, laws, and places related to the mob. The cocktail recipes are in the final section, arranged by main spirit (vodka, rum, and so on). The drinks range from classics, like the Gibson, to more unusual drinks, like the Gunfire (a coffee drink). Schmid ties each cocktail into the mob world by explaining the origin of the drink's name or by providing a short history of the cocktail itself. This is a delight to read and would make a great gift for the cocktail-loving Mafia fans in your life.

What Makes a Wine Worth Drinking by Terry Teise (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, November 6). This collection of linked essays is written by a wine importer and writer who has won multiple awards, including the James Beard Foundation's Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional. The book is not a how-to guide to buying wines but is a contemplation on the interconnections among the wine growers, their land, their wine, and those of us who enjoy the results. Teise compares our connection to small wine producers to our relationship with the vendors we get to know at our local farmer's market. He also writes about contemporary issues in the wine world, his own wine journey, and how very personal wine drinking can be. His approach is based on his experiences as both a wine drinker and a professional, and he prefers wines that enhance his life rather than those that have a muting effect or take over the moment. To Teise, a wine should be "honest and authentic. That and nothing more." From casual sipper to avid collector, the wine lover on your gift list will find a lot to think about.

The Bread and the Knife: A Life in 26 Bites by Dawn Drzal (Arcade, September 11). Written by a former cookbook editor and well-known food writer, this collection of twenty-six personal essays highlight the strong link between food and memory. The pieces are arranged alphabetically from "Al Dente" to "Zucchini Blossoms," and each ingredient, technique, or cooking term prompts Drzal's thoughts on family, childhood, travel, friends, work, and relationships. She tells us about her grandparents, summer camp, dinner parties from her early years in New York City, M. F. K. Fisher, and the year she learned about dieting. You'll also find a few recipes (such as her stepfather's stromboli stuffing) intertwined with Drzal's descriptions of memorable meals (including a thank-you dinner at La Colombe d'Or), thoughts on quasi-vegetarianism, and stories about her marriages. I read this one slowly, one yummy bite at a time. This is the perfect book for the foodies on your gift list, and you'll want a copy to put by your own bedside as well.

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Wine Reads by Jay McInerney

You may know Jay McInerney as a novelist (Bright Lights, Big City), but did you know that he's a James Beard Award-winning wine writer? He currently writes for Town & Country magazine, but his wine columns have also appeared in the Wall Street Journal and House and Garden.

Take note that his edited collection of wine writing, Wine Reads (Atlantic Monthly Press; November 13), comes out next month. The 27 pieces included in this volume were written by a wide range of wine lovers, including the expected wine critics and food writers (Eric Asimov, M. F. K. Fisher) along with writers of fiction and nonfiction.

Some of the selections cover legendary stories, such as George Taber's "A Stunning Upset," which describes the first competition in which a California wine beat the French. Others are excerpted from novels (like Sweetbitter and Sideways), and some of my favorites were the more personal stories.

Wine Reads is the kind of book you'll want to savor, a selection at a time. I'm not quite finished, and I didn't want to rush my way through just to write a review. On the other hand, I wanted to alert you to the November publication date, because I think Wine Reads would make an excellent holiday gift suitable not just for wine lovers but for those who appreciate excellence in writing as much as they do in their wineglass.

The collection opens with a piece by Roald Dahl (yes, that Dahl), who describes a 1950s dinner party in which an "interesting" bet over a wine occurred. Jim Harrison swoons over the sound of a popping cork and talks about how wine accompanied the stresses and joys of his everyday life--not just the weddings and holidays.

Bill Buford writes about an exclusive Burgundy tasting he attended that had, perhaps, a bit too many wines on the table. I also liked Tilar J. Mazeo's account of how the Widow Barbe-Nicole and her champagne survived the 1814 Napoleonic War; war wasn't always good to winemakers, their cellars, and their vineyards.

