Best Beer
Pub crawl your way through the sacred seasons with this entertaining and useful collection of cocktail recipes, distilled spirits, beer, and wine for virtually every occasion on the Catholic liturgical calendar. Michael Foley offers the faithful drinker witty and imaginative instruction on the appropriate libations for the seasons, feasts, and saints' days of the Church year.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The author's humor and obvious love of the Catholic tradition combine to make a genuine guide (and excuse) to celebrate the faith year round and do it in just the right way."
"It's a very large book and it looks nice sitting on the table."
"Bought this for friends who thought it was a very clever book."
"Humorous."
"But not before I order 3 more copies :-) ... excellent gift ... beautifully bound with everything from saint history to cocktail know-how tips and tricks."
"Funny book, but also had real history."
"I am having fun reading about various saints and getting into mixing my own drinks for dinner parties."
"We love this book for many reasons."
Whether you want simple, sure-fire instructions for making your first beer, or you're a seasoned homebrewer working with all-grain batches, this book has something for you. From ingredients and methods to recipes and equipment for brewing beer at home, How to Brew is loaded with valuable information on brewing techniques and recipe formulation. Five new chapters covering malting and brewing, strong beers, fruit beers, sour beers, and adjusting water for style. John Palmer's clear and approachable style when writing on the theory and technique of brewing is as simple or complex as you desire. It will give you the confidence to quickly fire off your first batch, and provide comprehensive insights for when you are well into your brewing journey. (John Mallett, Director of Operations, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. and author of Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse). Not only is How to Brew one of the most critical and comprehensive DIY homebrewing books available today, I have even seen it on the bookshelves at many great craft breweries. In the 30-plus years since the American craft beer revolution got its start, countless brewing books have appeared. As the former owner of a homebrew supply store myself, I appreciate John's focus on how to avoid some common pitfalls that many aspiring brewers stumble over with his wise emphasis on “the top five priorities.” From the basics (equipment and raw materials), to the critical (cleanliness), to the fun part (making your own beer recipes), this book covers the brewing process from start to finish. This new edition offers more information with an updated layout and expanded table of contents, which make it even easier to use. John Palmer has established himself not only as an authoritative homebrewing author and teacher, but also as a valued contributor and instructor in the professional brewing world. For nearly 20 years now, Palmer has continued to revise and expand this text, improving it for the beginner and extending it so that, once you start, you don't have to leave to look for another resource to carry you past the basics.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"John Palmer's book is a quintessential addition to any brewer's library."
"'Tis the "Bible of Brew", even the pros at our local craft brewery know it."
"A lot of information which will be very helpful when we start brewing!"
"Well written book."
"Once you do start, the sky is the limit and you'll find this book very interesting."
"Great book!"
"I learned more from this book that I ever knew about brewing and apply John's techniques at every brew."
"This book has made me a better home brewer."
Divided into four major families—ales, lagers, wheat beers, and sour and wild ales— The Beer Bible covers everything a beer drinker wants to know about the hundreds of types of beers made, from bitters, sessions, and IPAs to weisses, wits, lambics, and more. Never in the long history of drinking have beer lovers had it so good, with a brewing renaissance happening around the globe. And never before have beer lovers who also have a thirst for knowledge had it so good--The Beer Bible is a lively, comprehensive, authoritative, and purely fun-to-read guide to beer in all its glory. The Beer Bible celebrates the pleasure of discovery, for readers new to beer, and the pleasure of connoisseurship, for old hands ever eager for more information.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Finally someone has claimed Michael Jackson's title as the world's finest beer writer."
"It is a tour de force - a sweeping overview of the world of beer as well as an intimate portrait of brewing process and the brewers themselves."
"The amount of information about beer packed into this book is unreal."
"On Amazon there are books called The Freelancer’s Bible, The Screenwriter’s Bible, the Medical Marijuana Grower’s Bible, the Colored Pencil Painting Bible—there’s even a book called the LSAT Logic Games Bible, which is a stretch even by LSAT standards. And now Jeff Alworth has given us The Beer Bible. Alworth is a beer writer and author of The Beer Tasting Toolkit and Cider Made Simple, and he has his own blog, Beervana. The Beer Bible is organized into major categories that can be read apart from the rest of the book: ales, wheat beers, lagers, and tarts and wild ales. But beer is different. Here’s an example of his storytelling that allows access into the complexities of the beer world: If you were to devise a product equally as attractive to beer geeks as oenophiles, it would look a great deal like the “Burgundies of Belgium”…Once there were dozens of these regional specialties and it made sense to differentiate between schools known as Flemish red and brown beers. Add to that a section called “Knowing Beer” and a section called “Enjoying Beer,” and The Beer Bible justifies its name."
"Purchased as a gift for my brother."
"But I understand why that approach works with modern readers who typically have short attention spans and are easily distracted."
"Its a great read for someone just getting into beer or if you've been a beer drinker for years and are looking to expand your knowledge."
