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Sunday, June 6, 2010

DRINK AND FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH!

100 PERFECT PAIRING; small plates to enjoy with wines you love
(Wiley, 2010, 188 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-44631-7, $16.95 US hard covers)
is by Jill Silverman Hough, a free lance food writer and recipe
developer. This is a collection of some easy-to-make food apps with
wine pairings, about 100 of them arranged by 12 grape varieties. It is
more of a one-way book: it is best to use if you know and love a
particular grape. You can use the index to track down preps by type of
food, such as sandwiches, salads, shellfish, bacon, beans, and the
like. It is meant for everyday wine and food enjoyment. There are the
basic principles of food matching (weight, salt, spices, acid, and
sweetness) plus some fine tuning. Certainly, the book is useful for
those who want just a little food or one course, and just a glass of
wine. Nothing neither formal nor elaborate here, but then that's not
the point of the book. She adds lots of food and tips in sidebars.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements,
but there is no metric table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginners in the kitchen, those looking for
some wine in their food lives.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for sauvignon blanc, she
suggests minted pea bruschetta, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, smoked
trout salad, spinach salad with edamame and pecorino, celery root and
scallion soup, fresh corn with citrus butter (I'd add some chipotle to
this butter), and chicken and endive sandwich.
The downside to this book: she could have spent more time examining the
regional differences of wines and how this affects food tastes. But
then, most Americans drink New World fruity upfront wines anyway.
The upside to this book: a nifty book at a great price.
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
 
 
 
 

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