Jay McInerney's Wine Reads is the perfect collection for winter reading, preferably with a glass of wine near at hand. Buy a copy for yourself and another as a gift. Wine Reads deserves a place on your bookshelves; it's the kind of book you'll return to over the years to revisit a story or to read a passage aloud to your friends.

Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press for the review copy.

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: A Return to Reading

Happy Labor Day to those of you in the United States. Hope you find some time to relax and enjoy the day.

I'm back to real life, and big part of that is reading. I didn't have much time to read during my vacation because I was either out exploring or doing things with my traveling companions.

For some reason, I even found it difficult to read on the planes, so I ended up watching a lot of movies.

The lace conference I attended inspired me to start a new lace piece this past week. Lace making is not only a creative endeavor but is the perfect time to listen to audiobooks.

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie (Hachette Audio; 27 hr, 4 min), read by Steven Pacey. I put about five audiobooks on my phone before I left for Europe, and this was the only one I listened to. It's the final installment in the First Law trilogy, an adult epic fantasy. As I said in my reviews of the other books (The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged), Abercrombie is terrific with character development and action. We understand the motives and desires of our heroes and anti-heroes, and we feel their pain when life and fate don't cooperate with their dreams. The story is told from different perspectives, as we follow individuals of different walks of life: magi, inquisitors, soldiers, courtiers, and so on. Despite being caught up in how the various plot lines were going to be resolved, I didn't finish Last Argument of Kings with the desire to read more books set in the same universe. I liked the fact that not everyone got a happy ending, and I was also okay with some loose ends (and the promise of more books), but I didn't like the cliff-hanger ending to what was supposed to be the final book in a series. Instead of wondering what happened next, I lost patience. I can recommend that you give the books a try; you--like the many First Law fans--may be more forgiving than I am. Abercrombie wrote several short stories and a couple more books about the major characters, and you may want to peruse them too. As I mentioned in my previous reviews, Steven Pacey put in a consistently solid performance, meeting all my major criteria, including good characterizations, nice pacing, and varied expression.

Tasting the Past by Kevin Begos (Highbridge Audio; 8 hr, 28 min), read by P. J. Ochlan. As many of you know, I like wine and have a glass almost every night with dinner, so when I was offered the chance to review Begos's book for AudioFile magazine, I said yes. The subtitle of the book--The Science of Flavor and the Search for the Origins of Wine--gives you the gist. When Begos, an ex-AP journalist, tried an obscure wine from the hotel mini-bar when on assignment in Jordan, he started on an journey to find the origins of that wine and to learn why most of the world's wine is produced from only a handful of grapes. To answer those questions, he explored grape genetics, ancient history, religion, agribusiness, climate change, culture, and more. I loved the overview of wine research, which ranged from the academic (DNA studies and archaeology) to the practical (maverick wine makers) to the experimental (fermenting in clay instead of wood). Begos's curiosity is contagious, keeping my interest throughout. This is the first audiobook I've listened to by Ochlan. Although my full thoughts on his performance will be available through AudioFile, I can say here that he isn't my favorite narrator. He had an odd cadence, and I found it difficult to distinguish between the narrative text and quotations/dialogue. I do, however, recommend the book for wine lovers and people interested in food/wine history. I hope to check a copy out of the library to see if there are photographs and to be able to study the wine lists included in the text.

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Belgium in the Glass

You would think that after more than two weeks in Europe, I'd have a couple dozen photos of the wonderful meals I enjoyed while traveling. You would, however, be wrong.

My recent trip to Brugges proves once again that it's a good thing I'm primarily a book blogger instead of a food blogger. I have only a few not very good photos of what I ate.

It turns out that I'm happy to snap pictures of the drinks I ordered, but once the dishes arrive at the table, I'm more interested in savoring my meal than in taking a photo. Oops!

We ate very, very well in Belgium. I had (among other foods) tapas, olives, croquettes, rabbit, Flemish stew, salads, chocolate, salmon, croissants, pasta, steak, cheeses, cured meats, breads, meatballs, croque monsieur, macaroons, and smoked chicken. One of my most memorable meals was eaten in the restaurant shown above, which is just across the border in Lille, France.