"It breaks down all the different kinds and styles of brews and gives detailed characteristics of each style."
Best Christian Saints
Pub crawl your way through the sacred seasons with this entertaining and useful collection of cocktail recipes, distilled spirits, beer, and wine for virtually every occasion on the Catholic liturgical calendar. Michael Foley offers the faithful drinker witty and imaginative instruction on the appropriate libations for the seasons, feasts, and saints' days of the Church year.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The author's humor and obvious love of the Catholic tradition combine to make a genuine guide (and excuse) to celebrate the faith year round and do it in just the right way."
"It's a very large book and it looks nice sitting on the table."
"Bought this for friends who thought it was a very clever book."
"Humorous."
"But not before I order 3 more copies :-) ... excellent gift ... beautifully bound with everything from saint history to cocktail know-how tips and tricks."
"Funny book, but also had real history."
"I am having fun reading about various saints and getting into mixing my own drinks for dinner parties."
"We love this book for many reasons."
Best Thai Cooking, Food & Wine
In this much-anticipated debut cookbook, Ricker shares seventy of the most popular recipes from Thailand and his Pok Pok restaurants—ranging from Khao Soi Kai (Northern Thai curry noodle soup with chicken) to Som Tam Thai (Central Thai–style papaya salad) to Pok Pok’s now-classic (and obsessed-over) Fish-Sauce Wings. Sounding like a gourmand Allen Ginsberg, he writes, “I’ve spent the better part of the last twenty years roaming around Thailand, cooking and recooking strange soups, beseeching street vendors for stir-fry tips, and trying to figure out how to reproduce obscure Thai products with American ingredients.” He spills out his acquired knowledge here across 13 chapters and nearly 100 recipes.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"2) Thai Style Pork Ribs – p 128 with Jaew (spicy, tart dipping sauce) – p 278. He talks about indirect heat using zones on a big grill or the oven. He doesn’t mention a kamado style grill, so if you’ve got an egg shaped grill, to do low heat slow gilling or smoking, you just need a heat deflector. I tossed a chunk of hickory in mine to exaggerate the smoky taste he talks about. The peanut sauce gave my molcajete and right arm a nice workout. Some others I have flagged to try: Grilled Eggplant Salad – p 59 * Isaan Steak Salad – p 68 * Grilled Pork Neck (or shoulder) with Spicy Dipping Sauce and Iced Greens – p 125 * Northern Thai Style Herbal Sausage – p 132 * Stir Fried Noodles with Shrimp, Tofu, and Peanuts – p 221 * Thai Rice Noodles with Northern Thai Curry – p 235 * Sticky Rice with Mango and Salty Sweet Coconut Cream – p 257. I’ll update this as I play in the book more."
"Received as a gift but have eaten at the restaurant several times. We have made 10-12 recipes from the book in just over 2 weeks and have loved all but one recipe and that one was eaten but won't be made again."
"I've been to the restaurant, and Pok Pok has some of the best Thai-fusion food I have ever had."
"Our favorite dish is the green curry and Som Tom or shredded green papaya salad with shrimp."
"If you have ever been to Pok Pok in Portland, you know how delicious the food is!"
"As someone with multiple trips to Thailand and who has been working on duplicating Thai cuisine in the US for 20 years, this book made me want to be in northern or northeastern Thailand so badly."
Best 90-Minute Cookbook, Food & Wine Short Reads
Cooking with Sous Vide is a perfect example of a scientific cooking method and you will become a kitchen hero in no time with this Sous Vide cookbook. Can you imagine the ones you really love joining you at the table celebrating each other’s company with a meal being a pure delight and a benefit for your body?
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My husband bought me a sous vide immersion cooker for Christmas, and this is a cooking method that I have no experience with. What I especially like about this book is that it has a chart for time and temperature for a number of different foods so that you can use the cooker without following a specific recipe."
"It was a gift which was well received, have my husband the cooker and cookbook he loves them both."
"Has good information but not as many recipes as I would hope."
"If you want to learn all about the techniques of sous vide cooking and if you want your food to taste amazing, then you should really read Samanta Klein's book."
"Sous Vide cooking is like opening a door into another culinary world and Samanthas exciting recipes e.g Portobello Veal, Brussel Sprouts in white wine (which I making today) and Rosemary squid are mouthwatering."
"This book is an absolute necessity read."
"I would not call this a complete sous vide cookbook."
"I did not see one recipe I wanted to make or found helpful."
