4 comments about Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology.

1. If you have been a subscriber to the Bonny Doon newsletter, you're familiar with Randall Grahm's over the top punnery for wine geeks. Only Mr. Grahm would pen a satire titled "Reductio ad Sulfatum, or A Penny for Your Thoughts," riffing on reductive winemaking and replete with footnotes like this: "The use of copper sulfate (the active ingredient in Tidy Bowl) is the most common treatment for persistent reductive aromas in wines. In biodynamic practice, this highly effective treatment is, alas, strictly forbidden."
   
   There is an entire chapter of verse entitled "Posey Galore," which includes such masterworks as "Howlbarino," by "Alain Gainesberger" and the lyrics to "Monster Grenache," to be sung to the tune of "The Monster Mash." I mean, where else would you find a line like "The guests included Henri Bone-eau, Michel Cryptoutier, Marcel Gui-goul and his fils"?
   
   Like I said, you've got to be a particularly peculiar sort of wine geek to get off on Grahm's shtick -- but if a parody entitled "'B' by Thomas Puncheon" sounds intriguing, this is your book.
   
   Incidentally, "Been Doon So Long" recently received a James Beard Award. Sounds like the book was right up their alley.



2. Like a captivating wine, Been Doon So Long is a book that encourages one to read, reflect, and then read again. And like any great cellar, this is a book that offers a variety of writings from various periods of Grahm's life as a winemaker, enabling the reader to be selective as to what is ultimately consumed. I approached Grahm's book with the initial impulse to consume it cover-to-cover, only to find myself reading and returning to various sections of the book that resonated most with me.
   
   Of particular interest were the pieces organized under the section, "Earnest Speeches and Sober Essays". Here, I discovered insights into the true meaning of terroir; how we Americans suffer from an immature wine culture; the merits of originality and minerality; and most importantly, how wine reaches deep into our states of mind, body, and soul. Grahm's writings, especially the essay, "A Meditation on Terroir: The Return", helped connect the dots for me, providing the context my consciousness needed to better understand and appreciate wine in a more profound and meaningful way.
   
   Besides connecting dots, Grahm's candid reflections on his multi-decade journey crafting and marketing wine helped me better understand the person behind the Bonny Doon labels. Until reading this book, my impression of Grahm was primarily that of an innovative (lest we forget witty) marketer as well as an astute businessman, with the additional thought that he had the wherewithal of making decent wine at scale.
   
   I had no frame of reference on his soul, nor did I understand the transformation that was occurring in Grahm as a winemaker thru the 90's and into the next decade, when he decided to part ways with the larger parts of his business and focus solely on a few select vins de terroir. I found it interesting to read Grahm's narrative of his journey while reflecting on my own experience with wine. In a very compelling way, Been Doon So Long helped me understand what was driving my palate's thirst for vins de terroir.
   
   As a result of reading Been Doon So Long, a door has been opened and a new path discovered that will alter the wines I seek, collect, and open at my table in the months ahead.



3. Randall Grahm is the owner and Winemaker of Bonny Doon Vineyard. Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon are nearly synonymous, so inextricably are the two linked for wine lovers. Randall Grahm became well known as one of the pioneers of Rhone varietal wines in California (Cinsault, Grenache, Mouvedre, Marsanne, Roussane, Viognier), and was at least equally well known for his mold breakingly unique wine labels (Chuck House, Ralph Steadman). Grahm found additional substantial success with relatively obscure Italian varietals.
   
   Fortunately for anyone who loves wine, literature, and wine literature, Randall Grahm is also famous for his marketing prowess, which included his writings in a Bonny Doon Newsletter. While the Bonny Doon Newsletter was intended to aid the mercantile, to promote and sell the wine, the Newsletter became more ambitious, educating and sharing Grahm's point of view.
   