We did our best to sample all that the region had to offer in drinks. Hot chocolate, espresso, gin cocktails, champagne, wine, and lots and lots of beer. We even visited a jenever (Flemish gin) museum and tasted a couple of varieties. The photos show just some of what I drank.

Next week, when I'm a bit more rested (I'm still trying to get over the jet lag), I'll have more to say. For today, I just want to thank Deb from Kahakai Kitchen for taking over as the Weekend Cooking host, despite starting a new job and dealing with the hurricane threat!

Here are some quick beer notes. The Gruut beer is brewed in Ghent, and that's where we drank it. Although the Westmalle quadrupel was my favorite beer, I forgot to photograph it (despite having ordered it two or three times). Shown instead is their tripel. Westmalle is a Belgium Trappist brewery.

The Bourgogne des Flanders and Straffe Hendrik are both brewed in Brugges. The breweries offer tours, and each also has a restaurant. I prefer dark beers, though some of the tripels were good.

When you travel, do you take photos of your meals or drinks? Am I the only slacker?

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Reading in the Kitchen

As much as I like puttering around the kitchen (and eating and drinking the results), I also like to read about food, cooking, chefs, drink, and culinary history.

Dare I admit that I'm in the middle of four food-related books? Not every book has to be read cover to cover all in one string. In fact, some books are almost better read a chapter a day or in smaller chunks.

That's probably just a personal quirk, but *shrug* that's the way I am. The only problem I have when I read like this is forgetting to share my thoughts on the blog. So, rather than wait until I finish my April foodie books, I'm going to tell you about them now.

First up is Godforsaken Grapes by Jason Wilson (Abrams, April 24), which is part travelogue, part memoir, and part learning about wine. Wilson is no stranger to writing about adult beverages or about travel, and his casual, informal style is easy to read. After learning there were about 1,370 varieties of wine grapes yet the vast majority of the wine we drink is made from only 20 kinds, Wilson decided to seek out the rarer wines by traveling around the United States and Europe, meeting people, tasting wine, attending events, touring vineyards and villas, visiting museums, and so on. The next chapter for me is titled "Is Prosecco a Place or a Grape?" I'll have the answer in a day or two. Read this if you like food memoir, wine, or travel. (Copy provided by Abrams Books and the Abrams Dinner Party.)

If you haven't read any of Maira Kalman's books, then you are truly missing out. I love her illustrations and her perspective on a wide variety of topics. In Cake (Penguin Press, April 10), she teams up with Barbara Scott-Goodman to talk about . . . cake! This celebration of the classic dessert starts with Kalman's memory of her first cake (chocolate, in Tel-Aviv) and of her birthday party cake when she turned nine. The short book includes recipes (by Scott-Goodman), accompanied by Kalman's art and additional stories. The recipes are comfort cakes at their best: white layer cake, gingerbread cake, honey cake, carrot cake, flourless cake, and a plum torte. I've been savoring each page, reading a story here, studying a recipe there, and lingering over the drawings. I don't care if I never make one the desserts in Cake (but why not?), I just love having a new Kalman book to brighten up my day. (Personal copy)

I've long admired Edna Lewis, best known as a chef and cookbook author, and was excited to have a chance to read Sara B. Franklin's Edna Lewis: At the Table with an American Original (University of North Carolina Press, April 13). The book is a collection of essays, interviews, stories, and memories by people who knew Lewis personally. Most of the contributors are in the food business (Alice Waters, Deborah Madison, Nathalie Dupree, Patricia Clark, for example), but there are also pieces by Lewis's family members. If you aren't familiar with Edna Lewis, she wrote Southern cookbooks and promoted African American cooking and food history. She was an early advocate of cooking with homegrown ingredients (before we had the phrase farm to table). She was also, I'm learning, a political activist. Buy or borrow Edna Lewis, but don't miss out on (re)discovering this amazing woman. (Copy provided by the publisher.)

