Artisanal Cocktails
Author: Scott Beatti
Authored by the bar manager at the award-winning Cyrus restaurant, this lush, full-color collection of 50 cocktail recipes uses organic, sustainable produce, handcrafted ingredients, & local artisanal spirits. Recipes take advantage of seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers & spices.
Publishers Weekly
As cocktail culture becomes ever more popular, mixed drinks grow ever more refined and complex. Beattie, barmaster for Cyrus Restaurant in the Sonoma wine country, embraces this trend with 50 recipes that are rich in rare fruits, fresh herbs and dried spices. Pickled hearts of palm and a chili pepper spice up the rum drink called a Hot Indian Date, and edible flowers color several concoctions such as the Sunny and Dry, which calls for black-eyed Susan petals, spearmint leaves, cucumber and gin. Even the mainstay simple syrup gets the treatment. Anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns are blended in to create Chinese five-spice syrup. As the subtitle suggests, the recipes are grouped by season. Theoretically, this is a fine approach, but Beattie is a pure Californian. His view of winter is that it's "gray and rainy" and that California is "blessed with so much wonderful citrus." Such warm-weather mentality perhaps explains why the margarita is a winter drink, the mint julep forgoes Derby Day for summer, and soul-warming options like the Manhattan and hot buttered rum turn up in the spring and fall, respectively. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Christine Holmes - Library Journal
Inspired by Sonoma County's organic farms and local distilleries in northern California, bar manager Beattie confers an innovative flair to classic bar fare in this collection of 50 recipes with gorgeous full-color photos. He also profiles wine country farmers and Bay Area distillers he works with, for a nice touch. In creatively named recipes such as Meyer Beautiful (like "My, you're beautiful"), Beattie conveys his passion and commitment to using seasonal ingredients and top-of-the-line spirits that combine flavors and aesthetics to create mouthwatering concoctions. He does an admirable job explaining his recipes and providing tips and techniques, such as proper pickling ice cube making. Finding Rangpur limes, Charbay Meyer lemon vodka, or edible flowers may prove challenging, but Beattie's recipes will appeal to the adventurous soul who desires to explore a new approach to cocktail making. Recommended for public libraries and specialized collections.
Interesting textbook: Country Living Great Cakes or Afternoon Teas
Real Thai: The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking
Author: Nancie McDermott
Nancie McDermott, widely regarded as the American expert on Thai cooking, offers a clear, straightforward approach to dishes that many Westerners have tasted only in restaurants. In Real Thai, she demystifies once and for all every aspect of this flavorful, healthy cuisine. Organized geographically by region, over 100 tempting, easy-to-follow recipes explore not only dishes that may be familiar to Americans, such as Chicken Coconut Soup and Pork Satay, but also lesser-known local specialties such as Crab Cakes with Cilantro Paste, Fish with Yellow Curry Steamed in Banana Leaves, Sticky Rice with Mangoes, and Son-in-Law Eggs. Including advice on basic utensils and techniques, a glossary of ingredients, a list of shopping sources, and a section of suggested menus, this is the definitive guide for novice and expert alike to the diverse flavors of a regional Asian cuisine that is rapidly becoming an international favorite.
Booknews
McDermott has organized over 100 recipes geographically by region. Includes advice on basic utensils and techniques, a glossary of ingredients, a list of shopping sources, and a section of suggested menus. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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