   Randall Grahm's writings for the Newsletter were not limited to mere articles alone, or pre-blog blog entries in print medium; they included brilliantly executed parodies of notable literary works including Don Quixote, Catcher in the Rye, and A Clockwork Orange. Couched inside of each parody, Grahm commented on notions Doon-ian, and often poked fun and sometimes derision at a host of subjects enological or viticultural satirically. Grahm also parodied literary poets like Ginsberg in poesy, and popular song lyrics - including Have a Cigar from Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.
   
   Been Doon So Long is a collection of these writings from the newsletter, as well as articles, speeches and essays. Sure to please his many fans, and educate a legion of new ones, Randall Grahm has also written a wonderful review on the history of his many wine labels.
   
   The quality of literary playfulness, genius, makes this work of literary parody a great literary work in its own right.
   
   In the book's center, at its core, is the book's masterwork, a parody of Dante's Divine Comedy. In Da Vino Commedia: The Vinferno, over nearly 60 pages with beautiful illustrations by Alex Gross, Grahm tells the tale of being taken "doon" through the nine circles of wine hell. After pointing out the sins of the industry in fullness, Grahm writes of being made to face his own sins and a desire to save himself from mortal zin, um sin.
   
   As Grahm has grown older, he has grown wiser, and Grahm has reconsidered his priorities. A young daughter Amelie and a health scare have caused Grahm to focus his energy; his spiritual path has seen him divest himself of over 2/3rds of his labels and decrease his case production to less than 10% of Doon's previous output. He writes with passion about wanting to make honest wines that represent the place they come from, that have Terroir.
   
   In an effort to achieve his goal of producing wines with Terroir, Randall Grahm is moving his wine operations from Santa Cruz to San Juan Bautista to grow grapes in the limestone rich soil, perhaps from seed, without irrigation or trellising, dry farmed and head grown; he wants to make Rhone and Italian varietals , wild and profoundly original, complex and emotionally resonant of the land itself.
   
   In addition to Randall Grahm's passionate views on Terroir, Grahm opines on the superiority of a screw cap to a cork as a bottle closure, the general banality of California Chardonnay, the adult theme park that is the Napa Valley with its focus on lifestyle instead of life, and his abhorrence of point scores for wine (they are fixed, reductionist while wine is living, ever changing).
   
   Randall Grahm's incredible grasp of the esoteric, his depth of wine knowledge, his passion for grape growing, his literary bent, and sheer talent brought together in Been Doon So Long caused me to feel unadulterated awe as I read his words, to shake my head in admiration (and a touch of NV) at his writing skill. More than once, reading in a public place, as I came upon a particularly naughty passage, I burst out in laughter causing those around me to seek the cause.
   
   Randall Grahm fights the fights, going against the grain, doing things the hard way, in an effort to make something special. I have always loved that he makes un-boring wines. Doing things Grahm's way has meant having to write messages on an inflatable pig - or the Doonian equivalent. Newsletters, Radio, interviews, meet the winemaker dinners, anything and everything in service of educating a public unfamiliar with Bonny Doon's unfamiliar wines. I like wine with a message. Grahm's wines are message laden beverages - communicating unusual varietals, unique techniques used to produce them, visually artistic labels, and the wealth of information printed on them ; similarly his book is filled with messages, sometimes stuffed into satire, and further wrapped in the cloak of parody, or song, or poesy. Delectable, complex, textured, dense and filling.
   
   Been Doon So Long, A Randall Grahm Vinthology is not Wine For Dummies; but if you have someone in your life who loves wine or literature, or in a perfect world loves both, this book would make an incredible gift that will be appreciated greatly.
   
   I read over 100 wine books while working as a wine seller and marketer, while working for wine book publisher the Wine Appreciation Guild, and as a consumer and lover of wine. Simply put; I have never enjoyed a book on wine as much as I enjoyed Randall Grahm's Been Doon So Long.