Finally, I'm drinking reading my way through How to Be a Bourbon Badass by Linda Ruffenach (Red Lightning Books, April 1). Bourbon, that all-American whisky, carries with it a lot of stories and legends. We think Kentucky, backwoods distilleries, world-famous blends, and now even craft producers. Ruffenach, the founder of Whisky Chicks, is on a mission to help others learn more about her favorite American spirit. She introduces us to the bourbon kings, gives us bartending tips, and helps us decide which whisky to order or buy. The book is geared to bourbon newbies (or the bourbon naive) and has a refreshing female perspective. I'm not sure how "badass" the book is, but so far I'm enjoying the graphics, the recipes (cocktails and food), and the stories. At this point I'm recommending the book as a good starting place for people who want to learn more about the culture and history of bourbon and how to drink it. (Copy provided by the publisher.)

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Wine All the Time by Marissa A. Ross

I know what you're thinking: Ms. BFR, do you really need another wine book? Well, yes, I do, and I'll tell you why. I'm interested in wine, I like wine, and I want to know more about wine. But the truth is this: I have only so many hours a day to devote to my nonwork interests. Reading about and studying wine--despite my curiosity--tends to slip to the back burner. Hell, I'm not sure it's even on the stovetop.

Thus my search for approachable wine books. If I read enough and take just a tip or two from each source, I hope someday to be able to sound like I know what I'm doing. Marissa A. Ross's book Wine. All the Time. (Plume, June 27) speaks to me. (Thanks to Plume for the review copy.)

Ross, a contributing editor for Bon Appetit magazine, blogger at Wine, All the Time, and all-round fun person, is a wine lover just like me. Well, not just like me, because she gets paid to write about wine. On the other hand, just like me, she isn't a certified expert; she's someone who has worked her way up from 2-Buck Chuck to the good stuff (wines that cost more than $20).

When I started reading Wine. All the Time, two things immediately jumped out at me: First, I love Ross's style--funny, personal, and very earthy (if you have "language issues," you might want to look elsewhere). Second, I love her general approach to learning about wine. I would call it drinking mindfully, as in take a moment to think about the aromas, the flavors, and the colors of the wine in your glass. Then make the effort to read about the grape and the growing region and take some notes. When I've made the effort to actually do these things, I've been surprised at what I've discover about my own tastes.

The book has all the sections you would expect: a glossary, a chapter on how wine is made, lists of wines by grape and region (including tasting notes), and all kinds of advice (how to read a label, what wines to serve at a party, what wines to drink with your dad, and so on).

Although you might think there is nothing new here, I would disagree. I love how approachable Ross is and especially enjoyed reading the story of how she went from chugging the low-end bottles to knowing enough to write about respectable wines. Throughout Wine. All the Time, you'll find tips and charts for all kinds of useful information: not just food pairings but also the differences between commercial wines and low-intervention wines, how to buy wine, how to order wine, and how to serve wine.

For me, the more avenues I have to approach the mysteries of the wine world, the better; and Marissa A. Ross is someone I want to have at my side while I make my own journey from the under $15 bottles to the next level. Take a chance on Ross--if nothing else, you'll have many good laughs while you drink your $5 Pinot Noir and may even get the courage to try wines in a higher price bracket.

My only issue with the book has nothing at all to do with Ross. It has to do with the state of Pennsylvania (where I live) and how difficult it is for me to buy some of the suggested wines. If you live in any other state in the union, you will have a much better chance than I do to try the wines, find a good wine store, and follow the advice in Wine. All the Time.

To learn more about Ross, check out her article "5 Questions to Ask When You're Buying Wine (and Know Nothing about Wine)" at Bon Appetit and this great interview at VinePair. Oh, and don't forget to explore her blog, Wine, all the time. Finally, here is the book trailer:

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

When tech journalist Bianca Bosker set out to learn more about wine, sommeliers, and the art (or talent or genetic predisposition) of tasting, she didn't expect to be totally won over by the people and their world. Her book Cork Dork (Penguin Books) -- part memoir, part investigative journalism -- tells the story of her year of discovery and transformation.

