Where To Buy The Gourmet's Guide to Cooking with Beer: How to Use Beer to Take Simple Recipes from Ordinary to Extraordinary

i've tried several of the dishes and find them to be inventive and very good. it's amazing all the things you can do with beer. the beer cooks out of many of the dishes so it's totally okay for kids to eat as well. enjoyGet more detail about The Gourmet's Guide to Cooking with Beer: How to Use Beer to Take Simple Recipes from Ordinary to Extraordinary.

Shop For Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification: How Collecting Fine Wines Can Yield Greater Returns Than Stocks and Bonds

According to Professor Mahesh Kumar, and his dense Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification, people who invest in wine don't all have butlers for alarm clocks. They don't all have different homes for different moods.

It's true that some wines have Bentley price tags. A few years ago, three bottles claiming to be the past property of Thomas Jefferson (the handwritten "Thom. J." on the label giving it the seal of authenticity) was auctioned off to a Florida millionaire for 500K. Their actual provenance is being determined in a NY court as I write. These sorts naturally get the headlines. So we, those who've never raised a paddle to a rapidly appreciating Monet, naturally think the whole indulgent scene is the domain of the moneyed set.

But ask Kumar and he'll tell you that people who invest in wine don't all have their phone numbers on congressional speed dials, and after reading his book, the parts that I could grasp, parts not requiring an advanced math degree, it not only makes sense, it exposes bagging six-figure bottles as merely big-game hunting.

By not assuming as a starting point the profitability of wine, Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification is unique to the small population of wine investment books, like Sokolin's1987 Liquid Assets, and the new Keys to the Cellar (interesting but superficial buying and cellaring guides). Kumar first presents the arguments against wine investment (and there are plenty of these). Point-by-point he unravels them, with his Fine Wine 50 Index, a collection of a dozen blue-chip Bordeaux (the household names like Lafite, and Petrus) which, over a 21-year period, holds steady with the Dow and beat the FTSE 100 by several percentage points. This alone wouldn't make for much celebration, but taken in step with Kumar's assertion that wine prices aren't influenced by the same sort risk that affect stocks and bonds (recession, inflation, etc.), and are far less volatile, which makes fine wine "and other alternative investments" ideal diversifiers--for as much as a $50,000 per-year earner puts in his 401-K annually. That of course means he's not suggesting holding fine wine as a single asset class, but held as part of portfolio of tradition equities. Kumar also diagrams "relative value analysis." He says it's a "simple and effective indicator of which wines and vintages are under-or over-valued" that "maximizes returns by minimizing overexposure to specific labels." Seems useful enough. But simple? I couldn't tell you. Overexposure to six-inch-long math equations make my eyeballs vibrate.

Thus afflicted, the second half of the book was impenetrable. Kumar is after all a professor of finance. But it does purport to have in it calculations (like "relative value analysis") to help insure prudent purchasing, so I suggest gifting it to your financial advisor. Include a bottle to make it well rounded.

The first half was surprisingly fascinating; not what I was expecting from my experience with other wine investment/buying guides. Kumar unpacks how the alternative investment market interacts with the wider financial world--a brief education in economic and financial philosophy, and the kind of primer that engages the imagination.

The front matter includes an introduction by the iconic Michael Broadbent, a wonderful retrospective of Christie's (the British auction house for which he's director of wine) dealing in the old wine trade; and an interesting short preface by the publisher which attempts to come to terms with the "general anti-wine-investor vehemence" of wine critics.



Get more detail about Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification: How Collecting Fine Wines Can Yield Greater Returns Than Stocks and Bonds.

Oz Clarke's Introducing Wine: A Complete Guide for the Modern Wine Drinker

This book was a gift to me from my wife. We drink a lot of wine, and neither of us know much at all about the stuff. Even so, at first glance I didn't think I was going to like the book. It seemed too simple, too basic, too cutesy. Clarke is fond of sweeping generalizations, and his writing style is like an enthusiastic public school boy describing his favorite pudding ("loads of flavor!"). But I must say, I think it's a great book. I use it all the time as a reference. He covers all the basic questions I've had about the production of wines, the different varieties, etc. Sometimes, I'm amazed by what I find in here. After visiting France, we decided we like the dry roses they drink there in the south (great in summer), and started buying them here. We found pretty much everything we tried to be good, until we had a bottle of Rose D'Anjou, which we hated. Looked it up in Clarke and he had singled it out as "one to avoid." Anyway, I'm sure there are other excellent books out there on wine, but I felt moved to write this review for the simple reason that Oz Clarke has been a reliable source of information for me for over four years now. Plus, the style is unintimidating. The guy just likes drinking wine, and he wants you to feel that way too.Get more detail about Oz Clarke's Introducing Wine: A Complete Guide for the Modern Wine Drinker.

Angostura Bitters Drink Guide 1908 Reprint: A Little Tiny Bar Book Made Big Review

Great recipes of what drinks to use bitters in. Also, has plenty of drink recipes that do not include other liquors in them.Get more detail about Angostura Bitters Drink Guide 1908 Reprint: A Little Tiny Bar Book Made Big.

A Sip Through Time: A Collection Of Old Brewing Recipes Top Quality

Cindy Renfrow has compiled a thorough presentation of period and somewhat out of period recipies for brewers of medieval beverages. She does a great job referencing each recipe and includes a helpful glossary of terms, as well as a lengthy list of herbs and fruits found in those recipes. If you are a mead maker, this is a great reference book to have in your library. I highly recommend this for brewers in the SCA or other reenactors of this time period. Get more detail about A Sip Through Time: A Collection Of Old Brewing Recipes.