4. I will start by saying Bonny Doon wine, and brand, was one of the reasons I became so interested in wine. Randall is a hell of a marketing man and his wines at one time were quite good. Old Telegraham was one of my favorites. Those days seem to be over with Randall selling most of the brand and buying property in San Juan Bautista to grow Rhone varietals. Anyway the first third of this book is Randall explaining how he and his cohorts came up with the ideas for their labels with the lower third of a lot of the pages containing digressions in smaller print. That's annoying. The second third of the book is simply the reprinting of newsletters he would send to to people on his mailing list. These for me were written in a style and vernacular that I simply couldn't comprehend. Also annoying. I did not make it to the last third of the book. If you are looking for the history of the Bonny Doon Winery this is not it. If it weren't for the fantastic artwork throughout I would have rated this two stars. As I write this review I realize Been Doon So Long fits perfectly into Randall's grand scheme (I mean that in the best way) of marketing.

3 comments about The Stinking Rose Restaurant Cookbook.

1. LOVE the restaurant, and the cookbook is a great extension of some of the great recipes they share! I slow-roasted a roast this weekend and the aromas in my house were unbelieveable.......the cheese fondue recipe is fabulous!!



2. Awsome book! Some restaurant history and some excellent recipies from their menu. A must have for any garlic enthusiast.



3. Book is awesome, I love the restaurant and that place is a must visit. For the most part has every recipe you could have seen on the menu.

5 comments about the girl & the fig cookbook: More than 100 Recipes from the Acclaimed California Wine Country Restaurant.

1. As a local who lives and works within two blocks of the girl & the fig restaurant, I admit to being biased, but I just have to correct the previous reviewer: the girl & the fig restaurant is not and has never been a chain! There's only one restaurant, and it's my favorite place to take visitors who want to experience authentic Sonoma Valley cuisine at its very yummiest and most inspiring. The cookbook is a delicious introduction to the area for foodies who are still planning their first visit ... and a great way to keep the experience alive for those who can't wait to come back. I highly recommend it.



2. My first experience with Girl and the Fig was it's first home in Glenn Ellen, CA. which is still there. The restaurant quickly became a favorite. The newer restaurant in the town of Sonoma, also excellent, has a wonderful bar. Great place to join friends for a glass of wine from their excellent wine list or enjoy one of the best martinis. They have also opened a restaurant in Petaluma, CA.
   I am delighted that they have finally come out with this wonderful cook book. It represents the best of the Girl and the Fig's cuisine. I love to cook and I am thrilled to have this cook book in my collection.



3. I purchased this for a Christmas present and she loved it! There are some recipes that are a little too fancy for my taste, but otherwise this book includes great recipes to serve with individual wines.



4. For me, this book was a fun and very usable introduction to a new world of foods...and the Rhone-style wines that go with them.
   
   I admit it: I'd rather go to Sonoma than to Napa. And when I do go to Sonoma, I always try to visit the author's restaurant, The Girl and The Fig, located on the corner of the Town Square. When I can't be there, I love using the book at home to remind me of being there.
   
   I like this book a lot and use it about once a month.



5. I own and have cooked from countless cookbooks so my expectations are very high and this book delivered on them in spades. It includes more than 100 recipes from The Girl & the Fig restaurant and all strike a perfect balance of being refined and elegant with being appropriate for preparing in the home. You also don't have to visit The Girl & the Fig to appreciate it. I've never been and I still love these recipes.
   
   What makes this book a five star cookbook for me is that all of the recipes are very unique. I didn't feel like I was reading a collection of recipes I've seen elsewhere. Best of all, they turn out flawlessly. Of everything I have made so far my favorites are The Chicken Liver Mousse and Biscones. The latter has become my go-to recipe whenever I want to serve something like a berry shortcake. It was also the first recipe for a scone/biscuit recipe I've made that called for chopped hardboiled egg. I was also impressed with the mousse because although it was time consuming it wasn't challenging to make. It didn't really require any specialized skills.
   
   I think this book would be most appreciated by someone who likes refined flavors, isn't afraid to try more unusual or less mainstream ingredients (i.e. chicken livers), and who doesn't mind spending a little time in the kitchen. Most of the recipes have taken me well over 30 minutes and often have long ingredient lists. However, if neither of these things bother you the results are worth it. All the dishes are restaurant quality so you feel like you're getting a classy meal in the comfort of your home.
   