Bosker started with the question of whether master sommeliers have an in-born ability to discern flavors and scents or whether they have skill that can be learned by pretty much anyone. To answer this question, she talked to wine experts, trailed professionals in the high-end restaurant business, joined tasting groups, traveled around the world to interview scientists, and studied for the sommelier certification test.

Cork Dork is not only informative but also a delight to read. Bosker describes her adventure from journalist to budding wine expert in a light tone, telling her story as if she were talking to a friend. We learn of her successes and failures in gaining entree into wine's inner circles and her investigation into the science of taste and smell. We meet professional sommeliers, wine snobs, and wine anti-snobs.

Bosker was fascinated by the experts who can blind taste a wine and tell you the grape, vintage, and origin. She met the woman who was instrumental in setting up the wheel of wine flavors (slate, mineral, tobacco, leather, herbs, fruits and so on; see scan at right, click to enlarge) and underwent MRIs to see what happened in her brain when she sipped wine.

I find it a little crazy that there are people out there who regularly spend hundreds of dollars per bottle of wine and buy several expensive wines over the course of single night. These are the restaurant diners sommeliers live for. On the other hand, I was relieved to learn that most sommeliers are happy to help us little people too and will do their best to suggest a decent wine within our much more limited budgets.

Recommendation: Bianca Bosker's Cork Dork will appeal to anyone interested in food-related memoir, wine, or the restaurant / sommelier business. Whether you're a "civilian" who enjoys commercial wine (like me) or are an expert or collector who is always searching for that elusive best wine ever, you'll relate to Bosker's journey from wine drinker to wine connoisseur. As much as I like wine, I can't imagine devoting my life to it, but I liked getting to know the people who do.

Audiobook: I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; 12 hr, 17 min) read by Bosker. I usually shy away from author-read books, so I was pleasantly surprised by Bosker's performance. She was enthusiastic, expressive, and seemed to have a natural sense of pacing. Recommended listen. (Thanks to Penguin Audio for the review copy.)

Note: I'm in a lacemaking workshop all weekend, but will pop on over to read your posts as soon as I can. The wine aroma wheel shown here is in the public domain.

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Wine Isn't Rocket Science by Ophelie Neiman

I love learning about wine, but finding just the right wine book can be daunting. Many books are too dense with much more scholarly information than I'm ready for. Others assume you have tons of money to buy wines, travel the world, and create a cellar.

Here's where Ophelie Neiman's Wine Isn't Rocket Science saves the day. This is a no-nonsense guide for all kinds of wine lovers, from the rank novice to the curious to know more. Want to throw a party? Not sure what kind of glass to use? Wondering about Italian wines? Neiman has you covered.

Best of all, the information is easily absorbed, thanks to Yannis Varoutsikos's colorful and useful graphics (see the scans; click to enlarge). I'm thankful there are few pages dense with prose; the paragraphs are surrounded with fun illustrations, making the guide a joy to read.

Wine Isn't Rocket Science jumps right into the good stuff. No long introduction about the culture of wine drinking and wine lovers. Neiman treats you as if you were her good friend--no snobbery, no over explaining, just good advice right from the get-go. The first chapter, in fact, is all about how to host a party, from picking the glasses and corkscrew to figuring which wines will suit your gathering best.

Other chapters cover tasting, mastering wine vocabulary, learning how wine is grown, and figuring out what is meant by terroir. For the more experienced, Neiman also reveals the secrets of aging wines and building a wine collection. I particularly like the grape descriptions, the tips on how to taste wine, and clues for reading a wine list and wine label.