Standards of Brewing: Formulas for Consistency and Excellence This instant

For beginners only! The content is written for someone who doesn't have any background with quality control in an industrial setting. Basically one course in statistics and food chemistry will greatly exceed the knowledge presented in this book. The information that is presented is clear and well written, but lacking in depth or actual applicability. I was disappointed in the amount of applicable equations, tables and data, especially based on the title of the book and the academic background/experience of the author. The 200 pages are a result of a very small book size. This book wasn't worth the price. Get more detail about Standards of Brewing: Formulas for Consistency and Excellence.

The WORLD OF JEWISH COOKING: More Than 500 Traditional Recipes from Alsace to Yemen Immediately

This book is great. I'm relatively new to cooking and always thought that stuffed cabbage was something fancy that only grandmothers could make. The book gave clear instructions and helped me to make a delicious stuffed cabbage dinner. I also recommend the Tsimmes.

The book doesn't revolve around holidays and instead focuses on incorporating food from Jews all over the world and at different points in history. In addition to the recipes, it includes jewish history and how it relates to the recipes presented. Get more detail about The WORLD OF JEWISH COOKING: More Than 500 Traditional Recipes from Alsace to Yemen.

Wine from Grape to Glass Best Quality

Alot of old and traditional techniques in this book. Came very vast in the mail. faster then all the other students in my class who orderd from a book store.Get more detail about Wine from Grape to Glass.

I'll Drink to That: Beaujolais and the French Peasant Who Made It the World's Most Popular Wine Buy Now

This is a very well written book about the history of beaujolais wine country in France, the peasants who planted the gamay grapes and the man who made the wine famous throughout the world, Georges Dubouef. Highly recommend this book, and the Beaujolais wine.Get more detail about I'll Drink to That: Beaujolais and the French Peasant Who Made It the World's Most Popular Wine.

Field Guide to Cocktails: How to Identify and Prepare Virtually Every Mixed Drink at the Bar Order Now

First, I heartily agree with the prior positive reviews. As a former bartender myself, when my daughter found herself assigned as a bartender at her catering company I wanted her to have a handy reference guide. This book does a great job filling the bill. In my opinion, the best thing about this book is that it is organized alphabetically by drink names. Many other bartending/mixology books make the mistake of organizing by ingredients (e.g. Vodka Drinks, Bourbon Drinks, Gin Drinks, etc.). As my daughter pointed out, if you don't know what's IN the drink, how can you look up the recipe? If someone orders a Manhattan and you don't have the faintest idea what the ingredients are, how would you look it up in those books organized by ingredients? In this book, you simply look up "Manhattan." And I very much agree with those who have praised the historical notes on origins of the various drinks. These informational tidbits add to the enjoyment of creating the cocktail. Today, so many young bartenders assume you need a blender to make a Daiquiri or that if you add chocolate syrup, cherries and whipped cream to vodka and vermouth that it's still a called a Martini. This book not only provides instructions on how to make drinks, it also educates the reader on what MAKES a particular concoction the drink that it is. Example: "The Manhattan" - made with Rye whiskey....make it with Scotch and it becomes a "Rob Roy." If you're making a Martini and you substitute a cocktail onion for the olive, the "Martini" becomes a "Gibson." In summary, this book is all you'll ever need to meet the vast majority of cocktail orders that may come your way. Oh, and my daughter says the many color pictures of drinks are "way helpful." Get more detail about Field Guide to Cocktails: How to Identify and Prepare Virtually Every Mixed Drink at the Bar.

Peterson's Holiday Helper: Festive Pick-Me-Ups, Calm-Me-Downs, and Handy Hints to Keep You in Good Spirits Right now

Peterson's Holiday Helper is the perfect hostess gift, an essential bar guide, a resource of remedies for whatever ails you over the holiday season, and a really good read. Peterson's sense of humor about the season of good cheer lifts the spirits almost as much as her tonics. And if I didn't know better, I would swear my mother gave Ms. Peterson pictures from our own holiday albums. Someone who could be my great-grandmother's twin is holding down the table of contents with her elbow while raising a glass to her lips. The nostalgic memeories it makes spring to mind are precious. You've really got to get this book.

Lucy Adams author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't FunnyGet more detail about Peterson's Holiday Helper: Festive Pick-Me-Ups, Calm-Me-Downs, and Handy Hints to Keep You in Good Spirits.

Lowest Price Kentucky Bourbon: The Early Years of Whiskeymaking

Duplicate information from now out of print works...but excellent historical accounts of the Bourbon story.

Best read with a glass of 12 year old KY Bourbon!

My recommendations:

1 - Woodford Reserve
2 - Four Roses Small BatchGet more detail about Kentucky Bourbon: The Early Years of Whiskeymaking.

Save Building Homebrew Equipment: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-186 (A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin)

This guide was pretty good, with simple illustrations and brief overviews of how to build equipment for brewing.
I purchased Brew Ware a week later and found it had the same projects plus about 40 others, including hop growing and it was only $6 more. I wish I had bought the latter one from the beginning and save some cash.Get more detail about Building Homebrew Equipment: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-186 (A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin).

Discount The Art and Science of Wine

Two industry heavyweights spell out how great wine is made, keying on the critical decisions - and their ramifications - made at every step. The specific how's and why's of grape growing: fertilizing, canopy management, crop thinning, soil types, climate differences, etc., and then on to winemaking: sulfur additions, cold soaking, fermetation vessels and temperatures, extended maceration, aging, racking, filtering, etc., right up to and including bottling, and how each decision affects the final product. The differences in growing/making light vs. full bodied whites, reds, sparklers and dessert wines. Excellent sections on the use of oak, wine faults and more. Good stuff. Read it. Get more detail about The Art and Science of Wine.