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life.

1. This book, down to the "pioneer" theme,and dustjacket synopsis, seems to owe a significant debt to Louisa Thomas Hargrave's The Vineyard, which covered similar territory at a similar time on Long Island's North Fork.



2. I found Hargrave's autobiography pompous and dull, but Susan Sokol Blosser's account of building a life in the Dundee Hills of Oregon speaks to me on many levels--as a woman working in the wine industry, a woman working with her husband, a woman running her own business, and a mother. Susan turns her trials into triumphs and exercises a sense of humor along the way. From the Great Goose Experiment to the day her tearful son rides his bike all the way to school by himself, this is a story that will transport you into "The Life" of owning a vineyard and winery, with a judicial salting of reality and romance.



3. Pour a glass of Evolution Wine and kick back with this entertaining memoir. If the technical aspects of starting and maintaining a business is not a favorite reading topic there is still plenty of life drama going on that is highly readable and easy to relate to. Having lived in Oregon for 22 years and seen (and tasted) the state's wine industry mature I was fascinated with finding out the inside story. If you live in Oregon you might enjoy a few "I was there" moments when the author describes the wonderful concert series in her vineyard. Ah yes...Johnny Mathis under the full moon. Wonderful memory, wonderful book.



4. Well, except when the weather deals them an unwelcome clout....
   
   I live smack dab in the middle of wine country (California) myself, but am no vintner. And it happens I took a scouting trip to the McMinnville vicinity in Oregon last year, thinking it a prospective new home. So, when I spied the lush, green-vined cover of AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD, I was hooked and had to investigate one woman's (and her family's) experiences establishing and nurturing grapes from plant to bottle.
   
   Susan Sokol Blosser writes a chatty, wide-ranging history beginning in late 1970, when she gave birth to her first son and her then-husband Bill "closed the deal on our first piece of vineyard land." She traces the stages of the vineyard and the winery that was built later with an easy, honest style that disarms and charms. It is soon apparent that this woman is an engine of energy. During the years her three children are small, she mainly toils in the vineyard, tilling, planting, picking, spraying, fertilizing, etc. But she also finds time to join the school board and various associations. She also teaches briefly at a McMinnville college. Later, she is twice a candidate for state public office, once losing by a questionable "whisker." As the family wine business expands, so does the wine industry in Oregon. Susan and Bill do their part to uphold and promote the burgeoning reputation Oregon wine slowly acquires -- particularly its Pinot Noir which grows full-bodied in the cooler Northwest climate. In 1990, Susan takes over from Bill as president of their winery and slowly refinances and then gains full ownership of the enterprise. She changes winemakers to improve quality. She travels widely and often to see distributors and explore new markets. She modernizes the labels on their bottles and gains national attention with a blended white wine. She deals with lawsuits and legislative hurdles. She also decides to shift to organic operations and embraces sustainable agriculture. Then, in the early years of the new millennium, she decides she will focus on gradually handing over the reins of power to the son and daughter who have decided to follow their parents into the family business.
   
   While the author relates the chronology of the vineyard and winery she owns and manages, she doesn't ignore the personal side. AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD includes some cute anecdotes about farm pets, and it mentions family concerns such as her father's Alzheimer's without dwelling on them. At one point, I wondered how in the world anyone could juggle so many balls in the air -- family, business, many friendships, and political activism. Something seemed bound to tumble. Well, something did, and the author unflinchingly, and without wallowing, tackles the changes in her life after the children grew up and left the nest.
   
   For anyone who has ever considered starting up a winery, AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD illustrates the kind of commitment and fortitude such an undertaking requires. But even if you aren't planning on being the entrepreneur that all the members of the Sokol Blosser family are; if you seek stories about rural life, want to know more about the Willamette Valley, or are interested in one outspoken and undaunted woman's adventures as a corporate executive, then snag a copy of AT HOME IN THE VINEYARD and -- maybe with a glass of wine in hand -- imbibe it cover to cover.