Best Coffee & Tea
The book also includes information on the many health benefits of kombucha, fascinating details of the drink’s history, and recipes for delicious foods and drinks you can make with kombucha (including some irresistible cocktails! “Deep-rooted insight into the history, science, and how-to of this ancient brew ... a critical addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in good food.”. — Jennifer McGruther, author of The Nourished Kitchen. “On top of walking you through the kombucha fermentation process, The Big Book also includes a whopping 286 flavor combinations along with the history of the drink, information on health benefits, and much more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is a good book in particular for those new to brewing and contains everything from the history of this delicious elixir, to brewing ingredients, tips, flavoring and using your Kombucha in cooking. In the past I have found the many books go too far one way -such as things to use your Kombucha in, or the other way -very basic tips, and do not strike the happy medium that allows the book to be an all around guide. The tea guide was also very detailed and useful -talking about types of blends you should and should not use, and acceptable quantities before they become too much for the balanced of the Kombucha, The sugar guide was equally as useful; as was the equipment guide, as I now know I should not have used that cheesecloth as a cover when in a pinch (allows contaminates to get in your brew). For me the advanced guide was so helpful -how to flavor, as we are currently experimenting with secondary fermentation using cascade hobs, and carbonation, as striking that right balance has been an admitted challenge; and other books have simply not been detailed enough, leaving me having to turn to good old Google -this book solves that! The remainder of this book is a guide to flavors one could experiment with, drinks one can use this in -such as cocktails and shrubs -both of which are hands down amazing with the addition of Kombucha! The book ends with more of the Kombucha story; but most usefully a very detailed guide to components of Kombucha, specific health concerns and how the consumption of Kombucha might help; further reading guides and a brew log, which is very useful for new brewers."
"This big (383 page), bold and beautiful book is full of a wealth of first-hand information on all aspects of Kombucha that Hannah and her partner Alex LaGory have curated over their years of involvement with the Kombucha sub-culture. From the history and science of Kombucha to straightforward guidelines on the many aspects of brewing, decanting and flavoring this healthful fermented tea, Hannah and Alex cram an awful lot of really useful information into this book."
"One thing missing from the book is best place to buy it, I found it though. First flavors I did were strawberry lemonade, blueberry lemonade and cherry lemonade."
"I read another review that had my exact mindset when I started brewing my own kombucha: There's plenty of information on the internet, why do I need a book?"
"My kombucha was pretty scary looking, scary enough that I could see other buyers thinking it was covered in mold, but after looking at the pictures in this book, I was able to figure out my kombucha was very yeasty and figure out it was probably due to using too many tea bags when brewing."
Best Wine & Spirits
Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"Wine Folly does not only provide data about several kinds of wines but also explanes the art of wine tasting and evaluation."
"It talks about how to taste wine how to “eye” the wine, how to compare it, and, really breaks down the wine experience for anybody who aspires to be a wine connoisseur."
"VERY NICE coffee table book !"
"Great book and I've learned a lot about wines so far."
"This wine book is phenomenal!"
"Having the book in hand now allows me to provide visuals for every aspect of wine discussion."
"Perfect if you need a basic overview of wine."
Best Juices & Smoothies
In her new book, Green Smoothies for Life , the highly anticipated follow up to the #1 New York Times bestseller 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse , Smith presents a way that green smoothies can be incorporated into your daily regimen. She is a nutritionist and certified weight-loss expert who has been featured on The Steve Harvey Show , The Montel Williams Show , and The Jamie Foxx Show and on the NBC, FOX, and CW Network, as well as in the pages of Glamour , Essence , and Ladies Home Journal .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I then segued into this book--30 day Green Smoothies for Life and pretty much followed it to the letter. The 10 day book is meant to cleanse/detox--to rid your body of all the gunk, the junk, the cravings and be a re-setting of a new way of eating--for life! The 40 days gave me time to assess how my body felt without eating the bad stuff and the difference and changes I began to experience with consuming only the good stuff. As I approach the last few days of the 30 day book, I am looking forward to adopting one green smoothie as a meal replacement per day indefinitely."
"Great information on how to live and lead a sustainable, healthy lifestyle provided in a concise format."
"This book works lost 8 lbs in 4 days but i got lazy after and ate."
"East to follow and GREAT recipes."
Best Cocktails & Mixed Drinks
Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"and to also have discovered your terrific blog, Wine Folly."
"This guide is beautiful, simple to use, and immediately gets you drinking and analyzing wine."
"Great info-graphics to describe a fun topic."
"This book is fantastic for the average wine enthusiast like me."
"Plenty of basic information with pictures and diagrams."
"The author's enthusiasm for wine is infectious and she has a true talent for sharing her knowledge."
"And I love the details... a good Glossary and Index, vintage suggestions,, regional differences and common styles, great tasting profile graphics, food pairings... Lots of info in a 9x7 softcover!"
Best Homebrewing, Distilling & Wine Making
Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"and to also have discovered your terrific blog, Wine Folly."
"This guide is beautiful, simple to use, and immediately gets you drinking and analyzing wine."
"Great info-graphics to describe a fun topic."
"This book is fantastic for the average wine enthusiast like me."
"Plenty of basic information with pictures and diagrams."
"The author's enthusiasm for wine is infectious and she has a true talent for sharing her knowledge."
"And I love the details... a good Glossary and Index, vintage suggestions,, regional differences and common styles, great tasting profile graphics, food pairings... Lots of info in a 9x7 softcover!"