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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

* DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! -- The Beer Lover's Table by Claire Bullen (Dog 'n' Bone)

 
 
1.THE BEER LOVER'S TABLE: seasonal recipes and modern beer pairings (Dog 'n' Bone, 2019, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-911026-78-5 $19.95 USD hardbound) is by Claire Bullen (London food and beer writer) with Jen Ferguson (craft beer specialist at London's Hop Burns & Black). It's a book meant to be an alternative to wine-food pairing. The authors have 65 seasonal modern recipes that are matched to a range of craft beers. They've divided craft beers into five categories: sours/saisons, lagers, wheat, IPAs, and dark beers. There is a chapter for each, with accompanying food recipes. Bitters, of course, have been accounted for. So right away, we leave behind about 90% of the world's beer: the commercially light Buds, Coors, Euro equivalents, etc. Now of course it makes more sense. The hoppy, malted, spicy, bitters of IPA-styles really kick in with pungent foods such as mushroom pasta, aged cheeses, cured salami, gamey lamb (and game in general). The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes (an not imperial volumes), or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: beer lovers, those wanting different alcohol with food.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for IPAs – nectarine panzanella salad with croutons; fried avocado wedges; dal with fried onions and lime cream; heirloom tomato and whipped goat's cheese galettes; fusilli with chanterelle cream sauce; Indian-spiced fried chicken; peach upside-down cake with miso caramel.
The downside to this book: needs metric conversion charts,
The upside to this book: great recipe ideas for a gastro-pub, and really fine photography.
Quality/Price Rating: 92.
 

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