5. At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life by Susan Sokol Blosser is one book that seems to offer an exception to the adage, "you can't judge a book by its cover".
   
   Just as the subtitle suggests, At Home in the Vineyard effectively describes the slow, steady transformation of an estate winery, a wine industry, and a human being over a period of more than 30 years. It is an intimate study of all three components delivered in a narrative style that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
   
   This book is first and foremost a memoir describing the author's experiences planting a vineyard, starting a winery, and managing both through several decades of trials and tribulations. In addition, Susan provides the reader a first-hand historical account of the Oregon wine industry from its beginnings in the early 1970's. Along the way, she offers candid insights into her personal and professional growth as a wife, mother, business owner, daughter, sister, community leader, friend, and neighbor.
   
   Until reading this book, I never realized the integral role Susan Sokol Blosser played in developing Oregon's wine industry. Nor did I know about the lead role Sokol Blosser Winery took toward adopting sustainable practices, becoming one of the first vineyards to be certified by LIVE and the first winery to be certified by LEED. This is impressive considering the impact these efforts have had on the rest of the state's wine industry.
   
   Having read a variety of wine memoirs, Susan's story stands out as one of the more insightful and intriguing books of its genre. At Home in the Vineyard should appeal to the wine enthusiast, aspiring winemaker, and Oregon pinot fan alike. Anyone reading this book will come away more connected to the people and places behind Oregon wine in general, and Sokol Blosser Winery in particular.
   
   If you are seeking to understand Oregon wine in a deeper, more connected way, then you owe it to yourself to read At Home in the Vineyard.

5 comments about Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin'.

1. I think Ms Deen is a far more complicated person than she appears on TV, as i sat right across the aisle from her on a plane and experienced none of her charm. How do i know it was her? Aunt Peggy was two rows ahead. Further, i read her magazine once and saw way too much of her while taking a bubble bath so she's earthy to say the very least. Still, i'm amazed that she can talk about making sandwiches and being sexually abused on a school bus in the same book. Clearly, she loves her family, even the husband she left behind and the one she has now clearly dotes on her. Not sure if we can say she's reached her peak, as she seems to have some type of drive you could only find in Tennessee Williams and clearly, she does not depend on the kindness of strangers. I only wish she could let her guard down, she always seems "on," except for when i saw her in person and she was "off." She's come a long way but maybe, at 63, she should do a book on how to relax, as it might do her good to learn how to do that by at least writing about it. Still, a very good read.



2. Very easy read. Interesting facts on the life of Paula Deen. May help those "later in life" have hope that their dreams can be realized. Very blunt about her foibles and on her condition of agoraphobia.



3. Overall, I really thought this was a great book and Paula was very honest about her experiences and life. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that she jumped around in time a bit. Overall though I thought it was a great book.



4. This book is a great insperation for any one thats motivated to succed in any chosen field of endevor!!!!



5. Enjoyed reading about her life. Let's you know it's not always "a piece of cake."

5 comments about The Complete Book of Herbs: A Practical Guide to Growing and Using Herbs.

1. I am a intermediate herb grower. This book is awesome, with plenty of beautiful large photos, and plenty of information on uses and how to grow. I am very happy that I bought this book, and feel as though I will not need another ever.



2. i bought this book used as a gift. i already have the herb book and enjoy reading it from time to time. anyone who questions the validity of the benefits of herbs might enjoy reading parts of this book as it addresses each herb individually by talking about its history, uses, how to grow it, how to use it and other interesting facts. it is a pretty book as well and offers advice on where to buy, recipes, craft ideas for herbs.
   a good resource for being natural.



3. My book arrived in a timely manner and met all description by sender. I would definitely order from this source again.



4. Excellent Seller!! Wonderful item. Item recieved as described. Thank you for a smooth and easy transaction. :)



5. Great book that gives you every bit of information that you require about herbs. If you like to grow your own herbs this is a must have book. Any question you might have is answered including visual identification because there are great pictures for every herb. The whole book is printed in high gloss quality paper and you can bet it will last a long time, this is not a light weight paperback.