One cool idea is found in the food pairing chapter. Neiman provides the expected "what wine to drink with this food" information, but then she turns the tables around to suggest "what food to serve with this wine." So if you have a bottle of Pinot Noir, you can see a list of good pairings (try vegetarian soup, cured meats, and fresh tuna); or if you're planning to serve crab, you'll discover that a bright or aromatic white is a safe choice.

Chances are you won't want to sit down and read Wine Isn't Rocket Science all in one afternoon, cover to cover. Instead, it's a book to dip into. Flip through to find the answer to a specific question, such as how to store your opened bottles. Read about a specific wine region, say Portugal, and then spend a few weeks tasting Tempranillos, Arintos, and Vinhaos. After making a reservation for a special celebration, check out the information for ordering wine in restaurants, so you won't be stumped at the table. You'll use Neiman's guide in different ways as your curiosity about and experience with wine increase.

If you're looking for an accessible, easy-to-use book for learning more about wine, I suggest picking up Ophelie Neiman's Wine Isn't Rocket Science. The guide is approachable on so many levels, wine newbies, sophisticated sippers, and average wine lovers (that's me!) will find plenty to discover.

Note on the scans: The scans are used here in the context of a review, and all rights remain with the original copyright holders, including illustrator Yannis Varoutsikos. Note too that the quality of the finished book pages is much better than the quality of my scans.

Published by Black Dog & Leventhal (Hachette Book Group), 2017
ISBN-13: 9780316431309
Source: review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Somm: Into the Bottle (Film)

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

_______

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the movie Jason Wise's Somm, a documentary that followed four men as they attempted to pass the master sommelier exam. In Wise's new film, Somm: Into the Bottle, we learn about wine from a different perspective.

This new documentary is self-described as presenting "10 stories about wine," and so it does, covering topics such as vintage, cost, and points. In each story, we learn to appreciate a different aspect of wine, wine making, and winemakers.

The film takes us to Europe, California, and Australia so we can develop an appreciation for some of the "hundreds of variables" that can affect how the wine is made and what it ultimately tastes like when it's finally poured into a glass.

Here are some of the things I learned:

• Medieval monks fined-tuned wine, perfecting the process and making much better wine than the Romans did.
• Vintages tell the story of the weather.
• Some European vineyards have detailed records dating back several hundred years and some have remained in the same family for dozens of generations.
• The World Wars wreaked havoc on the grape fields of Europe, and soldiers raided wine cellars so some very old vineyards have no wines from before the late 1940s.
• Wines from the New World (meaning everything outside of Europe) are exciting because they are not bound by tradition and by centuries-old laws.
• The cost of wines can reflect the amount of hand-crafting (as opposed to machines) or may just be a factor of reputation and demand.
• Wine is really made to drink, so enjoy it!
• There's a huge divide when it comes to the use of new vs. old oak for aging wine.
• The point system was originally conceived as a way to help consumers, but those numbers are so subjective that some people question their worth.

Fascinating stuff, but some of it was a little superficial. Okay, okay, I get that Somm: Into the Bottle was a documentary, not a wine class, but here are just a few things I wished I had learned:

• So I understand that vintages reflect the weather while the grapes were growing, but in what specific way? How exactly will a dry year or a cold year affect the stuff I pour into my glass?
• Forget new or old oak, why oak in the first place?
• If the point system is unreliable, then where should the novice (like me!) turn?
• Robert Mondavi was indeed important for developing the California wine business, but I would have liked to have seen at least one other significant early winemaker from the region.

I really loved just watching this movie: The images and the cinematography were gorgeous. Somm: Into the Bottle is a beautiful film, from the panoramic shots of wine-growing regions to the dark, dank cellars far under ground. I loved the close-ups and the interesting angles. Plus the enthusiasm of the winemakers, the sommeliers, and others came shining through.

Recommendation? Somm: Into the Bottle is an enjoyable film for anyone who drinks wine or is interested in learning something more about the world of wine. Even if some of the subjects were treated a little superficially, the documentary increased my interest in trying new wines.

Click for more