5 comments about Edible and Useful Plants of California (California Natural History Guide).

1. Clearly written guide to edible plants with recipes and well told descriptions. I enjoyed every page.



2. As a former graduate student in botany I have almost 100 books on botany and plant identification, and this is one of the most fun and easiest to use guides that I have. It's not a rigorous guide, but it's not meant to be, since it focuses on the edible and useful plants of California. About a hundred species are covered, if I remember right (cut me some slack here since it's been awhile since I picked it up), and the notes on their herbal or culinary use, which I don't know as much about, increased my knowledge there.
   
   This would probably be one of the best books for an amateur to get their feet wet identifying plants because it limits itself to one topic and many of the easier species to identify. Plus you'll learn about how various plants they have been used in the past and continue to be useful today.
   
   For example, to mention just one, ceanothus, of which there are about 40 species in California, was used both as a tea substitute and tobacco substitute by the early settlers. And it's easily identifiable by the three prominent veins on the underside of the leaf, as well as the small, pretty clusters of violet flowers. Most of the 40 odd species are low growing herbs or bushes, but the largest species can be a 40 foot tall tree.
   
   Overall, a fine book and one that imparts a lot of fun, useful information.



3. Edible and Useful Plants of California (California Natural History Guides)
   
   If you are interested in wild plants, this is a good book for identification. The recipes provided are easy and delicious. I have already prepared Purslane (Verdolaga) in her recipe titled, "Verdolagas Con Queso" -- Excellent! There are many more I can't wait to try. Excellent book by Charlotte Bringle Clarke.



4. Wasn't very good. It is hard for a book like this to be helpful without color pictures.



5. i thought this would be a good book to reference when outdoors, but this book has a few problems. some of the descriptions dont explain the uses for the plants, just how to prepare it. i understand its not a medicinal plant book, but even so, useful plants should have a decent description of their uses. also, the index is virtually useless, the plants that i tried to search for using the index, just brought me to pages that mentioned the plant, not the page with the plant's info on it.

5 comments about The Artful Vegan: Fresh Flavors from the Millennium Restaurant.

1. This is the best vegetarian/vegan cookbook ever. I am a collector of cookbooks and it is always great to find one with new creative recipes and this one surpassed my expectations. I would not consider this book for beginner cooks the recipes are lengthy, not 30 minute meals. It also has in quite a few recipes hard to find or expensive ingredients. Although, if you are a creative cook or live near quality stores it shouldn't be too big of problem. When I bought this book, I bought another at the same time for my sister.



2. There are two chefs who taught me how to cook by virtue of publishing the books that I learned from. The first is Madhur Jaffrey (World of the East Vegetarian Cooking--an outstanding, comprehensive book of recipes, methods, ingredients and their substitutions for beginners with a knack for flavors and the will to give it a try). The next is Eric Tucker, Head Chef of Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco (best restaurant I've ever had the pleasure of dining in) and author of two Millennium books including The Artful Vegan.
   
   I have both of Eric Tucker's books (Artful, and The Millennium Cookbook), and I reference them both frequently, whether I want to put on a pull-out-all-the-stops fabulous dinner party or just want a little inspiration for interesting flavor combinations for tonight's dinner.
   
   
   Complicated? Doesn't have to be:
   
   First thing you'll want to know about these books is that other reviewers are right that these are not meant for whipping up quick meals at the end of a long day. That said, I have on countless occasions pulled out Eric's books for inspiration for a quick something-or-other to do with, say, butternut squash. Say I've baked a butternut squash ahead of time and have it sitting in the fridge waiting for me to do something with it at the end of one of these hard days. A quick flip to the index of Artful for "squash, butternut" sends me to pp. 130-131, where I see the interesting combination of garlic, lemons, tahini, onion, tomato, and mint (plus some other things that I don't feel like putting in). I decide to combine those ingreds with some nice wild mushrooms I have in the fridge, a little minced serrano chile, and a smidge of raw sugar melted and poured over the squash, and I come up with a darned yummy and easy meal.
   
   The thing to remember is that cookbooks are suggestions, nothing more. They are launching pads. With The Artful Vegan, what you've got is a series of very interesting flavor combinations that should make you feel like a kid in the world's biggest sandbox--play Play PLAY with the flavors, play with the textures, use the bits that sound good to you, combine them with other bits that pique your curiosity, and learn from it. Some of your "experiments" might well suck--that's OK. A bunch of them will be exquisite. Artful gives you a very comprehensive bunch of ideas that take you--well, it definitely took me--to places I would not have thought to go on my own. Now I do think it, and this is why I say Eric Tucker is one of the chefs who taught me to cook by writing this excellent book.
   
   
   Well, unless you want it to be complicated:
   
   Using the recipes not as suggestions but as verbatim instructions will also have you singing with glee. This is where you should set aside a day of preparation ahead of time and then another day to do the cooking and assembling and serving. Really--plan for a Sunday eve meal that you start on Saturday morning (preferably with a visit to the local farmers' market). This is why I (and other reviewers) say the recipes are time-consuming. But if you love the subtle arts of cookery and fancy yourself brave enough to try new techniques and flavor/texture combinations, you are going to love this book, and you are going to have more fun in the kitchen and be more impressed with what you can make than ever before.
   
   
   Ingredients and equipment:
   
   It also helps immensely to live in a great place like the San Francisco Bay Area where access to all things gastronomic are readily available. Between the wide variety of our farmers' markets, international groceries, organic health food stores, and the great outdoors, any outstanding ingredients list is pretty well covered in the Bay Area. If you live in an area where there's not as much selection, you'll need to be creative about substitution ingredients. Fortunately, Eric's books are good about telling you what other (perhaps less "exotic") ingredients would work well, what pieces you could leave out of the recipe and still have something stellar, and so forth.
   
   You don't need a lot of specialized kitchen equipment to make these recipes. One assumes a blender and/or food processor and a basic set of quality knives and cookware. But you don't need all those stupid tchotchkes that have one use only, are impossible to clean and care for, and cost you a month's salary. Exquisite cooking is not defined by the fussiness of one's gadgets. (In my experience, reliance on fussy gadgetry is inversely related to cooking skill).
   
   
   Oh, those gorgeous photos!:
   
   One last thing: not every recipe in this book has a photo of the finished dish, but many do. The photos are works of art in and of themselves--the book is a visual feast as well as a collection of ideas for your own gustatory feast. Plus, with instructions that can seem at first to be very complicated, it's helpful to look at the photo and say "Oh, that's what he means by that!"
   
   `````
   
   To sum up:
   
   1) The other reviewers are right that these recipes can be very time-consuming and complicated. Sometimes you want that--satisfies the inner chef-artiste in all of us;
   
   2) The recipes are easily adaptable to be a lot less time-consuming and complicated, and Eric Tucker provides a lot of guidance on how to adapt the recipes;
   
   3) You don't need to be an expert with a bunch of ridiculously complicated kitchen equipment to make the food in this book. You just need a bit of an experimental attitude, good solid basic kitchen equipment, and the willingness to have fun with new flavors, textures, ingredients, and ideas;
   
   4) This shouldn't, however, be your first cookbook. You will likely enjoy the book most if you already have some experience fiddling around in the kitchen and are familiar with the basic terminology ("blanching" almonds, for example. Not too complicated--and there's a Basics section, a Techniques section, and a Glossary section in the back to help you with this stuff);
   
   5) The Artful Vegan, along w/ Eric's earlier The Millennium Cookbook, took my cooking to a new level. It's doable, it's absolutely worth doing, and it's a heck of a lot of fun!
   
   ¡Buen provecho!



3. I purchased this book for my sister and she loves it so far. It's giving her more ideas of what she can make and it's been pretty easy to follow the recipes.



4. I purchased this book while in Culinary school to use for inspiration during our "spa cuisine" section. I still use it to this day, even though I am not a vegan. It has delicious recipes that are layered with flavor and texture experiences. I just love flipping through it for the photos as well. I LOVE this book. Anyone wishing to try a different style of eating or just eat meatless a few times a week would greatly benefit from this amazing book. Some of the dishes may be a bit complicated for a novice cook, but you can take several of the recipes and only prepare parts of them. The gnocci is AMAZING!



5. The recipes are easy and straightforward to understand, creative, and very unique. I have made a number of items from this book all to rave reviews, all very easy to do. I would consider this a must have book for anyone serious about their culinary expertise, and serious about enjoying life as a Vegan. Best part- this is a fantastic book for Non-Vegans as well. I would stand all of these recipes up to conventional recipes and watch them knock the socks (and tastebuds)off of all of them.

5 comments about The Wines of the Northern Rhône.

1. After reading this book I changed my itinerary for my recent tour of Provence/Cotes du Rhone to include three days in the Northern Rhone. I am so glad I did. This book was so helpful during my visit. I carried it with me. After reading this book, the vignerons become your new best friends. It also gives a real sense of place. The detailed reviews of vintages is fabulous. I'm now collecting the wines of the Northern Rhone.



2. John Livingstone is an old and good friend of mine, and after reading (parts) of his book I am really anxious to try Condrieu and Hermitage wines. So far I always stick to Bourgogne, Bordeaux and Loire wines. I cannot imagine how he con review all those different wines in one life. This book is like a bible.



3. Wonderfully informative. This book has become my most trusted reference for the northern Rhone. It is well written and informative. Mades me feel I am there. While about wine the information about people and places adds an import aspect. I bought two more and gave them to friends I knew would enjoy all the details and great information.



4. It's taken me quite a while to warm to this book. I felt at first I was no match for the amount of information provided. I skimmed through reading reviews of the wines I own and put the book down to collect dust. Since then I have returned, have read from page one to the end of the chapter on Hermitage and now have a newfound appreciation for not only the wines and producers of those wines, but for Learmonth.
   "Batonnage became the chic thing to do during the white's raising, but the result left the wines flabby and similar across different appellations." That is the sort of detail you can expect; this is no beginners book. I have at times needed to read paragraphs a second time to really comprehend what Learmonth is saying but once I grasp what he is saying I feel as if I am part of a very select group who have delved deeper into the subject of wine than most. It's time for the author to write about the Southern Rhone.



5. This book stands alongside Cote D'or by Clive Coates as one of the greatest wine books of all time. Its all there, vintage, producer and appelation profiles, in depth!

3 comments about The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir (California Studies in Food and Culture).

1. Amy Trubek's book is really outstanding. She traces her cultural journey in different regions of the country (and France) to help the reader understand the importance of food that comes from one's own town or region. As a food anthropologist, the text is rich with examples of what chefs, farmers, and enlightened individuals are doing to connect local delicious food to the activities within their communities, in other words, how they are creating a taste of place.



2. My wife and I had the opportunity to see the author speak on the Taste of Place at a local library. It was pretty fascinating, and in some ways added more perspective to the book. They had maple syrups from around New England to taste as an example of the diversity of taste opportunities. This is why I attended, as I'm a local sugarmaker (http://www.tillinghastmaple.com). Covering the topic from a social as well as a food perspective, the book is much more than just a set of observations of product diversity related to location. It's more about people and how they develop community patterns of production and consumption. I highly recommend the book, even if you're not a "localvore" and typically find food production issues tedious.



3. Fabulous read! While I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, the opening section on wines was excellent background material for what was, for me, the "meat" of the book. That is, the sections on local food pioneers in different parts of the US. I want to go to those markets!
   
   Trubek did an excellent job of portraying both the theoretical and practical perspectives of "taste of place" such that I, the reader, am further inspired to be involved with a growing local foods initiative in my own community. Well, hey, isn't that the hallmark of a good non-fiction read? I do believe it is. And on my next venture past Madison, WI, I'm planning to do some exploring.